Gmelch Anthropology

Thus is the nature of baseball, a fickle game wrought with tradition, the foremost of which is the iron clad law mandating that the game is cruel and will take away as freely as it gives. My father always told me, “Baseball is a game of errors - the best hitters fail seven out of ten times - the key to success is knowing how to deal with the failure.” It is this aspect of the game, its want to frustrate and demoralize the player, that I think has driven most of my

Ever since I could remember, I have always had a great interest and love for the game of baseball. As a kid, I would spend countless hours in the backyard with my grandfather, or even by myself, tossing, hitting and fielding a baseball. When I wasn't in the yard pretending to be Nomar Garciaparra I would watch the Boston Red Sox games on TV with my Grandfather.  Even in my early adolescence, as impatient as most are, I had the patience to sit there and watch the Sox.With my eyes glued to the screen with a look of anticipation fixed on my face ready to mimic my grandfather with the excitement of a home run hit or the frustration of Mo-Vaughn striking out. Call me crazy, but I was addicted, even as a young boy, to Boston Red Sox baseball.

A: The concept of race and social access have influenced who participate in a sport because according to the narrator of the film, “The Difference Between Us: Race- The Power of an illusion” even though “Racial differences are not necessarily discussed openly, they are often part of the careful calculation of competitive edge” of specific individuals. Therefore, the idea of race as biology is extremely constant on

In Chapter 10 of Religion and Popular Culture in America, Joseph L. Price attempts to show sports as an example of popular culture as religion, because of its ability to shape the engagement of their fans and the fan’s environments. Although the majority of fans do not see sports as coming close to being a religion, Price gives several compelling reasons as to why sports are religion.

In 1975, Robert Lipsyte wrote “Jock Culture” which was in “The Sportsmaster.” It didn’t appear in “The Nation” until 2011. Analysis will examine the credibility of the examples used by the author to stage his claims.

The paper that is about to be presented is about how a theory invented by Karl Marx can intertwine with sports as we know it. The Marxist theory mainly affects how people

In the introduction of the argument the author only shows her input on the argument. She gives a flashback experience of how she thinks that the Florida State University Seminoles pre-game ritual is “pageantry and fun,” as well as showcases the Seminole peoples greatness (Willy, 2016). The author is not the only one that feels this type of way, it is a

The article Baseball Magic by George Gmelch is about an anthropologist who used to be a baseball player. So he knew about some rituals the players did from when he was in the pros. The article just described rituals the players do like eat at the same place before the games or the same type of food. Then he talked about Taboos which are things that the players didn’t do like he said he ate pancakes before a game had a bad game then never eat pancakes again before a game. Then he talked about fetishes like how the Hispanics would have a rosary and kiss it before they batted. The point the author was trying to make was that the author is focusing on how many people believe that magic can help them succeed.

In 1839 Americas soon to be favorite past time was invented right here in New York, Baseball. Baseball whether you like the game or not, has weaved itself deeply into our culture and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There are countless movies, articles, songs, playing cards, bobble heads, merchandise and books all made about baseball. The players are often idolized by children and adults alike. Baseball in our country was and still is a huge topic of discussion, whose batting average is higher, which team is better, is someone cheating. Troy Maxson like many American’s knows a lot about baseball like how striking out is bad and homeruns are how you win but there are things about baseball that Troy doesn’t know. The article, Walking Around the Fences: Troy Maxson and the Ideology of “Going Down Swinging”, written by David Letzler. Letzler Delves into the ideology of batting and walks in baseball in explanation of the main character Troy Maxson of August Willison’s play Fences, and his thought process of going down swinging and Troy’s thoughts on some of the major league players of that time.

Individuals participate in rituals for various reasons. As explained in Baseball Magic by George Gmelch, athletes often participate in rituals for superstition-based purposes. These athletes tend to participate in rituals or taboo in order to improve their performance on the field. Alternatively, The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual, written by Richard Sosis, describes that participation in religion-based rituals is often with the intent of improving the communication and cohesion of a group. Although Gmelch introduces ritual participation in the context of individual performance and Sosis in the context of group performance, both authors explain how rituals can benefit a given group or scenario. As an individual who has both witnessed and

In this article the author took what I felt was a very passive, non-threatening tone with the topic, making you feel more relaxed and more prone to listen to his argument. Mr. Graff chose to use a first-person plural tone in his article, this in my opinion makes it more relatable to all people, but I feel is more specifically aimed at educators and intellectual teachers. He related his argument to his own childhood which again endeared me to the author and the argument. He used personal references along with topical references from the era of his childhood, making his argument more personal. The author was able to make his argument using his love of sports and the magazines from his time that allowed him to analyze those sports and create far more compelling arguments than that of the tried and true “intellectual” literature of old.

Baseball has for a long time been a staple in the American sporting culture as baseball and America have grown up together. Exploring the different ages and stages of American society, reveals how baseball has served as both a public reflection of, and vehicle for, the evolution of American culture and society. Many American ways including our landscapes, traditional songs, and pastimes all bear the mark of a game that continues to be identified with America's morals and aspirations. In this paper I will be addressing the long residuals of baseball as it specifically relates to the emergence of the

I recently saw the film, 42, and I found many connections with our Sociology of Sport class. First and foremost, the movie was about the baseball legend, Jackie Robinson. Jack broke the baseball color barrier and was the first African American player allowed in Major League Baseball. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers beginning in 1947. Jack was a strong, talented player, but he also had a mind of his own. He played with an attitude that would be taunting to other players. When he made it to the Montreal Royals in 1946, he had to quickly get rid of this taunting, smart attitude. He was the only black player in a time of hatred and prejudice in the United States. Although he

The game of baseball has been argued to be the number one game in America and also around the world. Respectively the game is also known as “America’s pastime” had over 14 million people in the U.S. alone watching the World Series in 20151. Due to the growing popularity of baseball throughout the world the players of Major League Baseball (MLB) have become more diverse. Since 1950 when baseball started to grow in popularity the attendance per game has risen over 40%2.

“Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. I don’t care if I ever get back.” The sentiment expressed in this popular American song, sums up the feeling of the American sports fan. They feel and believe that baseball was invented in America. To them there is no confusion or controversy. The origin of baseball is very clear to the American sports