Athletes are embracing Twitter like nobody else. They do so because Twitter offers a more direct way to interact with fans than ever before.
It seems obvious, however, that tweeting during competition is a distraction for the player and a detriment to the overall performance of the team.
If professional sports today were about achieving the highest level of performance possible, then tweeting in competition should be against the rules. Professional sports are not, though, just about the game; rather, they are a business where the priority is profit.
Many coaches and teams have made headlines recently for issuing fines to players who Tweet during games, stating that it is a clear distraction. Charlie Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks was punished for Tweeting at halftime against the Boston Celtics March 15.
“…[A]nything that gives the impression that we’re not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way we want to go about our business,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said.
If the reasoning is that tweeting is a distraction, then that makes perfect sense. But how is that any different from in-game interviews of coaches and players adopted by a few of the major networks and mandated by the National Basketball Association? Or asking a player or coach to wear a wire so the fans can hear on TV? Answering questions on national television in front of a camera is definitely as distracting as sending a tweet from a cell phone in the locker room.
Both tweeting and things like in-game interviews offer fans a more interactive experience with the athletes and coaches. They are both encroachments on the game for the sake of creating a better product for the fans. The difference between the two is that the networks and owners do not make money off of the tweets.
The leagues are quick to adopt new ways to make their product more appealing to the fans if they can financially capitalize on it. When players attempt to do the same thing by connecting directly with the fans, but without going through a sponsor or major network, sanctions are imposed to stop it, often behind the justified rationale that it is a distraction.
Professional sports are a display of the best of what humans can do athletically, and consumers pay to see it. If the priority is to produce the highest quality athletic display that is humanly possible, then tweeting during competition should not be allowed, and neither should in game interviews.
But that isn’t what the owners see as the priority. Their priority is profit. Mandating interactivity on one hand and punishing it on the other is hypocritical and sets up a double standard.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
J2: Group Exercise
Tommy Collins
Katie Cantu
Daniel Salazar
Amber Burton
How is the economy affecting private university attendance in Texas? (Meaning application rates and dropout rates) How are universities reacting and what budgets are they cutting? With private universities being more expensive than public schools, where can students get more financial aid? Focus on St. Edward’s: application fees, graduate donations, etc.
Multimedia:
If we find that St. Edward’s is cutting funding in building maintenance, a video of buildings flooding after the pipe’s burst. Or if sports teams are losing funding, we could show the fields lacking maintenance. We would depend each multi media thing on what we find. It would be good to focus on St. Edward’s then broaden the view. It would be good to have multimedia maps of schools and where they are hurting for help.
Sources:
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113965656&sc=emaf
o College tuition is riding even with the recession making college more unaffordable than before
• http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/education/21costs.html?_r=1&ref=education
o Article from the Times stating that college costs are rising.
• http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Texas/Education/College_and_University/Private/
o List of private universities
• http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/moms/6288904.html
o Houston Chronicle writes about ways private universities are trying to ward off the recession
• www.Collegeboard.com
o They have a few spreadsheets with facts about education and how costs have changed in the past 30-40 years of the cost of education.
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/01/universities_look_for_ways_to.html
o NPR talks about universities prepping for budget cuts
• http://www.ucan-network.org/searchInstitution.asp
o University and college accountability network
• http://www.naicu.edu/news_room/private-colleges-respond-to-the-economic-downturn
o National Association of Independent College and Universities
Katie Cantu
Daniel Salazar
Amber Burton
How is the economy affecting private university attendance in Texas? (Meaning application rates and dropout rates) How are universities reacting and what budgets are they cutting? With private universities being more expensive than public schools, where can students get more financial aid? Focus on St. Edward’s: application fees, graduate donations, etc.
Multimedia:
If we find that St. Edward’s is cutting funding in building maintenance, a video of buildings flooding after the pipe’s burst. Or if sports teams are losing funding, we could show the fields lacking maintenance. We would depend each multi media thing on what we find. It would be good to focus on St. Edward’s then broaden the view. It would be good to have multimedia maps of schools and where they are hurting for help.
Sources:
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113965656&sc=emaf
o College tuition is riding even with the recession making college more unaffordable than before
• http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/education/21costs.html?_r=1&ref=education
o Article from the Times stating that college costs are rising.
• http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Texas/Education/College_and_University/Private/
o List of private universities
• http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/moms/6288904.html
o Houston Chronicle writes about ways private universities are trying to ward off the recession
• www.Collegeboard.com
o They have a few spreadsheets with facts about education and how costs have changed in the past 30-40 years of the cost of education.
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/01/universities_look_for_ways_to.html
o NPR talks about universities prepping for budget cuts
• http://www.ucan-network.org/searchInstitution.asp
o University and college accountability network
• http://www.naicu.edu/news_room/private-colleges-respond-to-the-economic-downturn
o National Association of Independent College and Universities
Online Journalism Activities 5.1
Tommy Collins
Journalism II
Heath
10/22/09
Current story idea:
• How the economy influenced application rates and graduate donations/the endowment at St. Edward’s and similar universities? If so, how has the university reacted, i.e. where have they made budget cuts to compensate? Basically find out what the priorities of the university are based on where the money is going and where it is getting cut in tough economic times.
Information I am looking for online:
• Incoming freshman applications over the past five years at St. Edward’s and comparable universities.
• Graduate donation rates over the past five years at St. Edward’s and similar universities.
• Find the breakdown of the budget, and how it has changed over the past five years. Where have there been cuts to compensate for less money coming in, if that’s found to be the case?
Sources:
• http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/10/20/2009-10-20_college_tuition_costs_rise_again_this_fall_at_public_and_private_universities_na.html - This is an article from the New York Daily News that I took as credible because it is from the Associated Press.
• http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search§ion=Government_Relations&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=3545 - This is a document of testimony on behalf of the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities and similar organizations presented to the Senate Committee on Finance, explaining endowments and their importance to higher education.
• http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/12961746-1.html - This is an article out of the Waco Tribune-Herald, discussing how Baylor and other private universities are weathering the economic downturn. I find it credible because it comes from a newspaper and has a recent publication date.
• http://www.stedwards.edu/giving/endowment - This is the information regarding the endowment provided on the St. Edward’s Web site.
Journalism II
Heath
10/22/09
Current story idea:
• How the economy influenced application rates and graduate donations/the endowment at St. Edward’s and similar universities? If so, how has the university reacted, i.e. where have they made budget cuts to compensate? Basically find out what the priorities of the university are based on where the money is going and where it is getting cut in tough economic times.
Information I am looking for online:
• Incoming freshman applications over the past five years at St. Edward’s and comparable universities.
• Graduate donation rates over the past five years at St. Edward’s and similar universities.
• Find the breakdown of the budget, and how it has changed over the past five years. Where have there been cuts to compensate for less money coming in, if that’s found to be the case?
Sources:
• http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/10/20/2009-10-20_college_tuition_costs_rise_again_this_fall_at_public_and_private_universities_na.html - This is an article from the New York Daily News that I took as credible because it is from the Associated Press.
• http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search§ion=Government_Relations&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=3545 - This is a document of testimony on behalf of the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities and similar organizations presented to the Senate Committee on Finance, explaining endowments and their importance to higher education.
• http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/12961746-1.html - This is an article out of the Waco Tribune-Herald, discussing how Baylor and other private universities are weathering the economic downturn. I find it credible because it comes from a newspaper and has a recent publication date.
• http://www.stedwards.edu/giving/endowment - This is the information regarding the endowment provided on the St. Edward’s Web site.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Feature Assignment: Online Supplement
Beyond the Baseline:
Newman has adjusted his lifestyle off the court to meet the needs of his business.
He converted his private home into a boarding facility for students who want to train with him but live too far away. He turned his office into a classroom where the students do the home school part of the Hybrid program, which combines school and tennis training in one package at the academy. His personal car is the designated van for transporting the students to and from home and to and from tournaments all around the state.
“I took out a 1 million dollar loan to build this academy as the fulfillment of a dream,” Newman said. “After that, it makes a little more sense to dedicate everything I have to make sure it succeeds.”
According to the academy's mission statement, the idea of the Hybrid program is to offer young athletes a comprehensive approach to focusing on tennis goals by combining school and training at one place. Most participants live at the boarding house while going to school and training at the academy.
But a common concern of parents is that there are things through adolescence that don’t fall under school of athletics, Newman said. He recently taught Aaron, one of the 15 year-old athletes, to drive. He oversaw his progression through a home course of drivers training.
“Aaron moved in when he was 14,” Newman said. “At that age there are other things a kid needs to learn that don’t fall under class or tennis and that is our responsibility as well.”
Newman has adjusted his lifestyle off the court to meet the needs of his business.
He converted his private home into a boarding facility for students who want to train with him but live too far away. He turned his office into a classroom where the students do the home school part of the Hybrid program, which combines school and tennis training in one package at the academy. His personal car is the designated van for transporting the students to and from home and to and from tournaments all around the state.
“I took out a 1 million dollar loan to build this academy as the fulfillment of a dream,” Newman said. “After that, it makes a little more sense to dedicate everything I have to make sure it succeeds.”
According to the academy's mission statement, the idea of the Hybrid program is to offer young athletes a comprehensive approach to focusing on tennis goals by combining school and training at one place. Most participants live at the boarding house while going to school and training at the academy.
But a common concern of parents is that there are things through adolescence that don’t fall under school of athletics, Newman said. He recently taught Aaron, one of the 15 year-old athletes, to drive. He oversaw his progression through a home course of drivers training.
“Aaron moved in when he was 14,” Newman said. “At that age there are other things a kid needs to learn that don’t fall under class or tennis and that is our responsibility as well.”
Thursday, October 15, 2009
12-2 : Headlines
A. Missing Harvard University professor's body found in Mississippi River
Blurb: After a month long search, missing Harvard University professor Don Wiley's body was found dead in the Mississippi River. Wiley, 57, was found in Vidalia, La. about 300 miles north of where his rental car was found three weeks earlier. No evidence of foul play has been found.
B. North Dakota custodian promoted to head of science department
C. New city ordinance targets distracted drivers
D. Montana ranks second in alcohol-related traffic deaths
E. Web site devoted to cats playing with small objects
Blurb: After a month long search, missing Harvard University professor Don Wiley's body was found dead in the Mississippi River. Wiley, 57, was found in Vidalia, La. about 300 miles north of where his rental car was found three weeks earlier. No evidence of foul play has been found.
B. North Dakota custodian promoted to head of science department
C. New city ordinance targets distracted drivers
D. Montana ranks second in alcohol-related traffic deaths
E. Web site devoted to cats playing with small objects
Chunk Writing: Journalism II
Section I:
As customers arrived to the National Furniture Liquidators on Monday, they weren’t welcomed with a typical offering of help.
“Hey, we got a loose skunk in here!”
Shoppers were met at the door by a group of employees strategically evading a skunk that had wandered in through the open doors.
“I’ve worked in strange situations before,” Dennis Goke, acting assistant manager said. “I’ve worked in floods. I’ve worked without any power in the building.”
But none of those circumstances had the potential to wreak as much havoc on the thousands of dollars worth of furniture as this skunk did.
Section II:
With most other small animals, the employees could have used more aggressive means of getting it out of the store. But with a skunk, the employees predictably decided the best thing to do was to hide.
For about the first hour, the skunk was left to roam the aisles as Goke tried to figure out how to avoid aggravating the skunk enough to spray the employees and the thousands of dollars of furniture.
“If it would have been a squirrel, I would have chased him out with a broom,” Goke said.
A few of the more bold employees tried to lure the skunk out by creating a trail of bread crumbs out the door, which only succeeded in attracting dozens of screeching gulls, while the skunk found a secure place to hide.
It was time to call in a specialist.
Section III:
After the creative attempts to lure the skunk outside had the reverse effect, Rich Ulkus of Animal Allies was summoned to the scene.
Ulkas spent a few minutes on his hands and knees, shining a floodlight under the furniture, drawing gasps of admiration and comments about his bravery.
When Ulkas’ efforts didn’t find the skunk, he and Goke had one last idea. The two baited a trap using tuna wrapped in several layers of plastic, then wrapped the entire thing in a blanket and stuck it in the corner.
By 8 p.m. the store was closed and the skunk was still at large. Efforts to capture it had failed, at least for today.
As customers arrived to the National Furniture Liquidators on Monday, they weren’t welcomed with a typical offering of help.
“Hey, we got a loose skunk in here!”
Shoppers were met at the door by a group of employees strategically evading a skunk that had wandered in through the open doors.
“I’ve worked in strange situations before,” Dennis Goke, acting assistant manager said. “I’ve worked in floods. I’ve worked without any power in the building.”
But none of those circumstances had the potential to wreak as much havoc on the thousands of dollars worth of furniture as this skunk did.
Section II:
With most other small animals, the employees could have used more aggressive means of getting it out of the store. But with a skunk, the employees predictably decided the best thing to do was to hide.
For about the first hour, the skunk was left to roam the aisles as Goke tried to figure out how to avoid aggravating the skunk enough to spray the employees and the thousands of dollars of furniture.
“If it would have been a squirrel, I would have chased him out with a broom,” Goke said.
A few of the more bold employees tried to lure the skunk out by creating a trail of bread crumbs out the door, which only succeeded in attracting dozens of screeching gulls, while the skunk found a secure place to hide.
It was time to call in a specialist.
Section III:
After the creative attempts to lure the skunk outside had the reverse effect, Rich Ulkus of Animal Allies was summoned to the scene.
Ulkas spent a few minutes on his hands and knees, shining a floodlight under the furniture, drawing gasps of admiration and comments about his bravery.
When Ulkas’ efforts didn’t find the skunk, he and Goke had one last idea. The two baited a trap using tuna wrapped in several layers of plastic, then wrapped the entire thing in a blanket and stuck it in the corner.
By 8 p.m. the store was closed and the skunk was still at large. Efforts to capture it had failed, at least for today.
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