Sports the Opiate
Welcome to the wide world of sports. With an array of sports gracing the face of the Earth we know it as a form of physical activity consisting of a partnership of play, and dramatic spectacles. Although definitions of sports vary, many scholars agree that sports are institutionalized competitive activities that involve rigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skills by participants motivated by internal and external rewards. Wide ranges of sports were already established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games, with the implementation of the games, the term spectator sport is know coined. A spectator sport is merely a sport that is organized and played in a stadium, arena, or dome for the enjoyment of others. In modern time these spectator sports have become under the control of the sports industry. This Industry operates the business side of sports with the influence of the media.
The mass culture of sports has grown increasingly over the years with countries trying to inflict their domesticated activities to the masses globally. Just this past October the National Football League (NFL) introduced its first regular season game on foreign soil when the Miami Dolphins squared off against the New York Giants. You have David Beckham a native of Liverpool, England, who is also referred to as the Michael Jordan of soccer being paid millions by corporate investors to help the rise of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the states. With the National Basketball Association (NBA) reaching out to different countries to attain its newest superstars like Yao Ming and Yi Ling it helps give rise to a new era of fans who roughly add their countries population to the viewer’s ratings every time their team touches the court. It is a huge part of the Economy no matter what
The mass culture of sports has grown increasingly over the years with countries trying to inflict their domesticated activities to the masses globally. Just this past October the National Football League (NFL) introduced its first regular season game on foreign soil when the Miami Dolphins squared off against the New York Giants. You have David Beckham a native of Liverpool, England, who is also referred to as the Michael Jordan of soccer being paid millions by corporate investors to help the rise of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the states. With the National Basketball Association (NBA) reaching out to different countries to attain its newest superstars like Yao Ming and Yi Ling it helps give rise to a new era of fans who roughly add their countries population to the viewer’s ratings every time their team touches the court. It is a huge part of the Economy no matter what
References: Ritzer, George. 2007. Contemporary Sociological Theory and its Classical Roots: The Basics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Coakley, Jay. 2004. Sports in Society: Issues and Contoversies. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Simon, Robert. 1991. Fair Play: Sports Values, and Society Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Goldstein, Jeffrey. 1989. Sports, Games, and Play: social and Psychological Viewpoints Hillsdale, New Jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.