Class Conclusion

This year in class I learned a lot more than I expected. I enjoyed the class a lot most importantly I learned that the dynamics have a major impact globally. Sports icons such as Micheal Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Rodger Federer are essential variables in the industry through things such as marketing and globalization. My enjoyment really inserted when I learned about different venues and branches of sports such as the Olympics and its effects on the entire world. I see sport globalization opening more opportunities for economic variables such as the job industry.Jeff Meeson had a major impact on the class upon his visitation because he exposed me to more jobs that existed in the sports industry, that I was totally oblivious to. I see globalization as the future to the evolving of women sports such as softball, golf, tennis, and maybe women's football. I feel that women have the opportunity to make their mark in sports, and this is previously unseen. The revenue of sports is changing the ways of life. Sports figures are becoming more and more iconic to the people of the world. This industry has the possibility to change the world. Here is a thing (sport) that can cause every emotion available to rear its head. That along with the insertion of economics can stretch across boarders. I am very thankful for the chance to take a class as this.

A Woman Head Football Coach

Since I've been taking a clear stance against a woman head football coach, I will now argue that I women can coach football if giving the opportunity. We all know to be good coach in football you did not have to play football at point in your life. There are several coaches who never played on a high level such as Charlie Weis, Mike Leach, and Todd Haley. There are coaches who never played in the NFL but were and still are great NFL coaches such as Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan. For a woman to become a head coach for a football team she would have to start a lower level then build her creditably. For example start as a high school assistant to learn the game and the experience of working with young men in football. To be a successful coach a woman would to learn the game inside and out, she will have to know more than the average man football coach because she has to stand out. I feel that is the key component to women becoming football coaches is their IQ of the game. Next it takes a school to give a woman a chance as a head coach on the high school level and for the parents, players, and the whole school to fully support and respect her. Last the success of the program must be high the team has to win. If the team wins the coach looks good and if a woman is the head coach of a highly successful team it would open the door to more opportunities. I wish one day the world of sports would practice equality more, honestly we are still fighting the battle of increasing the number of minority head coaches in the NFL and NCAA. 

Scot Hollonbeck

Scot Hollonbeck's story is very interesting and motivational to me as an athlete. Scot Hollonbeck was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike at the age of 14. I look up to Scot as a person because he was able to take a situation that was bad and make the most out of it. After the accident Scot made a choice that he will still be a great athlete regardless of his disability. Scot Hollonbeck won a gold medal in the 1992 Paralympic Games in the 800 m showing that he can be great. I feel the Paralympics should be marketed better and the athletes should get more credit for what they do because their stories are very inspirational. Every athlete could learn from Scot Hollonbeck and other disable athletes, being an athlete is hard and takes a lot of work, dedication, and time. It is easy to give up sometimes but the great athletes have the will to keep going and keep pushing. Scot Hollonbeck exemplifies hard work and dedication. In high school I played against a kid in football that was deaf and he wasn't the fastest, biggest, strongest, but he was the most respected. I respect what he did because if I was in his situation I don't know if I would continue to play football. Athletes with disabilities have something to prove every time they compete and that is the reason why I respect them so much.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is one the most known names in sport history, and arguably the best NBA player to ever live. Michael Jordan has connected the world in more ways than sports. For example Nike Air Jordans are sold all over the world and still highly popular although Jordan retired in 1998. In class we discussed the words that come to mind when we here Michael Jordan's name I believe the one thing that wasn't said was innovative. Michael Jordan changed the sport industry and open the doors for athletes to have endorsements and shoe deals. Michael Jordan took his name and made it a brand that all people loved and respected. Globally Michael Jordan had fans all over the world, during the Olympics people came from all over to see Michael Jordan and the Dream Team play. Michael Jordan enhanced globalization by being a great player, person, and business man. The NBA gained global fans because of how successful Michael Jordan was and his image across the media. I believe Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time and the legacy that he left will be hard to match. I look at Michael Jordan as a role model that all athletes could follow on and off the court.

Rugby

After the class discussion on Rugby I have become a Rugby fan. I think I like it so much because it is like American football in many ways but it is still different. Rugby is a sport that is played all over the world, popular in a lot of places but not so popular in U.S. Sport globalization class has made me realize that the sports that are popular in other areas of the world are not popular in the U.S. such as soccer and rugby. The reason I believe the global sports are not popular in the U.S is because we are totally ethnocentric. In the U.S we believe that football, basketball, and baseball are at the center of the sport world. In reality, there are many other sports which are close to, if not just as popular as "American sports".  What I've learned so far this semester is that global sports are important because they are a means to establishing a connection between the U.S. and other countries.  It is evident that sports can be used to bring countries and ethnicity closer and closer together.  If we can find a way to embrace sports such as soccer and rugby in the U.S., this may help to establish a sense of "togetherness" which may help in other aspects as well.

Jeff Meeson "Octagon"

I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear Mr. Meeson's presentation about Octagon. From the presentation I learned how big global sports are and how the sports world is way bigger than the traditional sports here in the U.S. As a student approaching graduation this is important to me because I have been enlighten that globalization is the future of sports. What I like most about the presentation was the group activity. Mr. Meeson allowed the class to get a real life experience on what he does at Octagon.  In class we discussed the positives in globalization and one of the positives that Mr. Meeson explained was the growing of careers in the global sport industry. I see that globalization is important not only for connection and unity but also for the economy. The presentation opened my interest in pursuing a career with a sport agency. I think I would be prosperous in a career in globalizing the great world of sports.

1999 Women's World Cup

In class we discussed how the 1999 Women's World Cup made a mark in history for women in sport. I feel that this mark is just a small view for where women sport could go if it was promoted correctly. Take a look back in history the WNBA is still fairly new with the first game played in 1997. When the was NBA founded in 1946 no one had a clue that one day it would be a WNBA. As times change the sport world changes and different sports become popular. The reasons I feel that the 1999 Women's World Cup was so huge was because the U.S were competing, and it was in the U.S. The success of a team plays a huge role of people tuning in and following that team. For example I play football for BGSU when we win more fans come to the games but when we have a hard year a lot fans stop supporting.The video we watched in class showed how sex sells for women in sport and agree that this should be used as a marketing tool for women sports. The key is to draw people to the sport no matter the reason why they watch the sport, they key is their watching it. Women are beautiful and displaying their beauty while also displaying great athletic ability is a great for women sports. Brandi Chastain took some heat for removing her shirt but I feel because she did that awareness of the sport grew. Brandi Chastain showed that women have emotions on the field like men and it should be acceptable to display it, the removal of her shirt is one of the main events that people remember from that game. I would love to see all women sports just as successful as men sports it would open up more opportunity for every one in the sport world.

Dr. Cho's Globalization V. Glocalization..

Listening to Dr. Cho gave me the opportunity to learn some interesting things about South Korea's culture and history. Before Dr. Cho's presentation I thought that Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese people were similar but Dr. Cho explained that they are very different with different views and history. Dr. Cho explained that South Korea has strong ties to Turkey and was colonized by Japan in 1910 until 1945. The things that Dr. Cho had to endure while he was in college allows me to appreciate being an American. The way Dr. Cho was exposed to American football allows me to believe that if in America soccer was exposed to us more than we would become fans like the rest of the world. In America it's all about the new fad especially with the my generation people follow the new cool thing. I believe that tools like social networks and technology could enhance our views about soccer if it was promoted to be cool and popular. What I found the most interesting about Dr. Cho's presentation was the "Street Cheering" event in 2002 when South Korea was in the World Cup. The way the people of South Korea came together and unified for the this special event was great. I really don't see Americans coming together like this for a sporting event. What I took from South Korea's Street Cheering event is that sports could bring people together better than any other event and that is the main reason why sports are the best!

Sport Life

In the inner city extra- curriculum activities are needed just as much as schools are needed. I know from personal experience that being involved in sports save kids and teenagers lives. As a young man growing up in Chicago it is easy to get in trouble and be influenced by the wrong things. One thing that helps to overcome trouble is to be involved in sports. To be a committed athlete takes practice and a lot of hours of hard work and dedication. The more time put into a sport the less time kids have the opportunity to get into trouble. Sports are also needed for health reason, technology has made it easy for people to sit in the house and not be active. With involvement in sports it allows kids live a healthy life but also enhance the kid socially. The more sports in the world the better.

Just A Little About Me

My name is Steven Otis Dunlap Jr. I am from Chicago, Illinois the South Side to be exact and I love sports. Although I am not a huge fan of all global sports over the years I have become more interested in global sports mainly because of events like the Olympics and the World Cup. My main sport interest is American football. I’ve played the game since the age 7 and I’ve been blessed to play on the collegiate for BGSU. The Chicago Bears are my favorite NFL team and the Falcons are my favorite college team, those two teams will be my favorite for life. In a city like Chicago sports keep kids and teenagers busy and out of trouble. Growing up I was not only involved in football but baseball, track, and boxing. Over the years football became my true love so I had a strong focused on that although I still was involved in baseball, track, and boxing through my last year of high school. I feel playing several sports as kid enhances your ability because each sport helps each other and forms the player into an elite athlete. As spectator I love to watch basketball, boxing, and Olympic events. I enjoy Men’s and Women’s college basketball also the WNBA and NBA. Although the style of play is different between Men’s and Women’s basketball I watch them both for their differences. Boxing is my second favorite sport behind football, and Floyd Mayweather is my favorite active boxer Mike Tyson is my favorite all time boxer. I enjoy these two boxers because of the will and fire that they perform with.  Tyson and Mayweather fight to win and dominate their opponent, and that is the way I was taught to play sports. For global sports I would love to see Usain Bolt compete in the 100 yard dash, to see his speed with my own eyes would be amazing. Taking this class I expect for my interest in global sports to rise and learn new things about how sports are ran in other countries. I would like to learn how players are scouted in other countries to come play in the U.S.