Cinderella Man - An American Hero?

The true story of Jimmy Braddock is one of the greatest early twentieth century sports stories. As Braddock ascended the boxing ranks to fight Max Baer, his story only becomes more compelling. But, what was it about a pug reinventing himself that was and is so fascinating?

With that in mind, answer the following questions:

1) What was it about boxing in the 1920s and 30s that so captivated the United States?

2) Do you think that Braddock's decisions were selfish or not?

3) What aspects of the Braddock story are most compelling? (His rise to the top, his family situation, his wife being against the boxing, the forces against him, etc.)

WORTH 15 POINTS

Len Bias - Tragic Hero?

The story of Len Bias is sadly a cliche in modern sports. We hear, too often, about superstar athletes that stumble on their fame en route to their professional careers. Len Bias embodied all that was good in sports: hard work, immense talent, and passion for the sport. His success was going to be on par with the great, but, like far too many players before him, he allowed his passion outside of sports to stop him from attaining his goals.


For this blog, I want you to first identify whether or not Len Bias should be considered a tragic hero (a great character who is destined for a downfall). Within that answer, define your opinion of greatness in an athlete and the responsibility that comes with being great. (4-6 sentences minimum)


Secondly, find another tragic story of a sports star. This may take some time, so be sure to find the story of an athlete that we know. Be sure to offer background and, ultimately, the downfall of the athlete. (3-5 sentences minimum)


Be thorough!


WORTH 15 points!!!!

Coaches, Bleachers, and More

Okay, we've now read a large portion of the book (146 pages) and focused, for the most part, on the characters and who they are. Now we are going to talk about one of the main themes in the book: mentors, coaches and the impact Rake had on generations of athletes.

Requirements
1) Do you think Rake was an effective coach? Why? What was it about his style that was so result-guaranteed?
2) What is your opinion of Messina football? Why?
3) COACHES (NO REPEATS): Research a coach of your choosing (BEYOND HS, PLEASE) and answer the following in the below format.
-Coaches Name
-Coaches Resume (Schools/Teams) and Years in Sports
-Coaches Accomplishments (Records and Awards)
-Coaches Biggest Name Players
-Famous Quotes

Worth 5 points for each Bleacher Question and 20 points for the Coaches Response.

Ali -- Larry Holmes vs. the Champ

Since he burst onto the boxing scene in at the 1960 Olmypics, Muhammad Ali has been regarded as the best. In Rome, Ali won a gold medal and launched a career that saw him claim the heavyweight championship 4 years later over Sonny Liston. At the time, Ali was the youngest champion ever in boxing (broken by Mike Tyson).

In his final fight for the WBC championship belt in 1980 against Larry Holmes, Ali was obliterated by a much younger champion. Ali's loss was a tragedy to many of his supporters and fans.

In spite of that loss to Holmes and the subsequent loss in his final fight to unheralded Trevor Berbick, Ali's legacy is that of a champion. Even more than that, though, is the perception of Ali as a tremendou human being and humanitarian. With that said, we are going to take a closer look at the Greatest Boxing Champion of all time by answer the following questions.

DO NOT REPEAT AN ANSWER (This means you may have to read the posts of others).

QUESTIONS/RESPONSES:

1) What one word would you use to describe Ali? Defend the use of that word!!!! Give examples.

2) Look up information about Ali (http://www.ali.com/). What one thing did you NOT know about him?

3) What is the greatest measure of a champion, be it athlete or otherwise? Do you think Ali lived up to this? Explain.

4) Go to Larry Holmes' official site www.larryholmes.com. What three facts did you uncover about Larry Holmes?

The Great One - The Treatment of Athletes

OPINION/COMMENTARY
Since the advent of free agency in sports, the treatment of athletes has changed from revered and respected to overvalued and too closely treated like a commodity. While Billy Beane changed the way that teams managed their players and the value of contracts, he also changed the way that teams spent their money on athletes that were seemingly at the top of their games. Teams seeking to the best, began spending more to put those smaller market teams in the rear view even more than they already had been (salary-wise).

Players like Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are viewed as business partners to be paid in order to bring the franchises value to an all-time level. Franchises aren't looking so much for an identity, rather they are trying to be identified by trophies/titles.

In the 1960s and 70s, athletes were paid because they brought a level of respect to a franchise or because they were respected by the franchise. Not because they solely brought in titles. The identity of a team was based off of its athletes, not its front office.

The relationship between franchise and athlete used to be based on a mutual respect. Now, athletes rush off to attain the largest possible contract and franchises pay athletes to bring in the largest possible win total. While winning is the measuring stick for a championship franchise, the result has been an athlete more driven by the amount of zeroes on a check rather than their positive impact on the game and its fans.

Billy Beane's model of attaining athletes by statistical output has had a similar impact on sports as free agency did. Franchises trying to be more efficient coupled with other franchises wanting to spend more in order to win, has left the average to good athlete undervalued and under appreciated. Teams either want to buy the best or save the most.

Can teams have both?

Franchises should seek to do both, while also keeping prices down so that fans of all economical backgrounds can enjoy the games that are played. Players should be shown respect for their value to the culture of a team. Wins and loses do not solely identify any one franchise.

QUESTION: With that in mind, how was the treatment of Wayne Gretzky similar to the ideas presented above? Do you think that athletes that are role players or minimally paid are treated with respect? USE EXAMPLES. RESPOND TO YOUR PEERS. WORTH 10 POINTS!

Fear and Miracle

DUE Wednesday, September 7th
Directions: Answer the question(s) below by responding to the original post. Do not create a new post. Be sure that you are responding to the original so that the entire class can read your responses.

REQUIREMENTS
1. Respond to the original post in at least 3 sentences.
2. Respond to the response of one of your peers by starting with...

"I agree with [FILL IN NAME HERE]..." I disagree with [FILL IN NAME HERE]..."

PROMPT
Using Roger Kahn's article, The Crucial Role Fear Plays in Sports, explain the role that fear played in the success of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team.

QUOTES TO CONSIDER
"It is never possible to conquer fear, but it can be subdued for a time."
"Watch the great athlete work at his craft and you see someone that has know fear before and who will know again but goes about his job fearlessly."
"...there is something to cause fear in every avenue of sport, and whatever exists is sufficient. To the athlete, fear is a condition of the job."
"The other fear in sports, fear of failure, is less predictable, more common, less understood, more discussed, and runs into the science of psychiatry."
"[Fear] also strikes athletes without regard to race, creed, or intelligence. It also strikes them without regard to the actual peril in their work."