UConn Women Setting Records

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=12217174



In class we talked a great deal about Women in sports and how they don’t receive nearly the same amount of privileges and opportunities that men do. We also talked about how Women’s sports don’t receive nearly the same amount of coverage that Men’s do. This however has changed a little bit in the recent weeks. The Women’s UConn Basketball team is coming ever so close to setting a new record for most consecutive wins in college basketball history which is held by UCLA. The UConn women already hold the record in terms of Women’s basketball however if they can get to 89 wins they will surpass all of College Basketball in terms of the streak. While we did talk about how women’s professional sports are hardly covered by the media this has received some great attention from especially ESPN as it is a phenomenal feat. ESPN has been tracking all of their games and following each win in some depth as the streak has gone on and shows how perhaps somewhat the trend of coverage of Women’s sports may be changing. Coakley talks about in his text how women’s sports may not be seen as “real” or as good as men’s sports(262) however should the UConn women pull off this streak and get to 89 wins it would help prove that there is no difference at all between men and women’s sports and that they are both equal. A women’s team breaking a men’s teams record will help a great deal in supporting the fact that women can be just as competitive and just as good as men.

Childress out and Frazier in for the Minnesota Vikings

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5838652



One of the topics we talked about in class we’re how African Americans are underrepresented in most sports especially at positions of high authority. Well today that changed for the Minnesota Vikings, the Vikings fired their head coach Brad Childress and promoted Leslie Frazier. Frazier who has been interviewed for seven head coaching position in his career, and was the Vikings Defensive Coordinator is now their new head coach and he is an African American. While there have been different African American coaches that have won Super Bowls (Mike Tomlin and Tony Dungy) this is still a somewhat new thing to have a Black head coach. There has of course been a recent movement to have owners interview Black candidates for open head coaching positions due to the Rooney rule which states that this must take place, and this will most likely take place with Frazier if he does a good job. While this is still not a ownership position like we mostly talked about in class it is still great for Frazier’s career. In class we discussed how many young African American’s don’t see other African Americans in positions of high status normally this could help change that ever more for young kids and teens who may someday want to be a head coach and are fans of the Vikings. Coakley also talks about how things like this are good to continue to get diversity at the higher positions in sports organizations. (310) Things like Frazier becoming interim head coach only help that even more.

Aisam awarded the Arthur Ashe Award

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7407657-aisam-earned-arthur-ashe-award-for-the-second-time




In class we talked in good detail about Race and Ethnicity in sports and how it has grown over the years. We also talked about how little the general public know about Black History when it comes to sports. Arthur Ashe was the 1st black tennis player to win the grand slam. Ashe’s name is on an award that the world governing body of Men’s Tennis hands out every year titled the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the year award. This year’s winner which was just recently determined is Aisam-ul-Hag. He received this award because he and India’s Rohan Bopanna have been pairing together in tournaments all year spreading the message of peace through tennis throughout the world. Aisam is the only person in the history of the award to win it twice. While this is great for Aisam it further proves the little knowledge of black sports history at least from my point of view. One of the main objective of us talking about Race and Ethnicity in class was to show us how little we know about black sports history and how it too affected the way sports are laid out today. This is only further show with the Arthur Ashe Award and how important it is to the world of Tennis and proves to me how little I did know about black history before we talked about it.

Cam Newton Allegations

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/05/cam-newton-investigation-_n_779367.html


Deviance in sports happens every day whether it’s at the Professional, college, or high school level. In class we talked about some of the different things that take place and that are considered deviant in sports. One of those that we discussed was the illegal recruitment of college athletes by schools. This has become a widely discussed topic concerning Cam Newton the QB of the Auburn Tigers whose father has been accused of receiving money from the school to have his son play football there. While Newton hasn’t actually gotten in any trouble as of yet and he may not it’s a great example of how common this is. Even if Newton’s father didn’t receive any money there are countless times where this takes place and just goes untouched or is unknown by the general public. A prime example is Reggie Bush who recently had the Heisman taken from him because he and his family received money from USC to have the RB play football for them. This also could be very bad for Auburn as well, Coakley talks about how not only athletes are the ones at fault for deviant behavior but all people involved in Sports are. Coakley talks about how sports administrators take and give bribes to help their team in any way possible which is in full affect with this situation. (178) While as I said nothing has been proven and hopefully nothing will come of it; it still shows just how prominent deviance is in sports every day.

T.Ocho show taken to the Next Level

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2010-09-06-terrell-owens-chade-ochocinco-tv-show_N.htm



In class we talked about how athletes are now not only looked at as athletes but also as stars and celebrities. This is extremely true whether liked or not by Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. The two who are well known for their “diva” like attitudes on the field with specialized celebrations and skill on the field as well have used the media to become TV stars as well. Not only do Owens and Ochocinco have their own shows on VH1 during the offseason they also now have a show on versus the T.Ocho show. These two have used their often time in the spotlight to endorse themselves and garner even more TV time then just on the football fields on Sundays. We talked about how athletes have used social networks like Twitter to communicate with fans and Owens and Ochocinco are two of the most known to do so in the NFL. Coakley too talked about how the media has enabled athletes to become global celebrities and benefit from windfall income related to their popularity.(407) Owens and Ochocinco have taken that to the next level with their show, and prove just how popular sports are today and how the majority of sports fans want to know what is going on all the time.

Glee following the Super Bowl Touchdown or Pick 6 for Fox ?

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/17/glee-super-bowl-episode-michael-jackson-thriller/


In class we talked a lot about the Media and how exactly the media affects sports today, one of the topics we discussed is how the Media uses big sporting events not only to make money off of the event itself but also to promote its own programming. This is clearly true with the Super Bowl, stations often put their most popular and or up and coming shows on right after the Super Bowl to promote interest and to get more viewers. The same can be said this year following Super Bowl 45, Glee one of Fox’s big new shows is set to follow the Super bowl this year on Fox and is going to use the game itself to try to spark even more interest in the series. On top of that the episode is going to have Michael Jackson’s ever popular Thriller song featured in it. Personally I think this is quite a risky move by Fox, while I personally have no problem with the show Glee many of my friends think the show is dumb, and as Coakley talks about in the book TV Stations often use the advertising time to advertise for males, things like beer, life insurance trucks and cars and computers.(411) While I think it could be a success having Glee follow the Super Bowl I think it could also be a big turn off for some who don’t particularly like the show. However I do think that in the end it could be a good idea for Fox.

London 2012 Olympic 'wake up call' for UK business

14 October 2010 Last updated at 19:05 ET

London 2012 Olympic 'wake up call' for UK business

The games in 2012 could provide business opportunities for UK firms

The London Olympic games in 2012 should bring economic benefits to UK firms, but many are not sufficiently prepared to take advantage, a report says.

At the same time many companies are not aware of the potential risk of disruption from the event, says the survey from Deloitte.

The report comes in the week that the Commonwealth Games have ended, and eyes turn to London in two years' time.

"Many of these businesses need a wake-up call," says Deloitte.

'Clock ticking'

"We believe that - with insight and planning - businesses can maximise the opportunities to benefit commercially from London 2012," added Rick Cudworth, head of business continuity and resilience at Deloitte.

"The clock is ticking and the planning needs to start now."

The report from the international auditing and business consulting firm also says that 60% of businesses in London expect virtually no impact on their ability to operate "business as usual" during the games.

Meanwhile, 70% of UK retailers expect no impact, despite this industry being one Deloitte feels "faces a direct impact in terms of a need to have high numbers of staff in store and product on the shelf".

Transport is a worry for firms but the report says very few are concerned about supply disruption or resource scarcity, such as hotel rooms - which Deloitte says will be in short supply.

'Disconnect'

More than half of companies surveyed expect the Games to deliver an increase in demand for their services.

But, said Deloitte, even here "there is a disconnect with many companies expecting an increase in demand, but not planning for how they are going to secure that extra business".

However, it also says that many businesses have recognised the need to plan for the games.

About a quarter of large businesses in the UK have appointed an individual or group to manage the potential risks to their business and assess the opportunities on offer as a result of the Games.

Heather Hancock, London 2012 Partner at Deloitte, said: "It's a good start that, with just under two years to go, 25% of the businesses we surveyed are already thinking about the impact and the opportunities of London 2012.

"These companies stand to be best-placed to benefit from the business boost the Games can deliver."

-          In class we talked about how effective having the Olympics in a country can be for the economy. Obviously London is beginning to plan for the upcoming summer games, and in class we talked about how it is going to cost London billions of dollars to get all of the venues and sites ready for the incoming spectators. The Olympics are going to bring in a ton of revenue for London and the business that people will set up, however the companies need to take more of a proactive approach to the games and how they will make their businesses and employees ready for the wave of people that will come in 2012.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11541338

Cal trims sports lineup

Published October 04, 2010 : Page 08

Cal fans will have fewer sports to cheer for
because of budget cuts.

Cal trims sports lineup
The University of California, Berkeley, eliminated baseball, men’s and women’s gymnastics and women’s lacrosse, while it also demoted the status of men’s rugby, in moves designed to reduce the athletic department’s bloated budget by $4 million and keep Cal in compliance with Title IX gender equity requirements.

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.main&articleID=67123

-          In class on October 5^th, 2010 we talked about intercollegiate sports and what goes into making the programs work. One of the big things that we had discussed was Title IX which is set up to make sure that no one gender would get too much support in a University. Well as we talked about that in class the University of California was trimming some of their sports programs as the article above states to get in compliant with Title IX’s standards. However one of the key things we talked about were Division 1 schools and the characteristics that each holds. Cal U which has had successful Football and Basketball programs in the past had to cut their other sports so their big revenue makers (which is what the athletic departments care about) would be able to continue function at the levels the school wants. As the book states a College Football team making a big bowl game can make the college millions of dollars, but if a baseball team makes the playoffs or gymnastics such forth that kind of revenue will not be present. Of course while the sports that were dropped matter especially to those who participate in them, they don’t bring in the boosters, sponsorship, ticket sales, TV contracts, and big games that football and basketball do.

Braylon Edwards charged with DUI

Updated: September 22, 2010, 3:52 AM ET

Braylon Edwards charged with DUI

ESPN.com news services

Will NFL Suspend Braylon Edwards?

Officers on the lookout for vehicle violations like excessive tinting or missing registration stickers pulled over Edwards' Land Rover on Manhattan's West Side at about 5:15 a.m. ET and noticed a strong smell of alcohol, chief NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Edwards was given a breath test at the scene and another at a police station. His blood alcohol level was .16, twice the legal limit, officials said. There were four other people in the SUV at the time.
The Jets expressed their disappointment in the receiver in a statement Tuesday from general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"We are very disappointed in Braylon's actions this morning. The Player Protect program is in place for our organization to prevent this situation. Braylon is aware of this program and showed poor judgment," Tannenbaum said.
"We are reviewing the information with the league and will impose the appropriate disciplinary measures."
The Player Protect program provides a 24-hour driving service exclusively for professional athletes. The company also provides security, if requested, from current or former law-enforcement agents.
If a player wants a lift home, he can call anytime and will be driven home in a luxury SUV or a Mercedes limo or an executive limo van.
The Jets, through their player development program, distributed leaflets on the Player Protect program to every player on the team. It informs them they aren't charged for the service, and the club picks up the expense.
Edwards, who caught a touchdown pass and two-point conversion on Sunday in the Jets' 28-14 victory against the New England Patriots, is currently in police custody and will be arraigned later Tuesday.
Edwards' attorney, Peter Frankel, acknowledged that the specifics of the case as laid out by authorities were accurate, saying: "That's my understanding, yes." But he quickly added: "I can't really get into anything that happened."
Frankel, who has represented imprisoned former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress in his attempts to gain work release, said Edwards would not be available to the media. "We just want to get him out," he said. "I'm sure he's absolutely exhausted and he wants to go back to his home and his teammates."
Ira Judelson, a New York City-based bail bondsman, was at the courthouse Tuesday and indicated that he had been instructed to pay whatever bail is necessary to keep Edwards out of jail.
During his weekly spot on WFAN-AM on Tuesday morning, Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said Edwards attended a Monday night event in support of Cotchery's nonprofit foundation benefiting underprivileged youth in Manhattan.
Cotchery said several teammates were there, and the event ran from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Manhattan's West Side.
It's not clear where Edwards was coming from when he was pulled over.
The Jets acquired Edwards, a former first-round pick out of Michigan in 2005, from the Cleveland Browns only days after he was accused of punching a man outside a Cleveland nightclub in October 2009.
The victim was an acquaintance of LeBron James'. Edwards pleaded not guilty at the time, but he ended up pleading no contest to misdemeanor aggravated disorderly conduct. He received probation and a $1,000 fine.
Pending the outcome of the New York City case, Edwards may have to return to Cleveland to face a possible probation violation, which could carry jail time. The Cleveland Municipal Court judge handling his case has been notified of his New York arrest, court spokesman Ed Ferenc said.
Edwards was required to make the plea in the Cleveland case in person, and it took him away from the Jets for a day as they prepared for a playoff game on Jan. 12. At the time, the Jets feared he would be slapped with a one-game suspension from the NFL, but they learned in late June that there would be no sanction from the league.
If Edwards is convicted on his DUI charge, or pleads no contest, he likely will be subject to the league's personal conduct policy and face a possible suspension, a league source clarified late Monday.
Edwards currently can only be disciplined under the league's substance abuse policy, in which he faces a maximum fine of $50,000 under terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
However, Edwards' misdemeanor disorderly conduct conviction in Ohio stemming from his altercation outside a Cleveland nightclub in October resulted in a previously undisclosed fine of his first game check of an estimated $200,000, even though he was not suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell, the source said.
A conviction or no contest plea to DWI likely would be viewed as a second violation of the personal conduct policy, a league official said.
Edwards' big game Sunday was overshadowed by a taunting penalty he received after his touchdown.
On Monday, Edwards was chastised by coach Rex Ryan -- publicly and privately. In a team meeting, Ryan announced that he was prepared to give Edwards a game ball for his performance, but he decided against it because of the penalty.
"I love the way he played -- he was really into it -- but you're killing us," Ryan told reporters. "You can't put the team in that kind of jeopardy. I appreciate how passionate he is, but you don't want to be selfish. That's basically what that is."
Jets punter Steve Weatherford wasn't happy with his teammate's situation.
"It's obviously disappointing because he's a big part of our team offensively," he said on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Tuesday.
This might be Edwards' final season with the Jets. In the offseason, he signed a one-year tender for $6.05 million, and he's due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2011.
The Jets were heavily criticized in the offseason for acquiring players with off-the-field issues. They traded for wide receiver Santonio Holmes even though he was facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He has served two games.
Also, they traded for cornerback Antonio Cromartie, whose tenure with the San Diego Chargers was tainted by paternity issues. At the time of the trade, in March, Cromartie had fathered seven children from six different women and was late on $25,000 in child-support payments. To help Cromartie, the Jets fronted him $500,000 of his $1.1 million salary.
If Edwards isn't active for Sunday night's game in Miami, the Jets would be without two of their top three receivers. They have only three other receivers on the roster: Cotchery, Brad Smith and David Clowney.
They could look to re-sign veteran Laveranues Coles.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5598872

-          This article for me was in some ways funny, because the same week we were discussing athletes and how they are bad role models for young athletes and kids Braylon Edwards gets caught drinking and driving. In class we talked about the qualities that a good role model should poses and Braylon Edwards does not poses those qualities. Not only is drinking and driving a terrible example to set but he also was not committed to his team which was one of those qualities we discussed. Edwards showed a great lack of care for his teammates and for the Jets organization as well as their fans. On top of that this wasn’t his first run in with the law either which makes things even worse for the Jets WR. However perhaps the worst part in the entire case was the fact that the Jets have a player protection program that runs 24/7 and can pick a player up at anytime, however Braylon felt the need to drive. Edwards while getting caught drunk driving isn’t the worst thing an athlete has done it is still not acceptable behavior for someone getting paid the amount of money he does and showed a great lapse in judgment by doing so.

Sports Experts Form Action Plan to Use Sport to Overcome Urban Violence

Beyond Sport on 09.29.10 at 12:04 PM | 1 comment |

Scott Myers works with World Sport Chicago and led a Symposium about using sport to stop urban violence at the Beyond Sport Pre-Summit 

On Tuesday, September 28, World Sport Chicago, University of Chicago and the Mayor's Office of Chicago brought together community thought leaders and international experts in youth sports development for a day-long session on how the city can use sport as a tool to engage kids in positive social development, disengage them from crime and violence, and create safe havens in inner-city neighborhoods.  The unique gathering is timely considering the issues the City of Chicago has struggled with recently in regards to gang-related violence in various neighborhoods and the great strides World Sport Chicago (WSC) has made over the past year to develop programs and conduct events that expose inner-city youth to sport and provide them with better options.

Scott Myers, WSC Executive Director and Harold Pollack, Co-Director University of Chicago Crime Lab, facilitated the meeting that included a panel discussion, breakout sessions, priority setting and best practice presentations from cutting edge organizations across the globe that are dealing with the same issues and tackling them through sport.  "It is very difficult being a 17 year-old male in the City of Chicago these days," said Pollack, "we are here today to learn from each other and develop strategies on how sports can help kids find some tools to survive, avoid the challenges in their neighborhoods and continue to develop socially."

The discussions were focused around prevention, intervention and safe-places.  Many professionals had the opportunity to share their stories and provide anecdotes to make their point.  Adam Hall, who works for Streetchance in the UK talked about how he was an at-risk teenager just a few years ago that went through the program and now works for the organization.  Luke Dowdney was a panelist from Fight For Peace in Brazil which uses boxing & martial arts combined with education and personal development to realize the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence.  Luke was asked to address the fact that they use a contact sport as an alternative for violence and if they were one in the same.  "I have been answering this question for ten years, boxing and martial arts are sports of discipline and self-control, isn't that what we are striving to instill in these young men," asked Dowdney.  All participants agreed that any sports programming must also work to combine other social development elements including education, leadership, goal setting, etc. in addition to the athletic skills and tactics being coached.

Local organizations also took part in the meeting, sharing some of their experiences and taking notes, including Chris Mallete, a CPS football coach and Mayor's Office Head of Community representative and Rob Castenda, founder of Beyond the Ball in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.  Beyond the Ball is one of five finalists for the United Airlines Chicago Impact Award that will be awarded later in the week. 

 At the end of the day, Scott Myers summarized three key points that included the need for "structural engagements," educating policy makers, city organizations and funders on the impact of sport and integrating all of them to share ideas, resources and services.  Systemic changes within the organizations themselves also have to take place, refining and improving processes for identifying and recruiting kids, coach training and parental involvement.  Lastly, a "people element" was identified, recognizing the need to attract quality coaches in programs of all levels, coaches who are interested in acting as mentors, role models and even a bit of social service workers rather than just concentrating on athletic skills and the elite athletes.  This element also listed the need for parents to help instill the same values the program stresses with their kids.  Myers thanked all the participants for a great day and assured them he would be synthesizing the information and sharing it with local organizations throughout Chicago.

The meeting took place on the eve of the 2010 Beyond Sport Summit - a unique event taking place on September 28-29 in Chicago at the Palmer House designed to celebrate, promote and drive forward the use of sport as a tool for positive social change. Beyond Sport is a global organization that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change across the world.  Beyond Sport partnered with World Sport Chicago, Barclays Spaces for Sports, United Airlines, TIME and UNICEF to conduct the event

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/beyond-sport/2010/09/sports-experts-form-action-plan-to-use-sport-to-overcome-urban-violence.html

-          This article is a great gauge on just how important youth sports are in the community. As we discussed in class on September 23^rd and 28^th, youth sports are a great way to keep young kids away from violence and trouble and get them physically active while doing something they enjoy. This meeting that brought together well thought leaders and international experts on youth sport was put together to try to get kids off the street and away from the violence that many were seeing due to gangs. In class we talked about how now with families having two parents working and the growing belief that informal activities provide occasions for kids to get into trouble is not good for the youth of this country today. It is really good to see that a community is stepping up and trying to help out the future of the country by trying to keep kids out of trouble yet keeping them in shape at the same time.

Saints' win vs. Vikings draws best TV rating ever for NFL's opening night game

Sep 10, 2010

Saints' win vs. Vikings draws best TV rating ever for NFL's opening night game

09:25 AM

The NFL started the 2010 regular season in the same spot in the same spot it ended last season -- with TV viewership reaching record levels.
NBC's telecast of the New Orleans Saints' 14-9 win against the Minnesota Vikings drew a 17.7 overnight rating. That translates to 17.7% of viewers in 56 urban TV markets that are measured for overnight ratings.
The Vikings-Saints overnight is the highest for an NFL primetime regular-season game in 13 years and the top overnight rating ever for an opening night game ever.
The NFL has started its season on Thursday night since 2002.
The game drew a 28 share which translates into 28% of all TV households with televisions on at the time.
It continued a trend of boffo TV viewership for the NFL.
An average of more than 16 million viewers watched each regular-season game last season, the highest level since 1990. And the Saints' win in Super Bowl XLIV became the most-watched TV show of all time.
It's good news for the NFL, but also feeds the growing concern around the league about the contrast between the luxurious, tech-savvy home-viewing environment and the declining attendance at NFL stadiums


http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/09/saints-win-vs-vikings-draws-best-tv-rating-ever-for-nfls-opening-night-game/1

- The Reason we study sport is a indicated in the article above. The opening game of the NFL season drew a record audience on NBC and we discussed in class just a week earlier how millions of people discuss sports each and every day. In class we talked about how sports are a social phenomena and this is shown clearly here as stated by the above numbers just how popular sports have become. Another valid point from class is how 1/4 of the USA Today covers sports and this is clearly shown from this USA Today article.  Each day there is a different sporting event on television that is watched studied and analyzed in great length, this is clearly shown by the first game of the 2010 NFL season as it was the most watched NFL regular season game in 12 years.