...Professional athletes are the best of the best, but should they be able to use steroids to make themselves that much better? Using steroids to enhance performance and physique has been and is very popular among athletes. Many times, athletes view steroids as the main contributing factor in efforts to reach the highest level in their profession. Steroids are not good for sports as they have an impact in the world bigger than the effect on each individual steroid user. Sports have been seen as a display of pure skill and talent, but with an integration of steroids, that model is hard to tell as athletes become bigger, faster, and stronger. Steroids should be avoided in sports because they create unfair advantages, affect the integrity of the sport, and lead to poor choices in younger ages as the professional athletes are seen as popular role models. Steroids have been supported by multiple people and continue to lead to discussions as to whether or not they belong in professional sports. Being among the greats takes years of practice and raw skill...
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...Each and every year, student athletes across in the U.S. sign the “Student-Athlete” form, waiving their right to receive payment for the use of their name and image. These students work hard and devote a lot of time to their college classes and also spend additional time practicing and playing for their university athletics. The NCAA defines student athletes as amateurs, who cannot receive payment for playing their sports. In the meantime their schools and coaches are making millions of dollars in salaries and endorsement deals and student athletes are not allowed to earn a single penny from their college athletic careers. This is why college athletes should get paid for playing. College athletics are a lucrative industry. The NCAA is a multi-billion dollar industry that generated over $845 billion last year due to their players’ ability to entertain and perform to their fullest extent at all times. The most visible college sports, such as men’s football and basketball, generate staggering sums of money. Let's take the University of Michigan as a good example. Coaches’ salaries are even more outlandish. For example NCAA men’s basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, makes an astonishing 9.6 million and NCAA men’s football coach, Nick Saban, makes 7.3 million dollars. Athletes bring in money for their school in many different ways. Butler University saw a 43% increase in undergraduate applications after the University’s basketball team made it to the Final Four two years in...
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...Who Deserves the Money? Anyone who keeps up with sports news recently has noticed the rising controversy of whether or not college athletes should be paid; yet many people don’t realize that more things have to be taken into account than pure salaries for players, like a union, health insurance, and the role of academics. Although many people can get caught up in the emotions when trying to debate the issue, in order to fully understand the whole argument we must look at it from all the different angles including those of the player, coach, school administrator, and chairman of the NCAA. The most efficient and proper way to show these players compensation would be to give them some form of stipend referring to the controversies over the salary of players, they should be represented by a union, current and past players should receive health care benefits, and this all should only be possible if they are able to maintain grades. Over the last couple months there has been a sharp rise in people calling for the payment of college athletes with one of the major arguments being that we should give them straight salaries. There are many different aspects that must be considered when breaking down the idea of giving players a straight salary, or even the partial payment of them. Coach Brian Kelly’s statement, a recent participant in the 2011 National Championship, “"I still think the overriding factor here is that these young men put in so much time with being a student and then...
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...population and is severely damaging this majority’s physical and mental health. As a multibillion dollar business, it is hard to ignore the fact that sports are really important in today’s society (Sissoko). Sports bring people together and for years have been an excellent source of entertainment. Events are full of “moment-by-moment excitement”, filled with the adrenaline that most people just can’t get enough of. With the business of this all important sport’s world, although, comes the controversy of using illegal drugs. To some athletes, not only professional, the need for a better body to perform at greater capacities has become more important than their ethics and morals. Athletes are role models for people of all ages and seeing them throw away everything that is right, for a better game, a win, or for the body that gets them there is part of the problem we face. The male athletes, who seek out instant results, are the ones who have lead to eating disorders and other harmful habits. These athletes’ strive for success and perfection is taking its toll on society. The effects of the drugs they are turning to can be deadly, but...
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...Sport Psychology PE 511 Annotated Bibliography Coakley, J. (2014). Violence in sports: How does it affect our lives?. (11th ed). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York, NY. McGraw Hill. The author goes into great detail discussing violence: defining it, giving an account for violence throughout history, discussing violence on as well as off the field, and how it affects the lives of various individuals. The author also goes into great detail informing his audience on the various types of violence one may encounter in the sports arena. Some issues may be small, but on the other hand some situations pertaining to violence and sports are very serious, and should be viewed accordingly. I think the intended audience can be applied to everyone who plays any sport, coach a sport, and anyone who goes to any type sports activities. This article is the foundation of my research and all other articles will add to this one. Jewell, R., Moti, A, and Coates, D. (2011). Violence and Aggression in Spectator Sports. Economics, History and Policy, Sports Economics, Management and Policy 4. (11). 11-26. The authors in this article make a lot of interesting points when discussing violence and aggression in spectator sports. This article in intended for people who are concerned with the violent acts that occur in sports. The author briefly discusses the history of sports in Mesoamerican and Greek cultures. The article also discusses the revenue that is made from...
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...tactics have been mastered by the competing athletes. This is what separates a novice from a professional. Some athletes choose to elude the sporting guidelines and seek ergogenic aids, to include banned substances in order to win. Winning or losing determines a continuous paycheck, scholarships, athletic contracts and sponsored endorsements. The scale is unbalanced in relation to banned...
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...Have you ever wondered what happens to athletes who are caught using steroids? It makes the news, the athlete is criticized by the world, but what punishments do they actually receive? Rafael Palmeiro, a baseball great, was given a ten-day suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. What kind of example are we setting for our young athletes? Pete Rose made a mistake by gambling on baseball and he was given a lifetime suspension and a ban from the baseball Hall of Fame (Jordan, 2006). This gives the impression that steroid use is not necessarily a big deal. Who cares about a ten-day suspension? You still get to continue playing with your team and still have an opportunity to “earn” your way into the Hall of Fame. We need to have stronger punishments for athletes caught using performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs are bad for the body, for the team, and for the family. Performance-enhancing drug use has extreme negative effects on the body. Many common side effects and psychological symptoms occur from their use. Just a few of the side effects include: liver tumors, kidney tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, hypertension, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), decreases in HDL (good cholesterol), severe acne, trembling, enlarged facial bones, nausea, vomiting, bone pain, and muscle cramps. Psychological effects include, but are not limited to, depression, irritability, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, lack of interest or energy for everyday life, aggressiveness...
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...From the 1968 Olympics where Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during the National Anthem in solidarity with black people to Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the anthem in the past year or two, protesting in sports has always been around. The anthem is a very sensitive topic to debate on and although some people may say that not standing for the anthem is disrespectful to our veterans, the athletes are exercising their rights that are protected under the first Amendment Colin Kaepernick and the other athletes taking the knee are not being disrespectful, they are just standing up for what they believe in. There is a deeper meaning behind their controversial message. "I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color... To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." (Colin). Kaepernick is using his platform to make a change. His protest is incredibly important especially in light of recent events in this country. It is important for this message to be heard...
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...Chisholm Men are dogs and women are cats. Women are from Venus and men are from Mars. Writers, filmmakers, psychologists, and advertisers all have used the idea that men and women are different to develop stories, create conflict, and provide persuasive imagery. Not only do advertisers view men and women differently, but men and women also bring different perspectives to advertising. Thus, we can assume that men and women create dif-ferent meanings from the advertisements they see. Gender roles in our society have changed dramatically since the 1950s, and portrayals of men and women in advertising have been researched since nearly the same time. Researchers have consistently sought to evaluate these roles to examine whether advertising has kept up with societal changes. In this chapter, we examine the different ways men and women view advertising and mes-sages, as well as some of the ways that advertising portrays gender roles today. The last several decades have seen changes in the role of women in society, both as those who earn money and those who spend money. In 1940, women comprised about 20% of the workforce in the United States, while today that percentage reaches 50% (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000). In addition, the family structure in the United States has changed: smaller proportions of two-parent families and larger numbers of single parents were characteristic of the family structure toward the end of the 20th century (U.S. Depart-ment of Labor, 2000), and that...
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...Portrayed in the Media – Steroids in Athletics: Good or Bad? Every major sport in the world today has at least one thing in common: the athletes that play them will do almost anything to win. From cycling and snowboarding to the NFL and MLB, athletes have done whatever they had to over the years to win at any cost. It’s a pressure placed on them from the owners that pay them to the fans the pay to see them. Some feel that an athlete should be free to make the choices they want to make, as long as it’s safe and doesn’t hurt anyone else. In a society that strives for perfection, the use of anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs (from here on out known as P.E.D’s) has become common place. The uses of the enhancers and those that use them have been vilified over the years by the media and the watchdog groups that say that these things are “bad” and shouldn’t be allowed. On one side we have the athletes themselves that make these decisions knowing that they have to live with the results (good and bad) for the rest of their lives. On the other, we have the media, the pundits, and the critics who basically think the games are being ruined and the athletes are doing more harm than good by taking them. The controversy itself is not new. PED’s have been used since as early as the 1800’s. In the beginning they were used as a way for athletes to gain an edge over their competition in the Olympics. The PED’s themselves were first introduced here in America in the 50’s by a Dr....
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...typically begins when someone in the university finds an opportunity to make money.” The first few chapters of the book discuss the history of universities who have pursued making a profit whether from athletics, education or scientific research. As the shaping of higher education moved from quaint campuses to large universities with beautiful landscapes, stately buildings, and scientific advances, new opportunities to make money appeared. Bok submits that there are numerous elements as the roots of commercialization. University presidents account for and are responsible for the growth of corporate activity. Faced with board members and alumni excited about taking their athletic teams to bowl games, administrators felt pressured to hire professional coaches and have paid recruiters. On page 5, the author states that “several scholars have attributed the recent growth of money making activity to a lack of purpose in the university.” Institutions today have lost sight of a clear mission, what the university is, and who controls it....
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...during the 2000 Olympic Games where she won three Gold Medals and two Bronze Medals. She was later sentenced to six months in prison for lying to the court and stripped off of all of her medals. Throughout history, there have been many stories of athletes using performance enhancing drugs, but none more than in the last 20 years. As technology advances in science as well as the media, more drugs has been engineer to enhance performance as well as the test to detect such drugs, as the results get to the hands of the media, the entire world would be at noticed in a manner of minutes. The fact is that performance enhancing drugs have existed since the time of the ancient Greek during the original Olympic Games from 776 BC – 393 BC. The question is why should we care? If most athletes are using it, is it a plain level field? And why is the government involved? Should the government be involved? Let’s examine the issue and conclude what should be the ethical choice. I will first begin asking why do athletes choose to use performance enhancing drugs. The obvious answer would be to gain an advantage on the competition, which is the selfish reason. But why not, Should we be looking after ourselves? An egoist approach to this issue, if the athlete can take a drug that makes them better...
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...“The NFL’s Willful Ignorance” Question: To what extent should football players be held to a higher standard of accountability than the average person? Should criminal acts on the part of player be punished by the NFL as well as by state? If so, what is adequate punishment for a player who violently abuses their mate? Does gender or sexual orientation play a role in your decision? Under what condition is it appropriate for someone to lose access to their profession? Facts -"The league has consistently turned a blind eye to blows sustained by women at the hands of many NFL players over the last two decades" (Benedict, 1). -"The NFL is in dire need of male leadership when it comes to violence against women" (Benedict, 2). -"The sad fact is that the most memorable hit of the 2014 NFL season will end up being one in which a player knocked out a woman in an elevator" (Benedict, 2). -"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello infamously told the Washington Post: "We're not the criminal justice system. We can't cure every ill in society, You know, we're putting on football games. And unless it impacts the business, we have to be very careful about the disciplinary action we take. A player has rights too."" (Benedict, 2). -"The bottom line is that NFL players aren't like men in the general population, especially in the eyes of children. Rather, NFL players are seen as action heroes who epitomize strength, athleticism and toughness. That’s why so many kids emulate them." (Benedict, 2). -"The...
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...If you are an avid sports fan and there is a chance to make superstar athletes whom you admire much faster, stronger and better, would you be in favor of that opportunity? Performance enhancing drugs have been a very controversial topic ever since American professional athletes introduced them into the sports world during the 1990’s. Many athletes have experimented with these drugs over their careers and have been tested, and ultimately caught, but does this really put the MLB in the direction they and the fans want? Although some researchers and critics may consider performance enhancing drugs a method of cheating, PEDs actually benefit professional leagues by increasing fan interest, revenue, and levels of play. If performance enhancing...
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...Media Influence On Sport When communication is spread not just between two individuals but rather between tens of millions of people it is known as mass media. Mass media is known as the central nervous system of society. "Mass media has many different purposes, such as providing information, entertaining, persuading and also by carrying a vague general function of culture to millions of people."(Frederick 18). In order for mass media to exist, there must be an audience. Today's society is very selective; each receiver reacts differently through his or her own experience and orientation according to mass media. Therefore, mass media exists in many different forms such as magazines, television, newspapers, internet, motion pictures, and even plays. Some examples of these forms of mass media are cosmopolitan magazine for young modern women and TSN television network for sports fans. With such extreme varieties of mass media existing in today's societies there are three major constraints that seem to have an impressionable impact. These constraints can keep mass media very restricted. The major constraint of mass media is competition. Each form of mass media wants to be the one to target the audience, so therefore competition between mass media is very strong, because capturing the inside of the sports world is critical. Apart from the competition among the various forms of media there is also competition among each form of the media example Fox network competes...
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