Course schedule, links to readings & assignments
Week 1: Introductions
Wednesday, Jan. 21
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule; Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" -- James Fulcher
Week 2: What is this class about?
Monday, Jan. 26
SNOW DAY
Wednesday, Jan. 28
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule; Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 1-3) -- James Fulcher
Week 3: What is CAPITALISM?
Monday, Feb. 2
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
Wednesday, Feb. 4
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?
Monday, Feb. 9
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
Wednesday, Feb. 11
What we will do in class: Watch the rest of “Saving Capitalism” 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
Monday, Feb. 16
NO CLASS - President's Day
Wednesday, Feb. 18
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: No new reading; make your notes!
Week 6: The Blizzard of 2026
Monday, Feb. 23 No
Wednesday, Feb. 25 Classes
EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: Dr. Courtney M. Cox/4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26
Week 7: Assignment #1/Race in Sport & Capitalism
Monday, March 2
What we will do in class: Do Assignment #1 in class.
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Capitalist Foundations of Racialization" -- Charisse Burden-Stelly, Black Perspectives
Wednesday, March 4
What we will do in class: Presentation VI; discuss "13th" & how capitalism shapes racism
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
Week 8: Winning, nationalism and patriotic rhetoric in sports media
Monday, March 9
What we will do in class: Presentation VII, discuss readings
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
Wednesday, March 11
NO CLASS, PROFESSOR AT CONFERENCE
Week 9: Spring Break, no classes
March 16 & 18
Week 10: Are sports and politics the same?
Monday, March 23
Presentation VIII & go over readings
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.
Wednesday, March 25
What we will do in class: Presentation IX – and introduce Bryant's work.
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
Monday, March 30:
What we will do in class: Second in-class assignment
Wednesday, April 1:
What we will do in class: Talk about assignment, Presentation X – on "Kings & Pawns" (1-45) & discuss the Negro Leagues, the Black Press and first part of book
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 46-102
Week 12: Changing the rules for whom? Winners and losers
Monday, April 6:
What we will do in class: Presentation XI -- on "Kings & Pawns" (46-102) & discuss
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 103-162
Supplemental/required reading: "Who is the patriot?" (The Heritage by Howard Bryant)
Wednesday, April 8:
What we will do in class: Presentation XII -- 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
Week 13: Kings & Pawns
Monday, April 13
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
Wednesday, April 15
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
Monday, April 20
What we will do in class: Put together discussion questions for Mr. Bryant
Wednesday, April 22: Bryant visits
Week 15: Prep for final
Monday, April 27: Give out final and discuss
FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE: Monday, May 4
Wednesday, Jan. 21
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule; Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" -- James Fulcher
Week 2: What is this class about?
Monday, Jan. 26
SNOW DAY
Wednesday, Jan. 28
What we will do in class: Introductions, discuss syllabus/schedule; Watch Dave Zirin's "Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports"
What is due next session: Read "Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction" (Chaps 1-3) -- James Fulcher
Week 3: What is CAPITALISM?
Monday, Feb. 2
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
Wednesday, Feb. 4
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?
Monday, Feb. 9
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
Wednesday, Feb. 11
What we will do in class: Watch the rest of “Saving Capitalism” 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
Monday, Feb. 16
NO CLASS - President's Day
Wednesday, Feb. 18
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: No new reading; make your notes!
Week 6: The Blizzard of 2026
Monday, Feb. 23 No
Wednesday, Feb. 25 Classes
EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: Dr. Courtney M. Cox/4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26
Week 7: Assignment #1/Race in Sport & Capitalism
Monday, March 2
What we will do in class: Do Assignment #1 in class.
What is due next session: Read the following:
"The Capitalist Foundations of Racialization" -- Charisse Burden-Stelly, Black Perspectives
Wednesday, March 4
What we will do in class: Presentation VI; discuss "13th" & how capitalism shapes racism
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
Week 8: Winning, nationalism and patriotic rhetoric in sports media
Monday, March 9
What we will do in class: Presentation VII, discuss readings
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
Wednesday, March 11
NO CLASS, PROFESSOR AT CONFERENCE
Week 9: Spring Break, no classes
March 16 & 18
Week 10: Are sports and politics the same?
Monday, March 23
Presentation VIII & go over readings
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.
Wednesday, March 25
What we will do in class: Presentation IX – and introduce Bryant's work.
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
Monday, March 30:
What we will do in class: Second in-class assignment
Wednesday, April 1:
What we will do in class: Talk about assignment, Presentation X – on "Kings & Pawns" (1-45) & discuss the Negro Leagues, the Black Press and first part of book
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 46-102
Week 12: Changing the rules for whom? Winners and losers
Monday, April 6:
What we will do in class: Presentation XI -- on "Kings & Pawns" (46-102) & discuss
What is due next session:
Read Bryant, "Kings & Pawns" -- pp. 103-162
Supplemental/required reading: "Who is the patriot?" (The Heritage by Howard Bryant)
Wednesday, April 8:
What we will do in class: Presentation XII -- 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
Week 13: Kings & Pawns
Monday, April 13
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
Wednesday, April 15
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
Monday, April 20
What we will do in class: Put together discussion questions for Mr. Bryant
Wednesday, April 22: Bryant visits
Week 15: Prep for final
Monday, April 27: Give out final and discuss
FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE: Monday, May 4