People care about sports more than politics because it is easier for them to do so. To be educated in politics, people need to read books, learn about issues and controversies and possible solutions. Then people need to generate their own beliefs and thoughts about the issue. It is much easier for society to sit on the couch and watch what ESPN is telling you is important in the sporting world. People as shown in the video, aren't really educated in politics and just pretend to be. When people take that route, its pretty obvious how ignorant you can be.

steve staggs

I thought the video was also pretty funny because it really made you aware of how people who say they are interested in politics, don't really know a whole lot about politics. Politics can be so widely percieved that it's hard for people to be on the same page with it. Also, I think that politics are in sports more than people like to admit. People see politics as corruptive, and don't want to admit that they are in sports.

Video

I think the video with sara Palin was funny. Nobody there new anything really about her or what she was trying to do for the country. Everybody was just saying answers that didnt even make sense. Half of them said that they didnt even know. This shows that nobody knows anything anymore about politics. You have the few people that know about it but for the most part you have people that where in the video that didnt know anything. All they new was that a famous person was goign to be there so they went. Now if someone was go to a basketball game and ask fans about this team and that team playing, im sure the fans could give them answers. People care more about sports then politics because politics are boring to most people. People want things exciting. I feel if they somehow could join with the sports a little it would help a lot and would be able to get things out more.

I think it is hard to say if people care about sports or politics more than the other. I think if you did a random survey and asked people what they cared more about they would say politics, but if you followed that up with some sort of political question, more than likely very few would know the answer. I think people are more interested in sports, but don't necessarily care about them more. Most people realize that politics have a much large impact on our lives than sports do, yet if you walked up to people and ask who the Iowa football coach, I bet 90% could say Ferentz, but if you asked who their congressman was, I think an almost embarrassingly small amount of people would know that it was Loebsack.
That said, we see all kinds of examples of politcs in sports and how they are kind of meshed together sometimes. The steriod issue in baseball is a perfect example. In this instance I think it kind of 'dumbs down' what the meaing of politics are; in the sports world I would just say that it is argueing for one side or another.

I agree with John saying that sports and politics are intertwined. The two go hand in hand. Because both are very important in our culture and are viewed by millions. Each can you each other as a advertisement to get there point across and many athletes and politician have history in both so they feel as if they need to make a statement about it.

I would say that in todays world people do care more about sports then they do politics. I think that in the older generations politics were a bigger deal in the news then they are today. I think this because I feel most people find politics boring while sports are very entertaining. However politics are extremely present in sports today. For example the NFL fining players for celebrations or not wearing the certain parts of there uniform. This is the comissioner trying to have control of its athletes which is an example of politics. But, when it comes to the question of what does the general population care about more politics or sports I would have to say sports.

For me i would have to say that politics and sports are two different things still in their own way. The thing is, is that a lot of time sports becomes involved in politics, just like sometimes politics become involved with sports. There are many examples of this. Like, Obama filling out brackets for the NCAA, or Rush Limbaugh wanting to become part owner of the Rams. There easy accessibility to these things and thats the way society is set up. I do not think it is a bad thing by any means, it just very interesting how we view things. If i were watching a sporting event i would probably not sit there and think there are a lot of politics happening here. You do not really notice until you stop and think about the rules and all of the other small things that come with sports.

Sport and Politics

The answer to this question on do people care more about sports than politics is no. Politics is in everything and literally is everywhere you look. Politics is a way in which people use information, propaganda and reasoning to take a stance on certain issues. We’ve discussed several times athletes making political stances or voicing how they feel about world and national issues. That’s a very dangerous area for athletes to dive into because the weight of their words could be so influential to a person that has no idea on the political issue the athlete addresses. Now I have a totally different opinion and feel sports is more significant than politics simply because politics is something that becomes so skewed. Lies, deceitfulness, and immoral things occur within politics on a daily basis. I turn to sports as an escapism from the troubles occurring around the world and use sports as a way to understand ideologies that shape my understanding on important aspects of life. For example, without reference to Tiger Woods’ new media story, I’ve been able to learn a lot from him, specifically the American Dream ideology. He has worked hard for what he’s earned and he truly is an icon for success in this world. Most of the time when I talk with friends in general conversation politics is not the first thing out of their mouths. So I think that politics is something people generally care about more than sports as a whole but I believe the generation I’m a part of may be tuning out politics and replacing it with things of interest sports, music, etc because its less controversial to some extent.

Politics & Sports (Jordan Garretson)

I think in general, in our country, people care more about sports than politics. I think a big reason for this is the public's loss of trust for political figures. With the growing amount of scandals and lies from politicans over the years, I think our trust of the political system has gradually decreased.

Then again, on that same note, sports seem to be increasingly "corrupt" as well. More scandals, deaths, crimes, etc seem to be more prevalent in sports today. Still, our interest in sports don't seem to dwindle, unlike in politics.

Also, I believe politics are a lot more easy to just flip on the TV and enjoy. If you're uninformed, it's a lot harder to turn on a political debate rather than a sporting competition if you're uninformed about the two teams.

I think it can be problematic because it can lead to an uninformed voting public, which can lead to either poor decisions in elections, or voter apathy. I feel like the American population also takes the privilege of the right to vote for granted, and it's unfortunate.

Sports are definately important to people, but I think people may care about politics more than sports. A lot of people don't understand the different policies, so they put off the important issues and let the government take care of that. I think people believe their thoughts don't matter when it comes to politics, but with sports their support for their team makes them feel part of something, especially when that specific team wins.

I think that everyone can agree that society views sports way more important than politics. This is due to a few reasons. First of all, sports affect people's daily lives. Hundreds of thousands of people find that it is critical for Oregon or OSU to win so that their team can make it to the Rose Bowl. However, nobody really knows what bills were being passed in Congress today. This is because many of these bills truly dont effect us day to day. Sports are also a lot more entertaining than politics. Athletes perform tasks and feats that are elite that most cannot do. If Obama dunks on Sarah Palin, im sure that many people would watch that aswell. Finally, politics are not in the media the way that sport is. If the news had highlights of votes on bills, I think people would watch that too, but I dont think thats realistic.

I definately believe people care a lot more about sports than they do about politics. People take pride in just about every sport whether it's baseball, football, basketball, etc. Sports are a lot more exciting to pay attention to, and I think easier to follow than politics and some of the issues that are going on with the U.S. People state their opinions on what they believe the U.S. government should do in situations, but it doesn't always mean their opinion is right, or if it is that logical. When things are going bad sports are there to charm people up by the exciting plays and their favorite teams winning. Sports help people forget for a certain amount of time about the other issues that are going on in their lives. An example of this took place at Yankee Stadium the day after 9/11 took place, where the New York Yankees were able to come away with a win.

Politics vs. Sport

I think that most people in America pay much more attention to sports than they do politics. I could be wrong but I know that at my apartment ESPN is on a lot more than CNN, and I feel like this is true with most people, especially college students. In reality, this is probably a bad thing because in the long run sports does not really matter. Many people, myself included, don't know very much about the current policies or issues involved in today's government. They can much more easily name off sport standings or scores. One reason for this is that sports are far more entertaining. How many people would rather watch a football game over a meeting debating the future of our country? But which is more important? With this in mind I think that more people probably need to pay more attention to what is going on in the world of politics, which I think includes law making and governmental policies. Truthfully, though I am not really sure what is considered politics because I will admit that I am not well informed in that area. The fact that people care so much more about sports can be problematic because they will not be well informed when they vote for politicians to run the country. This could make them vote for the wrong person to represent them.

I think that people, politicians especially, realize the impact and following that sports have, so they try to use that following to integrate some of their ideas and gain support. Sports are a great venue for politcians to use because there is such a strong national connection involved with sports.

Sports vs. Politics

I think this is a very interesting topic. To many people, sports are exciting, entertaining, fun. They are thought of as a leisurely activity, whether people are participating or viewing them. Sports are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and in the realm of things, anyone can participate. On the other hand, many people think of politics in a more negative manner. Politics involve rules and regulations, "bad things" that people don't like thinking about in a leisurely manner. I think this is why many people seem to be more interested in sports. Sports are a hobby for many. Politics often cause debates and fights that aren't easily solved; politics don't seem fun to most people. Although everyone also has the chance to be involved with politics (voting, etc), a lot of the population isn't very educated on a lot of important issues, and there's also the issue of "my opinion/vote doesn't matter, so what is the point?". Although the two issues probably shouldn't be mixed, they obviously are. Sport is one of the main ways is which nationalism comes through. The Olympics are supposed to be a way in which countries come together and all get along and "play", but politics often get intertwined and bad things often occur as a result. So although the two are thought to be completely separate things, they are often sort of melted together.

Like what Brent said it depends on how you were brought up. I'm one of those who is never involved in politics because i'm surrounded by sports my whole life. To go along with that when you were a kid growing up, do you think they really think about politics? When your surrounded by that your whole life then sports is obviously more important. Politics are involved in sports but that depends on who is going to listen and pay attention to them. I also think that being involved in politics also depends on you age. When your younger politics are definatly not a concern but as you grow up and get older then politics become a big factor in your life weather you like it or not.

Sports vs. Politics

In my opinion, sports are 20X more popular than politics of today. There are many reasons for this, but I think the major factor behind this is the fact that sports can be seen and participated in on a daily basis. A lot of the politics of today don't really have any affect on our day to day lives. They certainly can at some point, but I agree with a few of my classmates when they said that society lives and breathes sports. A lot of us grew up loving sports and participated in them all throughout our childhood and adolescent years. Most kids' dreams were to be a famous NBA player or a famous NFL star. More than likely, most kids growing up didn't strive to be a politician. Hell, most of us didn't know what politicians were until our high school years. It just doesn't seem politics are in people's viewpoints until they go to school and learn all about it. The difference in popularity is also seen in the amount of exposure the two have. Sports can be seen on television almost every single night all throughout the year. Politics only gets it's time in the limelight every so often. It's just one of those things that's always there, but not a lot of people pay attention to it. It isn't made any clearer than in that clip that Nik showed us in class. Everyone thought they knew what they were talking about, but most of them knew absolutely nothing. They thought they were caught up on all their party's issues and stances on things, but they made themselves sound like fools trying to explain them. If you were to ask that guy with the Ohio State apparel on about Ohio State athletics, he could probably tell you quite a bit.

BM

I think people probably do care more about sports than politics. The reason for this is because many more people feel the impact of sports on their world than politics. further, growing up you are surrounded by ideas and participation in sports. No parents sign their kids up for 10 year old politic debate club, hence there is more interest in today's youth for politics. When you step back and look at it though it really is a shame because our politics will play a much larger role in our lives over our life time than any sporting event or game but like i had said this just isn't how we are raised. Our society doesn't place importance of politics rather it does sports. I have still yet to vote in any election in my life just because i don;t know the issues or the "politics" involved. Until this year i didn't really care until i started to think about graduation and taxes etc. and how much the governmental policies truly play a role in my life. Who cares who wins the rose bowl, how am i gunna afford to pay for taxes and the tv bill to watch the game?

Sport vs. Politics

I think that as a society it is easier to relate to sport rather than politics because it is an area that most everyone can relate to and is familiar with. When it comes to sport, people grow up either playing it or watching it which gives them a better understanding of sport itself. By being around sport from such a young age, it gives people the chance to continue to follow what may interest them throughout their lives. As for politics, people do not necessarily relate to them at a younger age, which unless you are someone who understands and is interested in them, you will not choose to follow. Politics serve as a way for people to state their opinions and discuss issues that are going on in our country. These topics may not always interest a majority of people because it is not something that everyone might know something about. Sport serves as an entertainment arena in which people can watch without really having to think or express their own opinions.

I believe people care more about sports than politics because people are most familiar and understand sports at a higher level. Most individuals were raised playing sports, watching sports, learning the rules, taking stats of specific games, and how exciting it really is. Politics come at a more unfamiliar level because it is not thoroughly understood. Like watching the clip in class, people were supporting Palin but they really didn’t know her views on many issues. Some of them talked like they knew what was going on but there is so much information on political policies that it can become very confusing and people are not willing to take the time to fully understand politics.

politics vs sports

In today's society the public is largely influenced by what we see in the media. Today sports media have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Sports are covered so heavily today, that it is easier to obtain information about sports than politics in some cases. The fact is that younger age groups are attracted more to sports than to politics, and sports media caters to their needs. We are far more informed about what is going on in the sports world then we are about what is going on in politics.

When talking about politics and sports we first have to compare the two. I believe that when talking about one or the other it all depends on which figure or figures we are discussing about. Look at the Tiger Woods fiasco. People love to discuss this issue. It's everywhere. Sportscenter, national news and even local news. He has become such a huge superstar in our popular culture its hard to dismiss this issue. Also, look at former president Bill Clinton. He got indicted from his presidency for performing an act that was too harsh to rebound from. When we compare these two who do you think would recover from this most? Tiger Woods is a global icon, and when talking about sports we always forgive when the athlete performs. Even when former president Clinton's wife Hilary is one of the most powerful women in America, we still hold that transgression against him. So in conclusion, when debating between politics and sports we first have to classify what we are comparing figure vs. figure, or topic vs. topic, and if the two are equal, as stated earlier, I truly believe that our society will always forgive the entertainer as long as he or she performs to our standards.

sports & politics

I believe that people care more about sports than they do about politics. Politics is the study of the government of states and other political units. Politics also refers to beliefs, or ideologies pertaining to law and government. I think that sports bring a larger entertainment than do politics and that is why people are more attached and interested in learning about it and watching it. It doesn't take long to learn the rules of sports, yet in politics there is too much for people to understand and follow. I believe that since politics are always changing people begin to lose track and become uninterested. Knowing that people care more about sports than politics is very problematic as we saw in the video. People should care more about politics than they do sports because poltics have a greater impact on our lives than do sports. Just as we saw before that politics has been involved with sports, it shows that politics is found everywhere and that we should take time to learn as much about it as we do in sports.

Sports and politics

The video today in class showed how most Americans are not informed about politics. Many Americans are well informed about sports because they are easier to comprehend. Where as political issues are very complex and confusing which is why in my opinion more people care about sports. Also sports are more entertaining than a political debate. I bet if you asked most americans if they would want to go to a sporting event or a political debate most would say sporting event.

Watching the clip today makes you realize that generally a lot of the population has no clue what they are talking about when it comes to politics and political issues. So in a way i would say that sports are definitely more important to many people in the Unites states than politics. And if its not more important to them they seem to know way more about sport issues than they do about political issues. I think that the biggest reason for this is because sports are more prevalent in the media than politics.

I think the clip we watched today just showed how much more people care about sports that they do politics. Many of those people their had no actual idea of what sara palin stance were on many issues or way they disliked obama beyond just saying that he is going to ruin america. I dont know this for sure but I have a feeling that if you went outside a NFL game and asked facts about the team or players that the fans would all be much more capable of explaining how they feel about the team beyond just saying they represent us well. I think that politics needs to be involved with sports if politicans want to efficitively rely their messages to the american people.

Politics in Sport

Personally I feel and see that people care more about sports than anything including politics. Because people are more likely to watch and attend sporting events, buy and sell sport merchandise, than to vote or discuss politics on an everyday basis. Only time you really hear about politics is when there is a recession, terrorist attack, or if there is a war. Sports to me are put on a pedastal because its entertainment at the highest level in which humans put they bodies on the line to do amazing things. It's a shame that people rather make sports more important than religion as well which should be the strong standing foundation of everyone because we only on this earth for a little bit of time compared to eternal life afterwards. I feel politics should be more important to solve everyday issues and problems that go on in the world. I understand that there will never be peace but I rather get close than not try at all. I'm not saying sports are wrong but I am saying that they shouldn't be that important as they are.

After seeing that video today about the right hand side I thought of a completely new idea on why people like sports more than politics and its very simple. KNOWLEDGE! How many people do you know that can talk about politics for hours without getting bored? None that I know and this is becuase most people are not educated in politics while growing up. Your parents always raised you to understand the cowboys vs. packers not democrats vs. republicans. Without have knowledge on a subject, there is no way you can fully enjoy that subject to its fullest. Those people on the video today had strong opinions about Sarah Palin but lacked any knowledge of what she is about. I think the majority of people in society do not totally understand politics so they never come to actually know it. On the other hand, if you asked somebody what Ochocinco was all about, they could probably give you about ten things including end zone celebrations and child please. It is natural human instinct to favor and discuss something that they understand and are educated on, and in today's society, that just happens to be sports and not politics.

Without a doubt a majority of citizens in the United States would rather talk and watch a sporting event rather than talk or watch politics. Sports are entertaining and something anyone can participate in. That is why I think Americans would rather get involve in sports rather than politics. Also, you have to be very informed on issues debated and educated to understand and properly argue politics. Sport is simple to many people. The thing that would need to change would be values within our country. We put to much importance on sport rather than focusing on world and state affairs. But the main is many people are just not willing to educated themselves on the politics, they rather have someone else do the work for them.

Its hard to say whether or not people's interest in sport overshadows their interest in politics, because I think it varies throughout age groups. I'd imagine that younger groups of people, whether they participate in sport or not, would in fact care more about sporting news or music then they would about politics because at least for now since my parents are still helping me out a lot of what is being done with social security, unemployment, mortgages, and healthcare isn't going to directly affect me for a while. I also think what draws people in to sports over politics is the accesibility of sports in terms of participation and viewing. We can watch a sporting match on live television and it is usually very interesting and full of exciting images or action to keep our attention, but turning to CSPAN to catch some coverage of congress proposing a budget will in my opinion lack the excitement of action sports. I don't know how to specically define politics, but it involves a lot of closed quarters meetings, paperwork, arguments and compromise that I think lack the visual and general entertainment that you can get from following a sport or watching it live on television. I guess another thing to point out is the fact that there is diversity in sport in that whites, African Americans, Asians, Latinos etc. of all different socioeconomic backgrounds can participate or play a sport be it profesionally or on the playground. Most politicians are white wealthy men with elitist connections, and it takes money, sometimes millions, to run in a local, state, or national election which I think limits developing an intrest or participating in politics for certain groups of people. I don't think that the sporting world is a place free of politics, and I think that politicians and people of power have long known how to work the two.

jonathan gimm
I think that the majority of people in the united states enjoy sports more than politics because politics are not very entertaining. people in the united states can relate to sports a lot more than politics and i say this because people like to be entertained.

Unfortunately, I do believe that people care more about sports than politics in our country. I think this is because of our priorities. In our society we value entertainment so highly that it often overwhelms the topic of politics. This may because we feel that we are more connected with athletes and sports than we are with politicians in the government. Anyone can pick up a football or basketball and join in on sports but not everyone can walk into a congress meeting or try to pass a Bill. Sports are much more available while we are growing up and politics hardly ever surface in our lives until we become older. For example, we can join sports at the age of 4 or 5 but we cannot vote until we are 18.

Another reason that I feel that sports are more important than politics in our society is because the government officials get recognized the most when they attend sporting events. Some members of our society will see the officials only because they happen to be attending these events, not because they are watching a show on CNN.

steve staggs

I agree witthh willie, i think people would much rather sit down and talk about sports because more people find sports interesting to talk about. I know that if I sat down with a group of people who only wanted to talk about politics I would be bored out of my mind. Sports are simply more interesting to talk about and way more people take interest in them.

It is necessary to understand the word "care" before answering the question. Personally I think most people are interested and socialize more about sports than politics. This is true in are culture because the general public would rather sit around and talk about sports than listen to each other argue about politics. Don't get me wrong politics are very important in today's society, because politics effect economic and social relations involving different events both good and bad. Sports just bring more excitement and fun when it's discussed among alot of people, who enjoy discussing sports and talking about the different things that happened that day or the day before. Like who got dunked on or how many touchdowns did he score. Politics its more difficult to understand and creates serious anger, and makes you want to avoid and do something else. That's why I figured most people care more about sports than politics.

Sports vs. Politics

I think there is no doubt that sport is far more cared about in society than politics. Not only is there countless hours of sports on television, but think about how many people cram into sports arenas and stadiums and pay huge amounts of money to watch a game in person. Think about the Super Bowl and the attention it gets. Or Saturday's in Iowa City in the fall, thousands of people tailgate and enjoy the game. It is a great tradition for Hawkeye fans. If a political speaker was going to speak in Iowa City, it wouldn't draw the crowds a football game does. I don't believe this is problem at all. I'm not saying sports are more important than politics, but they are more entertaining. People like being entertained so sports are viewed as more important because they are an enjoyable experience.

I think that it is not necessarily that people care less about politics and more about sport but rather that sport is something that can be (easily) understood by a much, much higher number of people than politics. The entertainment factor definitely plays a role in attracting more people which is probably one of the reasons that politicians, the President in particular, try to reach out to the people watching sports rather than the news or the newest white house address, by attending games, sporting the apparel, or contributing to sporting charities or big events. Sports bring people together in a general understanding and sense of being united by a common activity that many have shared and have built themselves upon or grown up on. Not many people can say that about politics, or rather a much fewer number can really say that.

I believe that sports and politics although very separate in their role in society will always representing one another. Politics affect the sport in which it is played and what it is being played for. Not only do sports represent nationally but victories are linked to the country overall. The current events at any given time between countries are and will affect the nationality associated with sport outcomes. Although at the same time, political professionals are associated with and for sports during their careers. Not only will sports and politics not be separated but they will also not be separate from their country. I believe that political officials just like the rest of the American people will have ties with in sport and whether or not this causes collisions, it is a reality today.