Sports nicknames are an untapped educational resource gold mine! As an early primary school age child I had a social studies foundation without attending any class. Knowing the teams I had a good idea geographically where teams were located and by their nicknames I often knew something about the city/region. As evidence here are some things I knew/learned growing up.
Canadian Teams:
Edmonton Eskimos: Canada's "northernmost" major city, approaching the edge of the tundra and land of the Inuit
Edmonton Oilers: Alberta is Canada's oil capital
Calgary Stampeders: home of Canada's largest stampede and one of the most famous in the world.
Swift Current Broncos (junior hockey): western/cowboy/ranching area
Steinbach Wheelers: Steinbach is also known as "The Automobile City" because of it proportionally high number of automobile dealerships
Kleefeld Stingers: Manitoba's honey capital
University of Manitoba Bisons: beast of the prairies, Manitoba's official symbol
American Teams:
Local animals: Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Phoenix Roadrunners, California Golden Seals
Midwest/plains ag scene: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies
Industrial connection: Pittsburg Steelers, Hartford Whalers, Indianapolis Racers, Houston Oilers, Milwaukee Brewers
Geographic features: Miami Hurricanes, Phoenix Suns, Colorado Rockies (NHL), Minnesota North Stars, New York Islanders (located on Long Island)
Wild west: Dallas Cowboys, Oklahoma Sooners (I didn't know what a Sooner was but recognized the "wagon"), Denver Broncos, Houston Colt .45's
Cultural heritage: Minnesota Vikings, Boston Celtics, Penn Quakers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, New York Yankees
Indigenous heritage: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Florida State Seminoles
The above illustrates what I knew/learned as a school ager and not meant to be an exhaustive list.
Being familiar with sports nicknames helped me on the civics portion of my naturalization oral exam.
Sports team nicknames are a readily available educational resource with the bonus being that many students follow sports thus connecting the classroom to the "real world.".
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Friday, March 1, 2019
Tickets Getting Out of Reach
I started attending sporting events around 1980. As a sign of my increasing chronological existence I have fallen into the stereotypical pattern of referencing "the good ol' days." One of my beefs has to do with the cost of tickets to professional sporting events. My complaint is not that the ticket prices have gone, because that is to be expected but it is the disproportional increase in ticket prices that upsets me. Rather than just rambling on about how much better the past was I present some numbers comparing the average income for fans, average baseball ticket and average salary for a professional baseball player. I have chosen baseball as for a long time it took pride in offering an affordable family entertainment option (i.e. ample availability of "cheap seats" often less expensive than movie tickets).
1980: average income $13500, average baseball ticket $4.50, average player salary $20000
2018: average income $62175, average baseball ticket $72, average player salary $4.2 million
Increases: average income 4.6X, average baseball ticket 16X, average player salary 210X
Numbers don't lie, sports ticket prices have increased at a rate disproportionally higher than inflation and the cost of living. Old guy theory/complaint: validated. Player salary increases: that's another rant.
1980: average income $13500, average baseball ticket $4.50, average player salary $20000
2018: average income $62175, average baseball ticket $72, average player salary $4.2 million
Increases: average income 4.6X, average baseball ticket 16X, average player salary 210X
Numbers don't lie, sports ticket prices have increased at a rate disproportionally higher than inflation and the cost of living. Old guy theory/complaint: validated. Player salary increases: that's another rant.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Going to The Game
Going to a professional sporting event as a youngster was special, for me it was the CFL, NHL and MLB if I was travelling. There were fewer teams. We were not flooded with television coverage as all we had was the local channel's "game of the week." Watching a game whether on TV or in person was a treat.
Going to a game meant following your favorite player and/or team. Concession and souvenir options were limited and other than a fan shooting a puck through a hole in a sheet of plywood to win a medium pizza there were no forms of entertainment or distractions. We went to the game because we loved the game, plain and simple.
Today the quality of the game is diluted because of the increased number of teams and subsequent demand for less talented players. The myriad of sports programming on cable/satellite TV makes it easy for the viewer to yawn and move on because it is just another game. Those in attendance at a game may not be fans and need noise and shiny things to keep their attention while true fans sit at home often unable to afford the egregious ticket prices. Games are more about the sizzle than the steak.
On the flip side of the coin more teams and more television exposure gives greater opportunity to develop a new/expanding fan base. More television options allow fans to follow their team if it is out of market. If you are interested in international sports they are now more readily available to watch. Haveing team ambassadors shoot t-shirts into the stands is more entertaining than watching the zamboni flood the ice.
Hats off to European soccer fans. The big time European soccer experience is more on the old-school side. Fans are in their seats while the game is on. No popcorn/soda sales people walking up and down the isles. No fans going to the bathroom during play. Concessions and souvenirs are limited. Fans are at the game to watch and cheer. While the frills are limited the passion is high.
Going to a game meant following your favorite player and/or team. Concession and souvenir options were limited and other than a fan shooting a puck through a hole in a sheet of plywood to win a medium pizza there were no forms of entertainment or distractions. We went to the game because we loved the game, plain and simple.
Today the quality of the game is diluted because of the increased number of teams and subsequent demand for less talented players. The myriad of sports programming on cable/satellite TV makes it easy for the viewer to yawn and move on because it is just another game. Those in attendance at a game may not be fans and need noise and shiny things to keep their attention while true fans sit at home often unable to afford the egregious ticket prices. Games are more about the sizzle than the steak.
On the flip side of the coin more teams and more television exposure gives greater opportunity to develop a new/expanding fan base. More television options allow fans to follow their team if it is out of market. If you are interested in international sports they are now more readily available to watch. Haveing team ambassadors shoot t-shirts into the stands is more entertaining than watching the zamboni flood the ice.
Hats off to European soccer fans. The big time European soccer experience is more on the old-school side. Fans are in their seats while the game is on. No popcorn/soda sales people walking up and down the isles. No fans going to the bathroom during play. Concessions and souvenirs are limited. Fans are at the game to watch and cheer. While the frills are limited the passion is high.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Back to the Future
As a sports fan I find the older I get the more my thoughts go back to "the good ol' days." If I try to be objective I need to ask whether things really were better back in the day or are they better now Let's compare the past and present of a sports fan.
Ticket prices: As a high school student earning roughly $5 an hour I could buy a "fun zone" ticket between $10 and $15, the equivalent of two to three hours of work. Today a student earning a $15 an hour wage would have to work four to five hours for a $60-$75 "cheap seat." Winner: the good old days.
Brand identity and loyalty: With a few exceptions team when I was growing up rosters had minimal change from year to year. Each team had two sets of uniforms. You knew the players and had a loyalty to the team and its players. With free-agency, more teams in the league and a different uniform each game day currently it is tough to keep track of your team. If you like team identity and loyalty the winner is the gold old days. If you like fluidity and change the winner is today's sports world.
Food: Back in the day you could get luke-warm coffee, flat sodas, hot dogs and stale pop corn. Current sports venues offer food fare rivalling exotic and gourmet restaurants. The clear winner is the present era.
Concessions and souvenirs: Selection of sports merchandise in the past was limited to two t-shirt styles (in adult and youth sizes), two cap styles, pennants and a mini hockey stick/baseball bat. Today you can purchase anything and everything for you, your car, your home and your pet. Clear winner is the present.
Stadiums and arenas: Many of the old venues had limited amenities and would violate current safety and accessibility regulations, but they had character. Modern sports venues are architectural wonders with all the amenities one could imagine but one could argue they often lack character and atmosphere. You decide the winner, do you want character and heart or do you prefer beauty and amenities?
The past had its glory, but also its weaknesses. As times change so does the sports and entertainment world. The only choice we have is to cherish the past and embrace and enjoy the present.
Ticket prices: As a high school student earning roughly $5 an hour I could buy a "fun zone" ticket between $10 and $15, the equivalent of two to three hours of work. Today a student earning a $15 an hour wage would have to work four to five hours for a $60-$75 "cheap seat." Winner: the good old days.
Brand identity and loyalty: With a few exceptions team when I was growing up rosters had minimal change from year to year. Each team had two sets of uniforms. You knew the players and had a loyalty to the team and its players. With free-agency, more teams in the league and a different uniform each game day currently it is tough to keep track of your team. If you like team identity and loyalty the winner is the gold old days. If you like fluidity and change the winner is today's sports world.
Food: Back in the day you could get luke-warm coffee, flat sodas, hot dogs and stale pop corn. Current sports venues offer food fare rivalling exotic and gourmet restaurants. The clear winner is the present era.
Concessions and souvenirs: Selection of sports merchandise in the past was limited to two t-shirt styles (in adult and youth sizes), two cap styles, pennants and a mini hockey stick/baseball bat. Today you can purchase anything and everything for you, your car, your home and your pet. Clear winner is the present.
Stadiums and arenas: Many of the old venues had limited amenities and would violate current safety and accessibility regulations, but they had character. Modern sports venues are architectural wonders with all the amenities one could imagine but one could argue they often lack character and atmosphere. You decide the winner, do you want character and heart or do you prefer beauty and amenities?
The past had its glory, but also its weaknesses. As times change so does the sports and entertainment world. The only choice we have is to cherish the past and embrace and enjoy the present.
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