Scots Sports
26 January 2007
Volume 119, Issue 10
Faceoff: Professors debate importance and merit of sports
By: Tobias Gibson
Contributing Writer
As I begin this discussion about sports, politics and society, I thought it appropriate to first explain what I love about sports. The real list is long and illustrious, but this list will provide a small glimpse:
• The Nebraska Tunnel Walk
• A blindside sack
• Larry vs. Magic
• A lead off home run
• The 1980 Olympic Hockey Team
• Ali vs. Frazier
• The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field
• Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
• Debating the merits of Bobby Knight
• Knowing in my heart of hearts he has none
• The Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Watching Shaq Diesel shoot from the line
• Outdoor football, in December,
. in the snow
• Endless Heisman hopeful stories
• The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Big Red Machine, way back in the
day
• UFC
• Athletes with their own music
• Sitting at Wrigley with a ‘dog’ and an Old Style (per inning)
As much as I love sports, I recognize that sports have their faults and problems, just like any institution or program. My intention for the duration of this series is to discuss what sports, and athletes, get right. In my mind’s eye, as much negativity about shooting deaths, brawls, drug use and domestic violence as is made public and debated endlessly on ESPN, blogs, magazines and websites, all of the negativity brought out by and illustrated through sports is still overwhelmed by the positive contributions that sports and athletes provide. Indeed, the news of the brawls and the drug use are news precisely because they are not the norm. For every Terrell Owens, there are dozens of high quality citizens in the NFL. For every basketball player who leaves college early, or skips it altogether, there are several who due to hard work and pride stay in school and earn their degrees. Sports are an illustration of the society that plays and watches them. In the end, hard work, blood sweat and tears are part of the game… and what makes them great.
This series will be a discussion about the impact of sports on society and politics. I admit that sometimes that this particular ride can be bumpy, but that is the thrill in it.
By: Craig Vivian
Contributing Writer
I do not have a list of things I dislike about sports. I even enjoy playing certain sports. But I believe that the overgrowth of sports in our culture has resulted in a series of problems for individuals and society. I will list some of the problems below and spend the semester explaining why I think that a college like Monmouth can act as an antidote against the negative aspects of sport culture. I see sports as problematic when they increasingly contribute to, and sustain:
1. Tribalism
2. Distraction
3. False Beliefsw
I will ask questions, make claims and analyze events in order to explore, with Dr. Gibson, the positive and negative influences of sports. It is my hope that our friendly exchange will encourage others to discuss the meaning sports gives to their lives, and perhaps reflect on that meaning.
Since I do not have an extensive list, let me use my space this week to discuss a practice on this campus that I believe has negative consequences and is directly related to sports. The members of the football team, NOT the coaches, have decided that all members of the team will give up alcohol for the duration of the season, but that at the conclusion on the Knox game drinking is once again allowed. This practice leads to the following situation -SOME players, who have abstained from all alcohol throughout the football season, now feel they have a right to drink excessively for the remainder of the semester. The logic is that since they have deprived themselves of alcohol during the season they have demonstrated self-discipline and proven their loyalty to the team and the sport. As a reward for having endured this deprivation of alcohol, they can drink non-stop if they wish after the season is completed, since their drinking no longer affects the team’s outcomes. There are two negatives stemming from this logic-1) it encourages two extreme behaviors-abstinence and abuse-and gives no consideration to moderation in drinking. 2) loyalty to the college as a whole is undermined by loyalty to the sport. In other words, a behavior that is not tolerated during the season, owing to its deleterious effects on athletic performance is acceptable after the season even though it has the potential to adversely affect academic performance. I suggest that the football players should make a pact to drink in moderation throughout the season, and afterwards as well. This would be a much more reasonable response to the alcohol “problem” confronting these athletes. It would also encourage players to respect their academics as much as they respect their sport. Monmouth sports should be teaching students that moderation and self-discipline are important on and off the field. This particular lesson has been fumbled by some members of the team.
