In the 30 for 30 documentary on Marion Jones, speaker John Singleton discovers her background and analyzes which decisions she made, how they affected her, and how others handled them. Track olympian and all star Marion Jones was sent to prison for her use of steroids, and also lying about it. She later decided to admit her dishonesty and charges were pressed. Jones was forced to forfeit her 3 gold and 2 bronze medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At this time, she was considered to be the fastest woman in the world. Bad influences on Marion, such as her former boyfriends, led her to make these rash decisions that unfortunately changed her life. The documentary uses clips from Jones's career and interviews on her to inform the audience of all the facts in this situation and how she felt during it. Marion received 6 months in minimal security prison, and was later given 50 days in solitary confinement after being involved in a fight with her roommate, in which Jones was only defending herself in. Despite this, Marion Jones bounced back. She had a third child, and began to heavily train in the sport of basketball. Jones played in college at North Carolina University, but pursued track. Marion decided that her track career was over thus she then pursued basketball and was later drafted by the WNBA team of the Tulsa Shock. Jones also uses her mistake as a learning experience, and teaches kids about the negative impact this choice can make.
In my opinion, Marion Jones did not deserve jail time. The logical appeal is that many athletes have used steroids and been suspended for several games or for a season, but never given jail time. It can be argued that Jones was only arrested due to her extreme talent or fame, but also the fact that she is an African American. The majority of inmates are African American, so the authorities could have considered her "more guilty" than any other white athlete who has done the same thing only due to her skin color. Considering this, it is completely unfair to Marion who has committed 20 years of her life to track with this God given talent. All the hard work Jones has put into it was basically thrown away. Granted, she made a mistake. However, arresting an athlete for steroid use (honest about it at first or not) is unheard of. I agree with the punishment of forfeiting the medals, but instead of arresting her I believe authorities should have just suspended her from competing in track for a period of time. Despite the unjust discipline, Jones proved she is a fighter and refuses to give up on anything with her comeback to professional sports. Marion Jones is truly an inspiration to any athlete around the world.
Norton girls cheer on their teammates as they are checked in by the referees.
The Norton Lancers took on the Bellingham Blackhawks on May 22, 2015. The girls lacrosse game took place at Norton High School for a non-league match. Hardworking individuals on both sides battled it out, but the more experienced team of the Blackhawks took the win with a score of 9-5. Bellingham had a 4-14-0 record going into the match against Norton. The Blackhawks had defeated Norton 20-2 on April 21, 2015 and were definitely looking to put another win under their belt. Norton did not make this easy, however, by decreasing the goals allowed by 11 and scoring 3 more.
Freshman Taylor Mulvehill scored 2 out of 5 goals Norton put up on the board against the Blackhawks. In her first season playing lacrosse, Taylor was the Lancer's starting midfielder. Mulvehill scored a total of 5 goals. From her midfield position, Taylor was able to assist 5 goals throughout her season as well. Declared one of the fastest players on the team, Mulvehill used her speed and aggression to be one of the leaders, although she is only a freshman.
"We went into the game thinking we could beat them. We were really intense and we worked together," said Mulvehill.
Within the first three minutes, Bellingham put one on the board to make it 1-0. Later in the half, they scored again. By the 7 minute mark, Taylor was given an 8-meter shot due to a push that was declared a foul. She scored off of it, but the goal was overridden because Mulvehill was given another 8-meter shot due to shooting space because a Blackhawk defender interfered with her shot. Mulvehill was able to score again even after the second call. She put the Lancer's on the board with a 2-1 score about halfway through the beginning half.
In the first three minutes again, Bellingham scored making it 3-1, and coming back around the 9 minute mark to make it 4-1. Towards the end of the first half, sophomore Christi Brennan made a long, strong pass to senior Emily Weber who faked out Bellingham defenders and got a shot off. However, the goalie was able to save it. The Blackhawks then retaliated and put another one on the board to have a 5-1 score at the end of the first half.
The Blackhawks were able to start with an almost immediate goal at the start of the second half, giving them a 6-1 lead over the Lancers. Following was another goal for a 7-1 lead. About halfway through the second half, Mulvehill made a run the length of the field and was fouled. She was given another 8-meter shot, of which she scored and made the game 7-2. Soon following, Emily Weber maneuvered her way through the Bellingham defense and had a strong shot that the goalie was not able to stop. However, Bellingham fought back to score two more goals making the score 9-3 going into the last 5 minutes of the game. Norton dominated these last few minutes, scoring 2 more goals both by Christi Brennan.
The team comes together at the end of a practice.
In Norton Girls' Lacrosse's first season as a program, they went 0-15-1. They played an independent schedule, wanting to choose who they play in order to develop before entering the tough Tri-Valley League, Coach Mary Pasquantonio led a team who improved throughout every game. In the beginning games of the season, they were defeated 20-2 by Attleboro, 15-0 by Medway, and 16-0 by Nauset Regional. Towards the ending games, Norton was closing the margins significantly. Against Metro, they were only defeated 7-4. Norton also tied the JV Medfield team 9-9.
As the season came to a close, the athletes reflected on their improvement. "We proved to not only Bellingham but our entire school that we can compete with them, with any other team, and that we are improving," said Mulvehill. Taylor and the rest of her team look forward to what next year can bring for Norton Girls Lacrosse, including some wins to display all their hard work.
<---- Taylor's Interview.
Mulvehill's first goal: (6:00-end)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
• What was the score of the Bellingham vs. Norton game on 5/22?
• What was Bellingham’s record going into this game?
• Was Norton’s decision to get a lacrosse program the right one?
• Lacrosse’s popularity has increased over the recent years. Do you think this affected anyone’s decision to play?
• In what ways did Norton’s first year of lacrosse succeed?
In the informative article "It was lightning and thunder" by Will Grimsley of the Sun Chronicle, it displays the controversy between Sonny Linston and Muhammad Ali's Heavyweight Championship Title boxing match. The reporters address concerned fans with direct quotes and primary information to provide them with evidence from both sides of he argument but with a bias slightly favoring one fighter. Grimsley begins with rhetorical questions about who is at fault for the existing controversy regarding the fairness of the Ali-Linston fight and whether or not Linston heard the count. In addition, Grimsley uses the logical, ethical, and emotional appeal to expose the reader to different aspects of the fight. He displays the fact that officials and time keepers are trained professionals and know how to run a match, especially a championship. The ethical appeal is that Linston was favored over Ali so it would have created a much bigger deal and publicity if Ali won. The emotional appeal is that both fighters work very hard and deserve to win, but Ali was strategically smarter and had a clean, solid punch. Grimsley also includes direct quotes from the fighters to observe their point of view. All of the strategies Grimsley uses allows readers to be informed of all different sides of the argument. Although Grimsley was slightly biased towards Linston by providing more quotes and background information in his favor, Grimsely avoided the use of personal pronouns to keep his article mostly objective.
In the article "Pedroia power not enough for Sox" published by the Sun Chronicle, the article addresses the Red Sox vs. Twins game on Wednesday, May 27th with the Sox being defeated 6-4. The article highlights Dustin Pedroia's stellar performance of two home runs, but also explains that the Twin's matching momentum caused Pedroia's hits to not be enough. Quotes from the athletes and coaches are used to display their view of the game. Statistics from previous games along with the game on Wednesday night are correctly annotated to provide background information on the subject. The article displays detailed information about the game itself and events leading up to it allowing readers to have a solid understanding of the significance of the Red Sox vs. Twins series.
The Deflate Gate scandal has been an occurring issue since January, after the Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship game. The Patriots were accused of deflating the footballs in order to increase their chances of winning. Deflated footballs allow for easier catching, throwing, and less of a chance of fumbling. The NFL strongly believes that Tom Brady and the Patriots informed their ball boys to deflate the balls to give them a better chance at the Super Bowl. Tom Brady was punished with a four game suspension. The Patriots franchise suffered from a one million dollar fine and lost two draft picks for 2016-2017 season. The Deflate Gate scandal has caused a large amount of controversy among football fans all around.
As given, Tom Brady was charged with a four game suspension for a probable involvement with tampering of the footballs. In the Wells Report, Brady is accused of lying to the press because he claimed he was not involved in the scandal. In my opinion, Brady is not guilty of being involved in deflating the footballs. The greatest quarter back in the NFL would not do anything to jeopardize his career. Tom Brady also led his team to being the Super Bowl champions with 100% fully inflated balls, because they were checked over and over due to the accusation against the Patriots. In addition, the cold and rainy weather during the AFC Championship game could have caused the air in the balls to reduce. The Patriots have never before been investigated with deflating their balls. They have always been a highly respected team, and Tom Brady a highly respected quarterback. The NFL is not willing to consider all of the facts that prove Tom Brady is innocent.
Tom Brady's punishment is not even remotely justifiable. For one, Brady is completely innocent. Granted he did refuse to give investigators his cell phone, but there is also no reason for him to be forced to. Although it makes him look more guilty, his cell phone is his privacy and he has the choice of whether or not to hand it over. Just because he chose not to does not automatically make him any more guilty. Tom Brady's legacy does not consist of any bad records, he has always been humble and smart, considering he is the best quarterback in the NFL. Even if anyone is convinced this type of guy would be "probably" involved in this scandal, Tom is not the only one who should be punished to this degree. The ball boys are at fault if the deflation even occurred, but the public is choosing to punish the man who led his team to a Super Bowl win that all other fans are jealous of. A four game suspension for an innocent player is uncalled for.
A solution for this problem would be to revoke Brady's four game suspension. If Brady's suspension was terminated, the entire case would slowly go away. Football fans, especially Patriots, are mostly concerned about this part of the punishment. Since Brady appealed it, the case could eventually go to court. There is so much controversy among the NFL officials and the Patriots that the case has the potential to become so messy and heated that it has to go in front of a judge. To prevent the NFL from getting so much unneeded and negative press, they should revoke Brady's suspension. He is innocent anyway, and it would reduce the amount of conflict around the Deflate Gate by a mile.
Josh Greenbaum's film "The Short Game" is a documentary on seven/eight year old child prodigies in the sport of golf. The nine kids featured in the film are on their way to become the sport's next phenomenon and the World Champions of US Kids Golf. The main argument Greenbaum addresses is that kids who are especially talented in their sports are thrown into too much too soon. Popular belief of the American culture is when a child excels in a sport their parents and coaches push them to work harder than a seven or eight year old kid should. They are forced to train for ridiculous hours at high rates. This can take away the sense of being a kid, such as being careless and having fun. "The Short Game" displays both sides of this argument. It takes nine kids from various cultural backgrounds and gives their personal view on their lifestyle. The kids train 5-7 hours a day, some lift weights, and do aggressive physical workouts that high school athletes should be doing, not seven or eight year old children. Some may believe this is all necessary, considering the kids continue to decorate themselves with championship trophies. However, the film includes clips of each kid having fun with their friends and doing other things they enjoy despite having to work so hard. One of the kids Greenbaum focused on was Allan Kournikova. He quotes, "I don't think I'm giving up my childhood." The kids themselves have a drive to work hard and strive for being the best player golf has ever seen. On the contrary, the child athletes still find time insure that they do not completely miss out on their childhood because they were so invested on something they will continue to do for the next 50 years of their lives. "The Short Game" allows the audience to see both components of the main idea with intriguing stories to support it.
In my opinion, the kids in "The Short Game" in addition to any kid like them make their own decision to devote themselves to golf while also having a childhood. The kids work as hard as they do because they truly love the sport and want to be the best. Since the kids work this hard, it is teaching them perseverance and dedication at a very early age which they will need for the rest of their lives to succeed. For example, World Champion Alexa works very hard for long hours each day, because she wants to be the best at all times. However, she also allows herself to have fun with her friends when she is done working. This way she and many kids who find this balance are not disposing of their childhood while devoting themselves to working hard at the sport they love and want to succeed in.
Greenbaum exposes the fact that parents from different cultures do not always pressure their kids to be the best at their sport to make sure they still have a childhood. He uses different families from various ethnic cultures to demonstrate that despite conflicting views, parents of professional child athletes share common philosophies. The director displays one of these philosophies which is that parents of these types of kids do not always push their kids too far too soon and ruin their childhood because of a sport. Greenbaum exposes this because it is contrary to the popular belief of the public. His tone is happy and humorous to show the fun and young side of the kids, but also informative to expose the frustrating and overwhelming side of both the kids and parents when the sport presents adversity. The rational or logical appeals of the film mainly consist of the parents teaching their kids to overcome obstacles and never give up, despite how hard it gets. The director includes clips of the parents encouraging their kids when they have a bad hole or bad day. Ethical appeals Greenbaum displays are treating the kids as if they are 28 years old instead of 8 years old. Greenbaum shows clips of the kids lifting weights which they are too young to do. He also informs the audience that Jed, an autistic yet expected champion, was given a 10 stroke penalty for being late when it was not his fault and ultimately put him out of the running. Emotional appeals in the documentary consist of the argument that the parents of the children allow their son or daughter to take on too much at a young age. On the contrary, the idea that parents are supportive and allow their child to work hard but have fun as well is addressed.
In Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Paley's documentary "Schooled- The Price of College Sports" (2013) the directors display the problem that the NCAA mistreats their athletes. College sports are a huge part of American culture, and the directors show that through beginning clips of sports throughout history. However, since college sports are so important to America, the NCAA can slide through the cracks and get away with unjust things. The directors first inform the audience by presenting the athletes struggles as a student-athlete and their opinion of the NCAA. The athletes explain how the concept of amateurism has been completely destroyed by the NCAA. Amateurism is defined as playing the sport for the love of the game and not the money. But, the NCAA has used their athletes to skyrocket the organization in a way to get the NCAA the most money. The directors then contribute to the evidence of the NCAA's manipulative ways such as claiming they have no obligation to pay the athletes even though the NCAA has made playing college sports like a job. To conclude, the directors state that the NCAA claims they have no obligation as to how the athletes act as a student. The NCAA stands by this even when the student part in "student-athlete" comes first and the ruthless sport/press from the NCAA is interfering with that. The directors purpose is to inform the audience about the NCAA's unfairness in order to persuade the audience to take the athletes' side and be aware of what they are forced to endure. The directors seem to have an audience that cares about sports in mind because the tone is serious, informative, and persuasive. On a personal note, I agree with the directors. I think the athletes are being horribly mistreated and should get what they deserve which is respect and pay for the exploitions the NCAA puts them through. The NCAA should also be held accountable for the student portion of the athlete's college experience. The athlete's sport and the extra things the NCAA forces them to do interferes with school, and the NCAA should be more forgiving and understanding of when the athlete struggles in school. By and large, I think the NCAA needs to learn and respect the idea of what it really means to be a student athlete, and enforce that principle.
"Schooled- The Price of College Sports" can be summarized as a persuasive film to make the audience advocate for the athletes after seeing several pieces of evidence that demonstrate the NCAA's mistreatment toward their athletes. The film brings up several points in the film that make the audience want to take the athletes' side. However, in all fairness, it does bring up the NCAA's points that can make for a good argument. The film takes the audience through the course of several college athlete's lives and it is able to see what they have to go through. The film also shows the audience the NCAA's point of view so it can justify each situation according to how he/she feels about it. "Schooled- The Price of College Sports" has a serious and persuasive tone to stand up for the athletes of the NCAA, but does not refuse to give the organization its fair say in the situation.
In the article "JJ Nelson: Adidas never offered deal" by Darren Rovell, he argues the two sides of JJ Nelson's endorsement deal with Adidas. Rovell takes JJ's side, but he brings up all relevant points of the argument. The deal stated that any athletes wearing the new Adidas cleats, signed a contract to endorse the brand before they ran, and who got the top three fastest times in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine would receive $100,000. Before JJ Nelson ran, he was given the option between Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas cleats. JJ selected the Adidas cleats because they were decently comfortable, but he also had the endorsement money in the back of his mind. "I wasn't completely focused on it at the time, I was obviously focused on getting a good time first,"
Rovell quotes Nelson. JJ was mostly focused on running well, but it would be a lie to say that he was not thinking about the money. After Nelson ran the dash and came out with the best overall time of 4.28, he was shocked and confused as to why he was not paid the $100,000 from Adidas. Rovell quotes Nelson, "I signed some waiver at some point, but I was never given a chance to sign an endorsement deal." It could be argued that Adidas never gave JJ the opportunity to sign the official endorsement, therefore being the reason he did not receive what he deserved. In my opinion, Adidas treated JJ Nelson unfairly and it is their fault that this controversy is occurring. It is understandable that Adidas would want the athlete to sign an endorsement deal before running to assure that the athlete would represent them. However, there is no way that Adidas can expect JJ Nelson to sign an endorsement deal if he was never given one. JJ selected the Adidas cleats and ran in the top three fastest overall times, yet he was actually the fastest overall in the whole combine. Nelson qualified in all of Adidas' requirements, but did not receive his reward because he did not sign an endorsement deal he was never presented with. I personally think that is no one else's fault besides Adidas. They failed to communicate the deal with JJ Nelson which caused him to unfairly lose the money and the endorsement itself.
