Sports Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports Communications - Essay Example As jet air travel globalized sport, the distinction between the best amateur and the professional players became impossible to maintain; even the Olympic movement abandoned founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin's original devotion to amateurism. Still debatable is whether the quantitative change in the number of viewers of television has completely changed the quality of the sporting experience. Do children, for instance, deliberately emulate the petulant and violent player behavior they often see on television, ignoring the coaches who try to instill principles of fair play Do most coaches, at all levels, put winning before the health and welfare of their players Have international players become simply pawns in the hands of the media industry Or has television simply opened up electronic seats for fans and made it impossible for sportswriters and commentators to glorify people and events those fans can now see for themselves Has media money justified itself by providing training and competing opportunities for those who had previously been excluded from sports they could not afford to learn What is certain is that some sports have always been "more equal than others"; fans choose to what they will give their allegiance. The media can create or increase temporary interest in specific events, but unless what the media discuss or show is rooted in more than the event itself, interest evaporates. Swimming While a complex, rapidly developing sport may be expected to generate many internal problems, synchro's main controversy, "sport or theater," is generated externally, by media that are unwilling to consider as "sport" anything not meeting the "swifter, higher, stronger" standard. But even Sports Illustrated, despite normally less than flattering reviews, admitted in its report on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, "Synchronized swimmers may look like cupcakes, but they're tough cookies, half the routine is performed upside down in a pool" (Dawn Bean 128). Its water-show beginnings still haunt it. The idea that water ballet is show, while synchronized swimming is sport, has been hard to sell to swimming officials, the public, and the media. Its acceptance into the Olympic Games came only after Lord Killanin, then chair of the International Olympic Committee, saw it for himself at the third World Aquatic Championships. "I am very impressed. I saw synchronized swimming for the first time to day. It is a very elegant sport" (Dawn Bean 197). Synchro enjoys more popularity and acceptance as a sport in parts of the world outside the United States. In every Olympic competition, 1984 through 1996, it has been one of the first sports to sell out all audience tickets. Another issue is male participation. Interestingly, at the turn of the century competitions in the equivalent of figures were for males. Then the beautiful spectaculars of aquacades and films accented the female attraction. Early U.S. competitions included male championships, but they were never popular. Neither U.S. nor international rules prohibit male participation except for the Olympic Games and the World Aquatic Championships. Presently, male participation is greater in Europe than in the United States and Canada. Indeed, in 1991, the

Profile of Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Profile of Leader - Essay Example It cannot also go without a mention how Sheikh Zayed devoted his life to serving his people and making the world such a better place to live in. As the story is told, Sheikh Zayed was born in 1918 as the youngest of the four sons of Sheik Sultan bin Zayed, who also ruled between 1922 and 1926, somewhere in Abu Dhabi. During his time of birth, it is reported that Emirates was very poor and lacked development. Its economy was majorly based on fishing and pearl diving. There were also few practices of simple agriculture on the scattered oasis. Sheikh Zayed is one leader who led by example. We get to know about this when he established a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish for his people of Al Ain in the late 1940s and the early 1950s (Eesa, 2001). Progress finally dawned to Al Ain even with the few government revenues that were collected at that time. A basic administration was established with the help of the Sheikh and he even personally sponsored the establishment of the first modern school. He also mobilized and encouraged friends and relatives to contribute funds that could go to the development of small-scale. Through his help, Sheikh Zayed ensured that the local water ownership was revised to allow a more equitable distribution. Through this, Agriculture was promoted, and the Oasis were re-established as the major market centers. It is his efforts in city planning in Al Ain that ensured the city became one of the greenest cities in Arabia. According to Hamza Hanson Yusuf who is a renowned American preacher and scholar, Sheikh Zayed is a very rare figure that was seen to be very inspiring through his leadership style and way of life (UAEInteract, 2013). He also described Sheikh Zayed as a leader whose words were full of wisdom. Sheik Zayed was also recognized as a leader who had great respect and love for the environment. This is well shown by the way he initiated falconry that became a lifelong passion for many (CPC, 2013). His love