NASCAR is not a sport. Period. I said it and there is nothing that can change my mind. I’m sorry but if I can do it then it cannot be a sport. The dictionary even defines a sport as something that requires physical activity. I do not consider moving a wheel back and forth. There is a requirement for how much physical activity is required and this game/hobby/event doesn’t fit this. Also, let’s face it, the only reason it has any fans whatsoever is because of the spectacular crashes that happen during the race. How entertaining can it possibly be to watch people driving? I can see that every day by going in front of the dorm and sitting by Sheridan, and I wouldn’t have to pay money to do it. Crashes are the only thing that draws people; not the so called “athletic ability” of the drivers. NASCAR is not a sport, never has been, and never will be.

Metis

Metis is the ability to seize the moment. To me metis is when you look at an athlete and say he is a clutch player. It is an intangible quality that is almost impossible to back up with statistics, and yet there is little debate over when a play is clutch or if a player can be considered to be clutch. The argument was raised as to if there is such a thing as metis, or if the “clutchness” is a product of the practice and all other factors. I say that metis is defiantly another tool; you can be the greatest player ever but may be unable to finish the big game. You can see examples of it in all sports. LeBron James is one of the best players in the NBA right now, but I would not consider him to be clutch. He can carry a team to the point where they can win the game, but he has his moments where he doesn’t seem able to finish it off. Jason Terry on the other hand is not a household name. He is a good guard and a solid player but probably will never be an all-star. However, I have seen him hit big shot after big shot. Recently he had a game where he had gone 1 for 8 with 4 points prior to the 4th quarter. But with the game tied and 5 seconds left he buries the 15 foot jump shot to win it. Even when he has a bad game he steps up at the time and seizes the moment. Metis is a skill that cannot be learned, the ability to know you can make the big shot, the clutch play and finish the game no matter what.

rant about the bears game

Below is a rant about the super bowl and the bears who didn't even show up. It is a combined work by Ross Jakobson and myself. Both of us were very disapointed in the performace of the bears and felt a need to vent.

The final score, Colts 29, Bears 17, does not give enough credit to the complete domination of Indianapolis on both sides of the football. Surprisingly, it was the smaller and quicker lines of the Colts which dominated the line of scrimmage against a team who made a name for themselves by being the more physical team. In two 1st quarter plays, Devin Hester’s opening kickoff return for a TD, and Thomas Jones’ 50+ yd run, the Bears almost equaled their offensive production for the rest of the game. Rex Grossman made crucial mistakes at the wrong time but the blame should not fall squarely on his shoulders. Desmond Clark dropped a ball on 4th and 9, which should’ve been caught even if it was in garbage time. All game long, Mathis and Freeney got pressure from the ends. John Tait looked like a mere shadow of how he played during the regular season. The Bears’ offensive coordinator didn’t do Grossman any favors. On 2nd and 1, they call a pass play after motioning Thomas Jones out wide as a receiver. Why a team who has depended all season on their running game would choose to pass on 2nd and 1 beats me. Never mind that Grossman slipped and tripped on his own, the play call was not right for the situation. Grossman’s second pick was a product of not only his own badly thrown pass, but the offensive coordinator calling a deep pass when the Colts were dropping 8 defenders into zone coverage. Why the Bears did not take a shot downfield early in the game against a suspect Colts secondary (which has worked all season long, check the Seattle regular season game for evidence), just confuses me. Weather played a factor, no doubt, but it was even for both teams. The fumble by Grossman as well as the fumble by the Colts’ Fletcher was as much a product of the weather as by a good defensive play. Benson’s injury isn’t even close to a valid excuse for why the Bears couldn’t run the ball. The Colts continued to shut down the run as they have been doing throughout the entire playoffs and Thomas Jones was better suited to exploit a Colts’ front four which tends to over pursue and get up field quickly. With the exception of the 1st quarter drive containing Thomas Jones’ long run, the Bears did not have an offensive series that a) chewed up time and allowed their defense to rest and b) helped win the field position battle let alone eating up yardage. I don’t even want to know what Grossman was thinking when he decided to lob up a pass near the sideline and subsequently intercepted and returned for a TD. But as much as the offense failed to get in rhythm, the defense has just as much blame to shoulder. In order for the Bears to have won, they had to force turnovers, and to some extent they did. An early interception, a lucky fumble recovery forced by Charles Tillman (and the rain) and a great play by Alex Brown to force a fumble on a Manning-Addai exchange kept the Bears in the game but the offense failed to capitalize. Again it came down to who dominated the line of scrimmage and the Bears did not get any pressure on Manning whether it was with a four-man rush or a blitz package. Manning was sacked only once, which came late in the game when the game had already been decided. Tank Johnson and Ian Scott generated no inside pressure and didn’t allow Urlacher or Briggs to flow free from side to side. Too many times did Jeff Saturday and other Colts’ offensive linemen get up into the second level and block Chicago LB’s. Tommie Harris’ presence was sorely missed and their performance showed that the Bears defense wasn’t the same dominating force after he and Mike Brown were injured. Even with the defensive line getting almost no pressure on Manning, missed tackle after missed tackle allowed Addai and Rhodes to get 7,8,9 yards per rush or reception. Peyton Manning wasn’t spectacular but he didn’t need to be. Ron Rivera decided that Manning was not going to beat him deep (Reggie Wayne’s TD catch was a blown coverage by the safety) and so Manning took everything he had underneath. Rhodes and Addai combined for 250 yards of offense and neither of them ran a route 5 yards past the line of scrimmage. Wayne, Harrison and Clark were held mostly in check, mostly because the safeties consistently played 25 yards off the line of scrimmage. Even if it is Peyton Manning at QB, as a defense, you have to make him try and beat you with the big plays and not allow him to continuously throw dump off patterns to his running backs which go for 8 yard gains. All the statistics are telling of a game in which the score should’ve been more like 38-10. Offensive yards, turnovers, time of possession, plays run and 1st downs were all almost 2:1 in favor of the Colts. Take away two big plays and you have an offense which failed to generate a drive over 50 yards. Anyway you stretch it, the Bears were dominated and the Colts deserved a title.

Week 6 reading

The Classification of Games
By Roger Caillios

Introduction- Caillios attempts in this section to define what a game is (not necessarily sport). He uses six characteristics to define them: free, separate, uncertain, unproductive, governed by rules, and make-believe. With the general definition in place, he then precedes to break down everything which can be called a game into four main categories.

He begins by dismissing what is currently used to divide games such as the implements used in the game, the number of players and atmosphere, and the place of the contest. None of these considerations give an accurate way to split the games into groups so he proposes a new system for dividing the games.

1) Agon: Agon name given to the group of games that involve direct competition. More than that they all attempt to create an even playing field so that no one involved in the game have any advantage. This is done by imposing a set of rules that take out other factors and force the focus of the competition to be in one specific area such as strength, speed, of intelligence. This type of competition seems to be unique to man as the rules are self-imposed and do not grow naturally. However, the author points out that there are several exceptions to this such as the bovines that lower their heads and try to force the opponent back.

2) Alea: Alea is in essence the opposite of Agon. It takes out the individual’s skill and superiorities in certain areas and depends totally on a random outcome. Most casino games fall under this category because they simply involve the player betting on a certain outcome and sitting hoping for the outcome but unable to influence it. There are also several examples of a combination of both agon and alea such as poker where there is an element of both luck and skill. All these games are only found in human society as animals have no such concept of luck.

3) Mimicry: Mimicry games tend to identify more with children. It is a game where the participants pretend they are someone or something else. This can be such things as playing with action figures or toy weapons. These games are not unique to humans and can be found in the animal world as well. It also usually involves children mimicking the adults. It also tends to use a great deal of imagination and suspension of reality.

4) Ilinx: Ilinx is “based on the pursuit of vertigo and which consists of an attempt to momentarily destroy the stability of perception and inflict a kind of voluptuous panic”. This includes both children’s games such as when kids can spin around and see who quits first or intense sports usually connected with thrill-seekers such as mountain climbing.

These groups are further broken down into two more categories, those of paidia and ludus. Paidia comes from the word child and are those that are less organized and are dome more for the fun and playful element. Ludus are those that are more organized with a stricter adherence to rules.

This reading by CLR James looks at the author’s view of sports and how important they are to him. He talks about the presence of sports in ancient Greece and how stadiums would be filled to watch to competitions. However, these times faded as theater also gave the crowds excitement, and, like sports, they could cheer for their favorites to win. After the fall of sports there was a long absence when organized sports did not exist. It was not until the mid 1800’s that associations were founded to bring back the structured competitions. Then he explores the meaning of sports in schools. The specific example is the Rugby school and the play of the schoolboys. The competition, says James, made him the man he is today and gave him all the virtues that make him a good person. Then he compares his experienced with British sports to those he saw in America. He says he was shocked at all the complaining and annoyance that were present in American athletes. He was appalled that some players had actually thrown a game and received a payment for it. He concluded that American and British sports have major differences.

Our animal instincs and education

It seems to me that the main theme of these reading was the comparison between sport and our animal ancestors. It goes into a great deal of detail in drawing comparisons between the physical reactions of a gazelle in flight and a runner during a race. The article pushes the belief that sport is a reminder of our roots as animals. The second reading is very different in its reasons and structure. It was written by an educator attempting to convince readers that education is not just about teaching the mind but also about training the body. Not only is sport heralded as an excellent way to take a break from studying, but it also helps to maintain the body which is needed for the development of students. Whereas the first article seems to be directed to a more general audience, the second article forms a much more structure argument meant to convince a specific group of the necessity of sports in education.

Philosophy of Sport

When I heard that there was a class called philosophy of sport, I knew that it was the class for me. I love sports; every aspect of it interests me: the competitive nature, the challenge of building a team that competes, the many arguments that it sparks. I thought that the title “philosophy of sport” would discuss why it is that everyone is so fascinated by sports and become such a major part of our culture. It does seem kind of strange that so many people can be obsessed with their sports teams and go through the highs and the lows along with the team. It’s something that I’ve never been able to figure out. I know that when my teams lose I feel as though I’ve lost. But why? Why is there such an obsession with following your teams movements even when their not playing. The only theory that I was able to come up with was that humans have in their basic nature a need to compete, a need to have an enemy to fight. However, in today’s culture cooperation is seen as the most important quality. To satisfy ones need to compete people find turn the teams into their own and turn the rest of the league into the enemy. The development of television and the internet also played an important role in sports grown because it allowed people to follow their teams even more closely. To me the philosophy of sport is that man needs to compete and sport is an outlet for this aggression.