List of sports comm: 

I) Sports organizations

Exists in a symbiotic relationship with sports.

- sport needs media to creat value of the sport, meida needs the sport to exercise the news media 

Exists to promote sports (thus assuring access to the sports organizations and popularity of the sports which is necessary for their existance). 

- "Objective" : balancing act.

Needs to appear objective (to maintain credibility cannot appear bias), but also must relay message that compliments what the news stations want and sustain the sports organization's ultimate goals. 

broadcast as events (olympics), as local news/entertainment (angels games) or combo of two (NFL game broadcasts). 

Create sense of "event" - as though it is bigger than just your area 

6 categories. Works to produces and promote the sport and players

- direct advertising, indirect advertising, personal endorsements, product placement, venue naming 

Comparing John L. Sullivan vs. James. J Corbett

SULLIVAN

 last of bare knuckle/London prize rules fights (rounds ended when boxers were knocked to the ground, refs couldn’t stop any wrestling kicking.. etc. they lasted ‘til badly beaten) 

o   “can lick any SOB in the joint”

o   barely literate

o   chase fights across the country

o   boxing as war

·      first of the marquis of queenbury champs

o   “boxing is a gentlemen’s sport”

o   played broadway

o   fought out of San Francisco athletic club

o   boxing as sexy

o   became first true sports figure as sex symbol (wearing trunks that were seen as sexy)

Corbett BEAT Sullivan in 1892- changed public perception of Corbett

Why were horse racing associations created?

Example of athletic club attempt to make boxing "gentleman's club"? 

o   1. Eliminate cheating and bad gambling

o   2.Reinforce the value of ownership by limiting the number of recognized race horse owners

o   3. Regulate rules

o   4. Through all of these, reinforce the idea of a Gentlemen’s sports

SF Athletic Club legitimizing JIM Corbett as gentleman and boxer in the 1880's

 1. Eliminate cheating and bad gambling

  2.reinforce the value of ownership by limiting the number of recognized race horse owners

  3. Regulate rules

4. Through all of these, reinforce the idea of a Gentlemen’s sports

create positive image for sports they promoted. Did this by

a) Promoting vigorous "sportsman's life" 

b) Promoting specific athletes as "gentleman" sportsman

·      Fight is filmed for sale to the “Magic Latern” (movie) industry

a) the importance of this innovation cannot be overestimated

b) from this time forward important “sports events: would gain their importance from the media on which they were broadcast or shown.

Changes: 

·      The heavyweight championship moves from a criminal activity to an important social event.

·      The heavyweight champion becomes the iconic symbol of sport by his place at the center of this event

·      Boxing becomes a promoter’s sport (and still is!)

Baseball was 

a) Amierican sport

b) universal sport

c) sport for the common person 

d) amature clubs appeared un/down east coast years before Cival war 

e) became obsession for soldiers and most popular pasttime for soldiers on both sides 

--- sport you play, vs spectator sport (rules were somewhat inconsistant) ... sports organizations formed to popularize sport and sustain a sport placed for liesure and spectators 

1846 The NY Knickerbocker Baseball Club- 

important club during pre-war era - established basic rules

what were its goals? 

·      1. Establish consistent rules for game

·      2. Popularize the sport around the greater NY area by challenging other clubs to play

·      3. Set rules for decorum ( presenting self as gentlemen was important for making the sport socially acceptable) ex. Fined for foul language

1869: cincinnati Red Stockings - first pro organization;

- Harry Wright capitalized on "baseball fever"

1871: National Association

- first full league of pro clubs; had some probs

1876: ***National League

- longest sports organization in history; fixed probs 

- made baseball "family sport"

-  understood importance of communicating a sport consistent w/ values of broader culture (reserve clause, blue chip)

1882: American Baseball Association (ABA)

- fill gaps in NL (i.e. allowed whiskey)

- Beer and whiskey league

- successful for a bit, but could not identify w/ larger public

Challenges to NL

1901: ** American League:

- image of maverak league (successful); loosened rules, eliminated reserve clause 

- placing teams in same places as NL

1914: Federal League:

- brought in stable owners, sued NL for monopoly policies; tried to compete w/ local franchises; raided NL players

1946: Mexican League 

1869

-    first fully pro organization (paid players)

·      created by Harry Wright to capitalize on "baseball fever" in Cincinnati

·      challenged teams across the eastern US going 65-0 1^st season

·      First loss June 14, 1870 to the Brooklyn Atlantics

·      First loss killed fan base in Cincy

·      Soon disbanded

National Association 1871

- first full league of what?

- List problems 

first league of professional clubs

-    Inconsistent play and rules

o   Financial failures

o   Players viewed as “roughnecks” (lowbrow, drinkers, brawling)

o   Gambling on games

National League 1876

-- longest continuous sports organization in American history; remains the National League of MLB

Challanged the National Association by dealing with the problems.

·      Unified rules for all teams

·      Created rules reflecting larger social norms. (blue laws- not playing on Sunday- religious day or worship)

·      Significantly strengthened rules regarding player behavior (couldn’t drink, smoke, curse during games/season)

------> Created reserve clause-

·      most important sports innovation of the 19^th century. Remained unchanged for 100 years. 

-  if the player was not signed or released by their club by a given date, they would automatically be contracted to the club under the same contract as in the preceding season. 

o   Created consistency that allowed it to become a pastime

Effects:

o   Players had no control over career choices

o   Teams could control players throughout career (often held them entire career) 

o   Players became closely identified with teams

o   Identified with communities

o   Players can be role models and idols in their communities

o   Through player identification, sports teams became closely identified with their communities

1882

- beer and whiskey league 

- fill gaps of NL

- failed. popular teams joined NL

1901

the most successful challenger to NL

created image as a maverick league:

o   Ben Johnson- strong vocal president

o   Slightly easing NL rules (no blue laws) kept rules for play

o   Challenging NL teams head on by placing AL teams in same cities (Boston Red Sox against Boston Braves )

o   Briefly eliminating the reserve clause to entice NL players to sign with AL teams

o   Joined with NL to make the Major Leagues

Federal League 

How did they challange NL? What tactics were used?

1914

last challenged to MLB

·      tactics:

o   bring in only stable, well to do owner

o   raid the major leagues for players

o   challenge major league teams with competing local franchises

o   sue the major league as a monopoly

§  The FL slowly ran out of money and WWI killed the challenge and the league

§  Wrigley field is all that’s left (the Whales)

1946

- Jorge Pasquel tried to raid US players 

- lasted short time. MLB imposed bans on anyone who jumped on this new league 

- led to first congressional investigation of the ML monopoly policies 

Tex Rickard: promoted "golden age of sports"

- good vs. bad guy (Dempsey vs. french war hero)

Don King: Comic relief, personality (bigger than the fighters he promoted)

Bob Arum: promoter as multimillion dollar profit -maker 

who wrote cassie at bat? 

who did reinactment/film? 

What did it reflect? what was result? 

author = Ernest Thayer 

Dewolf Hopper = did recitation of it in 1899. 

Reflects what life film in late 19th century would be like. 

Became piece of American culture