Ancient Sport

Ancient Greek games are deeply routed through religious beliefs and practices. They would commonly play sports for spectators. Sports such as boxing, wrestling, foot racing, and chariot wrestling were all played in ancient Greece. Roman Gladiators engage in combat inside the Coliseum with other gladiators, as well as with animals. It is important to note that the sex of the person plays an extremely large role in their involvement and capability to play the sport during this time.

Roman sports were mostly spectator events inside the Circus Maximus. Free men of class would play in most of the non-deadly sports inside Rome. When you started to see your bloodshed was when you got criminals and slaves. Romans loved the entertainment value of the Circus. The Greek were known for having a more religious taste through sport. While the Greek still played sport for entertainment value, they also played for religious and political concerns as well. It is important to note that only free men could play sports in Greece, unlike the deadly combat games that would occur in the Roman coliseum.

Sports, Society, and Me

Starting at the age of five my parents placed me on a soccer team. Rather this was to get me physically active or get me social within my peers I am not quite sure, but I would like to think it was a good-hearted attempt at both. Through my adolescence I played soccer, baseball, basketball, and football, yet soccer still seemed to be my calling. Perhaps this was because it was the first sport I played (and also happened to be the best at), and all of my friends played it as well. Through sports as a child I was able to really experience the four dimensions of sport ethic first hand. I was able to experience pain and sacrifice in order to win games, and I was able to seek distinction in my area by winning our first state championship of the decade.

Now, I am experiencing sport in a much different way than I did as a child, but likely much more enjoyable. I now snowboard, and even though this sport is on the side of a mountain, deep in the snow, it is still a sport nonetheless. I still sacrifice my body daily, as well as seek distinction, etc., but in a much different way than before.  Instead of putting in extra hours at the soccer field trying to perfect my penalty shot so that when placed in the right moment, my team and I may reign victorious, I send myself off of 25 foot gaps practicing my rotations in the air for eventual competition. Both involve the sacrifice of the body in order to gain distinction.

Sports in the society are very highly valued, rather it is Texas High School football, University of Colorado basketball, or Denver Broncos professional football, according to Eizen, all sports have extremely important roles in society. First and foremost, sport can really bring together a community. The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to bring together a neighboring community after a horrible tornado that killed dozens by going out as star professional athletes and getting their hands dirty, helping out others in the process (http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2013/05/25/thunder-support-community). This alone shows that sport can be examined outside of the ball field, and that teammates can be teammates on and off the court.

Sport Ethic

Sport ethic can be referred to as an unofficial, yet extremely necessary conformity that athletes must adhere to globally in order to be considered a “real athlete”. There are many positives to sport ethic, as well as negatives. I think ‘globally’ is a key word here, as we have examined sports in the United States, but have yet to mention them on a global scale.

According to the text, there are four main dimensions of sport ethic. The first dimension surrounds sacrifice to the game. Sacrifice to the game may look many different ways. It can refer to putting in extra time in practice all season long, as well as the pain and strain gained by such an enormous load of physical activity.

The second dimension looks into seeking distinction. In sports, many are looking to find distinction within the sport that pertains to them. When you examine Kevin Durant, an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player in the NBA, he is seeking distinction by “no longer wanting to be second”. (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/22122480/kevin-durant-im-tired-of-being-second--im-done-with-it). In the article you can find that he is done being in second (place), and wants to win at all costs. Breaking records, winning competitions and championships, and becoming the best are all distinctions that most athletes wish to obtain.

The third dimension in sport is taking risks and playing through pain. Rather it is the game winning shot, or playing with a torn Achilles tendon (such as Kobe Bryant in the NBA last year), the third dimension should not be feared, but rather embraced. Lastly, the fourth dimension refers to athletes refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities. It is vital for an athlete to chase their goal regardless of limits set on them by their opposition, community, or even themselves. With these four dimensions we are better able to look at ethic in sports. It is quite evident that in order to play sports and pursue the natural instinct to win, definite sacrifices must be made, through mind, spirit, as well as the body.

Sports in the U.S.A

In the United States of America, we may examine sports on a number of different levels. Rather it is our first little league game, or the final game in the NBA, sports in the USA can all be commonly related through certain sets of characteristics. The sports that are most played and viewed in the United States are football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Competition is generated through these sports by a scoring system that decides who will eventually go on to win the game. (It is important to note that, in my opinion, competition is not fully achieved until you have competitors that are evenly matched). Time is usually measured during the previously mentioned sports through periods, halves, or quarters. Having great success in sport is typically defined by winning, with the goal to typically obtain a championship or medal at the end of the year. The coaches position, as well as the players, could all change depending upon the win percentage of the team.

There are very many facets of sports that we enjoy that do not directly apply to our athleticism. For instance, as spectators and not athletes, we get to enjoy a fresh beverage while we watch the game. This fresh beverage that we paid for is now going directly to the organization we came to watch play, rather that be University of Colorado football or Denver Little League, if they are generating revenue, it is likely that if there is profit generated it will go to some sort of athletic organization. For instance, the Oklahoma City Thunder team value is just over 590 million dollars, and was purchased in 2006 for 325 million dollars (http://www.forbes.com/teams/oklahoma-city-thunder/). The Thunder generate this massive sum of money by loyal supporters who continue to buy tickets to the games, purchase jerseys of favorite players, drink and eat beverage inside the stadium, and advertisement space inside the stadium

Sports are not only extremely important to the competitors, but also to the fans as well. Growing up in Oklahoma City, I have never had the opportunity to cheer for a professional level team. Finally, when we received the Oklahoma City Thunder in basketball, I knew we had a rock solid team that could call OKC its home. Now, Oklahoma City is commonly called “Thunder Alley” during game time, evoking a sense of togetherness in the community.  In conclusion, sports provide much more than just competition for the players, but also a great deal of currency and togetherness as well.