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Ethics And Character Formation In Sports: A Philosophical Perspective, Timothy Madigan

Philosophy and Classical Studies Faculty/Staff Publications

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) famously proclaimed that “God is dead and we have killed Him.” Might one say similarly that in today s “winner take all” society “sportsmanship is dead and we have killed it”? Is the very concept no longer relevant in the modern age of competitive sports? In this essay I will show how three long dead philosophers—Aristotle, Kant, and the aforementioned Nietzsche—still have much to teach us about sportsmanship and its continued relevance for the present day.

Emphasizing Sportsmanship In Youth Sport, Todd Harrison

Sport Management Faculty/Staff Publications

This essay will examine the shift in cultural norms and social expectations surrounding youth sport and how emphases on sportsmanship in youth sport programs can help salvage some of the wholesome values sought after by parents when signing up their children into sport leagues. There is no major overhaul in sight for youth sport organization and certainly little desire to eliminate sports from the young lives of boys and girls across the country, so how can we work to extend some of the virtues of sport craved by parents for their kids? By emphasizing sportsmanship.

Influential Factors In A Division Iii Student-Athlete’S College Decision, Matthew Taylor

Sport Management Undergraduate

The college athletics landscape is one that is vastly different across the three main divisions of the NCAA. Previous literature has examined a mixture of a number of different factors influencing the student-athletes college decision. This study has uncovered what are the most influential factors in a Division III student-athlete’s college decision. A cross-sectional survey consisting of a number of different types of questions including rank order questions, validation options, and open ended questions helped to gather the most accurate and appropriate data for this study. This survey was administered to all students on the St. John Fisher College campus, …

Which Comes First? Academics Vs. Athletics: A Diii Perspective, Eric Z. Lorraine

Sport Management Undergraduate

The implementation of NCAA Bylaw 2.14 otherwise known as the “20 hour rule” in 1991 was supposed to have universities’ student-athletes to have more time to focus on their academic pursuits. However, recent studies have shown that this Bylaw has had no significant impact in studies that were conducted on Division I student-athletes. This study examined the time conflicts and obligations that are faced by student-athletes from a Division III perspective. Data for this study was collected through the use of a cross sectional survey with a sample of 137 student-athletes at a private Division III college. The results of …

Moneyball To Moreyball: How Analytics Have Shaped The Nba Today, Joseph J. Catalfano

Sport Management Undergraduate

Moreyball is the concept of emphasizing three pointers and points in the paint over mid-range shots on offense, while forcing mid-range shots on defense. Understanding this concept is crucial not just for front office personnel, but the players and the coaches of the NBA. This research explored whether or not Moreyball accurately predicts success in the NBA. The methodology used multiple regressions between specific NBA statistics and the Win/Loss record of NBA teams. The results of this research showed that on its own, the main statistics of Moreyball were significant in predicting team success in the NBA. However when additional …

Media Perceptions Of Male Homosexual Athletes, Anthony V. Lafica

Sport Management Undergraduate

The world is forever changing and as time has gone on homosexuals coming out have become more and more commonplace, however professional male sport is having trouble accepting societies trends. The purpose of this study is to look into the initial media response to male homosexual athletes coming out. This research will be beneficial to the academic community because it researches the relationship between sport, the media, and homosexuals. This study was conducted using secondary data from four media outlets, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, The USA Today, and the LA Times. The data collected showed that there is limited …

A Philosopher In The Locker Room: Sportsmanship And The Honorary Coach Program At St. John Fisher College, Tim Madigan

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

In a recent ad for Under Armour sneakers, the actor Jamie Foxx intones the following: “You know, the Greek philosopher Aristotle said ‘You are what you repeatedly do.’ Huh – but in our book, we take it a little deeper. We say, ‘You are what you repeatedly do when things get hard’” (Under Armour 2015). Foxx goes on to say, “My apologies to Aristotle, but excellence doesn’t become a habit by running the same path over and over. No, No, No! You know what the excellent ones do? They …

Building The Brand: The Difference In Brand Profiles Between Team And Individual Athletes, Kayci Nucci

Sport Management Undergraduate

Billions of dollars are spent in the sport marketing industry each year; more specifically investors are looking to put their money into specific sponsorship and endorsements of athletes. Millions of dollars are put into each sponsorship deal by managers due to the ability of the athlete’s endorsement to elevate their brand. There has been several studies conducted that asses the effectiveness of athlete sponsorship due to the fit and qualities of the athlete. There is little known about the differences in athlete’s endorsement profiles in regards to their sport, as well as their gender, ethnicity, and media exposure. This is …

Who's Trending: #Nba Vs #Nhl, Kevin Martuscello

Sport Management Undergraduate

Many professional athletes across a wide variety of sport have obtained celebrity status and as a result, have become human brands much greater than themselves (Carlson and Donavan, 2013). Previous research analyzed specific cases, individual strategies, and consumer behaviors. However, this study has furthered new knowledge by obtaining a comprehensive description of the differing approaches set in place by the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League with regard to branding of individual athletes on Twitter. The purpose of this study was to determine in which ways do different sport leagues contrast in how they brand athletes on Twitter. …

Criminal Minds: The Relationship Between Sport And Off Field Violence, Danielle M. Falck

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between type of sports team and player convicted of a crime involving bodily harm off the playing field in the National Basketball League (NBA) and National Football League (NFL). This research was beneficial to the academic community because it further developed which professional sport participants were more engaged in violent acts out of the boundaries of their respective sports. This study allowed future researchers the opportunity to build off this study in hopes of building off of what is already known. This study was conducted with a cross …

To Play Or Not To Play: D3 Football Injuries, Tyler J. Darby

Sport Management Undergraduate

Injury in college athletics are a very common occurrence, and can affect the participants very severely. Football has been one such sport that has shown a lot of public health concerns at the elite levels. With this being said research has lacked at the lower levels of collegiate football, even though this is where the vast majority of NCAA football players participate. Many scholarly sources have either focused on the elite levels of football or the youth levels, no research had been specifically done on the Division III level of football in regards to injury. Ultimately this paper hoped to …

How Does Competitive Balance In International Soccer Relate To The Fluctuation In Attendance, Christopher Blyth

Sport Management Undergraduate

Competitive balance is a contributing factor in the fluctuation of attendance in international soccer. The importance of this research was to show soccer organizations that competitive balance had some sort of relationship with the attendance of these games. Another reason why this study was important was because it developed further knowledge on this topic. Before conducting this study prior research was done that showed that competitive balance is not the only factor that plays into the fluctuation of attendance. The timing of the games, economy, and certain preferences of the fans were other factors that played in a role in …

The South Has Not Risen In Nhl Attendance Numbers Compared To The North, Kyle Stich

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research looked at attendance capacity for traditional and non-traditional hockey markets. The aim was to attempt to determine the extent the attendance capacities differed between the two markets. Previously, there had not been any quantitative analyses done comparing traditional and non-traditional hockey markets so this study aimed to add new knowledge to that area. The National Hockey League (NHL) grapples with the validity of some of the current markets, with many observers calling for some teams to relocate to new markets. This research aimed to attempt to determine how justified those criticisms were.

Kim, Trail, & Magnusen (2013) have …

Syracuse University Basketball: To Renovate The Carrier Dome Or Build A New Arena, William P. Commisso

Sport Management Undergraduate

This study looked at how Syracuse University basketball fans’ spectator motives impacted their preference on whether to renovate the Carrier Dome or to build a new arena. The purpose of this research was to find out if these Syracuse University basketball fans differed from prior knowledge regarding sport spectator motivation. It was known that fan enjoyment is influenced by convenience of concessions and restrooms (Wakefield, 1995). However, it was also known that fans’ team identification affected resistance to change (Wu, 2012) and sense of home had a positive impact on stadium satisfaction (Lee, 2012). The sample for this study consisted …

Job Satisfaction In Minor League Baseball, Justice L. Hoyt

Sport Management Undergraduate

Every individual in the sport industry spends a substantial amount of time at work. Hence the satisfaction of an individual’s job is important. The purpose of this study was to look at the satisfaction levels of full time minor league baseball employees in the International League. This study was the first study in the field of minor league baseball which tried to determine if the satisfaction levels were worth the demand of the work. It is known across the workforce that the more time demanding a job is the less freedom you have for family and leisure. This study was …

The Objectification Of Professional Female Athletes In Print Advertisements And The Consumers' Response, Angela L. Wallin

Sport Management Undergraduate

Abstract

As female athletes gain more recognition in the sports world, researchers continuously debate on whether the reason behind this is due to their athletic performance or their hyper sexualized appearance in media outlets such as print advertisements (Fink, Cunningham, & Kensicki, 2004). This raises the question on how consumers interpret advertisements that contain female athletes promoting both sport and non-sport products. Since this research is the first examine how consumers view and react to the use of professional female athletes in advertisements, this research further develops the literature of women’s role in both the advertising and sport world. Both …

Ncaa Division I Lacrosse Expansion: Has It Changed Recruiting?, Michael Widay

Sport Management Undergraduate

In liue of an abstract, here is the paper's first paragraph:

Lacrosse was one of the least popular sports in the United States. As time has gone on Lacrosse grew to be one of America’s fastest growing sports in the entire country, grow was seen throughout all levels from the professional and collegiate, and especially at the high school and youth levels (Vivirito 2012). As the game grew at the collegiate level their started to be more competition within recruiting as more teams expanded into the collegiate ranks. Previous research had examined what the factors that student athletes in lacrosse …

Special Olympics’ Employee Response To Organizational Change, Katelyn Disbrow

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of the research study was to explore how Special Olympics’ staff groups differ in response to organizational change. The study was conducted in order to determine if there was a relationship between employees holding various positions within Special Olympics and their level of job satisfaction, specifically during times of change in the organization. Previously, there has been minimal research conducted in the non-profit sector, and Special Olympics exclusively, in terms of linking job satisfaction and organizational change. Thus very little was known on this particular topic. A survey was used in order to collect primary, quantitative data based …

How Does Retention Rates Of Division Iii Football Programs Differ Based On The Type Of Institution?, Adam Hausfelder

Sport Management Undergraduate

Abstract The focus of this research was to take a look at the retention rates of Division III football programs over a four year period. The purpose of this study was to show how some schools are struggling to keep their retention rate up year to year. A second reason was to see which type of institution had a higher retention rate and to see if there is a connection between retention and the type of institute. At the Division I level there many articles about retention rates and student athlete adjustment, while at the Division III level there is …

Fantasy Football: The Relationship Between A Participants Financial Investment And Time On Task For Team Management, Brendon L. Lamphear

Sport Management Undergraduate

Within the past decade since the use of the Internet came bout about, the sports gambling industry, specifically fantasy football, has become a multi-million dollar industry. In particular, the increase of all factors in fantasy sports such as the amount of money, number of hours and amount of leagues are increasing at a rapid rate. Due to this intriguing circumstance, this study investigates the relationship between a participant’s financial investment and time on task for team management. This study was given to participants via email and Facebook, which consisted of an online survey. In addition, this study looked at factors …

The Perceptions Of Marijuana From College Athletes, Michael A. Magnarelli

Sport Management Undergraduate

The study that was conducted examined the perceptions and the relationship college athletes have towards marijuana. As time progresses and more people become used to the idea of marijuana being fully legalized in the United States, institutions like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will have to deal with the fact that a vast majority of their college athletes use marijuana regardless of it being on the banned substance list. A survey that featured 14 questions was sent out to over 200 male and female student athletes at St. John Fisher College which 60 of the 200 agreed to partake …

Fans Use Of Twitter In College Athletics, Clayton V. Stanley

Sport Management Undergraduate

Abstract

Fans use of social media to follow athletes is becoming more and more popular these days and fans often use this as a way to attempt to get recruits to attend schools that they themselves are a fan of. The reasoning behind the research is that not a lot has been done on this topic and with social media becoming more and more popular looking into the fans usage of social media towards recruits is worth looking into. The fact that professional leagues and the NCAA have attempted to implement and enforce a policy against the illegal tweeting practices …

Drug Use And Abuse In Sport, Mike Moran

Sport Management Undergraduate

Performance enhancing and prescription drugs were a growing issue in professional football, as more players in recent years have fallen victim to drug testing; resulting in lengthy suspensions and fines. This research aimed to show that the culture of using performance enhancing and prescription drugs in order to play football starts at the college level or even earlier. Past research had laid the foundation for this study and through the use of a random sampling method; colleges and universities from across the country were asked to take a survey. From their responses, some patterns had started to develop. Results from …

College Athletics Recruitment: A Deeper Analysis, André Remillard

Sport Management Undergraduate

The college athletics recruiting landscape is one littered with many different factors. While previous studies have analyzed institutional and social factors as impacting a prospective student-athletes’ recruitment process, there’s a gap in understanding the role an athletes’ demographics play in how athletes make their college decision. Previous literature has indicated that the impact social and institutional factors play during the recruitment process varies based on individual demographics. This research uncovers any correlations between athlete demographics and how they weigh the importance of recruitment components. Surveys were administered to 1,029 randomly selected Division I student athletes. One team from each conference …

Youth Sport Specialization: Study Of Athletic Directors, Connor Morris

Sport Management Undergraduate

This study is focusing on the topic of youth sport participation, specifically the perceptions of high school athletic directors. The reasoning behind this study is to expand on the research that has already been done by studying subjects that have not been looked at before. Prior research has shown that there are many different effects of sport specialization on the youth athlete. Some may be positive and but also can be negative or hindering in nature. The results of this study refute and support previous findings as well as add new and credible information to the topic at hand. The …

Female Athletes And Their Journey, Emily Youngs

Sport Management Undergraduate

Female athletes have gained their role in sports, and now female athletes are expressing their journey as a female athlete. Looking at female athletes and their journey of becoming a college athlete, researchers can find motivation, self-efficacy, and early specialization. Past research on the 3 factors has been done prior to this research. The relationship between self-efficacy, motivation and early specialization was examined. The data was obtained through interviews from 5 college student athletes using qualitative research. The findings showed a significantly positive relationship between self-efficacy and these athletes, however there was a considerably negative finding in athletes and early …

Fan Involvement With Regional Or City Affiliated Nfl Teams, Kristopher C. Jones

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research looked at the difference between how involved NFL fans are with their favorite/identified team, based on such team being either regionally or city affiliated. Prior to this study, it was known that sport fandom is positively correlated to a fan’s psychological well being, in addition to knowledge that fans who develop loyal relationships towards their team become increasingly involved with the team, resulting in positive identification with the team. The research conducted in the study was an attempt to uncover new knowledge on how the location affiliation of an NFL team relates to the team’s fans. For this …

Football Head Coaching Evaluations: Perceptions On The Ncaa Division Iii Level, Bryan Schnell

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this study was to look at the evaluation criteria used during the evaluation of a Division III head football coach. The reasoning behind the subject is because of the lack of knowledge on the criteria used. While some researches have given a short list of reasons why coaches get fired, however none of them have focused on Division III which’s landscape is very different of that in Division I. A survey was sent out to 150 head coaches and athletic directors throughout the country. After looking at the results it showed the perceptions did differ between both …

Change In Major League Baseball Player Performance After Signing A Long-Term Deal, Matthew J. Cahill

Sport Management Undergraduate

Baseball teams have been trying to understand how player performance changes over the course of their career for decades. Officials have wanted to figure out a better way of determining how much a player should make in their contract by trying to predict how their performance might change in the future. Front office officials need to better understand the importance experience might have when it comes to predicting a player’s future performance. In the previous study by Sturman & Thibodeau (2001), the researchers found that players tended to decline in performance once they signed a long term deal. The current …

Pace Of Play In Golf, Dennis O. Leahy

Sport Management Undergraduate

Pace of play in golf is a major problem that is affecting participation rates negatively. A number of issues are compounding the problem, such as technological advancements, length of golf courses, players’ individual needs, and contemporary changes in the value placed on leisure time. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the topic in Upstate New York. Surveys were sent to 167 golf course PGA professionals, asking about pace of play at their courses. The survey collected basic information about the professionals’ courses and moved to items regarding what the courses are doing and not doing concerning pace of …