Let the Games Begin

As countless Americans take time out of the work day to fill out brackets, to check out the shooting % of Hampton's 3rd string PG hoping that he can play a role in dismantling the Evil Empire and to take money out of their kids' 529 fund to finance their entry fees into the 28 pools they have entered, we are reminded of the American obsession with sports.  We listen to "experts,"  psychics, no-nothing grandmothers and even follow the directions of random animals whose knowledge of sports mirrors Rep. Michelle Bachmann's knowledge of American History.  We turn off stories about teenage moms and the 98 potential fathers, actors gone completely insane and of non-stop greed, lust, deceit and partner swapping (I'm referring to Soap Operas, not Jersey Shore) for 2 days to watch the first, excuse me, second round of games played by teams that we couldn't identify if you gave us a web address and GPS coordinates (hint: you cannot see Russia from any of the schools in this year's tournament). We stop to celebrate the accomplishments of 916 Black men--for once--and stare in amazement while many privately root for the 14 white men trying to overcome the odds.  March Madness captures the soul and our attention for at least 2.1 seconds (long enough for Christian Laettner to sink a game winning shot or for yet another child to be conceived thus providing Maury with one more shows worth of material).

Sports serves many purposes, for some its a vocation, for others it represents a legal and relatively harmless deviation from the daily stresses of life, liberty and the (endless and futile???) pursuit of happiness.  For a nerdy few (if you can't do, study???), sports serves as a laboratory to study society.

This blog will house not only my views (and rants and raves) about the world of sports but also those of 39 students in my AASP 498R class in the spring of 2011--Race and Sports. As the late Linda F. Williams always reminded me, race is the most salient issue in American politics....similarly race has and continues to be a critical element in the ongoings of American society, the sports world included. The goal here is to intelligently opine and analyze issues that arise in the sports world. On an almost daily basis we see the issue of race embedded in the world of sports--in the ongoing labor negotiations in the NFL, in the evolution of the NBA,  in the seemingly hourly off the field and court deeds of athletes both professional and collegiate, and even in how we view and characterize our athletic heroes. (try this for fun--listen to how CBS announcers--regarldess of their race describe the young men (and young women--go Terps!) in the mens and women's NCAA tournaments..what do you notice?).

Sports and society......race and sports....race and society......pure madness, 12 months a year.

I hope you enjoy the postings here and support the students (and students support each other). Students, post away and feel free to include links to any articles or random stuff on the internet you see fit.  Friends and family, feel free to read, comment, criticize and most importantly, fill out that bracket!