Sports are one of the main forms of entertainment in our modern-day culture. They play a large role in entertaining our entire population. So much so that in 2016, nine out of the top ten most watched television programs throughout the year were sporting events, with the Super Bowl coming in as number one miles ahead of every other event (Vogan, 34). Near the top of the popularity list for the entertainment category, it seems we almost always find sports. From the largest collective event in history (the Olympics) to the most famous person on the planet right now, Cristiano Ronaldo, we see that sports are king in the entertainment industry (Arthur, 45). None of this would be possible without the sports media. Sports media is the medium through which people gain access to their beloved entertainment, but it is a highly debated topic. Some people believe that it deteriorates from the integrity of the games or give players a medium to act out and make mistakes through, while others believe that the media has the power to make the sports world more entertaining and enjoyable for all individuals involved in the events. I believe that the media motivates players and gives them a place to express their opinions in an unbiased setting. So, I am asserting that sports media is good for sports for many reasons, but the main ones being that: it has increased diversity within sports, it gives access to entertainment for millions of people, and the media gives athletes the opportunity to express their opinions in a place where they can’t get fined. Sports media has allowed access to millions of sports lovers, and it provides the athletes with an outlet to make a positive effect on their communities. The sports world engulfs more and more people each year, it is an interesting and fun way to get behind your hometown or city. Some people even acknowledge sports as an analogy for life, the underdog always has a chance, and nothing is certain. This is what makes the media in sports so intriguing and such a highly debated topic among fans and players alike. 

Sports have progressed exponentially in the past century. Not just in safety regulations or rule additions and subtractions. But in the actual individuals that participate in the sports professionally. I’m not only talking about the shift in African-Americans participating and beginning to become the majority in sports but also in foreign athletes.  In the NBA (National Basketball Association) alone, since the ’91-’92 season, foreign countries represented in the league have more than doubled (from 18 to 37 in the 2014-2015 season) (Lynn). These increases of foreign players would not be possible without the use of media. Scouts of these professional teams are able to analyze players through videos on the internet without the inconvenience of flying to another continent to watch them play. Many of these individuals who now have citizenship and reside in America have the media to thank for their lives and well-being. One example that I am a first-hand witness to is the story of Thon Maker. Thon Maker was just a typical (but very tall) teen from South Sudan before a video of him arose across the sports media community. After just 2 months and millions of views, Thon became an overnight sensation. Just like that his life was turned around, scouts started coming to watch him play and three years later he was the tenth pick in the 2016 NBA draft and signing a four-year deal worth eleven point six million dollars. It is safe to say that none of this would have been reality if not for the use of social media in sports. By using this the sports world has gotten much more diverse and much more competitive because of this diversity. 

Possibly the most significant and influential change in sports has been the introduction of African-Americans to both collegiate and professional sports. In 1946 the NFL lifted its ban on African-Americans playing in its league (Larkin, 32). In just over 70 years from the time that this ban was lifted, African-Americans have become a vast majority in the National Football League. In order to show the amount of racism that was previously thought of in sports, Chris Lamb told the story of a world class boxer named Jack Johnson and how “When Johnson entered the ring on Christmas night in Sydney, 1908, the crowd met him with calls of “nigger” and “coon.” Johnson laughed, bowed, and threw kisses at those who yelled the loudest. Johnson smiled as he waited for Burns to enter the ring. Johnson knew he would not have to wait much longer to claim the title that should have been his long ago. Twenty thousand spectators were in the stands, including novelist Jack London, who reported on the fight for the New York Herald. In his story about the fight, London said, “There was no fight.” Johnson dominated Burns. It was not enough for Johnson to defeat Burns; he humiliated him. “Poor, poor, Tommy,” Johnson mocked the champion in the ring, “Who taught you to hit? Your mother? You a woman?” (Lamb, 19). African-American athletes almost took this malice as inspiration and fought back. Now African-American athletes account for more than two thirds of the entire National Football League, and is more than double than the next race (Henin, 54). Aspects of this change can also be attributed to the media. The media in sports has played a large role in the equal treatment of athletes of all races, they do this through promoting each equally. Publicity in sports has never been given more to one specific race or group over another. Sports are a very performance-driven profession, so bias is hard to factor in. The best players (who, in turn, make the best plays) are going to get the most coverage in the media. This is because whether or not the announcers or anchors want to publish certain plays or events due to a bias, a live crowd almost forces them to show the important events throughout the game. 

The second significant reason that media is good for the sports and our culture in general is that through the media millions of people are given access to the things that they care about. Media can be considered anything from television to snapchat stories by companies, and everything in between. Through all of these resources people are given access to whatever sporting events they care for, because this specialization is an option, many more people tune in to sporting events every week. The social media aspect of sports allows millions of people all over the world access that wouldn’t have it otherwise, on Twitter for example, both SportsCenter and ESPN have more than 30 million followers. Not to mention that these accounts are owned and operated by the exact same company. This company has grown into a powerhouse and yet ESPN started as simply three college students that had an idea to bring sports to everyone. Little they know it would blow up and be astronomically successful. People would start to ask “What could be more popular than ESPN? Not much, according to two 2014 Forbes reports that named it the world’s most valuable media property and the second most valuable sports brand after Nike.8 ESPN is popular in two principal ways, both of which illuminate its significance and uses. First of all, ESPN is pervasive. Second, it is utterly ordinary. Sports media—in part because of their ordinariness—are traditionally considered to be less thoughtful and refined than other genres. Though the sports page has long driven newspaper sales, it is known throughout the industry as a “toy department” that is not held to the same journalistic standards as “real” news. This attitude is similar in sports television, which is often critiqued for claiming to report on organizations that TV outlets pay handsomely for the rights to carry games.” (Vogan, 94). 

 Anywhere in the world that people have internet, they now also have access to sports. This has caused a huge jump in American Football fandom. In the past five years the amount of fans in Europe and south America have grown to be so great that the NFL has defied the constraints of its own name, and started to play games in Mexico City and London every year. The National Football League also plans to go international in the next ten years by planting teams in Europe, South America, and various other places across the globe. All of this fandom arising can be heavily attributed to social media. Nearly every athletic event, from a Division 3 college sand volleyball match to the Super Bowl, is broadcasted online and therefore available to people across the globe. Because these people of various nationalities have access to our sports they are becoming invested and attend the games when given the opportunity. Essentially social media has allowed for more people to watch sports than strictly the people who are financially stable enough to afford the tickets. They have bridged the gap from reading the paper and seeing how your team did last night to giving everyone an opportunity to watch and enjoy the actual action of the game, not just look and see the final score. 

One of the main arguments opposing the interaction between sports and social media is that social media is biased towards certain teams, genders, or groups of people. As I expressed in the paragraph above, the media and producers do not necessarily determine the content that is produced. In this day and age, the reporters first look at what fans that are at the game are focused on and these statistics help them choose the topics to report on. Specifically, the biggest group of people that complains for lack of publicity is women. Women’s’ sports only get about 4% of the total television coverage, many women and fans of female athletics find this to be corrupt and view it as a call for change in social media (Eime, 4). While this is a decent point, the companies produce the material that’s gives them the most profit, so the people that scrutinize social media for being biased should actually be blaming society itself. The plain truth is that our American population prefers male sports over that of females, for entertainment purposes at least. This is shown in viewer ratings and crowd attendance. All of this starts with the children though, participation in female sports has decreased drastically in the last twenty years. Girls do not participate in nearly the amount of sports that males in their youth do. Little boys grow up idolizing and striving to be athletes like LeBron James or Peyton Manning. Part of this can be attributed to the child’s parents but most of it can be attributed to the fact that many girls have started to grow up idolizing females in the entertainment industry such as Miley Cyrus. Fandom for most loyal fans begins at a very early age, so in turn female sports do not have nearly the fan base that male sports do. All of this goes to show that the media is not at fault for the bias that their shows have. Even when these female shows are streamed live on the internet for free, there aren’t enough viewers that log on and watch to make showing the programs cost efficient for the company. In the end the people that are calling for change are the ones truly at fault for not putting their kids in female sports and encouraging them to stay with it and get invested in athletics. Not only would this help their cause but across the board if people would have kids participate in sports more, we would be an all-around healthier and happier nation.

One of the biggest uses for social media in sports other than broadcasting the actual events is giving the players a voice. The post-game interviews with players and coaches give fans insight to the game that can’t be seen or detected simply from viewing the game. The media, both interviews and sources of social media such as: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, give athletes a way to express their thoughts in a neutral setting that does not leave them prone to objectification. This source of media opens up an entire new realm of possibilities, twitter has enabled professional athletes to interact with their fans in a way that was previously unparalleled. Fans have been able to reach out to congratulate, thank, or encourage players. In return players have been known to donate tickets or money to families and foundations. These forms of social media allow fans to follow their favorite players and teams in real time. Even further the athletes are able to release statements or call press conferences in order to provide the industry or fans with information. One of the biggest examples of this was in 2010 when LeBron James announced that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” (James). The press coverage that he got for this announcement was one of the largest in sports media history and took away the middle man and increased clarity. James was able to talk directly to all friends, family, and press equally.  This enabled him to be clear with his decision, the reason why he made it, and minimalize the ambiguity that usually comes when an agent is used to talk to the press. Through sports media, fans are able to get accurate information straight from the source of the action. Another way that social media has been a positive influence is that it allows for players to promote certain companies or organizations. Millions of dollars have been donated to charities through the publicity used by celebrity athletes. For all of these reasons, the sports media serves as a positive outlet for players in the sports community. 

In conclusion the media enhances athletic activities for everyone involved and enables millions more people to be involved. Whether enabling charities or simply providing entertainment for a family without television, the media’s involvement in sports is good for the economy of the sports and the well-being of our entire sports community. Sports are the worlds’ most popular form of entertainment, a form of entertainment that everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy. Many people would not be able to afford this luxury without the use of sports media. That is really what the media does for the sports world, it enables. Whether enabling fans to watch their team play, enabling players to make an announcement, or simply enabling a young player from across the globe to get some publicity and recognition. The sports media enables millions of individuals to enjoy life more. In a society that is based more and more on drama each day, we have one real form of entertainment that stays simple and straight-forward for its fans. 
