Monday, March 17, 2014

Article of the Week- Period 2

"Fans and Foes they Love to Hate" Is there any reason for fans to care about rivalries anymore?http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/16/fans-and-the-foes-they-love-to-hate

 Read the opinions.  Consider the author's tone, structure of the article, validity of evidence, persuasive techniques, and your personal reaction.  Is one opinion more persuasive than the other? Why?  
2. Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 5 sentences) in response to the linked articles from The New York Times.  Be sure to use two quotes in your response.
3. Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences)
*Use only your first name, last initial and class period.

23 comments:

  1. Rivalries are the backbone of sports because they get people talking and pumped for the next big game. Whether they are a lifetime rival or for several years, they are put into action to draw people and keep them watching. As Michael said, "Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama." I feel this when watching baseball. Most of the time, I'll give the tv a glance when watching the Red Sox, but when they are playing the Yankees I am glued for all 9 innings.
    Jerry Sienfeld has a great point, "they are rooting for the uniform" because players are constantly changing sides - for instance - Jacoby Elsbury played for the Red Sox when he was a rookie and fans loved him. He then moved to the Yankees and people who once loved him hate him.
    Although rivalries change, they are necessary for many things. Hell, I wouldn't watch baseball if it weren't for rivalries.
    Alec Carlson

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  2. I've never been one for watching televised sports. The only game I'll watch is the SuperBowl and that's an if. But I think it's natural to want a good or well balanced team to lose when they are playing your team that you feel passionately about. The articles talk about how we, as people, are losing the sense of rivalry against others. I have to say that if that's true, it might be for the best. Competition is great and fans are great to help cheer on the team, but fighting with another person...physically hurting them or arguing just because they have a different opinion then you is going too far in my opinion. BHS has a great motto "Be a Fan NOT a fanatic" and I think that should be everywhere. It's great to be emotionally invested in things but when it's something like a sports team, emotions sometimes aren't worth it
    MaryColleen
    period 2

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  3. I think, as an athlete, rivalries are an important part of sports. Rivalries are one of the things that pumps me up before a game. In lacrosse when we play Hand or Cheshire it's a battle to the end. Some times the game is a blow out but we don't give up no matter the score. Rivalries to me are a way to prove yourself to other teams, if you can beat your rival then watch out. But now a days rivalries are just pointless when it comes to college or professional games. In the article it states "Sports rivalries, it now appears, are just as portable, available at the flick of a remote or the tap of a keyboard" You no longer cancel your plans for the day because of the "big game", you can just record it or watch it on demand in your free time. Why root for people you don't know? Better yet have a 1 in a million chance of meeting? Many people don't stand by their team or players if something bad happens to their "favorite team". "ssing through the room she asked, "How can you be interested in people you don't even know?" How indeed? How can any of us?"
    Teagan
    Period 6

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  4. "Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama. Let’s hope that moneymaking interests in competitive sports acknowledge this fact and exploit it, instead of ignoring it. An impassioned viewership is at stake." Today we overlook the importance of intense sports rivalries often created by in conference schedules or geographic location. They create a unique sense of competition where no matter their current record or status teams bring all they can to play the best they can against a long time arch rival. In today's college athletics we see rivalries come to an end as conference realignment is more prevalent. Great rivalries such as UCONN and Syracuse have come to an end due to the change in conferences. All of the down to the wire conference games or six overtime thrillers as seen in the 2009 Big East tournament we see that rivalries are destroyed by a change in conferences. This was an end of an era for the Huskies and Orange, because the only way they can meet is via the NCAA tournament. Conference realignment is the destruction for college sports rivalries as we know them. Rivalries are destroyed and lost due to the changes that are made by money given through conference realignment. Syracuse for example had to pay a fee of 7.5 million dollars and will received over 10 million dollars to join the ACC. The ACC is conference primarily consisted of teams located in the southeastern part of the USA. For example UNC,NC State, Duke, Miami, Florida State, Virgina, to name a few. How does a team in upstate New York fit in with the rest of them? The answer is they do not, but they agreed to take more money instead of staying in a local conference full of many rivalries. Rivalries are a part of the game overlooked by the normal fan, but to an athlete or a die hard fan are must win games year in and year out. The way the NCAA is headed we will continue to see a loss in rivalry games as conference realignment and the creation of new conferences arise. These will create new rivalries, but the ones that have so much history and greatness will be forgotten by many. It is important to keep rivalries around because they mean more then just a game, it's part of the sports culture that we have come to know and love.

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  6. I lack a lot of information when it comes to sports. I don’t know the specific details about sports but to be general I think rivalry provides the chance to make the sports even more enjoyable. I do agree with Michael Tillery, the author of Bad Blood if good (for sports) .“Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama.” However, I don’t know how much the concept of rivalry has changed over time. If it’s a friendly action that encourages the athletes to compete and perform their best then there’s nothing wrong with rivalry. The fans and foes of the different sports and teams get to meet at a single stadium and enjoy the match. The sport events brings the all Americans to a single place, where the culture overlaps. Frederic J. Frommer makes a great point in his article Changing Uniform Can Fuel Rivalry. “The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is not just about the players. It's also a battle between cities, cultures, traditions and styles.” As long rivalry stays positive source of entertainment, encouragement and friendliness then yes the fans should stay interested in rivalry.
    ~Shilpa R Period 3

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  7. I have never been one to watch sports, but I have family members who do. I think that although times have changed, if anything, rivalry has become stronger. In the article it states, "We understand that corporate loyalty is provisional for everyone, not just athletes. In such a world, home is an inherently variable concept, more notion than place, which we must carry with us in our iPhones and Androids, or in that exotic device known as our memory." The author's tone comes off as negative, but I interpreted his words differently. Rivalry has become stronger, I feel, because these days, it is easier than ever to access sport games and other data about teams and events. I witness family members capable of streaming clips of their favorite teams anywhere they go. With everything so portable, rivalry is at an all time high.
    Claire Paterson
    Class 3

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  8. I don't usually get caught up in the rivalry between sports, however I feel that it is important for the players and those loyal to the teams to have a sense of competition. Whenever there are bigger stakes, there is a larger incentive to work harder and in the case of sports- to win. Fans particularly fuel the team when a game has bigger stakes. I also know that when I go to a Red Sox game, it is fun to have a sense of loyalty toward that team. You are able to sympathize with the teams wins and loses. I agree with one of the articles when Markman says, "There are few opportunities in life that allow for extreme emotional experiences. Embracing rivalries pays off in those unmatched moments of pure feeling." We need rivals to heighten competition and have a more entertaining experience when watching sports.

    Eleanor Hall
    Class 3

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  9. My brother just happens to go to Syracuse which creates a rivalry within the household since all my families friends and other relatives root for the home team, UConn, where as my side of the family supports Syracuse on my brothers behalf. The rivalry is an entertaining way to intensify the game, but I think in most cases they still exist today for the sol purpose of selling more tickets, rather than having much of a significance. At times, I agree that teams develop rivalries since their squads are evenly matched, but similar to what the article had to say, over time the teams change and players graduating causing the layout to become unbalanced in one way or another again. I can relate this to the rivalry between east haven and branford sports. At least in soccers case, there used to be a pretty even playing field so it made sense the games could get rather heated on top of the fact that they are a neighboring town, but this past year the competition has greatly decreased to where the tension is really no longer there. But the thing is, you cant just go eliminating rivalries whenever a team loses some talented players, because over time teams, especially in the professional divisions, gain devoted fans who live in the limelight of the team spirit. And the cliche example of the Red Sox vs. the Yankees will forever be either team's fan's favorite game. My favorite quote from the article supported the necessity of rivalries for the fan's sake by stating, "Home, as it turns out, is where the hate is."
    Alyssa Case
    Period 3

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  10. Caroline M.
    Period 2

    It’s a universal truth that rivalry is the blood that fuels sports. Teams and individuals strive to be the best at what they do, and constantly aim to defeat, mock, and demoralize anyone who stands in their way.Some of those rivalries go down in history as the greatest in sports. Others are seen as some of the most boring in sports. Still other rivalries make their participants notorious and are labeled downright ugly, offending players and fans so badly that they are never forgotten. As bad as team rivalries among the actual players are, the fan rivalries are way more intense and interesting. On that day that your team is playing their biggest rival you get pumped and you may get together with your fellow fans because, "we all have a need to affiliate with other people. We are wired to be part of a group and to treat our group members (our ingroup) as privileged over everyone else. We feel pride, warmth and security by belonging to a group." However, down the street there is another Superbowl party happening for the other team and this is where the rivalry comes into play because, "...partisans of a rival team form an outgroup. We naturally treat outgroup members with some suspicion and contempt." But, these types of situations only occur a couple times a week depending what sport you are a fan of. Sports aren't life, people have lives outside supporting their favorite team. It's a way of nature to get hyped up on something you care about but the next day when you go into work and your co-worker is a fan for the team that your favorite team lost to last night you will be okay. You wont start a fight you'll just move on because its all fun and games.

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  11. As an avid sports fan, I find that rivalries not only make the game more interesting to watch, but also fuel a fire that produces some of the most outstanding sports moments in history. These rivalries can be seen on all levels; from high schools to the major leagues, rivalries drive sports. This can be seen even in our very high school. The Branford-East Haven rivalry is one that dates back to many years ago, and is one that always provides an intense atmosphere at games and match-ups. As a baseball player, I look forward to games against East Haven and other rivals such as Notre Dame, because it gives me a chance to defend both my pride and the town's pride, and gives us a chance to give the town of Branford a statewide known name. In one of the articles, Jerry Seinfield is quoted as saying, "You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city." I do not agree with this statement. As I stated, you are playing and fighting for so much more than clothes; you're fighting for your town, your community, and your school. Fredric J. Frommer, the author of the article, wrote, "The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is not just about the players. It's also a battle between cities, cultures, traditions and styles." This quote perfectly exemplifies my feelings for rivalries. You do not play for yourself, you play for your town, city, community, and/or school. Rivalries only motivate this fight and provide an even more exciting way to defend and fight for their sponsor. On the baseball team this year, we have created a motto for ourselves; "Its not about the name on the back, its about the name on the front." In other words, you do not fight for the name on the back of your jersey, you fight for the name on the front, and do whats best for the team, not whats best for you. Rivalries are a very important part of sports and to say that fans should not care about rivalries is to say that fans should not care about sports at all.

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  12. I think it is important to care about rivalries in sports like the Red Sox and Yankee rivalry that dates back over a century. These hard fought games are what gets fans' adrenaline pumping and gives the fans pride to wear his or her favorite teams jersey. In the article it says, "This shared history binds fans closer to their team. It also creates suspense and energy in the days leading up to the event. On game day, fans get to have the full range of emotional experience including anxiety, joy, anger, excitement and disappointment. There are few opportunities in life that afford these extreme emotional experiences. And so the investment in the rivalry pays off in those unmatched moments of pure feeling." This could not have been a more accurate statement. I believe the rivalries in sports have created a sense of unity and this is one of that reasons that I find sports interesting.
    Jake S.
    Period 2

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  13. I don't watch many sports live; I sometimes watch football games with my dad, and obviously the SuperBowl. However, I do know a lot about sports thanks to my brother and fellow peers. The articles state how people are losing the sense of rivalry against others, especially in sports. I have to say that if that's true, that can be a bad thing. Competition brings people together, encourages people to have fun, and gives people something to rally behind, a reason to be at the game besides simply watching. Half of sports is the community and not the sport itself; it has a profound effect in every sport. However, if things get violent, that's a little far (unless it's Hockey because a lot of those fights are consented to by both sides) and should be frowned upon.
    Jared Carlson
    Period: 2

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  14. Rivalries allows fans to become more emotionally involved in their particular sport. When discussing the latest game, the most dedicated fans will refer to their favorite team as “we”; “We” won last night, in 2010 “we” were undefeated. Rivalries only add to this sense of community. It is everyone uniting against a common enemy, which is powerful even beyond the world of sports. Some of these rivalries go back generations and therefore connect them. Since I have never been one to get caught up in sports, I personally don’t know the effects of trading players on this united rivalry. However, I would guess that this potentially wish washy actions by players and teams damages the comradely of the cult like community and makes it seems like true and real.
    Skylar Sandler
    Period 2

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  15. The most entertaining component to watching competitive sports isn't the game itself, it's getting caught up in the rivalries. The rivalries are what have been drawing millions of people to the stadiums and TVs for years. "Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama." This is what pulls people back to the games. People choose their favorite teams and then dedicate their time to keeping track of their games. They find themselves becoming elated when their favorite pitcher aces the pitch and sad when the quarter back botches the throw. "There are few opportunities in life that allow for extreme emotional experiences. Embracing rivalries pays off in those unmatched moments of pure feeling." Sports are one of the rare things that allow everyone to get really emotionally involved. It's a very inclusive pass-time. Men, women, children, seniors, children, everyone can get excited over their favorite team. That's what makes sports so enthralling.

    - Iana-Lee W

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  16. Rivalries are what makes competition its rawest because it imposes the players to play even more hard. Also rivalries are good because it makes the game so much more exciting. Its gets exciting because you want to see who wins and gets the ''bragging rights'' on the field or court etc. But what makes rivalries bad is the aggression the players and fans have toward the rival team. In addition to rivals taking it too far is when they try to hurt one another and want to see the people and players actually physically get harmed and thats when things become inhumane and nasty for example one time my step dad had once said '' ...I wish Tom Brady breaks his damn ankle.'' and i walk up to him and asked him why he would wish upon Toms misfortune and his excuse was they were his rivals. In the end, rivalry of teams can be good for competition in the sport but when it comes to wanting to injure or put people in harms way over a rivalry that is where i draw the line.

    Richard Pietruszka
    Period 7
    Ms.Baker
    swag

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  17. Rivalries are crucial to any sport. They have the power to enable a team to play at an unexpected level and make the fans go crazy or make them pull their hair out. In the article it stated, "This shared history binds fans closer to their team. It also creates suspense and energy in the days leading up to the event. On game day, fans get to have the full range of emotional experience including anxiety, joy, anger, excitement and disappointment." Rivalries develop significant bonds. During a rivalry, a teammate may push their limits beyond what one would think is possible and that player would gain the teams respect and develop better chemistry. Also, fans join together and cheer that much harder for their team during a rivalry. Overall, rivalries will always be in sports because that's where all the excitement is generated from.
    Joe R
    Period 2

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  18. Rivalries get people involved. The chances of growing up and becoming a professional NFL player or NCAA player, are incredibly slim. But people still love the sports and wanna be a part of it and rivalries are a fun way to do that. It allows people to show their passions and get involved. It creates relationships with friends and family. For decades sports have always brought people closer together, and rivalries bring life to the game.

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  19. One part of watching sports is seeing the teams and their rivals and how they play against them verses how they play against any other team. Competition is something that excites the teams for the games and it also excites the fans and the fans of the opposite team. "The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is not just about the players. It's also a battle between cities, cultures, traditions and styles." this quote is a really good to explain how rivalries work. It's more of the players playing for their town then it is for themselves and the fans root for the town they live in, or are most familiar with.
    chaylea finn
    period 2

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  20. While sports teams rivalries do hold traditions in both college sports and professional leagues, it doesn't make sense to hold on to rivalries that are outdated and no longer make sense, the most prominent example lately being UCONN and Syracuse basketball teams. Michael Tillery of the blog "The Starting Five" notes that, "Rivalries can fizzle out." Although he regards this as unfortunate, I believe that there is nothing wrong with old rivalries fading into the past and new ones starting. For example, if there were a rivalry in which both teams were known somewhat as "powerhouses," but after so many decades one team isn't as good anymore, it wouldn't make sense for the rivalry to continue to exist if they were no longer competition for each other. Everyone can still stay loyal to the teams based out of their home town or alma mater, but should allow for new rivalries to be introduced to the teams and fans as the teams progress.
    Ahnna Gunneson
    P. 2

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  21. Rivalries are a very important part of sports. Long lasting rivalries pay tribute to the history of not only the teams, but the sport itself. Plus, there is nothing like watching 2 teams that have don't like each other play with an intensity that isn't found in your everyday game, and it leads to some fantastic games that people will talk about years afterward. "There are few opportunities in life that allow for extreme emotional experiences. Embracing rivalries pays off in those unmatched moments of pure feeling." This proves that rivalries aren't simply about winning the game, it is about crushing and humiliating the opponent as much as possible without breaking the rules. Rivalries should be here to stay in all sports, it leads to historic games and instant classics.
    Evan Seward
    P2

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  22. Living vicariously through celebrities, athletes, and other icons has been a part of our society for a long time. Rivalries are another way we connect, and connecting can mean hating or loving. Part of the fun of supporting a team is defending them ruthlessly, which often comes with hating their rival "Home, as it turns out, is where the hate is." Branford and East Haven have been rivals for as long as we have bordered one another. This both fuels a passionate fire that can lead to both hate and love. Love for your town comes with wins and even losses, but with losses, the most prevalent feeling is hate (which is a strong word). Rivalries can bond people together unlike many other things. A school that is brutal to one another during the day may band together when it is time for the football game. Sports rivalries are present in my every day life and are much more powerful than people give them credit for.
    Emma P per6

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  23. I am of the belief that sports rivalries are positive in nature, for they promote healthy competition and are unifying for communities. Art Markman supports this in his article when he explains, "... we all have a need to affiliate with other people...We feel pride, warmth and security by belonging to a group." I personally know little when it comes to sports, yet I still value the sports teams at BHS and feel proud when they have a victory. At a sports event, people are allowed to feel connected with their entire community and that is a vital thing.
    Unfortunately, the sense of community and loyalty is missing from the major leagues due to corporate greed. Not to say that there isn't entertainment and loyal fans in major league sports organizations such as the NFL, but it simply lacks the spirit that once existed.
    Seeing as how convicted fraud Bernie Madoff had given millions of dollars to the owners of the New York Mets and therefore involved them in a $17 billion dollar Ponzi scheme, there's no denying that professional sports teams are not what they were 50 years ago.
    In the article "For Players and Coaches, Money Trumps Loyalty", Jane McManus describes the NFL as, "The league is awash in money, and part of that is because the N.F.L. keeps labor costs to a minimum compared to other, more free-spending professional leagues. "
    Gone is the sportsmanship and in it's place is business, rendering major league rivalries to lose much of the substance that gave them so much life.

    Daniel Lalor
    period 2

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