Sociology of Sport Unit VI Compare & Contrast Assignment

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

7. Explain how the commercialization of sports has influenced and contributed to changes in status, money, and authority. 7.1 Compare and contrast the impact of money and power in sports and the influential role they

play involving politics and sports or religion and sports.

8. Investigate the globalization of sports. 8.1 Discuss the impact that globalization of sports has had on sport management ideologies.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

7.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 13, pp. 406–421, 426–435 Unit VI Essay

8.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 480–492, 494–508 Unit VI Essay

Required Unit Resources Chapter 13: Sports and Politics: How Do Governments and Global Political Processes Influence Sports?, pp. 406–421, 426–435 Chapter 15: Sports and Religions: Is It a Promising Combination?, pp. 480–492, 494–508

Unit Lesson As we delve into this unit, we will discuss two hot and debatable topics, politics and religion and how they affect and influence sports. Some people may not even associate these two topics with sports. However, they have long been connected and in some instances, control sport processes. Let’s look at politics and sports first. On November 27, 2007, the Miami Dolphins were scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The start of the game was delayed because of storms and lightning. To avoid further delay in the evening’s broadcast, a decision was made to begin the game without the traditional National Anthem (“Steelers win mud wrestling battle,” 3-0, 2007). While there is no law or rule requiring the playing or singing of the Star Spangled Banner before the start of any public function, the National Football League and teams weathered a backlash from the public. How many professional football games have started without the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance since that time? Politics has an interesting way of weaving into various aspects of our sports. In this unit, we will take a broad look at the role politics plays in sport. When we discuss politics, two separate but interrelated words come to mind—power and authority. When a person or organization possesses power, it means that they have the ability to influence, persuade, and control others. Authority is the ability to exercise the right to utilize that power to control others. For example, if a college student wants to play a sport, the NCAA has the power to control how that college student plays that sport (as far as rules, guidelines, etc.). The coach is the authority figure and has the authority to ensure that the NCAA rules are being followed properly.

UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE

Politics and Religion in Sports

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Politics involves the governance of people and the administration of policies, both public and private, at every level. Many local, national, and international sports organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are referred to as “governing bodies.” The tasks that sports organizations must enforce are often faced with opposition; therefore, the conflict necessitates discussion and compromise (Coakley, 2017). Some of the major topics requiring clarification and agreement among the organizations include addressing several key questions. Those questions are the qualifications and eligibility of a sport, the rules (creation and enforcement), the events (location, organization, and controlling), awards distribution, and acknowledgement of athletes (Coakley, 2017). When the interest and participation in sports grows, the need for additional sport opportunities also rises. Since most individuals do not have the financial means to construct new facilities and build extra sport programs, the responsibility is shifted to the government. These agencies are necessary to help enforce local rules and regulations, to promote and market these opportunities to the community, and to maintain the parameters for where, when, and under what conditions the various sports may be played (Coakley, 2017). Additionally, these governing bodies are responsible for the following:

 maintaining order at the premises and in the community;

 safeguarding equality and protecting human rights;

 promoting health and fitness;

 maintaining economic and social development;

 regulating sports participation;

 enforcing laws against animal sports;

 making laws that ban, restrict or regulate sport gambling;

 adjusting tax codes;

 interpreting tax, anti-trust, and labor laws; and

 making public funding decisions (Coakley, 2017). One of the initial goals for globalizing sports was to create positive relationships with other countries (i.e., achieve and maintain peace and friendship, develop open communication, highlight shared interests, foster cultural awareness, and create procedures to cultivate effective leaders). This was the main reason for the birth of the Olympic Games, which were founded in 1896. However, most nations seem to use sports and sporting events for their own purpose and interests rather than to accomplish the above. Political influence in sports has existed for a long time, and it continues to be a driving force with many sport entities. For example, take the most recently constructed sport facilities. If an individual or organization is financing the project, it must be approved by the local and/or state government. Because of the relationship between sports, people, and social conflict; government involvement is inevitable.

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The second topic in this unit is sports and religion. Religion plays a unique role in sport-related activities because of the diverse beliefs, traditions, and rituals practiced by people. While we have observed many athletes demonstrating their faith before, during, or after a play or game, one of the biggest and more recent controversies with religion in sports in the past decade involves Tim Tebow. He and his actions have been both condemned and praised. But why is an individual who wishes to acknowledge a higher power an issue with so many people? Religion is powerful. People use their faith and religion to make connections with the supernatural, to make sense of their perceptions and beliefs, and to guide them in their actions. When similarities of these ideologies exist among individuals, it becomes a culture within the various groups of people. However, ideologies concentrate on the present secular issues, not necessarily the divine or supernatural world. Often, controversy emerges because it is a challenge to differentiate the two concepts. Religious beliefs drive many views held by people, so their actions often demonstrate their strong faith. As a result of this, social relationships and organizations are also influenced. As we learned in a previous unit, sociologists study the ways people make meaning of their experiences and the world around them. With respect to religion, the association is quite strong, and because of the diversity of beliefs, social consequences occur when connections are attempted between the power and authority of the secular world and the forces of the supernatural realm.

There are many identified similarities and differences between sports and religion, and each has had an impact in the sports environment. Religion has been used by some to pursue personal sport goals, while others use sport activities to achieve religious purposes. For example, some organizations—such as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Athletes in Action (AIA), Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), Sports Outreach, and other various church affiliations—offer sports opportunities to promote spiritual growth and beliefs and to recruit new members. In contrast, athletes, coaches, and teams use religion to deal with the unknown, to maintain a trouble-free life, establish an understanding of sport participation, create team unity and autonomy, and to obtain personal and competitive accomplishments (Coakley, 2017). There are many challenges when combining sports and religion. Athletes must deal with time/event conflicts when religious practices interfere with their sport’s schedule of practices and games. They also must face scrutiny and criticism from those who believe that religious practices do not belong on the field or when the practices demonstrated by the athletes do not match those of others. Christian sports organizations also face obstacles when combining sports and religion. Some athletes may choose not to participate because of the specific religious beliefs they hold; therefore, numbers might be lower. They may have also failed to identify and eliminate the various problems in sports because they are more focused on building faith. Regardless of the issues between religion and sports, this topic will continue to be an ongoing debate.

Tim Tebow, as quarterback for the Denver Broncos, kneels in prayer before the start of a half, a practice that became known as “Tebowing" (Clemente, 2012).

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References

Clemente, E. (2012). Tim Tebow Tebowing [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tim_Tebow_Tebowing.jpg

Coakley, J. (2017). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Steelers win mud wrestling battle, 3-0. (2007, November 27). The New York Times. Retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/sports/27iht-NFL.1.8493504.html?_r=0

Suggested Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. The following information discusses combining religion with sport participation. This section of the article comes from McGraw-Hill’s Online Learning Center (OLC) for Coakley’s Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies (12th ed.) online version. Open Chapter 15 readings, then scroll to Reading 3 to read “Self- indulgence for the ‘glory of God’: Christian witness in high performance sports.” Video: The following short video introduces the issue of religion and sports by highlighting two elite athletes who have encountered challenges when playing sports and placing their faith first. You are encouraged to view this information. D’Angelo, T. (2013, March 11). Faith first - When religion and sports collide [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS85hdBzQ8A Transcript for the Faith First video

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. The following activities help support the lesson content on sports politics and religion. You may complete one, two, or all of the activities. Activity 1: Interview a local sports participant (athlete, coach, recreational sports director, etc.). Inquire about his or her involvement with sports and his/her religion. Some possible questions to ask might include the following.

 How has your religion affected your participation in sports?

 Have you ever had to miss an event or sports practice because of your religious beliefs or traditions?

 Have you ever experienced a conflict with a coach or superior because of religion?

 If you were offered a scholarship to play collegiate sports, but it required you to be available to play or practice seven days a week or the involvement restricted your ability to show your religion in any way (for example, pray before a game), would you accept?

Activity 2: Locate an article involving sports and politics. The article may be local or global. Briefly summarize the article’s key parts and express your reaction to the article.

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Activity 3: Review the PowerPoint presentations on Chapter 13 and Chapter 15 to supplement the textbook reading and lesson content. Alternate formats and transcripts for the presentations are provided below.

Chapter 13: Sports and Politics: How Do Governments and Global Political Processes Influence Sports?

 Chapter 13 PowerPoint presentation

 PDF version of the Chapter 13 PowerPoint presentation

Chapter 15: Sports and Religions: Is It a Promising Combination?

 Chapter 15 PowerPoint presentation

 PDF version of the Chapter 15 PowerPoint presentation