Book Review #2

Brand, Myles. "The Role and Value of Intercollegiate Athletics in Universities." Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 33.1 (2006): 9-20. Print.

Myles Brand offers an excellent counter argument which will be crucial in creating a well rounded research paper. Brand begins by stating "The Standard View" of athletics in the university; athletics are perceived as being an extracurricular activity rather than a focal point for the prosperity of an institution. In Brand's description of the Standard View of college athletics he relates athletes to art and music programs. He makes a valid point in stating that art and music students are accepted into an institution based on skill, even if GPA and SAT scores are well below the minimum requirement set by the school. Student athletes and music/art students are actually quite similar; They must be accomplished in their the sport or program that they wish to be enrolled, they miss class sometimes to attend off-campus events, and the institution funds the programs. These are just a few of the examples that Myles Brand uses to justify the presence of intercollegiate athletics. Brand then presents the "Integrated View", which basically would replace the Standard view with one that is more balanced and sees athletics as part of the mission of the university. He concludes with saying that the educational value behind athletics should not be ignored, and it should be a positive part of university life and culture. 

Myles Brand is very knowledgeable on the the presence of athletic programs in American universities. He was the president of both the University of Oregon and Indiana University, as well as the president of the NCAA. At a glance it may seem that Brand is the ideal person to go to on matters pertaining to college athletics, but he actually offers a biased view. He is exactly the kind of person that feeds an institution to the wolves of the  entertainment industry that athletics represent. 

The Standard View- is the perception that intercollegiate athletics is an extracurricular activity, rather than an important part of education and campus culture.

The Integrated View- creating the perception that athletic programs are made a part of the central goal of the institution, or the educational mission of the university. 

"Some content is acquired in cognate courses, and that tends to be factual knowledge. The primary content, however, in both cases is knowledge how, and that is acquired in individual or group settings with a master teacher or coach." (12) The quote depicts how athletes do in fact learn while they are participating in the athletic programs. They learn factual things that can easily be applied to their life. 



"Division I, athletics departments should be self-supporting or, better, return revenue to the institution for central academic purposes. "(14)  Brand states that the financial funding that supports intercollegiate athletic programs should come from the program itself, and should not take away from university funding meant to enhance education; athletic programs should be self sustaining. 



"Intercollegiate athletics, at its best, demonstrates positive values. These values include striving for excellence, perseverance, resilience, hard work, respect for others, sportsmanship and civility, and losing—and winning—with grace."(17) This is yet another quote which states the positives that athletic programs bring to an institution of higher education. 


The material of this academic journal will serve as an essentially part of my counter argument. I will use the perspective of Myles Brand to question and complicate my research question. Even though big-time athletic programs take away from the intellectual integrity of the institution and sell out its resources in the name of entertainment, it still has positives that it brings to campus life and culture.