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Arts and Humanities Commons

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2007

University of Central Florida

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Articles 1 - 30 of 81

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Bobby Petrino Gets Going, Richard C. Crepeau Dec 2007

Bobby Petrino Gets Going, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

He has been found. Call off the search. We now have the new poster boy for College Football.


Bcs, Coach Buyouts, And Overtimes, Richard C. Crepeau Nov 2007

Bcs, Coach Buyouts, And Overtimes, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As the college football season comes to its close, there are any number of absurdities and idiocies to contemplate. As usual they will be remarked upon by the fawning press and then passed over in favor of the more serious issues such as, who is number one?


Bonds Parallels The Black Sox, Richard C. Crepeau Nov 2007

Bonds Parallels The Black Sox, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

There are times when it seems as if those people who live and work in and around baseball have developed flagellation into a high art form. The reaction to the indictment of Barry Bonds has been an interesting combination of glee mixed with lamentation. There is even a slight note of shock expressed over these developments. In many ways, it reminds me of the hypocritical and overblown reaction to the Black Sox Scandal of 1919 following the indictment of the eight players accused of fixing the World Series.


Don Imus, Isiah Thomas, And The Nba, Richard C. Crepeau Nov 2007

Don Imus, Isiah Thomas, And The Nba, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

My, how time flies. It was seven months ago that Don Imus made his remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team and found himself on the receiving end of a considerable amount of heat from a wide range of critics. In less than a month Don Imus will return to the airwaves, not nationally, but in New York City, and his show will not be simulcast on Cable television. So after being away for eight months, being the subject of considerable criticism, and collecting $20M for his troubles, the I-Man will return. I am already feeling the Christmas spirit.


Dying For Football, Richard C. Crepeau Oct 2007

Dying For Football, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the last several months, the newest revenue stream in college athletics appeared in the form of a life insurance scheme. Oklahoma State led the way with this idea which involved taking out $100,000 life insurance policies on major boosters. The idea was to generate a new source of revenue from those boosters dying to help produce winning athletic teams. Other institutions of higher athletics have rushed to put such a program in place on their campuses.


The Cub Century, Richard C. Crepeau Oct 2007

The Cub Century, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Cubs’ fans are a hearty lot. Now only a year away from a "Century of Futility" one gets the strange feeling that two historical forces will collide next baseball season and the result could be of cataclysmic dimensions. Will the Cubs continue in their futility, or will they trump their own futility in a transcendent futility by denying themselves a distinctive badge of symmetric futility inherent in a perfect century of failure?


The Braves And Tbs, Richard C. Crepeau Oct 2007

The Braves And Tbs, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I doubt that many people were watching late Sunday afternoon as the Atlanta Braves ended their disappointing season notching one final loss. I doubt if very many, other than longtime Brave followers, knew the significance of the moment. It was in fact the end of an era.


Greg Ryan And The Goalkeepers, Richard C. Crepeau Oct 2007

Greg Ryan And The Goalkeepers, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is sometimes called second-guessing. In this case, it was first-guessing. From the moment that U.S. Women's Soccer coach Greg Ryan announced that he would replace Hope Solo in goal with Briana Scurry for the semi-final match in the Women's World Cup, there was a outpouring of astonishment mixed with criticism directed at his decision. It defied belief then, and it defied belief even more after the fact as the U.S. Women suffered their worst defeat in World Cup play.


Tiger Woods And Roger Federer, Richard C. Crepeau Sep 2007

Tiger Woods And Roger Federer, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

In these first few weeks of college and professional football, upsets seemed to be the rule rather than the exception. There are two sports where upsets these days are as rare as a Cubs’ World Series victory. In golf and tennis, it is nearly always Tiger, Tiger, Tiger and Roger, Roger, Roger. These two athletes have established an astounding dominance in their sports as both enter the prime of their careers. They are both on pace to rewrite the record books and end their careers as the greatest players in the history of their sports.


Late-Summer Wackiness, Richard C. Crepeau Sep 2007

Late-Summer Wackiness, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

After a break from writing this column for several weeks, I am at a loss as to where to begin. The last few weeks have been full of stories from the wacky world of sport, and with the beginning of college football, the number of stories of crime and corruption have increased geometrically, although in fairness, the colleges have no monopoly on these.


Mainstreaming And Integrating The Substance And Spectacle Of Scholar-Baller: A New Game Plan For The Ncaa, Higher Education And Society, Keith Harrison Aug 2007

Mainstreaming And Integrating The Substance And Spectacle Of Scholar-Baller: A New Game Plan For The Ncaa, Higher Education And Society, Keith Harrison

Dr. C. Keith Harrison

The purpose of this chapter is to theoretically and empirically capture the cultural divide between education and sport and entertainment in American society. The NCAA Academic Reform Movement has evolved from holding individuals accountable to presently monitoring institutions and their retention and graduation success of college student athletes. This movement will require a deeper examination of how culture influences academic attitudes and lifelong learning. Based on empirical data from different methodologies, this chapter proposes that student athletes; especially African American males, are often stereotyped with few strategies to empower their academic and athletic identities. The Scholar-Baller Paradigm is designed to …


Baseball Milestones: Barry, Alex, And Tom, Richard C. Crepeau Aug 2007

Baseball Milestones: Barry, Alex, And Tom, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over two weeks ago before taking a short vacation to escape the heat and humidity of Florida, I saw the Barry Bonds home run that tied Henry Aaron. That same day Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th home run and all those fans with steroid anxiety suddenly discovered a new hero. Even before Bonds had officially passed Aaron, A-Rod became the Great Clean Hope who would surpass "Mr. Bonds," as Bud Selig so warmly called him, and bring the home run crown back to the kind of people who hold it by divine fiat. The next day Tom Glavine won his …


Corruption And Transcendence In Sport, Richard C. Crepeau Aug 2007

Corruption And Transcendence In Sport, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The last few weeks for sports fans have been particularly difficult ones. The stories of corruption are so overwhelming that it is a wonder that anyone can keep their focus on sport.


Dogfighting Culture, Richard C. Crepeau Jul 2007

Dogfighting Culture, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It's difficult to know what to say about the Michael Vick story, and it might be wise to say nothing just yet. It does, however, bring to the forefront some interesting bits of history concerning what constitutes sport, the relationship of sport to gambling, the confluence of sport and masculinity, the evolution of what is seen as civilized and barbaric behavior, and the ways in which people react to that behavior.


The 2007 All-Star Game, Richard C. Crepeau Jul 2007

The 2007 All-Star Game, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Baseball's All-Star Game is coming up tonight at the baseball facility formerly known as PNC Park, and the home of baseball's current leading villain, Barry Bonds. In a surprise to many, Bonds was voted to the National League starting line-up by the fans, who allegedly are disgusted by the poster boy for performance enhancement. The cheers tonight will be thunderous as Barry is introduced in the only ballpark where he remains a great hero, and even a beloved personage. The cheers will be even louder when baseball honors Willie Mays. These cheers will be echoed across the land for one …


Williams, Federer, And Nadal At Wimbledon, Richard C. Crepeau Jul 2007

Williams, Federer, And Nadal At Wimbledon, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

At the beginning of play in the Gentleman's Final at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Sunday, I believed that at the end of day Rafael Nadal would be crowned new champion and heir to the mantle of Roger Federer.


Barry Bonds At 750, Richard C. Crepeau Jun 2007

Barry Bonds At 750, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It has been a summer of milestone achievements in baseball, with the promise of more to come. Sammy Sosa reached the 600 home run mark two weeks ago and Frank Thomas reached the 500 home run level this past week, on the same day that Craig Biggio reached the 3000 level in hits. Alex Rodriguez will reach the 500 home run level sometime in the next month and Ken Griffey should reach 600 home runs before the end of the season. Gary Sheffield will reach 500 home runs late this season or early next season. These are exclusive clubs in …


Billy Donovan Redux, Richard C. Crepeau Jun 2007

Billy Donovan Redux, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Billy Donovan, who accepted the Orlando Magic head coaching position for the cool sum of $27.5M last Friday, has backed out of his contract. Is there anything to learn from this not very unusual turn of events? The idea that Billy Donovan has broken a contract carries very little meaning in sport, that is if you are an owner, general manager, or coach of a team.


Lebron James; Billy Donovan, Richard C. Crepeau Jun 2007

Lebron James; Billy Donovan, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

In less than twenty-four hours, between Thursday night and Friday morning, the NBA produced two major stories. One concerned the essence of sport, the other the distorted values of modern sport. I am writing about the performance by LeBron James against the Detroit Pistons in game five of their Eastern Conference final and about the signing of Billy Donovan as the new coach of the Orlando Magic for over five million dollars a year. Both are jaw dropping performances in their own right, but that by James represents sport and the one by the Magic represents commerce and its twisted …


Bowie Kuhn, Richard C. Crepeau May 2007

Bowie Kuhn, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Bowie Kuhn once said that he wanted to be remembered as the Baseball Commissioner who presided over a time of tremendous growth in the popularity of the game, and a time when no one questioned the integrity of the game. I read these words over and over again a few weeks ago in many of the obituaries published at the time of the former Commissioner's death. I cannot say that this is how I will remember him, and I do not know how history will remember him.


Insuring Mr. Booster, Richard C. Crepeau May 2007

Insuring Mr. Booster, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

They call them revenue streams. You can fish in them but there are no fish to be caught, at least the kind that has gills and fins. Some athletic directors have nightmares in which the streams dry up. Others have dreams in which they discover new streams where no one has fished before. This is the Athletic Director's wet dream.


Ncaa Bans Text-Message Recruiting, Richard C. Crepeau Apr 2007

Ncaa Bans Text-Message Recruiting, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Every day in every way my admiration for the National Collegiate Athletic Association soars to new heights. Who could not but admire the latest blow delivered by this august organization on the behalf of the purity of intercollegiate athletics?


Jackie And Eddie Robinson, Richard C. Crepeau Apr 2007

Jackie And Eddie Robinson, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

This weekend marks the Sixtieth Anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first appearance in major league baseball. It comes at the end of a week in which another Robinson is being mourned across the nation. The tale of the two Robinsons, Jackie and Eddie, is a tale of courage and struggle and the story of how race shapes lives and society in America. It is also a story of gain and loss across the two Americas.


Imus, Richard C. Crepeau Apr 2007

Imus, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Anyone who has watched and listened to "Imus in the Morning" over the past several years cannot be surprised by the comments that were made last week in reference to the Rutgers Women's Basketball team. The only surprise may be the extreme tastelessness of what was said.


Homophobia In Sport, Richard C. Crepeau Feb 2007

Homophobia In Sport, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The last ten days or so has seen a convergence of seemingly unrelated events which illuminate or cast a dark shadow around the subject of gender and sport. The most high profile of these events was the announcement by former NBA player John Amaechi that he is gay, an announcement tied to the release of a book. As it turns out, the revelation is only one occurrence in a cluster of discreet moments related to the topic of gender and sport and sexuality, a subject that is seldom dealt with in a graceful manner in our society.


Super Bowl Excesses, Richard C. Crepeau Feb 2007

Super Bowl Excesses, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the past week I have revisited several years of Super Bowl columns. After re-reading each of them three questions have haunted me. What are the greatest moments of the absurd and sleaze kind in the history of the Super Bowl? Is it possible for anything associated with the Super Bowl this year to achieve the lofty heights set by previous Super Bowl Experiences? Is it possible for the Super Bowl to continue to grow in scale as it has done every year for the past forty years? These are the pressing questions that cry out for answers on the …


Mcgwire & The Hof; Urban Meyer & Nike, Richard C. Crepeau Jan 2007

Mcgwire & The Hof; Urban Meyer & Nike, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I assume that you are sleeping better knowing that the baseball writers of America have sent a message. What that message might be, I am not certain, but there is comfort in knowing that a message has been sent. This week's announcement of the Baseball Hall of Fame voting saw Mark McGwire, once regarded as a Hall of Fame lock, receiving only 23.5% of the votes from the writers.


New Year's Roundup, Richard C. Crepeau Jan 2007

New Year's Roundup, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is difficult to know where to begin after being away from this column for the past few weeks as there are so many bizarre and interesting things that have happened that seem worthy of comment.


The Emergence Of Central Florida's Puerto Rican Community, Cynthia Melendez Jan 2007

The Emergence Of Central Florida's Puerto Rican Community, Cynthia Melendez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As with many cities in Florida, Orlando is becoming a melting pot of various ethnic groups. In particular, the Hispanic population in Orlando and throughout Central Florida is steadily increasing in numbers and influence. Groups such as Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Colombians are enriching the area with their culture, language, and diversity. Puerto Ricans, the largest of the Hispanic groups in Central Florida, are also emerging as the dominant group in the region as evidenced by their common language, historical and cultural heritage, shared common interests, and in some cases, residence within clear geographical areas. Between 1980 and 1990, …


Sweat: The Exodus From Physical And Mental Enslavement To Emotional And Spiritual Liberation, Aqueelah Roberson Jan 2007

Sweat: The Exodus From Physical And Mental Enslavement To Emotional And Spiritual Liberation, Aqueelah Roberson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to showcase the importance of God-inspired Theatre and to manifest the transformative effects of living in accordance to the Word of God. In order to share my vision for theatre such as this, I will examine the biblical elements in Zora Neale Hurston's short story Sweat (1926). I will write a stage adaptation of the story, while placing emphasis on the biblical lessons that can be used for God-inspired Theatre. When viewing the stage adaptation based on Sweat, the audience members will understand how God-inspired Theatre aims to help members of society utilize their …