Summary Of Praise The Lloyd

The True Myths of Sports If there ever was a masterwork of American sports journalism, articles “In The Nick of Time” by Rick Bragg, and “Praise The Lloyd” by Katie Baker lie close to it. Despite their similarities, such as reflecting the American subculture which they respectively discuss near-mythological greatness; both articles do so in a completely different, yet effective, manner. “Praise The Lloyd” uses informal and current language and phrases to treat the US women’s national team as gods among us, accessible and relatable, whereas “In The Nick of Time” comes forth told much by word of mouth of Alabamians and treats its subject with an air of complete reverence and grace. “Praise the Lloyd” is initially told as a progressive narrative
The author, Baker, then slowly steps away from the game, referencing the fans, pregame, and previous game all in succession before ending with a conclusion that contains a clear and exuberant cry of victory for women’s sports everywhere. Throughout the piece, Baker’s tone stays predominantly lighthearted, despite a couple occasional lapses. One of these occurs notable when Baker writes, “At the entrance to BC Place, security guards politely asked fans to check their selfie sticks at the gate while protesters held up small signs seeking to ‘End the Ban on Women in Stadiums in Iran.’” Perhaps that is why Baker’s writing works so well. Throughout the article, she is using up-to-date language and current references to capture the attention and gain the trust of her modern, 21st century audience as a peer. However, at the same time her purpose is to reflect on the progression of women’s sports, not
Initially he compares Alabama football to religion, saying “They say college football is religion in the Deep South, but it’s not… though it is easy to see how people might get confused.” Bragg knows the importance of the subject he writes about to the people of Alabama, and he treats it with the care of a newborn child, not infringing on the magnitude or legacy of the program in any way. His purpose may be to discuss the circumstances and hope surrounding the introduction of Nick Saban as head coach of the University of Alabama football team, however he knows he is not the most qualifies to discuss the subject. Therefore, Bragg smartly and effectively uses quotes from the fans to comprise a heavy portion of the article. No one knows what Nick Saban means to Alabama football better than those who have poured their hearts into it their entire lives, and Bragg knows this. This establishes Bragg to a deeply passionate fan base as someone who has the proper respect to discuss the legends of a sacred team. The article itself makes no promises on the greatness of Nick Saban. It doesn’t state that a revival is coming in Alabama football. Bragg doesn’t pretend to be a seer and predict any success for the team in the future. Yet he unequivocally conveys that it matters whether the success comes. From comparing the welcoming of Nick Saban to the welcoming home