COMM 383m

Sports, Communication, and Culture

Course Syllabus
TTh 2:00-3:20
Spring, 2020

Instructor: Dr. Dan Durbin

Office: ASCJ G21A
Office Hours: TTh 1:00-2:00, T 5:00-6:00; and by appointment.
Phone: (213) 821-6615
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @SCDurbin

Teaching Assistant:

 Sierra Bray [email protected]

Course Objectives:  This course examines the interrelationship between sports and 
media in today’s society and how that interrelationship reinforces social values, 
sometimes challenges social norms, and draws on the cultural identification of class, race,
and gender to identify sports values with cultural values.  Drawing on theories of rhetoric 
and social criticism, we will examine media’s role in telling the story of sports and, in 
telling that story, shaping and reinforcing cultural values. Students will study several
critical approaches to sports and public discourse and will apply those approaches to
sports organizations, the news media, and popular media. Learning Objectives Include:
1.) Become conversant in the language of sports business and sports media; 2.) Become
conversant in the language of sports research and theory; 3.) Understand the evolution of
sports media in the United States and its impact on American culture; 4.) Recognize
recurrent trends in sports and sports media; 5.) Demonstrate proficiency in examining
sports communication critically.

Required Reading:

Billings, Andrew C. Butterworth, Michael L. and Turman, Paul D. Communication and

Sport: Surveying the Field. Los Angeles: Sage Publications 2012.

Course Notebook (available at the bookstore).

Course Reader (available at the bookstore).

Assignments: Much of this course is taken up in a study of sports narrative in various

media and how those narratives draw on and reinforce larger social values. So, most
assignments will offer students the opportunity to carry on their own critical research into
how sports organizations and media create meaning from the events played out on the
field. Students will write one concept paper, two critical analyses, and take two exams.

Grade Breakdown:

Participation-----------------------------------------------------------------5

Defining Sport Paper-----------------------------------------------------10

Sports Event Analysis Paper--------------------------------------------15

Sport and Society Critical Analysis Paper----------------------------25

Midterm---------------------------------------------------------------------20

Final Exam------------------------------------------------------------------25

Total Points----------------------------------------------------------------100

Course Notebook: I have overhauled the course notebook (adding new sections). You
cannot take the class with an old notebook. Be sure you get the new one.

Readings: While the first readings will largely focus on critical approaches to the
subject, much of this semester’s readings will include actual reports of sporting events,
editorials on sport, and critical analyses of sports films and television shows. There will
also be articles and book chapters on larger social issues that have both impacted and
been impacted by sports and the communication complex that creates the story of sport.
Therefore, you have readings on issues of race and sport by Jackie Robinson and Frank
Robinson and issues of gender and sport by Alison Gordon (among others). We will not
discuss all these texts in detail. But, it is important that you read them (and, let’s face it,
they are a lot more fun than reading dry textbooks). They will give you a much stronger
sense of how the story of sports has been told and how that story intersects culture.

Diversity Issues: This course focuses on several important diversity issues and their
interrelationship with sports and sport culture. Issues of social class, race, and gender
have been part of the history, culture, and communication of sports since at least the
nineteenth century. During the first month of class, we will discuss in detail the role
social class had in defining the concept of “sport” and “sportsman” in the United States.
Drawing from this discussion, we later discuss the role of sports in social change and in
issues of race and gender. By its nature, sport directly impacts social values and social
change. So, it is nearly impossible to discuss sports without also discussing the ways it
has impacted society. In this discussion, we will focus on how various media (television,
film, radio) have helped create the interaction between sport and culture over these
issues.
Paper Grades: All written work is to be typed following the guidelines for research
paper writing found in either the MLA or APA handbook. Papers will be graded on
quality of organization, clarity and depth of analysis, and writing competence. Each error
in spelling or grammar will result in a reduction in your paper grade. Papers with an
excessive number of errors in grammar, spelling or MLA usage (fifteen or more) will be
returned to the author for a rewrite. Failure to rewrite the paper will result in a zero for
that assignment. Rewritten papers will be docked one letter grade for having been
rewritten.

Should you have questions or concerns regarding the grade you got on a paper, the school
identifies the appropriate procedure as follows. Take a forty-eight hour “cooling off”
period as you review the comments on your paper. If you still have questions or
concerns, contact the teaching assistant who graded your paper to set up an appointment
to review the paper. Should a question or dispute remain after discussing the grade with
the T.A. you should contact your professor who will discuss any potential next steps with
you.

Participation and Absence Policy: Attendance in class cannot be counted as

participation. Students will receive participation grades based on the quality and quantity
of their participation in class and during office hours throughout the semester. You will
be allowed two unexcused absences during the semester. Each absence beyond two will
result in an automatic 1% deduction from your final class grade. Also, remember that,
when you are absent, you cannot participate in class. So, excessive absences will also
impact your participation grade. Being tardy or leaving class early will be counted as
half an absence. Also, please turn off cell phones while in class. Leaving class to answer
a cell phone will be counted as an absence. Finally, note that the T.A.’s will be checking
on attendance from student listings in the registration file throughout the semester---don’t
rely on a friend to sign you in as, if you are found to be absent on a day that you are
signed in, you will be counted as absent and reported to student conduct.

Guest Speakers: Guest speakers take time out of their schedules to come speak with
you on important topics related to this class. Many of these people are busy executives
whose time is very valuable. They cannot be expected to take time to speak if students
are online “facebooking” or text messaging on cell phones while they speak. Any time
we have a guest speaker, you are expected to turn off your computers and cell phones and
focus on the speaker. Students found on their computers during guest speaker sessions
will be docked one point off their participation grade (one percent off their total class
grade). As we may have several guest speakers, this can add up fast.

Late Work: All late papers will be docked one letter grade for each class period they are
late. Any time after the start of the class in which the papers are due will be considered
late.

Disability Services: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a

disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each
semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from
DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible.
DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The
phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. Students requesting accommodations for
taking tests in DSP must have their information to me and DSP in sufficient time to set up
accommodations at DSP.

Academic Integrity: The Annenberg School for Communication is committed to

upholding the University’s Academic Integrity code as detailed in the Scampus guide. It
is the policy of the School of Communication to report all violations of the code. Any
serious violations or pattern of violations of the Academic Integrity Code will result in
the student’s expulsion from the Communication major or minor. If you have any doubts
about what is and is not an academic integrity violation, please check with me. The
University presumes that you are familiar with its standards and policies; should
you be found to have committed a violation, ignorance of these standards and policies
will not be accepted as an excuse.

Note: All writing assignments in this class must be turned in to Turnitin.com. We

will discuss this at greater length later in the semester.

And, Another Note: We have a TREMENDOUS volume of material to cover in this

class. We will discuss many of the articles in the course reader and many of the chapters
in the course textbook. However, we will not be able to cover all material. There will be
questions on exams over reading material not covered in class. Any questions over
material we don’t cover in class will be very simple and general and will only test your
basic comprehension of the material.

USC Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct:
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your 
own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize 
yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior 
Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus­part­b. Other forms of academic 
dishonesty are equally unacceptable.  See additional information in SCampus and university 
policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific­misconduct.
 
Support Systems:
Student Counseling Services (SCS) – (213) 740­7711 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short­term psychotherapy,
group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention. 
engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1 (800) 273­8255
Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional 
distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) – (213) 740­4900 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender­
based harm. engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp

Sexual Assault Resource Center
For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and 
additional resources, visit the website: sarc.usc.edu

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX Compliance – (213) 740­5086
Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class. 
equity.usc.edu 

Bias Assessment Response and Support
Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for 
appropriate investigation and response. studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias­assessment­response­
support

The Office of Disability Services and Programs 
Provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange relevant accommodations.
dsp.usc.edu

Student Support and Advocacy – (213) 821­4710
Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a 
student EX: personal, financial, and academic. studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa

Diversity at USC 
Information on events, programs and training, the Diversity Task Force (including 
representatives for each school), chronology, participation, and various resources for students. 
diversity.usc.edu

USC Emergency Information
Provides safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an 
officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible. emergency.usc.edu

USC Department of Public Safety  – UPC: (213) 740­4321 – HSC: (323) 442­1000 – 24­hour 
emergency or to report a crime. 
Provides overall safety to USC community. dps.usc.edu

Tentative Class Schedule and Due Dates

Weeks One, Two and Three

1/14-1/30
Introduction and Approaches to Sports Studies

During our first three weeks, we will examine approaches taken by rhetorical and
communication scholars who have critically analyzed sports discourse. We will also
trace the history and evolution of sport as an academic discipline and discuss current
approaches to the subject.

Readings: Billings, et al. Chs. 1, 2, 5 and 14 (pp. 1-46, 92-113, 306-328), Durbin, Course
Notebook-Appendix C (189-199).

Weeks Four and Five

2/4-2/13
Sports Organizations: Social Class and the Evolution of
Sports Organizations in America

During this section, we will discuss how social class determined “sporting” activity in
nineteenth century America with the “leisure” class defining “sport” as a “leisure” (not
“labor”) activity. We will also discuss how early sports organizations sought to identify
their sport with the leisure class and developed rules to identify their sport with the values
of the leisure class (e.g. incorporating “blue laws” into organizational rules). We will
examine the use of stadiums and other venues as settings for the sports drama and as
symbols used to purvey values that identify the sports organization’s goals with the
values of the larger culture.

Readings: Billings, et al. Chs. 3, 4, 8 and 13 (pp. 47-91, 161-186, 283-305).

Defining Sport Paper Due 2/13

 Week Six
2/18-2/20
News Reports: Communicating the Story

Our discussion of news will focus on the extended story of sport, media’s role in
changing information into event, narrative, and epic. We will examine the evolution of
news media, the impact of evolving media on sports narratives, and the social
implications of those changes.

Readings: Billings et al. Chs. 10-11 (pp. 209-257).

Weeks Seven and Eight

2/25-3/5
Sport Cultures and Media Narratives of Sport

We will draw on research examining the ways in which sports organizations develop and
maintain organizational culture, media construct narratives to fit social expectations and
organizational interests.

Readings: Course Reader- Trujillo, “Interpreting (the Work and Talk of) Baseball:
Perspectives on Ballpark Culture” (pp. 350-371), Hansen, “Narrating the Game:
Achieving and Coordinating Partisanship in Real Time” (pp. 269-290), Mullen and
Mazzacco “Coaches, Drama, and Technology: Mediation of Super Bowl Broadcasts from
1969 to 1997” (pp. 347-363), Farrell, “Media Rhetoric as Social Drama: The Winter
Olympics of 1984.” (pp. 158-182).

Midterm Exam-2/27
Weeks Nine and Ten
3/10-3/26
(3/17-3/19---Spring Break, no classes)
Sports, Social Norms, and Social Change: Issues of Race

We will examine issues of race and sports, the breaking of baseball’s color line, the slow
movement forward on many issues and the continued challenges. We will also discuss
issues of naming and the reification of racist assumptions.

Readings: Billings et al. Chs. 7, 9 (pp. 139-160 and 187-208). Course Reader-Miller,
“’Indians,’ ‘Braves,’ and ‘Redskins’: A Performative Struggle for Control of an Image”
(pp.188-202), Robinson, “The Noble Experiment” (pp. 38-49), Robinson Frank: The
First Year “Prologue: The First Shall Not Be Last,” Murray, “One Man’s Opinion,” “As
White as the Ku Klux Klan.”
Sports Event Analysis Paper-Due 3/12

Weeks Eleven and Twelve

3/31-4/9
Sports, Social Norms, and Social Change: Issues of Gender

This section extends the discussion of social issues to gender concerns. We will discuss
Alison Gordon and the first women sports reporters, the response of sports organizations
to the deeper involvement of women in sports, naming issues and Title IX. We will also
discuss feminist responses to sports media and the objectifying of women in Sports
Illustrated, on sports television (including ESPN and Fox Sports), and through the variety
of sports media.

Readings: Billings et al. Ch. 6 (pp. 114-138). Course Reader: Fink and Kensicki, “An
Imperceptible Difference: Visual and Textual Constructions of Femininity in Sports
Illustrated and Sports Illustrated for Women” (pp. 317-340), Gordon, “Foreword” and
“Token Broad” (pp. 7-10, 118-137).

Week Thirteen and Fourteen

4/14-4/23
Sports, Sports Gaming, Legal and Virtual Realities

Sports become part of social life as they enter homes and modify the behavior of fans.
This section explores some of the more profound changes sports have brought into
American homes. We will focus on several participant cultures that have grown from fan
reaction to sports and the appeal to fans to take part in sports as “coaches” and “players.”

Readings: Billings et al. Ch. 15 (pp. 329-350). Course Reader-Daglow and Kavanaugh
“Fantasy Baseball” (pp.629-632), Gordon, “The Fans” (pp. 86-98), Durbin, “’Take Me
Home to the Ballgame: Baseball Board Games in American Popular Culture” (pp. 1-13),
Miller, “The Boys Life in Reel Time” (pp. 64-74), Hylton, “The Major League Players
Association and the Ownership of Sports Statistics: The Untold Story of Round One”
(pp. 87-108), Uehlander v. Hendrickson, EI Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 2, July 1974.
Class Viewing: “Of Dice and Men.”
Sport and Society Paper Due 4/23

Week Fifteen
4/28-4/30
Sports and Film: Sports Myth and Reconstructing Race,
Gender, and Patriotism in Sports Films

We will study the representation of sports and sports myth from its earliest portrayal in
silent films to iconic images in films such as “Pride of the Yankees.” We will examine
the image of sports each approach creates and the sports and social values each
reinforces. In particular, we will focus on issues of race in the film “Brian’s Song” and
the reconstruction of nationalism in “Miracle.”

Readings: Billings, et al. Ch. 15 (pp. 291-308). Course Reader-Aden, “Nostalgic

Communication as a Temporal Escape: When it was a Game’s Re-construction of a
Baseball Work Community” (pp. 20-38), Most and Rudd, “Don’t Bet on it . . . The
Representation of Gambling in Baseball Cinema” (pp. 233-242). Course Notebook,
Durbin, “‘Cinderella Man:’ Deconstructing the Male Myth in American Sports Films”
(pp. 131-144).
Final Exam May 7, 2-4.

COMM 383m: Sports, Communication, and Culture

Class Assignments

Writing Assignment #1
Defining Sport Paper
3 pages
Spring, 2020

We began our semester with a discussion of sport as performative public discourse.

Drawing on ideas from Plato, Aristotle, Kenneth Burke, Richard Weaver, and Chäim
Perelman, we sketched out ways in which sport functions as a form of rhetoric, a
constructed public discourse in which rules establish preferred values and behaviors and
the actions of athletes become proofs or examples of those behaviors in action. Sports
build discourses of praise and blame from the athlete’s actions, discourses that work to
modify the behavior of the audience; to get the audience to see the goals of the sport as
having moral purpose, to identify with the praised actions of the athletes and embrace
them, ultimately, to act in manners consistent with the values praised in athletic
performance.

Your first paper is a think piece. You are to examine your favorite sport as performative
public discourse. You are to identify three well-known rules from that sport. These may
be written or unwritten rules (remember, for instance, that baseball has a whole series of
unwritten rules regarding how players in Major League Baseball are “supposed” to play
the game). You are then to offer at least one illustration of a story from the last year
(2017-18) in which an athlete succeeded or failed to fulfill one or more of those rules and
was praised or blamed for doing so. You are to find at least one story on popular media
that covered the story (this could be newspaper, magazine, popular blogs or podcasts).
You are to show how the story used the athlete’s actions as a proof or example
demonstrating something praiseworthy or blameworthy. You are then to draw
conclusions from each story regarding what readers are supposed to see as right/wrong
and the values they are motivated to embrace (e.g. a story in which it is praiseworthy to
“win at all costs” would represent a much different value scheme from a story in which it
was praiseworthy to “lose by playing the game fairly and not cheating”).

Papers must be 3 pages in length and have a minimum of four cited references. Papers
will be graded on clarity of argument, application of class theory, and writing quality.
Papers with excessive errors in spelling or grammar (over fifteen) will be returned to the
author for a rewrite. Rewritten papers will lose a letter grade and the authors will receive
a zero for the assignment until the rewritten papers are handed in.

Writing Assignment #2
Sports Event Analysis Paper
5-6 pages
Spring 2020

One of the premises of this class is that sports narratives are, to a great degree, shaped by
the media on which they exist. At the same time, we assert that elements of the sports
narrative must remain coherent across the various media on which the story is told or
they will be meaningless. In this paper, you will examine a sports narrative across
several media, identifying key elements of the narrative that shift, depending on the
medium, and elements that remain stable.

As we discuss throughout the semester, for the vast majority of its audience, the narrative
of a sporting event is created in the mediated presentation of the event. Even at live
events, fans are treated to mediated framing of the event (scoreboards, replays,
announcements of important milestones, and so on). However, the experience for those
viewing sports over traditional and online media is typically even richer in narrative
construction. The sports story told on the field or court is deconstructed by directors and
producers and announcers and reconstructed as a mediated narrative.

You are to write a critical analysis of the presentation of a single sports event across three
media platforms. One of those platforms must be traditional media (either television or
radio). Another must be some form of online media (espn.com, coverage on the league
site, or the team site, take your pick). The third must be a twitter trend on some aspect of
the game. You are to examine the varying ways in which these media create narrative
coverage of the event.

Since you must follow these narratives concurrently, you must watch a live broadcast of
the sports event as it happens. Hence, you cannot watch a pre-recorded event from
before the start of the semester. You need to watch an event as it occurs, live. Failure to
follow this prompt will result in you having to rewrite the paper.
Key to this assignment is recognizing that you are not examining the actions on the field
but the ways in which broadcasters and online sources reconstruct the actions into stories.
You are examining how these communicators create the experience of the sport for their
viewers and readers and how, in creating that experience, create messages that tell their
viewers/readers what is important, who are the heroes/agents of action, what is the
struggle or dramatic focus.

You are to use the elements of narrative theory to make your analysis. You are to identify
ways in which each narrative creates a coherent (internally consistent) story out of the
event and ways in which the three media create fidelity (or fail to create fidelity) between
their accounts. For instance, you might find a national broadcast on Fox Sports of an
event that identifies a particular player or team as failing to live up to expectations,
having a poor outing, or failing to play hard. You might find that story recast by the
team’s website so that the player or team is alleviated of blame for the failure. You can
note that these stories lack fidelity probably because of the conflicting values of the story-
tellers (the broadcasters want to offer a relatively unbiased opinion, the team wants to sell
you their product---a “great” team worth cheering for).

You are not to examine any sports from USC. You must examine a professional sports
event. I cannot make any exceptions to this policy, even if you mistakenly write a paper
on an amateur event. You will receive no grade for a paper on an amateur event and will
have to rewrite the paper at a ten percent loss of grade. So, make sure the event you want
to examine is a professional event before writing your paper.

Drawing on class theory, your analysis should examine the ways in which the directors of
classic media construct the story of the event and compare that construction with those
of non-traditional, online media. How do the play-by-pay announcer, color commentator
and director (who chooses the shots) reconstruct the game? What do they focus on (and
get you to focus on)? How do they create the impression that they are constructing an
objective report of the event? What do they do that supports the interests of the sports
team or league or athlete?

Specifically, you are to examine the construction of characters by the media. Who are the
lead characters in this story for the media? Who are the heroes and/or villains? Who are
the agents and who are the opposition? What actional tendencies do the story-tellers
point to in order to reinforce their identification of certain characters as central,
important, stars, agents, or heroes? What does this tell us about the values of the story-
tellers (what do they value in heroes/agents . . . what do they criticize in villains or
heels)?

Compare this to how the online source constructs the game. What is the focus of the
online source? If it is a “fan” site, what does it create as “of interest” to fans (in other
words, by focusing on one thing, what does it imply should be of interest to you as a
fan?)? If it is a team or league site, what does it do to promote the interests of the team or
league? What sort of advertising does it put forward? What team/athlete products,
services or events does it promote? How does it create a “home team” language (verbal
or nonverbal)?

Finally, during the game, you are to find a twitter conversation on some element of the
game and follow the conversation to its end. You are to explain how the twitter users
reconstruct the game. What do they focus on? What is of importance to them? How do
they create the story of the game or event? This should only take a limited time and a
limited part of your analysis as there are likely to be several different conversations that
appear and disappear during the time that the event takes place. Follow one, review it,
and explain how the twitter users create the game in a way that varies with those of the
more traditional purveyors of the game (and may conflict with their interests). I realize
that we are already into the era of Snapchat and Instagram and a variety of other forms of
social media that may supersede Twitter. But, for the moment, Twitter will work fine as
our engine of social media narrative.

This paper should be primarily descriptive in analysis. This means that you need to load
it up with specific illustrations from the various media you examine. You also need to
demonstrate a mastery of class concepts by showing how each narrative construction of
the event: 1.) recreates the event in a way unique to that medium and 2.) displays the
interests of the communicators who employ that medium.

Note, in spite of the fact that this is a class paper, you will be performing a pretty
comprehensive marketing analysis (albeit, brief). Central to effective marketing is
knowing your target audience(s), the media you have available and the ways in which
that media shapes your message. So, this can be a particularly valuable exercise if you
have any interest in working in sports media or marketing.

You don’t have much space (only 5-7 pages), so you need to have very clear illustrations
and explain them succinctly. This may seem like a lot to do during a single event.
However, remember that you can review twitter feeds after the event. So, make sure you
focus strongly on the broadcast of the event. C papers will simply repeat what was seen
on the various media. B and A papers will show how the different media create different
forms of communication and how the interests of the communicators inform their
discourse.

Papers will be graded on clarity of explanation and analysis, strength of insights, and
effective use of class concepts. Papers with excessive errors in spelling or grammar (over
fifteen) will be returned to the author for a rewrite. Rewritten papers will lose a letter
grade and the authors will receive a zero for the assignment until the rewritten papers are
handed in.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. I’m excited to hear about what
you find.

Writing Assignment #3
Sport and Society Critical Analysis Paper
6-7 pages
Spring, 2020

We have discussed the intersection between sports and society on a variety of issues
including race, gender, and social class. You are to trace a story involving sports and one
of these key social concerns (or other major social concerns) from the last five years.
Writing on an older story will lead to a zero on this assignment. You are to trace the
entire “story” of one major sports event of the last five years. You are to follow the
story’s trajectory from first report to last report. Thus, the story must (for the moment) be
considered dead (ended). If you have any questions regarding this, ask me.

Your analysis of the story will involve a critical discussion of the value systems the
narrators brought to this particular issue. As we’ve noted, in some cases, sports have
been well ahead of society in bringing about social change, in many other cases, sports
have been way behind society and in most cases sports have followed their own unique
value criteria in matters of race, gender, sexuality, disabilities, and social class. As we’ve
also noted, media (the story-tellers---news services, broadcasts, sports talk sites) tend to
be the arbiters of values in these cases. That is, by telling the story, they set value
expectations for audiences and motivate us to see some players as “right” and others as
“wrong.” So, the tension between the values expressed within the sport and the values of
the larger society are played out in the media coverage of the sports.

In examining the story, you are to describe the ways in which journalists portray the
values exemplified in the actions of the sports organizations and compare those with the
values the authors identify with the larger culture. You are to point out when the authors
of articles on the event praise or blame a set of actions by the sports organizations or
others. Your comparison should illuminate the distinct value systems brought to these
important social arguments and the ways in which the media shape the rhetorical
perspective of audiences concerning these values.

For example, in 1987, Al Campanis, General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, made
some infamous remarks on ABC-TV’s “Nightline” news program. Campanis stated that
African-Americans may not have the “tools” to be Major League Baseball managers.
These comments immediately caused a firestorm of controversy throughout the country.
Yet, as news organizations throughout the United States (led by ABC news) voiced anger
over Campanis’s comments, the first reaction of the Dodgers and Major League Baseball
was to defend Campanis as a leader in positive race relations in baseball. Some initial
news articles around LA even praised Campanis for his career with the Dodgers. Most of
the news media soon buried Campanis and the Dodgers over this, asserting that
Campanis’s comments were wholly unacceptable in contemporary American society. In
the face of this firestorm, the Dodgers were forced to let Campanis go. As this story
shows, the news reports both reflected and shaped public opinion regarding the Dodgers
and their general manager.

The tension between the pragmatics of sports and the views of the larger culture should
give you a fascinating field to explore in examining the trajectory of a sports story that
deals with issues of gender, race, sexuality, management and labor, classic American
value systems, social class, and so on. Reporters, caught between having to offer an
“accurate” account of events and the current social dialogue concerning events, will
shape the narrative of these events from their own and collective perceptions of values.
So, your analysis should help your reader see the ways in which all discussions of sport
promote values and how those values function between the pragmatics of sport (you’ve
got to win) and the larger social issues that sport intersect.

Do NOT start with the most famous story you know. Likely, many other students have
already started pursuing that one. Start with your favorite sport and look at various
stories from the last five years that might impact the discussion of social issues and social
change.

To examine your story, you will need to search the archives of a major news service (The
LA Times, The NY Times, etc.). You are to examine the reports to find the first notes
indicating the event(s) that reflected social change or controversy, the evolving narrative
as the story began to develop characters/setting/events/social tensions, and the climax and
conclusion of the story.

Drawing on the theoretical approaches discussed at the start of the semester, you are to
examine the narrative construction of the story, how reports turned events into stories,
how those stories framed events and sustained or challenged cultural norms, and how the
narrated relationship between characters, setting, and events exemplified the tension
between various players in the cultural drama. How do the stories represent the
characters (as good or bad, right or wrong)? What actions do the stories indicate were
bad or blame-worthy/good or praise-worthy? What actions/type of actions, then, do the
writers seek to motivate us to copy?

This is not a review of the events that were reported, nor is it a repetition of news reports.
You are to critically assess the stories, explaining their role in sustaining cultural values.

Papers should be 6-7 pages in length. Each paper should have a bare minimum of 10
cited references (you should easily find far more than this in news reports alone). All
papers must follow MLA or APA guidelines for research paper writing. Papers will be
graded on quality of writing, clarity of argument, depth of analysis, and quality of
insights. While you will need to perform only limited academic research for this
assignment (few journal articles), you will need to complete a full study of one story and
your works cited page should note references to a complete cycle of reports.

Class Grades

Final class grades will determined according to the following scale:

A 94-100
A- 91-93
B+ 88-90
B 84-87
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D+ 67-69
D 64-66
D- 60-63
F 59 and below