Deck 6: From the Global Cultural Economy to Us Sports Cultures and Subcultures

Question 1

According to the American Dream:

A) athletic success is an individual achievement, but failure in sports is the fault of a corrupt sports system.
B) it is our moral duty to help our opponents to succeed, even at the expense of our own chances for victory.
C) achievement and success result from cooperation in which the strong pull up the weak.
D) athletes who work hard should be rewarded.

Answer 1

athletes who work hard should be rewarded.

Question 2

The discussion of heroes and celebrities in the text and in this course indicated or revealed that:

A) sports stars in U.S. are admired today because they represent the values of the industrial workplace and remind us of the blue collar workers who were employed in U.S. factories.
B) athletes first became prominent and gained heroic or celebrity status in the U.S. after the invention of television.
C) sports stars have become less popular in the U.S. since manufacturing began to decline and the value of consumption or consumerism increased.
D) sports heroes have a more enduring place in society and culture than do sports celebrities.

Answer 2

sports heroes have a more enduring place in society and culture than do sports celebrities.

Question 3

The idea of a sports star as a global cultural icon applies:

A) to David Beckam and Anna Kournikova but not to Michael Jordan.
B) only to earlier generation of sports stars who competed prior to the television sports era.
C) mainly to athletes with limited sports ability but with substantial popular or sex appeal.
D) to athletes whose images are constructed by the Golden Triangle.

Answer 3

to athletes whose images are constructed by the Golden Triangle.

Question 4

The value of individualism and the value of individual achievement:

A) are generally emphasized more by the Golden Triangle than the value of the team is.
B) have no place in the American Dream.
C) are related to the Dominant American Sports Creed but not the Sport Ethic.
D) are not associated with the types of sports stars sponsored and glorified by the Golden Triangle.

Question 5

The cultural economy of sporting celebrity:

A) operates within nations but does not extend beyond national borders.
B) is based on capitalism.
C) competes with the Golden Triangle.
D) is relevant to professional sports but is not relevant to amateur sports such as college athletics in the U.S.

Question 6

The case of Bode Miller considered in a special feature in the text demonstrated that:

A) the Golden Triangle avoids athletes who are anti-establishment or controversial, even when they excel in their sport.
B) controversial athletes who fail to meet media expectations in big global events such as the Olympics remain global celebrities or heroes in the Global Golden Triangle despite their failure.
C) the Golden Triangle keeps controversial sports figures in the public eye as long as they meet its corporate and commercial purposes.
D) whether a sports star is portrayed by the media as a hero or villain has no influence on the appeal of the star to corporate sponsors.

Question 7

The concept of the "China Global," which was discussed in a special feature about globalization and Asian sports stars in the U.S., showed that:

A) the Chinese people are not interested in sports or sports stars who compete in the U.S.
B) Chinese sports stars who compete in the U.S. are popular in China but have attracted little popular interest among fans and little commercial interest from sponsors in the U.S.
C) the global appeal of athletes such as Yao Ming derive from their transnational ethnic identity.
D) the success of Yao as the China Global has reflected a contradiction of the American Dream.

Question 8

The special feature in the text about Zinedine Zidane showed that:

A) sports stars have no control over whether they are viewed as a hero or villain by the mass media.
B) the mass media tend to overlook deviant acts on the playing field by sports legends when the acts occur during major global sports events.
C) French fans generally were very critical of Zidane because he was a sports star for them but not a sports hero or celebrity.
D) the public relations damage to his sport and his own image were likely minimized by Zidane's willingness to accept responsibility for his deviant act and say he was sorry.

Question 9

The marketing and selling of Michael Jordan:

A) emphasized his race.
B) was based on his being a "crossover hero."
C) emphasized his personality and downplayed his physical talents and sports success.
D) emphasized his anti-establishment attitude.

Question 10

Baudrillard's concepts of hyperreality and simulacra apply to sport because:

A) "sportainment" and "pseudo-events" are not relevant to the analysis of contemporary sports.
B) contemporary media constructions of sports sometimes blur the distinction between reality and fantasy or illusion.
C) the cultural elements of Hollywood and Disneyland have no place in contemporary sports constructed by the Golden Triangle.
D) sport is too authentic or real to be manipulated by the media.

Question 11

Among those listed below, the African-American athlete who has been best known for avoiding racial politics to preserve his popular appeal is:

A) Muhammad Ali.
B) Tommie Smith.
C) John Carlos.
D) Michael Jordan.

Question 12

The idea of American exceptionalism in sport:

A) is demonstrated by the American love of rugby.
B) is demonstrated by the strong passion of many American sports fans for NFL and college football and their limited passion for soccer.
C) can be explained by the desire of Americans and American sports fans to embrace cultural practices that are popular in other nations.
D) is demonstrated by the presence of soccer in the hegemonic sports culture of the U.S.

Question 13

The global culture of sports promoted by the Golden Triangle:

A) has avoided the influence of the forces of global capitalism.
B) is related to the branding, buying, and selling of sports events and sports stars in the global cultural economy.
C) shows no influence of the forces of Americanization or globalization.
D) has been heavily influenced by television but has not yet felt the influence of transnational corporations.

Question 14

The handling of Michael Jordan's color or race by the Golden Triangle shows that:

A) emphasizing race is how the Golden Triangle promotes its sports events and stars.
B) black athletes who demonstrate their racial pride in the political arena are more attractive to the Golden Triangle than are black athletes who do not.
C) Michael Jordan's image has been constructed from his historical ties to athletes such as Muhammad Ali.
D) the Golden Triangle likes "crossover stars" who can be constructed without reference to color.

Question 15

According to the American Dream:

A) athletic success is an individual achievement, but failure in sports is the fault of a corrupt sports system.
B) it is our moral duty to help our opponents to succeed, even at the expense of our own chances for victory.
C) achievement and success result from cooperation in which the strong pull up the weak.
D) athletes who work hard should be rewarded.

Question 16

The Dominant American Sports Creed and the Sport Ethic:

A) derive their influence from exposing the myths of the American Dream.
B) have influenced people in sport because they are ideologies rooted in dominant American cultural values.
C) are scientifically valid.
D) are typically challenged or refuted by coaches and others with authority or power in sport.

Question 17

Which of the following beliefs is not part of the Dominant American Sports Creed or the Sport Ethic?

A) Sport develops competitiveness.
B) Sport contributes to religiosity and patriotism.
C) Smart and successful athletes do not play hurt.
D) Sport provides preparation for life.

Question 18

The cases of the X Games and the Dew Action Sports Tour show that:

A) the Golden Triangle has no influence over alternative or extreme sports or their participants.
B) the most popular and commercialized extreme or action sports continue to be controlled mainly by the athletes.
C) alternative sports cultures have become attractive to the Golden Triangle because they represent a new sports market.
D) the stars of extreme and action sports have avoided the commercial influences that have turned stars of more mainstream sports into commodities.

Question 19

According to the text, Steve Prefontaine became involved with Phil Knight and helped Nike grow in its early years because:

A) he was an outstanding basketball player.
B) his individualism represented capitalist values and could be marketed.
C) he was a spokesperson for the governing body of his sport and was popular among the major authority figures in his sport.
D) he had an image of a "straight arrow" who always followed the rules.

Question 20

The idea that sport is a "sacred escape":

A) is paradoxical when we consider the role of the Golden Triangle in sport.
B) implies that serious sports fans are likely to embrace the critical perspective of a sport sociologist when looking at sport.
C) means that sport is really no different than religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or Hinduism.
D) implies that sport is like other aspects of everyday life.

Question 21

What do sports events such as the X Games or the Dew Action Sports Tour demonstrate about the Golden Triangle? Be specific.

Question 22

What does the case of Bode Miller demonstrate about the status of a sports celebrity? Be specific.

Question 23

What is a specific difference between a sports hero and a sports celebrity? Use an example.

Question 24

In what sense is it paradoxical to think of sport today as a "sacred refuge" for fans in relation to the role of the Golden Triangle in sport? Be specific and brief.

Question 25

Why did Wang propose that the affirmation of the American Dream by the China Global was paradoxical?

Question 26

How has Nike used "attitude" to brand and sell its athletes and products?

Question 27

What is the difference between the Dominant American Sports Creed and the Sport Ethic as the most prominent or pervasive cultural belief system about sports in the U.S.?