Abstract This paper provides a brief insight into the life of basketballplayer Michael Jordan from his birth in in Brooklyn, N.Y. on February 17, 1963 to becoming one of America's greatestplayers in basketball history. It examines his career through school and college, his family life and the affect of the tragic death of his father. On January 13, 1999 Michael Jordan, the great basketballplayer, who goes for the hoop with his eyes rolling and his tongue sticking out, retired from the court forever.
From the Paper "Michael accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. In 1981, he was a freshman in college. He played hard and got into the starting lineup. In 1982, it was the NCAA championship: UNC vs. Georgetown, and Michael made the winning shot. Because of him, the University of North Carolina was the 1982 NCAA champion. Then, the Bulls offered him a seven-year-contract worth $6.15 million. In 1984, he moved to Chicago and played with the Bulls using #23. Everything was going well for him. In his personal life, he became a millionaire, met a woman named Juanita Vanoy who was an executive secretary at the American Bar Association, got married, and had three children named Jeffery, Marcus, and Jasmine. In his career life, he was named the Most Valuable Player from 1987-98, NBA Finals MVP from 1990-98, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the years 1987-88, 1991 NBA championship, was in eleven NBA All-Star games, and starred in the movie ?Space Jam.? "
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that with the advent of modern communication and media technologies, sports have become a global industry and have become a channel for cultural and ethnic diversity. The writer investigates the role of sports in promoting cultural exchange. The term cultural exchange is used by the paper to refer to the assimilation or accommodation of practices associated with non-American cultural traditions. Changes in existing perception about a particular culture because of the sports exposure are also assessed. Sports of interest are primarily baseball, basketball as well as American football - sports which have been identified the most with the United States. Current perceptions of the influx of foreign players and its implication to the industry, players and sports fans are also assessed. At the end of the paper, a conclusion is developed as to the effectiveness of sports as a platform of cultural communication.
Outline:
Introduction
Background
Assessment
Implications
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper " A good illustration of the case is the recruitment of Yao Ming. His physical stature and sport are not directly associated with the characterization of being Chinese. Joanne Tang points out that the popular characterization of the race has been that they are of diminutive in statures, associated with martial arts or as academics and involved in trade. Chinese athletes have also been more associated with gymnastics, diving and marital arts. Thus, Yao seemed to be distinctly out of character. At the same time, he also didn't subscribe to the idea of a basketball star, appearing even at times recalcitrant to face the public or the media. Baseball's Masanori Murakami experience was also similar. He recalls that though baseball was considered a big sport even in his time, he had to significantly adjust to the intensity of playing in Major League Baseball. One critical difference in perspective that he refers to is that his view of playing baseball before playing in the United States was that it was a profession foremost but in the United States, the celebrity value of athletes is much more pronounced."
Abstract The salaries of the baseball players when compared to their performance comes out to be justified according to the equity theory. This paper presents statistics and research studies that compare values and present that the players in Major League Baseball are neither underpaid nor overpaid, rather they get paid their just deserves.
Abstract This is a review of Kurt Vonnegut's book, "Player Piano". The main character is Paul Proteus. Although he may have every thing a person might want, it did not erase the depression about his life. Machines do all the work and people are actually "slaves".
Abstract In this essay, the author examines the life of Dawn Staley, from her early childhood in Philadelphia as the daughter of a working class family, her introduction to basketball to her career through high school, university and the Olympic Games. The paper chronicles her development both as a player, a coach and her evolution into a role model for all women. The writer describes her induction into the WNBA and her progress as a professional women basketballplayer leading to her career as a professional women's basketball coach.
From the Paper "On and off the court, Dawn Staley has been a positive influence for female athletes. Whether it is Dawn Staley, the basketball player or Coach Dawn Staley or she is heading up her foundation, she seems to always give her very best. Staley is a perfect example of a person who has taken their natural born abilities and done the best that she could with them. As a starting player and member of the WNBA, she blazed an avenue for other female athletes to follow. Much like the vapors that follow a comet's tail as it streaks through the sky. As a coach, she has given other female athletes the opportunity to be better players just as Pat Summit did for many players at the University of Tennessee. Dawn Staley has not forgotten to give back to the community that helped her get where she is today nor has she kept the benefits of her experience to herself. Even if she was to stop having anything else to do with basketball, the indelible mark she has left on women's basketball is undeniable."
Tags:basketball sport women talent, player of the year, scholarship coach game ABL WNBA
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 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."
Abstract The paper discusses how very few professionals have the right to express themselves while they are on the job, that even actors and actresses sport the 'uniform' of their trade. The writer argues that basketball is a highly competitive team sport, and is, moreover, uniquely American and so for players to, almost universally, adopt an image that conveys the lowest common denominator of American life, the ghetto, which supposedly honors its unfortunate racial history, is therefore ridiculous. The writer further argues that the NBA players are highly paid professionals, charged de facto with presenting an image that the world will find attractive and uplifting and so asking the players to present a clean-cut image, particularly in these troubling times, seems little enough to ask of people getting paid multiple millions because they are exceedingly tall and can play a child's game.
Table of Contents:
Why a Dress Code, Why Now?
Dress Codes in Professional Settings and Sports
Conclusion
From the Paper "Not everyone is as much in favor of the rule as the Chicago student. Terry Boyd, a "hip-hop professor' at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, accuses the NBA of wanting to have it both ways. They want, he says, to hire players who come from a hip-hop environment, but then they want to demonstrate, by choosing attire that might be worn by Commissioner David Stern and not street-wise players, that Stern, and not the players, is in charge of the league (Cholo, 2005). The brother of the student in favor of the code opposes it, contending that it is insulting to hip-hop; more cogently, he points out that the "NBA makes money off hip-hop" (Cholo, 2005). Indeed, rappers Nelly and Jay Z "are part owners of basketball teams" (Cholo, 2005)."
Abstract The paper lists the negative effects of being a high school NBA basketballplayer, such as the distraction from tertiary education and the professional risks involved. It explores the uniqueness of high school NBA drafts and explains its recommendations to defer entry into the NBA draft for a few years after high school.
From the Paper "Today's sports world is almost surreal with its multi million dollar contracts; the treatment of the stars the adoration of the fans and other aspects make becoming a sports star a once in a lifetime adventure. It is something that young boys dream about and fathers secretly hope in the back of their minds, can happen to their child. Because of the increasing size of contracts and the sponsorship opportunities that go with the game, students now are often opting to leave high school and turn pro. "
Abstract This paper explains that coaching is nothing but a form of leadership that involves the skills of motivation, guidance, direction, and mending. The author points out that the setting of goals is highly significant for inspiration and triumph because it permits players to set a target with the help of a preconceived plan for evaluating their development at various points over the course of time. The paper states that the motivational level is greatly influenced by the 'pump-up' sessions at the beginning and interval time of the matches; the content of the team talk is determined by the relative position of the opponents in the league.
From the Paper "A tactful analysis of the various factors of confidence necessitated analysis of the interrelationship of foundation, organization and the behavior of the athletes. The competitive spirit in the sports demonstrates the circumstances for fostering the expertise and performance. The question arises as to what is the means of attaining confidence by the athletes. In the arena of sports psychology, the Achievement Goal Theory in relations to social perceptions is a widely accepted representation in the field. The past analysis in the sphere of Achievement Goal Theory reveals that the task-oriented approach has a long way in achieving the desired motivation and confidence among the athletes. An interrelationship between the guidance to achieve the objective and enhanced sport confidence is being perceived. It is evident that the motivation of the athletes towards achieving the goals is positively correlated to their sports confidence. Conversely, by emphasizing on skill development in the process of learning and competition the athletes are said to develop their sport confidence."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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.
