The worldwide leader in sports has been a major influence on my passion for sports as well as countless other individuals who are intrigued by athletic competition. When I was younger I received most of my sports knowledge from the newspaper and Sports Illustrated because it wasn't until I reached the 8th grade that my parents caved in and got cable television. Before this time I would watch Espn, mostly Sportscenter, every opportunity that I had and from a young age I became devoted the network because they gave me all the info I was looking for and expanded my knowledge on other events that I might not have been exposed to.
As the years have gone by there has most certainly been a change in content that reaches the airwaves. The station has aided the "Hollywoodification" of the sports world and as McQuail states on page 343, "The fan is understood to be, as least implicitly, a result of celebrity-the fan is defined as a response to the star system. This mean that passivity is ascribed to the fan - he or she is seen as being brought into existence by the modern celebrity system, via the mass media. " ESPN has given more attention to the personal lives of athletes over recent years and as a result of this the audience is being bombarded by athletes participation on the field and their extracurricular activities outside the playing field. Here is an article that raises some interesting points and examines the old ESPN to the modern day ESPN.
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Do you think that ESPN has detached themselves from the avid sports fan and sold out to become mainstream or do you think that ESPN has done something positive for the sports world, by making a larger audience aware of what is going on in athletics?
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I do think that an increased amount of media attention may cause some fans to become overly obsessed with their favorite celebrities, but the truth of the matter is that the media is just doing it's job and I don't think those in charge of media distribution can be held accountable for fans who turn violent. The thing is, people are and always have been a little crazy. They emulate celebrities to fill a void or to feel like they are a part of something big. In McQuail, Joli Jensen says that patterns in society have a great affect on the way that fans react to celebs. "What is assumed to be true of fans-that they are potential deviant, as loners or as members of a mob-can be connected with deeper, and more diffuse, assumptions about modern life" (pg. 346). Jensen goes on to say "Communities are envisioned as supportive and protective, they are believed to offer identity and connection in relation to traditional bonds , including race, religion and ethnicity...The absence of stable identity and connection is seen as leaving the individual open to irrational appeals" (pg. 346). In other words, fans become crazy for a reason and it almost always stems from drama associated with disconnection in their communities. They emulate celebrities because they do not feel fulfilled in any other aspects of their lives, and receive satisfaction through the massive fulfillment experienced by their favorite stars. So with this being said, it's hard to blame obsessed fans on the media. Especially because this isn't a new problem. As Jessica said, it goes all the way back to "Beetle Mania" of the sixties. So watch your back Miley...there's probably a creep waiting outside of your dressing room as we speak.
-Carissa
I think that there is a fine line and that line is very hard to teeter on for espn. The world of sports has transcended from purely athletic competition into entertainment and celebrity. When McQuail talks about the Hollywood-ification of American sports I think he is totally right. Now in our society the line between what can be classified as sports and what can be classified as entertainment is totally blurred. I think one of the main problems however is that there is more money to be made through the entertainment aspect of sports than for sports to make money through the purely sports side of it. Whether is be advertising or ticket sales, the more ‘entertainment’ and ‘celebrity’ like sports become the more money its going to make. One interesting thing that I can think of from last year is when Jack McDonald came in to talk to us about the Quinnipiac Bobcats website. One of the most amazing things that he went over was that the most visited of the QU teams was men’s hockey….not that surprising. But before any other sports even came close to reaching the number that the guys hockey team did, all of the players on the teams individual pages were visited. Maybe I’m not explaining this right. The players on the QU men’s ice hockey team (ie Reid Cashman), their pages were visited more often then was the page of the Women’s Basketball team or Men’s Soccer team. I think this fact solidifies the fact that the fan “is seen as being brought into existence by the modern celebrity system, via the mass media.” In the tiny Quinnipiac bubble it is even proven. Sports fans would rather get to know one single player and their massive celebrity status than they would understand and support the entire time. How interesting is it that when Allen Iverson got traded from the 76ers to the Nuggets people followed him. They could now careless about the 76ers and want Allen to win. Maybe that’s a bad example because Allen Iverson is a douchebag but I’m sure that does happen in every sport. I think people forget about the love of the game and want to route for celebrity players. Look at LeBron James and Carmello Anthony, not only are they amazing basketball players – but they are becoming style icons. Because these guys can take it to the hoop, knock people over, and down threes, guys want to dress like them. HOW INSANE IS THAT.
As someone who enjoys sports but who is not by any means obsessed with ESPN, I would have to say that while it doesn’t necessarily bother me, I do think that the strictly sports channel has sold out to be mainstream. While this might be something that infuriates most college aged male devoted sports fans, I think that its something that is understandable and some what inevitable for ESPN to fall in to. In today’s society, it is normal for various aspects to revolve on celebrity gossip and entertainment news. Take CNN for example. A television station that is supposed to be serious, important news all the time chooses Britney Spears losing her children as their top story. If CNN is going to sell out and feature celebrity gossip that has no importance in this world, it’s no surprise ESPN would do the same.
In the sports world today, the athletes that get the most attention and make the most money, for their team and for themselves, are the ones who are seen in tabloids and featured on E! News. A perfect example is David Beckham. 95% of the time that I see something about him on TV or in a magazine, its about him and his wife going to parties, not about him playing soccer. It’s no wonder that the MLS wanted David Beckham to play in the United States, just simply so that people in the United States would even notice soccer. This seems to have worked because people pay attention to David Beckham, which probably means that people pay more attention to soccer. Even if David Beckham fans aren’t soccer fans, they will become soccer fans simply to support their idol. As McQuail pointed out, “The fan is understood to be, at least implicitly, a result of celebrity—the fan is defined as a response to the star system” (McQuail Reader pg. 345).
I think that ESPN does a tasteful job in letting avid sports fans be exposed to a more personal side of an athlete. I don't think that ESPN is the new MTV and has given up its mission to soley to perpetuate the fanatical obsession with celebrities lives. I also don't think that ESPN is turning these athletes into celebrities either; they are just giving the viewers what they want.
I do believe that other media outlets do perpetuate the fandom and the celebritzation of athletes, however. Our society is slowly twisting and manipulating athletes into major celebrities, creating the Holywoodization that McQuail refers to. And our society is thriving off of this phenomenon. So, in essence, this drives fans to want to get to know more about particular favourite athletes, which drives ESPN to capture an audience by running player bios on some athletes.
Everything is in a big cycle in this situation; everything is interconnected. But the driving force behind it all is the attitude of the fans; not how ESPN is broadcasting.
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