London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL

The NFL is considering giving London an NFL team. London is a thriving,desirable city with a large NFL fan base. There are already games played there -- for instance, the Jacksonville Jaguars will play there each of the next four seasons. In giving London a team, the NFL would generate tons of money regarding television rights, create a new fan base, and give the NFL an opportunity to compete with the Premier Soccer League. NFL Commissioner Robert Goodell talks about his desire to do so here . 

However, there are several downfalls to putting a team in London. First, it is unclear if London has the right market. When there are NFL games in London now, they are wildly popular but mostly among people from other parts of Europe. They travel semi-long distances to see the games, and although this is feasible to do once a year, it many not be feasible to do for the eight home games of the season. Next, many of these fans already have a team they support. Therefore, even if London introduced a team, it is unclear if people would support the new team or continue to support the team they originally were a fan of. Traveling is also a big concern for the potential London team. The team would be disadvantaged especially when traveling to the West Coast of the US because of the long hours spent flying. Last, there would be several financial issues that would need to be worked out regarding draft picks, taxes, and differences in the cost of living. This would have a trickle down effect for teams in the US and create a big mess. 

This International Business article gives further reasons an NFL team in London would never work, including time distance and the fatigue of players. He compares this to how many Americans have always wanted a team in London, but the time change and travel is impractical. What makes London different? Nothing, he argues. He also discusses how when teams travel to London, they will be disadvantaged, and when the London team travels to the US, the London team will always be disadvantaged. It's simply too much travel. 

There are solutions to many of these problems, for instance, the NFL could give the London team a bigger salary cap or more draft picks. They could have a 'home base' in America -- maybe in Orlando. The NFL could also create special scheduling to accommodate this team. However, making these adjustments seem to complicate a lot of things and create more problems than they are really worth.

Sociogenesis of Rowing

Rowing is one of the oldest and most traditional sports. It first became popular in ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt and many other empires where rowing served as a means of transportation during both war and peace times. It didn't take long for people to start using rowing as a means of competition and racing. Rowing then developed in England where official races were organized on the Thames River. The first documentation of these events goes as far back at 1716. The first official race between two 8's was between Oxford and Cambridge in 1829. This marks the date of the beginning of rowing as an official sport. Rowing was an Olympic sport in the first Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1839.

Formal competitions have made rowing increasingly popular, namely the ability to watch the exhilarating sport in the Olympics. The sport has reached every corner of the world. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, some countries represented in rowing include Uzbekistan, Russia, Peru, Romania, Japan, and Iran. A similar race to the Oxford/Cambridge race has since ensued in the United States between Harvard and Yale.

Races used to be much more simple. Line up the boats in what seemed like an even starting point, and see who gets to Point B the fastest. However as rowing has grown and expanded, so have it's rules and competitiveness. Boats now line up in stake boats to ensure an exactly even start. I have raced on courses that are completely lined with buoy's every meters. This not only que's the competitor into exactly how far into their race they are, but also ensures a more straight course. Timing is also much more efficient now than it used to be, with picture reviews of photofinishes. I placed first by .002 at the Canadian Henley -- if that race was 100 years ago it would have been a tie!

Technology has also greatly improved rowing equiptment. Boats and oars are extremely high-tech and lightweight. Instead of wood, they are now made out of the strongest and lightest carbon-fiber and other innovative materials. People used to wear much more baggy clothes while rowing, but now competitors wear tight, aerodynamic spandex and race in uni's (one piece spandex uniform).

Although rowing has come so far and reached so many places in the world, I think because the sport is so expensive a lot of people are missing out on it. For example, a new Vespoli 8 would cost upwards of 30,000. That is not including oars, riggers, tracks, seats, footstretchers, shoes, fasteners, etc. Teams also often have to travel far to races which gets expensive. Therefore I think the biggest challenge rowing is facing is that it is almost exclusive to the middle and upper class. The sport could become so much more popular, but we would have to find a way for more people to be able to participate.

Sport in the Ancient World

GREECE: 

In Greece they played sports NAKED. They played sports such as the discus toss, wrestling, boxing, triple-jump, and other sports we don't have now such as the 4-horse chariot race. These sports have rules and regulations similar to those we still have today.The biggest sporting event was Olympia -- seen as the ancient roots of the modern Olympic Games. 

In Greece, spectators went to the games to see blood! Athletes dedicated themselves to Zeus and the purpose of the games were for religious reasons and entertainment. The winners were seen as son's of the God's and received an elevated status in society. Winning was everything. The winner in the 100m dash won millions of dollars in rewards and endorsements. All the runners knew that after the race there would only be wealth and glory for one of them, and similarly to today the loser would be forgotten. 

Only white men participated. Women weren't even allowed in the games. 

ROME:

In Rome, Gladiators were viewed as spectacle. Gladiators can be really anyone in society even prisoners of war. These people become a caged, performing animals. Every second of his day is spent preparing for this in barbaric-like special facilities. The training of Gladiators is similar to that of Roman soldiers. They both need to be conditioned to kill. They are fed high energy food and endure beatings. 

When the crowd roars and one Gladiator wins, they have become a freed man. Similar to Greece, only men can compete. 

No Gladiators are fully protected, so spectators cheer for one man to hit the other in the weak spot.The spectators at these events are the Roman people. They were obsessed with gladiator fights. Winning Gladiators are seen as a kind of celebrity.

Sport, Society, & Me

Growing up with four brothers and parents who were college athletes, I have always felt that I have a strong connection to sports and they play a big role in my life. As an athlete myself, I have spent countless hours participating in sports. However, my connection with sports is deeper than my personal experiences. Cheering for various sports teams, attending games, and being able to bond with my family over our mutual love for the game or team has made me grateful that sports are such a big part of my life. Not only do I like playing sports and watching sports, but I feel that sports has been something that has kept my family so close over the years. Whenever my brothers and I are home from college, I always love being able to hangout with my family on Sundays and watch the game together. 

I believe that US sports are a reflection of US society, both the good and the bad! Although one could argue that competition makes athletes cheat or sports promote hegemony, I believe that the positive role sports play in society greatly outweighs the negative. Sports teach teamwork, hard work, discipline, physical fitness, promotes friendships, creates healthy lifestyles, etc. I have come to this conclusion because sports have personally been a positive influence in my life and taught me more about these things than I could have learned any other way. 

Athletes hold a very elite status in US society. They are celebrities in the sense that they are constantly in the public eye, make huge salaries, and have a fan base. Some are highly respected, while others are hated. Regardless, athletes are very highly valued in the US but I find it interesting that fans are so harsh on athletes when they mess up because after all, they are only human. 

The Sport Ethic

Sport ethic is a living conformity of a "real athlete" that creates a clear cut vulnerability to deviant behavior. 

According to Hughes and Coakley there can be positive deviance experienced  by athletes. The four dimensions of this are as follows:

1. Being an athlete involves making sacrifices for the game

2. Being an athlete involves striving for distinction 

3. Being an athlete involves accepting risks and playing through pain 

4. Being an athlete involves refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities

Hughes and Coakley present studies in which athletes overconform to these deviations to the point where they become norms within their sport group to such an extent that their sport participation was disruptive to pretty much everything else in their lives. This inculdes family relationships, work responsibilities, and even their own physical health and comfort. Athletes conform because their sports mean so much to them and are such a huge part of their lives, that they are willing to do anything it takes to succeed or even get a small edge up. They also see people around them such as their teammates conforming, so they feel like they need to. 

I feel like I have definitely experienced all four of the distinctions. I was a rower in high school and made so many sacrifices for the sport including not being able to do a lot of the things my friends did such as attend social events, stay out late or even have free time. I practiced both before and after school, but the distinctions were worth it as I placed at nationals four years straight and earned a scholarship to The University of Alabama, among others, which I eventually passed up. I wanted to be the best and was willing to row through the pain -- for example, my junior year I rowed at the Head of The Charles with a torn ligament in my shoulder, but it was worth it when we did well! Being an athletes means always buying into the system and believing the sky is the limit, no matter what your limitations actually are. 

Sport(s) in the USA

        Although there are many competitive sports in America, I believe that football is the most popular by a landslide. Basketball, baseball, and maybe even hockey are close seconds depending on geographic location in the country, but I think that throughout America football reigns supreme. This is evident in it's TV scheduling as football games are always in primetime on major television networks. One thing all the 'popular' sports in America share is that they are all extremely competitive, physically demanding, team sports. Additionally, only men's sports are popular. 

        When I think of the typical game day in America, I think of team merchandise, good times with friends supporting your team, and lots of beer! Fans often 'tailgate' in parking lots of the stadium before games. This includes grilling food, consuming alcohol, and fostering an environment of camaraderie among fans. A perfect day for a tailgate would be 60 and sunny, but fans come out and do this no matter what the weather conditions are! 

        I believe that success in US Sports is measured by how much athletes are paid, their celebrity status, the success of their team, and the legacy they leave on their respective sport. Athletes in America are very highly paid, especially in Baseball. Top (or controversial) athletes in each sport obtain a type of 'celebrity status' with a huge fan base and lots of speculation from the media. More appropriately, athletes are recognized for their on the field (or court) play, where 'successful' athletes are the very best athletes at their sport. Athletes are also seen as successful if they are a 'team player' and help their team and teammates reach that successful status. I believe