Sport Hero

By John Key

Purpose of study

• Testing of the temporal aspect of the societal characteristics within the hypothetical model of the athletic hero.

Defining a Sport Hero

• Deford: – Impact champion - characterized by talent, notoriety

and an impact on the box office.• But no means of measurement.

• Roberts: – Athletic prowess and certain personality traits.

• O'Conner: – Athletic excellence, charismatic personality and an

eponymous symbol--but failed to define.

• Smith: only explicit attempt: – Consistently outstanding performer– The man of the hour– The underdog– Charismatic performer– Anti – hero

• Lacked operational definitions.• Lacked existence of different levels of

performance/character.

The Goal--Summit 72September 28--19:26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBFlMeViLCY

Eddie the Eagle• 1988 Olympic Ski Jumping: The Good, the Bad,

and the Eagle • To be able to fly for even a few seconds, after

lifting off from a 70- meter or 90-meter ski jump, must certainly be thrilling. One imagines it would be a compliment to say to one of the daring young athletes who compete in these dangerous and thrilling events that he had soared like an eagle.

• Not in 1988 it wouldn't.

• The worst competitive ski jumper -- and the most popular -- in history showed up at the Calgary Games to take dead last in both individual ski jumping events. The margin between Great Britain's Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards and the next-worst competitor was vast. But Edwards became a pop hero for his rare combination of enthusiasm, daring, and ineptness. Eventually, the British Ski Federation banned The Eagle from competing in the world championships, claiming that he "was jumping worse than ever," which was not so easy to envision in Edwards's case. Many thought the BSF's move was spiteful, others thought it merciful.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrn8mz7lovc&feature=related

• Johnny Bower, & Eddie Shack after on- ice/post-game festivities. TorSun Photo by Craig Robertson

• http://www.canoe.ca/GoodbyeGardens/mlg_41.html• http://www.bfree.on.ca/ppages/trickey/Sw23.htm• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqVPD5EfOMw

Essential Characteristics

• Athletic excellence: Unique form of brilliance within an athlete's field of performance at a specific time and fora specific society and would be indicated by a societal record, a societal number one ranking or a unique single performance for a given society.

• Charisma: A quality of personal magnetism or a capacity to inspire devotion or enthusiasm.– Presence indicated by a nickname.

• Transmission across society: The imparting of information and ideas, across a given society, concerning an athlete's excellence and charisma either by word of mouth, radio...

Newspaper

• Best method of ascertaining the general image

• News and truth are not the same

Delimitations

• Canada (urban and anglo)– 1924-5 & 1935-6 - Two distinct eras

• Six heroes – 20sJack Dempsey, Paavo Nurmi and Babe

Ruth– 30s Joe Louis, Babe Ruth and Max Schmeling

• Newspaper (main tool)• Looked only at the transmitter

Study

• Preliminary study

• Main study:

• Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star, Montreal Star and the Halifax Herald.

• Toronto Star daily

• Others every Monday

Sport Heros of the Twenties

• Ruth

• Louis

• Nurmi

Ruth

• Athletic Excellence– League leader in:– Batting– Runs– Runs batted in– Bases on balls– Home runs

• Charisma– Babe– Slugger– Fat Guy– Sultan of Swat– Bumping Bambino

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMvEhU46v_k

• Transmitted across society• Hedonistic materialism

– Rags to riches– Slugger– Said what he felt– Loved life– Spender

• Tendency towards superficiality– He feared life

• Transitional conservative/progressive– Media covers up unsavory– Media mentions unsavory

• Canadian consciousness--American pro.

Dempsey

• Athletic Excellence– Heavyweight Champion of the world

• Charisma– Jack– Manassa Mauler– Tiger– Giant-killer– Tough Guy

• Transmitted

• Hedonisitic materialism– Rags to riches– Movie-star marriage

• Tend to superficiality--nose job• Transitional

– Portrayed as a sophisticate– Portrayed as a brawler

• Canadian--American pro• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VawHgrLvbD4

Nurmi

• Athletic Excellence– Paris Olympics (24)

wins four gold medals– Held numerous world

records

• Charisma– Flying Finn– World’s Greatest

Runner– Phantom Finn

• Transmitted– Centenary of the Flying Finn's birth – The legendary runner Paavo Nurmi was born in Turku on

13.6.1897 and the centenary year of that event is being celebrated in a style worthy of his greatness. The first official event was in January, when the Turku City Theatre staged a dance performance commemorating Nurmi's achievements.

• Also:– Stamp– Congress– On 12 June the Flying Finn's home arena was inaugurated as

the Paavo Nurmi Stadium, after which the Paavo Nurmi Games began immediately.

– Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Turku on 6 July. • http://www.publiscan.fi/wtf7e.htm

• Hedonistic/materialism--took expense money

• Tend to superficiality--Amateurism in jeopardy and popularity goes down

• Transitional– Puritanical zeal for running– Takes expense money

• Canadian--Finnish amateur/pro

Sport Heros of the Thirties

• Ruth

• Louis

• Schmeling

Ruth

• Athletic Excellence– A unique performer– Greatest ever known– “Swing there--timing gone

• Charisma– Babe– Bambino– King of Swat– Sultan of Swing– Old Babe– Ancient Bambino

• Transmitted

• Conservative– Little about relationships– Still reflects the themes of the previous

decade

• Americanization

• Professionalization

Louis

• Athletic Excellence– “Outstanding athlete of the year” (Associated Press)

• Charisma– Fighter of the generation– A champion in the making– “Most sensational heavyweight of the decade– Brown Bomber– Detroit Dynamiter– Dark Destroyer

• Transmitted across society• Conservative

– Unmerciful– Lacks emotion– Indifferent to women– Abstains from drinking and smoking– Executioner– Destroyer

• Americanization• Professionalization

Schmeling

• Athletic Excellence--1936 defeated Louis– http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=lihT_ewxVko

• Charisma– Black Uhlan– Ambling Alp– Towering Teuton– German Slugger– Arrogant German

• Joe Louis Vs. Max Schmeling• Professional boxing was among the few integrated sports in the

United States, and prize fighter Joe Louis was a hero to American Blacks. On June 19, 1936, after rain postponed the fight a day, the undefeated Louis was knocked out by Germany's Max Schmeling. German Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels proclaimed Schmeling's victory a triumph for Germany and Hitlerism. The Nazi weekly journal Das Schwarze Korps (The Black Corps) commented: "Schmeling's victory was not only sport. It was a question of prestige for our race." In a 1938 rematch, Louis defeated Schmeling in one round.

• http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/joelouis.html• http://www2.nando.net/newsroom/sports/oth/1995/oth/box/feat/

archive/092795/box10034.html

• Transmitted across society• Conservative

– Portrayed in a mundane manner

• Racism• Americanization--Predictions of fights with

Americans• Professionalization• Rematch

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwPY5CzOGzw

Members of the Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame