Blog Post #7: Rhetorical Precis & Summary for "Schooled- The Price of College Sports"

Rhetorical Precis & Summary: "Schooled- The Price of College Sports"

Rhetorical Precis:
     

      In Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Pailey's documentary, "Schooled- The Price of College Sports" the directors convince the viewers that college athletes are being unfairly treated by the NCAA and are just generally exploited in several ways. A main topic that is being conveyed throughout the documentary is that college athletes should be receiving at least some compensation for everything they do to earn their colleges the billions of dollars they are making. In addition, the directors are also trying to persuade viewers that athletes are not getting the college education that they need for later purposes in life. The directors use many strategies throughout the film that influence viewers to feel the same way. To begin with, the directors use actual stories of people that have been wronged by mostly the NCAA but also other organizations as well. Another thing they do to add on to that is use both primary and secondary sources to show that it has been a developing issue over time.There was one student athlete that played basketball in the NCAA, was extremely talented, and probably one of the best players in the league at the time. Without his consent or knowledge of even being in the video game, he was put into one and the organizations that did this made huge amounts of money off of it. So, this specific athlete was basically gypped from a huge opportunity to make large amounts of money off of this game. A football player got seriously and almost fatally injured during one of his games and the college gave him no compensation for his medical bills or anything like that and said it was his responsibility not theirs.  Directors of this film also displayed many interviews from people that opposed the NCAA or previous employees of the NCAA that disagree with their actions. This strategy added on to the fact that the directors were trying to advise viewers to sway their opinions towards those who think the NCAA is doing unjust things. A huge topic that the documentary enforced was that athletes weren't getting the right education. To do so, they had to bring up some of the opposing views to in turn prove their point. In an attempt to defend themselves the NCAA would use the "student-athlete" argument. Basically colleges say that athletes should be mainly focusing on school before sports. Enforcing their point, the creators argue that it is so unbelievably difficult to put school before sports when those sports are interfering with these athletes' education. 

Adrian Foster (athlete unsatisfied 
by NCAA's actions)

      In all, the creators of this documentary are trying to persuade viewers that student-athletes are being unfairly treated by the NCAA on top of other organizations as well, and that the NCAA is advocating for the money and themselves over the athletes. Another main thing the directors are trying to convince viewers is that institutions have way too much power. Throughout the documentary, the directors seem to have a specific audience they are trying to convey their message to. Mainly the targeted audience is people who may be considering participating in a college sport, victims of the mistreatment of the NCAA, and also NCAA officials or previous employees. Furthermore, they are directing it to all of society because it not just the NCAA or the college athlete's problem, it is everyone's. This is because it is a problem that effects all people/all of society. From my point of view, I mostly agree with the argument/main idea of this documentary. I do think that many athletes are being mistreated and that it is really not fair to them. I think it is very unjust and that it is a huge problem that our society as a whole needs to work together on fixing. 

Summary:

      As stated before, the general argument that is being made throughout the course of the documentary is that college athletes are being greatly mistreated by the NCAA. A person interviewed by the directors during the film states, "They all knew, and they all know what they did wrong, it is the adults that are failing the students. A mass murderer has more rights than a football player in the NCAA system." In all, this quote accurately describes the main argument of the film. To sum it up, officials knew what they were doing was unjust and that they should have been the ones punished instead of the athletes as they still continued to do nothing about it. The NCAA wins every trial and they have all the power to shame and accuse athletes of terrible things. "Student-athletes" have no rights at all and are basically controlled by the NCAA and other organizations and it is very unfair to them. Essentially, everyone has a right except for the player. Throughout the documentary, "Schooled- The Price of College Sports", the directors are advocating for the athletes over the organizations in a persuasive, but fair manner to the opposing side. By and large, the main argument made by the directors is that college athletes are very unfairly treated by the NCAA and should receive the treatment that they deserve.

Blog-post #6 : Summary and Analysis of an Article

NFL Prospect JJ Nelson never 

offered a deal by Adidas

     In the article, "JJ Nelson: Adidas never offered deal", written by Darren Rovell, the main argument is that NFL prospect, JJ Nelson, is being treated very unfairly. At this year's NFL combine, Adidas basically promised they would pay the top three fastest players who ran the 40-yard dash in their shoes and signed a contract before running $100,000 as a prize for endorsing their company. The speaker of this article (the author) is advocating athletes over organizations. In this case, it would be JJ Nelson over Adidas. Rovell writes, "An Adidas news release said that the offer was 'open to athletes who sign with Adidas prior to running their official 40 yard dashes later this month,' but Nelson said he was never given the chance to sign with the brand," The author is mainly suggesting that Nelson was treated unreasonably because Adidas was not persistent in giving him a chance to sign the endorsement deal. In addition to that, he is also hinting in to the readers of this article that if Nelson was given the opportunity to sign the contract, he probably would have. By and large, Rovell's belief is that JJ Nelson is receiving very unjust treatment by Adidas. 

     

     Personally, I believe Rovell is correct for several reasons. In my opinion, nobody was at fault for this except for Adidas. To begin with, Adidas never communicated with Nelson that in order to receive the $100.000 he had to sign an endorsement deal. On top of that he was never even given a contract to sign in the first place. To make it seem like Adidas was wrong, Rovell incorporated multiple quotes from JJ Nelson. Nelson said, "I signed some waiver at some point, but I was never given a chance to sign an endorsement deal," Another strategy Rovell used was reiterating the idea that Nelson did in fact get the best time in the 40- yard dash. Rovell writes, "Former UAB receiver JJ Nelson, who ran the fastest overall time at the NFL combine, is confused why he doesn't have $100,000 in his pocket." In a way, he makes you feel sympathetic toward Nelson considering he was gypped of $100,000. Considering the evidence shown, I strongly believe that JJ Nelson truly deserved  to receive the cash prize and that what happened to him was very unjust. 

    

Blog-post #5: News Writing

The Boy's Varsity Basketball Team at Norton High clinches their first win in the TVL tournament

    NORTON-  Last Thursday night at the Larry Larcoque Gymnasium, the Norton boy's varsity basketball team came together to defeat the Rockland Bulldogs in their first match of the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional Tournament, sending their opponents home with nearly a 20 point deficit.

     

    Fans of the Norton Lancers came rushing in to support their team at an intense and thrilling match. The crowds were insane and the whited-out fan section was so packed that the fans were literally shoulder to shoulder. The Lancers put on a great display of offense proving their talent from start to finish. As a team, they carved out a final score of 65-44 over the Bulldogs.

    All throughout the game, the lancers seemed to dominate and take control over their opponent. With the hot hands of Keenan Coffey and several other players, the Lancers scored a total of ten 3-point shots, five of these taken by Coffey. Coffey states, "It was time for us. My teammates helped me out with screens and passing, I felt good when the ball left my hand."

    Being a team that has the patience and poise like the Lancers do is something that is hard to find and is a great assett that many teams in the league hope and srtive for. Coffey was not the only contributor to the Lancer's success, however. Senior guards Bret Murphy and Jason O'Neil played huge roles as well.
 
    Murphy made three 3's, four rebounds, and five assists aiding the lancers in their triumphant victory. Jason O'Neil, point-guard of the Norton Lancers, scored a total of 18 points. On top of that, he had three blocks and 5 rebounds.

    Overall, the Norton Lancers put up a huge fight from beginning to end and never gave up.They made everyone proud that night, except for the losing team of course. The Lancers proved to their coaches, fans, and most importantly themselves that anything is possible and if you strive to accomplish your goal, you will achieve it.

      Marc Liberatore, head coach of the Norton Lancers  proudly states, "I can't say enough about the seniors, nobody expected to do what they have done- we want to keep it going. They enjoy being around each other and they're so unselfish- that's why they don't shoot, they're looking for their teammates for a better shot."

Blog-Post #4: Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams

     The documentary, "Hoop Dreams" was a very inspiring and touching movie back in the day and is continuing to inspire its viewers as we speak. Throughout this film, we witness the complicated lives of two male teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates who are both very talented basketball players. Each player lives in the inner-city of Chicago, Illinois. All throughout their lives they have had to deal with many harships/struggles and doing this as young children was not easy. They had to deal with financial problems, family issues, etc. As stated before, both of theses boys were phenomenal at basketball. They were both recruited and given the opportunity to attend St. Joseph's where they would play on their outstanding basketball team. William was exceptionally good at basketball and considering he made varsity as a freshman explains how good he really was. Arthur was an amazing player as well, but he only made the junior varsity team. Although they were both successful in making a team at St. Joseph's, they each endured a great amount of set backs.
        Due to financial problems Arthur was not able to afford to go to school there, and he was forced to go back to his local high school (Marshall). At the time, it seemed to be the beginning of the end for Arthur because he felt that his dreams were being crushed. He lost all of his credits and was forced to start over. Nothing really mattered to him after that experience, and he just didn't really care about anything too much. In time, Arthur realized that even though he could not fulfill his dreams of going to St. Joseph's and becoming famous there, he could prove his talent at his current school. He ended up becoming one of Marshall High's biggest stars/players and improved his grades. After receiving a scholarship, Arthur first went to a junior college and then onto Arkansas State. William on the other hand, had an amazing freshman year at St. Joseph's. When he severely injured his knee during his junior year things seemed to go downhill from there. He was forced to sit out in several games, and lost the opportunity to showcase his talent to scouts. When William was just 17, he had a baby girl with his girlfriend Catherine. In my opinion William dealt with these hardships very responsibly and maturely. He did not let them hold him back however, and he was offered a scholarship to play at Marquette University. Like Arthur, William didn't get the best grades, so in order for him to go there he needed to get an 18 on his ACT test. He ended up overcoming his troubles and attending Marquette.
         "Hoop Dreams" has a very distinct and powerful theme that is shown all throughout the documentary. One of the main things it teaches it's viewers is to follow your dreams no matter what may get in your way. Determination and perseverance are two huge things that this movie encouraged it viewers to have. In order to succeed in life, you have to earn it and you most importantly have to want it. It taught us that you have to work hard to fulfill your dreams even through the struggles that you may face.  In the documentary we see many example of how both William and Arthur overcame their hardships and followed their dreams. Not having his dad in his life, missing out on a huge opportunity to remain attending St. Joseph's, and being in the presence of drugs and alcohol were all unfortunate things that Arthur had to cope with. Even though Arthur was going through rough times, he strove to make his dreams come true. William also had to deal with an absence of his father, severe knee injuries, and having at baby at a very young age. At first. he truly did struggle to find his way back to being the player he used to be after his injury. However, William knew what he had to do for himself and now for his family so he surmounted to his hardships and began persevering toward becoming a better player and student.  By and large, "Hoop Dreams" was a very inspiring and touching documentary that taught its viewers to always follow their dreams no matter what got in the way of that. 

The Impact of Sports on Life

The Impact of Sports on Life

     Professional sports, and sports in general, have changed the world in so many ways.  The article, "How Sports Transcends Culture" written by Angel Navado describes some of the various ways that sports have impacted and transformed our culture today. To begin with, sports encourage and allow fans to support the individuals/ players for their skill and ability, not for their culture or nationality. Sports have taken away some of the bias and stereotypes that our society uses to judge people without really knowing them or knowing what they can do. Additionally, sports have increased religious tolerance, which was and sometimes still is one of the biggest things our society struggles with. They have ultimately blurred the color lines/racial intolerance, teaching us to respect athletes and people of other races no matter what skin color they are. Lastly, sports influenced culture because they allowed athletes to learn and speak in many languages. If a team has one player that can speak the same language as the other team, it makes his/her dedication to the team and the game more important than a cultural barrier that can be as simple as a foreign language. By and large, when sports unite athletes, racial issues, cultural upbringings, and foreign languages do not matter. A new mold is ultimately created for society to pursue. 

     As we speak, sports are continuing to transform and impact our society/culture. Initially, athletic competitions help to build up the ethics and character of modern athletes. Playing sports can change who you are in so many ways. Your coaches and peers can teach you many lessons that help to build up your character and ultimately make you a better person. Those who have the opportunity of being a leader, have the power to uplift their players and potentially become their role models as well. Sports always bring people together no matter what cultural barrier may hold them back. They always have a positive influence on their patricipants and inspire them to be the best that they can be. For someone who has a low self esteem/low confidence, sports influence them to try things that they never would have imagined.

     In today's culture, sports have many positive and negative impacts. Many people love sports because they are a good way for them to have fun and enjoy themselves. Some people see it as a way to get away from everything and just focus on the game and having fun. People also enjoy sports because they aid them in remaining physically fit. For most people, being in shape makes them feel very good about themselves and is a sense of accomplishment and hard work. Along with a sense of accomplishment and hard work comes the positive impact of winning. Everyone who is competetive understands how it feels to win. Nobody likes losing especially after all of the hard work they have put in. Winning is such an incredible feeling. It proves to yourself and to your teammates that it was a well and hard-earned victory. As mentioned before, there are many ways in which sports impact our culture negatively. To start off, when playing sports participants can get seriously injured. When you are someone who is so passionate about that sport and can't play because of an injury it kills you. Not being able to what you love is so upsetting to the players that suffer from these unfortunate injuries. Another negative impact of sports is that they are very costly and expensive. But why is it that you need to pay money in order to do what you love? As you grow older, you improve immensely and sports become more and more competitive. The more you improve and earn your spot on a good team, the more it costs. There needs to financing for fields/complexes, uniforms, coaches, tournaments etc. In order for someone to be on a good team, all of those things come to mind and make it very expensive to play. On-field cheating is a very large problem with sports. The use of performance enhancing drugs, tampering of equipment, and recruitment violations are all huge issues that sports can cause. Lastly, unsportsmanlike conduct is another negative impact of sports. The competitive atmosphere can encourage athletes to fight, taunt, and be disrespectful toward one another. Sports can teach athletes to be disrespectful and sometimes even cocky. Athletes that are unsportsmanlike tend to be disliked by a lot of people. 

      Sports have impacted my life in so many ways. Ever since I was little all I would look forward to was going to my soccer games, kicking the ball around, and having the time of my life. Once you fall in love with a sport it becomes something you always want to do. I guess you could say that was what happened to me with soccer. To me, playing a sport is not just a hobby it is a lifestlye. Whenever I play, all of my worries or cares disappear and nothing else matters. Sports have taught me to always strive to be the best that I can be and never give up. If you really want something you have to work hard to earn it. Soccer has kept me in great shape over the years, and to me, doing what you love and having fun while getting excercise is unbelievable. Soccer has whole-heartedly changed my life and made me who I am today. It has taught me so many life lessons that I will never forget and will always be thankful for. 

Deflate Gate

Deflate Gate

     In the NFL, the deflate gate has been a huge and controversial issue ever since the AFC Championship game. During this game, the New England Patriots faced off against the Indianapolis Colts in what seemed to be an intense match in the beginning. However, the outcome of 45-7 was very surprising and contradicted many fans original beliefs. The huge range in points is where the deflate gate comes into the situation. But what really is the deflate gate? Many argue that the reason the patriots won by so many points was because they were playing with deflated footballs.  In my opinion, this inadequate accusation is completely unfair. I think it's all just a joke that makes people think the only reason the patriots were successful/ are successful is because they were playing with deflated balls. In reality, the patriots are an outstanding team who played a tremendous game. They whole-heartedly earned and deserved to win that game and all of the other games that they played during the season as well. It is simply pathetic and stupid to accuse a team of "cheating" just because they are good. Even before the game the balls were tested in a similar weather environment to Foxboro, so if anything the deflation could be caused by the cold and rainy conditions, not because they weren't "inflated properly". All in all, I think that these accusations were downright unneccessary. The overall skill of the victorious team wouldn't be affected by deflated footballs. 

     




   Super Bowl 49 was one of the most exciting and thrilling games I have ever seen. I have loved football ever since I was little, and I am a huge fan of the New England Patriots. This year's superbowl was a very nail biting and intense match. In the first half, I was so disappointed with the outcome and the way that the patriots were playing. Very early in the first half, Brady got intercepted and we lost a huge opportunity to score. Seattle's defense was not allowing LeGarette Blount (one of or best running backs) through the line and our running game was extremely weak. By the end of the first half the Patriots were down by 10 points. If you dont already know, the patriots tend to do a lot better in the second half. This year they led the record for the most points scored during the second half. I was very disappointed and angry with the score at halftime, but I knew that the patriots would come back and that Tom Brady was not ready to lose for his third time in a row. The patriots ended up coming back and scoring another two touchdowns giving them a lead of 28-24! There was only about 2 minutes left and Wilson threw a pass to his receiver, Jermaine Kearse. The ball was nearly intercepted and Kearse made in insane catch while falling to the ground. At this point there was around 20 seconds left. All I was thinking was, "Its over. that's it, that's the game". Little did I know that a few seconds later, Wilson would be intercepted by the one and only Malcom Butler.  It was one of the best and most memorable moments in super bowl history, Butler had just won the game for the patriots! My family and I were ecstatic when this happened and we just couldn't believe it! This game truly went down in history and I am so thankful that I was able to witness it. 

Super Bowl 49: Seahawks vs. Patriots

Super Bowl 49

      It's that time of year again football fans, it's time for the super bowl! In this year's super bowl the New England Partriots will be facing off against the Seattle Seahawks (the defending super bowl champions) in an intense and thrilling match. Super Bowl 49 has probably one of the best match ups yet. With Seattle having the best defense in the league and New England having one of the best offenses plus an excellent defense, it may end up being a close and nail-biting game. In their regular seasons, both the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks ended 1st place in their conferences with outstanding records of 12-4-0! Each team ended post-season playoff games with tied records of 14-4. The New England Patriots have won a total of three superbowls, all in a matter of four years, all titles won with their outstanding quaterback and future hall of famer, Tom Brady. In total, the patriots have made it to 8 super bowls, which in my eyes, is a huge and insane accomplishment. The seahawks, on the other hand, have only made it to two superbowls thus far. However, they were the defending champions of last year's superbowl, so it will be a very interesting and intense game to watch.
     I have always loved football and have been a patriots fan all of my life. For this year's superbowl I am obviously rooting for the patriots to win as I have supported them throughout the last 14-15 years and think they are an outstanding team. I am persoanlly so pumped for the game, I literally cannot wait! I think that the patriots will come out with a win for various reasons. Through the years, and this year especially, the patriots have worked so hard as a team to achieve this goal, and I think they really deserve to win. Tom Brady and  head coach, Bill Belichick, have worked together and succeeded in carrying this team to success. This year may be the last chance that Brady and Belichick have to win the super bowl together. With all the hype about the deflate-gate and other accusations, I believe it is making them strive harder to win and prove to everyone that they are not "cheaters". There has been a strong argument that if the patriots win the super bowl, Brady and Belichick will be considered the best coach-quaterback combination in history. In my eyes, they really already are, and I think that if they do win, it will prove to everyone that Brady and Belichick were and always will be a legendary duo. Super Bowl 49 is going to be one for the books, and I cannot wait to see the Patriots win it all!