Sports: The All-American Addiction

Sports: The All-American Addiction
ISBN-10
1604739541
ISBN-13
9781604739541
Series
Sports
Category
Sports & Recreation
Pages
265
Language
English
Published
2010-10-12
Publisher
Univ. Press of Mississippi
Author
John R. Gerdy

Description

John R. Gerdy knows sports inside-out. He has been an All-American basketball player whose college jersey was retired. He was briefly a professional player. Later he served as an associate commissioner in the NCAA's Southeastern Conference and as a legislative and ethical advisor to the NCAA and the Knight Commission. Currently he teaches courses on sports administration. Now, in Sports: The All-American Addiction, he brings his insights and observations together in a radical, critical evaluation of the impact of sports on American life. This book argues that our society's huge investment in organized sports is unjustified. Ardent boosters say that sports embody the “American Way,” developing winners by teaching lessons in sportsmanship, teamwork, and discipline. In fact, Gerdy writes, modern sports are eroding American life and undermining traditional American values essential to the well-being of the nation and its people. Like a drug, this obsession allows Americans to escape problems and ignore issues. Gerdy asks tough questions. Have sports lost their relevance? Is it just mindless entertainment? Is our enormous investment in sports as educational tools appropriate for a nation that needs graduates to compete in the information-based, global economy of the twenty-first century? Do organized sports continue to promote positive ideals? Or, do sports, in the age of television, corporate sky boxes, and sneaker deals, represent something far different? Boldly making his case, Gerdy detects five causes for alarm. A violent, win-at-all-cost mentality exists. A greater number of spectators are idly watching the few elite athletes. An athletic culture that is anti-intellectual systematically creates “dumb jocks.” While bridges, inner-cities, and schools are crumbling, tremendous sums of tax dollars vanish to wealthy owners, millionaire players, and to college athletic programs. Studies show that sports are no more effective in promoting equality than any other American institution. Can organized sports be restructured? The author concludes with a series of daring suggestions for change.

Other editions

Similar books

  • The Norton Book of Sports
    By George Plimpton

    A collection of writings on sports covers everything from baseball, to snorkeling, to race car driving, and includes stories and essays by Roger Angell, Mark Twain, W.P. Kinsella, John McPhee, Ring Lardner, James Joyce, Don Delillo, and ...

  • The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider's Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime
    By Robert Tuchman

    ... of dollars. notable Athletes: Tiger Woods Fred couples Jack nicklaus ernie els Mike Weir Retief Goosen Vijay singh ... 2345 Waukegan Road, suite 140 Bannockburn, Il 60015-1552 Toll-Free: 1-800-775-1617 Fax: (919) 481-9101 e-mail: ...

  • The Sports Book
    By DK

    The Sports Book, 4th Edition (previous ISBN: 9781405367417) is perfect for sports buffs needing an ultimate quick-reference guide or anyone keen for more information on sports, from the most common to the more obscure.

  • So, You Want to Work in Sports?: The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Sports Industry
    By Joanne Mattern

    The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Sports Industry Joanne Mattern. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, racingmuseum.org National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, nocsae.org National Press Photographers ...

  • The Economics of Sports
    By Michael A. Leeds, Peter von Allmen, Victor A. Matheson

    ... and worked his way up to become the USW's chief economist and assistant to the union's president, David J. McDonald. ... In 1965, however, I.W. Abel defeated McDonald in a hotly contested union election that centered on McDonald's ...

  • The Business of Sports
    By Kenneth L. Shropshire, Scott Rosner

    Only three Premier League teams reported an average operating surplus in excess of $ 10 million per year over the five seasons between 1993 and 1998. Of the ninety - two teams comprising the top four tiers of English soccer , only eight ...

  • On the Origins of Sports: The Early History and Original Rules of Everybody's Favorite Games
    By Neil Fine, Gary Belsky

    Written by ESPN The Magazine’s former editor-in-chief, Gary Belsky, and executive editor, Neil Fine, and filled with period-style line drawings, On the Origins of Sports is a book that sports fans and history buffs alike will treasure for ...

  • Examining Identity in Sports Media
    By Andrew C. Billings, Heather L. Hundley

    Including the work of top sports communication researchers, Examining Identity in Sports Media explores identity issues, including gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and (dis)ability, as well as the intersections within ...

  • The Secret Lives of Sports Fans: The Science of Sports Obsession
    By Eric Simons

    How do sports fans resemble political junkies, and why do we form such a strong attachment to a sports team? Journalist Eric Simons presents in-depth research in an accessible and brilliant way, sure to interest readers of Malcolm Gladwell.

  • Raw: My 100% Grade-A, Unfiltered, Inside Look at Sports
    By Colin Cowherd

    The ESPN radio show host describes scandals, rivalries, and players' lives along with his own life behind-the-scenes, revealing details of what goes on in professional sports and at the sports channel.