Abstract
This paper compares the newspaper coverage of two college basketball games, one involving the men's basketball team at UCLA, the other involving the women's basketball team. The paper covered is be the Daily Bruin, published and distributed on the campus of UCLA. It evaluates how the message sent by the newspaper and received by the reader is that the women's basketball game is simply not as important a sporting event as the men's basketball game. Through a literature review, it also examines how social theories support the view that male sports dominate female sports in the mind of the public and that dominance inevitably is expressed in the media coverage of men's and women's sports in the country.

From the Paper
"One might argue that some of the differences between the coverage of the two games is due to the simple fact that the men's team won their game (and was an upset over a highly-ranked team) while the women's team lost. If the outcomes had been reversed, perhaps the coverage would have been reversed as well, with the coach of the men's team and the reporter both complaining about bad refereeing. Such arguments would be fair, but they would ignore the more important differences between the two stories. There is no doubt whatsoever that the men's game was seen by the editors of the paper as deserving of greater coverage than the woman's game, not only in its place at the top of sports stories in the Daily Bruin, but also in terms of length, with the story on the men's game being almost twice as long as the story on the women's game. The story on the women's game was given short shrift in comparison."

Tags:sport, ucla, daily, bruin, team

Abstract
Once basketball was considered the bastard child in the arena of competitive sports. Today, it is second behind only soccer as the most watched sport in the world. This paper shows that understanding basketball's growing hold on sports enthusiasts begins with an examination of the professionals of the National Basketball Association. The paper examines the popularity of NBA stars such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal and how they have contributed to the popularity of basketball around the globe. The paper also discusses the African-American element of basketball.

From the Paper
"In Kobe Bryant, the media created an icon out of a one-dimensional image. Although magazines and commercials made sure everyone was aware of Kobe's bright smile and exceptional basketball abilities, they ignored his flaws as a player and as a person. Fans saw Kobe's flashy drives to the basketball and thunderous dunks but ignored his selfish ball hogging and oftentimes unforgivable turnovers. Kobe's image heralded in a new era of basketball, one that demanded one on one skill and superior athleticism rather than teamwork."

Tags:Los, Angeles, Lakers, Michael, Jordan, Nike

Abstract
The paper looks at how Bishop discusses injuries related to basketball and how he contends that basketball injuries are generally related to overuse of muscle or stress on lower limbs.

From the Paper
"Bishop (n.d.) discusses injuries related to basketball. Bishop (n.d.) contends that basketball injuries are generally related to overuse of muscle or stress on lower limbs. These injuries occur when the basketball player has overworked the bone, tendon or muscle beyond its strength capacity. Injuries that are most often found in basketball players include "tendonitis, sprains, strains and stress fractures" (Bishop, n.d., sec. 1). What many players and coaches in basketball fail to take into consideration is that movements associated with the actions necessary in..."

Tags:sports, strength, training

Abstract
This paper explains that, amidst the Cold War and the killing of 11 Israeli Olympic team members by Arab terrorists, the 1972 United States Olympic basketball team took to the court in Munich, Germany, and lost ... or were the players cheated by the Soviets? Dating back to 1936, no American team had ever lost in men's basketball in Olympic play. The author describes the final game between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, which was marred by controversy. After the loss, the paper relates, the U.S. team players refused to accept their silver medals.

From the Paper
"This is where the strange confusion begins. After the Soviets in-bounded the ball, the officials halted the game for the first time. The officials decided to put three seconds back onto the clock because it was believed that the Soviet Team tried to call a time-out between Collins' free throws. The officials never acknowledged the Soviet time-out at the time; nonetheless, the additional seconds was granted; the first of a few "issues" that seemed to stack against the United States."

Tags:infamy, underdogs, clock, lay-up, communist

Abstract
This paper explains that legendary Celtics MVP Larry Bird did not simply prove that white men could jump but also he is credited in bringing back the lagging Boston basketball franchise and infusing new energy into the league. The author uses the functionalist theory, which relates the individual to culture, media and society, to describe Bird's life and career. The paper underscores that, although Bird came of age during an era when America was becoming increasingly racially polarized and although basketball is a cultural template of racial conflicts, this white star has remained focused on the game and has maintained cordial relationships with African-American athletes on his and other own teams.

Table of Contents:
The Importance of Larry Bird
Chronological History of Bird's Career in Sports
How Socialized
Impact of Deviance
Impact of Violence
Athlete's Gender, Race/Ethnicity And Social Class Background As A Factor In His Sport Career
Economics of the Athlete's Sport and the Athlete's Career
Relationship with the Media
Functionalist Theory

From the Paper
"Bird had no fancy schooling in the game and began playing after he received a cheap rubber basketball for Christmas, shooting hoops for hours in his backyard to dull the pain he felt from his parents' divorce and later his father's suicide. As for many disadvantaged players, basketball was his only solace during a lonely and troubled childhood. He also grew up with a strong female role model, although not with a strong male role model. In an era and a town where few women worked, his mother had to work long hours, away from the growing Bird."

Tags:mother teamwork morality harmony, olympic games

Abstract
This paper analyzes injuries in basketball. It reviews the literature with regard to the types of injuries that can be expected in basketball and how they can be prevented. The paper suggests that strength training is essential in the prevention of injuries and explains why this is so. The paper also explains why the focus of strength training is leaning towards the entire athlete for injury prevention.

From the Paper
"The future of strength training in realtion to basketball appears to be leaning toward a focus on the entire athlete. It has always been known that football players, for example, require massive strength in order to be capable of defending themselves against physical contact on the football field. However, as basketball players in crease in size and ability, the physical contact that occurs in basketball continues to be more intense. Therefore, basketball players must be stronger and more in tone that ever before in order to meet the demands of the game. Professionals have also concluded that there may be a need to use strength training to build up limbs to an eqaul strength, as some parts of the body are toned more than others due to use. Yet, the focus on strength training to prevent injury is the key to the future of this type of exercise because of the increaed demands on players and the need for players to be capable of functioning at the optimum playing levels."

Tags:imbalances, athlete, muscle, prevention

Abstract
This paper examines Travis Hirschi's theory of control and what environmental factors influence youth delinquency. The paper then discusses the events and factors that pertain to this theory, which are present in the movie, "The Basketball Diaries". The paper also discusses the four levels of delinquency, according to Hirschi.

From the Paper
"Hirschi was a big proponent of the function of environmental influences on youth to cause delinquency. School of course is the breeding ground for environmental influences on a child that stretch beyond the home. The crossing of the four social bonds, which are in effect parts of the social compact that each person aggress to in entering and participating in society, are broken as the barriers to certain behaviors are dissolved; there are four levels of delinquency according to the Hirschi, where the levels are the four main attributes of the social bond; attachment, commitment, involvement, and beliefs. These are the four bonds of four bonds that make up Hirschi's Social Control Theory."

Tags:heroin addiction, school sports, peer pressure, hirschi, psychology delinquency

Abstract
This paper presents a detailed look as to how Dr. James Naismith, Canadian theologian and teacher, created the game of basketball. The paper examines the influence he got from the game as a young child up until him experimenting with the early game in his capacity as gym teacher in the early 1900's.

From the Paper
"After the practice, the captain approached James and asked if he would play in the team's next game against Queen's University. James accepted and for seven years James played without missing a single game. Even though, at that time, football was viewed as a tool of the devil, Dr. Naismith enjoyed it enough to block negative feelings expressed by fellow theology students."

Tags:McGill, Gulick, Y.M.C.A., Stebbins

Abstract
The paper takes a historic look at the sport of basketball. The author takes a detailed look at how the game has changed in terms of rules and protocol, and also delves into the differences between men's and women's participation in the sport.

From the Paper
"During the winter of 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a student and professor at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts "was struggling with a concept for a new type of game to condition young students during the winter months after football had ended and the track and baseball seasons were still several months away" (Hometown Delicatessen, 1997). In the next few days, Naismith invented the game of basketball."

Tags:Kinesiology

Abstract
This paper will show how seventies era basketball helped to elevate the role of African Americans in the sport. By understanding the racism inherent in American history, we can see this offers positive and negative trends in racial identity.