Monday, March 17, 2014

Article of the Week- Period 6- Due 2/21

"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.

21 comments:

  1. Rivalries are necessary for sports, because it makes it more exciting. The fans go crazy, and it makes it so fun. Taking away the rivalries is the dumbest thing you can do. Watching a rivalry game in soccer and see your team win. Its the greatest feeling, please keep the rivalries.
    "We all want our favorite teams and players to do well to get that trophy, but when you have a fierce rivalry the trophy becomes completely secondary. A tennis match between foes with a fraught history can represent competition in its purest form. It's ego vs. ego; money and rankings are secondary. It's about the priceless concept of bragging rights, which resonates deeper than any engraving on a trophy."
    Rivalries are priceless.

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  2. The fact that rivalries have existed for so long proves their strength and necessity. But today, the trading of players often makes fans angry. This can lessen a rivalry. If your favorite player is gone, you won't love the team as much. "Because of free agency and the reality that franchises can’t stay great forever, rivalries can fizzle out." (Bad Blood Is Good) However, when these rivalries do stay intact, it benefits us. We have an inborn need to be a part of a group, and being a fan of a team gives us that, allowing us to be one with all of its fans. "We feel pride, warmth and security by belonging to a group." (They Fill a Tribal Need) This article was very interesting because I hadn't considered being a sports fan an inborn need, but it makes sense. I found this author's opinion more persuasive because it provided evidence that explained this evolutionary theory that leads people to be so passionate about their sports teams. Jessica L. Period 6

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  3. Rivalries have been around since the dawn of time. Whether or not it for a mate, or who gets the biggest cookie. In the end though it comes down to one specific notion, humans like beating other humans at anything." It's about the priceless concept of bragging rights, which resonates deeper than any engraving on a trophy." The feeling of being powerful is something that humans crave all their lives so when a favorite sports team beats their rival its glorious. "Rivalries transcend player mobility, too, because they’ve always been about more than the players."The players on the team don't even matter all that much because the general idea over everyone's head is that our tribe or following doesn't like you. This means that yes, we have a reason to promote these rivalries because its an outlet for people to put their violent emotions into. Without them people might be inclined to do other heinous acts rather than jumping on the couch of their home and shouting at the TV "HAH you lost!"
    Sonny G. Pr. 6

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  4. I'm not emotionally invested in sports or really into sports. I don't watch Sunday Night Football or NBA games. The article mentions, "Sports rivalries, it now appears, are just as portable, available at the flick of a remote or the tap of a keyboard." Now sports available provides more outlets to hate, and its natural to have competition. Competition drives this world. Humans compete to get into everything. These athletes compete to get into teams. These athletes are all doing the same thing. These athletes are all playing football or basketball. Oh and then when a person's favorite athlete moves to a new team, a person just turns their back on them? So hypothetically if I played on a team in this school, and transferred to another, I'd lose all my supporters? This isn't a fan. This is fake fan. If one's loyalty changes this fast. There is no way one can be so "supportive". According to the NY Times,"Because of free agency and the reality that franchises can’t stay great forever, rivalries can fizzle out. And that's a shame." In reality this is true. People who keep changing teams, fizzles out the rivalry and eventually people don't care anymore.Secondly on the opposite side of the spectrum, why is there a need for fights? Fighting or the need to get physical for sports? This is pure stupidity. . There is no need to use fists, when there could be a civil conversation. Fighting about sports is not smart, and if people are "smart" enough to get into a fist fight about which team is better. They clearly have a lot of free time. Sports is America's time to cheer and be supportive. These people are Americans, so drop the fists, drop the excessive obsession or the nonexistent "fan", be a fan, feel the competition. Be friendly, don't be harmful. It is okay and natural to have competition. There is a fine line between competition and obsession. Naturally sports are used as entertainment. Brothers might be on separate teams, yet still be best friends. In my school, most people are respectful of other schools and this shouldn't just be my school, it should be the nation. This is America. Let's be civil about sports and rivalries, choose a team, and stick with that player or team no matter what.
    Miranda S. Period 6

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  5. Rivalries have been around throughout sports history and are now are becoming less and less important. There will always be rivalries between certain teams in every national sport especially in this country, however loyalty toward a favorite team has begun to dwindle over an increasing amount of time. Players switch teams constantly and with an ever changing roster you could be rooting for an entirely different team in a matter of a few years. “Today the roster is rebuilt so dramatically year-after-year that I feel I have nothing in common with the team/players. I'm simply cheering for the name on the uniform.” This is the sad truth of sports teams today, fans who become attached to their favorite players never know when they could be traded to another team. This is true for sports such as basketball, hockey, and baseball and overall has weakened sports rivalries in the more recent decades.
    Hannah Beatty

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  6. Considering that I am much of a sports fan, I found this article a little difficult to comment on. However, I believe rivalries are not what they used to be. I think rivalries will always exist but the meaning to the fans will change continually. For example, lots of people I know have been betting on which team they think is going to win the basketball tournament and that is all they really care about, getting the money. One of the commentors mentions, "earning a livelihood, ie, money, trumps loyalty and tradition." When talking about rival teams, although there are still people who are there to appreciate the sport, there is most definitely and increase in the amount of people who are in it for the money. Rivalries of today are not what they used to be years ago, however they will still continue to exist even if their significance changes meaning.
    Jessica M. Period 6

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  7. I believe there is not a reason for people to support a certain team, but I think rivalries can be good in sports. When sports players get into professional leagues, they rarely ever stay on the same team. Sometimes, star players move to their competing team. Logically, rooting for a professional team does not make sense considering fans have more loyalty than the players. ''You're actually rooting for the clothes, when you get right down to it," he said. "You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city.” (Changing Uniforms Can Fuel the Rivalry) Although rooting for a team does not make sense, it brings people together and supports hardworking athletes. “true rivalries generate high-levels of energy (or what psychologists call arousal). You have to invest time to allow that energy to build. Rivalries involve teams that have played each other for years, often because of some geographic similarity. Over that period, the teams have to be well matched. It is hard for fans to sustain enthusiasm for games in which one team is always the winner.” Belonging to a group is one of the major things people search for in life. Sharing a common hate over a rival team with friends and family can bring them together, making good memories and traditions. Also, without rivalries, sports would not be very exciting. Most people watching, and playing, are hyped-up over whether or not their team will win. With no one to beat, the accomplishment is gone. In order to continue competitive sports, rivalries must be kept so that people will want to participate.

    Caitie Perricone
    Period 6

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  8. By getting rid of the rivalry you essentially get rid of the game. Whenever you ask somebody about their favorite sport the first question you ask is what their favorite team is. No matter what sport it is the game is always about a team winning and a team losing. Everybody competes to be crowned the best. And because of this people take sides. In my own personal opinion it seems to me that these fans are living vicariously through these teams. It brings an added fulfillment to their lives when they can say that their team accomplished something.And the teams and marketing strategies are aware of this. This is why if one goes to a clothing website one can buy a shirt or a sweatshirt or even clothes for dogs advertising their favorite teams. Rivalry is what draws people into the game because deep down people like to feel as though they are better then others whether or not it is even their own accomplishment.
    Shoshanna Longo
    Period 6

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  9. Ahmad Zaidi
    Period 6
    Rivalries are one of the most important aspect of sports and without them sports would not be exciting. It is impossible to not have rivalries in a game because when there are good players on two opposite sides then rivalries are unavoidable. Rivalries also make sports more interesting like the article says “Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama.” Rivalries can also unite people to one team with intense loyalty for example the article says “ Rivalries can even galvanize the country and bring people together during tough times.” So in conclusion sports rivalries are necessary in order for sports to be exciting.

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  10. Every sports has a rivalries, its part of the game.. Its almost impossible to completely get rid of rivalry's because eventually new ones will form. I know that Branford has ongoing rivalry with East Haven. There is nothing like being in the fan section or playing against them. It's a game that's always exciting and we look forward to it every year. No one really knows how this rivalry started, but tis almost like tradition. Its what the fans and players look forward to every year. The article said,"Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama." I agree with this statement because there's nothing greater then the feeling of playing your rival. This feeling is what's so great about playing a sport and being a fan. Its what unites towns, fans, players together. Also the article said,"The greatest of wins came from these events but also the most heartbreaking of losses." There is nothing like being in a fan section cheering for your team. Its a sense of unity that makes it more then "just a game".
    Rachel C
    per.6

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  11. Michael Caminear Period 6
    I have always been interested in sports and have been around them all my life. I can say with confidence that the rivalries that I've encountered have only enhanced my overall experience with sports. They promote competitive spirit, teach important social values, and presents a beneficial obstacle that people must overcome to achieve a goal. With a competitive spirit, people are more easily driven by innovation and have a compelling motivation to do better with their endeavors. Sports are an exemplary way of portraying such competition. If a rival town has a better football team, then the underdog will undoubtedly strive to raise their standards so that they can beat their rival the next time they meet. One of the article responses, written by Courtney Nguyen, states, "You can love a sport all you want but unless there's something real and tangible at stake, it's difficult to really care about it." This is simply stating that sports are useless unless their is some sort of reward for the winner, or best team. This reward can be something as simple as bragging rights, but rivalries are what fuel the engines of competition and sports altogether. Furthermore, rivalries are a necessary nuisance that benefit multiple aspects of the sporting world.
    In addition to fostering athletic excellence, rivalries give people a sense of pride about their community. They encourage cooperation so that the reputation of those close to you are improved. As a result, they also have potential to bring people together. To quote the response from Michael Tillery, he said, "Rivalries can...galvanize the country and bring people together during tough times." This reinforces the idea that a common and devoted interest can benefit everybody in the long run.
    Overall, some very interesting points of view were presented and it really made me think about the importance of rivalries in our society. It was also very easy to relate to as an athlete living in Branford; a town that has a historic rivalry with East Haven.

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  12. Having rivalries really is just part of being involved with sports, not to mention a pretty natural part of human nature. If you are really into what you are playing,then you're going to want to win every time and if you're really good, then you'll probably win a good amount of those times. But no team is absolutely perfect and will eventually find another team that gives them a run for their money, or it wouldn't be any fun for fans to keep up with. Not only do rivalries keep sports games interesting, they can also give the players a sort of motivation. If a team knows that they're going up against their rivals, then they're probably going to have an extra reason to want to win, maybe for a reason they don't completely know, but that would give them pride either way. But why should the fans care? Generally I think that a lot of people probably don't know the reasons behind why their team has a rivalry with another team but they still feel strongly anyway. One response to the article by a user called HapinOregon said "From the fan's perspective it's about loyalty and tradition". I think that this puts it very well, fans like rivalries because they make them feel connected to the rest of a certain community by giving them a sense of loyalty that a whole group of people can relate to. But it's also a tradition, much like a yearly parade a town may have, it's something that is special to the town and that they can all relate to even if they're not completely sure of the origin.
    Leah B Period 6

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  13. Rivalries are present in all levels of sports. Through my personal experiences I've found that rivalries are the strongest in high school sports. As the article states,"We feel pride, warmth and security by belonging to a group." It seems that the most common way of connecting within a town is through the local high school and their sports teams. In the case of Branford in particular, the town always seems united when it comes to big sports games against popular rivals. The article also says, "Rivalries help tell the story of sports, and in so doing give fans a sense of urgency and drama." I believe that there is more drama in high school sports because everyone knows the players and has personal connections with them. To me I am more detached from professional players and it's hard to get as invested in their rivalries.
    Cassidy M. Period 6

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  14. Simply put, sports would be a lot less entertaining without rivalries. There is nothing like watching the game with fellow fans all rooting for a team to win. My family loves University of Michigan, since my dad went there, so everytime they play Ohio State in basketball or football it is always so exciting to watch. I am much more likely to turn on the tv when there is a rivalry game on. One aspect is that it is pyscologically pleasing. Art Markman says that, "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." It is very true. I remember watching Michigan play Ohio State in basketball this year and it was a close game. I can personally say that I felt every one of those emotions, especially excitement and joy when Michigan won in the end. Even though money is sometimes chosen over rivalries I do not believe that means that the rivalries are coming to an end. I know when a good player leaves to an opposing team it can even create bad blood (ex: Lebron leaving Cleveland for Miami forming a intense hatred for the Miami Heat by the Cavaliers), but that doesn't mean it hurts the rivalries. I think it enhances them. I hope that people in charge of sports leagues realize that rivalries are good business and do as Michael Tillery says, "moneymaking interests in competitive sports acknowledge this fact and exploit it". An end to rivalries would mean an end to the exciting parts of sports.
    Jackson M
    Period 6

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  15. Rivalries are the best part about sports, may it be a Celtics-Lakers game or a Branford-East Haven game, the fans never fail to make the game entertaining. Now I don't know much about sports, don't get me wrong I do enjoy going to games and watching them, but I don't really have any favorite teams. The article says "Because of free agency and the reality that franchises can’t stay great forever, rivalries can fizzle out." Still though, I don't think that players should get angry or let the rivalries die out just because of players being traded. In my opinion this makes the rivalry even stronger. If a team loses one of it's best players then the fans should go even crazier to increase their teams moral, and hope for an upset. If there were no more rivalries then watching sports would not be as fun as it is.
    Aodhan Dunn
    Period 6

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  16. You can never truly take the rivalry out of sports no mater how hard you try. Just like you can't take the rivalry out of the world economy. There will always be rivalries between different people. It is a natural human habit to create lines that separate us from them. And no mater how you try you can't stop people from doing it. "We are wired to be part of a group and to treat our group members (our in-group) as privileged over everyone else." It is human habit and to say we don't need it is kind of like saying ok we will now have world peace. I am not a fan of rivalries unless they are constructive. Theses rivalries seem to me to be constructive and unless the fans start berating each other there seems to me to be know problem with a little friendly love-hate.
    Sam Period 6

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  17. Ben
    Period 6
    I can say with 100% certainty that nothing in sports is as motivating as beating someone who you know, or someone who you have lost to in the past. "We all want our favorite teams and players to do well to get that trophy, but when you have a fierce rivalry the trophy becomes completely secondary. A tennis match between foes with a fraught history can represent competition in its purest form. It's ego vs. ego; money and rankings are secondary. It's about the priceless concept of bragging rights, which resonates deeper than any engraving on a trophy." At states for swimming this past year, this one kid beat me in both of my races at prelims. However, leading up to finals, I wanted nothing more than to beat him. I dreamt of winning. I wrote his name all over, for motivation. When finals happened, I swam my hardest, to beat him. And I did.
    Rivalries are important to both fans and athletes. There is no comparable feeling to beating a rival, and I hope many more will know the joys of squashing a rival.

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  18. Rivalries are what keeps sports so entertaining. They are extremely motivating, for both fans and athletes. They create good tension, tension that is released after the game. Rivalries are what keep fans coming back to the game, to watch their team hopefully beat the team they hate, or the team they have a rivalry with. Without rivalries, i dont know where sports would be today.
    Aidan D
    Per 6

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  19. Rivalries are important because they keep sports interesting and give people the chance to get away from the struggles in their lives. Michael Tillery explains,
    "Rivalries can even galvanize the country and bring people together during tough times. The Army vs. Navy football game in 1963, for example, was postponed a week and played on Pearl Harbor Day because of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy." What makes rivalries so uniting is the passion. Both teams really want to win. Because of this, the fans are just as passionate about their team beating their rival. We need to keep rivalries alive because they keep sports strong and the nation's spirits up.

    Jonathan W
    p 6

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  20. At Branford high school, rivalries are a part of ever day life. Kids wear their favorite basketball team's sweatshirt or hat, and the school gets together to watch their friends compete in high school athletics. Living vicariously through athletes is common in our culture, and adds to the spirit fans have for their team. They want to be associated with that team, and quickly the athlete's success becomes the spectators success. The team's rival becomes the fans rival. These tensions make sports into an incredibly lucrative business. Seats and merchandise are expensive to the individual and create a pool of wealth for the athletes and the owners. Rivalries are created because of our natural instinct to do so, and business people encourage it.
    Emma P per.6

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  21. "...true rivalries generate high-levels of energy..." Art Markman wrote, and truly: there's nothing quite so entertaining as the meeting of two opposing, equal forces. When two groups, or people, or creatures decide to duke it out in a sport, debate, game, or an actual physical conflict, it's always going to be interesting. We can inherently relate to it. When we argue with somebody who's views we disagree with, after the conversation, we're still pumped, still ready to debate this issue, and sometimes we'll be looking for a way to call xym out again, so that we can argue more and bring up whatever new points we've come up with. That's how this works, and that is what really keeps sports entertaining, more than watching people kick a ball around, hit something with a bat, or toss a ball that isn't spherical whatsoever through goalposts. And when we relate, again, as Markman wrote: "On game day, fans get to have the full range of emotional experience including anxiety, joy, anger, excitement and disappointment." So of course it's exciting, and of course, if one plucks apart the team and distributes it among the 'enemies', and takes in the 'enemy' players, the followers of the team are going to be upset.
    Trinity F.
    Period 6

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