REVIEWS | EXCERPT | CONTENTS | AUTHOR BIO | SUBJECT CATEGORIESWhy do colleges have intercollegiate athletics? Why should colleges keep them? Rethinking College AthleticsSearch the full text of this bookedited by Judith Andre and David N. James
College sport is a major part of our cultural landscape, but it is perennially troubled with rule violations, academic failure, and exploitation. As recent moral philosophy has turned to practical issues, it has somehow overlooked the problems in its own back yard. This collection of essays enables us to step back from the sports page for both a broader view and a deeper look at college athletics. The editors, who are themselves moral philosophers, have brought together many perspectivesphenomenology, game theory, aesthetics, cognitive science, as well as history, anthropology, economics, and sports medicine. The essays illuminate the values of sport and their corrosion within the university's commercial environment. Does sport belong in college at all? If so, how can institutions preserve the real values of athletics while honoring those of the university? The book's contributorsphilosophers, social scientists, and physical educatorsexamine the current status of sport in Western society: the reason for its importance, the kind of pleasure derived by both participants and spectators, problems faced by athletes, and the effects on the larger society of troubles within the world of sport. Comparing university sport programs in the United States with those in other countries and examining problems that start with recruiting high school athletes, the authors ask whether present practices are justified. Determining the values that are intrinsic to sport, they explore how these values fit with the essential goals of universities. And they look at the peculiar features of revenue-producing sports and ask whether these change the nature of sport. Excerpt"The 1982 NCAA college basketball championship was a showcase for intercollegiate athletics. Not only was the game thrilling and well played, it was decided on a last-minute jump shot by the University of North Carolina's brilliant freshman star, Michael Jordan. In addition, the two universities competing, Georgetown and the University of North Carolina, have fine academic reputations, and the two coaches, John Thompson of Georgetown and Dean Smith of UNC, were known not only for their knowledge of the game but also for their concern for the academic well-being of their students. "Thus, it may have appeared to many members of the national television audience that intercollegiate athletics had never been in better shape. Unfortunately, if any viewers did form such an impression, further reflection may have dispelled it. In fact, although big-time intercollegiate athletics is enjoying unprecedented popularity, it also is plagued with problems. Many observers consider these problems so serious as to call the institution of intercollegiate athletics into serious moral question. "Thus, only a few months after North Carolina's thrilling victory, another national basketball power, the University of San Francisco, which in the past had produced such great players as Bill Russell and K. C. Jones, announced that it had dropped intercollegiate basketball in order to preserve 'its integrity and its reputation.' According to USF President, the Rev. John Lo Schiavo, S.J., 'There are people for whom under the N.C.A.A. rules the university is responsible, who are determined to break the rules presumably because they are convinced that the university cannot stay within the rules and maintain an effective competitive program.' "The particular violations that broke the back of intercollegiate basketball at USF involved payments by alumni to a student athlete and other payments by other alumnus to pay high school tuition of an athlete the university was trying to recruit. However, these violations seem minor compared to what has been going on elsewhere in intercollegiate sports." From Chapter 3: "Intercollegiate Athletics: Do They Belong on Campus?" by Robert L. Simon Reviews"From the practical to the fanciful, this book offers a broad range of views about what can be done about the problems in college sports...for readers interested in a topic about which there has been precious little thoughtful analysis, Rethinking College Athletics is a valuable addition to the debate."
"The book...offers essays on the history, philosophy, aesthetics, and economics of college athletics.... [The] authors explore the benefits that sports bring to the athletes who play them, the spectators who watch them, and the institutions that sponsor them."
"The essays...are persuasive. The editors question if sports belong in college. They take an in-depth look at revenue-producing sports as inevitably destroying the good of the sport itself.... Through the presentation of different perspectives, Rethinking College Athletics will help one to imagine alternatives not yet attempted in college sport."
ContentsPreface
Part I: Foundations: History and Philosophy of Sports
Part II: Why Play? Goods for the Player
Part III: Why Watch? Goods for the Spectator
Part IV: Reform: The Example of Drugs
Part V: Beyond Reform: Some Radical Suggestions
Part VI: Without Reform: A Different Hope
Concluding Remarks: Where Do We Go from Here?
About the Author(s)Judith Andre is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Old Dominion University. David N. James is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Old Dominion University. Contributors: Gunnar Breivik, Ted Cohen, Richard Double, Norman Fost, Richard F. Galvin, Allen Guttmann, Lawrence J. Hatab, Satoshi Higuchi, Drew Hyland, Joshep H. Kupfer, John J. MacAloon, Janice Moulton, Roger G. Noll, Roger Paden, Robert L. Simon, Gail Whitaker, and the editors. Subject Categories |