The Sports Ethicist Show airs tonight at 6 pm (Central) on Rockford College Radio.
In this episode, The Sports Ethicist talks with Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Beckmann about the relationship of fitness to sport and athletics. What is fitness? Are fitness and health the same thing? Are elite athletes fit and should the general public emulate elite training regiments? The conversation shifts into the issue of gene doping and doping in general.
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The podcast for Episode Three: The Spectacle of Sport is available for download:
ESPN was founded in 1979 and ushered in the era of 24/7 sports coverage. It is hard to argue that this hasn’t had a major effect on sports themselves, but also on the wider culture. Sports are bigger than ever, and in many ways, there has never been a better time to be a sports fan. But are there any downsides? In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Matt Flamm discuss the negative and positive consequences of the massive growth of attention on sports.
Original Air Date on Rockford College Radio: April 8, 2013
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Filed under podcast
Announcing the 2nd annual Rockford College Sports Studies Symposium!
Fans play a central role at all levels and within various aspects of sport, so any study of sport would do well to consider their influences in connection to fandom, fantasy, and play. A specific and growing area of fandom, fantasy sports, illustrates a concrete and complex way fans relate to and even affect sport. This year’s symposium seeks to explore and examine these aspects of the relationship between fan and sport.
The first panel, held from 1 to 2:45pm, focuses on Fandom.
The second panel, held from 3 to 4:45, will focus on fantasy and play.
Location: Grace Roper Lounge, Burpee Center, Rockford College, Rockford, IL
Date/Time: April 19, 2013; 1-5pm
Following the symposium, many of the participants will head over to Aviators Stadium to watch Rockford College Baseball take on Maranatha Baptist Bible College.
Filed under Conferences, Rockford College
The Sports Ethicist Show airs tonight at 6 pm (Central) on Rockford College Radio.
ESPN was founded in 1979 and ushered in the era of 24/7 sports coverage. It is hard to argue that this hasn’t had a major effect on sports themselves, but also on the wider culture. Sports are bigger than ever, and in many ways, there has never been a better time to be a sports fan. But are there any downsides? In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Matt Flamm discuss the negative and positive consequences of the massive growth of attention on sports.
Listen Here:
Filed under RadioShow, Rockford College
The podcast for Episode Two: Why Sport? is available for download:
In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Mike Perry follow up their discussion of what sport is with a discussion of “why sport?” They discuss the reasons why people play sports and why people watch sports. They end the show with a brief discussion of why they study sports.
In the podcast, we discuss a survey “What are your reasons for playing sports?” from Sportsreasons.com. Here is a link to the survey:
http://www.sportsreasons.com/uploads/4/7/8/7/4787106/project_-_players_survey.pdf
Original Air Date on Rockford College Radio: April 1, 2013
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Filed under podcast
The Sports Ethicist Show airs tonight at 6 pm (Central) on Rockford College Radio.
In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Mike Perry follow up their discussion of what sport is with a discussion of “why sport?” They discuss the reasons why people play sports and why people watch sports. They end the show with a brief discussion of why they study sports.
Listen Here:
Filed under RadioShow, Sports Studies
The Miami Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls in a hard fought game with lots of hard fouls. This loss brought an end to the Heats amazing win streak. (As a sports fan, the streak was exciting and I sort of wanted it to continue, but as a Celtics fan, I am glad to see the Heat finally lose.)
Immediately after the game, the Heat headed straight to the locker rooms without shaking ends or interacting with the Bulls players. This prompted the following exchange between the announcers:
Mike Breen: Didn’t have the normal post-game hand shake and hugs. The Heat went right back to the locker room, not interested at all. And you love that.
Jeff Van Gundy: That is how it should be. Teams should compete so hard against each other that at the end of the night, it shouldn’t be warm and friendly. There’s nothing wrong with this; it wasn’t bad sportsmanship by the Heat.
Mike Breen: Absolutely not. But it goes against what we normally see night in and night out.
No, that is not how it should be. Yes, that is bad sportsmanship. Teams should compete hard, play as hard and as tough as they can. But the very essence of good sportsmanship is that when the game is over, you step outside that frame of mind. You acknowledge the victor. You walk away with dignity and grace (not pout and make a beeline for the locker room). Especially after a game like this. A historic streak was on the line and it was lost in a tough, emotional battle. Both sides played well down to the wire. This is precisely when good sportsmanship is needed most: to temper your disappointment and emotions so that you show the appropriate respect to your opponent. The Bulls deserve the respect that would be shown by a simple handshake.
Now, in some pro sports the post-game handshake is not customary; in baseball for example, it is rare to see the teams shake hands at the end of a game. So there is nothing disrespectful there about not shaking hands. But it is, as the announcers acknowledge, the normal thing in basketball, so by not doing it, the Heat are showing disrespect, or at best their lack of being able to lose gracefully. Both, though, are precisely what is meant by bad sportsmanship.
Filed under basketball, sportsmanship
The podcast for Episode One: What is Sport? is available for download:
In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Mike Perry try to answer the question of what sport is. Everyone agrees that football and baseball are sports, but what about figure skating, cheerleading, competitive eating, or the WWE? How essential is competition or physical abilities to our understanding of sports? Is it even important to know what the definition of sport is? Klein and Perry also discuss the difference between play, games, and sport.
Original Air Date on Rockford College Radio: March 25, 2013.
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Filed under podcast, RadioShow, Rockford College
Air Date: March 25, 2013, 6-7pm (Central)
In this episode, Professors Shawn Klein and Mike Perry try to answer the question of what sport is. Everyone agrees that football and baseball are sports, but what about figure skating, cheerleading, competitive eating, or the WWE? How essential is competition or physical abilities to our understanding of sports? Is it even important to know what the definition of sport is? Klein and Perry also discuss the difference between play, games, and sport.
Listen Here:
Filed under RadioShow, Rockford College
I am very excited to announce that The Sports Ethicist is starting a radio show/podcast.
The Sports Ethicist Show will air on Rockford College Radio each Monday at 6 pm (Central).
The first episode will air March 25 at 6 pm (Central) and features my colleague English Professor Michael Perry as we tackle the issue of “What is Sport?”
If you have questions or issues you would like The Sports Ethicist to answer or discuss on the air, send them to me:
*I may read your email/tweet/facebook message on air, so if you don’t want me to say your name, please let me know in your message.
Filed under RadioShow, Rockford College, Site Announcements
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The Sports Ethicist 