Public Discourse (EC)

It was in 2013 that former Pro-Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb said on Fox Sports that six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson was no athlete, but rather someone who just “sits in a car and drives,” echoing every hot take you have ever heard in the “is motor racing a sport?” debate while sitting at the bar with your friends. Are McNabb and the anti-motor racing considered a sports crowd factually correct in this? Absolutely not. First, we must examine what the experts constitute as what makes a sport. Those who get paid to have the conversations most of us are paying to have. Dan Lebowitz, executive director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society in Boston, believes “Sport is a competitive endeavor that involves athleticism in which the goal is to win.” (Walters, 2016) The Council of Europe charter on sport uses the following definition: "Sport means all forms of physical activity, which through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing ...

In the sports world, a common debate is about whether sports like motor racing, golf, bowling and cheer leading are actually sports. I believe they are indeed sports, and am going to focus specifically focus on motor racing and explain why this is the case.

There are certainly negatives to polarization, as nothing is perfect. Losing friends over differing opinions has become more commonplace, especially with social media and the fact people exist who think arguing over social media can accomplish anything. The algorithm on social media that shows us other news items based on what we have previously liked also does us no favors in terms of hearing new viewpoints and perspectives. Sure, there are extreme cases, but every day, people work alongside and coexist peacefully with those who have differing opinions on politics. Ultimately though, the fact we are allowed to have so many different viewpoints broadcast publicly is a great thing that we should not take for granted. I'm sure in countries like China and Saudi Arabia, citizens wished that they have access to as many different opinions and perspectives as we do in the West. In the mainstream media, are some opinions more common than others? Absolutely. That's fine, even if y...

Economics is very well represented, as you can find multiple programs each day devoted to it. Honestly, everything is quite well represented, but some things can be tougher to find than others. While not perfect, the intellectual or philosophical perspectives of the majority of commentators is actually very diverse in the grand scheme of things. Whatever your worldview is, there are media out lets there for you. With the rise of YouTube and social media, there is a whole new media out there. While I personally don't believe most things coming out of the mainstream media, I do appreciate that people are allowed to have different opinions and people don't get silenced or thrown in prison like they do in other parts of the world if they speak out of line. See: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/saudi-court-sentences-poet-to-death-for-renouncing-islam And also: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-sentences-free-speech-activist-to-six-years-in-prison-1448617679 I...

I felt I should take this in a direction most relevant to my career, and focus on those seen as public intellectuals in the sports world and those who are seen as major contributors to the public sphere or sports commentary and analysis. While this is not a list of my favorite people in the public sphere of sports, I am attempting to be unbiased and list those who I feel garner the strongest reactions and the most coverage. 1. Stephen A. Smith          Now, I'm not listing Stephen A. because I agree with his opinions a lot of the time. He's extremely loud and boisterous, rubs many people the wrong way and has gotten into high-profile feuds with athletes, particularly Kevin Durant. However, to be fair ESPN is "the worldwide leader in sports" and Stephen A. is their most visible figure. He is highly connected in the sports world, and whenever any relevant event happens, he is always a leading voice...