Book Review Case

Professor Paul

SO 315

1 February 2011

Book Review

Chapter 1:

The first part of this chapter is just an introduction to the whole book. It talks about each of the other chapters then it get into the true chapter two which talks about how sport can be used to either unite people or reinforce the barriers that keep us segregated. These barriers being Class, Race, and Gender.

* "Research has found that attitudes race are enhanced when players from both races contribute more or less equally to team success and when the team is unsuccessful"

-I have found this statement to be very true throughout my athletic career. I've played on both multi racial teams and predominantly black teams, this quote makes me think of things I've heard people say like "he's pretty good for a white boy" or "of course hes good, he's black."

* "We need to take sport seriously- not the scores.... But on who's losing"

-I believe that this will always be the case, we can say that we were all created equal all we want but at the of the day we are all different and all have different talent levels and are gifted in different areas if life. so the people that are losing in sport and staying poor are not playing to their strengths, they need to find what works for them and get along that way.

Chapter 2:

This chapter begins talking about the names, mascots, and traditions of sports teams. It goes more into the offense that people can take from these symbols. It talks about how women's teams are subject to being labeled the feminine version of their male counterparts. Then it gets into how sports are known to everyone as something that builds character in the young kids that play them. Yet there is a flip side to these very same beliefs because they can teach negative things too. Like the desire to excel and be the best can drive people to use performance enhancing drugs.

* "If you look up the word "redskin" in both Webster's and Random House dictionaries, you'll find the word is defined as being offensive" (page 47)

I agree that it is wrong to name a team something that is going to be offensive to anyone living in our nation. Yet I believe this is one of those occasions where ignorance is bliss, I never put any thought to the fact that the word redskin as a mascot would offend anybody. I see it now but I don't think there is more than 25% of our population that has even thought that this team or other teams with offensive names could be offending anybody. I think that if they realized this earlier they wouldn't have chose this as a name.

* "professional athletes usually follow the money, leaving behind their teammates and fans" (page 71)

* I believe that all sports programs after the you reach the high school level are all a business. It always seems like there are genuine programs out there, and I'm sure there are you're occasional few that are legit, but for the, most part they are all about the money at the end of the day. That's high school, college, and professional. The degree jus gets more and more intense as you go up .

Chapter 3:

This chapter talks about how sports promote so many good things in athletes lives for them to strive for like endurance, coordination, strength, joint flexibility, and heart and lung capacity. All of which leave these athletes with no choice but to live a healthier physical life. At the same time all of these things can have adverse effects on the body, they can cause athletes to burnout from year round training or stuck with chronic injuries like tendonitis. Then it gets to more serious injuries like some ex NFL players are left with when done playing. After all that it gets into children's athletics and the dangers of it. Then weather kids are playing for themselves or for their parents and many more things.

* "what I miss most [about playing football] is the violence" (page 83)

* I can understand where he is coming from with this feeling because football to a football is like skydiving to an adrenaline junky. You get on that field and it's like everything that's going on in your life goes away for those 60 minutes. You train all year long for 11 guaranteed chances to play a 60 minutes game. Seems like a lot of work but we must be getting something out of it to do it for so many years.

* "the day of the three-sport high school athlete is rapidly disappearing" (page 108)

* I understand both sides of this argument but personally, I would leave the final decision with the child. there are benefits to doing either, letting the child play many sports all year or focus more on one. And one sport athlete is hopefully going to excel in that one sport but you run the risk of them burning out. A child that plays multiple sports may not be as good as a year round child but they may have acquired skills in their other sports that will help them in this one. Like a child that runs track and plays football may develop more speed to help them on the football field.

Chapter 4:

This chapter talks about the many different ways that sports are regulated. Sport is known for its masculinity and is controlled mainly by men. Then it starts to talk about gender and race. Show how sports have progressed over the years but still needs work. then it talks about money distribution in college athletics.

* "a common motivational ploy by some coaches is to question a male athletes heterosexuality "

* The old defensive coordinator's favorite

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