Abstract
This paper discusses the current salaries of professional athletes and their impact on the sports world. The author examines how the skyrocketing salaries have affected experiences and perceptions of fans and negatively impacted professional sports.

From the Paper
"If you are planning on taking your family to a ball game, be sure to come with your favorite team's t-shirt, your camera and binoculars, and a fat wallet. That's right, be prepared to fork over the cash, because it will cost you upwards of over $250. Athlete salaries have drastically increased over the past couple decades. As these wages continue to mushroom to unprecedented heights, the cost of attending sporting events elevates to new plateaus of its own. In addition to increased ticket prices, which hurt the ability of many fans to go to games, exploding salaries have resulted in greed of players and owners and a lower quality of play in some areas. All of this has left a bad taste in the mouths of even the most die hard sports fans. If current trends continue, professional sports might lose what remains of its integrity and become just another industry where victory is auctioned off to the highest bidder."

Tags:baseball, basketball, football, contract, tickets, sales, mcgwire, sosa, yankee, stadium

From the Paper
"H.G. Bissinger, in "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream", uses high school football as a window through which we can study the soul of a Texas town. It is clear that Bissinger's study is meant to shine a light on the problems of American society in general, because the social and economic troubles of Odessa, Texas, are the troubles of the country as a whole. The book must be seen as a pessimistic one, because the problems of the town are not faced honestly and courageously, but are instead buried in the town's obsession with football, just as an addict would bury his troubles in his obsession with drugs.

The book might be seen as an academic, judgmental indictment from on high, the product of a writer from the big city who comes to the little town to study the inhabitants like a scientist studying rats. But it is clear that that is not what Bissinger ... "

Abstract
This paper examines the use of performance enhancing steroids for professional athletes. It argues in support of legalizing the drug in order for athletes' usage to be supervised by health care professionals. The paper illustrates that professional sports is a business and athletes will use steroids in order to succeed.

Table of Contents:

Background
Availability Of Steroids
Is The Bad Publicity Of Steroids Valid?
Why Take Steroids
Legalizing Steroids
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Through medical professionals misconception, and misunderstandings, the use of steroids has gained the popularity and reputation as the same caliber as dangerous street drugs. Steroids are medically prescribed drugs to treat certain symptoms and diseases, but has been widely abused by dedicated and obsessed athletes willing to go beyond their physical capacity to accomplish athletic endeavors. This sometimes includes the abuse of steroids. However, controlled steroid use with the purpose for increasing athletic performance can actually permanently improve an athlete's strength, and is not entirely destructive when used responsibly, and under the supervision of a health care professional."

Tags:athlete, drug, abuse, health, care, legal, congress

Abstract
The paper begins by looking at arguments for the use of steroids in sports. It quotes Barry Bonds, a major league baseball player who has no reservations about the use of steroids in sports; as well as Ken Caminiti, who won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1996. It lists the arguments of the proponents of steroid use. The paper then turns to study the side effects of steroid use and the reservations held by opponents of using drugs in sports. The paper concludes with the writer's personal opinion on the topic.

From the Paper
"Should athletes be allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs in order to improve their performance? Steroid usage in sports has long been a big issue for many athletes both professional and amateur. Steroids are not condoned in any sport however; some athletes do take the chance by using performance-enhancing drugs in order to increase the chances of a successful outcome in a competition. Many athletes have been barred from participating in certain sports because they were convicted of taking steroids. In light of this, one can only wonder how many top athletes have won events due to the use of steroids. There are many sides to the debate of whether or not athletes should be able to use steroids. Despite health reasons there are quite a few people who do believe that athletes should be allowed to use performance-enhancers. On the other hand, there are those who believe that steroids should not be used."

Tags:Barry, Bonds, Ken, Caminiti, proponents, opponents, side, effects, opinion, drugs, competition

Abstract
This paper details the implications of sport business professionalization in the context of three critical business functions: HRM, finance and accounting. The paper uses a research-based analytical method and discusses a number of salient issues that sport administrators must now consider in today's globalized business climate. The paper recommends a careful consideration of policies and procedures and a systematic approach to them. According to the paper, gone are the days of complacent sport administration. Organizations must now be stringent in their activities and make certain business is carried out in an efficient and effective manner.

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
Contents
Introduction
Three Sector Model of Sport
Human Resource Management
Managing Volunteers
Staffing and Development
Finance
Financial Performance Management
Marketing
Branding
Sponsorship
Conclusion
Figure: Three Sector Model of Sport
Figure: An Overview of the Recruitment and Selection Process
Figure: A Framework for Building a Sport Teams' Brand Equity
Table: Financial Performance Indicators for a sport Organization

From the Paper
"Of particular salience when considering the role of HRM in sport is the mixture of paid and volunteer staff. Reliance upon volunteer support has long been a constant in sport management. In Australia 1.5 million volunteers contribute in excess of 165 million hours operating sport organizations annually. In spite of this, the professionalization of state and national sport organizations has meant volunteer roles are gradually being taken over by paid employees, creating tensions as perceived control of decision-making becomes contentious."

Tags:leagues volunteers, brand equity, endorsements, financial viability

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that sports have always been a positive for society in many different ways. They are a great way to stay healthy, they provide an outlet for stress and aggression and they teach important life skills such as teamwork and fair play, just to name a few. Modern day sports still encompass all of these positives but as salaries for athletes skyrocket, so does the motivation to be the best. The writer discusses that this increased motivation is not a negative but the means by which athletes try and improve themselves can sometimes be questionable. The writer notes that the main problem is undoubtedly steroids; however, there are other issues such as using an agency to 'sell' an athlete to a college, which by many is considered going too far. The writer concludes that the only way to turn the direction sports is taking is to be more vigilant in efforts to catch drug cheats and to discourage athletes from using underhanded tactics in order to succeed in the sporting arena.

From the Paper
"This reaction is understandable because if other players are using then the athlete is left with the question of how they are going to be able to compete against the many other players that have an edge over them. This band wagon type effect could easily be stopped if the initial users were either caught or discontinued their use. The moral side of the story is another factor to do with the willingness of athletes to do whatever it takes.
"As sports have attracted greater media attention, athletes have been turned into not only super starts but also role models. What kid didn't look at their favorite athlete and want to be just like them? This creates a moral obligation for athletes. By taking any means necessary to advance in their chosen sport athletes are also giving that message to the public. This can send a dangerous message to children because when they find out their favorite athlete and hero is cheating. "

Tags:steroids, performance, incentive, cheating

Abstract
This paper explains how the game of tennis is played. Using a number of diagrams, the writer shows the rules and layout of the game. The writer also includes some recent statistics and player's names from major tournaments.

Contents:
The Origins of Tennis
Dimensions, Descriptions and Sizes
Tournaments and Players
Tennis Skills
Tennis Terms
Umpiring Decisions
References

From the Paper
"Present day tennis most likely has its origins in the "Jeu de Paume", which was practiced at the King's Court in the 13th century. Tennis spread throughout Europe, finding great support in Great Britain. At the foot of the Windsor Castle ramparts, and in the majority of royal British residences, a "tennys courte" could always be found. This trend was credited to Henry VII, who had four courts built on the land surrounding Whitahall Palace. The word "tenetz", which was cried out by the player upon serving the ball to his opponent, eventually gained acceptance throughout Europe and became the deciding factor in the unification of the "Jeu de Paume"."

Tags:sport, henman, hewitt, wimbledone, professional

Abstract
This paper investigates the difference between competitive and recreational athletes' goal orientations. As anticipated, it shows how individuals in competitive sporting programs have a higher ego orientation than individuals in recreational programs. This result is discussed in terms of the positive health benifits for Australians.

From the Paper
"White and Duda (1994) found that athletes who competed at the highest level were higher in ego orientation than those who were involved in recreational sport. They also found that competitive levels had no significant effect on task orientation. This ego orientation link to competitive involvement is supported by a study by Gernigon and Le Bars (2000) which examined goal orientation and different levels of martial arts. Because of the unique nature of the sports studied (Judo and Aikido) in this research, unclear implications for task orientation and competitive level have been produced. These sports involve striving for mastery in getting different grades or belts, and competition with others, through bouts where beating an opponent is paramount."

Tags:athletes, health, ego

Abstract
This paper provides accounts of the hardships faced by the Australians while fighting war on the Kokoda Trail. After describing the horrific conditions on the trail, the paper seeks to reveal that a strong sense of mateship between the Australians is what enabled the soldiers to keep fighting and proved to be the difference in defying the invading Japanese. The paper also investigates the applicability of this to today, showing that the trail is still used to encourage mateship within sports teams.

From the Paper
"Captain Phil Rhoden of the 14th battalion recalled: "We warmed ourselves around the fire and we sang and we sang and we sang. We sang a lot of rugby songs. The morale was high. It was great. You felt you were a member of something good."
It was a time when mateship was not contrived or cliched; it was real. Laurie Howson, a soldier of the Australian militia recalled that, "Your mate alongside you became your mother, father and God all rolled into one."
Mateship was, essentially, the advantage and the binding force of the Australian militia, a far cry from the Japanese troops whom, it is recorded, were plagued with inter squadron quarrels."

Tags:mateship, japanese

Abstract
This paper looks at the normal/pathological debate about criminal offenders to try to conclude whether or not criminal offenders have underlying mental issues or just commit crimes based on their environment and lifestyles.

From the Paper
"The question of whether offenders are mad or bad and the normal/pathological debate is one that runs rife throughout not only the psychological community, but also society as a whole. To understand and decide whether or not offenders are mad or just plain bad, the defining of the terms "normal" and "pathological" and the basic outline of the debate is imperative. The psychological definition of pathological is to relate to, or manifest behaviors that are habitual, maladaptive and compulsive and on the other hand normal is defined as functioning in a natural manner, with no observable abnormalities (The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary: 2002). The basics of this debate in relation to criminal offenders is that genetics influence criminal behavior and therefore cause pathological behavior (Lefton, L.A:1979), that crime is a result of a disfunctioning biological systems involving physiological, biochemical, neurological and environmental factors, (Vold, Bernard and Snipes: ) and the theory that mental illness played a huge part in why criminals offend (Lefton, L.A:1979). On the other hand, moral development theorists view crime as normal and that a person's moral development will determine what crime they will commit and what excuses they will use for the crime (Thornton, D: 1987). However with a strong debate towards the relationship between pathological behavior and crime, there is no other possibility to consider than that individuals offend due to pathological influences and are in fact mad with deeper psychological roots, rather than just bad and a normal member of society."

Tags:mental, hospitals, compulsive, damaging, behaviour, multiple, murderers, developmental, years