They Say / I Blog

Field not level: Scott Martelle on NCAA and California

The NCAA is in the news again, and it’s not even March or bowl season. What’s going on? A new law in California gives student athletes the right to be paid for the use of their names and images, and the NCAA is strongly opposed to it. Veteran journalist and LA Times editorial writer Scott Martelle has a few things to say about the controversy in this October 2019 column.

Scott Martelle, "NCAA's response to California: Don't stop our exploitation"

 

Coach wears high heels: Pau Gasol on gender and the NBA

Men’s major league sports coaches are proven leaders, role models, iconic authority figures, sometimes even larger than life. And, up to now in the US, they’ve always been men, but that may be about to change. San Antonio Spurs (NBA) player Pau Gasol talks about that possibility in this May 2018 essay in the Players’ Tribune.

Gasol, “An open letter about female coaches”

Give us a twirl: Sendhil Mullainathan on sexism in sports journalism

If you follow professional tennis closely, you may get an impression that the men on the circuit are covered very differently from the women. It’s more than just an impression, though; there is empirical evidence to show just how large the disparity is. Harvard University economics professor Sendhil Mullainathan wrote this examination of the topic for The Upshot, a New York Times blog, in September 2017.

Read it here: Mullainathan, “Sexism and shopping: Female players get most of the odd questions at the U.S. Open"

 

Athletes speaking up: Joe Vardon on “sticking to sports”

Major sports figures such as NBA star LeBron James and Major League pitcher Trevor Bauer have recently spoken publicly about their respective political stances. That’s not a new phenomenon, but it has become prominent in the news lately, accompanied by debate on the appropriateness of such public expressions. NBA reporter for Cleveland.com joins the debate in this February 2017 post.

Read it here: Vardon, "Why LeBron James, Trevor Bauer shouldn’t ‘stick to sports’ in Trump era: Commentary”

Do something: Craig Calcaterra on Major League Baseball mascot images

It’s that time of year again—falling temperatures and Major League Baseball’s grand finale event, the World Series. With the Cleveland team participating, increased media attention is predictably drawn to the team’s caricature mascot. NBC Sports staff writer Craig Calcaterra wants the national organization of MLB to take a public stand on the mascot, and he presents his case in this October 2016 essay.

Read it here: Calcaterra, “It’s time for Major League Baseball to take a stand on Chief Wahoo” 

Oh, say, can we see: Zack Beauchamp on the national anthem at sporting events

What do you think of when you hear the Star-Spangled Banner? Firworks? Parades? Football? Ramparts? Recently, the silent acts of some professional athletes have led to scrutiny of the custom of playing the national anthem before major league sporting events. Journalist Zack Beauchamp explores the history of the practice in this September 2016 essay on Vox.com.

Read it here: Beauchamp, “’Kaepernick didn’t bring politics into sports. The NFL did that by playing the anthem”

Athletes, unite: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on NCAA rules

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has stood unbroken for more than 25 years. He has been an actor, an author of young adult books, and a U.S. cultural ambassador. Despite his long and distinguished career, he hasn’t forgotten his experiences as a UCLA basketball player. In this November 2014 article published in Jacobin, he criticizes NCAA rules for college athletes.

Read it here: Abdul-Jabbar, “College athletes of the world, unite”

 

Falling into the muscle gap: Sally Jenkins on women’s sports

Despite the recent media attention given to Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis, women athletes and women’s sports are usually receive second class treatment. Sports journalist Sally Jenkins explores the phenomenon in this August 2014 article in the Washington Post.

Read it here: Jenkins,  “Mo’ne Davis is out of Little League World Series and women’s sports are shoved from the spotlight”

 

The ethical spectator: Daniel Campos on World Cup fandom

When philosophy professor Daniel Campos decided to attend the World Cup in Brazil, he knew there were complications, but he didn’t expect to care so deeply. In this June 2014 essay in the New Republic, he proposes a plan for ethical fandom.

Read it here: Campos, "Towards an ethic of World Cup fandom”

 

The people’s Clippers: Bob Katz proposes a sterling solution

Sports fans can be very passionate. Many strongly identify with their favorite team; they rejoice in its victories, suffer its defeats. What fans seldom get to do, though, is make actual decisions about the team or share directly in its earnings. With ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team likely to change hands soon, author Bob Katz makes a proposal in a May 2014 issue of CityWatch LA.

Read it here: Katz, "Who should really own the LA Clippers? The answer will surprise you.”