Kentucky Wildcats, Academics, and Money

Eastern Kentucky University, where I work, is just about 40 minutes from the University of Kentucky, so the firing of UK men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie is big news around here. Interestingly, Gillispie was never officially under contract with the school, but rather both parties were working off of a "Memorandum of Understanding".
I have no idea if this is a common occurrence or not, but here is something that caught my interest:

Athletic Incentives
SEC Regular Season Championship $50,000
SEC Tournament Championship $50,000
NCAA Tournament Appearance $50,000
NCAA Sweet 16 Appearance $75,000
NCAA Final Four Appearance $150,000
National Championship $375,000

Academic Incentives
Academic Progress Rate of 950+ $50,000
Graduation Rate of 75%+ $50,000

Now, I'm not one of those academics who hates sports, thinks they are a waste of time, or even begrudges coaches the money they make (well, that last one isn't always true). But in my mind it says a lot about the priorities of a program when the incentives are divided as they are above. Winning is important, and it is part of a coach's job to help his or her team achieve excellence. However, why not put a little more money into the academic incentives column?

Tough questions and painful answers; ethical reasoning in sport

What is the difference between circus acrobats and gymnasts when the skill is in focus? Both practices require specific bodily skills, extreme physical strength and flexibility. But in circus we do not question ethics. It is a performance, a spectacle where we never think of young children training hours daily, devoting their life to work in circus, and travelling around the globe for the glory of their family tradition. Do they have an option of open future, if all they know is circus? Do we know how many injuries happened behind the scene? No, we don’t question circus in this manner. But, why do we do so in sport? What is the rationale behind the sport that does not allow us to consider it solely aesthetically? These seem to be the questions we should consider more precisely when considering sport ethics.

The passions, the bestiality, the drives that are controlling the sport at its top are by definition out of command and domestication. We have witnessed many athletes talking about the flow, about collision with the activity itself where one merges with the whole, with no time and place for reflection. We are witnessing the record breaking time and again; we are witnessing what seems to be impossible to happen at the moment. Setting the limit is the key for Aristotelian ethics of proper measure, but going over the edge is the key for excess. It is over the edge where comfort turns to pleasure and pain, which only chosen heroic people are willing to bear. It is the passage from comfort to excessiveness where the mutation of ethics takes place. It turns towards the ethics of law, towards the ethics of maximum, which universalizes what Aristotle regards as an exception; anyone has capacity to realize impossible. How does this position our metaethical grounding?

Finally, not only in sport, isn't the same going on in society at large? Isn't the neoliberal 'credit' society exactly what ethics of maximum is demanding from us?  Facing the global socio-ecological crisis, do we have the courage to admit our wrongs and change not only the world outlook but our daily habits as well? Should we wait for the critical mass to appear and force us into change, or should we act upon it progressively? What can we learn from sport, to protect our failure as human beings? 

Best,

Milan Hosta

And now, winning is all about winning.

Well done the FIA. The decision to decide the F1 world champion on race wins is fantastic. But why? If, for instance, Felipe Massa wins the first nine races, the season is over. Who would pay to watch F1 after that? Would anyone care who comes second? Firstly, I submit that anyone who wins the first nine races of the season deserves the chance to kick back and watch the losers scrap for second. That type of performance merits a crown. And why could the competition for second not be even more intense and just as good for the spectators? Come the end of the football season here in Britain, the drama of the relegation scrap often overshadows what’s going on in the top half of the table, especially if it’s your team that’s facing the drop. There are also Champions League and UEFA Cup spots up for grabs, and this keeps everyone interested. The fact that F1 does not have similar incentives is surely something that is easily fixed? Secondly, I hope I’m not getting overexcited here, but can you imagine the seat-of-the-pants racing we might be privy to when the season kicks off in three weeks time? All the big names going all out to win, week after week…new tactics, more pressure and, surely, more drama. Can you imagine two, or three, or even four drivers all needing to win the last race to be world champion? As someone who up until now has only occasionally watched F1, I can’t wait…but I wonder what the proper fans think?

2009 International Association for the Philosophy of Sport Conference

The International Association for the Philosophy of Sport invites the submission of abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 37th annual 2009 IAPS meeting. The conference will be held in Seattle, Washington (U.S.A.) between August 27th and 30th, 2009. Abstracts are welcome on any area of philosophy of sport, including metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics and ethics, and from any theoretical approach, including analytic philosophy and critical theory. In addition to abstracts for papers, proposals for round table and panel discussions, including a tentative list of participants, are also welcome and should follow the same format as paper abstracts. Graduate students and emerging scholars are encouraged to submit works in progress. Abstracts should be 300-500 words long and must be received by April 1, 2009. The preferred mode of submission is by e-mail. Please send the abstract as an attachment, preferably in Word. Contributors who do not have access to e-mail should feel free to send a hard copy instead. Please submit e-mail copies of abstracts to the Conference Chair at: dxh174@psu.edu

Please send hard copies (only if e-mail is not available) to:

Douglas Hochstetler
Associate Professor of Kinesiology
Penn State University, Lehigh Valley
8380 Mohr Lane
Fogelsville, PA 18051

Abstracts will be reviewed by a Program Committee of three IAPS peers. Contributors will be notified about the status of their abstracts by May 14, 2009.

In the NFL, Guilty Even When Not Guilty

The National Football League requires all persons associated with the NFL to follow a personal conduct policy (relevant excerpt and link to pdf of the complete policy below). Personal conduct policies are not unusual, but the NFL policy seemingly subjects people to a kind of double jeopardy. For example, Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos, previously subject to league discipline for multiple encounters with law enforcement, is said to be facing further discipline by the league, possibly up to an eight-game suspension (or half of the regular NFL season). His most recent crime? Well, nothing, actually. He and his fiancée were both arrested for disorderly conduct after a public argument that got physical. Charges against both were swiftly dismissed within hours. Nothing further will come from that incident as far as the law is concerned. The trouble for Marshall, however, is that according to the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, “It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime.”

Persons associated with the NFL are held to a higher standard. That in itself does not always seem problematic, and it is not unique to the NFL. But might the standard be too high? As it is, someone like Marshall is “guilty when accused” as far as the NFL is concerned. Such a policy seems to conflict with any normal understanding of justice. Marshall is not only required to defend himself in front of the law, but then again in front of the NFL commissioner.

Some persons, attorneys included, are beginning to take note. Attorney David Cornwell is raising some challenges to the NFL's right to discipline players (see the second link below). He refers to the NFL’s disciplinary policies as “draconian and unfair,” and argues that “The notion that a person who has a bad event is a reflection on all of us is misplaced.” He wants the NFL to be fair and also to focus on “making sure that the fan understands that the vast majority of NFL players are great community citizens.”

There are at least two relevant concerns here. First, is the policy fair? Granting that the NFL may permissibly hold persons associated with it to a higher standard, is the standard unjustifiably high? Second, even if the policy is just, is it best for the NFL? An incident like Marshall’s most recent would hardly catch much attention given how swiftly it was dropped as an issue by law enforcement. The NFL’s policy, however, gives the incident legs and focuses negative attention onto the NFL. The policy may do more harm than good to the NFL. Perhaps the NFL ought to concern itself more with offense and defense on the field, and let the legal system deal with legal offenses.


Relevant excerpt from the NFL Personal Conduct Policy: “All persons associated with the NFL are required to avoid ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.’…While criminal activity is clearly outside the scope of permissible conduct, and persons who engage in criminal activity will be subject to discipline, the standard of conduct for persons employed in the NFL is considerably higher. It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful. Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime.”

The NFL Personal Conduct Policy (pdf): http://www.nflplayers.com/images/fck/NFL%20Personal%20Conduct%20Policy%202008.pdf

Cornwell challenging NFL's policy: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3962086

Ancient Wisdom for Sport Psychology

Ancient Wisdom for Sport Psychology
By Dr. Randy Borum
(First Published in Black Belt Magazine, March, 2009)

What could a bunch of old guys hanging out on a porch more than two thousand years ago say that would be relevant for today’s martial artists and competitive fighters? Quite a bit actually. Around 300 BC in Athens-during the Hellenistic period., Stoicism emerged as a popular philosophical movement

Philosophers in ancient Greece tackled big questions about the nature of life, being, and morality, but they also sought to apply their principles and theories to practical problems. The Stoics, for example, focused on understanding happiness in living. That issue is certainly relevant today. But some of its core teachings parallel many modern concepts in performance psychology.

Keep in mind Stoic philosophy was highly influential among the Spartan warriors and their leadership and in structuring the training at the agogae. Spartan warriors certainly seemed to know something about mental toughness. No one is calling for a full-scale return to the ancient Spartan lifestyle. Nor am I suggesting you need to change your life philosophy. But consider the modern relevance of these old-school ideas

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. – Epictetus

Stoics were big into logic, reason, and planning. This quote is only one of many references to the importance of setting goals and moving purposefully toward them. The assertion to “do what you have to do” reflects their “no whining” orientation. Keeping your goals in mind will motivate you to push through adversity. Complaining when things get tough will not help your training. You must take responsibility for your goals and for doing what you have to do to attain them.

Your life is what your thoughts make it. -Marcus Aurelius

Thoughts control the climate of the mind. They also affect how we feel emotionally and physically. We can choose which thoughts will populate our minds. We should choose thoughts that are positive and that facilitate our best performance. If you occupy your mind with doubts, limitations and physical discomfort, you give those thoughts power and make them stronger. Unless you are being proactive and directing your thinking, your brain will likely default to something negative. Focusing on negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations makes them worse. Confident thougths and fortitude can help give you a much needed boost.

People are not disturbed by things, but by the view which they take of them. It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. – Epictetus

How we think about things often matters as much as what we choose to think about. Sure, bad things happen. We can reasonably react with sadness or disappointment. But disappointment doesn’t have to lead to devastation. A loss can lead to an opportunity. If you feel jitters, you can interpret them as a sign of anxiety or as feeling energized. We have the potential to control our reactions and attribution and those often affect our happiness and performance more than events themselves.


You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. - Marcus Aurelius

Part of the wisdom of focusing on our attributions rather than events is that our attributions and interpretations are under our control. One of the cardinal rules for managing sport anxiety is to focus on what you control. If you compete, you will do better to focus on your performance than on the outcome. Many things can shape the outcome of a fight or competition, but if you prepare yourself and perform to your potential then you have succeeded in moving closer to your goals. How did Stoics think people should handle negative events beyond their control? Acceptance.

To be everywhere is to be nowhere. – Seneca

If you’re competing in martial arts, it’s important to keep your head in the game. You need to keep your focus. That means learning to manage distractions and fixing your attention on your performance and your goals. Losing focus is one the greatest sources of error in competition. Staying focused in the present is most likely to keep you in your zone of optimal performance. Marcus Aurelius said: Confine yourself to the present. Never let the future disturb you.

Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee. – Epictetus

Stoics are sometimes misunderstood as being unemotional. Not true. They firmly believed, however, people should control – not be controlled by – their emotions. This is true for competition as well. Stoics warned against destructive emotions like fear, hate , and envy and any consuming, uncontrollable passion. Negative passions were likened to running down a hill and not being able to stop. They cause bad impulses and bad judgments, which make you feel emotionally unsettled. The Stoics instead sought inner calm and peace. They strove to be unimpassioned, not unemotional. Self-control and mental toughness were virtues that led to a balanced and rational approach to life.

As you reflect on your modern dilemmas and seek to excel in your chosen sport or discipline, consider how the wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophers might apply today.