The Tenth Inning: Baseball, New Eras and the National Passion

As we've discussed in class, sports are an outlet that we find ourselves turning to frequently.  Athletes and the games they play captivate us and help us to forget the worries we share in society.  Ken Burns' documentary, The Tenth Inning, gives us a glimpse at baseball at the turn of the century (1999 into the early aughts).  This documentary serves as a glimpse into baseball, yes, but it also serves as an indictment of American sporting leagues.  While we love our sports, we want our athletes to live in a way that represents who we are: we don't want cheaters.  As a result, nearly every major sports league has instituted drug testing that will hopefully clean up the games.  Furthermore, this gives sports fans a greater feeling of integrity within the sports that we believe in.

With all of that said, a clean, integrity-filled sports league motivates us and moves us to different emotional levels.  Those levels often times rely upon on our positive feelings of our leagues/sports.  There is no question that sports are a beacon of hope, but they can also be a bastion of depression and sadness.  While this may be silly, sports do fill that role in our lives.

Answers the following questions with that in mind...

1) Can you recall a time when you were the most upset as a result of watching or playing a sport?  Why did this occur?  If you've never been upset, why not?

2) Can you recall a time when you were almost too happy?  A time when sports raised your level of happiness to an almost euphorically impossible level.  Explain.  Give details.

Worth 5 points per question (10 points)
DUE Thursday, May 23rd

Remember the Titans, Teamwork and You!

A productive team has players that share common goals, a common vision and have some level of interdependence that requires both verbal and physical interaction. Teams come into existence through shared attitudes about a particular sport. They may come together for a number of different reasons, but their goals are the same - to achieve peak performance and experience success. The ends may differ but the means by which one gets there is the same - teamwork. Every member of the team is accountable when it comes to teamwork.

Questions
1. What is the most difficult aspect of playing for a team? Why?

2. What is the best team you have ever played for? Why was that team successful? What did you enjoy about playing for that team?

3. How would you describe yourself as a team member? Do you, honestly, think that you are a good or bad team member?  

Due by Monday, May 13th.  Worth 15 points.  

Parenting, Society and Athletics: Creating Roboletes (Robotic Athletes)

  

Marv Marinovich and the training that he put his son through from birth are regarded as many as too extensive and excessive.  Todd Marinovich went from being a superstar quarterback at a private high school to a superstar quarterback at a public school.  Attempting to build a superstar athlete out of Todd, he created a jailcell of athleticism.  The sad fact that Todd found himself in constant legal trouble following his career at USC is in complete contrast to what Marv had hoped to create/nurture/develop.

With all of that said, it is this type of thinking and parenting that has led American athletics and parenting into a quagmire.  As we talked about in class, it is possible that the hyperevaluating and hyperparenting involved in this society has lead athletes away from the joy of the sport to the fear in losing or mediocrity.

Answer the following questions with that in mind:

1) What is the role of a parent in preparing a child for athletics?

2) What is the role of society in preparing a child for athletics? (Consider community, park districts, travel programs, etc.)

3) Do you believe that Todd Marinovich had a successful life?  Explain.

4) Where do you see this type of parenting in your own life or here at Fremd (in Palatine/Inverness)?

EACH ANSWER WORTH 5 POINTS FOR A TOTAL OF 20 POINTS.

Due April 22nd!!!!!!

Glory Road

SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE WALLS THAT ARE BROKEN DOWN BY HOOP DREAMS

The movie Glory Road depicts the road traveled by the Texas Western basketball team in breaking down the wall of racial injustice in sports, particularly NCAA basketball. Bobby Jo Hill and the miners beat back racism and narrow-minded thinking throughout the season to end the year with a 24-1 record, including a NCAA Championship.

After watching the movie, answer the following questions:

1) In your opinion, was Coach Haskins driven more by social awareness or his desire for winning? Explain.

2) Look up some info on the Miners and their 1965-66 season. What one aspect of their season was most interesting? Explain.

3) What was more important to the success of the team, the players' ability or their desire to break down the racial prejudices of the time? Explain.

Holmes vs. Ali: The Greatest...

Looking at the Larry Holmes v Muhammad Ali fight is like looking at the playground bully fighting a kindergartner.  Muhammad Ali's greatness had long since past.  Still considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time, Ali was seeking one last return to the ring for a huge payday.  At that point, Holmes was knocking out heavyweight after heavyweight.  Two years into retirement, Ali had essentially been traveling the world as a representative of Islam and the world of boxing.  Larry Holmes had been a sparring partner of Ali and a friend, but after Holmes' decimation of Ali and the subsequent media and fan response, Ali and Holmes' relationship fell apart.  With that said, answer the following questions with the 30-for-30 we viewed in class in mind.

1) What does one have to gain from clinging to their sport long after their greatness or skills have become deficient?  Explain.

2) Looking at the careers of Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan, do you think that they retired early, late or at just the right time?  This will require you to check out other websites.  DON'T BE LAZY HERE!  Support your opinion with what you find/facts.

3)   Do great athletes have a responsibility to their fans and their sport to retire at an appropriate time to preserve their legacy in their sport?  Explain.

4) Finally, look back at the major sports and share your favorite "previous era" athlete.  Give a 3-5 sentence summary of the athlete, their accomplishments and their post sport life.

WORTH 20 POINTS.  DUE MONDAY, MARCH 18.

THE FIGHT--IF YOU WANT TO WATCH IT, HERE IT IS. 

Bleachers TIMELINE QUIZ Tomorrow, 2/14

Be prepared to do a TIMELINE QUIZ tomorrow in class.  You'll be asked to recall the main events that have occurred thus far in the story.  We'll be evaluating through page 99.  I'll ask you to recall meetings with CHARACTERS, basic PLOT DETAILS and anything vital to our KNOWLEDGE OF RAKE.

No Crossover -- The Trial of Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson is, arguably, the most explosively talented basketball player in the history of the NBA.  There were few aspects of his game that were not at the next level, but his lack of desire or occasional lack of interested was a major contributor to the occasionally negative reference to his games.  

With that said, growing up he was revered as an athlete, yet his legacy in the Hampton, Virginia area may be the 1993 brawl that he was part of.  Race and racism played a major role on the peninsula he lived; however, there are some that argue that his being a superstar was a greater contributor to the resulting trial from the brawl.  

Answer these questions
1) It is fair to evaluate Iverson's legacy with that brawl/trial in mind?  Why or why not?
2) Look up Iverson's stats and highlights.  Do you think that Allen Iverson is as supremely talented of a player as he seemed to believe, as well as others?  Explain what you see in his game/stats.  
3) Should we evaluate athletes based on their on-field/on-court accomplishments or on their behavior off?  Explain. 
4) TEXTUAL CONNECTIONS: Do you think that Neely Crenshaw's legacy should have been more greatly tarnished due to the final championship game and the rumors that surrounded it?  And, did Neely Crenshaw have a responsibility to his community that he did not uphold?  EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWERS.  

Worth 5 points per response for a total of 20 points.  Due by MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11th.