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Analyses 42 national final round rhetorical criticism speeches from the years 1993-2000, with results indicating that almost half of the speeches were analyses of rhetorical and organizational campaigns, with criticism of texts, orations, art, technology and legislation rarely being selected as artifacts. Considers how less than two minutes per speech was devoted to the explanation of the method. (SG)

This study examined Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcasters' descriptions of players through the lens of self-categorization theory. Two core variables were assessed: nationality (American or non-American) and broadcast type (local or national). Broadcaster language in 30 games from the 2016 MLB season was analyzed. Two forms of examination revealed that American players were more frequently described as successful due to their intelligence, whereas non-American players were more likely to be depicted as failing due to an ascribed lack of strength and were discussed more in terms of emotionality. Local broadcasters were more likely to highlight differences between American and non-American players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with television network ESPN Ombudsmen Kelly McBride, Robert Lipsyte and Jim Brady is presented. They discuss the television network as the leader in sports entertainment in which sport journalism exhibited standard on ethical norms in the profession of journalism. Theys also discusses their roles as ombudsman which include answering questions on how ESPN operates, keeping the network honest to their audience and journalism.

The article discusses the complex and contentious issue of transgender athletes in sports. It explores the tension between access and equity, with some arguing for inclusivity and others prioritizing fair competition based on biological sex. The article emphasizes the need for open and respectful dialogue to find common ground and move forward. It also highlights the importance of acknowledging the unique challenges faced by transgender athletes and the need for consistent guidelines from nations and athletic bodies. The article concludes by introducing three investigations into the communication of and about trans athletes, offering insights and perspectives on the issue. [Extracted from the article]

At the World Tour Platinum China Open in 2017, 3 leading Chinese table tennis players and two coaches withdrew from the Games to protest the sudden removal of Head Coach Liu Guoliang, triggering unprecedented public uproar online. Applying gatekeeping theory, this study explored how mainland Chinese media controlled information flow during the crisis. A thematic analysis uncovered 3 primary gatekeeping behaviors: repetition, selection, and manipulation. Findings suggest that the party-state, not media institutions, was the dominant gatekeeper in mainland China. The Chinese media system and sports system were both subject to strict government control during a crisis that challenged authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the first Sunday of the National Football League's 2016–17 season, a technical issue caused ESPN's fantasy-football website and mobile application to fail. ESPN's product failure is no small problem and represented a major organizational crisis; with 7.1 million unique users, ESPN represents the largest provider of a multi-billion-dollar fantasy-sport industry. This case study examined ESPN's organizational communication strategy, as well as the stakeholder responses surrounding the failure of ESPN's fantasy-football website and application on the most anticipated day of the fantasy-sport season. Using content analysis and partnering with a social media data insights company, the study examined social media messages from both the organizational and consumer side of this fantasy-sport product failure. Through ampling 1,542 social media messages from a population of 11,881 unique comments via Twitter, the reactive nature of ESPN's messages and the direct responses from its consumers was ascertained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication scholars have demonstrated great interest in exploring the manifestation of parasocial relationships (PSR) with media persona. Despite such elaborate investigations, the mechanisms underlying PSR and parasocial breakup (PSB) are relatively unexplored in nonfictional circumstances. This study examines the oftenoverlooked effect of multiple identities (i.e., social and team identity) on expressions of PSR and PSB. Using the 2021 exit of soccer superstar Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona, this study incorporates data from 293 Spaniards to assess a structural equation model, finding that social and team identities were positively related to PSR, although both identities revealed distinct influences. Similarly, social and team identities intensified PSB. Finally, our results also indicate that PSR is positively related to PSB. This study advances current theoretical understandings of PSR and PSB, particularly within a non-American media context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Sport Management is the property of the Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This experiment aimed to examine emotional responses to athletic images featuring male and female athletes in 'gender-appropriate', 'gender-neutral', and 'gender-inappropriate' sports. Recruiting 236 subjects, this research has complex findings. The findings include – that when viewing pictures featuring male athletes, female subjects reported a significantly higher level of pleasure and arousal compared to their male counterparts; that regarding affective responses to different types of sports, male subjects reported the lowest level of pleasure and arousal in viewing athletes competing in 'gender-inappropriate' sports and that when viewing pictures featuring athletes competing in 'gender-inappropriate' sports, female subjects reported a significantly higher level of pleasure, arousal, and dominance than their male counterparts. Possible explanations and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given Slovenia's independence in 1991, examining the potential impact of Olympic media consumption on this young nation offers a unique opportunity for scholarly investigation. Prior examinations of Olympic telecasts in Slovenia have uncovered core elements of nationalized pride and focus (Ličen & Billings, 2013a), yet have not fully explored the potential effect of the mass viewership found within the Olympics. This study explores how social cognitive and social identification theories interact to influence consumption behaviors relating to international competition--in this case, the Olympics. For this study, 175 respondents were surveyed to examine the relationship among personal determinants defined by one's national identity, Olympic fan involvement, and behaviors related to Olympic media consumption. Findings revealed that basic identification with Slovenia as a nation, and a need to defend Slovenia when faced with discouraging opinions, influenced one's fan involvement with the Olympics, which in turn influenced digital and televisual media consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 107 former competitors in collegiate individual events were queried about the benefits and drawback of forensic competition after they had been out of the activity for a minimum of ten years. Quantitative results indicated strong favorable attitudes about the activity and the education and career benefits derived from competing. The overwhelming majority indicated that they would choose to compete if they had to make the decision again. However, within the favorable quantitative responses, many respondents delineated concerns related to the activity's effect on health and wellness. Pathways for alleviating some of these concerns are identified. Key Words: forensics, individual events, career, education, reflection, The relationship between participation in collegiate forensic activities and presumed skills, benefits, and successes later in life has typically been implied rather than overt. Far more forensic research focuses on [...]

Since its 2016 launch, negative attitudes toward The Athletic, a network of hyperlocal subscription sports news sites, have resonated throughout the journalism community because of the new media startup's nontraditional approach, one centered on hiring established journalists from the hometown newspaper. Therefore, to accurately paint a picture of The Athletic 's perceived impact on print journalism, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted with newspaper sports editors. This analysis reveals that most sports editors were generally accepting of The Athletic and viewed its presence as reinforcement that newspapers need to stick to daily coverage to stand out in the crowded sports media marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association suspended its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19. Within days, the rest of the sports world similarly suspended play in the wake of the pandemic. This study focuses on sports media storytelling when covering athletic competition was no longer an option. Utilizing four distinct time periods and framing theory as the foundation of our theoretical framework, the content analysis examined shifts from the normal reporting routine and how those shifts morphed as pandemic information dictated. As the pandemic grew more widespread, health and safety became the predominant focus of national sports media. In spring 2020, sports news experienced a significant shift in coverage as economic and fairness frames were replaced with health, safety, and quality of life as the principal frames in the coded articles. By pinpointing the major differences in coverage across time, the study revealed that sports content and frames quickly shifted to reflect the perceived severity to the global health community, while the sources used in those articles stayed largely the same. The theoretical and applied implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of 70 prime-time hours of host and reporter commentary in NBC's 2004 Athens Summer Olympic telecast was undertaken to determine if announcer commentary in the sports of gymnastics, track and field, swimming, and diving each contained gender biases. Results indicated that gymnastics was the most gender-marked of the four major Olympic sports, with men and women athletes being covered in starkly different ways. NBC's diving coverage also was found to contain differential treatment of men and women athletes, while track and field and swimming yielded far fewer gender differences within NBC announcer dialogue. As such, events with subjective assessment (judges) appear to contain more gender biases than sports with objective assessments (speed and distance). Given that gendered assessments occur within everyday interpersonal, organizational, and group interactions, this finding regarding media attributions of gendered performance suggests significant ramifications for gender and assessment within communication.

Gender, ethnic and national biases in the commentary of NBC on the 2004 Athens Olympics telecast are analyzed. The results indicated that more coverage was given to the male athletes, most frequent mention of white athletes and out of them almost 85% being American athletes.

An empirical analysis was conducted focusing on how the United States-based NBC and the Canada-based CBC portrayed male figure skaters in comparison with their male Winter Olympic counterparts on the networks' primetime 2014 Olympic broadcasts. Using 100% of all primetime broadcast content as a universe of investigation, NBC's and the CBC's commentary about male figure skaters was compared with the aggregate of all other male Winter Olympians in the areas of success, failure and personality/physicality. Analysis of NBC's primetime coverage of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games revealed five (5) significantly-different dialogue trends between male figure skaters and the aggregate of other male Winter Olympians, while analysis of the CBC's primetime coverage revealed seven (7) significantly-different dialogue trends between male figure skaters and the aggregate of other male Winter Olympians. Differences were not consistent from network to network, showing that NBC and CBC treated male figure skaters differently, yet in significantly different manners by network. Insights are offered on the theoretical and applied levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey conducted to locate the degree and types of gender, ethnic, and national biases hidden within the prime-time network telecast in the Salt Lake City Olympics, is presented. The results indicated that as long as athletes are treated differently on Olympic telecasts, the same perceived differences are expected to be perpetuated in other realms of American life.

This study analyzed fans' knowledge and acceptance of baseball statistics portrayed on regional broadcasts, with a particular emphasis on modern/advanced statistics. By way of Major League Baseball (MLB) team subreddits, fans were surveyed and quizzed on their knowledge of a variety of baseball statistics; they were also surveyed regarding how new or old school they are as a fan, as well as their levels of Schwabism and mavenism. Results indicated that MLB team broadcasts placing greater emphasis on modern statistics produce fans who are more accepting of and knowledgeable about advanced statistics. While new-school fans and those high in Schwabism and mavenism were found to be more favorable towards modern statistics, controlling for those attributes strengthened the association between team broadcast and modern statistical acceptance and knowledge. Through the lens of social cognitive theory, potential ramifications for statistical portrayals and the influence on both learning and unlearning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses social presence theory and social identity theory as theoretical frameworks to examine global social TV usage during a mega-sporting event. A total of 2,296 people from six different nations (Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United States) were surveyed about their social TV usage, degree of social presence, and team identification in the week following the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Primary findings illustrate that increased social TV use predicts increased measures of social presence, social capital, and perceived sociability, which then influences one's identification with their national team and Winter Olympics fandom. Additional insights are found regarding global social TV engagement and ancillary device usage habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Mark Cuban, businessman and owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Dallas Mavericks, is presented. Topics mentioned include virtual as an area in sports media, an idea of looking at the opposite perspective as his way of dealing sports technology, and his stand about legalizing sports gambling.