London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL

There has been a lot of discussion recently on the NFL expanding and setting up a team in London. Well first of all, London is by far the best location (outside of America) for the NFL to expand to. There is already a stadium that meets NFL specifications, London generates so much money from soccer (or football) each year, and there is an enormous population of sport fans. The NFL and many others see London as an opportunity to make much more money and the beginning of world-wide american football. Some individuals believe that the Wembley Stadium will be a "sellout-producing site" for american football. They also state that it is no longer an "if" scenario but rather a "when" scenario. If soccer teams can play world-wide, why can't NFL teams eventually do the same? Even though this all looks great on paper, is it actually possible?

In my opinion, american football spreading to London is still an "if" scenario. I agree that the NFL could have the same potential as soccer, but it will take a very long time and even that might not be enough. As Barnwell states, "It's easy to imagine the NFL staring at London as a possible destination for a future franchise, with a ready-built stadium and an enormous potential market for fresh fans, but reality tells us it would be playing a different game than the league's other franchises." American football is a much more popular sport than soccer in the USA and when it comes to England, soccer is much more popular than American football. All because the NFL is more popular in the USA does not mean that it will happen in London or anywhere else in the world. Sports play enormous roles in the development of societies and it will take many years for the NFL to become equally popular in England's society after so many years of dedication to soccer. Ultimately, on paper it seems like a fantastic idea but in reality it will not work out.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/22357154/london-calling-nfl-wants-uk-team-and-soon-jags-look-like-best-fit

Sociogenesis of Alpine Skiing

Skiing has been traced back to prehistoric times through the discovery of different sizes and shapes of wooden planks that have been preserved in Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Norway. The fragments have been carbon-dated back to 8000-7000 BC. The actual "birth" of downhill skiing is often dated to the 1850s when Sondre Norheim changed skis to have curved sides, bindings with stiff heel bands, and slalom turns. Skiing used to be only a method of transportation until the late 19th century. The first national skiing competition was held in Norway in the 1840s. Alpine skiing was added to the olympic program in 1936 and since 1988, the Olympic Alpine skiing program has consisted of five events. The events are downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined. Downhill has the longest course and the highest speeds. Super-G stands for Super Giant Slalom and is longer that Giant Slalom but shorter than Downhill. Giant Slalom is a looser version of slalom with fewer and wider turns. Giant Slalom races are much smoother than Slalom races. Slalom has the shortest course and the most turns. This race requires very fast reflexes and quick feet. Lastly, Super-combined consists of a downhill course followed by a slalom run.

During the race, skiers must pass through each gate and must not lose a ski. If the skier misses a gate, he or she is allowed to hike back up to the gate that they missed and pass through it, continuing the race. If the racer fails to make a gate or loses a ski, they are DQ'd from the race. The race begins as soon as the racer passes the timing wand at the top of the hill and is finished as soon as they pass through the last gate.

There are eight parts of alpine skiing equipment:

1. Skis

2. Race suit

 3. Boots

4. Gloves

 5. Goggles

6. Helmet

 7. Bindings

8. Ski poles

http://i.nbcolympics.com/alpine-skiing/insidethissport/basic/newsid=261158.html#alpine+skiing+basics

http://www.olympic.org/alpine-skiing-equipment-and-history?tab=equipment

Sport in the Ancient World

The development of sports have completely changed throughout generations. There have been different kinds of sports, for different people, for different roles. For example, gladiator battles were the most popular sport during Ancient Rome. A gladiator is either a warrior hero or a villain and is an object of scorn, envy, admiration, or even lust. A gladiator's role is fighting, killing, and dying. Gladiators lived in a training school that was right next to the colosseum and the training was very similar to the training for roman soldiers. The fighting is very different than normal fighting because it is ritualized and specialized. There were various types of armor and it was well decorated and balanced.  A gladiator has one in six chances of dying every time he steps into the arena. Gladiator battles were very political and provided entertainment. They excluded women as athletes and were diversions for the common people. There were about 17 different types of gladiators, however of these 17, Thracians, Mirmillones, Retiarii, and Secutores were the most popular. Mostly they carried a sword and shield or a trident and net.

Another period of time where there were different kinds of sports that served different roles was Ancient Greece. During Ancient Greece, Olympic Games began to take place. The Olympic Games included pankration, boxing, wrestling, running, jumping, discus throw, and equestrian events. Pankration was a sport that combined wrestling and boxing and was considered one of the hardest sports. For jumping, athletes used weights to increase the distance of their jumps by throwing them backwards at the end of their jump. And horse and chariot races were used for equestrian events. The athletes were required to be naked to prove that they were not women or cheating. The only female that was allowed to attend the games was a priestess of Zeus's sister, Demiter. Similar to Ancient Rome, the games provided entertainment. However they were mostly based on religion rather than politics.

Ultimately, studying the history of sports allows us to see the development of modern sport. We can easily see more equality, rewards, specialization, and quantification. Sports moved from combat to ball and from religious to secular. It is very interesting to think about current sports and how so many things have changed. For example, women are now allowed to compete in most of the olympic events. Interestingly enough, just this year women are allowed to compete in the ski jump event for the winter olympics.  Even though most of the things have changed, some things are still currently changing.


http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games?tab=the-sports-events
http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-gladiators.php

Sport, Society & Me

Sports used to play a large role in my life and I first became involved at a young age.  It seems like every season I used to play a different sport.  Football in the fall, ski racing in the winter, tennis in the spring, and baseball in the summer.  If I wasn't playing a sport, I most likely had an injury.  Sports have made me a very competitive person and have allowed me to see the achievements that can be made from working hard.  My dad has been a coach for me throughout my life and has taught me that hard work is necessary for everything in life, not just sports.  I also noticed this connection after having multiple jobs and getting promotions.  Often times my co-workers never received promotions while I did.  However it was very obvious that who ever worked harder was mostly the one to get a promotion.  Ultimately, sports have provided me with many good attributes, especially hard working. 

However, I do not think that sports only play a positive role in society, they also play negative roles.  Of course sports can provide people with good sportsmanship, traditions, entertainment, and other positive aspects.  A lot of athletes are even great role models for society.  For example, according to James Riggio, Roger Federer is not only one of the best tennis players, but he also was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2006 and helped aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Unfortunately, many people also feel that a lot of athletes are actually negative role models in society.  All the time we hear about professional athletes getting in trouble with the law.  For example, Terrence Jones, the forward for the Huston Rockets, was arrested after he was seen stomping on the leg of a homeless man.  

Despite all of the negative impacts that sport has on our society, sports are and will remain an important part of American culture.  Athletes are individuals that we respect, look up to, and want to be.  They put their bodies on the line for our entertainment and often times refuse failure.  And even though some are poor role models, there will always be positive role models as well.

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Athletes-Are-Negative-Role-Models-For-623461.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1043972-top-25-sports-models-of-last-25-years/page/5

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/all-jumpsuit-team-sports-stars-trouble-law-gallery-1.56536?pmSlide=1.1545966

The Sport Ethic

Athletes have their own set of norms that they follow in order to show their commitment to sports that they participate in.  According to Hughes and Coakley, the "Sport Ethic" or the definition of a "real athlete" can be described in four main points.  First, an athlete has to be able to make sacrifices for The Game.  They need to forget about other interests in their life in order to give the sport full commitment and attention.  Second, an athlete needs to strive for distinction.  Athletes work so hard to get closer and closer to perfection.  They will practice as long as it takes to be the best, because in their heads, practice makes perfect.  Third, athletes need to accept risks and play through pain.  Athletes should never back down and perform under any pressure.  If they are injured and they can still physically play, they should.  Lastly, athletes refuse to accept limits.  Once they achieve a certain amount of skill, they continue to work harder so they can improve more.  Even if the athlete is already the best, that individual will continue to work towards improvement.

Many people are surprised by this and wonder why athletes conform to this set of beliefs.  The reason is actually very simple.  Athletes have a set of norms that they follow, just like everyday norms that exist in our society.  The saying "no pain, no gain" is a perfect example that supports the third point.  Athletes are expected to be faster, stronger, and work harder than the average person.  The sport culture teaches them to never quit and always work to be the best.

Personally, I have experienced many of these dimensions of the sport ethic.  For example when I played football in high school, if you were hurt often times you were told to "rub some dirt in it" or "grow a pair and start acting like a football player."  The coaches would tell us what we could and could not eat and how we shouldn't hangout with friends before a game day.  Our coaches began to schedule "fun days" that were basically extra practice days where we would meet up and run simple drills without pads.  Ultimately we were told that our most important thing in life is football and we need to work as hard as we can to improve.

Tyler Martin

Sport(s) in the USA

The most popular sports in the United States include American football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey.  Of course there are many other sports such as swimming, lacrosse, tennis, winter sports, and etc that are popular was well, but the first five listed are by far the most popular.  Game days are usually pretty big with these sports and involve thousands of dedicated fans attending the game and watching the game on tv.  Many of these fans will be wearing the team colors or jerseys to support the team playing.  It is also very popular to tailgate before the game and grill burgers, hotdogs, brats, and drink beer.  Inside the stadium, there will be a lot of life and excitement.  There will be many different types of food and games that people can play.  Of course the majority of the stadium will be filled with seating for fans to watch the game.  While the game takes place, there will be individuals that walk up and down the stairs selling beverages and snacks.  Overall, for all of these sports, friends and families will get together, eat tasty food, enjoy each others company, and hopefully watch a good game.

A "good game" according to Americans includes a very close score between the teams with good calls.  We don't want to see a high scoring game necessarily.  For example in football we would like to see a game that is 28-28 and there is 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  We want to see amazing plays on both offense and defense.  And of course we want our team to win in the end.   A successful sport in the USA will keep the fans on the edge of their seats and be constantly excited.  We want fairness and good sportsmanship between athletes.  And most importantly it will be considered successful if there are many "good games."