The Politics of Sports Business
In-Person – Monday 1:10 pm – 2:50 pm
Sept. 16, 23, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 (No class Sept. 30) 
For the sports business to operate successfully, there are three absolute needs: government backing, money from television and corporate support. It really does not matter if a sport is headquartered in the United States or in China. Municipalities plan to spend billions of dollars for new or renovated facilities: Major and Minor League Baseball stadiums, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League arenas and National Football League stadiums. “Shamateurism” in American college sports was a major controversy, as college sports leaders want to keep so-called “student-athletes” under their collective thumbs.
- Week 1: Football in America, The Beginnings: The NFL began as a mom & pop store operation.
- Week 2: Pro Football and the “Jerk:” In the late 1950’s, with television exposure and network money, the NFL was transformed into the modern era.
- Week 3: California, Where Sports Changed: Los Angeles saw the end of the NFL color barrier, Los Angeles and San Francisco became major league cities with the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Athletes became stars and movie stars became owners.
- Week 4: The Olympics and Germany: Some people in Germany want to see Berlin bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics to mark the 100th anniversary of the Hitler-Nazi Games. Proponents believe it could be a teachable time for the world, to show how propaganda was used to promote the Games and the Nazi regime. Germany has hosted two Summer Olympics, in 1936 and 1972. There was turmoil at both athletic competitions.
- Week 5: Baseball In The American Culture: Established in mid-1800’s, by 1880’s rose to prominence in the culture at large—the poem Casey At The Bat, song Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Abbott and Costello’s biggest routine “Who’s On First.” Baseball has been a subject in books, on vaudeville stages, in a Broadway play, in song, in movies and television. Baseball cards played a role in kids growing up.
- Week 6: Athletes And Protests: There is a long history of athletes taking a stand and using the playing field as a public stage, yet spectators don’t always want to hear them. In 1936 Jesse Owens went to the Berlin Olympics, much to the chagrin of Hitler. In 1965, 21 African American players boycotted the AFL All-Star game in New Orleans because of draconian Jim Crow laws. Muhammad Ali refused to enter the military because he was against the Vietnam War, and in 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised the Black Power Salute at the Olympics to send a clear message about many issues, including black pride, solidarity with blue collar workers, and human rights issues.
Evan Weiner is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and recognized global expert of the “Politics of Sports Business.” He has a daily video podcast of the same name. He has been a radio commentator and TV pundit on MSNBC, and ABC, as well as a regular on BBC radio. In 2007, Evan was selected by the US State Department to speak at Texas A & M, to explain how the American government partners with sports, addressing foreign nationals. He won the 2010 Ronald Reagan Media Award from the United States Sports Academy. In 2015, Evan was featured on the documentary, “The Sons of Ben” about the economic fall of Chester, Pennsylvania and how the city thought a soccer team would be a key to economic revival.