Role in sports in popular culture Essay Example for Free

Role in sports in popular culture Essay Many people around the world have enjoyed playing many sports and have been for a very long time. Of course ancient Olympics, medieval aristocrats, cave people, and hordes of peasants kicking a ball from one village to the next is, despite the genealogy, rather far removed from sports as we know them today (History of Sports, 2012). With the history of sports we can go back and look at many sports, the earliest that the sport of baseball was present in the United States goes all the way back to 1791. It was not until 1845 that the New York Knickerbockers were founded. (History of Sports, 2012). Many people today have used sports as a useful way for the people to increase their mastery of nature and the environment that they live in. Many sports have utilized the humans own basic skills to develop and exercise their own human agility and show others what they can do on their own. When we look at the sports of today, either be the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) many people can understand where all of these athletes had to do to get where they are at. It can all go back to when those athletes were young kids and those people that have known them for a long time can experience how good they are and the power and wealth that comes to those athletes that have practiced and mastered their skills to advance to those different leagues of professionalism. Many professional athletes have experienced their own wealth and power in their sports no matter what sport they are in. When athletes get to that point when they get a large amount of money for what they do on the field or courts, what comes with that is they will try to receive the power as well. Many athletes think that they are worth a lot of money for what they do as a professional athlete. Today, in its current state, many athletes make plenty of money to support themselves for the rest of their lives, and with that type of wealth and money, there will always be talk of why we are paying those athletes that type of money and why do the owners of those teams pay that amount. The owners know that they will have the power to negotiate and have the athlete know who has the power to make things happen. Wealth and power in sports degrades the essence of sports from an enjoyment perspective. Players for all sports are always negotiating for a better deal, working on contract negotiations, and arguing about trade negotiations. These types of negotiations just remove the player who once enjoyed and truly love playing the sport. All of the sudden, it has become a business. Sports should be played with heart. Do the owner and franchise teams help in this matter? In my opinion, they are the culprit. There is a constant battle to gain headlines with the next big contract totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for said number of years. There is a constant battle for endorsements to sign the next potential superstar to help sell shoes or the new line of thirst quenchers. There is a constant battle among agents to exploit players into this world consumed by wealth and how success is is measured. For the pure enjoyment of playing a sport, it’s truly gone. It’s an assembly line where media and fame have crossed their boundaries as they measure athletes by wealth and power. The fans are just as guilty as we continue to pay ridiculous ticket prices and purchase over-priced jerseys and memorabilia. The level of influence we have as fans is more like an addicted customer who can’t walk away from the product. There is increasing value added to rising players and their performance level. For the athletes, wealth and power have consumed their level of importance. They have no longer become a trainable, tailored athlete to a specific level where coaching dominates the team. Wealth and power have excluded most players from accepting a team concept through the visions of their coach. There is a sense of individualism among the wealthiest and most recognized players. Depending on the sport, some of those players ignore the coach or disrespect them altogether. Some could chalk up this attitude to personality conflicts that occur on any level of sports, but there is too much consistency with sports and how wealth and power have influenced those players. If wealth and power in sports could be a stock available for investment opportunities on the NASDAQ stock exchange, it would most likely be the best investment anyone could make. There is rarely a decline as players contracts continue to increase and venues continue raise prices. Most sports fans see the great athletes starting their careers soon after completing high school. Two sports icons that come to mind are Kobe Bryan and Dwight Howard. All athletes are considered role models for young people on the court and off the court. It is for that reason players need to very cognizant of their environment and their behavior. Athletes that are fortunate enough to make it to the professional ranks usually hire managers, trainers, coaches, attorneys and publicist. Players are advertised everywhere in our society. They do endorsements for restaurants, stores, energy drinks, and foot wear. Some even have their own clothing line. Players must be at their best in every aspect of their lives. Always being watched, they are examples to the next generation. Fans of these great entertainers are just as responsible for their dress and their behavior. Children must be the primary and most important focus of our society. We begin to teach our youth immediately and this must be at the forefront of our creations and thoughts. Parents need to learn everything about the business to be able to guide their teenagers if they decided to go professional in sports. Recommendations in consuming and participation include continuing to coach and mentor our children from a young age to create the athletes we wish to see. That is where it begins. It starts with families and family morals, discipline and love. Alcohol and drugs should be discussed frequently with care. At every level of school or competition there must be rules and regulations, love, checks and balances. Sports over many generations have basically become a money making issue. No one says on national TV that they love the sport and would play for free. It is a business. We can no longer think of sports as something fun for our children because in the backs of these parents minds their children just might be good enough for the big time and their futures may be filled with money. References Kobe Bryan Biography. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. biography. com Highest-Paid Athletes 2012 the World’s Richest. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. therichest. org Ogonsji, A. S. (2012). International Journal of business Social Science [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. : . Retrieved from Ebscohost, website. Athletes as Role Models. (1998, February). Current Health, 24(6), 25. Ebscohost. com.