The Closer: Sport Ideology of Great Britain

This essay was written during my British Culture class while studying abroad in London, England this summer. Its topic is Sport Ideology of Great Britain.



The first thing that everyone thinks about when prompted with the word “sport” and the “United Kingdom” is football. There is a lot more to the sport culture of the UK than what is going on in the Premier League; the make-up of sport in the United Kingdom roots back much further than the creation of football in 1863. The history of sport culture has made sport in the United Kingdom a fascinating subject to study as it has shaped so much of what is seen today on the field and in everyday life. Not unlike any other nation, the United Kingdom clings onto their stars in particular sports and rides with them until they fall off, but it is interesting to follow where people’s allegiances are while taking club affiliation into the equation. By looking at two of the largest sports in the UK, football and tennis, this essay will compare how these sports, teams, and stars are portrayed and followed by the media and the general public. Using small comparisons to sport figures and organizations in the United States, some differences and similarities will become clear. Those comparative points can be attributed to cultural differences between the two nations, which will also be mentioned throughout the essay. Football has always been the international figure of British sport, as it is the most popular sport in the world.

The Closer: London Style: Andy Murray: Wimbledon Champion, Sir?

As you may have seen here, I am currently spending the summer in London studying abroad. Being that I have been here since the 20th of June, I have had the great pleasure of experiencing the Championships Wimbledon in person. Obviously with Andy Murray winning there has been a huge amount of  media coverage of Murray and his family, but most of the attention has been put towards Murray's future.  A lot of the media attention has been focused on the possibility that Murray may be on his way to knighthood at the age of 26.

Drexel SMTSU - The Sports Biz Report - Wimbledon and NBA Free Agency

The Wimbledon Effect

Every summer, a phenomenon known as the "Wimbledon Effect" comes into effect as a result of the most historic grand slam tournament held in London. The tournament takes place on the legendary grass courts of the All England Tennis and Croquet Club. As imagined, Wimbledon has a booming effect on tourism in London during which the two-week tournament occurs. However, "the Wimbledon effect" is primarily associated with increased membership in athletic clubs as a direct result of the tournament.

Wimbledon 2012 Review

This past weekend’s schedule of Wimbledon finals was anything but short on storylines.  On the women’s side, you had Serena Williams who is always a big storyline on her own.  Even with taking breaks from the game of tennis, she still continues to dominate women’s tennis and to prove that rankings may not really matter too much.  Her opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, would have taken over the number one ranking had she won her first ever Grand Slam title.  Serena Williams took home the title (Serena and Venus also won the women's doubles championship).

 

The buzz of Wimbledon happened to be on the men’s side this year.  The men’s final featured Roger Federer and Andy Murray.  Federer was going for Grand Slam title number 17 and record Wimbledon number 7.  Murray had much more pressure on his shoulders.  He was trying to become the first Brit to win Wimbledon in over 7 decades.  With historic implications on both sides, the finals were sure to be a huge draw.  To the dismay of all of Great Britain, Federer was able to edge out Murray in 4 sets.

 

Ticket sales for the men’s Wimbledon final were through the roof.  There were reports that tickets were reaching prices of over $20,000. Yes, $20,000.  That is how badly the entire country wanted to see a win for Andy Murray. 

An interesting point with Wimbledon is that the men’s and women’s prize money is equal throughout.  Prize money disparities have been a big point of contention in recent years in tennis.  At Wimbledon, prize money ranges from $14,500 for the first round losers all the way up to $1,150,000 for the winners.  All prize money levels saw an increase that was ahead of inflation from the 2011 tournament which would show that there has been growth in the tournament’s revenue. 

Just as I wrote last week, it’s time to take notice.  Especially in men’s tennis, we are in a golden age.  The top 3 or 4 players may be the best top 3 or 4 that we have seen in the game’s history.  There will be tennis in the upcoming London 2012 Olympics and the next Grand Slam is the US Open at the end of the summer.  Do yourself a favor and give tennis a chance.