Hoop Dreams

     Hoop Dreams is about two boys, William and Arthur, who are skilled basketball players whos ambitions are to become NBA players. It starts off with both boys going into high school. They go to St. Joseph's and it is expesive and also a three hour train ride. The boys undergo some difficult situations with fitting in becaue there are a lot of white people. Arthur entered with a fourth or fifth grade school level. William was a starting freshman for varsity. Both boys had scholarships from St. Joseph's for basketball. Arthur's parents got laid off from work and still had to pay 1/2 tuition. Arthur was kicked out because they could no longer afford to pay tuition. Arthur went to a public school, Marshall, but he did not recieve credits for the semester at St. Jospeh's because the parents never repaid the debt. Arthur joined the sophomore team at Marshall. Arthur's dad left the family and was using drugs. Arthur makes varsity junior year, meanwhile William has  lot of colleges interested in him. Arthur begins to struggle with more money problems in his household. William injured his knee and could not ply for 12+ weeks because he needed surgery. In one of Arthur's games he fouled out for charging a player. During everyhing, William has a child. William stopped playing basketball and his grades plummeted. William returns, and he continues to have problems with his knee. In one partcular game, William gets injured and leaves the court. St. Joseph's began to fall behind. His coach left whether he went back in up o him, ad as any player would he went back in. He shot the free throws and missed, so St. Joseph's was defeated. William ends up getting another knee surgery. Neither of the boys' lives go as theyhad once dreamed, and they went through many challenges. William had another child before he graduated. In many situations, the boys were juggling a lot of personal problems, schoolwork, and basketball at once. The may not have become the next Michael Jordans or even made it to the pros, butthey overcame many challenges and became successful in ways they had never expected.
 
     In Hoop Dreams a lot of good morals are shown. One was, no matter your situation or lifestyle if you rise to the challenge and try your hardest you can succeed. Throughout the movie perseverance is portrayed. Even through the money, family, and school issues they went through, they focused on basketball and their future. Another is, regardless of where you are from and who you're friends with, it is your talent that matters. Not only for basketball, but for any sport, it's an escape from the discrimination of social class or position you're in. You don't get judged based on where you're from, but rather by the skill you bring to the team you play for.

How Do Sports Impact Culture?

     Professional sports have greatly impacted society. One of the most often told stories is the story of the baseball player, Jackie Robinson. He was the first African American to play in the MLB. Before hm, only whites were allowed. That, in itself, shows how people with a different color skin were classified "inferior" to whites. African Americans did not have the privelage to play sports or participate in many other things. Today, those privelages are a lifestlye of most people. African Americans could play just as well as whites, yet they were not given the opportunity to play for a very long time. Anybody of any nationality is allowed to participate in sports, whether it be recreational sports or major league sports. People of different races aren't denied because of their skin color anymore. Kids often grow up having an athlete as a role model. They base their decision of a role model on their stats and how they play, not the color of their skin. Kids are more impressionable and they are learning, on their own at a young age, that everybody is equal just from sports. Racial tolerance has greatly increased. Sports no longer define people by their nationality, but rather their abilities.
     Sports are very influencial on culture today. Sports bring many people together, whether it be the teammates or the fans of a team. No matter their background, they already have one thing in common.. the sport. Sports advertise teamwork, friendship, and sportsmanship, all of which involve coming together and accepting one another. Being on a team promotes supporting others, and so does being a fan. Teams come together to be the best team they can be, and fans come together to support their team. Different races are brought together, families and friends are broght together, and even complete strangers are brought together by sports. Color, language, and culture are often forgotten when it comes to sports and players are judged on how they play the game.
     Everything that has positive effects always comes with negative effects, including sports. Although many professional athletes promote teamwork and love for their teammates, there are also some who promote bad behavior. In many cases, athletes have done some terrible things.. bullying, domestic violence, and even muder. Many of them believe it's "okay" because they are famous and they can buy their way out of the trouble. Unfortunately, some of them have been able to. At the same time, this also can teach a lesson. Don't take what you have for granted. Use it for good, not bad. I do believe a lot of the positive does outweigh some of the negative though. Racial, sexual, and even gender discrimination is lessening, and sports have impacted that greatly. More and more people get acceptance in sports from their team and fans for their talent, and their culture is in the back of everybody's minds. Sports don't preach equality, but equality in sports is significant. Sports bring people from all over the world together.
     Sports have impacted me very positively. I started playing soccer when
I was 8. I have made many new friends from playing soccer. I also learned how to be a team player and to support my teammates. I have learned that sometimes you really do have to "take one for them team", ESPECIALLY as a goalkeeper. I learned not to think of myself, but to think of everybody on my team. I've learned to never give up, and to not dwell on the little mistakes. Practice may not make perfect, but then again what is perfection? Practice makes anybody the best they can be, and to me that is much greater than perfection. Perserverance is key, and that'll apply to everything in life. In sports, to me, giving up is not an option. I have learned, from playing on teams, that me giving up effects everybody on my team negatively. Some of the best friends I have are people I met playing soccer. This year I began playing lacrosse. I'm meeting new people without being judged, but rather given advice. I'm thankful to have sports in my life because they are a good way to keep me social and many aspects of sports can be applied into the real world and growing up.
    
    
    

Whether you follow football or not I am sure you have heard numerous news reports or read articles about the Deflate Gate. The Patriots were accused of deflating 11 out of 12 footballs in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. I, personally, believe the situation has been blown up by the media in an unnecessary manner. I also find it ridiculous that the Patriots are, once again, being accused of cheating. The Patriots are a good team, and they have worked hard to get where they are. Many people just are not willing to accept it. The Patriots are constantly targeted and many people try to make people frown upon them. First of all, the officials are well trained and are required to double and sometimes even triple check the footballs. Second, the air pressure plummeted due to the weather conditions and that causes a decrease in the ball inflation. Next, the Patriots had enough rushing TDs that they still would have won, and the deflation of a ball wouldn't change that play. The Patriots played an overall better game, resulting in a 45-7 defeat over the Colts in the AFC Championship game.. regardless of ball deflation.

It must come as a slap in the face to the many people accusing the Patriots that they won Super Bowl 49. The Deflate Gate was in the back of many fans' minds this past weekend as the Patriots defeated last years' world champions, the Seattle Seahawks. The game was a nail-biter for Patriot's fans. The Seahawks thought for sure they had it in the bag, but then a big mistake was made. The ball was not passed to Marshawn Lynch. It is said to be one of the biggest mistakes in Super Bowl history, and I agree. The whole game was set on a different path, and Malcolm Butler made the game-saving interception. It was an outstanding play made by him and he saved the game for the Patriots. Tom Brady even gave him his MVP truck. "Now that the New England Patriots are world champions, having put the Seattle Seahawks (and the season) to bed with one of the wildest Super Bowl finishes of all time, it's time to move forward in the football discussion and the offseason."  says Nate Loop in response to the Patriots' win and the Deflate Gate. Richard Sherman went from an early celebration to a completely devastated expression in seconds. The Seahawks made a mistake and it may be what stopped them from getting two in a row. The Patriots constantly have some bad calls against them or their opponent get some lucky plays against them, but they followed through until the end to take home the win.