Fair and Foul

Sport is a pervasive aspect of US society. Most children in the U.S. are involved in organized sport and it's the subject of much conversation, media content, leisure activity, and discretionary spending. There is a growing number of broadcast networks, online news sites, social media accounts, and streaming platforms devoted to covering sports that fans consume with keen interest. But do we truly understand sport? Fair and Foul explores our love of sport, just as it reveals sport's darker side-the influence of big business, corruption, price gouging, political maneuvering, gender bias, media grandstanding, and more. Broken into two parts, Part I, "Sport is Fair, Sport is Foul," discusses issues of social class, race, gender, and health as well as the opportunities and demands of youth sports. Part II, "Sports as a Microcosm of Society," examines issues stemming from the media, college athletics, professional sports franchises, and whether it's possible to bring about change for a better and brighter future. Ideal for sparking classroom discussion, Fair and Foul is an excellent book for students of sports and society, American culture, and other courses. New to the Seventh Edition: · New Chapter 3, "Sports Includes, Sports Excludes," discusses Title IX and how barriers to sport continue to persist despite an expansion of opportunities. · New content on athlete activism tied to social and racial justice reflects the current state of politics in the U.S, especially anti-trans bills, which exclude trans athletes from participating in sports. · Expansion of Chapter 4, "Sport is Healthy, Sport is Destructive," includes new discussion of mental health issues faced by athletes to reflect current issues and conversations in sports as well as a key concern for this generation of athletes. · New coverage of the role of social media and streaming platforms in sports coverage reflects changes in the media production and consumption of sports · New content on the Name Image Likeness (NIL) Supreme Court ruling, recent university conference realignments, and the role of the media (e.g. ESPN and Fox Sports television contracts) explores the possible implications of these changes on the future of college athletics

D. Stanley Eitzen was professor emeritus of sociology at Colorado State University, where he taught for twenty-one years, most recently as John N. Stern Distinguished Professor.

Preface New to the Seventh Edition Acknowledgments Foreword by Michael A. Messner Chapter 1: Paradoxes of Sport: An Introduction Theme I: Sport Is Fair; Sport Is Foul Theme II: Sport as a Microcosm of Society Common Characteristics of Sport and Society Variation on the "Sport as a Microcosm of Society" Theme: The Super Bowl Variation on the "Sport as a Microcosm of Society" Theme: What Football and Baseball Tell us About our Society Overview Paradoxes of Sport Part I: Sport is Fair, Sport is Foul Chapter 2: Sport Unites, Sport Divides The Role of Sport in Unity and Division among Nations Unity and Division through Sport in the United States Caveats Chapter 3: Sport Includes, Sport Excludes Title IX, Participation, and Opportunity Barriers to Girls and Women's Sports Media Coverage of Women's Sports Impact of Sports on Girls and Women, on Society Conclusion Chapter 4: Sport Is Healthy, Sport Is Destructive Sports and Girls and Women's Health The Destructive Aspects of Sport Conclusion Chapter 5: The Organization of Youth Sport: Issues and Consequences Two Fundamentally Different Forms of Play for Young Children The Dark Side of Adult-Centered Play Conclusion Part II: Sports as a Microcosm of Society Chapter 6: Are Sports Played on a Level Playing Field? Issues of Race, Class, and Gender Racial Inequities Class Inequities Gender Inequities Conclusion Chapter 7: Media and Sport: Changing Sports, Changing Media Shifts in the Media Landscape Televised Sports as a Window on Reality or a Social Construction? Commercial Interests Sport as a Male Preserve Television as a Game Changer Conclusion Chapter 8: Big-Time College Sport: Commercialized Sport Within Academia The Case that Big-Time Sport Promotes Education The Case that Big-Time Sport Compromises Educational Goals College Sport as Big Business Summary: The Contradictions of Big-Time Sport in Academia Chapter 9: Professional Sports Franchises: Public Teams, Private Businesses Professional Sport as a Monopoly Public Subsidies to Professional Team Franchises The Rationale for Public Subsidization of Professional Sports Teams An Alternative Structure Chapter 10: The Challenge: Changing Sport Is Change Possible? Should We Change Sport? How Do We Go About Making Changes? Index About the Authors