College Football During The Cold War Summary

In the book titled Race, Sports, and the American Dream, it discussed how sports helped change the place of African-American in society. “Sports was well segregated deep into the 20th century” (Smith 9). How college football looked in America in the 1950s was exactly how American society looked in the 1950s, segregated and racist. African-American athletes in college football helped fight and negate stereotypes because it showed that they are equally as good

I do not accept the thesis that American men living in cities before the Civil War engaged in sport primarily to define themselves, publicly, as manly. I would accept this thesis if it had stated that men living in cities before the Civil War engaged in sports to define themselves, publicly, and manly. The word that made me disagree with the original thesis is the word “primarily”. I am not stating that men did not engage in sport to define themselves, publicly, as manly, but I do not think that it is the primary reason. I would have also accepted this thesis if it had stated that men living in cities before the Civil War engaged in prize fighting primarily to define themselves, publicly, as manly. Prizefighting is a sport but it does not provide the standard for all sports. I will use excerpts from the various sources we have read in class in order to defend my position.

College football has dramatically changed how viewers watch the sport. It all started with transforming rugby into american football, which made a huge impact on today’s society. With the rules having a huge change from 1880 to the 2016 (Watterson John Sayle). Football has increased the amount of views because how popular it has become to the audience since the 1890s (Gridiron Football). Football has changed dramatically since the beginning of the game.

In Jeffrey Schranks’ short story, “Sport and the American Dream”, he is trying to show us that the sport America watches and plays, portrays America’s character as a nation. Since America goes from baseball to football we it shows us that we are becoming more violent. his comparisons of sports and war is says best how America changes as a country over the years. Back when baseball was Americas’ pastime to being a totally football country. When we were a baseball country, Americans were happier, not many cared about wars or violence just the enjoyment they got from watching the games with friends or family at the ballpark. It didn’t matter that the sport wasn’t moving at a fast pace or so competitive. Football is the

“Football became my ticket to a college scholarship which, in western Pennsylvania during the early ‘sixties, meant a career instead of getting stuck in the steel-mills” (4). Football is the number one

Bissinger shows how football is a large part of Don’s life and affects the expectations of his father, Charlie Billingsley. Watching his son play for his old high school team made him fill up with “ parental pride”.Charlie expects Don to make better choices in his life than he did when he was in high school. The narrator states, “ his sense of right and wrong had been mounted on a hair trigger.” Charlie got into many fights when he was in high school and it affected the way people looked at him as a person, even though he was a star athlete on the football team. In addition, the narrator states, “ he had the numbers, the kind of numbers that everyone in Odessa understood and admired.” Charlie was well known around Odessa for his amazing football skills and expects Don to do the same. The text states, “ not as some two-bit supporter but as a star, a legend.” Charlie doesn't want Don to just be on the team, he expects him to give it his all and become a star and a legend like he is, based on his football playing abilities, and not just the fact that he is a Permian Panther. Although the players on the Permian Panthers were automatically legends because football was such a large part of the lives of the people who live in Odessa.The narrator states, “ At the very sight of the team at the edge of the stadium, hundreds of elementary school kids started squealing in delight……. They began yelling the war cry of ‘MO-JO! MO-JO! MO-JO!’

Bissinger, in Friday Night Lights, is able to successfully argue against the overarching importance and harmful practices of football. Bissinger focuses on the negative consequences football has on the town of Odessa, highlighting injuries, unethical conduct, and the deprioritizing of academics. By using various forms of rhetoric, Bissinger is able to make the reader reevaluate their position concerning football and high school sports in general. In addition, the accusatory tone of the novel, towards football, further brings attention to the wrongs of football and the culture that comes with it. Through his mastery of rhetoric, Bissinger advances his view about the dangers of football in America to his

Football is a very popular sport. For a lot of football fans, football is their whole weekend. College football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday. Most football lovers have a day that they prefer, some choosing college football, while others choose the NFL. People choose favorites for a variety of reasons. This essay will point out the similarities and differences of college football and the NFL.

The first game in the history of college football was played in New Brunswick, New Jersey on

Ott, B. L. (2012). Unnecessary Roughness: ESPN’s Construction of Hyper Masculine Citizenship in the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal. Cultural Studies. Critical Methodologies, 12(4), 330-332.Link

Odessa’s small size makes it complicated for people to lead lives separate from football. Most everyone can say that they have taken part in the football phenomenon, the Permian Panthers. Jim Lewallen may not be a parent, but football is what he lives for. Being a retiree, Lewallen has been long removed from the highschool scene and yet he still relies on football as a pastime. He takes satisfaction in the players accomplishments as if they are his own children. It is what he looks forward to and what keeps his life interesting and prides himself in knowing all the plays. While anxiously awaiting the beginning of the season Jim explains to Bissinger, “That football is just something that keeps me going’. You know the kids’ moves, you know ‘em personally. It’s just like your own kids”(41). The indirect characterization of Lewallen in this scene leaves us to infer what he is like on a deeper level, leading the reader to conclude that Permian football is the focal point of Lewallen’s life. It presents him as protective, almost fatherly. The intensity he feels is proven when readers are informed that the players are like his

In 1975, Robert Lipsyte wrote “Jock Culture” which was in “The Sportsmaster.” It didn’t appear in “The Nation” until 2011. Analysis will examine the credibility of the examples used by the author to stage his claims.

Sports are a large part of America’s culture as well as Odessa’s. In Friday Night Lights, the players spend their entire lives training to be successful because sports are all they have to look forward to. During the final game of the season to make it to state, Ronnie Beavers told his team, “This is the last minute of your life” (326). Beavers quote shows the importance of the moment. If Permian does not win the game, they have nothing to look forward to in their future. This semi-final game is “much more than a game” for Permian. What Beaver is saying is ridiculous, the Permian players act like Football will determine their future. By following the players and the town, Bissinger is able to show readers how important sports are in Odessa. Bissinger notes how it was “obvious” that the students of Permian hold the town on their shoulders (XIV). By following the story of the American small town, including many personal anecdotes, Bissinger shows the effect that sports have in Odessa. Friday Night Lights supports Lapham’s claim that games represent much more than a game. It is not merely a game but a way of life. Permian players eat, breathe, and live football. Their lives are centralized around one thing: Football. Bissinger describes the town when he states, “If you went to their homes, you might find black toilet seats, or black seat cushions, or black phone book covers, or black paper plates, or black clocks, or black felt on their pool tables” (39). Bissinger throughout the book displays how the town revolves around sports. Everything that Odessa does is centered around the football team. The players train everyday to work to improving their record and that is all that matters to

As we moved on history, depending on the period of time that we find ourselves in, a particular sport would be important as people relate their lives into it. Mandelbaum focus on three different sports and three different time periods, to show us their relationship. He states that, sports come to play an important role in our lives as we are able relate and find a significance that represent and fits our lives. This is the explanation Mandelbaum reaches when we tries to explain why Americans had become ardent fans of sports. The three major American sports that Mandelbaum focus on are baseball, football and basketball. This sports had been chosen for America because they embody three major stages in American culture. Baseball represents the agrarian period, football the industrial revolution and basketball the new innovative and modern society.

During the early 20th century college football played a bad role and influence on American culture by diminishing a good college education. I oppose the role that college football had on American culture because it took away from the main purpose of going to college, which was getting a good education for most Americans. Since the US was involved in World War 1, many veterans came back to the US with no jobs. College coaches were exploiting veterans by concentrating on making their team better rather than wanting them to focus on an education, so that they could get a good job in the future.