One of the aspects that I love most about teaching at a university is the opportunity to engage with young people, to introduce new ideas and encourage them to (re)think their positions as they develop their own ways of understanding their world. But, approaching teaching in this way can make me feel like a dentist…
Judith Butler writes: “If gender is a kind of a doing, an incessant activity performed, in part, without one’s willing, it is not for that reason automatic or mechanical” (Undoing Gender). In respect to sport and gender the ability to perform a certain task often delineates the action as sport. In addition to this, the…
Critically acclaimed and immensely criticized, the film Selma unapologetically centralizes black people as key actors in the Civil Rights movement and the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Critics of the film argue that the film’s portrayal of the events is not historically accurate, and that the film should have paid homage…
By Wesley R. Bishop Any notion that the United States was in a “post racial” society ended last summer. Preceded by the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, the high profile murders of unarmed black civilians returned with the shooting of Michael Brown. Then the deaths of John Crawford, Tamir Rice, and Eric…
Newspapers, magazines, and talking-head television shows have lauded the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as the best collegiate football league, even alleging the SEC West division was the most dominant in the history of the game.[1] The media’s ubiquitous coverage and accolades have been warranted, however, as SEC teams have won seven of the last eight national…
Given that 76 teams participated in college football bowl games this year, it’s hard to imagine an era when most universities viewed postseason play as antithetical to amateurism and the spirit of college athletics. An era when Yale was a football powerhouse and athletics scholarships were anathema to higher education. It is probably also difficult…
Tonight big-time college football crowns its national champion when the Oregon Ducks meet the Ohio State Buckeyes in Dallas, Texas. The game features two high-powered offenses, and ushers in a new era in college football. Oregon and Ohio State advanced to the game after winning semifinal match ups against the Florida State Seminoles and the…
A week ago many Americans made a pledge to exercise more. Some of you may be sore from the grueling workouts you suffered through the last seven days. Others may feel convicted that you already gave up. Personally, I can barely walk because my legs are so sore. Thankfully, I sit at a desk and…
One decade as ABD. Ten years in an academic wormhole. According to the Council of Graduate Schools, more than half of humanities doctoral students remain ABD for years, stymied by the daunting task of completing the dissertation. The average PhD completion rate across disciplines is low, with approximately 57 percent of students finishing in ten…
Each year in January, I become hyper aware of all the buzz around coaching changes in the many levels of Texas football. There is a saying I have in this life, “You never know where you will start your next season.” There are several ways this plays out from year to year. This year, these…
Sport in American History 