Film Viewing/Discussion: Chariots of Fire.

Readings:

Lauren Grodstein, “The Met in The Mirror,” from Amazon Shorts. 2005.

Rick Reilly, “It Isn’t Just a Game,” Sports Illustrated, 12 November 2007, 86.

Reading: Kathryn Jay, More Than Just a Game: Sports in American Life Since 1945 , pp. 1-112. Submit two questions or topics for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m.

Chariots of Fire review due no later than beginning of class.

Reading: Kathryn Jay, More Than Just a Game: Sports in American Life Since 1945 , pp. 113-242. Submit two questions or topics for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m.

Film Review #1 due no later than beginning of class.

If possible, please support the Think Pink program sponsored by the women’s and men’s basketball teams at their games tonight against Stockton ; the program raises money for breast cancer research.

No class. It would be wise to start reading the materials for March 5th and 12th.

Journal #1 due by 4:00 p.m. You can submit it via the Sakai drop box or give it to Ms. Strasser in my office (3 rd floor, Armitage Hall).

Field trip to New Brunswick to see Rutgers v. DePaul women’s basketball at the RAC and to meet with Rutgers New Brunswick athletic director Robert Mulcahy. Since this excursion is scheduled at the same time as class, you are expected to participate. Transportation will be provided—details to follow in class.

Film Review #2 due no later than 4:00 p.m.

It would be wise to continue reading the materials for March 5th and 12th.

College Athletics and the NCAA – part 1.

Readings:

* Note that half the class will read Zimbalist and the other half will read Bowen and Levin.

Andrew Zimbalist, Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports ( Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2001), ix-53, 90-124.

William G. Bowen and Sarah A. Levin, Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values ( Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2003), 43-144.

Articles about Athletics and Academics (see Sakai site):

Libby Sander, “Faculty Members Discuss What Role They Should Play in Academics,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 26 October 2007.

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, Executive Summary: Faculty Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics Survey, October 2007.

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, “A Call to Action: Ten Years Later.”

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, “A Call to Action: A Call to Action.”

“Confessions of a Spoilsport, InsideHigherEd.Com, 27 August 2007.

“Creating a Ruckus at Rutgers (Again),” InsideHigherEd.Com, 21 November 2007.

NCAA 2007-08 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

As you read, focus on the issues surrounding college athletics. Submit two questions or topics related to those issues for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m.

College Athletics and the NCAA – part 2.

Readings:

* Note that half the class will read Zimbalist and the other half will read Bowen and Levin.

Andrew Zimbalist, Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports ( Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2001), 173-206.

William G. Bowen and Sarah A. Levin, Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values ( Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2003), 262-331.

Kelli Anderson, “A Pillar of Strength,” Sports Illustrated, 14 November 2007.

Articles about Division III Athletics (see Sakai site):

NCAA, 2007-2008 NCAA Division III Manual

Libby Sander, “New Study Tracks and Compares Academic Performance of Division III Students and Athletes,” Chronicle of Higher Education , 5 December 2007.

“About the College Sports Project.”

College Sports Project, “Athletics and the Academy.”

Eugene M. Tobin, “The Integration of Academic and Athletic Values: Where Do We Go From Here,” NCAA Presidents Breakfast Remarks, 7 January 2007.

Articles about College Athletics (see Sakai site):

Brad Wolverton, “A Preseason Crash Course,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 August 2007.

Brad Wolverton, “The Athletics Department of the Future,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 July 2007.

Sara Lipka, “A New Voice Enlivens the NCAA,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 September 2007.

As you read, focus on the solutions proposed to perceived problems with college athletics as well as the issues specific to Division III Athletics. Submit two questions or topics related to those issues for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m.

Film Review #3 due no later than beginning of class.

Develop criteria for March Madness Analysis.

Readings:

Madeleine Blais, In These Girls: Hope Is a Muscle (New York: Warner Books, 1995). Submit two questions or topics for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m. Your questions/topics may also address issues related to Title IX.

Discussion of Title IX.

Articles about Title IX (see Sakai site):

Mechelle Voepel, “Happy anniversary Title IX . . . but we’ve got a lot more to do,” ESPN.com, 22 June 2007.

Welch Suggs, “Counting Ponytails,” InsideHigherEd.Com, 19 July 2007.

Sara Lipka and Brad Wolverton, “Title IX Enforcement Called ‘Deeply Troubling’,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 June 2007.

“What Are the Biggest Challenges Facing Gender Equity,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 June 2007.

Reading: H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream (New York: Da Capo Press, 1990). We may also view the film in class. Submit two questions or topics for our discussion by email to Dr. Rosoff by 10:00 a.m.

Athletics and Popular Culture: We will use the exhibits you prepare for the Museum of Sports and Society as the basis for our discussion of the relationship between sports and popular culture.

Museum of Sports and Society assignment due no later than the beginning of class.

Sports and Film: We will use the analyses you have done of several films about sports to draw some conclusions about how sports and athletes are portrayed in film.

March Madness Analysis assignment due no later than the beginning of class.

Sports and the Media – part 1. We will use your advertising analysis as the basis of our discussion. If possible, bring examples of the print advertisements you analyzed with you to class.

Advertising Analysis assignment due no later than the beginning of class.

Sports and the Media – part 2. We will use your examination of sports and the internet as the basis of our discussion.

Sports, Social Networks, and the Internet assignment due no later than the beginning of class.

Journal #3 due no later than 12:00 noon.

Important information:

• Objectives
• Expectations
• Office Hours
• Schedule
• Due Dates
• Assignments and Grading
• Guidelines for Assignments
• Texts
• Useful links
• Syllabus adjustment

This course will examine the many roles played by sports in American popular culture.  We will examine the impact of sports from multiple perspectives, with particular emphasis on the role played by various media in shaping our perceptions of athletes and the activities in which they engage.  Sports have played a vital role in American culture, especially in the last one hundred years.  In many ways, a close examination of sports provides a useful window into the experience of many groups of people.  Events in the wide world of sports can have a meaning far beyond the score of a particular game.  This course will examine the nature of various sports and their role in American society from historical and contemporary perspectives.  We will consider the relationship between sports and such issues as gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, nationalism, and the role of the media as we consider the relationship between sport and popular culture in the United States.

Useful links:

ESPN

NCAA -- see the Double-A Zone blog, the championships site, and the NCAA Champion magazine site as well.

Sports Illustrated

Due Dates

Class Assignments and Grading:

You will be graded on several written assignments over the course of the semester as well as on the quality of your contributions to our class discussions. Please note that this class enables you to fill the “writing intensive” general education requirement (W course); thus, you will be expected to treat the written assignments with great care. Throughout the semester, as noted on the schedule, you are expected to submit questions or topics for discussion prior to our class meeting. Please be aware that your contribution to our discussions is essential and expected, as is class attendance.

Missing more than one class (unless excused) will certainly affect your performance in the class and will lead to a lower grade than you would otherwise receive; you should of course see me if extraordinary circumstances arise.

All assignments should be typed or word-processed, using the twelve point size of a standard font. Be sure that you double space and that your margins are of a standard size. Assignments are expected on time; ten percent of the grade will be deducted for each day they are late. I remind you gently of the folly of waiting to the last minute to complete assignments. Assignments that are due on days when our class meets should be turned in at the beginning of class or dropped in the Sakai drop box (no later than the beginning of class);  assignments due on non-class days may be dropped in the Sakai drop box or brought to my office.

The assignments, together with their due dates and value, are listed above. Details about each of the assignments can be found below. Your grade for the semester will be based on the percentage of points you earn of the total possible.

Many of your own assignments will be essays, rather than research projects. Nonetheless, you must be sure to cite carefully all sources of information, using a standard format. If you need help knowing what or how to cite, please ask me or one of the reference librarians for help or visit the Learning Center. You can also consult a style manual such as the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or Student's Guide for Writing College Papers, both of which are commonly available. Please be aware of what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. The University defines plagiarism as “the representation of the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise.” Be sure to become familiar with our campus Academic Integrity Policy.

Guidelines for Specific Assignments:

Assignments are due no later than the beginning of class, unless otherwise specified. They can be turned in in person or submitted to the Sakai drop box.

Journal -- Each week write one or two entries (for a total of three typed pages per week) that contain your observations about sports and society (historical and/or contemporary).  Your entries might stem from our class discussions or readings, but could also come from your own interests.  From time to time, I may ask you to address a particular subject in your journal.  Be sure to make regular entries throughout the course of the semester.  Your journal will have a total of fifteen entries and will be due in three increments during the semester (20 February, 26 March, and 9 May).

You might address some of the following questions – these are purely optional: What does it mean to be a fan? What role do sports play in contemporary American culture (and why)? What was your worst moment in sports (as an athlete or a spectator) – what, if any, lessons can be learned from this moment?

Chariots of Fire review -- Write a two page review and analysis of Chariots of Fire, in which you our twinned themes of heroism and heartbreak as expressed in the film. What is heroic about these athletes and their stories? Who are the heroes in this film? Why?

Film Reviews – Select any two films from the list below and write a five page essay in which you describe the story of each film, compare the two films to one another (make your selections so that you can compare the films), and connect both films with the themes of the course. In addition, consider with which character(s) you most identify and what and discuss what elements of heroism and heartbreak can be found in the films?

You will complete three of these comparisons over the course of the semester; they are due on 13 February, 27 February, and 12 March.

Films (listed in no particular order):*

Bend It Like Beckham

Bull Durham

Miracle

A League of Their Own

Field of Dream

Remember the Titans

Hoosiers

Rudy

Hoop Dreams

Cinderella Man

*If you wish to suggest another film, you may do so in advance, subject to approval.

Museum of Sports and Society – For our museum, you will need to contribute four exhibits, each of which shows the place of sports in popular culture. You may provide an contemporary and/or historical perspective. Select an item that is meaningful to you and that would tell someone touring our museum something about sports and popular culture. For each item, write a museum label that shows:

• what the item is
• any information about it and its origin
• a paragraph that explains how this object connects sports and popular culture.

Your finished product will consist of a large image of your object (the image should fill as much of an 8 ½ x 11 inch piece of paper as possible) and the museum label for each of your four objects.

March Madness Analysis – Watch at least five games from the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball championships, known as March Madness.  You must watch at least two games from each tournament.  Analyze what you have viewed in light of the criteria we develop in class (on March 26th).  You should also briefly compare broadcast coverage with that which appears in print or on the internet.  Your written analysis should be five to six pages.

Advertising Analysis – Find ten advertisements that feature sports in some way; at least three must be print advertisements. Write a four to five page essay analyzing the intersection of advertising and sports, using the following questions as a guide:

• At whom are the ads aimed? What is the goal of pitching to these audiences?
• What is being sold?
• What can we learn about sports and contemporary society from these advertisements?

Sports, Social Networks and the Internet –

Part 1:Examine at least two internet sites devoted to the coverage of sports-they should be general sites rather than being league or sport specific. Describe what stories are being covered and how much space they get relative to one another.  How is the information presented?  Which of the aspects of sports that we are considering this semester (see the beginning of the syllabus if you are not sure what they are) are addressed?  How?  What do these sites do to make themselves appealing or interesting? (2-3 pp.)

Part 2: Use YouTube, MySpace, and/or Facebook to find ten sites related to sports; if there are other social networking sites with which you are familiar, you may use them in addition to the three listed above. What messages about sports and their place in popular culture are conveyed through these sites? How do these media differ from more traditional sources of information about sports? (2-3 pp.)

Discuss your findings in a five to six page essay and be prepared to discuss your findings in class.