Abstract This paper offers a critical examination of ethical issues in professional sports, using theories and ideas from well-known experts in the field. After a brief look at the role of sports throughout history, the paper focuses on the importance of winning and the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes. It questions the widespread use of drugs in the pursuit of victory and critically examines the reasons that this practice is forbidden.
From the Paper "Avid interest in sports affects the entire world, from soccer in Europe to ice hockey in Russia. Sports were important in ancient times to the Greeks and Romans, and to Native American cultures as well. Robert Simon points out in his book Fair Play: The Ethics of Sport that "participation in sports, and the related activity of play, are characteristic of most, if not all, human societies" (2)."
Abstract This paper discusses how performance-enhancing drugs, such as steroids, should be banned in professional baseball for many reasons. It contends that, besides the devastating damage and effects they impose upon the human body, steroids should be banned because they diminish the glory of the real baseball heroes.
From the Paper "Steroids, especially the anabolic type, impose devastating effects and damage to the human body. Anabolic steroids are the steroids that are most widely used to enhance performance. They are called "anabolic" because they are the synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone, testosterone and are built up into complex living tissue (Shapen, 2005). The adverse effects of anabolic steroids are countless. One expert, Dr. Enrique Beckmann states that, "androgenic anabolic steroids cause hypertension, heart attacks, sudden cardiac death... liver tumors, jaundice... enlarged prostate, depression, aggression, and hostility" (Chico, 2005)."
Abstract This paper analyzes the leadership style of Vince Lombardi. It seeks to explain how his early upbringing and the events of his youth influenced him and eventually led him, almost by chance, to his true calling as a football coach. Lombardi is presented as a transformational leader who imposed his own vision of excellence in performance upon team members, while respecting each member as an individual and winning their loyalty and admiration. The paper asserts that his approach to competition and winning is defended against claims of some latter-day critics that Lombardi placed winning above sportsmanship and love of the game. In conclusion, the paper argues instead that the will to achieve peak performance and winning was, to Lombardi, inseparable from sportsmanship, and a natural consequence of love of the game.
Outline:
Introduction
Situation and Environment
Analysis of Lombardi's Leadership Style
Annotated Bibliography
From the Paper "From the very outset, Vince Lombardi acquired and displayed one leadership characteristic with which he would always be associated---a strong belief in the importance of winning against all odds. Regarding the circumstances of his early upbringing as the first-born son of an upwardly mobile Italian-American butcher, David Maraniss observes: "[His parents] worshiped their first son more year by Year. . . . .His family stressed to him that being average was not enough, that he was better than the rest. They played to win, from Grandma Izzo at cards to Father Harry at Scrabble.... No one wanted Vince to spend his life cutting meat" (1999, 22-23)."
Abstract This paper explores the history, foundations, health benefits, controversies, and the opportunities that chiropractic practice offers.
From the Paper "To be a chiropractor is something that takes great discipline and dedication. One must love to help others achieve rehabilitation through the adjustment of the vertebrae. By definition, chiropractic is the "form of health care that prevents disease and maintains a patient's health and well-being through spinal manipulation, which involves adjusting the vertebrae in the spinal column, without the use of drugs or surgery" (Maurer). To discover what chiropractic is exactly, one must explore its history, foundations, health benefits, controversies, and the opportunities that chiropractic offers."
Abstract This paper exams the problem of steroid abuse among students and professional athletes. It gives historical perspective on this problem going back to 668 B.C. It further exams the health hazards associated with steroids abuse.
From the Paper "Anabolic steroids enable athletes in certain sports to build up muscle tissue during training more quickly than in training without drugs. Many athletes believe they can win in competitions only if they use steroids to enhance their training. Steroid abuse spread to other sports over time .? Now, the only two Olympic sports which have never had an incident of steroid detection are women's field hockey and figure skating.? (Kleiner, page 163)"
Abstract This paper examines various dietary supplements and the trend in using them focusing on the case of Mark McGuire, the baseball player.
From the Paper "The most famous of the non-herbal supplement is the widely used and marketed, creatine. Creatine is naturally occurring amino acid produced by the kidneys and liver that is stored in the muscle cells as creatine phosphate, and the process of creatine delays fatigue and supplies quick energy for short durations. The liver produces about two grams of creatine in a day and creatine is transported through the blood stream to muscles. The Kidneys remove excess levels of creatine, which makes those athletes who already have a high muscle creatine content at no advantage by taking more creatine (Mayo 4)."
Abstract This paper examines the life of Babe Ruth and his effect on a whole society. It describes him as perhaps the greatest player to ever play the game, a hero to all and sports icon. It shows how American's looked to him as a hero and how non-sports fans were still fascinated by him and his larger than life character.
From the paper:
"Babe Ruth was indisputably the greatest baseball player in the history of the game, breaking records for the sport during his entire career. He was also one of the most noted and recognized celebrities in America, as well as abroad, during the years between World War I and World War II. He was a hero to his fans and to those who cared nothing for the sport, and he always went out of his way to do anything within his power to benefit children (The Reader's Companion to American History PG). This All-American hero, however, had a much darker side. He was excessive in practically every aspect of his life, from food to alcohol, from partying to women. Ruth's indiscretions were not widely publicized; no reporter wanted to be known for ruining the image of a true-to-life folk hero."
Abstract This paper covers the following topics: a gymnast and the age that training begins, techniques, parental and societal pressure, coaches and their demands and unfortunate physical and mental consequences.
From the Paper "For an elite gymnast, training begins before sunrise and ends beyond dusk. For over eight hours a day, she will repeat her same routines, over and over until it is to her coaches' perfection. When Christy Henrich, a gymnast, made the Junior National team at age 12, she was in the gym by 6 training until 9, attending school until 2, and then back in the gym for another grueling 6 hours of training, everyday."
Abstract This paper examines how a superstar like Michael Jordan helps the business of basketball and the overall economy. The author discusses how Jordan's comeback helps the MCI Center, the NBA, Nike, television and ticket sales.
From the Paper "For most of the summer of 2001, there was speculative talk among journalists, basketball players and his Airness himself about the return of Michael Jordan to NBA basketball as a Washington Wizard. After Jordan became part owner and President of Basketball Operations in January of 2000, there were always some questions about the possibility of a comeback, though Jordan adamantly denied having these intentions up until a week before he was supposed to make his official announcement on September 11, 2001. Of course, in the wake of the happenings of September 11, his announcement was official about a week later, with the economic effects coming around the same time and reverberating through the league now."
Tags: basketball, business, Michael, economy, profit, Nike, ticket, nevins, comcast, wizards, mci, center, nba
Abstract This paper explores the extraordinary talent and popularity of golfer Tiger Woods. The paper provides a biography of Woods and his father's guidance throughout his entire life. It discusses other great African-American sports stars who broke ground with the "country club" sports, like tennis player Arthur Ash. The paper describes how great talent can break cultural boundaries like no other political vehicle.
From the Paper "Golf has long been a maligned sport in American popular culture, most famously by Mark Twain as a nice long walk spoiled by a small white ball. Although it is a popular game in terms of people who participate in it, it is hardly what one might call a "cool" game like basketball. Basketball is a sport whose cache and celebrities may be considered to have kept the brand of Nike alive and well for decades.
Nor is golf a venerated game like baseball (as witnessed in the success of such spiritually conscientious films as "Field of Dreams" and ?The Natural,? in contrast to ?Caddyshack.?) Golf is not a culturally significant sport as football has been in the American psyche, with the focus the Super Bowl has had as a national event and pastime. Golf has not been the center of controversy for the violence or the practices of golfers in the national media. Golf has long been thought of as the game of the "leisure village" set, or overfed and overpaid white, male executives. On a symbolic level, nothing could be less cool or more reactionary than golf, so the thinking went.
That is, until Tiger Woods came upon the scene. Tiger Woods has given the game of gold a "coolness" that was lacking. "Until the last few years with Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour spiking ratings, the ratings haven"t been relevant to golf,? commissioner Tim Finchem said last week in defending declining ratings on the Senior Tour. Now, Woods often helps golf draw a larger TV audience than the NBA. (Ferguson MSNBC.Com) "
Abstract This paper examines the trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. The paper uses legal terms to define murder, examines the life of O.J. Simpson and his relationship with his wife, Nicole Brown. Using several books written by the major figures in the case, Marcia Clark, Robert Shapiro and Daniel Petrocelli the paper examines the evidence, standards set by both the defense and prosecution, as well as the actual conduct of the criminal trial in order illustrate why he was not found guilty. The civil suit brought against O.J. Simpson by the Brown family is also examined briefly.
From the Paper "The defense contended that all of this blood evidence was contaminated and/or planted by racists in the LAPD. (CNN.com) But even if Mark Fuhrman is a racist, this does not mean he planted evidence. And even if he did plant the alleged evidence, the fingerprint, this does not make the rest of the evidence pointing to Simpson go away. (Clark 482) The police had no access to Simpson's blood to plant. "This was preposterous" All of the blood was observed by investigators before Simpson returned to Chicago. As far as the glove was concerned, not one of the many officers at the crime scene ever saw a second glove there. Hence, there was no second glove to pick up and plant.? Not is there any evidence that anything happened to ruin the blood during the police's procedures for collecting and testing it."
Abstract Hazing has been described as a humiliating act or initiation one must take part in in order to be accepted into a sports group or team. This paper shows how hazing is increasingly becoming problematic for society. Its supporters extol the virtues of the practice by focusing on its ability to build character and a strong bond between team veterans and rookies and opponents of the practice justifiably proclaim the practice's elements of barbarism and sadism. The paper compares the two perspectives regarding the merits of hazing. It discusses, too, the literature which has been written about this practice and examines the different points of view proffered by the many analysts on this particular subject. The author of the paper surmises that only in investigating the pros and cons of these initiation rites can we understand how entrenched this problem has become in the minds of the people who continue to conduct this barbaric practice.
From the Paper "There has been a lot of literature in the past that has addressed the problem of hazing in athletics. Most of the research agrees that there is a consistency in the arguments for hazing. One popular opinion is that older team members haze younger team member potentials in order to assert their leadership. However, hazing does not have to be the vehicle to assert this authority. In fact, the most obvious method of displaying leadership is on the playing field as opposed to shaving a member's hair off. Another common argument for hazing is that it instils fear and respect in the hearts of younger members when interacting with their more esteemed and older teammates. However, isn't it more important to create a bond between teammates and instil that fear and awe in the opposing team? Also, respect should be earned, not demanded."
Abstract The paper discusses the benefits of walking for pleasure. It discusses the various health advantages such as the rise in endorphins to counter depression, the lowering of stress levels and weight control. The paper shows that walking affects people spiritually as well by connecting them to the rhythms of their body. Issues of what to consider when buying a walking shoe are also explored.
From the Paper "A 1999 Annals of Behavioral Medicine study proves that college students who walk regularly had lower stress levels than those who didn?t exercise. The college students surveyed said they found that walking gave them time to get away from their stressful environment and clear their heads. The study found that by put physical and mental distance between themselves and the stress-causing environment, the students were able to work through their problems and find possible solutions with better clarity. Walking also helped to wear off stress-eating related calories, lower blood pressure and heart rates as well as give the students a chance to let out steam and vent when they included a partner on their walk."
Abstract This paper discusses the development of motor skills for appropriate ages and discerns the benefits of a physical education program for developing these skills. It also demonstrates the direct connection between physical education programs and the proper and full development of motor skills in contemporary society, with reference to some specific programs that have been developed and utilized to achieve this objective.
From the Paper "Physical education is often given a secondary place in the educational services of our schools, as if it were a good thing but one that could be dispensed with if necessary. In truth, physical education is an essential component of childhood development. Consider just the development of motor skills in young children and how this is effected and improved by a program of physical education in schools. Children do develop motor skills naturally through activity and play, but physical education programs help channel childhood energy and assure that these necessary skills are acquired and honed. This is more important in a more sedentary era such as we live in today, a time when many children engage in less after-school play on their own and so need the concentrated activity a physical education program provides."
A discussion on the pros of athletic scholarships, the fund-raising projects involved, the scholarship recipients and the way in which higher education becomes available to students that may not have had this opportunity.
Abstract The following paper examines why athletic scholarships are the ultimate way to finance the survival of college athletic teams and the athletes who play competitively on the athletic teams education. The writer asserts that scholarships teach the athletes about competition although competition is discouraged. This paper argues that athletic scholarships bring out the best in students, teaches good sportsmanship behavior, and with the NCAA academic requirements, teaches teenagers responsibility and to keep their priorities in order.
From the Paper "Athletic Scholarship programs are funding provided through donations, fundraises, federal government funds and businesses,to allow the existence of college and university athletic programs, which provide pre-professional athletic training and higher education for gifted athletes who are determined to succeed. Providing scholarship programs for colleges gives athletes the experience and knowledge of the dedication that is required to succeed in athletics, which encourages the athlete to perform at his or best when competing for the scholarships. Colleges highest sources of budget increases is encouraged by the talent and the physical abilities of the athletes on the athletic teams, when they break records at winning games Although athletes may be perceived as academically non-competitive, and the majority of the student body and school officials may claim they spend most of their time playing or have unrealistic life goals, but the athletes are the primary reasons why the school gets media attention, and increased budgets to purchase new learning technologies, which provides the necessary funds to invest in advanced and new higher education programs."
