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This paper uses water waves as a metaphor to critically examine Black athlete activism and Derrick Bell's interest-convergence principle as an analytical lens for understanding how Black Athletes leveraged the capitalist system of sport to build power through wealth. Specifically, we focus on how the convergence of interest between Michael Jordan, Nike, and the National Basketball Association "built the beach" on which the current wave of Black athlete activists stand. While Jordan has been noted for his lack of activism related to race-related issues in the United States, Jordan's ability to accumulate billions of dollars in generational wealth through interest-convergence, he did lay the foundation for current Black athlete activists including Steph Curry and Lebron James. As such, Black athlete activists like James and Curry have the ability to speak up and speak out when they deem it is necessary without the fear of financial ruin or loss of livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February of 2022, professional women's basketball player Brittney Griner was detained in Russia on drug possession charges. Her detainment was a trending Twitter topic demonstrating the cultural, political, and social state of the United States, specifically pertaining to race, gender, nationality, and LGBTQ matters. The purpose of this study was to analyze what Brittney Griner's release from Russia tells us about social power relations and contemporary social political matters on the axis of race, gender, and sexual orientation. We organized the data to determine three distinct, yet interconnected themes: (a) Woke Politics at the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Queerness; (b) Preferential Treatment at the Expense of Whiteness Informed Patriotism; and (c) Intersectionality as Political Pandering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mandatory outdoor experience program (MOEP), involving a three- to four-day outdoor canoe excursion, has been a compulsory university course for undergraduate students for nearly five decades at a post-secondary institution in Northern Ontario, Canada. However, the experiences and perspectives of students who participated in these excursions have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to harness the power of storytelling by alumni to improve our understanding of the long-term impact of MOEPs. Using an innovative methodology combining computer-assisted qualitative data analysis (Leximancer) and framing theory, the links between alumni stories became evident through three main interconnected frames: people, activity, and environment. Although there are unique components of the MOEP program described by our participants, the results contribute to the retrospective literature on the critical and memorable features that students recall years after completing an outdoor adventure experience.

This study explored the public's response to the digital brand launch of the Seattle Kraken. Informed by agenda-setting theory and through content and social media analyses, the study identified the initial digital sentiment around the brand and the reach of the virtual conversations. The Kraken were able to encourage favorable conversation about the team by setting the agenda and encouraging consumers to engage with content at specific times during launch. In the first hour after brand launch, consumers focused conversation on the team, the logo and color scheme, and the effectiveness of the launch video. In the following 24 hr, the conversation remained positive and focused on how the brand positively represented the city and region. Through agenda setting, the Seattle Kraken were able to effectively launch their new brand while also setting the stage for positive brand-association development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this commentary is to present the state of sport, social media, and crisis communication research. Existing crisis-communication research involving athletes and coaches; collegiate institutions; teams, leagues, and governing bodies; journalists; and other sport entities are discussed. The commentary concludes with a discussion of directions for future research, including (a) interviewing industry professionals, (b) employing survey design to examine user response, (c) employing experimental design with social media manipulations, (d) validating and developing frameworks, and (e) examining additional social media platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the evolution of social media commentary pertaining to LeBron James' activism efforts during two pivotal moments of state-enacted anti-Blackness violence. Utilizing the lens of critical race theory and critical whiteness studies, we examined user commentary pertaining to James' two Instagram posts responding to the state-enacted violence against Michael Brown in 2014 and George Floyd in 2020. While responses to LeBron's activism certainly evolved between 2014 and 2020, it is wise to be skeptical of that newly found support for James' message and the outrage toward a fundamentally racist society. Superficial rhetoric and virtue signaling are the norm, while progress toward substantive change remains stoic and still, often like the beliefs deeply etched within us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As athlete mothers continue with sport careers and gain visibility in the media, scholars have explored media representations of high profile athlete mothers in discourses, from several disciplinary perspectives. This paper focuses on synthesizing these multi-disciplinary qualitative media research findings, to gain understanding of key themes that form complex socio-cultural meanings of motherhood and elite sport. Fifteen qualitative media studies were selected for inclusion in this meta-synthesis after searching eight electronic databases. Our descriptive synthesis of multi-disciplinary literature is presented through three themes: (a) (in)compatibility between athlete and mother identities, (b) motherhood as an individual responsibility, and (c) controlling the body. These findings were further synthesized into two new narrative themes: (a) entitlement to impose and (b) maternal activism and new ethic of care. Future research recommendations include expanding descriptive themes and new narratives through investigating additional mainstream and digital media forms, sport contexts, and intersectional identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the crisis of systemic sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and misconduct in the NWSL within the frameworks of situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) and image-repair theory (IRT). Specifically, this research engaged with three data sources (1) the Yates Report which details team by team allegations, (2) team statements in response to the allegations being made public, and (3) social media interactions in response to all statements. Based on the Yates Report, the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, and Racing Louisville (as well as the NWSL and USSF) were placed firmly within the preventable crisis cluster, which is marked by organization misconduct and management misdeeds. In terms of SCCT strategies, commonly used approaches were ingratiation and apology. In terms of image repair, commonly used approaches were corrective action, bolstering, and mortification, with corrective action being the most frequently utilized strategy across all statements. Within the preventable cluster, the two statements that received the highest interaction rates and like ratios were those that employed scapegoating, shifting blame, and corrective action. The implications of these findings as well as the utility of SCCT and IRT within the crisis communication landscape are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A batter takes a fastball to the ribs. An outfielder crashes into the wall trying to make a circus catch. A baserunner steps on the side of first base and [...]

In this article, the authors examine the period of time between Edwards' third and fourth waves of athlete activism, featuring a lapse in The Heritage of Black athlete activism efforts. By applying a Black Critical Theory lens and analyzing athletes like Michael Jordan in the apolitical era of Black athletes, this study provides contextual understandings in addressing the gap in Black athlete activism and advancement from the 1980s to the late 2000s. The BlackCrit lens allows for the exposure of the problematic nature of racial capitalism, and how it caused athletes to go against The Heritage of Black athlete activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]