This will be my last day in the office for 2009, so you may not hear from me for awhile. I may check in from time to time, but won't officially return until January 4.

Until then, have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year from JSM. May God bless you richly in 2010.

Brad

Some terrific news to pass along from the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication. The AEJMC has approved the creation of a Sports Communication Interest Group to start in October of 2010. The group got approval for 3 years, which means it will have to petition for reapproval in 2013. Marie Hardin at Penn State deserves much of the credit for working on the proposal and getting it approved by the AEJMC Board of Directors.

The approval is indicative of the growing interest in sports media scholarship. Last year, the Broadcast Education Association added a Sports Division, and the National Communications Association also has a strong cadre of sports scholars (including many JSM contributors).

Obviously, now comes the hard part of organizing and creating offices such as research chair, program chair, etc. The group will have a business meeting and one program slot at the 2010 AEJMC convention in Denver. If you have an interest in helping out, you can contact Marie Hardin directly at mch208@psu.edu.

Deeper and deeper for Tiger

Of all the stuff coming out on Tiger Woods (which is coming out so fast now it's hard to keep track of) the most distressing from a journalistic standpoint this report about the National Enquirer and Men's Health Journal. Apparently, the Enquirer had the goods on Tiger two years ago, but withheld the information in exchange for Tiger giving an interview/cover story to Men's Health; both magazines are owned by the same company. The move led editor Neal Boulton to resign in protest (although the Enquirer says that was not the real reason for his departure).

If the story is true it is the most shameless form of sports journalism imaginable. The Enquirer doesn't have the greatest reputation to begin with, but has never been afraid to publish new (or sometimes questionable) information. The situation reinforces the importance of economics and influence of conglomerate ownership in today's (sports) media, but that's still no excuse. It's cowardly, checkbook journalism at its worst ... and everyone involved should be ashamed.

This and That

A couple of odds and ends as I continue to work through grading...

The deadline has passed to submit abstracts and proposals, but you can still attend the 38th annual convention of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH). It will be held at the Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center, Walt Disney World, Florida, May 28-31, 2010. You can get more information about registration here. Any further questions should be directed to Catriona Parratt, Program Chair, by E-mail at catriona-parratt@uiowa.edu or via fax to 319-335-6669.

Also, there are a few sports-related jobs out there, including at NYU, Cal State-Northridge, Ithaca College, and the University of Southern Indiana.

Tiger's Tale

Up until now, Tiger Woods has enjoyed an almost spotless reputation in the sports media. Beyond his obvious golf success, he has projected the image of the happy and dedicated family man ... which has no doubt helped him become the most marketable and successful endorser in sports history.

All of that may come crashing down in the wake of Tiger's problems over the Thanksgiving weekend. As you no doubt know, Woods mysteriously crashed his car early Friday morning, running over a fire hydrant in the process. According to Woods, it was simply a misfortune and he credited his wife with pulling him from the wreckage by breaking out a window with a golf club. But the tabloids told a much different story, claiming that the accident was related to an extra-marital affair that Woods' wife uncovered.

Tiger Woods has always accommodated the media, but this time he's staying very quiet. Woods has refused three opportunities to explain his role in the accident to police, and aside from this comment on his web page has also not talked to the media. Not satisfied with his explanation, or with the scanty details from a neighbor's 9-1-1 call, police may now be getting more forceful in looking for answers.

Aside from potentially ending Tiger's value as a sports endorser, the episode once again brings up the question of the private-public nature of the celebrity-sports athlete. Does Woods (or any superstar athlete) have the right to use the media for fun and profit, but then crawl into the bunker (pun intended) when things turn bad? Should the sports media respect Tiger's pleas for privacy? I would imagine almost all of us have done something dumb at 2:30 in the morning that we would rather not see on the front pages.

Today's sports media are a double-edged sword; not quite as sharp as the one in Hebrews 4:12, but still pretty dangerous. Celebrity athletes love the spotlight, love the attention, love the fame and love the money media attention brings. They also have to realize that they have the sword of Damocles hanging precipitously over their heads. It is a sword sharp enough to cut off a Tiger's head.

Before Turkey Day

I didn't mean to interrupt your Thanksgiving vacation, but I did notice this in my e-mail box. Adam is a contributor and reviewer to JSM; if you could help him out I'm sure he would save a little turkey for you ...
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I'm looking for any studies that look at communication apprehension among college athletes. Is anyone aware of studies that report correlations among comm app and on-the-field/court performance (e.g., links between PPG in basketball to CA)?

Adam C. Earnheardt
Youngstown State University
acearnheardt@ysu.edu

Happy Thanksgiving (almost)

I'm off to spend the holidays in Indiana, so you won't hear from this blog for awhile (at least not from me). Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. But before I go ...

"A Mirror to Our Culture: Sport and Society in America" will be a distinctive, intimate, and affordable three-day event that will provide opportunities for sports academics and professionals working in sports-related fields to network and share their expertise on a wide range of topics related to American sports. It is co-sponsored by the Green Bay Packers and St. Norbert College.

The conference registration fee of $275 will include a dinner for all attendees in the Legends Club Area at Lambeau Field, three days of luncheons, several coffee breaks daily, a guided tour of Lambeau Field, admission to the Packers Hall of Fame, access to all major addresses and sessions, and admission to photography gallery and all film/video showings. There also will be single-day conference registration available when registration opens February 1, 2010.

To maintain an intimate atmosphere, total registration at the conference will be limited to 300. Preference for registration will be given to those giving papers and presentations. We encourage
you to submit your paper/presentation abstract at this website. For more information contact:

Kevin G. Quinn, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics/Conference Director
St. Norbert College
100 Grant Street
De Pere, WI 54115
(920) 403-3447 phone
(920) 403-4098 fax