Nick Rounds
Capitalism and Sports
This ongoing exploration began with a research paper for Sport Media that questioned the overwhelming influence of the media in sport. In my analysis, I criticized the 'commodification' of sports by mass media, which has severely obscured the pureness of athletic competition. In moving forward from these thoughts, I recently accepted a marketing/promotions internship with Comcast-Spectacor. The company owns and operates several professional sports teams, in addition to multiple sporting arenas. This position has proved to be one of my most influential and meaningful experiences at Muhlenberg, and has re-ignited my desire to work within the field of sports following my graduation. However, my current and possible future responsibilities with Comcast-Spectacor directly contradict the personal arguments presented in my Sport Media research. Consequently, I have learned that while the media may have an unhealthy command of many facets of our society, it can also serve as the backbone that supports culturally unifying experiences that we hold in high regard, such as sports.
