Sports In Society

Second in our The State of Sports Media Series! Sports Illustrated did a ton to create the sports media world that we love today. They helped launch the long-form sports journalism that turned us into life long fans. But, what is their role these days as they face more and more competition? They clearly are losing out to ESPN in some areas, but where are they holding strong? What niche do they fill now? We dig into all of this as we grade them out and spend a lot of time with them this week. Further, we talk NBA playoffs, Champions League, Brooks Koepka and the world of Sports! Music: www.purple-planet.com

First in our State of Sports Media Series! First, we look into ESPN, the foremost name in sports media. We discuss where this behemoth came from and just what they mean in the market now. Then we walk through our rubric looking at how they well they compete with other outlets with regards to content, sustainability, willingness to discuss politics, etc.  Additionally, we spent a little time on Formula 1, the NBA playoffs and the joy of the Mumbai Indians.  Music: www.purple-planet.com

We are excited to share our newest podcast: The State of Sports Media We will be do a 14 week run of this new podcast before returning to our standard Sports in Society podcast. But, we hope you will subscribe to our new endeavor. We'd love you to come on this new journey with us. In this first episode, we take a moment to share some of the questions we are asking and frame the conversation. How have things changed in the last twenty years? How do we digest news now? What are some of the major trends that we are interested to explore? We are setting the stage for the next 12-14 weeks of inquiry and evaluation. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

This week, we focus on what it means to be a famous athlete and who the most famous in the world are. We parse our way through ESPN's Fame 100 list of that lays out the most famous athletes in the world via search frequency, social media following and endorsement income. We dig into the social media side of things, the massive gender imbalance and the intriguing prevalence of Indian athletes. This is a long dive into a world that we can only begin to understand. Additionally, we spend some time talking Jim Furyk, Real Madrid and March Madness. Just another week of trying to understand the sports world a little better.

This week we delve into the murky waters of how marijuana is treated by the NHL and other major sports leagues. The NHL is taking a forward looking approach that does not involve punishment. As our societal norms change, how will this stand up? How will other leagues deal with the fact that we are more accepting of weed? We also touch on F1, cricket and the state of college basketball. It was a busy week in the sports world!

This week we dive into an article about the 3 point shot in the NBA. The Rockets were the first team ever to shoot more 3s than 2s last year. But, there is a suggestion that this will be the norm before long. What does that mean for basketball? Does it make things boring? What happens when a sport is no longer recognizable from what it used to be? We also discuss cycling, baseball contracts and the shortcomings of the MLS. Enjoy!

This week we are back with an exploration of slow play in golf. This leads to a discussion of what money means for sports, whether or not athletes should be entertainers and what the role of governing body should be. In the end, we are not sure who really cares about slow play in golf. Additionally, we chat about Zion, LeBron and the joy of College Softball.

We're back! After a lengthy break, we are back with a new simplified format. Every week we will be digging into one article, event or other other noteworthy item. This week we are digging into an article about "sportswashing" and elite level soccer. How do we cope with regimes that use big time sports as an complex PR tools?  Join us every week moving forward!

Start off by begrudgingly talking about Donny boy and how he just can't stop talking about sports. Then we talk about CTE, the Tour Championship and the meaninglessness of streaks in baseball. For cricket and cycling, we touch on the significance of playing in Pakistan and a new UCI president. Our main topic for the week is what it means to be a world champion. When is it legitimate? Does it matter? Finally, we end of "I think" pieces on conferences and the baseball playoffs.

We return this week to touch on the NFL's seemingly purposeful ineptitude and the NBA trade cycle. Further, we touch on the US Open semifinals and the ridiculous idea that most golfers take risks by turning pro. Then we discuss greatness in cricket bowling and the potential for salary caps in cycling. Our main topic this week is how to understand selfishness in the context of sports. When is it good or bad? Our "I think" pieces both touch on why we shouldn't separate sports from politics.

We come back after a few weeks off to discuss the week's news, including Serena's brilliance and Aaron Rodger's interesting ESPN article. Then we move into updates on cycling and cricket. Finally, our main topic for this week is what positions matter most in sports. Further, how does this change and what does it say about what matters most to us? Finally, we share our first "I think" segments in quite awhile!

This week we start with a lengthy discussion of the news. We touch on the turmoil in Cleveland, Jordan Spieth & the British Open and Federer's amazing longevity. In both the cricket and cycling updates, we touch on how the women's sports are growing, but still struggling. Our main topic for the week is how we consume sports and the ways that things are changing. We talk about how computers and AI are going to change reporting. Further, we talk about how revenue is down for sports broadcasters and what that means for big contracts and sustainability in sports. Finally, our I think pieces touch on amateur sports and the benefits of world tours for soccer teams.

We start this week by looking into the crazy NBA summer and a bit of college basketball news as well. We also touch on the soccer transfer market and the Ronaldo vs. Messi conversation. Finally we have a few thoughts about ESPN's body issue and Sergio at Wimbledon. Then we discuss the strike of the Aussies in the cricket world and Sagan being out of the Tour de France. Our main topic today is whether we should be subsidizing sports, especially stadiums. For our "I think" pieces, we discuss the joy of amateur sports and cycling while wishing for more.

We start this week with the craziness of the NBA offseason, including what we think about Phil Jackson. Then we move on to Steph playing golf and how we might have been wrong about Bruce Arena. Finally we close out the news with a discussion of Wimbledon and the Isle of Man TT. Then we move into the cricket spin bowlers and the start of the Tour de France. Our main topic this week is how to combat the idea of winning being everything and a recognition of the importance of losing. We kept coming back to how important coaching and parenting is in the discussion. Finally our "I think" pieces touch on ESPN's asinine coverage and the beauty of moments in sports.

This week we start off with the news, as always. And this week that means: NBA draft, Sarah Spain, Rick Pitino, 3-on-3 basketball and the interesting divide between east and west coast teams. Then we discuss TDF buildup in cycling and the importance of commentary in cricket. Our main topic for the week is retirement and what it means in the sports world. This means touching on athletes that do it well and those that don't. It also means discussing what it means to give up your identity as an athlete and become a regular person. Finally, our I think pieces touch on women in coaching and why we should watch sports in person.

After a week off, we take a look at the news. This week that means talking about the NBA finals, the Champions League Final and Tiger Woods. Lastly, we pay homage to Frank Deford. Then we move into a discussion of legitimacy in cycling and cricket and where it comes from. For our main topic, … Continue reading Episode 51: Toxic Masculinity in Sports