Running Head: GLOBALIZATION
GLOBALIZATION OF SPORT: AN INCONVIENT TRUTH
FRED BENNETT
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
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GLOBALIZATION
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Summary
The article Globalization of Sport: An Inconvenient Truth (Thibault, 2009) discussed the
issues involved in the globalization of sport and the affect the issues have on the field of sport
management. The author wrote his article for a number of reasons; the importance of
globalization to sport managers, controversial issues or professional and amateur sports that are
global, powerful organizations around the world, and why sport managers need to understand
globalization for their careers. The article states that there have been many positive outcomes
from globalization to sport management but the positives do not come without negatives. “In the
numerous works on globalization, several factors have been identified as playing a key role in
the increasing movement toward globalization. These factors include: pressures from
transnational corporations, international capital, neoliberal economies, and right-wing
governments where markets have become deregulated and trade relations among countries have
increased” (Thibault, 2009, p.2).
Globalization has been very beneficial to sport. It has helped with the diversity in athletes
in many major sporting leagues. Globalization has also increased the number of countries that
participate in international sporting events. With globalization has also came an increased
number of athletes participating in a wide range of sports that even cross religion and gender
lines in some countries. “The evidence also includes the increasing opportunities athletes,
coaches, and leaders have been able to access because of the global nature of sport” (Thibault,
2009, p.3). The article states that although there are many positives with globalization of sport
there are also negatives from globalization. It is stated that the success of globalization come at
the expense of the less fortunate individuals, organizations, and countries. The article is based off
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four main issues; using a developing countries workforce to produce sports products and sports
goods, the migration of athletes, sport media, and sports impact on environment (Thibault, 2009).
Critical Analysis
This article provided evidence that globalization of sports has negative aspects and that
globalization is not always good. The first aspect that the article analyzed was using a developing
countries workforce to produce sports products and sports goods. These working forces usually
have the worst of working conditions and usually do not get paid very well. The article states that
even with organizations such as the International Labor Organization the labor forces in
undeveloped countries are not treated well in making sports products (Thibault, 2009). This part
of the article makes sense because Nike was caught using sweatshops to produce their sports
products and shoes. Nike has be criticized for using sweatshops since the early 1970’s and were
criticized heavily when the 1990’s came around and everyone suspected Nike goods were being
made in sweatshops. In 2001, when Nike director Tom McKean stated in an interview that they
knew about the sweatshops and basically said that they cannot control what is going on in other
countries ("Nike sweatshops," 2011).
The second aspect that the article analyzed was the migration of athletes to other
countries to receive better benefits. When the athlete leave their native country to participate in
another they usually get the benefits of better resources but they counties they leave get scarred.
These countries are scarred because the best athletes leave and the talent in the country begins to
diminish and what is left is talent that cannot compete with other countries leaving the countries
to be known as unskilled or weak in sports (Thibault, 2009). This argue makes sense because
athletes leave less developed sporting countries to go to the best leagues in the world, and when
these athletes sign contracts for their new sporting leagues they can be clauses in the contract that
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make their participation in the international aspect prohibited. Since these players are not
allowed to participate internationally their country does not get the recognition that it should for
producing the athlete. When the countries do not get the recognition for producing the athlete it
hurts the country and makes outsiders feel that the country does not produce great athletes.
Another part of this aspect is athletes born in one country but have heritage in another country.
For example, in 2004 the American baseball and softball teams did not qualify for the Olympic
Games but there were 20 American athletes representing the Greek teams. These athletes were
Americans with Greek heritage. This is a problem because national sports leaders in global
countries are trying to steal players from their native countries to play sports in their countries.
The countries that can offer the best incentives usually get the best athletes to come play for their
countries making the other counties suffer (Thibault, 2009).
The third aspect the article discussed was global sport media complex. Media which is
one aspect of the golden triangle is a very important piece for a country to become a global
sports country. Media has become so important to sports that there have even been rule changes
to sports and commercial breaks from the game. One of the problems with media being a huge
factor in sports is the fact that media targets what people want to watch and the other sports get
left out. The sports that are omitted take hit with popularity and people no longer wish to play
those sports because they have no one to relate to in that sport. Another problem with media in
the sport is that if media becomes too big it will control what is seen. If this happens then the
negative sides of sport will cease to exist and people’s voices will not be heard through baseball
any longer. This makes sense because a media corporation is not going to want to show all the
negative aspects of the leading sports organizations and have their ratings decrease. If the ratings
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decrease they will lose money and if the media corporations are losing money they will begin to
cover over sports (Thibault, 2009).
The fourth and final part of this article discussed sports and their impact on the
environment. This part of the article stated that sports can have a negative aspect on the
environment. The author states that hosting major and general sporting events effects the
environment because of the amount of trash that is left after the sporting events. Most sporting
venues do not recycle the trash they usually just throw it out. Having this huge amount of trash
after a sporting event is a true aspect of sports. The author is right on when she says that tons of
trash is left after a sporting event is over. This trash hurts the environment because it is taken to a
landfill and sits in the earth without decomposing. Another way that sports effect the
environment is through destroying ecological areas to construct sports venues. This makes sense
once again because sporting events get constructed on grounds that used to be forest areas or
even farming fields. Without these forests for farming areas the environment suffers (Thibault,
2009).
The author states that even though she discussed only negative issues of globalization
that she feels that globalization should continue to takes its course. This makes sense because
there are negative aspects of everything in life. There are both positive and negative
consequences for every decision made. The author feels that they negative aspects of the
globalization of sport should not sport sports from continuing to grow and become international
(Thibault, 2009).
Implications
Several areas of this journal article could be beneficial for professionals in the sport
management field. This article is important to sport management because it shows some of the
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negative aspects that globalization can have on sports. Sport managers can take from this article
was some of the consequences of trying to become global such as the impact on the environment,
media, and the workforce of undeveloped countries. If sport managers plan to take an
organization to the international or global level they should analyze this article and take out what
they need to take out to be successful. The managers may want to know the negative side of
taking an organization overseas. For me as a future sport manager this information is important
because I now know how globalization of sport can be negative and how underdeveloped
countries can be treated. This article may not really help me in the future because I am trying to
pursue and athletic director’s position and I may only have to deal with few international players.
I want to direct a high school and may not need to know the consequences from globalization of
sports. The implications from this article have a great impact of sport mangers looking to expand
to a global organization.
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References
Nike sweatshops. (2011, April 6). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_sweatshops
Thibault, L. (2009). Globalization of sport: an inconvenient truth. Journal of Sport Management,
23, 1-20.