Don Imus Sparks a Debate- Gene Csakany

In last Thursday’s class we had a very interesting discussion and in class activity.  What I thought was most interesting was the discussion that came about because of the Don Imus controversy.  As we all learned Don Imus was a radio personality for WNBC and made some very ignorant comments about the primarily African American Rutgers Women’s Basketball team, which in turn got him fired from his job following his atrocious attempt at an apology.  What interested me the most was the discussion that came about from this.  We began to talk about whether or not Don Imus was right in saying that and should he had been fired and all of that type of stuff.  When all of the students really agreed that he should have been fired and was ignorant for what he had said we then watched a video featuring comedian D.L. Hughley.  In this video Hughley called the same Rutgers Womens Basketball team some of the ugliest women he has ever seen as well as saying they were “nappy headed” on a comedy special that I have watched.  We began to break this down.  Immediately most of the students in class gave him leeway and just said, “He is a comedian so he is not serious and it is fine” and it was also said since he made the observation about African American women and he is African American, it is fine.  What I thought is why that action is okay just because he was African American?  When we spoke about gender inequality in sports, many people’s opinions led to the answer, “That’s just how it is”, and Dr. Spencer did not want to accept that answer and wanted more thought into the inequality.  So I want to know why when we discussed what African Americans are allowed to do and say about other races and ethnic backgrounds, that has no back lash?  Even in class many people simply said, “That’s just how it is”, along with myself, but I don’t understand how the topic rested so easily on that notion.  I thought it was very interesting that once race is brought into the equation everyone treads very carefully when it comes to making an opinion or observation out of the fear of being labeled as “racist”.   

NBA Tip-Off eve-----Aaron Mehling

Tonight, October 29th 2012 is the last night before the NBA season tips off and I, like many NBA fans cannot wait for the season to start.  Sure for my own selfish reasons of being a Cavs fan i cannot wait  to see the new young talent and of course the rising stardom of Kyrie Irving.  But there are many other story lines to look for this year.

1. This is the first time since 2010 we will have a full season: Last year we experienced a lockout shortened season.  This had many effects on the league; players were out of shape, stuck playing out their contracts with Chinese teams, and the overall play of the league suffered. As a fan i should be excited to be able to watch more games this season, but there was definitely something i liked about a shorter season. It felt like more emphasis was placed on the playoffs.  What are your guys thoughts on the season length?

2. New CBA vs. Super Teams:  I feel like this is an important subplot because of the lockout we had last year. The reason we had such an extensive lockout was because the small market owners wanted to be sure they could compete year in and year out with the larger market teams.  Well so far we have seen the Lakers add Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.  The Thunder trade James Harden to keep small market flexibility.  Did the lockout actually work? does this CBA really help the small market teams?

3. Lebron James and the Miami Heat.  In class we have discussed the ideas of Kobe Bryant vs MJ.  However now that Lebron James, considered by most to be the best player in the league, has his first ring the debate will continue.  As a Cavs fan i am over the whole "Decision". (I will say having Kyrie Irving helps a lot).  But now that Lebron has the monkey off his back it should prove to be easier for him to play without the presure of getting his first ring. Do you guys think Lebron and the Heat will repeat? if so why? and if not who?


I am a huge NBA fan so i obviously am extremely excited to get the season started. I gave you a list of some of the things i am excited for this season. Are there any other subplots that you are interested in for this season?

The NBA and Hip-Hop- Jeff Hardin

In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s basketball was looked at as just a fundamentally based sport, it was the simplicity of the game that drew many spectators to it. Back in those days you had NBA players like George Mullins, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and other players who were looked at as NBA stars of that time. Not only were they great athletes but they also their image of the time was looked at in a positive light, these players pioneered the start of athletes having a certain image and influencing style and being in the media spotlight. During this time period this athletes were the premier stars of the game. Fast forward to about the mid 1990s on up to the present day things have evolved. No longer is the game of basketball just about the simplicity or the fundamentals its now about the finesse, the showmanship, fan favorites, and who plays the hardest. Also there seems to be a new type of style being brought into the NBA influenced by a musical genre that was started in the late 1970s and its roots is in the South Bronx, New York and this genre is called 'Hip-Hop'. Hip-Hop has influenced the NBA in a lot of ways, many NBA players have taken on the lifestyle of Hip-Hop artist such as wearing chains, having multiple cars, some athletes have even tried to have careers as hip hop artist. Most notably an NBA player who tried his hand at Hip-Hop was Shaquille O'Neal, Shaquille started a brief and small rap career around the time his movie Kazaam came out and he put out an album and surprisingly it went platinum. Although he was not a very good hip hop artist he was the only NBA star to have put out an album that went platinum. During the late 1990s up to the 2000s NBA players really begin to take on the hip hop lifestyle and begin to bring that lifestyle into the NBA, probably the athlete who really took on the lifestyle and was really influenced by it was none other than Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson was looked at as the guy who really took on the influences of hip hop by storm, his appearances in the media showed it really well he always wore diamond necklaces and watches, he wore throwback jerseys which was a fashion trend started and worn by hip hop artist. He also had a shoe commercial for his signature shoe and it featured hip hop artist Jadakiss rapping over a beat in the commercial as Allen Iverson dribbled a ball in the background. Allen Iverson also tried his hand at being a hip hop artist too, he went by the name of "Jewels" and put out a few freestyles, his career as a hip hop artist was short lived as many people didn't think he was a great hip hop artist at all. The style of hip hop has influenced the NBA in so many ways many artist have shouted out and mentioned NBA players in their songs and some have even said they wanted to play in the NBA. Just like hip hop artist many NBA players have wanted to become artist and some have even started their own record labels with their own recording artist. Also I think hip hop has influenced the NBA to evolve and make NBA players play better and play harder to be able to reach their accomplishment of winning an NBA title; I think hip hop and the NBA are closely related and hip hop will continue to influence the NBA in many years to come.

RUIMUS Situation & School Daze (Spike Lee Film)

This blog is basically my opinion on the RUIMUS situation, along with a little background on what some of the words Imus said on the radio as well.  I will start with the the reference to "jiggaboo's" and "wannabe's".  In Spike Lee's movie School Daze, they have the African-American women with a darker skin complexion being referred to as jiggaboos, and the African-American women with a lighter skin complexion being referred to as wannabes.  One quick difference that I pointed out that they said was that the jiggaboos have "nappy hair", they don't have a lot of hair, and they are afraid to get it wet, whereas the "wannabes" have long straight hair and they are automatically considered pretty because they have a lighter skin complexion.  This video below is a little bit extensive (I'd say you could watch it to about 2:45 to get the just of the meanings, but feel free to watch the whole thing if you like!), but it breaks down some of the difference between the jiggaboos and wannabes in a dance/musical format. (This video is also an excerpt from the actual movie School Daze).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlxI3-8BVKQ&feature=player_embedded

 

Lastly, with the RUIMUS situation, I feel like it was just an unnecessary comment to make, that's all.  Yes, it was just his opinion on it, but at the same time it was disrespectful as well.  Also, him saying that doesn't make it any more right for D.L. Hughley to say it either.  I also believe that just because he is an older Caucasian man, that's why people saw the situation as a form of racism.  If it was an African-American who said that, I feel like it would still be an uproar due to the comment being disrespectful, but it would not be a form of racism. I don't remember exactly who said it in class, but I agree with the fact that African-American's should not be allowed to freely say whatever they want to or toward each other because at the end of the day, we would be beyond upset if anybody else from a different race were to say the same thing to us, and it would be taken as an offense. I just think that all ignorant and negative words period should be put to an end, but that is easier said than done when it's something you are used to and around all the time.

-Turea Moore

Looking for Racism- Gene Csakany

In last Tuesday’s class we spoke on many different things including the Lebron and Gisele on Vogue picture.  It was said that this picture depicts racism because of the famous picture of King Kong holding up the white, blonde, female who appears to be in peril.  This specifically got me quite annoyed that this picture caused any type of controversy over racism in today’s society.  The issue of the magazine clearly elaborates that’s this specific magazine focuses on “Secrets of the Best Bodies”.  Lebron is in very good shape, he is basically not human in that sense and in our society today, the way the term “beast” or “not human” is used not to demean anyone.  The type of people that look at this and instantly see racism are the type of people that search for racism in every situation.  If you look hard enough for something like racism and distort the actuality or intent of what you are seeing, then of course you could form a racist opinion.  But that is just it; just because one person raises the idea that this picture is racist, just means simply that is there belief and they are entitled to it, but they are the same people searching for racism in a situation just to raise a debate and get the sympathy for the individuals that suffered many years ago, when the sympathy of those individuals is fully understood, there is no reason to bring the horrors of the past and relate it to those of today just to cause a stir.  I am certain if such a public figure like Lebron James felt he was being put in a racist situation, he would not have done this photo shoot.  When asked the question “Does racism still exist to the extent that it is depicted”, I simply say no racism does not really exist anymore, but ignorance still does. 

Indian Wells (Williams' Sisters)

A quick summary of the situation that went on at Indian Wells is originally, On March 15, 2001, Venus and Serena were supposed to play against each other in a match, but Venus dropped out 4 minutes before game time claiming she had tendinitis.  On an average day, if something is wrong with the athlete, they will let officials know at least 30 minutes before a match, but that did not happen in this case.  Some people speculated that the Williams’ sister’s father wanted Serena to win, so he told Venus to lose on purpose/drop out the match, but that was false.  Also, a lot of people think that Venus should have least went out on the court and tried, but I disagree because one move the wrong way could have made the injury even worse than what it was.  Two Days after that day, on March 17, 2001, Venus and her dad arrived at Indian Wells to watch Serena play, and while walking down the stairs, almost the whole stadium booed them, their father even mention he heard some pretty racial slurs as well.  My opinion on all of this is, I think that Venus should have let the officials know that there would be a slight chance that she wouldn’t be playing, just so that they could have a heads up.  Lastly, I understand that fans were upset that they were not able to see Serena and Venus play against each other, but yelling out racial slurs was just disrespectful in my eyes.  My question is, do you think that race played a huge part in the booing on March 17, 2001?

-Turea Moore

Lebron James Leaving

Last week in class we talked heavily about Lebron James taking his talents to South Beach.  This was a kind of sensitive topic for me since I am from Cleveland and a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Lebron James leaving Cleveland had a huge impact on the city, one that was bigger than just basketball.  However, I don't fault Lebron for leaving nor do I have a huge problem with the way he did it.

Lebron James leaving the city of Cleveland had a impact that was bigger than just basketball. Him leaving meant that the city wouldn't bring in as much business to the small businesses around the city and arena.  Lebron James bought many people into the city that wouldn't have came if he wasn't there.  We all know that small business is a huge part of a city's economy, and him leaving left the city wondering how they would be able to generate that same amount of interest to the small businesses that was there when he was playing for Cleveland.

At the end of the day many faulted Lebron for his decision however, people forget that the NBA is a business.  Lebron James fulfilled his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and had the right to go wherever he wanted.  Many would then say that he shouldn't have waited to the last minute to tell the Cavaliers that he was leaving.  Like I previously stated, it's a business so why would he tell the Cavaliers, a team in the Eastern Conference that he was leaving if he knew he was going to go to another team in the Eastern Conference.  It doesn't make sense for him to do that because the Cavs would of had a chance to try and grab players and end up beating Lebron James and his new team. Lebron didn't want that so he waited to the last minute not to be a prick but it was a smart business decision.

In all I believe that Lebron James left the way he did because of business decisions. I don't think he did it to disrespect the Cavaliers, fans, or the city of Cleveland.  I believe that he did it thinking as a business minded person because at the end of the day the NBA is just that, a business.  

Tim Love

Celebranding

Branding is a direct relation that is experienced when a consumer hears a brand name or sees a recognizable company product. Function of a brand is how it builds a presence and emotion is the feeling it instills in their customers about a product and how they connect with a brand.

By utilizing brand extension, many teams, athletes, and sport (consumer good) producers have used existing well known brands to create a new category of product or personality to market to consumers.

With personality and "celebranding" sport has been able to use famous athletes to further their consumer interest and loyalty, increasing revenues.

The Davie-Brown Index shows the affect celebrity endorsers have on their represented brands and how fans consume the endorsed products.

The Beefcake/Cheesecake Factors are utilized in celebranding to attach attractive sport personalities to products seeking endorsements in the sport industry. For example Anna Kournikova or Raphael Nadal marketing non-tennis related products like clothing or watches.

We discussed some well-known celebrands in class such as Michael Jordan, and how he has dominated a culture with his personality branding, as well as brand extension to clothing, shoes, backpacks, etc. Michael Jordan has almost always emulated a role model for consumers. But does celebranding as a concept provide a positive externality for athletes? Who truly benefits from celebranding?

We also discussed LeBron James and "The Decison." Was this form of celebranding worthwhile to his image? To his team(s)? Or to the NBA?

Stephanie Loomis

Orenthal James Simpson

Discussions from last Tuesday's class referred to athletes such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as ones who transcended 'race.'  One of the athletes who we didn't get to talk about was O.J Simpson.  In my eyes, Simpson did similar things that Jordan did as he was a superstar athlete in college and in the pros.  After winning the Heisman Trophy at USC, he went on to become an elite running back with the Buffalo Bills or 'America's Team.'  With the Bills, he became the first running back in history to rush for more than 2000 yards in one season.  He also played in 6 Pro-Bowls and became a member of the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985.  Off the field, however was where he transcended 'race' as he went on to become the spokesperson for Hertz Rental Car Company and also owned two Pioneer Chicken franchises.  His career also carried over to the movie theaters as he appeared in The Naked Gun Trilogy  in which he was a decent actor who seemed to fit each role perfectly as another member of a bumbling Los Angeles Police Squad.  My overall point is that straight out of college, he became a beloved hero for people of all ages as he seemed to 'do it all' and was flawless at every task he had his hands in.  That is why, when it came out that he had murdered his wife and his wife's friend, the entire country was shocked.  It created a stir that everyone tuned in to watch on just about every major news network during the summer of 1994.  Although it was a horrendous crime and I do believe O.J got away with the murder of two people, it remains as evidence on the effect Simpson had on the entire country.

-Chris Cournan

Nike gets the most out of their Celebrities- Gene Csakany

We talked about many different things in last Tuesday’s class.  One thing we mentioned was that of celebrity endorsers.  We briefly touched on this in class, although I happen to think this is an interesting phenomenon.  Myself, personally when I think of celebrity endorsers I immediately think about Nike.  I really believe there is not a brand out there that does it better then Nike.  Gatorade does a good job, Coca Cola does great as well, but I feel as though there is not a single company that comes close to the type of growth and marketing Nike has established.  I think Nike is solely responsible for individuals who bridge the gap between “athlete” and “celebrity”.  There are many athletes out there that are popular and known very well throughout their respected leagues, but the athletes endorsed by Nike become much more than “notable” athletes.  The biggest athlete we have covered in that aspect is obviously Michael Jordan.  He is obviously the greatest basketball player to live, but is that the only reason he became so popular amongst not only sport followers, but around the world?  No, I believe he has much credit owed to the advertising minds behind Nike.  Take his Jordan sneaker for example.  That is not just a shoe that is worn in basketball by basketball players.  Jordan has cleats for football, sweatshirts, watches and even casual wear.  None of those items have anything to do with basketball, yet people still buy them buy the masses.  Nike has not only done this for Michael Jordan, but also Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and even made a household name for Tiger Woods, at a time when if someone thinks athlete they don’t refer to golf, but somehow Tiger Woods received the award for best male athletes in consecutive years at the top of his game.  There are even athletes such as Maria Sharapova and Michelle Wie whose sports I can honestly say I never watched compete yet I know of them and their multimillion dollar Nike endorsement deals.  Nike has become masters at getting the most out of their “celebrity” endorsers while directly benefiting the athlete in more ways than just financially. 

Opinions on October 9th's Class

      This blog post is my opinion about a few things that were discussed during October 9^th’s class period.  First off, I know the question is will Kobe be the next Michael Jordan, and my answer to that is, “Kobe is the closest person statistically”.  If anybody wants to compare stats, rings, championships, ability to close and win games consistently and etc, then Kobe Bryant is the person to look to.  On the other hand, there is a guy named LeBron James that averages around the same numbers as Michael, maybe a little better, he has many endorsements, his own shoe line through Nike (just like Michael has) and also has a great image off the court.  So off the court and along with some of his abilities on the court as well, I would say LeBron can possibly be the next MJ.

      When we discussed the slide about the “Role of a Black Athlete”, I agree with Steph Loomis when she stated in class, “that athletes should not have to play active roles in political issues, but it would be nice if they did because so many people look up to them.”  There is no way in the world Michael Jordan should have been criticized because he did not play an active role; it is his choice if he wants to do anything.

      Lastly, I commented on Aaron’s post saying this as well, but personally I think that if the 2012 USA team and 92 Dream Team played against each other, the 2012 Team would edge out with a win.  I think this because the athleticism today is on a whole different level than it was at back in 1992, along with the fact that nobody has an answer for LeBron James (due to his strength, speed, quickness, basketball iq, and etc). I am sure that many people think otherwise, but that is my opinion.

-Turea Moore