Just a Game

The question that one may ask while reading or viewing the tabloids on the recent scandal involving a famous athlete or coach is the same one that this post is titled after.  What is so interesting about the lives, or perhaps the seemingly hidden lives of those that we see running, jumping, and swimming on the biggest stages in their respective realms? For those who study communication, it is common knowledge that social interaction is one of mankind's basic needs .  This is how we develop our own perception of self, especially when we are exposed to what the media and "insiders" of the game portray as perfect.  This is called framing.  When just a piece of an artifact is isolated and magnified to alter the image.  Framing can go both ways, and so can our reasoning for paying attention to the blunders of athletic wonders. Individuals enjoy sifting through the many stories of the decisions and consequences that their favorite athletes.  People like seeing othe

The image of a "fan", which is simply an abbreviation of the word "fanatic" , used to look like this picture above.  Becoming more prevalent each year in the world of sports is the mode of fandom termed "Fantasy Leagues".  Any sports fan will know what this is, and maybe even what the new fantasy fan may look like! The truth is that this is what the sports fan is turning into.  But it may come with a cost! That is one reason why so many states are now considering how appropriate it is for fantasy sports team owners to bet on their fantasy teams, or for leagues to require a fee upon entering into a draft.  There are four commonly acknowledged types of fantasy fans that have been identified. Statistical enthusiasts, fan-first, homers, and social players. These will not be described in detail, but it will suffice to say that these are all based on satisfying an individuals various needs through fantasy sports league play. I would

The best way to to handle mistakes, in my opinion, is to take full responsibility.  As with many things in life there will be exceptions.  But when it comes to sports, there is a lot of money involved.  Baylor University Athletics earns  over $67 ,  and recently there has been a whole revelation of news and reports revealing multiple sexual assaults committed by Baylor football players.   This has hurt the current image of this university. I have become familiar with William Benoit's  5 strategies to repairing or improving an image.  Personally, as I stated earlier, I think that it is most effective to fess up and take responsibility for whatever it was that was done. But, this will bring in the full load of consequences and many people may still have very hard feelings. This strategy is called "mortification" .   The head coach of the Baylor football team is named Art Briles, and was fired after the information came out concerning his players charges.  The vid