WOW! I know this has nothing to do with this weeks class, but for all of you that just witnessed the last hour of the 2011 regular baseball season, it was EPIC! It was awesome to see the determination of one team (the Rays)...and for that matter the hard work ethic of the Orioles, who werent playing for a darn thing! I did not grow up as a fan of the Rays or a hater of the Red Sox (diehard Tiger), I just enjoyed watching how crazy the end of the season played out! I will definitely remember tonight for a long time, because events like these dont play out like this often! If you are totally clueless as to what Im referring to, Im sorry that you missed such a crazy time of events (watch sportscenter tomorrow)! Tonight showed that without sports, life would be boring!
And now for the real blog topic (Sorry Dr. Spencer!). This week we talked about many topics regarding soccer, specifically the 1999 Women's world cup. Since I was only 7 years old at the time of the event, I didnt remember anything too significant besides the famous Brandi Chastain's shirtless photo. However, after watching the video with (former) Sportscaster Robin Roberts, I was shocked to see such an energetic atmosphere leading up to the final game of the World Cup against China. Yeah, of course you would expect a larger crowd than normal for a home team, but I didnt realize so many people supported the U.S. Women's team at that time. After the epic win, youth (girls) particpation in soccer took off exponentially. I believe this occured because, as Americans, we want to participate in activities that we have success in. Since the U.S. Women's team has not won the title in the last 12 years, I believe the support and notoriety of the sport has decreased greatly. Then, this summer, there was a lot of talk about the Women's National Team after the memorable goal in the Brazil game. However, this was short lived due to the failure to win the world cup. I think that soccer has not taken off in this country because it is in our culture to be fans of teams/sports that dominate from year to year. Therefore, the fan base of soccer will continue to be on the down low until the U.S. Men and Women teams can show world domination.
I will talk briefly about the controversial issue that many women sport teams use sex to promote the sport. As is true in many professional female athletics, the success in terms of public interest is very minimal. Although I dont think that a nude photo of a soccer player will generate more LONG TERM fans, marketers will try different tactics to gain public interest even if it is short-lived. I would never let a child see pictures like that of Brandi's in the magazine, as it could send the wrong message about the role model. However, I believe the American view on this subject is behind the times, as many European countries would consider these type of photos as socially acceptable. Until next time...Go Tigers (and all BG Athletics :)
I agree, the the energy and support the U.S showed for the Women's soccer team was phenomenal. The Womens World Cup was still relatively new which is even more surprising. Soccer isn't perceived as a premiere sport in America and I feel the reasoning for its low popularity has a much to do with the minimal entertainment. A score of 1-2 is actually a good game but Americans will rather see constant action in sports.
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