• The Chronicle Review - Jan 26, 2001

The Chronicle Review - Jan 26, 2001

The Chronicle of Higher Education in its section entitled The Chronicle Review for 1-26-2001, contained an outstanding article entitled "Big-Time Athletics vs. Academic Values: It's a Rout." Written by Allen L. Sack, this article reviews six major new books which have been published concerning intercollegiate athletics in American universities. This article presents an overview and reports on some of the recommendations which have been made in these books. The abuse of sport and its impact on academic values is noted in great detail. This review is an excellent synopsis of unloving critics who make many valid points about the status of big time sports programs on college and university campuses. The article would make a superb handout for sports management classes and should be on any course syllabus related to intercollegiate sports. This writer will review the six books mentioned at a later date. He will review them one at a time and discuss their pros and cons. The books to be reviewed are:

Beer and Circus: How Big-Time College Sports Is Crippling Undergraduate Education. Murray Sperber.
College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy. John Sayle Watterson.
The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values. James L. Shulman and William G. Bowen.
Intercollegiate Athletics and the American University: A University President's Perspective. James J. Duderstadt.
Sports and Freedom: The Rise of Big-Time College Athletics. Ronald A. Smith.
Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports. Andrew Zimbalist.

Note: These reviews compiled by Dr. Ron Hyatt. See disclaimer on front page.