Course schedule, links to readings & assignments
Week 1: Introductions
Thursday, Jan. 22
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule.
What is due next session: Nothing.
Week 2: What is this class about?
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: What is sport without mediation?
Thursday, Jan. 29
What we will do in class: What is sport without mediation and what did you learn? Assign groups/presentation.
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 1-3) -- James Fulcher
Week 3: What is CAPITALISM?
Tuesday, Feb. 3
What we will do in class: Presentation I and discussion of Capitalism
What is due next session: Read the following:
Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 4-6) -- James Fulcher
Thursday, Feb. 5
What we will do in class: Presentation II and more on Capitalism
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Rich, the Poor, and the Growing Gap between Them -- Inequality in America" -- The Economist
"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" -- Barbara Ehrenreich
"Framing Class: Media Representations of Wealth and Poverty in American" -- Diana Kendall
Week 4: Scarcity, haves & have-nots (by design); is there anything other than capitalism?
Tuesday, Feb. 10
What we will do in class: Presentation III, discussion on the media’s role in upholding capitalism, begin to watch Robert Reich's "Saving Capitalism"
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Cultural Studies and the Sports Media Complex" -- Sut Jhally
Thursday, Feb. 12
What we will do in class: Watch the rest of “Inequality for All” and Presentation IV
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Sports Media: A Modern Institution" -- Robert V. Bellamy, Jr.
"Content, not platform: How live sports became the streaming subscription driver" -- TVB Europe
"Super Bowl primes sports to be streaming MVP" -- Geoffrey Golfarb, Reuters (Feb. 6, 2026)
Week 5: The Sports-Media Complex
Tuesday, Feb. 17
What we will do in class: Presentation V; What is the Sports-Media Complex? What is our role in it? What does it have to do with capitalism?
What is due next session: Nothing
Thursday, Feb. 19
What we will do in class: In-class assignment.
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Capitalist Foundations of Racialization" -- Charisse Burden-Stelly, Black Perspectives
Week 6: BLIZZARD OF 2026 The Sports-Media Complex, Part II
Tuesday, Feb. 24 NO
Thursday, Feb. 26 CLASSES
EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: Dr. Courtney M. Cox/4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26 on Zoom
Week 7: Race and Sport as Social Constructs
Tuesday, March 3
What we will do in class: Presentative VI and discussion of "13th"
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Sport, the Media and the Construction of Race" -- Grainger, Newman & Andrews
"Color Coded: Racial Descriptors in Television Coverage of Intercollegiate Sports" -- Rada & Wulfemeyer
Thursday, March 5
What we will do in class: Presentation VII and discuss race in sports media coverage
What is due next session: Read the following:
Chapter 6: "Have We Gone Soft?" & Chap. 7: "Sports on the Edge of Panic" in A People's History of Sports in the United States by Dave Zirin.
Week 8: Winning, Nationalism and Rhetoric in sports media
Tuesday, March 10
What we will do in class: Presentation VIII; discuss sports' role in politics and McCarthyism
What is due next session: Read the following
"The Rhetoric of Winning and Losing: The American Dream and America's Team" -- Vande Berg & Trujillo
"It's all about my 'team': What we can learn about politics from sport" - Natalie Brown-Devin, UT-Austin & Mike Devin, Texas State
"Imagining the Citizen-Fan: Sport Metaphor in American Politics and Implications for Democratic Culture" -- Michael Butterworth, UT-Austin
Thursday, March 12
NO CLASS, PROFESSOR AT CONFERENCE
Week 9: Spring Break, no classes
Week 10: Are sports and politics the same?
Tuesday, March 24
What we will do in class: Presentation IX & go over readings -- what is it about WINNING? And why do we use the same language for sport and politics?
What is due next session: Nothing to do
Thursday, March 26
What we will do in class: Discuss and deliver the second assignment
What is due next session: Read the following:
Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 1-45
Supplemental/required reading: "The Negro Leagues: The Dilemma of Myopia" (Forty Million Dollar Slaves by William C. Rhoden)
Week 11: Fixing the game for sports, politics and capitalism
Tuesday, March 31:
What we will do in class: Presentation X (Indra & Jackson); discuss the Negro Leagues and The Black Press.
What is due next session: Read the following:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 46-102
Supplemental/required reading: "White Sportswriters and Minstrel Shows" (Conspiracy of Silence by Chris Lamb
Thursday, April 2:
NOTE: ASSIGNMENT DUE TO BRIGHTSPACE TODAY.
What we will do in class: Talk about assignment, Presentation XI (Erinn & Katy) on "Kings & Pawns" (46-102) & discuss "the rules" and the role of the press in keeping baseball segregated for so long.
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 103-162
Supplemental/required reading: "Who is the patriot?" (The Heritage by Howard Bryant)
Week 12: Changing the rules for whom? Winners and losers
Tuesday, April 7:
What we will do in class: Presentation XII (Maddy & Mark-Kate) on "Kings & Pawns" (103-162) & other reading, discuss the Black body vs. Black mind
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 163-224
Thursday, April 9:
What we will do in class: In-class work and discussion of reading
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 225-end
Week 13: Kings & Pawns
Tuesday, April 14
What we will do in class: Activity on MLB athletes
What is due next session:
Read the conclusion of Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 225-276
Thursday, April 16
What we will do in class: How does this book tie into events of today?
What is due next session: Nothing
Week 14: HOWARD BRYANT VISITS
Tuesday, April 21
What we will do in class: Put together discussion questions for Mr. Bryant
Thursday, April 23: Bryant visits
Week 15: Prep for final
Tuesday, April 28: Give out final and discuss
FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE: Tuesday, May 5
Thursday, Jan. 22
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule.
What is due next session: Nothing.
Week 2: What is this class about?
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: What is sport without mediation?
Thursday, Jan. 29
What we will do in class: What is sport without mediation and what did you learn? Assign groups/presentation.
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 1-3) -- James Fulcher
Week 3: What is CAPITALISM?
Tuesday, Feb. 3
What we will do in class: Presentation I and discussion of Capitalism
What is due next session: Read the following:
Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 4-6) -- James Fulcher
Thursday, Feb. 5
What we will do in class: Presentation II and more on Capitalism
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Rich, the Poor, and the Growing Gap between Them -- Inequality in America" -- The Economist
"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" -- Barbara Ehrenreich
"Framing Class: Media Representations of Wealth and Poverty in American" -- Diana Kendall
Week 4: Scarcity, haves & have-nots (by design); is there anything other than capitalism?
Tuesday, Feb. 10
What we will do in class: Presentation III, discussion on the media’s role in upholding capitalism, begin to watch Robert Reich's "Saving Capitalism"
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Cultural Studies and the Sports Media Complex" -- Sut Jhally
Thursday, Feb. 12
What we will do in class: Watch the rest of “Inequality for All” and Presentation IV
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Sports Media: A Modern Institution" -- Robert V. Bellamy, Jr.
"Content, not platform: How live sports became the streaming subscription driver" -- TVB Europe
"Super Bowl primes sports to be streaming MVP" -- Geoffrey Golfarb, Reuters (Feb. 6, 2026)
Week 5: The Sports-Media Complex
Tuesday, Feb. 17
What we will do in class: Presentation V; What is the Sports-Media Complex? What is our role in it? What does it have to do with capitalism?
What is due next session: Nothing
Thursday, Feb. 19
What we will do in class: In-class assignment.
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Capitalist Foundations of Racialization" -- Charisse Burden-Stelly, Black Perspectives
Week 6: BLIZZARD OF 2026 The Sports-Media Complex, Part II
Tuesday, Feb. 24 NO
Thursday, Feb. 26 CLASSES
EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: Dr. Courtney M. Cox/4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26 on Zoom
Week 7: Race and Sport as Social Constructs
Tuesday, March 3
What we will do in class: Presentative VI and discussion of "13th"
What is due next session: Read the following:
"Sport, the Media and the Construction of Race" -- Grainger, Newman & Andrews
"Color Coded: Racial Descriptors in Television Coverage of Intercollegiate Sports" -- Rada & Wulfemeyer
Thursday, March 5
What we will do in class: Presentation VII and discuss race in sports media coverage
What is due next session: Read the following:
Chapter 6: "Have We Gone Soft?" & Chap. 7: "Sports on the Edge of Panic" in A People's History of Sports in the United States by Dave Zirin.
Week 8: Winning, Nationalism and Rhetoric in sports media
Tuesday, March 10
What we will do in class: Presentation VIII; discuss sports' role in politics and McCarthyism
What is due next session: Read the following
"The Rhetoric of Winning and Losing: The American Dream and America's Team" -- Vande Berg & Trujillo
"It's all about my 'team': What we can learn about politics from sport" - Natalie Brown-Devin, UT-Austin & Mike Devin, Texas State
"Imagining the Citizen-Fan: Sport Metaphor in American Politics and Implications for Democratic Culture" -- Michael Butterworth, UT-Austin
Thursday, March 12
NO CLASS, PROFESSOR AT CONFERENCE
Week 9: Spring Break, no classes
Week 10: Are sports and politics the same?
Tuesday, March 24
What we will do in class: Presentation IX & go over readings -- what is it about WINNING? And why do we use the same language for sport and politics?
What is due next session: Nothing to do
Thursday, March 26
What we will do in class: Discuss and deliver the second assignment
What is due next session: Read the following:
Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 1-45
Supplemental/required reading: "The Negro Leagues: The Dilemma of Myopia" (Forty Million Dollar Slaves by William C. Rhoden)
Week 11: Fixing the game for sports, politics and capitalism
Tuesday, March 31:
What we will do in class: Presentation X (Indra & Jackson); discuss the Negro Leagues and The Black Press.
What is due next session: Read the following:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 46-102
Supplemental/required reading: "White Sportswriters and Minstrel Shows" (Conspiracy of Silence by Chris Lamb
Thursday, April 2:
NOTE: ASSIGNMENT DUE TO BRIGHTSPACE TODAY.
What we will do in class: Talk about assignment, Presentation XI (Erinn & Katy) on "Kings & Pawns" (46-102) & discuss "the rules" and the role of the press in keeping baseball segregated for so long.
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 103-162
Supplemental/required reading: "Who is the patriot?" (The Heritage by Howard Bryant)
Week 12: Changing the rules for whom? Winners and losers
Tuesday, April 7:
What we will do in class: Presentation XII (Maddy & Mark-Kate) on "Kings & Pawns" (103-162) & other reading, discuss the Black body vs. Black mind
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 163-224
Thursday, April 9:
What we will do in class: In-class work and discussion of reading
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 225-end
Week 13: Kings & Pawns
Tuesday, April 14
What we will do in class: Activity on MLB athletes
What is due next session:
Read the conclusion of Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 225-276
Thursday, April 16
What we will do in class: How does this book tie into events of today?
What is due next session: Nothing
Week 14: HOWARD BRYANT VISITS
Tuesday, April 21
What we will do in class: Put together discussion questions for Mr. Bryant
Thursday, April 23: Bryant visits
Week 15: Prep for final
Tuesday, April 28: Give out final and discuss
FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE: Tuesday, May 5