The Characterization in Sports

In all sports there are "superstars". Athletes that are well known for their talents on the field, court, etc. The Lebron James' and the Aaron Rodgers' are both known as the leaders and superstars of their respective teams. Earlier this week, we took notes in class on characterization where it was defined as: the process of conveying info about characters in fiction. But if I were to connect characterization to sports I think that the definition would be changed a little bit and say: the process of conveying information about athletes based on their talents.

In the notes I collected from class, we defined words such as; round and flat characters, dynamic and static characters, and direct and indirect characterization. As related to sports I think these same words apply also. But I really just want to focus on two of those 6 above: round and flat characters.

Usually the round characters are the superstars. Everyone knows everything about them. We as spectators know how many points per game they average or even how many yards per game they throw for. An example of a round character would be Lebron James who has been a phenomenon of the media since he was in high school. Now 10-12 years later, he's considered by many NBA greats and analysts as the best player in the game right now.

The flat characters can be compared to those of the bench players. Nobody really knows who they are, except that they are on the team. For instance, I'm sure nobody has truly heard of Brian Scalabrine. He was drafted in 2001 by the New Jersey Nets in the 2nd round. He won a NBA championship in 2008 sitting on the bench with the Celtics. To be honest, I didn't even know what team he was drafted by or where he went to college until I 'Googled' him while writing this blog, therefore proving my point that he can be considered a flat character because little detail/information is really known about him.

The Plot of a Game

Today in AP Senior English we reviewed plot and the structure of it for what seemed like the ten billionth time, but while we were discussing some things about it I couldn't help but think that not only is literature driven by a plot, but so are sports games and events as well. In fact, our lives and the way we live are a plot. Nonetheless, let's talk about the NBA Finals this past summer between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. The Finals went an exhausting 7 games with the Heat coming out on top and winning back to back championships lead by Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. But when I think about plot structure and how the finals can be related is that it didn't happen over 1 game or even 3 games, but the whole series itself. Game 1, the exposition, we are introduced to the players who will play against each other for the first time in the playoffs with everything on the line. Game 2, the suspense is rising, this would be considered the rising action because the series isn't anywhere close to being over yet with a 1-1 tie. On to Game 3 in San Antonio with the Spurs thrashing Miami by 36 points to take a 2-1 lead! The suspense continuing to rise as we get closer and closer to a game 7. Game 4 next up with Miami winning by 13 points and a tied series at 2-2. Game 5, San Antonio won. The suspense is building as both teams trade wins. But Game 6 & 7 were the climax of the series. They were filled with suspense as Miami faced elimination twice. There were plenty of stories based on both games. But after Lebron James hit that elbow jumper with 20 seconds left to secure the win for the Heat, the climax passed and on to the exposition. The solution had been solved, we had a winner which happened to be the Miami Heat. 

The Hypnotic Athletes

      Due for class, we as a class had to read a short story called Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? In the book, Arnold Friend was an older man who was trying to get Connie to come take a ride in his car with him. In reading this short story, it seemed to me that Arnold Friend was somewhat hypnotic. When Arnold first arrived at Connie's house after her parents had left to go to a family barbecue, Connie had no intentions of going with Arnold nor did she know who he was. But as she stood there longer and talked with him vaguely she remember him from the previous night at the restaurant. But the longer she stood there in the doorway entertaining Arnold with her presence, the more he seemed to pull her into his trick; the hypnotic trick.

   Athletes are primed by the spotlight of fame and wealth. They have girls drooling over them constantly. I mean who doesn't like an athlete who is famous and has a lot of money, right? They can throw money around and girls arrive in the blink of an eye. The Lebron's, the Kobe's and Kevin Durant's are the top 3 players that will come to any person's mind when they think of the NBA because they are the best. This relates back to the story because after a while Connie felt almost trapped by Arnold's looks and his car; materialistic things. That's why many pro athletes get divorced after a few years of being in the NFL or NBA or wherever because they can easily attract attention from females and it can even happen vice versa.
     The hypnotic trick comes in many forms, it's not just the smooth talk, but it can also be the looks or about the amount of money you have.

"The Green Light" in Sports

        Recently in our AP Senior English class we had to annotate the last couple paragraphs of "The Great Gatsby". After reading "The Great Gatsby" last year in AP Junior English and re-reading this short passage, I couldn't help but notice how F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions the green light when referring to Gatsby's love or longing to want to be with Daisy. As I recall from reading it last year, Gatsby had falling in love with Daisy, but when he came back from the war, she was married and had moved on somewhat with her life. The green light was the only thing that Gatsby had left of Daisy in hindsight. 

      Tying the green light to sports is very simplistic but complex at the same time. Most people get into sports because they have a passion for whatever sport they play. They live it, drink it, eat it, and sleep it. They do whatever is necessary to become better. But that "green light" can be the passion or determination to become the best. It's what drives them. But also the ability and skill of others drives them to develop their skill set and become better. For example, when Michael Jordan came into the NBA, people said he wasn't a good enough defender to defend at the shooting guard position. Not only did he prove them wrong, but he went on to win numerous 'Defensive Player of the Year' awards during his 13 year career with the Bulls. Throughout "The Great Gatsby", Gatsby kept trying to blind Daisy about who he was before the war with all the money he had got, the mansion, cars, etc. Everyone said he had no chance to get her, and even though he didn't, the determination to be with her triumphed all.

       The connection between the "green light" of Gatsby and the green light of athletes is the determination that both display. Neither want to give up on something worth fighting for. Gatsby's love for Daisy wouldn't go denied throughout the book. Athletes who want to make it; there work ethic isn't denied either.