Transcript Chapter 9 Politics and Sport

Chapter 9
Politics and Sport
SEP 271
Katie Cowan
Power Relationships
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What is power?
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“Ability to get others to do one’s will, even in
the face of opposition.”
Exercised by force, threat of force, or
extraordinary personal qualities.
Personal relationships, groups,
organizations, nation-states
What is politics?
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Power relationships
Sport & Politics Closely Intertwined
1.
Participants have allegiance to some social
organizations (community, region, nation)
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2.
Chants, slogans, clothing reaffirm organization
Examples?
Process of organization
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Teams, leagues, ruling bodies acquire powers
that are distributed unequally
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How is power distributed unequally?
Corporations have power over sports
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What have corporations done to control sports?
Corporations Control Over Sports
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TV control over sport
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Convert golf from match play to medal play
Mandatory timeouts (football, basketball, soccer)
Changed schedules to benefit selves not teams
Determined opponents for Bowl games
Other corporations (beer, soda, cars, shoes)
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Own teams (Cardinals, Canadiens)
Buy advertising time
Buy scoreboards and other equipment
Pay millions to become “official soft drink”
Have coaches under contract (shoe companies)
Sport & Politics Closely Intertwined
3.
Impact of government on sport
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Some pro sports exempt from anti-trust lawsallowing monopolies
Tax laws give special consideration to owners of
professional teams (depreciate players!)
Blackouts of televised home games have been lifted
for pro football despite protests from owners
Congress decides which organization will have
exclusive right to select and train Olympic athletes
Congress crafts legislation to exempt college sports
from taxes
Provide funding and subsidies for sport
Sport & Politics Closely Intertwined
4.
Sports events and politics have
reciprocal effects- sports as a
microcosm of society
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Wars erupted between El Salvador &
Honduras (and Gabon & Congo) after
soccer matches
Olympic boycotts during political upheaval
Sport as Propaganda
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1936 Olympics
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Hitler used Olympics to strengthen his control
over Germany and introduce Nazi culture to the
world
Success @ Olympics was proof of German
superiority (89 medals, 4x more than any other)
Success of African-American Jesse Owens
upset Hitler’s “proof” of superiority of the Arian
race
Sport as Propaganda
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Communist nations used sport to promote
their common cause
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Communist countries dominated the Olympics
even though they only had 10% of athletes
Success of East Germany
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Smaller population than California, but it consistently
ranked in top 3 nations in total medals and
outperformed US and Soviet on per capita basis
Age 7- children tested and enrolled in special schools,
received special training, medical & coaching expertise
Demonstrated competition with West Germany
Tried to prove acceptance as a sovereign state
Sport and Nationalism
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Success in international sports triggers
pride among nation’s citizens
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Examples?
Seen in militaristic pageantry that
surrounds sports contests
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National anthem
Jet aircraft flyovers
Band forming a flag or liberty bell
Moment of silence
Opening ceremonies
Sport and Nationalism
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Sport can unite a nation through pride
“Opiate of the masses”
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Sport helps people forget their problemsgives them something else to focus on
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Poor forget the harshness of life
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Safety valve fore releasing tensions that may
otherwise disturb social order
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Perpetuates the belief that sport provides
upward mobility
 MYTH OR FACT??
Exploitation by Politicians
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Athlete can use fame and free publicity to help
seek office
Politicians find it beneficial to get approval and
support of sports stars
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Athletes can get votes for selves or candidates
whom they support
Politicians identify with teams and attend sporting
events
Athletes sent oversees to support morale of
service personnel
Sport as a Vehicle for Change
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Sport used to attack racism
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Proposed boycott of Olympics by African American
athletes (1968)
PGA (1990) made it policy not to hold
championships at clubs that excluded minority
members
NFL (1993)- took Super Bowl away from Phoenix
because Arizona refused to have an official, state
holiday for MLK day
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Arizona added MLK day & received Super Bowl in 1996
NCAA- No championship events in South Carolina
because Confederate Flag displayed at the
Statehouse
Political Problems in the Olympics
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Excessive nationalism
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Use of Olympics as site for political
demonstrations and violence
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Decisions by ruling bodies to deny
participation by certain nations
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Decisions by nations to boycott for political
reasons
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Political organization of Olympics
The Political Olympics
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Boycotting the Olympics to exert political power
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1952 Helsinki
 Cold War tensions begin (separate housing for Eastern
Bloc countries; East Germany was denied participation)
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1956 Melbourne- 3 separate boycotts
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Chinese boycotts Olympics after government recognizes
Taiwan (boycotts from 1956-1976)
SUI., Spain, NED. protest Soviet crackdown in Hungary
EGY, Iraq, LEB, protest Israeli invasion of Sinai Penin.
Fights broke out in water polo match HUN v. USSR
The Political Olympics
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Boycotting the Olympics to exert political power
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1972 Munich
 Terrorist attack killed 11 Israeli athletes
 Americans lost the gold in basketball to USSR, after
confusion allowed Soviets to play final 3 seconds twiceprotested the outcome & did not accept silver medal
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1976 Montreal
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26 nations boycotted after New Zealand was allowed to
compete
New Zealand had recently played South Africa who had been
banned since 1964 for not eliminating apartheid
The Political Olympics
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Boycotting the Olympics to exert political power
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1980 Moscow
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1984 Los Angeles
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 US boycotted because of Cold War tensions
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USSR retaliated by boycotting Olympics on American soil
1988 Seoul
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North Korea boycotted because of tensions with South
Korea
Joined in boycott by Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Cuba
1992 Barcelona
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Cold War tension ending; Soviet countries breaking away;
Germany’s team united again; ban on South Africa ended
Proposal for Change
Is there a way to organize the Olympics to neutralize the
crippling political problems the negate Olympic ideals?
n Establish 2 permanent (neutral) sites for the Olympics.
1.
Restrict events to competition among individuals.
- no team sports allowed
2.
Athletes must represent only themselves.
- Olympic hymn played during medal ceremonies; no National
team outfits
3.
Revise the opening ceremonies so that athletes
enter the arena with other athletes from their events.
Proposal for Change
Make all athletes (amateur and professional) eligible
for competition.
5.
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minimum standard set by governing board (not nation-state)
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Subsidize the costs from revenue generated from
spectators’ admissions and from television
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Establish an Olympic Committee and a secretary
general to prepare for and oversee the Games.
- Committee should be reorganized to reduce political tensions