Cricket Discussion and Latino Baseball Players

This entry will briefly address issues talked about in the previous 2 classes: history and game play of Cricket, as well as Baseball's exploitation of Latino players.
Cricket is one of the sports that I know very little about, therefore, it was a bit overwhelming when Dr. Spencer was explaining the game play in class.  It makes me realize how hard it probably is for Wiebe (or any international visitor) to understand the game of football, with which we may think is pretty simplistic.  I thought it was very shocking to hear the Cooperstown-Doubleday Myth, which says that in the 1800's a man named Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball in Cooperstown, New York.  However, like cricket, baseball was created in England and brought over to the states.  Albert Spalding created this myth so that the U.S. could take credit for creating a major unique sport, since they had yet to do so.  Therefore, baseball became so popular because it gave Americans a sense of nationalism and pride, thinking that it was an original American sport.  I found it quite interesting that an individual would make up such a myth to that extent, and have it be believed for such a long time before historians proved it wrong!

Although, I did not attend last class, I addressed the powerpoints and had no idea that so many Latino players were given a chance at baseball in America.  My stance on this issue is both ways.  Although Latino players are given exponentially less money than American players at the time of signing, Latino's are benefitting in other ways.  They are given a slightly higher quality of living in the U.S. and are taken out of the poverty that they dealt with in Latin American countries.  However, on the flip side, I don't think it is fair that an amateur Latino baseball player with just as much skill as an American born player and puts in as much initial hard work gets paid significantly less just because of where/how they grew up.  Overall, the article/discussion opened up my eyes to an issue that I didn't know existed.  I am surprised at the amount of players that the MLB takes risks on, even though it is not a substantial amount of money (it all adds up quickly).  However, the MLB makes up for the losses by the financial success of superstars, such as Miguel Tejada who was initially acquired for a mere $2,000.

Homecoming Symposium

Last Friday, I attended the Annual Homecoming Symposium Event held by the College of Human Movement and Leisure Studies, which included numerous BGSU Sport Management Alumni Speakers.  Although I am a Junior, this was the first year that I attended the Homecoming Symposium, which made me realize exactly what I had missed the previous two years.  It is a great way to connect with former alumni because they can explain how they found the path to success in their present careers.  It feels great to know that former BGSU Sport Management Students can obtain a successful job in the industry.  The four speakers that I listened to were Matt Wilson, Sarah Clapper/Brittany M.?, Nate Janoso, and Brian Freeswick.  I will briefly explain what information I thought was helpful and that I took out of each presentation.  

Matt Wilson (Manager of Corporate Sales for the Cleveland Browns)- He talked about the process that he had to go through in order to get his dream job.  He started volunteering for the Cleveland Browns at age 20 as a Junior and did numerous duties for the organization, however, he did not initially make the cut for his dream job after graduation.  Therefore, he had to go out on a limb and leave the organization to get experience with radio sales first.  After getting the required experience, he finally obtained his dream job at age 30 (10 years after starting with the organization)!  Some takeaways that I obtained from him are always challenge yourself and set new goals in order to move higher up the ranks.  Also, its "who you know" that gets you in the door, however its "what you know" that gets you to stay.  He also advised to not squander and waste the internship opportunity as an undergrad because it gives you face time with your ideal organization.  His story proves that you may believe that you have the qualifications to get a certain job, however, you may have to go out on a limb and take chances in order to get your dream job in the long run.  He made me realize that I you can never have enough experience because it seemed like he had tons of networks and connections with the Cleveland Browns, yet still didnt initially get his ideal job.

Sarah Clapper (Current BGSU Grad Student)- She gave insight as to her current experience as a grad student at BGSU.  She feels that grad school is a good way to make more connections with people, and that you get to know your faculty/advisors on a colleague to colleague basis.  It is a way to buy time and network more if you are not prepared for a job of your interest right out of your undergrad.

Nate Janoso (Charities Director at Cleveland Indians)- He talked about how you can "Capitalize on Opportunities in Sport."  He used an acronym for S.P.O.R.T.S. that I thought was very helpful that made me realize what to focus on when trying to move up the ranks in the highly competitive sporting industry.

Skills- Communication, Customer Service, Teamwork

Preparation-Volunteer, Network, Internship

Opportunities- Take initiative to find opportunities, expose yourself, get in "many doors"

Relentlessness-Separate from competitors, exceed expectations, make yourself known, continue to learn

Traits- Passion, Hard Work, Commitment

I also talked to him after the presentation regarding his internship as an undergrad with Baseball Information/Media Relations at the Cleveland Indians.  I am interested in this area and learned about some of his job duties.  He ended with a quote that I thought summed up his presentation well, "Advancement and opportunities are not going to knock on your door, you must knock the door down."

Brian Freeswick (Works directly with Mr. Trump at NY Golf Course)- I just thought it was cool to know that a BGSU SM grad works with someone as prestigious/successful as Mr. Trump.  Some tips that I took away were: Go through every interview with conviction and confidence (look interviewee in the eye), when you give your opinion be ready to back it up, and always be yourself at work because it is difficult to act like someone else every day.

Overall, if you have not attended a Homecoming Symposium, I would REALLY encourage you to do so because it was very assuring to hear all the success stories that came out of BGSU, as well as eye opening/stressful to hear how much hard work it takes to get to their position! 

Dr. Meeks Talk about Hooliganism in European Soccer

Before Dr. Meeks came in to talk about Hooliganism, I was under the impression that it was misbehavior by fans when an outcome of a game didnt go as they had hoped.  However, I was completely wrong.  I was totally shocked to see that racism to such an evil extent occured in the 21st century.  I thought acts of racism were not present in today's society, however, as seen in the news clip, it seemed as if a major soccer event did not take place without slurs, chants, signage, and objects being thrown.  What surprised me the most is the organization and planning that occurs before events between hooligans.  I was not aware that such organizations exists in order to promote racism.  Even more surprising is that these organizations plot to just destroy cities and towns for the heck of it.  I just do not understand the point of doing such senseless and vicious acts, however, as Dr. Meeks told me, its a "way of culture" over there that is almost seen as normal in those kind of people's eyes.  Just to sum up my thoughts, I was completely unaware that these "organizations" exist and had the total wrong conception of hooliganism.  I was picturing hooliganism as mischieve in the streets after a team wins/loses a significant event.  However, it is a much more plotted out/complex and serious social issue that has hopefully been made more aware of globally in order to cease the actions.  Here is a link to show the extent of mayhem to which hooligans can create.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtOXiQToz64

U.S. Womens soccer in the 1999 World Cup (with a side of baseball)

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 :)

Dr. Cho presentation and Stereotyping

Last Thursday, Dr. Cho came to class and told his story about growing up in South Korea and the impact sports had on his life.  His presentation really opened my eyes about how I (and Americans) view other cultures and often stereotype people from different nations without even thinking about it.  I thought it was very interesting how Dr. Cho started by differentiating Koreans with other nationalities from Asia.  As Americans, we often combine Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. into one culture and way of life.  However, he made me realize that they are all infact distinct cultures and dont have as much in common as we thought.  In addition, he talked about the night/social life of Koreans and it made me realize that they are human and just as fun as Americans.

Also, Dr. Cho talked about his interest in watching and playing American football as a kid growing up in South Korea.  This interest was developed due to an American Forces Network, which was shown on TV in Soul because of the U.S. Military stationed there during that time.  I was totally unaware that the public was able to get American Military Base TV stations showing the NFL, and even more unaware that football leagues/games were even played in the Asian areas.  I believe my "un-awareness" is due to the typical stereotype that American Football is only enjoyed here in the states, and especially not in Asia. 

The third thing I want to point out from Dr. Cho's presentation is the video he showed from the World Cup that was held in South Korea.  I thought it was amazing to see that many people lined up in the streets so passionate about 1 event/sport/game.  Many Americans may believe that we are the most sports oriented country, however, this video shows us that sport fans can come together in any country and be just as passionate.  In fact, I believe Dr. Cho said that there was an estimated 3 million fans that lined the streets for the watch party during that specific world cup game.  I dont think  I have ever heard of such an event in the United States.  Bottom line that I took away from Dr. Cho's presentation is that it opened my eyes and made me realize that passionate sport fans exist around the world.

Globalization of Baseball and the World Baseball Classic

During the third week of class, there were discussion questions that dealt with the article by Klein about the World Baseball Classic and how to Globalize baseball.  The questions and my answers are as follows:

In the Klein article, they talk about “growing the game.” What does that mean? How effectively has the WBC enabled baseball to “grow the game?” How would you assess the effectiveness of the WBC compared to FIFA’s growth of soccer?

I believe Klein meant that “growing the game” means trying to make the sport more popular in nations where it is not well developed and played.  The WBC has enabled baseball to grow by letting any nation have an opportunity to be able to participate in the event. The WBC gives teams the opportunity to showcase their talents on an international stage, which will ultimately give citizens in other countries incentives to watch the sport.  I don’t think that the WBC is anywhere close to FIFA in terms of success and popularity.  FIFA has been established for much longer than the WBC, and I believe has much more support in terms of fans.  However, the WBC is gradually growing, and with the increase of exposure that the WBC gets from international media, I believe baseball has a chance at becoming just as globally popular as FIFA soccer.  

2.      At the end of the article, Klein outlines a way that you could have global competition in baseball. How well do you think that would work? What would be pros and cons of implementing international play? 

I believe it would be hard to be able to set up a schedule of competition between all the countries day after day.  Instead, I think they should do it how the LLWS does it, and just have the country winners play each other in a shortened tournament.

Pros of international play would be expanding baseball exposure to the world, and it would create a higher entertainment value since there are different styles of play throughout the world.

Cons of international play include: traveling conflicts, which would lead to shorter seasons, which would then lead to decreased revenues

3.      Based upon other sports’ efforts at globalization, what suggestions would you make to help baseball grow in the global marketplace?

In order for baseball to grow in the global marketplace, I think American (MLB) teams should go over to different countries and play.  This would spark interest in other countries.  The NFL has recently done this tactic, as they have played a few preseason (and maybe regular too) in Europe.

Super Bowl Impact on Americans vs. World

Last week during class, we were discussing how the Super Bowl has become a cultural icon in the eyes of Americans.  From the pre game anciliary events and parties to the post game celebrations,  "Super Bowl Sunday" has been referred to an unofficial national holiday.  The unique aspect that the Super Bowl brings to society that no other title game possesses is the events leading up and surrounding the nearly 3 hour match up.  Many non football fans have began to toon in because of the halftime entertainment by big time celebrities and the over hyped commercials.  This full day affair that once started as a simple title game has now evolved into a marketing icon worth millions of dollars.  However, as we found out, the Super Bowl is mainly unheard of in many countries accross seas.  According to the international student that is part of the class, in the Netherlands the game is not even spoken of or watched, except in a financial class, due to its skyrocketing revenue.  Why is one country so infatuated by one event, whereas the rest of the world is able to go on with their day to day activities without hearing a sound about a so called "Super Bowl?"  Is this event really worthy of being spoken as a holiday?  In my opinion, I believe the media has been taught to market the Super Bowl more than any other title game. Like always, society tends to follow in the media's footsteps and become equally as interested in it, whether the NFL is of their top interest in the sporting world or not.  Therefore, I dont think the majority of Americans can consider the NFL their favorite to watch, its just that we are brought up in a society where the Super Bowl is something that must be watched and participate in all the hoopla that it is marketed with.