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From: ccastkw@gitpyr.UUCP (Kenneth E. Walker)
Newsgroups: net.social,net.women
Subject: Re: Team Sports, an observation (and a plug for bridge)
Message-ID: <2252@gitpyr.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Sep-86 16:36:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.2252
Posted: Sun Sep 14 16:36:19 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Sep-86 06:46:19 EDT
References: <1127@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: ccastkw@gitpyr.UUCP (Kenneth E. Walker)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 39
Xref: watmath net.social:1395 net.women:12812

In article <1127@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU> melissa@mit-athena.UUCP (Melissa Silvestre) writes:
>If there's one morality pro sports teaches, it seems to be that "it's
>only wrong if you get caught." I don't watch college sports, so I don't 
>know if it is similar at that level.
>
The announcers say much of the same thing, and in the past, the cheating
and NCAA violations would lead the general person to believe that this
was the case as well.

Fortunately, the members of the NCAA are trying to clean up there act. There
are programs out there proving that you can be dedicated to academics
and win big-time-college-football without resorting to bad recruiting
practices or other violations..... It take longer for the program to get
on its feet, but the base is more solid for a winning program...

>I'm not a radical wanting pro sports banned or anything. I am a big NFL and
>NBA fan. I was just wondering if anyone else noticed this anti-social
>bent in the attitudes of some of the commentators and probably the fans
>and players as well. The concept of penalties as punishment for doing 
>something against the spirit of the game has been lost. Especially in
>basketball, penalties are used as just another strategy tool.
>
People are bloodthirsty to begin with, and this is an extension of sports
(competition) drawing the 'in-humane' from within us. What I mean to say 
is that there is no spirit of good competition as far as many fans
are concerned, just whether or not 'their' team won the friggin' game...
This filters out of fandom to the commentators (as they are there to provide
what the viewer wants (ratings and all..)), and back to the newer/impressionable
fans in a vicious cycle...

kenn
-- 
Standard Disclaimer in force..... (I think????)

Kenneth E. Walker  
Office of Computing Services
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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