Deviance In Sport

Assault and Battery Lead to CTE In Hockey

Read this article: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-loses-bid-to-force-cte-researchers-to-hand-over-data-1.736195

In the May 25th class (module 7), deviance was discussed in class. The power point from class defines deviance to be an act/person that differs from the norm, especially behavior or attitudes that differ from acceptable social standards. This article above is related to the article given in class, with the NHL and the lawsuit they are dealing with the NHLPA. The article from class talks about how the NHL is denying the evidence of CTE and how they want to see evidence from Boston University. The article above gives the verdict, which is that BU doesn't have to give evidence to the NHL, only public press releases.

How does deviance and injuries in sport relate to each other? Well deviance in sport is praised, while in society its not. One example of deviance in sport given by the power point is fighting. In most instances, fighting in public would be consider assault or battery, but not in sports like boxing and hockey. Along with contact hits, fighting is the main cause of concussions in the NHL. Concussions can lead to CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Here is video more about CTE.

This deadly disease was unknown by those who play contact sports and the NHL isn't the only sports league that fought a lawsuit. The NFL also was sued by their former players over CTE and also denied the existence. The article in class from ESPN talks about the NFL finally admitting the connection between the hits to the head and CTE. The article gives stats of findings from BU, including, 90 of 94 brains of former NFL players were found to have CTE. The article also states that the NFL over 3.5 years has donated 100 million dollars for research studies.

So why is the NHL denying the claim when the NFL credited it? Well, the NFL is the largest sport in the U.S. and has the money to settle the lawsuit. The power point mentions a 765 million dollar settlement the NFL and the players association came to. The NHL does not have that money and the number of cases are also less in hockey players than football. The NHL is also trying to grow as a league, and this information would hurt its development in youth participation. Hockey is expensive to play, which is a barrier to play in the first place. Now, if they admit to the correlation of CTE and hockey, parents will hold their kids out of participation.

The NHL has taken some precautions to diagnosing and treating concussions. They have added new game misconduct penalties to any physical  fouls like charging, elbowing, and clipping to their boarding and checking from behind fouls. A player who receives two game misconducts result in a suspension. They have also created a protocol for those who suffer a concussion during a game. But fighting has not gone down in the NHL, in fact, it has increased. This graph shows the increased number of fighting majors.

There are still many strides the NHL needs to take to make the game safer for its players, like eliminate fighting. The lawsuit will hopefully change the perspective of what society thinks and the NHL. Deviance in sport can lead to serious injuries and illnesses that can be prevented. With the NHL, they have a product that can last without all unnecessary contact, unlike the NFL. To eliminate hitting in the NFL, it would make it an unappealing product. If the NHL changes its rules, it could attract those parents who chose not to enroll their kids in football. Fans should be disappointed with how the NHL is handling the deviance in the sport, and it honestly doesn't win the Stanley cup. Teams who hit more usually fail to make the postseason. So the question becomes for teams is why even have hitters or fighters on your team? Deviance, like violence in the sport, will probably never be eliminated but the NHL is one sport that can and should.

References:

 Fainaru, S & Fairnaru-Wada, M. (2016). Latest Studies: Brain disease from contact sports more common. ESPN. Retrieved from HYPERLINK http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/14982032/nfl-admission-football-lead-brain-disease-came-amid-new-science-suggesting-sports-related-trauma-becoming-more-common

(2014). NHL announces rules changes for 2014-2015 season. NHL.com. Retrieved from HYPERLINK https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-announces-rules-changes-for-2014-15-season/c-730165

Vogel, J. (2017). NHL Concussion Case Could Be Headed for Court. 40 Athletic Business. Retrieved from HYPERLINK http://www.athleticbusiness.com/civil-actions/hardline-stances-in-nhl-concussion-suit-could-put-case-in-court.html?eid=62787785&bid=1712957

Westhead, R. (2017). NHL loses bid to force CTE researchers to hand over data. TSN. Retrieved from HYPERLINK http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-loses-bid-to-force-cte-researchers-to-hand-over-data-1.736195

Title IX enforcement is lacking at most institutions

Its been over 40 years, and Title IX is still not being followed

Read the full article: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/19403308/woman-reported-gang-rape-baylor-football-players-files-title-ix-lawsuit 

In the May 31st class (module 10), gender equality in sports were discussed, most notably Title IX. Title IX was an amendment made in 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act which states, " No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

In this article, by Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach, the injustices and improper actions of the Baylor football team are highlighted. One women just filed a lawsuit this past May 16th, against the University of Baylor. In the module power point, we learned that Title IX covers a variety of areas like standardized testing, learning environment, employment, and sexual harassment. Baylor University violated the sexual harassment aspect of Title IX, and there are many universities that have.

There was another incident at Michigan State university with 3 football players with sexual assault charges. The investigation has just been finished, but no announcement has been made for the football players. This was done externally by one a Rebecca Veidlinger, who worked at MSU's Title IX office. Although an incident happened, MSU has a Title IX office to handle these situations, while Baylor did not.

Most should find that Baylor did not take proper precautions with Title IX by not having an office dedicated to the enforcement of Title IX. This is systematic throughout the culture of higher education and needs to be corrected. In the power point, it is estimated that 80% of universities are not in compliance with Title IX. This is one example of non-compliance. Universities need to take a bigger stand and spend the money to be in compliance. To not be, is a social injustice and completely unfair to the women of this country. Sports reflect society and for women to have better opportunities in the workforce, it has to start with schooling.

Suggestions for improvement of this system is to have stronger enforcement, with outside federal agencies establishing standards for universities that are closely monitored. There already are, but it should be mandated that universities have Title IX offices on every campus for reporting and strict penalties for not. It will cost money, but fundraising through alumni and student participation could raise it. Students should be involved to help create a safer environment for our fellow students.

The media also needs to prevent stereotyping for genders. We learned in the power point that the media is powerful and persuasive. News outlets act as the watch dog function of society and sheds light on these wrong doings.  News media should be more investigative into our education systems, as they are integral part of our society. The costs are high for investigative journalism, but would be increased viewership for a younger demographic. One example would be the Seattle Times and their work with the University of Washington's rowing team.

The University of Washington fraudulently boosted their numbers of participation of the rowing team to be in compliance with Title IX. They interviewed multiple female students asking about their view on being listed on the roster and not playing. Many didn't even know they were on the roster, because they only attended a meeting. In 2012, they needed 63 women to participate, which they could have created a new team. Instead, they used the names of those who attended a meeting to meet the Title IX demands.

This video is from 60 minutes which institutional failure from Baylor is discussed and how this is societal.

These are two examples of universities that violated Title IX. Although demanding to meet, it is crucial for society to meet these standards. Student fees and tuition are being used for college athletics and universities aren't creating equal opportunity for both men and women. Unfortunately, it continues into the real world, where females only make 70 cents to a male's dollar. Title IX was great by creating a 403% increase in NCAA participation since 1972. But institutionally, we need to correct more to the foundation of how it works and universities need to proactive to take a stand. The nation looks to sport to shed light on social injustices. It will hopefully continue a chain reaction for women's rights in the work force and classroom. I would suggest stricter penalties but not the death penalty. That would only hurt the programs and athletes who weren't involved and decrease participation. Bystanders need to report incidents and staff shouldn't ignore when reported. Communication channels need to be clearer and operationally understandable.

References:

Lavigne, P. and Schlabach, M. (2017). Women who alleged gang rape by Baylor football players files lawsuit. ESPN. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/19403308/woman-reported-gang-rape-baylor-football-players-files-title-ix-lawsuit.

Solari, C. (2017). Title IX investigation into sexual assault allegations for 3 MSU football players complete. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved from http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2017/05/22/michigan-state-football-title-ix/337947001/.

Willmsen, C. (2017). UW women's rowing team numbers inflated, avoiding Title IX scrutiny. Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/uw-womens-rowing-team-numbers-inflated-avoiding-title-ix-scrutiny/.