"33" by Klosterman talks about the epic rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics during the times of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. He says that everything in life can relate to this matchup and that it represents  racism and a cultural schism in said subject. Since Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were two of, if not the two best players in the NBA at the time and one was white and one was black, it was sort of a representation of the racist thoughts during that time. This happens a lot in sports. Relate this event to the olympics in Lake Placid when the U.S team beat Russia. It was more than just a game of hockey to those people. It represented the ill feelings toward the russians because of the Cold War. This event gave them hope.
   "The End of Practice" by Jones portrays the intense feeling during football season. These kids take football extremely serious and make it their main concern. During football season, kids and parents alike get so amped up that it could even lead down a bad road. As we read before, parents can get so caught up in their childrens athletic career that they push them too hard. This can lead to a child losing interest in the sport completely.

 

Fresh Cut Grass

    Whenever I get the smell of fresh cut grass in my nose, I always think back to playing golf as a little kid. Don't get me wrong, I still play golf often, but this smell brings me back to a time of freedom and no responsibility. As a child, golf was purely fun. I never had to worry about making a team or playing good in a tournament. It was just about whacking some balls with your buddies while you laugh and have a good time. I see golf as more of a job now. It's serious and there are consequences if you do not perform. While I was being recruited by a college scout, I remember being so stressed out and feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. This isn't how it should be and I'm reminded of that every time this sense is triggered. I think this trigger might be related to the fact that I would always go to golf camp early in the mornings during the summer. This is when the dew is still freshly scattered across the newly cut grass. That smell would always get me in a competitive mood, especially on tournament day.

Dear Tiger Woods,
     I would like to start off this letter by saying that I think people handled your little incident the wrong way. Only a true gentleman would take the time and effort to get to know so many classy, smart girls. You should not let the media affect you because they're just jealous and don't truly understand the situation. Honestly, I think that your wife is the one at fault. I've seen your Escalade and really liked it. What gives her the right to break a perfectly good window. Anyways, good job on your tour-leading three wins this year when everyone, except for me, was saying that you were finished. Once you can finally win a major again, you'll truly be back on top and I'll be saying I told you so quite a few times.
     This next portion of my letter goes out to your caddy. You suck. What friend leaves just when you need them the most. Tiger started your career and you would be nothing without him. Granted, you may have picked a pretty cool guy to go sell your soul to, you still suck.
                                            Sincerely,
                                                         Sean Weiss 
    

Participants Versus Spectators

     This article talks about the differences between participants in a sport and their spectators. They also delve into the topic of high performance athletes versus the common recreational athlete. The main difference between the two is the level of preparation. High performance athletes dedicate their entire lives to their sport. They train all year at the highest possible level that they can. Recreational sport participants have more of a leisurely outlook on this. They play solely because they love and enjoy the game. Also, another factor that may play an integral part in your selection of sport and level of participation is your environment. Geography, age, gender and social class each have effects on our abilities to compete. Say you live in Florida. How could you possibly be an olympic skier if it never snows? You're eighty-five years old but you've dreamt of being a pro baseball player since you were a young boy. This may also be a little challenging to accomplish because you cannot physically keep up with these elite athlete.
     Spectators also benefit from sports in various ways. First, it tends to bring people together. It can provide a common ground for people that would probably never interact were it not for sports. Also, it gives them something to help get away from their everyday problems. They can escape, in a way, and not have to worry about anything, at least while it lasts. On a larger scale, sports can provide enormous amounts of nationality. This is especially prevalent every four years when the olympics comes around. Even in a countries worst times, sports can give them a way of inspiration and hope that they may not have been able to find anywhere else.

Post 2

Blog 1

9/3/12

ENC 1145

 

"Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio" and "Three-Man Weave" both have many themes that seem to be  very similar. The first and most obvious theme seems to be one of racism and discrimination. The three man weave portrays attitudes of lessened expectations for native americans in the basketball world at the time. The five man team of natives was never given a shot until they actually proved their naysayers wrong. On the other hand, the short poem touches on racism as well  but in a more generalized way. It talks about families of minorities hoping and waiting for success but never actually speaks of them achieving it.

          Both readings have a related feeling of inspiration and a sense of rejuvenation by sports. It brings cultures together to celebrate their accomplishments as a whole and individually. These memories can make places for people in history and make their legacy last far beyond their years on this Earth. One great game can immortalized an average man in sports history. Sports even have the power to make people nostalgic. Remembering things because they played such a large role in your life can bring back some strong emotions.  Another thing that sport provides in cultural terms is a common ground. It gives the white man, the black man, the yellow man and every color in between the chance to be on an even playing ground and display what they can do.

          Both of these pieces of writing can definitely help me formulate an idea for my paper. From the poem, I would probably use the idea of an over-emphasis on sports and them taking over family's and lives. In my life, sports have been huge, especially to my grandfather. Ever since I could walk, he has wanted me to be a golf phenom. This feeling was probably amplified, seeing as how he never had a son and I was his only grandson. He would come watch me play in golf tournaments and it pained him to see me play poorly. I would even go as far as saying that he cared about me winning more than I did.
           "Three-Man Weave" will help me write about the struggle of not always being the best in my sport but never giving up. Throughout my entire golf career, I have always struggled with not being the best. It is torturous, but in the end it is beneficial. Having to practice hour on end every day of your life to try and keep up with the elite gives you a sense of fulfillment and pride. Just like anything in life, seeing your hard work pay off is reward in itself, but that one moment when you finally win as the underdog is a feeling  that you can't even begin to explain.