Sports: For the love of the game?

It's often thought that there's a direct correlation between being a sports fan and playing sports. In a brief sampling of students at SF State, that thought was proven to be mostly true.

While all four students who were chosen at random to be interviewed admitted to playing sports when they were children, only one defiant rebel confessed that just his experience playing soccer when he was younger didn't translate to an obsession with sports later on in life.

"I'm just not very competitive by nature," said freshman Dillon French. "The only time I watch sports is with my parents when I'm home."

French proved to be the exception to the rule, however, as the rest of the students, like sophomore Andrew Mozac, were happy that sports like basketball were still a big part of their daily lives.

"Basketball keeps you in great shape," Mozac said. "I look forward to playing it and the teamwork involved."

The main reasons students cited for their love of sports were the most blatant ones: the ability to be competitive, the "fun" factor and exercise.

So why does playing sports in your youth translate to a love of sports as an adult? Exposure. Like with anything we're exposed to as children, the more we're around something, the more we become comfortable with it.

"If you see something enough, you might like it," said freshman Carlos Robles, an avid soccer fan. "It's like food, the more you try it, you might like it."

Ratto recommends writing

With journalism students in a tizzy trying to find their next big opportunity, advice on how to get jobs is going around like a bad flu. From learning different languages to becoming a walking news production studio, it seems that skills for these journalism jobs is becoming less about the craft of reporting and more about becoming a software engineer.

San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Ray Ratto, however, thinks the answer is much simpler than becoming a technological guru. His advice to the class? “Write, write a lot, and be brutal on yourself.” So journalism students should focus their attention on becoming good writers? What a novel concept.

It’s funny how something so simple, something journalism students do everyday, yet something that can be so refined, could be the key to landing (gasp!) a journalism job. And even if newspapers are still on life support for the foreseeable future, Ratto insists that, “There’s still a need for content, still a need for ideas and still a need for brains.”

The birth of alternative media

Ever wonder where the roots alternative media outlets like Air America Radio and Democracy Now! stem from? Look now further than America's first and most influential alternative news publication of its time, Ramparts Magazine.

The publication, which had its headquarters in the very liberal city of San Francisco from 1962 to 1975, was the flagship for what many have dubbed, "The New Left." During its hay day, the magazine featured and received contributions from esteemed liberal minds like Noam Chomsky, Cesar Chavez and Angela Davis.

Perhaps the most important breakthrough Ramparts achieved during its 13-year span as a publication was making their magazine accessible to those who may have been intimidated by the more gritty and hardcore leftist publications of the era. Unlike many of Ramparts' alternative counterparts, it managed an expensive production budget and professional design.

So why should you care about an alternative publication that's been long extinct? Simple, really. With mainstream and corporate media outlets being suffocated and cut down by a lack of profits and a lack of connection with the public, the Rampart serves as a model for new publications. The growing absence of these mainstream sources of news and opinion leave a void that could be filled by new media publications, not unlike the role Rampart served during its era.

Rampart Magazine was able to succeed and hold the public's attention at a time when the major corporate news outlets where at the height of their popularity. Just imagine what kind of impact of impact an alternative news outlet with the right model could have with this much mainstream journalism blood in the water.

While Rampart provides a good example on how to run an alternative news publication, its influence was not simply economical. It was one of the first publications to voice dissent against the Vietnam War, while also giving a platform to many fringe figures of the time like Che Guevara and Cesar Chavez, something mainstream media outlets didn't have the backbone or permission to do.

Candlestick Needs to be Blown Out

Photo courtesy of NASA

As I drunkenly stumbled down the cement stairs to my puke-orange seat at the last 49ers home game, there was only one thing on my mind: finding a place to set down my ice-cold beer so I could scarf down my garlic fries. Plopping myself down, I reached in front of me to set my beer in the cup holder, except, to my horror, there wasn’t one.

Blasphemy!

Until that point, I was unsure of the 49ers’ attempts to build a new stadium in Santa Clara, citing nostalgia of times past as my rational for keeping the decrepit 49-year-old Candlestick Park. But in light of my recent incident and the 49ers fairly recent announcement that they’re fully committed to setting up shop in Santa Clara, consider me off the fence.

No longer should 49er fans have to put up with dirt parking lots, swirling winds, accommodations fit for the 1960’s and waiting in traffic for hours after the game just to exit the stadium.

Instead, Niners fans deserve a modern fan experience, accompanied by easy access to freeways, up-to-date luxury boxes, and yes, even cup holders.

But how much will this cost taxpayers in a time when the California state government can’t even balance its own budget? Not a whole lot.

According to the 49ers official stadium website, 90 percent of stadium costs will be financed by the team, the NFL and corporate sponsors. The remaining $79 million would be covered by the city of Santa Clara with no new taxes to residents.

In this economic climate, you can’t ask for much more.

Besides being a benefit to fans, a new stadium is essential to keeping the 49ers competitive on the field.

In 2008, the 49ers ranked 30^th in total team revenue, $126 million short of the team with the most revenue, the Washington Redskins who opened a new stadium in 1997. With more revenue, teams like the Redskins are able to spend more money on coaches, team facilities and free agents.

And no, renovating Candlestick Park or building a new stadium at Hunter’s Point is not a sensible solution. The 49ers and its fans will still be left with the same problems currently plaguing them.

Where will the team play while renovations take place? How will the stadium access issues be fixed? There’s still the issue of having a stadium near one of San Francisco’s worst neighborhoods in Hunter’s Point, another issue entirely.

The Stick is like a Band-Aid. If you try to take it off slowly, it’s going to hurt even more. It’s better just to rip it off all at once and cut your loses. Now let’s rip this baby off, we’ll do it together on the count of three.

One… two… three…

Mark Follman visits class

Another opinion writing class, another guest speaker. This time, freelance writer and former Salon editor Mark Follman graced us with his presence.

While most of Follman's spent most of his time in class discussing two articles he wrote on safe havens for drug users, he did bring up an interesting point.

Follman confessed that he didn't believe objectivity existed in journalism.

The public may agree.

A recent poll found that more people than ever believe that news coverage is inaccurate and biased. This should alarm many current and prospective journalists. If news organizations don't have readers, then readers will no longer have news organizations to complain about.

The question of objectivity is a tricky one. Can a reporter covering a story really by unbiased? Each journalist is human, with a set of past experiences that shapes the viewpoints they have. Preconceived notions and biases are natural, and no one can expect a reporter to turn off all emotion and become a robot. Besides, does a journalist who pretends to make an attempt to get the other side of the story when their heart isn't in it really give the other side a fair shake? Hardly. Even if reporters could put their feelings aside when covering a story, they still make daily decisions on what to include and what not to include in the stories they write. Isn't that a form of bias?

What do you think? Is there such a thing as "objectivity" in the news media?

49ers loss is Crabtree's gain

AP Photo

Heartbreaking losses can often build character. The San Francisco 49ers gut wrenching defeat at the hands of Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday proved they can also show glaring weaknesses.

The weakness? Their offensive offense. The solution? The 49ers need to give in (partly) to the demands of He-who-must-not-be-named. No, not Lord Voldemort, Michael Crabtree, the best wide receiver in college football last season that reportedly left $20 million on the table because he felt it wasn’t fair compensation for his services.

Shocked? Don’t be.

The 49ers currently rank 27^th in receiving yards per game, averaging a meager 182 yards. But that’s not even the worst of it. San Francisco’s wide receivers have only mustered 255 yards over the first three games, one of the worst totals in the league this year. The last time the 49ers ranked in the top half of the league in total offense and receiving was the 2000 season when, you guessed it, “diva” wide receiver Terrell Owens was sporting the red and gold.

Now let’s have a look at Crabtree’s résumé.

In his two years as a starter from Texas Tech, Crabtree caught 231 passes while racking up 3,127 receiving yards and 41 touchdowns for the Red Raiders.

Yes 49er fans, it is possible for a wide receiver to have these gaudy numbers. Remember that Jerry Rice guy? Or even Owens?

Not only would Crabtree help stretch the field and take some of those extra defenders out of the box, giving running back Frank Gore room to run, but he would give San Francisco a home-run threat they haven’t had since their previous “diva” receiver, Owens, last left town.

Remember all of those long passing plays back in 2000 season, keeping defenses honest while giving opposing defensive coordinators nightmares? Yeah, neither do I. It’s been too long.

One of the biggest arguments against appeasing Crabtree and offering him more money centers on his personality. Would he really be a good fit for Mike Singletary, a man who places value on a team-first mentality over personal gain?

Singletary seems to think so.

When asked by ESPN’s Adam Schefter if the 49ers’ head coach was willing to say Crabtree would never be part of the team, Singletary simply replied, “I would never say that. Not at any point.”

So how does San Francisco up their offer to Crabtree without losing their negotiating leverage for future first round draft picks? Performance incentives. If Crabtree really thinks he was the best wide receiver in the draft, pay him like it… but make him prove it.

It would be win-win situation for both sides. Crabtree would be able to earn the extra money he thinks he’s worth by simply playing like a superstar. The 49ers on the other hand can still look like tough negotiators while reaping the benefits if Crabtree exceeds performance expectations.

In all of this contract uncertainty, there’s one thing for sure: If Crabtree and the 49ers don’t reach a deal soon, the future success of both will be in doubt.

John Diaz shares his opinions in our Opinion class.

Journalist John Diaz, who is paid by the San Francisco Chronicle to give his opinion, visited my Journalism opinion class last Thursday at SF State. Diaz shared his opinions on various topics related to his profession, namely how to write a good op-ed piece (which he does on a regular basis), how to get off the governments "No fly" list and ways to develop a distinct voice when writing an article.

But out of all of the advice Diaz was gracious enough to give a class of students trying to take his job, one topic struck my interest the most: how to get published. After all, isn't that the point of this whole journalism thing? Getting your work out, making a name for yourself... that's how you play the game, right? Needless to say my attention meter was off the charts when he was giving out these juicy tidbits.

Here are some of the magical keys to success Diaz suggested, let's see how I stack up:

1. Timeliness matters.

So I can't publish the op-ed I've been working on for five years about John Kerry's presidential campaign? Damn.

2. Don't get discouraged if your article isn't published or you don't hear a response because most people don't realize the vast amounts of submissions there are to The Chronicle and other publications every week.

So I'm not the only person in the Bay Area submitting articles to the San Francisco Chronicle? Consider my mind blown! Looks like I'll have to step up my writing game a little now that I know I have so much competition. I guess submitting "I hate Republicans," or "The 49ers stink" won't cut it anymore.

3. When you submit a piece, study the publication you're sending it to and the types of pieces they use.

Good, I have that one covered. I've already sent my pro-abortion article to the Washington Post and my anti-universal health care plan piece to The Chronicle.

4. Be open to being edited.

Now that's something the never taught me in J-School.

5. Write tight, not long-winded.

That's great actually very good news because I'm the type of writer who loves to keep my sentences short, concise and not go on forever because when people do that it gets really annoying and makes me not want to read their work and if I ever knew someone who wrote like that I would tell them that they should quit writing and to consider working in a field other than journalism because they have no future in it and probably shouldn't even have a blog either because no one would want to read that drivel and garbage that they write on a daily basis to the masses who read their work.