Sport For Thought: Wimbledon, The World's Most Recognizable Brand

With all of the sporting events that occur throughout the world, is any brand more recognizable than Wimbledon? When flipping through the channels, you may see football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf or any other sport being played. But can a viewer know exactly what the event is just from watching what is being televised? How is a World Series or Super Bowl game more recognizable to the television viewer then just any regular season game? The answer is, their is no difference! But when one turns on the television to view a tennis match, what is more recognizable then the perfectly landscaped grass courts, all white, and the properness that is Wimbledon?

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Week 8

The Good:

London, once again. The National Football League (NFL) is now considering having an 8 game package in London next year. It is clearly no secret that Roger Goodell has a huge interest and desire of expanding over seas. Peter King, of SI, announced a couple of days ago that the NFL was considering this package. This week the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars played in London and it was interesting to see how much these fans loved the Jacksonville Jaguars arguably more than the fans in Jacksonville. Next year, three games will be played in London. An eight game package will be another step in getting a team in London, which Goodell has made it obvious that he wants.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Week 4

The Good: London. The National Football League (NFL) had their yearly game in London this year and this got me to thinking if London might find itself with a team in the future. There were already rumors speculating that London is trying to get a team or at the very least a Super Bowl in their arena. A couple weeks ago I was playing Madden and I decided to start a fantasy with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gutsy decision I know but I’m a sucker for their new jerseys. After the season I moved the team from Jacksonville to London as the London Black Knights. Interestingly enough, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shahid Khan, has interest London. He has been quoted saying that “Jaguars are the home team for London.” Not to mention that he just became the new owner of Fulham.  It might not be long before we see a team, not necessarily Jacksonville, move to London. The market, fan base, and opportunities that London would provide would be an excellent business decision for a few struggling NFL teams at the moment.

The London Experiment

By: Aaron Coleman

 

 

Let’s face it, it is probably fair to say that most American NFL fans are not huge on NFL games being played in London during the regular season. Fans are probably not too keen to see their squads potentially lose a home game just so our mates across the pond can watch the Steelers and Vikings play live in a “soccer” stadium. Personally, I would honestly not be too excited for Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris, and the rest of my Washington Redskins squad to have to take a 10+ hour flight to go play in front of an unfamiliar “home” crowd.

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: A Year after the Games, where is London now?

This week marked the one year anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony. Last year, London held a landmark Games, and being that this was the city's 3rd time hosting, it was definitely well run. Many believe that London 2012 was the best structured, best run, and overall best Olympic Games in recent memory.

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.

Summer in London: 5:00am Football discussions, Cricket?, Wimbledon

Hello from across the pond! Apologies for my small break from posts, but I have been in a transitional phase into my life in London! I am spending the whole summer studying abroad with a program called Foundation for International Education (FIE), information can be found here: http://www.fie.org.uk/london/. Throughout the summer I will write posts about my time here and how I have experienced sport. Below is my first post, recapping my first two weeks.