Sometimes it seems like the sports headlines constantly contain tales of which pro sports players have broken the law most recently, and it's hard to believe that there are still athletes who can be considered heroes. In the past year, Michael Vick was arrested for dog fighting, Adam 'Pacman' Jones was suspended for yet another transgression, and the Mitchell Report accused numerous baseball players of steroid and HGH use. Within the last week, Patriots' RB Kevin Faulk was arrested for marijuana possession (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3266201). These are only a few examples.
In Mediasport, Leah R. Vande Berg gives examples of classic and modern sports heroes, and explains the influence of media in making heroes into celebrities. She says, "Nolan Ryan, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Tiger Woods all illustrate the impossibility of separating the hero from the celebrity..." This may be true of these sports figures, but I think the greater issue now is the media's focus on sports celebrities who aren't necessarily heroes.
For example, Tom Brady: talented quarterback, record-breaker, led his team to an almost undefeated season that culminated in the Super Bowl. Some may forget that he also had a baby with someone who is no longer his girlfriend. But, his image seems to remain unscathed and his celebrity status intact, even though these off the field activities are not exactly heroic.
Unfortunately, the media tends to focus too much on figures like Brady who are perceived as "heroes" because of their athletic ability. Vande Berg cites several sources who claim that the modern sports hero is granted this status not only for their athleticism, but also for their morality, social responsibility, moral character etc. This may also be true, but maybe not in the eyes of the media.
As an intern for NFLPLAYERS.com this Fall, I wrote a series of articles about a program called the Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP which honored NFL players who were standouts in their communities. Seventeen players were nominated and they each took part in building a playground or refurbishing a football field in their community. I talked to a number of the players, and wrote articles about the community involvement that earned each of them the title of Neighborhood MVP. I found out that there are a lot of players doing amazing things for their communities: helping single mothers become homeowners, working with children in need, volunteering in New Orleans, and giving money from their own pockets to worthy causes. I also realized that their aren't many articles about players like these who, some might argue, are the true heroes.
Is there a difference between being a hero and a celebrity in our modern sports culture? What effect has the media had in defining the concept of a hero? Do you think those who are considered heroes deserve the title?
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In response to Samantha’s post, and in reference to Mediasport it appears that there is in fact a difference between being a hero and a celebrity in our modern sports culture. As Mediasport notes:
“The hero was distinguished by his (sic) achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name (136)”.
I agree with Mediasport with this statement and believe there is a difference between being a hero and a celebrity. I believe that being a sports hero is only achieved through an athlete’s athletic performance. If they perform good service within the community then I think that they should be just considered a Good Samaritan. There are plenty of normal citizens who perform community service and are not labeled a hero. I feel that hero is an extremely strong position to earn and obtain and should only be awarded to those in the sports world who work hard with strong and truthful ethics, morals, and principles. I believe that an athlete is considered a celebrity due to their fandom. Many people these days craze over Tom Brady, Alex Rodriquez, and Tiger Woods because not only are they an athlete, but their status lead them to the role of a celebrity. I feel that the role of celebrity is gained through work done outside of the sports community such as endorsements, advertisements, and public behavior (partying, clubbing, and fundraising). I also feel that an athlete becomes a celebrity due to their performance. Many celebrity athletes are good looking, drive fancy cars, and have been featured on MTV’s cribs. So yes, I strongly believe that there is a difference between a hero and a celebrity in the sports realm.
I think the media has more so sculpted out athletic celebrities then athletic heroes. I believe that an athletic hero is formed by the passion and respect from the fans. I think the media assists by highlighting their great plays, broadcasting their performances, and covering their off the field actions. I believe that the actual status of “hero” is created by the perception that the fan has of the athlete. I think the media has 100% effect in defining the concept of an athletic celebrity by their constant photographs and stories.
I think those who are titled a hero only truly deserve it for their honest athleticism and devote dedication. When I think of sports heroes I think of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Larry Bird. I think the majority of athletes who are titled heroes deserve the title more of being a celebrity. Their heroism should be considered by their love of the game. It is hard to say who I consider to be an athletic hero these days because I sometimes wonder what athletes still play for the love of sport, or for the love of their paycheck.
I agree with Jill to some level…
According to MediaSport, it defines hero as “a person distinguished for exceptional courage, fortitude, enterprise, superior qualities or deeds” (135). The nature of heroes as a cultural phenomena is focused on traditional and postmodern sports heroes and celebrities in American culture. I think there is no difference between a hero and a celebrity in our sports culture. You look up to a celebrity as a ro-model just as much as you would a sports figure.
The media has a major effect on defining the concept of a hero. It is how the hero is publicized throughout society and how people take that knowledge in to make up their interpretations of their own heroes. Heroes are people with great deeds and who are recognized by a majority of the public. The people know their heroes “only through stories, images, and other forms of information” (135) which is exposed by the media.
Individuals who gain honor by publicly displaying their “personal prowess, moral character and social worth” are known as classic heroes. I am 50/50 on the heroes that are considered “heroes.” I think many heroes deserve their title. It depends on what they accomplished as well as what they do for society. Sports heroes like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Barry Bonds, Joe Mantana (140), Michael Jordan (143) and many other sports heroes definitely deserve their title because what they made in history. Heroes like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan and other pop singers and some celebrities do not deserve their title. Even though they have been in the news, they are not a great ro-model to the public and have many social problems.
Being an icon in the sports world is different than being in the celebrity world. But at the same time, people look up to sports figures as well as actors and singers.
In my opinion there is a huge difference between a hero and a celebrity in the sports world. Our society often confuses the two and I think the media is to blame for that. American society is obsessed with the concept of the hero, I think the high number of super hero movies in recent years is evidence of that, (Superman, Spiderman, X-men, Batman). It’s almost like we have to have a hero in our world to look up to and that’s why I think sports players have been considered hero’s.
The headlines that newspapers use and the pictures that they publish make it sometimes seem that star players are superheroes and can do anything, this impression is strong on the younger audiences throughout the sports world. Chapter 9 of Media sport talks about this “….heroes are constructed in an interactive process.” The media’s influence on the fans is very strong and that’s why players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are heroes to some.
However in my opinion there is only person I can think of that played professional sports and can be considered a hero. That person is Pat Tillman, the former defensive player for the Arizona Cardinals. He gave up playing football and a larger contract to serve his country and eventually give his life for his country. That’s a real hero and its people like him that the media should be praising. There is nothing wrong with looking up to your favorite player but to consider them a hero is a bit much.
There absolutely is a difference between hero and celebrity in our sports culture, although the media tends to blur this line on a daily basis. Athletic accomplishments do nothing in terms of making someone a hero except in the eyes of their fans. I like Samantha's discussion of the Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP because to me thats what the true heroes of sports can do for a community. Building playgrounds and facilities for the less-fortunate does so much for those who are being helped. Mediasport sheds light on the situation as well, saying "heroes can be recognized not only for long-term, consistently outstanding performance and success in achieving excellence but also for their exceptional morality, social responsibility, and intellectual capabilities." The media fails to distinguish between the two on a daily basis. Athletic heroes being heroes in anything besides their sport are very few and far between. As Mediasport says above, they must demonstrate a "long-term" social responsibility and morality, not just making a single visit to a hospital or Habitat for Humanity. For the most part we have no clue what professional athletes are like because we only see them on TV. We very rarely have a chance to actually get to know a player to determine whether they might be a hero or not. It seems inevitable that a person our society grows to love will slip-up at one point or another, affirming the fact that it is rare to find a true hero in our modern sports culture. Roger Clemens, OJ Simpson and Pete Rose are a few good examples. While they were playing they seemed to be heroes, yet we can see very easily how human they are. Maybe these "let-downs" society experiences due to professional athletes is because we put them on a pedestal much higher than we should. I realize that they have an obligation to conduct themselves in a professional manner, but they are human and many are still very young. The pressures that they are faced with everyday to be role models might be slightly overwhelming for some. It is here where the celebrities are seperated from the heroes.
In today’s media influenced society there is a blurred line between sports hero and celebrity. The media not only glorifies players who are amazing in their field, but also those who have had run-ins with the law. In fact, those players with “baby-mama” troubles (i.e. Tom Brady), drug issues or criminal charges are focused on more intently than those which are doing amazing things with their status. It is a disturbing concept, but this is what the media does: blurred the line between hero status and celebrity status.
I took a sports law class last year and we had a member of the United Way come to speak to us. They spoke of a volunteer opportunity in which the United Way was honoring NFL players who have contributed to their community over a three day weekend celebration. I remember thinking about how something like this should be in the media, and I watched for it all weekend, but I found no coverage.
To some extent, I do believe that the athletes out there deserve to be called heroes, but limited to only their games. Taking a glimpse into most pro athletes’ private lives usually distorts how they are perceived during their games. If A Rod cheats on his wife, does that change how he plays on the ball field? Back in the day other major sports legends are reported to have cheated on their wives, but the media didn’t go there and everyone still perceives them as sports heroes of the past. The handbook states that a main concept “in the understanding of media entertainment is that of suspense.” By the media turning athletes into celebrities, they have changed how teams’ fan bases view of the players and the game into a suspense of what the players will do next outside of the game In this day and age the athletes considered heroes should not only be one on the field, court or rink, but also in their private lives.
In my opinion, there is absolutely a difference between being a hero and a celebrity in our sports culture. However, that line is blurred by the media, who attempt to portray talented athletes as heroes. In MediaSport it states that sports heroes, “embody, articulate, and interrogate abstract ideals and cultural values; they highlight social problems, and they proffer hopeful solutions.” After reading this, the only athlete that can be classified as a hero is Pat Tillman, who sacrificed football, and his life for our country. We may call athletes like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning heroes (and trust me, there have been so many occasions where in a dreamy voice I’ve said that Brady’s my hero), but Tillman was more heroic off the field than players can ever be on the field.
Even though we’re talking in regards to sports, when I think of heroes, I think of fire fighters, the NYPD, or soldiers like Tillman who risk their lives. I think it’s a great injustice to true heroes to classify great athletes as heroes, because they are only that: great athletes. Credit and praise should not be taken away from athletes’ accomplishments, but in my mind there is a big difference between being an icon and being a hero. Joe Montana, Muhammed Ali, and Michael Jordan are icons. They are timeless. They were incredibly talented athletes, who dominated their respective sports, but it would be unfair to classify them as heroes. MediaSport states that, “athletic heroes have degenerated to surface qualities like appearance and physical strength...but there’s an absence of moral strength.” It goes on to say that modern sports heroes should possess courage, generosity, social ideals, and honesty. With a list like this, how many sports “heroes” can we actually name that have these qualities? People want to call Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds heroes for their accomplishments, but they lack the “moral strength” and social responsibility that the book talks about. If using steroids to get ahead in your career “embodies a cultural value” or “highlights a social ideal,” then count Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds among our sports heroes.
One part of the chapter that I found very interesting was the section about Nolan Ryan, a pitcher who they said performed great deeds. When I think of an athlete doing a great deed, I think donating some of their millions to help the poor, or being an “NFL Neighborhood MVP.” But the book went on to say that his great deed was being the oldest pitcher to win an All-Star Game, and the only pitcher to ever throw 5,000 strikeouts. Yes, this is very impressive, but that shouldn’t make him a hero. Just as the media does a great job of turning heroes into celebrities, they are even more successful at turning celebrities into heroes. They say that the reason people love Tiger Woods so much is because they’re “starved for real heroes.” First of all that’s very unfortunate if Tiger Woods is one of our only real heroes. Secondly, the media really needs to take a better look at what constitutes a real sports “hero” before carelessly labeling so many incredibly talented, but not heroic, athletes.
In response to Samantha’s post I do believe there is a distinct difference between being a sports hero and a sports celebrity. Chapter 9 in Wenner states that “in ancient times, the hero, usually a warrior, was a legendary figure who performed brave and noble deeds of great significance, who possessed attributes of great stature such as bravery, strength, and steadfastness, and who was thought to be favored by the gods.” (pg 134)I agree with this definition to an extent. I do believe that a sports hero must be a legendary figure who is recognized for their accomplishments both on and off the field. A hero is someone that people of all ages should feel comfortable looking up to and admiring whether it is for their athletic ability or for their community service. For example, Michael Jordon is considered a sports hero for all that he has offered to the game of basketball and for all the noble accomplishments he has achieved in his community.
I feel that the hero title is one that must be earned and it difficult to attain. You may be an outstanding athlete and break records but you are still not a hero. I understand that young athletes look up to these professionals as heroes and even when I was younger I idolized Mia Hamm for her skills but she is not a hero, she is a professional athlete.
Being a sports celebrity in this day and age is not all that difficult. I feel that to be a sports celebrity you must thrust yourself into the media, whether it’s because of a recent sex scandal or drug bust, and you must be more of an entertainer than an athlete. I feel that athletes that go out and do overzealous moves on the field or court and have obnoxious attitudes towards other athletes are trying to be celebrities. Some players are athletes because they love the game and others are there just to make money; these are the entertainers. Terrell Owens is considered a sports celebrity. He made a spectacle of himself when crying during a press conference after losing in the playoffs. Without that incident he would not have been the topic of discussion around every water cooler the next day.
On rare occasions there are the few that are both celebrities and heroes. For example, David Beckham has been a top story on MTV, E!, and VH1 for the past few months and not for his athletic ability but for his good looks, friendships, and celebrity wife. He doesn’t necessarily thrust himself into the media but he is all over it. He is also considered a sports hero. For all that he has done for the game of soccer not just abroad but in America as well is outstanding. As I said before, these are rare occasions.
The media seems to show athletes as heroes because they signed a huge deal with Nike, Gatorade, Reebok, or some other sports gear. Young people today are looking up to the athletes with the biggest salaries, endorsements, and celebrity. It is unfortunate that the underdog and the true athletes are sometimes being ignored. For example, Brett Favre has been a hero his entire career. Until now, he didn’t receive as much publicity as I feel he should have but now that he is retiring it’s nice to see he is finally getting his 5 minutes.
I think that the athletes that the media consider heroes are not. I am a big believer in the unsung hero and those that do it for the love of the game. To me, that’s all a hero is; a great athlete that is using their powers and connections to better their communities while setting a positive example for young athletes. One thing that bugs me is most young athletes do not say they like a professional for the work they did for Habitat for Humanity but they like them because they drive a cool car and live in a big house.
After reading Samantha's post I must say that I firmly believe there is a distinct difference between being an athlete and being a celebrity. However, I do believe that some professional athletes aspire to be in the celebrity spot light. Chapter 9 in "Media Sport" talks about athletes such as Dennis Rodman. Even though Rodman is rarely in the spot light today, I believe he is one who once craved celebrity-like attention from the media. Rodman may be considered to be a sports hero due to his hard work and success on the basketball court but I do not believe his heroic success as an athlete makes him a celebrity.
On the subject of Tom Brady, his former girlfriend and son's mother, Bridget Moynahan, is a celebrity. Brady's current super model girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, is also a celebrity. He surrounds himself with celebrities and this draws media attention. The media is going to follow Brady when he off the football field with Gisele. I consider Tom Brady to be a SPORTS hero after winning three Super Bowls but I do not consider him to be a celebrity even though cameras are constantly following him.
In terms of the media, Wenner states, "In contemporary society, the mass media serve as the primary vehicles through which we learn of the extraordinary accomplishments, courage, and deeds of cultural heroes..." (152). The mass media helps show the heroic sports accomplishments athletes make today. Athlete's extraordinary accomplishments lead fans to consider certain athletes to be heroic at what they do. I feel the media helps portray the heroic performances of athletes.
I feel athletes work very hard at what they do and do deserve the "hero" title if they did in fact do something extraordinary. That is not to say that a heroic act during a sporting event immediately makes a sports hero a celebrity. Athletes should not be confused with celebrities.
"In ancient times, the hero, usually a warrior, was a legendary figure who performed brave and noble deeds of great significance... (134)."
I believe the word hero can be thrown around a little to much these days. Yes children who are sports fans may say some athlete is their hero, but that is because they don't know any better. These athletes are not heros, they are role models for the youth.
As it was stated in other posts, there are athletes who do tons of charity work and really make differences in communities and the lives of people in need. Once again, these type of people are great role models for children and the youth of our country to follow in the footsteps of.
"Athletes become heroes, because of long-term, consistently outstanding performance as well as their morality, social responcibility, and intellectual capabilities (138)."
I believe the media does hype up the athletes to be heroes. Most recentley, all the ESPN coverage Brett Favre has gotten on his retirement.
These athletes once again can be good role models, but I dont think you can be a hero by throwing a ball through a hoop or hitting a ball with a bat.
The word hero is so much more then that. The real heroes are the ones who risk their lives to help other people, like firfighters, police officers, etc.
In Leah R. Vande Berg's piece from MediaSport, she cites McGinniss in saying that the word "hero is derived from the Greek word heroes, meaning a person distinguished for exceptional courage, fortitude, enterprise, superior qualities or deeds - the 'embodiment of composite ideals'" These men were usually warriors which, if translated into today's times, would only apply to those who sacrificed their lives in battle.
The only difference is that times change. Wars aren't like they used to be and while soldiers are still everyone's heroes, athletes also garner a lot of respect for other reasons. Everyone understands that what athletes do on the field of play doesn't compare to what a soldier does for their country. But this doesn't matter anymore. People call athletes their heroes because they embody aspects of the original definition mentioned above. While writing it out I was picturing people like Tom Brady, Ray Bourque, David Ortiz, etc. These are heroes to people because their accomplishments are things people only dream of whereas anyone could help out in the community or join the military services and become a "hero" if they wanted. Not everyone can throw 50 TD passes or hit game winning homeruns at a professional level, or at any level for that matter.
I think these men do deserve to be considered heroes because of how many lives they change and affect. As a result, there is no clear line between athlete and celebrity anymore. When fans see Tom Brady they don't yell "Excuse me, Mr. Brady", they're calling him by his first name as if they've met them and know them personally. This is due to the media. As Vande Berg concludes with, "In contemporary society, the mass media serve as the primary vehicles through which we learn of the extraordinary accomplishments, courage, and deeds of cultural heroes and the faults and ignominious deeds of villains and fools." Their actions on the fields and the massive amount of media coverage truly is the "vehicle" by which these men and women become such large public figures.
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