TIME - OUT A+, But Which One The Balance Betweeen Athletics and Education
The Not So Beatiful Game
Pay The Price
Corruption in Fifa and the 2022 World Cup
Athlete Compensation in College Athletics
S
ports and sociology have shared a uniquely intimate relationship since the beginning of civilization. It all began with the ancient Greeks, who held the Olympics to honor the Gods of Mount Olympus. This event had such a profound impact on greek society that thousands of fans from all over Grece made the ardous journey to Athens every 4 years just to be a small part of the dazzling spectacle. Even today, thousands of years later, we remember the olympics as one of ancient Greece’s greatest achievements, among many other significant cultural indicators. Ever since, sports have reflected the values and conditions of different societies. During the dark ages, one of Europe’s most popular sports was jousting. The brutal violence and savagery of this sport reflected the constant state of feudalism and war. Furthermore, it reflected
letter from the editor the values of medival Europehonor, chivalry, and bravery. Another example is Major Leaque Baseball, which was segregated until 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. This reflected the systematic rasicm in America during the 20th century, and the decades-long fight against it. Ultimately, sports can tell us valuable information about ourselves, and the society we live in. In this issue of Time Out, we will examine some of today’s most concerning sociological issues in sports, and their effect on our society. By examining these issues, we can not only debate possible solutions, but also ask ourselves what is wrong with our society, that would allow such issues to occur. You may ask yourself, “why does this matter? How does corruption in sports effect my own life?” Well, sports belong to the people. They are our entertainment, our passion,
and, ultimately, our creation. When the integrity of sports is breached, it is our responsibility to preserve the honor of one of the greatest cultural creations of all time. Sports have defined us for centuries through their themes of honor, glory, courage, and determination. If we do not take action, we will instead by defined by bribes (p. 5), lack of consideration for other endeavors (p.14) and unfair treatment of athletes (p.20). What, then, is the best course of action. Well,
there is no clear answer. One thing, however, remains clear. We are all responsible for the fate of sports. Therefore, my colleagues and I feel the need to educate you, and all the rest of the general public, on these issues. This desire was, among other sources, our inspiration to create this magazine. We hope sincerely that you enjoy reading our debut issue as much as we enjoyed making it, and more importantly, that you gain an understanding of the importance of sports.
sincerely, 3
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Contributors Page!! N
oam Benavi was born in Austin, and has lived
there his whole life. His primary sport is rock climbing, as he climbs at the North Austin Rock Gym twice a week. He also enjoys watching, and playing recreational football, soccer, and basketball.
N
oah Hanser-Young was born in New York
City, before moving to Austin at the age of 1. Noah plays Soccer for LBJ, and enjoys playing and watching many sports. Among his favorite sports teams are Arsenal, the New York Yankees and the New York Jets.
N
asouh Dadoush has moved a lot in his life. He
grew up in Damascus, Syria up to the age of 10. He then moved to Brownsville, Texas and lived there until the age of 12, and finally he moved to Austin, Texas and has lived there for almost a year. Nasouh is on the LASA soccer team and soccer is his favorite sport. His favorite soccer team is F.C. Barcelona,
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TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Letter From The Editor
Contributors Page
pg 4
Quarterback Comparison
The differences between pocket and running QB’s
The Best Place To Watch Sports
The Rivalry
An analysis of the world’s two best soccer players
Should college athletes be paid?
Investigating corruption in FIFA
The Balance between sports and education
pg 10
pg 12
The Not So Beautiful Game
A+ But Which One
pg 6
pg 8
Comparing the world’s best sports venues
Pay The Price
pg 3
pg 17
pg 23
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Photo by Wikimedia
2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 3,127 Passing Touchdowns 18 Rushing Yards 539 Rushing Touchdowns 5 Interceptions 12
Quarterback Comparison
Russel Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton were the three quarterbacks with the most rushing yards in 2014. Of the three, only Russel Wilson has won a Superbowl, while each Quarterback have made playoff appearances.
Cam Newton #1 Carolina Panthers Defenses have had to adapt to the new running quarterbacks, including implementing Spy defenses, where one defender watches the quarterback, and makes sure he can not escape the pocket
Photo by Imgkd
Photo by The News Tribune
2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 3,475 Passing Touchdowns 20 Rushing Yards 849 Rushing Touchdowns 6 Interceptions 7
Russel Wilson #3 Seattle Seahawks 2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 3,369 Passing Touchdowns 19 Rushing Yards 639 Rushing Touchdowns 1 Interceptions 10 Colin Kaepernick #7 San Francisco 6
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Cam Newton and Russel Wilson are both 26 years of age while Colin Kaepernick is 27. Most running and mobile Quarterbacks in the NFL are younger.
Running Quarterback’s often suffer more sacks because of their rushing attempts, but often through less interceptions
Photo by Wikipedia
In the NFL, The Quarterback is the most important position on the team, responsible for passing the football. In today’s NFL many Quarterbacks are known just as much for running as they are for passing. This infographic is a comparison of this new breed of the running Quarterback with the classic pocket Quarterback
Peyton Manning , Drew Brees, and Tom Brady are three of the Most celebrated and successful Quarterbacks still playing. They have won a combined six superbowls, and have broken many NFL Passing records
Photo by Flickr
2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 4952 Passing Touchdowns 33 Interceptions 17
2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 4,109 Passing Touchdowns 33 Interceptions 9 Tom Brady #12 New England Patriots Pocket Quarterback’s often sustain longer careers because they take less tackles and hits over the years. Peyton Manning is still one of the best Quarterback’s in the league at age 39, while Tom Brady is 37, and Drew Brees is 36
Photo by USA Today
Drew Brees #9 New Orleans Many Quarterbacks in Today’s NFL such as Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck are predominantly pocket Quarterbacks, but also have mobility and are able to scramble for significant yardage.
With Aaron Rodgers winning the MVP award in 2014, and Andrew Luck being considered the future greatest Quarterback in the NFL, this Hybrid Quarterback may be the future of the league
NFL Stats and information from NFL.com, espn.com, and sbnation.com
2014 NFL STATS: Passing Yards 4,727 Passing Touchdowns 39 Interceptions 15
Peyton Manning #18 Denver Broncos Time out
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Story By Noam Benavi
FOOTBALL
THE BESt PLACE TO WATCH sports
photograph courtesy of Joe Ramirez
Built in 1924, Soldier Field is the second oldest NFL stadium. By no means, however, does this mean it possesses no modern anemities. Among other luxuries, soldier field has WiFi, bike racks, charging stations for electric cars, and ADA services. Despite these luxuries, Soldier field still manages to maintain its old fashioned charm, creating the perfect game day mood.
SOCCER
photograph courtesy of SportLocker
Allianz arena is easily the most visually striking arenas in the sport of soccer. Its signature diamond patterned exoskeleton, whose color is determined by how well Bayern (the team that owns it) is playing, is one of the most recognizable structures out of all European stadiums. Allianz also flaunts the largest club museum in all of Germany.
The venues in which we watch sports vary in personality and atmosphere just as much as the sports themselves. These specific venues below reflect all of the best aspects of their sport. Some are charismatic and historical, while others are modern and cuttingedge, but they all have one thing in common- their memorability.
BASKETBALL
photograph courtesy of Jayhawk Talk
Few basketball stadiums can compete with Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Kansas Jayhawks. In men’s basketball, Allen Fieldhouse has hosted 37 NCAA tournament games. Sportswriter Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register calls Allen Fieldhouse “the best place in America to watch college basketball.” The recent $3.5 million renovation has made this legendary arena even better.
SOURCES: http://www.soldierfield.net/content/stadium-amenities, http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/2013/6/2
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FO RMULA ONE
photograph courtesy of RTL
HOCKEY
photograph courtesy of The Itinerant Fan
The Circuit De Monaco is widely considered to be the most prestegious racetrack in all of motorsport. Gorgeous views of downtown Monaco and the harbor make the course beautiful, and tight turns and tunnels make the race itself beautiful as well. The race has occured every year since 1929, giving the track a blend of historical prominence and moderm excitement.
The main strength of the Consol Energy Center (home of the Pittsburgh Penguins) is its versatility. Aside from hockey games, Consol also frequently hosts concerts and family events. Consol is also one of the most comfortable NHL arenas, with 2ft wide seats, 236 box seats, and a private, executive suite level. Other amenities include a fine dining location, and an HD jumbotron.
photograph courtesy of Benjamin Wood
photograph courtesy of Joann Dost
B A SEBA LL
GOLF
Coors field, the home of the Colorado Rockies, offers a stunning view of the Rocky Mountains rising in the distance. Because Coors is a mile above sea level, the ball travels 9% farther when hit. making it the most homerun heavy park in MLB. As a result, games at coors are exciting and high scoring. With many bars and modern architecture, coors is a home run.
Cypress point has an almost revered position in the golf lexicon. This course was ranked 2/100 in the world by the prestegious Golf Magazine, and has recieved numerous other accolades as well. The only thing that is more impressive than its awards is its natural beauty. The 16th hole, which requires a shot over the pacific ocean, is considered one of the most beautiful in the sport.
photograph courtesy of Mic
photograph courtesy of Rob Byrne and associates real estate
TENN IS
Court Philippe Chatrier has hosted the annual French Open since 1928, but is the best tennis court in the world for many other reasons as well, cheif among them its large capacity (14,840 spectators). It also has a beautiful court surface, made from white limestone and red brick dust, and a lovely view of Paris. In 2019, a retractable roof will be added as well.
S K I I N G / S N O WB O A R D I N G
Vail Resort annually hosts the Alpine World Ski Championships, one of the most prestigious events for the sport. Vail’s vast size and infrastructure allows for the event to proceed smoothly year after year. If you find yourself tired of watching, however, there are 5280 skiiable acres for you to explore. To cap it off, Vail is also one of the most visually stunning destinations in all of America.
27/GEN_0627134307.aspx, http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=history
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I
n the world of soccer there are many rivalries. The most intense, between the top two modern players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, is compared using stats in the 2014/15 season. Information gathered from FIFA. Photograph courtesy of Fanny Schertzer
THE RIVALRY:
Messi
el Lion
Minutes
3711
All Time
Shots
• Ronaldo won the
219
Ballon d’Or the past two years,
Assists
20 Goals
49
Messi playing against Portugal in the world cup. Information Gathered from: • FIFA website • ESPN FC website • FC Barcelona official Website
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Pass %
84
Messi won four years in a row from 2009-12. • Messi scored 30 Hat Tricks (three goals in one game) which is more than any other player.
2014/2015 Season
o tian s i r C
Ronaldo Minutes
Records
By: Nasouh Dadoush
Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
3386
• Even though
Shots
Messi took
185
more shots than Ronaldo, he scored more goals than Messi.
Assists
16
• The most goals that Messi and Ronaldo have scored in one
Goals
50
game is five for each player.
Pass %
Ronaldo walking into the field in the world cup.
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ByNoahHanserYoung
The Debate of College Athletics Compensation 12
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t was March 31, 2013, and millions of people were watching the Louisville Cardinals take on the Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA men’s basketball march madness tournament’s elite eight. Louisville guard Kevin Ware attempted to block a three pointer thrown up by Tyler Thornton, a move which ended up having immense consequences. Kevin Ware fell awkwardly and suffered a gruesome leg fracture. The injury kept him out of regular season action for the entire next year and most likely ruined his future prospects as a professional basketball player. That year, as a freshman, Ware, along with his teammates, helped generate millions of dollars for the University of Louisville basketball program and the sports media corporations financing the team. In this lucrative enterprise, Ware put his body and health on the line, and as a reward, Louisville paid for his medical expenses and his tuition, until he left for Georgia State. In a matter of 60 years, college sports has transformed from amateurism to a multi-billion dollar industry, but has the treatment of student-athletes transformed with it? Who benefits from this billion dollar Industry, and who is being taken advantage of? The college sports system in the United states is unlike that of any other country in the world. The United States is the only place in the world where the best young athletes develop their talents in college, rather than in semi-professional development leagues or clubs. According to Professor Robert Benford, a sociologist at the University South Florida, the system the United States has in college sports is odd. Compared to those of other countries. “They have club sports in most European countries. They don’t try to mix [college education and the development of professional athletes], they don’t try to pretend that they go together,” Benford said. So why is the United States the only country to take up this model of a student-athlete and turn it into a giant industry? In many ways, this system can be harmful to the academic mission of universities. “I think the athletic mission tends to undermine the academic mission. That’s my bottom line. And whether
or not it can change? I’m sceptical that it will,” Benford said. “Now you have a multi-billion dollar industry, you have too many vested interests, most college presidents are less powerful than the athletic directors and the football and basketball coaches depending on whether it is a football school or a basketball school. So usually in most states, the highest paid public employee is the coach of either football or basketball at one of the major universities.” How odd that the most powerful and best paid employees at universities-an institution whose main mission is to educate-- are not even in the business of education. So how did we get to this point? It turns out that college sports were not always as big and commercialized as they are today. William Young played college football at Oregon State from 19551957. In his last year as a Beaver, his team went to the Rose Bowl. The atmosphere around college football was much different then than it was today. “I don’t remember anybody ever leaving that went to the pros before they graduated from college. It was entirely different, there was much less emphasis on the professional game at that point,” Young said. “When we came in, some people might have thought that it was
“ ”
I don’t remember anyone leaving for the pros before they graduated college
a stepping stone to the pros, but I don’t think it was talked about or anybody really believed it. They were there just to play football and get an education. It was not as commercialized as today.” Sixty years ago, college sports was still clearly amateur sports. It is not today. Currently there are 19 players from Oregon State University in the NFL, and Oregon State hands out more than 50 scholarships every year to high school athletes hoping to follow in their footsteps. According to Benford, many student-athletes do not play college football because they love it, or even because its a hobby. “Being an athlete in a big time college sports program is a 12-monthPhoto by Wikipedis
College Football was much different in the 196’s Time out
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out-of-the-year, 40-to-60-hour-a-week job,” Benford said. “I taught sociology of sport where I’ve had a number of student athletes in my classes. And they almost person to person will tell you they don’t do it for fun. They don’t do it because they have a passion for it. They don’t do it for the love of the game-- all these ideals that we think and the Hollywood movies portray. They do it because it’s their job, and so it becomes very commodified labor.” Nowadays, being a studentathlete is a serious time commitment and job. The way colleges compensate these athletes for all this work is by giving them college scholarships. In the 1950s, William Young earned a scholarship from Oregon State to play football. “Our package was free tuition and room and board,” Young said. “We also got some allowance. I think it was somewhere around $50-$100 a month for our laundry and other incidentals.” As it turns out, players at Oregon State and other universities today earn almost the exact same compensation package that players did 60 years ago. According to the National College Athletics Association, full scholarships cover tuition and fees, room, board, and required course-related books. If anything the compensation athletes receive today has decreased in value as the business of the college sports has boomed. Sixty years ago, student-athletes were bonafide students as well. “I was in engineering,” Young said, and the team “never bothered me as long as I kept my grades up. I think there was some tutoring for some students that were struggling, but I don’t remember a lot of that going on. I remember in some cases there was talk that if you were hav-
Alabama has one of the most recognizable and sellable logo’s, but staium costs and even travel c ing difficulty go to this professor or go there or go to that class, and I think there was some tutoring available, but it wasn’t really a big issue that I remember.” Sixty years ago, student-athletes could major in engineering. Today, that is much more difficult in big college sports programs. Benford, who taught at the University of Nebraska for a number of years where he served on the school’s athletic oversight commission, paints a very different picture of student-athletes today. “Well I think it is probably unPhotograph By Flickr
Many College Athletes can‘t take certain classes becuase of their demanding schedule 14
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fair to paint with broad strokes, because there are some excellent athletes that are excellent students, but the system is set so that it really undermines most athletes. At least in the high profile sports they don’t have the same educational opportunities that the non-athletes or normal students have,” Benford said. “So for example if they want to major in a science, or in a pre-med field or something like that, its very difficult because those coaches will not let them out of practices which take place in the afternoon for those kind of courses and these kinds of majors. So what you will find is a cluster of athletes in majors where they don’t need that kind of intense lab work and so forth, and so I think for one thing it affects their opportunities, so in some ways they the athletes are victims.” Today in college sports, Commercialization rules. Nearly everything in and surrounding the industry has transformed from amateurism to professionalism, from recreation to big business. Everything except for the compensation of the student-athletes. Some think this is about to change. Paying students-athletes
Photo By Wikipedia
costs for the team, band, and othergroups can add up. for playing college sports seems like the next logical step, given how big a business it has become. “I think the top five are already moving in that direction, the five power conferences. How much it remains to be seen,” Benford said. “But what this is going to create is even a more stratified or more greater inequality between the have and the have nots among the institutions. So that it will be very difficult for some of the financially stressed universities to be able to compete to recruit athletes.” Although some of the major schools may be able to afford to pay col-
“
lege athletes, how would it affect a university’s other athletic programs and academics as a whole. Dennis A. Johnson, professor of Sports Sciences at Wingate University believes paying student-athletes will have a negative effect. “I am not in favor of pay to the athlete. As a former NCAA Division I college wrestler, it will simply mean that Olympic sports like wrestling will be eliminated to pay the football and basketball players,” Johnson said.. If paying athletes in the big college sports like football and basketball would negatively affect other sports pro-
... even if you are on the administration of one of these universities, you don’t really know how much the program is earning and costing.
”
grams at universities, how would it affect their academic programs? Many people think that most universities make big money off of their football and basketball programs, but is that really the case? “I learned when I was chair of the athletics committee at Nebraska that there is a lot of manipulation going on with the budget,” Benford said. “At Nebraska they kept three books: one for the NCAA, one for the general public, and one internally so they could do managements, and they weren’t all the same. The numbers weren’t the same, the figures weren’t the same. So you don’t know if you are a regular citizen, or even if you are on the administration of one of these universities, you don’t really know how much the program is earning and costing.” In reality, even someone who was the chair of athletics committee at a university may not have a clear picture of how much a college sports program is earning or costing a university. Sheldon Ekland-Olson was provost, or second in command, at the University of Texas from 2000-2008. He oversaw the budget during the football team’s glory years--including 2005 when they won the National Championship in 2006. “The first question is whether or not the amount of money brought in by football and by basketball carry the rest of the sports. Then, if they carry all the rest of the sports, is there is some surplus,” Ekland-Olson said. “When I first became provost, the university was giving money to athletics, not the other way around. That made no sense at all ... At a certain point athletics started giving $1 million a year back to academic programs.” The University of Texas is one of the few universities where the sports program brings in a surplus or actually makes money, and even at Texas it did not do this every year. One major reason for the surplus at Texas is that it brings in major money from logo merchandising. “For the University of Texas the trademark revenues are substantial,” Ekland-Olson said. “I am pretty sure a large portion of that [revenue] still goes to athletics.” The University of Texas has one of the most recognizable and marketable merchandise of any college in the United States. A large majority of colleges do
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Photo By Wikimedia
Revenue earned by athletics programs are often put back in to build and upgrade facilities not have that advantage and because of that their athletics programs do not make money. The money they get out of the football or basketball programs sports all goes back into athletics program. “I’m making this up in terms of the numbers, but there are maybe five or six other universities that make money off of athletics,” Ekland-Olson said. “The rest of the universities subsidies athletics.” So why do only a small number of schools make money off of their athletics program, when so much money is made off of ticket sales, advertising, contracts with TV networks, and merchandising? What happens to all this money generated by the athletics programs? “It goes into programs, into equipment, into upgraded facilities, into indoor practice fields,” Ekland-Olson said. “It basically goes to support athletic programs.” Much of the money that is generated by college sports also flows to select individuals in the athletic programs like high-paid coaches and to people outside of universities like media executives and advertising companies. While these non-educators make millions off college 16
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sports, universities, as a rule, do not. So what makes universities want to provide these minor leagues for the NFL and the NBA? “Colleges sort of used it as a way of providing all kinds of spectacles that they can recruit students and so forth around and some alumni donations,” Benford Said. College sports might provide entertainment for students to enjoy, but for smaller universities, they can actually harm the student body more than they help them. When Robert Benford taught at Southern Illinois University, he saw this harm in action. “The university ended up building a $285 million, and this was at a time when literally in the classrooms we taught in, the ceiling tiles were falling down on the students heads. Because we had deferred maintenance of $65 million,” Benford said. “So there were buildings that needs to be fixed and infrastructure that needed to be repaired and so forth so that we could have a healthier environment for student learning that weren’t being done while they’re spending all this money on football” The few select universities that do make
some money off of sports in the near future may start to pay student athletes, so what will happen with the college programs that cannot keep up with the big universities? “I think eventually some of the lesser schools will probably abandon the model and say ‘we can’t compete with them, we shouldn’t shouldn’t try to compete with them, we should get out of the edutainment industry and go back to what we do well, which is educating people and not trying to entertain people,” Benford said. “So I think we are going to see fewer and fewer universities and programs that are going to be running the whole show. They are going to have all the power, and they’re are going to dictate how it’s all done. They’ll decide how the playoff is all structured, what the rules are, how the money will be divided for the athletes and all that. The rest of them will probably go back closer to a model for amateurism where people are there voluntarily who are also students which you find at some of the smaller Division III programs where the students are students first and athletes second.”
THE NOT SO BEAUTIFUL GAME STORY BY NOAM BENAVI
D
An artist’s rendering of part of the 2022 World Cup complex ec 2, 2012- The soccer world held its breath as the moment drew nearer. From the villages in the Ivory Coast to the beaches of Brazil, nary a breath could be heard. An impeccably dressed, balding man slowly approached a podium, on top of which stood the FIFA World Cup Trophy, sparkling and shining in the soft, blue light of the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. He was barely 5’7”, but he had the power to influence international relations for decades to come. His warm smile was overshadowed by his dark and stormy eyes, revealing no hint of emotion. His mellifluous voice rang through the room, speaking of unity and fair play, but it did nothing to calm the anxious viewers. At last, President Sepp Blatter slowly opened the envelope and read the words that would change soccer history: “The 2022 World Cup will be organized in Qatar.” The reaction was
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immediate and electrical. The room broke out into applause, and the Qatari representatives hugged in elation. President Blatter cordially congratulated them, speaking cheerfully. This seemingly carefree bliss, however, was not to last. For the last five years, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (more commonly known as FIFA) has been under investigation for major rule violations during the 2018 and 2022 world cup host selection process. This investigation was led by Michael Garcia, an American lawyer, who submitted over 400 pages of findings to FIFA’s ethics committee in September 2014. One of Garcia’s most concerning claims was the accusation of Qatar’s bid committee carrying out unethical requests from corrupt FIFA officials. Many investigative reporters suspect that Mohammed Bin Hammam, a former Qatari football official, had taken bribes from FIFA officials. Bin Hammam
Photograph Courtesy of Taringa was discovered to have bribed numerous countries’ football associations prior to the 2010 world cup bid in a campaign scandal (Hammam was running for the position of FIFA president). The possibility of corruption at FIFA’s highest level of governance, however, is not the only issue at hand. There are also socio-politicoeconomic impacts to the 2022 world cup (the possibilities of rampant human rights violations and economic distress in Qatar as a result of the games are among many relevant possibilities). Tense relations between countries in the gulf region will put to the test. Ultimately, the future of soccer, Qatari society, and international relations will be determined in the mysterious gulf state of Qatar in 2022. Although it is impossible to fully prove the presence of corruption in FIFA’s world cup bidding process, many experts think that there is evidence to support this theory. “I think it’s pretty
clear the the process, as it was held the last time, was flawed. But the new process, of having each of the national associations voting, presents its own problems as well,” Sam Borden, a New York Times sports journalist, said. “No set-up will be perfect. It’s hard to see the allegations disappearing until FIFA gets serious about transparency in all of its dealings. Since that doesn’t seem to be a top priority for Mr. Blatter, I’d imagine that the general public sentiment about FIFA won’t change anytime soon.” Corruption can be a big issue in any large sports organization. Corruption scandals have also rocked organizations such as the National Football League and National Basketball Association. “Corruption in any organization, FIFA or otherwise, is a problem because it gets in the way of fair and honest interactions. In business, just as in sport, those basic tenets should be central to how any entity operates. Without it,
Doha, the capital of Qatar, will host the 2022 World Cup you lose the trust of the people involved and that’s something that has ramifications in so many areas,” Borden said. It can be very difficult to address the issue of corruption, because it is difficult to find and prove its presence. Corruption is also kept hidden and secret from the general public, because the consequences for corruption are often severe. “Transparency is critical,” Borden said. “Letting people know how decisions are made, down the very last detail, makes it much easier for people to accept decisions even if they disagree with them. I think FIFA would do well to embrace transparency and, at a bare minimum, doing so would help change its public image.” Despite the suspicion that surrounds the honesty of Qatar’s world cup bid, there are certain advantages to the world cup being hosted in Qatar. Qatar is a very resourcerich country that can afford
to host such a large event. “As someone who appreciates the global popularity of soccer, I think it’s good that FIFA wants to expand the reach of the game and put the World Cup in places where it hasn’t been,” Borden said. “My sense is that the advantages are the proximity of the game sites (though that could also lead to some serious congestion) as well as the resources of the Qatari leaders.” Cody Moody, a world geography teacher at LASA, agrees with Borden. He thinks that Qatar’s strong financial foundation will help Qatar successfully host the world cup. “I think that them taking this on and having a pretty solid financial founding to be able to host such an event, I think that they’re going to pour a good amount of money into the building of stadiums, air conditioning, and air conditioned stadiums,” Moody said. Neil Loewenstern, a world geography teacher at LASA and a colleague of Cody
Photograph courtesy of Wall Alphacoders Photograph courtesy of The Washington Post
Sepp Blatter determining the host country of the 2022 World Cup Moody, believes that hosting the world cup in Qatar could have cultural benefits as well as financial benefits, especially the education of western citizens about the gulf region. “I think that just bringing awareness to this region of the world, and just the people who live in the Persian Gulf, their culture, their religious beliefs, I think this is a part of the world that people probably don’t know a whole lot about, or have a lot of stereotypes about, and I think that could also be a
Photograph courtesy of Sportsgrid
Blatter hands the trophy to Qatar Photograph courtesy of FIFA
Qatar formally accepts the responsibility of hosting the event.
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“Qatar gets a lot of headlines in the west, more often than not, for questionable relationships that they have with their guest worker population,” The treatment of these guest workers is very suspect” -Cody Moody benefit,” Loewenstern said. Unfortunately, there are also problems with hosting the world cup in Qatar that only increase the already high level of suspicion, especially Qatar’s swelteringly hot summer temperatures. Traditionally, the world cup is held during the summer, but in 2022 it may be held in the winter because of Qatar’s dangerously high temperatures. Both a summer and a winter world cup, however, present their own problems. “I think the idea of playing a World Cup in Qatar in summer was always a flawed concept and I don’t think the idea of a winter World Cup was fully, and fairly, laid-out before the balloting,” Borden said. “From a more human standpoint, the reports of rampant human rights violations during the construction process have been very, very troubling.” Loewenstern agrees with Borden. He believes that Qatar’s closed society will pose a problem for Qatar in hosting the world cup. “I think opening its culture will be something that it’s really going to need to do in terms of welcoming people, and allowing people to freely move about in the country, as well as being, whether they’ll be able to freely express their
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opinions and views, political views and social and cultural views,” Loewenstern said. “That’s definitely, I think, going to be a challenge.” Other disadvantages to hosting the world cup in Qatar are the exclusiveness of its culture and the cultural differences between Qatar and western countries like the United States, such as Qatar’s negative attitude towards alcohol consumption. “The consumption of alcohol is frowned upon in muslim countries. I think that people at these events would probably want to consume alcohol, as well as parties, so how that will be handled,” Loewenstern said. “This is also a very conservative muslim society where women generally, at least Qatari women, probably generally are covered in some form or fashion, and aren’t as free to move around, and go to sporting events. Obviously, lots of women are going to come to see these games, and are going to be allowed to do those things, so whether that brings a challenge to, in some way to Qatari culture, or to the Persian Gulf culture, that will be something too.” Qatar is also known for its hostility towards homosexuals, but Moody believes that this will not be an impedi-
ment to the success of the event. “You had a similar issue with the winter olympics in Sochi, in Russia,” Moody said. “It was right before the Sochi olympics, when this harsh legislation passed in Russia that cracked down on the LGBT community, and made it more difficult for people to out themselves in public, because there may be legal repercussions for it. And people around the world, they’re not watching Qatar’s human rights record.” Qatar is a very fascinating country from a sociological standpoint. The country is becoming a formidable player in the game of
trade and international relations, but is still a relatively unknown country to many citizens of western countries such as America and Great Britain. The attention it does get from the west, however, is not always positive. “Qatar gets a lot of headlines in the west, more often than not, for questionable relationships that they have with their guest worker population,” Moody said. “The treatment of these guest workers is very suspect by the outsiders’ account. Most of these individuals are from South Asia, from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and they’re put in a situation where once they arrive in Qatar and start working in Qatar, the working conditions are less ideal than they had hoped. They are basically being put in a situation of indentured servitude.” One of the most pressing concerns about the building of infrastructure for the world cup is the possibility of increased use of migrant labor and unfair treatment of the workers. The Qatari royalty is not accustomed to carrying out manual labor themselves, and
Photograph courtesy of Public Domain
The gulf region is one of the most affluent world regions
the native population of Qatar is very small, so this concern is likely to become a reality. “The thing about the sheiks and princes and sultans in these countries in the gulf region, they don’t really do labor intensive work,” Moody said. “That’s not really something that’s part of their, kind of, way of life, of their culture, particularly after the discovery of oil wealth. So, you don’t see sheiks, and Qatari citizens building factories. That’s just not going to happen, so if they’re going to build stadiums, and build all the infrastructure that’s needed, it’s definitely going to require guest workers, and arguably more guest workers than they have within the country at this point.” Qatar’s government has a monarchical structure, with an omnipotent and often corrupt royalty. The divide between the royalty and citizens of Qatar is very wide, and can lead to conflict. “It’s definitely not democratic, the royalty and the royal people of Qatari descent get the perks in society, and if you’re a guest worker or an outsider, you don’t get those perks,” Moody said. Qatar also possess a number of security risks that could be major impediments to the success of the event, especially concerns with terrorist groups in the area. “I think there’s some private Qatari individuals who have been suspected of supporting terrorist organizations, and having financial ties to terrorist organizations,” said Moody. “In terms of security for the event, anything could happen, but I don’t think that it’s going to be a problem, given the finances of Qatar.” Loewenstern agrees with Moody. He believes
Photo coutesy of Luggage Online
Death rates among migrant workers in Qatar have increased in 2014 Photo courtesy of SBS
Migrant laborers earn $8 for 15 hours of work Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera
Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has caused an worldwide uproar that the possibility of terrorist groups in the region is a threat that deserves attention, but that is within Qatar’s ability to prevent. “I think it’s a security risk,, but that’s not beyond taking care of too, in terms of increased security,” Loewenstern said. “I think we saw, with the olympics in Sochi, I think we had a simi-
lar fear, the various terrorist groups in the caucasus region, that never really materialized, and I think the same would probably be true with the world cup and the security measures that could be put in place to help protect visitors.” The world cup is likely to have a significant economic impact on Qatar, but whether it will be a nega-
tive or positive impact is up to speculation. Moody believes that the impact will be negative unless Qatar is able to use the infrastructure they built after the world cup. “It kind of goes back to the idea of how the infrastructure that’s developed, do they have a long term strategy for conversion of this infrastructure to some other purpose where it will continue to generate revenue,” Moody said. “If not, then they’re going to lose money in the long run. And losing that money, that may be the cost they’re willing to pay for this momentary prestige. The other question is do we think Qatar is going to be better off in the long run, right after having hosted the world cup, which there’s a ton of studies that have shown for countries that have hosted the world cup and/or the olympics that the end result of that event is loss of money.” Loewenstern disagrees with Moody. He believes that the world cup will benefit Qatar’s economy through the money spent by visitors coming to the event, which makes up a significant portion of the world cup’s income. “I mean, Qatar’s economy obviously will take a huge boost, if people come,” Loewenstern said. “That’s the other thing, if people are really going to choose to go to Qatar for this, as a destination, so that will absolutely bring in lots of money.” Of the many possible effects that the 2022 world cup may have, its influence on international relations is arguably the most important. Moody is hopeful for improved international relations as a result of the event, but he is skeptical as to whether this will actually happen.
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“It [the world cup] might really be seen as an opening. It could be seen as a rather, again, sort of closed, conservative society, welcoming the world into its country” -Neil Loewenstern “I think I’m on the skeptical side here, of this,” Moody said. “I don’t see how that’s going to translate, how hosting the world cup is going to translate automatically into better relations with neighbors and with the world. I don’t see Qatar reforming itself, or changing itself by the time this world cup rolls around. I mean, societies don’t just change overnight, and the perception that countries have of Qatar, that doesn’t change overnight, even with the world cup.” Loewenstern disagrees with Moody. He believes that the world cup does have the potential to improve international relations with certain countries,
because of the significant interactions between delegates that occur at the event. “The United States, which already has a pretty close relationship with Qatar, I could see that maybe being a benefit, as more americans probably are going to travel to Qatar to see the games, same with other European countries, as I think lots of europeans will travel to the games, and I think for latin americans as well, it may be a destination that normally wouldn’t be on their radar, and they may choose to go just because of the love of the sport,” Loewenstern said. Loewenstern also believes that some countries’ relationships with
“Transparency is critical. Letting people know how decisions are made, down the very last detail, makes it much easier for people to accept decisions even if they disagree with them” -Sam Borden 22
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Qatar will decline, due mostly to conflicts over the treatment of migrant workers. “Nepalese migrants have died at a rate of one every two days in 2014, so that definitely could be something that impacts relations with Nepal, or with India, Pakistan, or anywhere workers are coming from,” Loewenstern said. “I mean, it [the world cup] might really be seen as an opening. It could be seen as a rather, again, sort of closed society, conservative society, welcoming the world into its country. And that could have an impact, where you really see Qatar being a country that people know about, possibly even choosing to visit, and having that impact on the people of the country, kind of reaching out to the rest of the world, that could have a positive impact I think.” Many soccer fans would rather the world cup be hosted in a different country, due to the exclusiveness of Qatar’s society, the uncomfortable heat (unless the tournament is held in the winter), and the inconvenience of travel to Qatar. Peter Kaufman, a professor of the sociology of sport at New Paltz University, has suggestions for alternative locations. “When the World Cup comes to many countries, like in South Africa and Brazil, inevitably the poor and impoverished suffer...maybe it should just be held in regions (Europe, North America, South America) where the sta-
diums and infrastructure are already in place,” Kaufman said. The words that Blatter spoke of fairness and world peace four years ago at the world cup host selection were inspiring to many at the time, but after considering the evidence for corruption and sociological travesties committed daily in Qatar, many people found Blatter, and the entire world cup process, to be utterly insincere. “I don’t really have the idea that the olympics and the world cup promotes itself as this unifier of the globe,” Moody said. “That’s a misnomer. I mean, that’s completely false, thats an illusion. If anything, it highlights the division of countries around the globe. The game itself is a unifier, but beyond that, nothing else.”
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An in-depth look of the balance between sports and education. Time Out
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ichael McAdoo, a former UNC football player, filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina(UNC) because of the
Education has to come first. I say this because student athletes very rarely are able to make a professional career in sports. -Larry Needham
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poor education he received in his college years. Several months later, Rashanda McCants and Devon Ramsay, two former women’s basketball players, filed another lawsuit against UNC and the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA), for a similar reason. The lawsuits accuse the NCAA of acting carelessly in its oversight role when it should have been ensuring academic integrity at NCAA colleges. The balance between sports and education has been an issue for so long and these two lawsuits support that. Students who don’t care about an education or don’t get the chance to get a good quality one will most likely 24
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struggle in their future. “Education has to come first. I say this because student athletes very rarely are able to make a professional career in sports. A good education will help them as they enter the workforce,” Larry Needham , an athletics director in the University of Texas Southern University said. “ Also, if the student athlete is not making their grades, they will not be able to compete due to NCAA standards. I view sports as part of their education.” Harrison Lee, LBJ high school soccer player, and Andrew Jackson, LBJ high school varsity football coach, agree. But when they were asked to compare past and present, they each went a different way. “Sports go year round even if you have breaks in the summer, they are for education, and athletics is still going full blown and it wasn’t like that when I was growing up, you still play but it wasn’t so tense,” Jackson said. Needham disagrees. “I don’t think much has changed. The rules have always been in place on the amount of time a student athlete can participate in sports activities.” I asked Lee and jackson about their opinion about how unfair it is for hardworking students not to get into a school just because a sport-scholarship student took Photograph Courtesy of Keith Allison
Medics checking out the injuries Desean Jackson against the Redskins. He may never play again.
Photograph courtesy of Diana Jou
College students graduating from University of California at Berkeley Journalism school.
it from him. “In college , they want to do business. And if you are talking about basketball and football in college, they make millions of dollars,” Jackson said. Lee agreed that it is unfair, and gave his analogy. “I think that if this did happen then it is completely unfair, because the student who gets the sports scholarship, he may work just as hard as the other would in a classroom, so I don’t think why one student should get excluded from getting a scholarship they should both have the same opportunity,” Lee said. Now we tried asking for opinions about something that might happen, a student athlete getting injured. “ You have school work that you are not doing and sports and that equals your life, so when you take out sports essentially you only have a student who does bad in a classroom. It might affect him positively because he’s gonna have to pick up
his slack when he is not playing sports because he has no excuse not to,” Lee said. Next I asked them how to motivate the players into maintaining the balance. All the subjects disagreed on this topic “If they need motivation, they can’t do both sports and academics. They need to learn some of these traits on their own.” Needham said. Jackson, on the other hand said. “ Well first of all you talk to them about it, and they have to have education experience and athletic experience and with that you create that balance. There are a lot of things you do athletically that has a career to it instead of just playing [....] it ain’t all about playing. You know and there is a lot of education that goes in athletics.” Lee brought up a good point in mentioning the research that shows that only a small percentage of college students make it into professional sports. “An NFL team only has a roster of around 50 players and an NCAA team has about
50-60 players and there are so much more college teams then professional teams. So you have to take in perspective the amount of people who have the opportunity to play all the positions on the field and on the team,” Lee said. People might think that this motivates students to have the balance, but Lee thinks otherwise. “I think that it might motivate some who are willing to hear it but some already have their mind set to playing professional sports because they think ‘oh I don’t need to care about education’ they probably won’t believe someone telling them they won’t make it,” Lee said. Since the future is the most important, Jackson pointed out something important. “In the future, I really think there won’t be a middle class. There will be an upper and a lower class. No middle there won’t be any middle class. It will be kind of crazy and like back in the old days and you are either struggling or not.” Time Out
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“An NFL team only has a roster of around 50 players and an NCAA team has about 50-60 players and there are so much more college teams then professional teams. So you have to take in perspective the amount of people who have the opportunity to play all the positions on the field and on the team,” Lee said.” -Harrison Lee
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LBJ ATHLETICS Come Support Your Jags 27
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