The Status of Sports Illustrated

 

Sports Illustrated has laid off staff. The sports magazine is in serious financial consternation. A combination of corporate avarice, mismanagement, and faults in the capitalist business model might be the demise of the magazine. Sports Illustrated was purchased by the Authentic Brands Group in 2019. This corporation has owned a number of brands, which has essential reduced business competition. The Arena Group which has the license to publish Sport Illustrated  made serious error. The realization that some articles written with AI generated controversy. The failure to expand in terms of online publication and social media pushed the magazine behind. Consumers of a certain age are not going to read newspapers or magazines. The platforms and consumption of entertainment has changed. The corporate practice of terminating staff to increase profits is more prevalent. Authentic Brands Group's executive leadership is making more and will not accept cuts in pay to save the magazine. Unionized workers were given a notice in advance and those not part of a labor union were terminated immediately. Just being part of a labor union does not ensure job security. Print journalism is slowly becoming a relic of the past. The nature of sports reporting is also undergoing transformation. Arena Group is attempting to reach an agreement with Authentic Brands Group. Without some licensing publication Sports Illustrated could cease. The magazine started in 1954 and has become an icon of sports journalism. While the status of Sports Illustrated remains unknown, it amassed a major following in its 69 years of circulation. 

The 2023 Women's World Cup Begins

 

The Women's World Cup has began. The host countries are both Australia and New Zealand. This is the ninth competition to be held since 1991. The competition will go from July 20th to August 20th. The final match is going to held in Sydney Olympic Stadium. Fans can watch the Women's World Cup on FOX, FS1, and the FOX Sports App. It will also be available on their website as well. The opening matches were between Australia and Ireland. This was flowed by New Zealand and Norway. Nigeria will be facing Canada. The Philippines will go against Switzerland followed by Spain and Costa Rica. Vietnam will compete against the United States. Megan Rapinoe announced she will retire after this Women's World Cup. US Women's Soccer has won many victories and her contribution cannot be underestimated. The athletic talent is expanding in women's soccer. As more nations send there athletes having one nation become dominant is not ensured. The unusual aspect of the Women's World Cup is that two nations are acting as hosts. FIFA has run into controversy considering when Qatar did hosting duties. Some female athletes might not approve of   the Gulf monarchies having a high level of financial influence on soccer. The objection comes from the fact women's rights  in those nations are limited. The hope is that the 2023 Women's World Cup does not come with massive controversy. Some countries are going to absent. Afghanistan was developing a women's soccer team, but Taliban rule has stopped that. Russia has been banned from the Women's World Cup. This is unfair, due to the fact athletes did not develop policies for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These two issues cannot be ignored no matter how much sports reporting tries to omit them. Despite these concerns the hope is the competition will generate high TV ratings and ticket sales.   

The Rise of The Green Falcons

 

Women's soccer in Saudi Arabia is taking the spotlight. The Green Falcons are the women's national soccer team of the KSA. The team was launched in October of 2021 and demonstrates a major cultural shift. Women are now taking part in more activities that were not available to them before. Women's participation in sports was low and part of the Vision 2030 program was to get women more active. The goal also wants to seeing more international sports competition. The Green Falcons have played against Seychelles, Maldives, and Bhutan. With enough effort, the Green Falcons could at some point reach the Women's World Cup. Their progress in such a short time demonstrates the importance of investment and government programs. According to the Khaleej Times women's sports participation rose to 150% in the last four years. The data also claims 195,000 girls are playing sports. The demographic was between 5 to 15 and showed they were doing this on a weekly basis. Construction of training facilities are underway and plans for developing more talent. Women are gaining more freedom, but it should not be limited to one section of society. Other occupations should be given as much attention for women's advancement. Women need to have more administrative positions in the Saudi Arabian  Football Federation. As long as the Green Falcons maintain quality coaching and win more games their future is bright. Saudi women might begin to compete in other sports besides soccer. 

The Washington Redskins May Change Their Name

The Washington Redskins may be changing their name. For years a number of Native American organizations have been protesting the name. With racial tensions getting worse in America, it seems that renaming the football team could happen. It will take some time to change signs and merchandise. The fans will most likely be divided over the name change. The term has racist connotations. Redskin was a word used to dehumanize the American Indian. The United States has a long history of Indian removal, genocide, and confinement to reservations. When the Indian Wars drew to a close, there was an effort to eliminate Native American history and culture. This involved sending children to boarding schools as a means of "civilizing" them. Injustices still continue with high levels of poverty on reservations and discrimination. The Redskins have a history of being resistant to integrating African American players into their team. George Preston Marshall the founder of the Redskins refused to have the football team accept African American players. Only when pressured in 1962 by the federal government did he sign on an African American athlete. The football team was founded in 1932 and originally called the Boston Braves. This would not be the first time the name has changed. The name should be changed to overcome the legacy of racism, however that should not be the only reform.