Social Issues in Sport Communication

Terry L. Rentner is Professor in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, USA. David P. Burns is Professor in the Department of Communication at Salisbury University in Maryland, USA.

Part I: Introduction to Sport and Social Issues

1. Sport and Social Issues: The Touchdowns and Strikeouts

Terry L. Rentner

Part II: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2. "The Rooney Ruse": Systemic Racism and Hiring NFL Head Coaches

David P. Burns and Chris B. Geyerman

3. When Fandom Stains Your Team: Evaluating the effectiveness of the Utah Jazz’s organizational responses to racist incidents

Nicola A. Corbin and Anne Bialowas

4. Concussion settlement and racial norming: The NFL fumbles into a crisis

Cory Young, Terry Rentner and Annemarie Farrell

5. Major League Soccer’s Navigation of the 2019 Iron Front Crisis

Caleb Bills

6. Protecting the Brees brand: How Drew Brees Said "Sorry" for his National Anthem Protest Comments

Steph Doehler

7. ‘Kicking Hate Out of Our Game’: San Diego Loyal Soccer Club’s Stand Against Racism and Homophobia

Jeffrey W. Kassing, Isaiah D. Utley and Steffanie M. Kiourkas

8. Issues and Crisis Management in Athlete Activism: Colin Kaepernick and Take a Knee

Lillian Feder

9. Reputation Management Strategies at ESPN

Kevin Hull and Denetra Walker

10. From Les Esquimaux to The Elks: Addressing Social Responsibility in the Canadian Football League

David J. Jackson and Lori Liggett

11. In the Space of Indecision: Social and Cultural Challenges Facing Major League: Soccer NEXT Academies

Saleema Mustafa Campbell and Erin E. Gilles

12. #WeAreAllMonkeys: Eating Bananas as the Intersection of Hashtag Activism and Anti-Racist Solidarity

Pratik Nyaupane

13. The Milwaukee Bucks: Professional Athletic Labor’s Position in Racist Late-Stage Capitalism

Kevin G. Thompson

Part III: Gender Equity, Identity, and Sexual Misconduct

14. Conquering a Boy’s Club Using an Issues Management Approach: How Women’s Soccer May Pioneer a Path to Pay Equity

Terry L. Rentner and David P. Burns

15. Communicating in Crisis without the Power to Act

Bradley J. Baker

16. Strategic Resistance through Communication Capital: Rapinoe’s Reframing of Women-Identified Athletes through Mind-Body Performance for Social Change

Elesha L. Ruminski and Dorene Ciletti

17. Alysia, Allyson, and Nike’s ‘Band of Brothers’: Exposing the Hypocrisy between Corporate Marketing and Internal Practices

Amy Aldridge Sanford, Nikola Grafnetterova and RJ Loa

18. Let Them Wear Shorts! Analyzing the Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball Team’s Uniform Code Protest

Megan R. Hill, Karen T. Erlandson and Katey A. Price

19. Sports News Media, Major Leagues, and Intimate Partner Violence

Steve Ingham, Jade Metzger-Riftkin and Tara McManus

20. ‘Play like the Lady you are’: Marketing Women’s Gaelic football

Niamh Kitching

21. Trans inclusion in sports: assumed advantages, (un)fairness, and athlete well-being

Aaron W. Gurlly

Part IV: Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic

22. Athlete Influence in Regard to Mask Wearing: An Application of Social Cognitive Theory

Lindsey J. DiTirro and Jennifer R. Allen Catellier

23. Controlling the Narrative: NBC, USA Gymnastics, and Simone Biles at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games

Aaron W. Gurlly

24. "We Hope to See You Soon" The Green Bay Packers' Crisis Management through a Letter to the Fans during COVID-19 Mega-Crisis

Julia C. Richmond

25. Blaming Biles: Intersectionality and Organizational Obligations to Mental Health

Jeff Nagel and Scott J. Varda

26. How Can Organizations Better Support Athletes? A Case Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on Minoritized Communities in Intercollegiate Sport

Yannick Kluch, Shaun M. Anderson and Tomika L. Ferguson