Sports Culture

Sports have always had an incredible potential for representing the diversity and character of American culture while overcoming injustice, intolerance and stereotypes. But the sports industry often suppresses this hope and hides many of the societal problems that it has helped to create.

Sadly, it is only when social concerns can be exploited to produce a profit that the sports industry gives notice. The use of celebrity culture to deny societal evils has become a popular strategy throughout the industry. This tactic is used by everyone from the marketers of sports apparel, to many sportswriters and columnists in an effort to play down social issues linked to sports such as racism, sexism, homophobia, corruption, use of dangerous sports supplements and even human rights abuses.

An opportunity exists in today's environment where those in power in the sports world have the means to help shed light on many areas of social injustice related and unrelated to sports. Instead, the majority of decision-makers in the sports industry choose values such as expanded revenue-generation, corporate greed, and corruption of America's youth as its contribution to society.

While we often think of the sports industry as an untouchable entity, detached from social problems and political wrongdoing and therefore outside the realm of everyday citizen concern, this is far from the case. The power and arrogance that the sports establishment has inflicted on society can no longer be ignored.

The benefits to society that sports can provide, and the life lessons they can teach to our youth, are undeniable. But the excesses of the sports business have taken control of the games and undermined the benefits. Now sports teaches us with an entirely different set of values, based on money, marketing, commercialism, greed and profit.

Some may say that the excesses of sports today merely reflect the greed and overreaching of our society. Although this may be true for those who try to control other aspects of our culture, it certainly does not justify the sports industry's belief that their actions are free of consequences. It should not be their right to threaten cities, capitalize on third-world sweatshop labor, promote unregulated sports supplements, exploit college, high school and junior-high athletes, or demand corporate welfare from taxpayers. Yet, we are operating under a system that allows the profiteers in control of the sports enterprise to do all of this while asking no questions as to why they refuse more responsible social ideals.

Attention must be brought to the often ignored social abuses of the sports industry while demanding that they act in a more socially responsible way. The emphasis on profit should take a backseat to the benefits of sports. We have to reclaim our sports from the corporate culture that has stolen them, and encourage the cooperative capacities that make the sports industry capable of helping, not just dominating, our society and culture.

A few examples regarding problems in sports culture:

Exploitation of college, high school and junior-high athletes:

The current system of college, professional, and corporate recruiting of young athletes must change, especially in basketball. From the loss of recruiting ethics by college coaches, to the sports apparel companies' exploitation of young athletes in their search for the "next Michael Jordan." And from the corruption surrounding AAU and other corporate sponsored summer camps, to colleges, high schools and junior-highs selling out their students for a multinational corporation's shoe contract, the recruiting and sponsorship system needs a complete overhaul.

Health and safety of athletes:

An extremely important aspect of athletics and responsibility of everyone involved in the sports industry is the promotion of health and safety of athletes, whether professional, amateur or youth. This includes proper equipment for protection, safe playing surfaces, proper instruction of technique, weight room safety, fitness, and education of the potential dangers of dietary sports supplements and performance enhancing drugs.

Regarding youths, the sports industry, parents and coaches should do a better job of contributing to the development of young athletes by educating and promoting health and safety awareness in sports. This is extremely valuable to the young athletes themselves, as well as to the parents and coaches. There is far too much emotional and physical abuse surrounding youth sports, and injuries that could have easily been avoided had preventative measures been taken. The sports industry has a public service responsibility to help but up to this point, they would much rather market to young athletes than advocate for their health and safety.

Lack of sports opportunities for youths:

Youth sports can improve self-confidence, increase strength, promote teamwork, and build character, but opportunities for kids are frequently unavailable. We all have a responsibility to make sure that if a child wants to participate in a sport, the possibility is readily accessible. It should be the obligation of the sports industry to get involved in the community and be an active contributor to youth sports, not for advertising purposes, but for the benefit of young athletes and their communities.

Inadequate opportunities for women in sports:

The passage in 1972 of Title IX gave women more equal footing in college athletics on the field and court, but their challenges extend far beyond what that law mandates. Professional and college women's teams are not funded nearly as well as men's teams of the same sports. This inequity denies women an equal opportunity to benefit from sports.

The sports industry, as a whole, has done a poor job of accepting women on an equal plain with men. Even after the addition of the new women's professional leagues, only about five percent of televised sports include women's events where young female athletes can look towards role models to follow their sporting dreams.

Some women are discouraged from playing and excelling in athletics for fear of homophobic stereotypes described as the reason for their athletic achievements. And the dreadfully low salaries paid to most women's professional athletes certainly isn't encouraging in comparison with their male counterparts. Women have made incredible strides in the sports world, and the sports industry should be encouraged to work towards better equality in all areas of sports.

No attention given to the problem of homophobia in sports:

Sexual preference should have no bearing on any sport. The sports world remains one of the most hostile places for homosexuals, driving off gay and lesbian athletes and forcing those who do stick around to go to great extremes to disguise their orientation. The sports industry must help in creating a safe and acceptable environment for gay and lesbian professional and amateur athletes to come out if they so choose.

Currently, there are no gay athletes that are out in the major men's team sports, and only a handful in individual sports for young, gay student-athletes to have as role models. In recent years, gay and lesbian entertainers, politicians and business leaders have increasingly come out of the closet. But as society becomes more tolerant and less ignorant about homosexuality, the sports industry works to keep gays on the outside, choosing to reinforce the stereotypes and misconceptions that trigger the discrimination and hatred of gays and lesbians.

Outrageous or criminal conduct of players, coaches etc. on and off the field:

The major professional sports leagues, the NCAA, and the individual teams or schools must be willing to draw a line and administer harsher penalties against players, coaches, management, etc. for violent or criminal behavior both on and off the playing field. For some reason many of these people don't understand that they aren't, or shouldn't be, above the law. Whether its using their fame, their money, or their physical strength and power to take advantage of people, they must learn to understand that off the playing field, they are citizens just like the rest of us, and should be treated as such.

Some professional athletes really don't respect the fans or the game they play. Most any sports fan would give just about anything for the opportunity that pro athletes enjoy, yet we see them choosing not to sign autographs, choking coaches, punching umpires, spitting on fans, and demeaning peoples races, genders, and sexual preferences. How can anyone relate to high paid pro athletes that are doing these things?

Pro athletes also fail to understand that kids look up to them, and the littlest things to these players, are the biggest things to those kids. But they have become so selfish and don't give back to the community. Pro athletes need to understand that when put in the position they're in, they have a responsibility to do things like sign autographs for kids rather than sell them to the highest bidder.

Overbearing parents and coaches in dealing with children playing sports:

The inability of parents and coaches to separate their needs from those of a young athlete is an enormous problem in youth sports. The most important issue that effects kids playing sports is their emotions -- how they feel about themselves when playing sports and how that effects their performance. Parents and coaches have a habit of taking all the fun out of the sports experience for young athletes, and undermining the benefits that sports can provide. We should all promote a better understanding and respect of children's needs in athletics and realize that it's not the Super Bowl or World Series and the emphasis should not be put on winning.

Shortage of sports opportunities for athletes with disabilities:

The sports industry should be encouraged to promote and sponsor sports, fitness, recreation and leisure events for youth and adults with disabilities. Sports have always had an incredible potential to provide people with disabilities valuable and fulfilling experiences in personal growth and achievement. Unfortunately, there are far too few programs to fill this void, and inadequate attention and support from the sports industry that can certainly afford to help.

Sports apparel companies' use of overseas and domestic manufacturing sweatshops:

Sports apparel and shoe companies should finally take responsibility for the human rights abuses with which they have been involved. The rest of the sports industry must commit themselves to sweatshop free labor and worker's rights for the people and companies that make their apparel. American universities, as institutions of higher learning, certainly should not be supporting and profiting from such exploitation.

University standards should be brought in line with those of its students who demand that their school's logo is only on clothing made in decent working conditions. Professional sports leagues need to do a better job of investigating where and under what conditions their uniforms, as well as apparel sold at their events, are made and demand an end to league supported sweatshops. The sports apparel companies have thrived in exploitation and secrecy for far too long. It's time for a responsible sports industry that will commit to a higher standard of human respect and dignity.

Too little attention given to the ongoing problem of racism in sports:

Racism pervades the sports world. From professional sports to youth sports, the problem of racism is an institution that still thrives in this country. Why, then, does this horrible practice of discrimination receive so little attention from major pro sports leagues, youth sports clubs, the media, etc.? Is everyone sick of hearing about it? Do we all think that by ignoring the problem of racism in sports, it will eventually just go away?

Discriminatory stereotypes still prevail in major pro sports. Studies conclude what is obvious to everyone, that nonwhites are severely underrepresented in league management positions in every major sport, ownership positions in every major sport, and managerial or head coaching positions in every major sport. In addition, the more prestigious player positions requiring leadership qualities like emotional stability, responsibility and intelligence have traditionally been reserved for white players, while those requiring greater athleticism, such as speed, quickness and strength, areexpected to be nonwhite.

In another example of racism in the sports industry, "Indian" logos and nicknames create, support and maintain stereotypes of a race of people. When such cultural abuse is supported by one or many of society's institutions, it constitutes institutional racism. These logos and nicknames, along with other societal abuses and stereotypes separate, confuse, intimidate and harm Native American children and create barriers to their learning throughout their school experience.

Why are we supporting and teaching our kids this culturally abusive behavior? We will never be able to reduce the problem when everyone is learning to accept and tolerate the racism that the sports industry produces. We must advocate for the removal of these logos, and thereby strengthen the spirit of tolerance and justice in our communities, and give back to the Native American population the respect and dignity that is deserved.

Longstanding institutional racism has its roots far closer to the ground and impacts no one more than young urban women of color as they fight for the equal opportunity to participate in sports. Sports have been shown to be an extremely effective vehicle for the empowerment of girls and young women, a cause of increased graduation rates, overall higher grades and advancement into college.

In many urban areas, girls can not get access to funding for sports, access to gyms, weight training facilities and basic athletic equipment. In fact, studies have shown that about 85 percent of girls in the suburbs play youth sports compared to just 15 percent of urban girls. And, within the cities, African American girls have only one-third of the opportunities to play as white girls. Until we demand a change, and make certain that these children have the equal opportunity and access to sports, this racism will linger on, and the benefits that sports can present to these girls will continue to be denied.

Unregulated use, abuse and promotion of dangerous sports supplements:

The dietary supplement industry is out of control and completely unregulated. Without any government tests for safety, purity and scams, the promotion and use of sports supplements is extremely irresponsible and dangerous to athletes as well as the general population. Sports supplements come in many forms and usually claim to increase human growth hormone, build lean muscle mass, increase metabolism, burn fat, or boost energy.

Ever since the 1994 passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) loosened marketing, advertising and testing restrictions on any product claiming to be a dietary supplement, sales of sports supplements have flooded gyms and playing fields from professional down to junior high athletics and throughout workout and fitness facilities across the country.

The DSHEA law has led to a series of disasters involving sports supplements. Permanent physical, mental and emotional damage, addiction, even death, that must happen in droves prior to any government action concerning a supplement. The lobbying riches and clout of the dietary supplement industry, along with their financial backing of political campaigns have rendered hopeless any attempts at government insight or research.

This is a widespread problem that the sports industry has helped to create and advance. Forming a belief that chemical help can make athletes better and is needed for their survival in competition. Never mind the detrimental effects of these sports supplements because optimum performance is the ultimate and only goal. This trend must stop. Professional and amateur sports leagues must cease the promotion of these dangerous supplements. And we must demand a change in the regulatory capacities of the Food and Drug Administration so we can insure safeguards on whatever dietary supplements a drug company is peddling to the average folks who buy them.

Violent or unreasonable fan behavior:

Just as the owners and employees of a team must treat their fans with respect, sports fans must draw a line between being a fan or an abusive menace. What is meant by violent or unreasonable fan behavior? Any behavior that has the potential to cause injury to anyone, or potential to ruin for others the experience of attending a game.

This includes: (1) rowdy and vulgar behavior which has the potential to escalate into violence, (2) storming the field of play causing trampling of other fans, (3) fighting, (4) rushing into or out of a stadium or arena, (5) pushing/shoving out of hostility, (6) excessive drunkenness, (7) throwing objects onto the playing field or amongst other fans, (8) any sort of rioting or mob behavior.

As sports fans, we must help to make attending a game a good experience for all fans. Have fun, get loud, get excited, get crazy -- just don't get dangerous or belligerent. Be a fan.