Friday Night Lights, By Steven Hilliard Stern

The individuals in Odessa have “shared values or generally accepted standards of desirability” (Wallace and Wolf 18) regarding their feelings of high school football and the meaning of coming together as a town in support for the team. Hence the values that are placed on football, solidarity, and winning the theory of functionalism can be seen and applied in Friday Night Lights.

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

Sports are something that everyone in the world, regardless of age, sex, or nationality, can enjoy. Whether it's a child playing in his first t-ball game or a professional athlete swimming in the Olympics and everyone in between, sports can connect almost everyone. Fan support and overall devotion for athletic competition has raised professional athletes to superstars and national icons; Super Bowl Sunday is a national holiday to some, and sports are one of the largest moneymakers in the economy.

In the film, “We are Marshall”, there is a major theme that includes being able to move on and a rebuilding of a community after a tragic event. In the following paragraphs I will be discussing with a chain of events how football helped rebuild a community after a tragic event and how religion and sport are intertwined. This paper is significant because within a short span it highlights different aspects of not only rebuilding a football team but a community. This paper is important because it shows how the concept of structural functionalism played a big part in this film in addition to the socialization of youth and adults in the community. This paper will also talk about major points and scenes from the film that have a connection with the

A tale can be told in several different ways. Many people are aware of the astonishing feat of the 1980 USA Olympic Men’s Hockey team, who were huge underdogs in their bid to win the gold medal against the powerhouse USSR. The movie “Miracle”, directed by Gavin O’Connor, is the dramatic journey taken by this team, from the anxiety-filled tryouts in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to the exhilarating game against the USSR in Lake Placid, New York. The book, “The Boys of Winter” written by Wayne Coffey, is based on the same events, but takes a less emotional, more factual approach to the subject. The purpose of this essay is to compare these two resources, and to discuss how they differ in tone, style, and theme.

The “Miracle on Ice,” where the United States defeated the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York will forever be known as one of the greatest moments in American sports history. This game was about more than just sports though, it signified American strength, even when faced the greatest adversities. The United States was suffering through Vietnam, Watergate, and the wrenching upheavals of the 1960s. Many believe this game was even the beginning of the end for the Cold War. The Soviet Union had won the gold medal in six of the seven previous Winter Olympic Games, and were the favorites to win once more in Lake Placid. The team consisted primarily of professional players with significant experience

Do you think fear can kill? “For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own - for the children and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to The Twilight Zone” (“Rod”). In 1959, one of the most popular television series was The Twilight Zone, wrote and produced by Rod Serling. The series includes many tales and adventures that are very thought provoking. The Twilight Zone highlights the tragedies during the 1950’s, specifically in the episode, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”. The Twilight Zone contains five seasons but only thirty-six of the episodes were during the 1950’s and 1960’s, and were based on fear and catastrophe. The later episodes of the 1960’s reflected the catastrophes in the 1950’s. In The Twilight Zone episode, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”, the events display tragedies of the 1950’s, like the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and the Space Race.

H.G. Bissinger’s Friday Night Lights occurs in Odessa, Texas where Permian football remains the diversion through which the locals are able to live vicariously through, leading to the local’s attitudes and personal lives relying largely on the success of the team. This is evident when looking at Jim Lewallen, L.V. Miles, and Charlie Billingsley.

The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.

The uplifting story of an underdog hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York is told by the film Miracle. The team is composed of many college hockey players trying to better their game play. Tryouts come and go and it is when Coach Herb Brooks reads the final roster of the 1980 Olympic Men’s Hockey Team that starts the beginning of the greatest moment in sports history.

To the average individual, the word “miracle” has many meanings. However, to the avid hockey fan, the word “Miracle” is vernacular that will be forever engrained in their hearts and history books. While the term itself is broad, miracles turn doubters into believers. This was exactly the case during the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey team shocked the world. In 1980, the U.S. men’s hockey team, consisting of college players and hopeful pros, won Olympic gold. No other Olympic performance was so uniting and inspiring to our nation. Upon scoring the game-winner and clinching the gold medal, Eruzione's goal triggered a spontaneous national celebration of amazing proportions. Overcome with joy, our nation celebrated with a display of

There are so many different sports, yet not one sport is identical to the other. Most sports have many similarities, but they have more differences. In this particular paper, I will be discussing the differences and similarities between two sports. The two sports of my choice are baseball and football. Baseball and football are the two most famous sports viewed and played in the United States. They are mostly played in high school, college, and in National Football League or Major League Baseball.

The beginning of the Olympics went well for them going undefeated, with one tie, and this led them to make the semi-finals where they would play the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union team was so good that they made it look easy to beat the NHL all-star team. Also, theUnited States had just played the Soviet Union and lost miserably right before the Olympics. The Soviet Union was returning to the Olympic to try and win their third consecutive gold medal. Although all of this being said the United States pulled one of the greatest upset in sports history by beating the Soviet Union that day. They went on to beat Finland in the final to win Gold for only the second time in the history of U.S. hockey. Miracle a true story that focuses how the hiring of Herb Brooks and his leadership throughout the story brings together a random group of talented college hockey players and turns them into a gold medal winning

Throughout the years, sports have become a major part of society. Sports, a large percentage of the time, are a part of peoples’ lives in one way or another. Whether they participate in them or just enjoy watching them, sports are a big deal to the majority of people. There are also some individuals who have redefined the expectations when it comes to certain sports. For instance, Babe Ruth redefined the way people think about baseball, or Michael Jordan completely changing the game of basketball. But Joe Louis and Venus and Serena Williams have changed their games in a way no one could have imagined. Although “Champion of the World” by Maya Angelou and “Woman Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis” by Michael Kimmelman are different, they are similar in the ways they show how the respected athletes, Joe Louis and the Williams sisters, changed the game and were seen using symbolism in racial and sexual progression.

The value of sports can be concluded into one word: influence. It is undeniable that in modern society, sports play a pivotal role in influencing the cultivation of the individual’s human nature and mind. More than often so, the individual mind is indirectly affected by the sports’ “hero-like” character that is projected by the glorified images in the game setting. Drenched in sweat, harsh lighting casted upon the athlete---creating distinguished shadows---it alludes its audience of the grit required to endure the obstacles that all athletes faced. The manner in which this is presented proclaims of hopes and dreams for those who aspire to pursue their dreams, especially in professional sports. The scale of its influence can be measured by the development of adopting a “game mentality” in dire times, especially when challenged by obstacles in life. The concept of it has progressively changed as the athlete’s actions and thoughts translate into its spectators and eventually society itself in a positive manner. Society’s perception of character in sports is positively reflected on its athletes as the essence of sports brings forth an impact on an individual’s psyche, behavior, and philosophy on the abstractions of life.