Documentary in Terms of the Essential Questions (TOW 31)

Documentaries play a special role in society, as they can dictate how large percentages of the American community perceive certain events or people. By using the essential questions from this unit, we can explore how Winning Time: Reggie Jackson vs. The New York Knicks is constructed to change the perspective people have on the two teams depicted. The first question we must address is as follows: "How have modes of communication been a reflection of history and society?" This relates more to the content of the documentary, the themes and facts that drive the story. The movie shows the progression of the hatred that existed between the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers, even building up momentum only to contrast it by showing Reggie Miller saying "It could have been anybody." Not only does this system help in establishing chronological order and historical accuracy, but it also establishes the grounds for competition, the breeding ground for the history that would begin between the two teams. Although this is important to the overall understanding of the documentary, I personally feel that the answer to the second essential question, "How have modern modes of communication been perceived and received by the global community?", is more crucial for the film's overall success. The rhetorical decisions the director makes in his production of the movie are critical to the perception of the players involved in the memorable battle of New York and Indiana. For example, one of the worries producers had while creating the video was observing a backlash against Reggie Miller because of his excessive trash-talking. The director combatted this by adding a five-minute section devoted solely to explaining the career of Reggie's sister Cheryl and how that drove his competitive and aggressive nature. Now, instead of seeing Reggie as a merciless predator feeding on the youth of the NBA, Miller simply becomes the product of his sibling rivalry, something Americans can easily relate to, whether having seen them or being in one themselves. Through these methods, the documentary is able to effectively tell the sports story through the intended lens.

Documentary Analysis (TOW 30)

Nothing in sports beats a good rivalry. When athletes face off with competitors from their division or battle with players they dislike, the level of play skyrockets, sometimes to a point where suspensions and fines are the only way to prevent violent confrontation. In this documentary directed by Dan Klores, ESPN delves into one of the most notable and memorable playoff battles in the history of professional basketball. The New York Knicks were forced to deal with the Indiana Pacers and more specifically Reggie Miller, a guard out of UCLA who was known for using his trash-talking skills to rile up the opponents. In the 1994 and 1995 seasons, the Pacers and Knicks would have heated confrontations during both the regular season and the playoffs. Whether it was headbutting, chanting, or arguments with die-hard Knicks fan Spike Lee, the two teams always found a way to launch war on the other.

Klores does a phenomenal job of keeping the interest of the audience in the organization of the film. Instead of lazily throwing the information in chronological order, Klores sets aside his supporting information for the right opportunity in the video. Right when the audience begins to ask questions about Reggie or the Knicks, Klores carefully inserts a small portion on a topic that answers those questions. For example, after presenting various instances where Reggie shows extreme grit and determination, Klores places the information relating Reggie's drive to his sister's own basketball achievement and the consequent competition. 

Another important piece of the documentary was choice in music. When the film began to detail the hate that existed between the Pacers and the Knicks and explained how Reggie got in the minds of his opponents, the music is not serious; actually, the music is similar to what would be played at a circus! Why? The music helped to emphasize the idea that Reggie was playing with his competition, stirring their anger to make his success much easier. Without this music choice, the documentary ultimately loses the interpretation it works toward creating the environment where Reggie Miller was most successful in enraging his New York opponents. This, added with a clip of Michael Jordan, arguably the best player in NBA history, losing his cool and attacking Reggie, was effective in keeping the audience's attention throughout the whole documentary.

Bibliography:

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs the New York Knicks. Dir. Dan Klores. ESPN Films, 2010. DVD.

TOW Reflection (TOW 29)

After rereading three of my TOWs from this year (Drew Brees, Michael Jordan at 50, & Chris Pronger) and noting the differences in my writing tendencies and strengths, I have began to understand further places where my writing has improved and what facets of my writing technique I find most effective. The first, most  noticeable pattern that I found in my writing was my change in introduction length. In the first post, there really was no intro, as I simply jumped right into explaining the article. In my second and third posts, I provided more context and background to support the following information, with the third's explanation being a bit more expansive. What I noticed is that, as the introduction grew, my creativity in hooking the audience grew. This observation has shown me the value in carefully constructing one's introduction, while still remembering to keep intros concise and the focus on the content of a piece. Along with my improvement of introductions, I feel that I have become a much stronger journalist through this process. Before, my writing would be full summarization and little analysis or consequence. However, this course has made my summaries shorter, but not lacking in important information, an crucial skill that helps keep hold of the audience's interest. One habit that must change for my writing is preventing myself from writing formulaically, which happens so often to me with other assignments. When teachers give checklists and certain required pieces of information, I usually do not stray far from the checklist and write in the same order as the list. After reading all three of my TOWs, I think that a bit more creativity here could really aid in the perception of my writing. As I have now noticed from this new TOW assignment, TOWs are more than making sure we are keeping up with modern styles of writing: they are to apply the new skills from class to everyday writing. These assignments ultimately benefitted me as an author, as I am able to look at pieces from the perspective of the reader and learn from my past mistakes. These assignments have become a very useful reflection process for seeing the development and future solutions for my writing in its entirety.

The Book of Basketball (IRB TOW 7, TOW 28)

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and other active NBA players constantly flirt with one season-long statistic: 30 points per game. These players, representing the most talented and valuable players in the world's most competitive and professional basketball league, are known to be the best in today's field of hoops. Despite how incredible these achievements are, though, would you believe that Wilt Chamberlain averaged over 50 points in the 1961-62 season? How about the fact that his 76ers team could not win the championship that year despite this outburst? Bill Simmons, an eternal Celtics fan, puts statistics from the 60s and 70s into perspective and compares Wilt Chamberlain to Celtics great Bill Russell. Simmons uses understatement in this chapter in order to achieve two goals: establish a relationship between him and his readers, as well as show how Wilt Chamberlain's minor mistakes ended up costing him on a major stage. For example, Simmons praises Chamberlain for his treatment of fans, professionalism with journalists, intelligence with basketball matters, and other factors. However, his one criticism was directed at his on court performance, which led to selfishness and blaming of teammates for losses. Simmons understates the multitude of issues Wilt encountered, but contrasts this by explaining the extent of these faults and why they created such a problem for his career. Simmons's highly basketball-interested audience takes two rivals in the 60s and 70s and compares and contrasts them in a unique manner to describe just how dominant Russell's career was over Chamberlain.

TOW 27: Chris Pronger has a Headache

The brain is quite hard to figure out. Neurologists study the brain day in and day out as they try to discover the secrets behind our, arguably, most important organ. In recent years, professional sports, most notably football, have made strides towards protecting the heads of players against concussions and more serious ailments related to the head. Hockey has taken part in this reform movement, and former Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger is a perfect reason as to why the NHL has to change. Sports Illustated's Brian Cazeneuve explains the hardships of Pronger to his audience of casual sports fans, telling about how one accident on the ice created millions of headaches, both literally and figuratively, for the defenseman. The most effective technique the other uses involves simple statement and lack of figurative language. In a piece geared towards both creating sympathy for Pronger and advocating for greater head protection in hockey, Cazeneuve keeps his piece easily readable and free of any complicated terminology in hopes of reaching more hearts with his writing. His simple statement is truly powerful when explaining the injury Pronger suffered, where the follow through on the slap-shot of Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski punctured Pronger's right eye, and the new routine he must battle, shortening his attention span without migraines and headaches to less than one hour. The presentation of this horrible event achieves Cazeneuve's purpose, as the reader understands what changes must incur to prevent more headaches in professional hockey and spare future Chris Prongers.

TOW 26: Grading the MOOC University

As a student becoming acclimated in the college selection process, I can tell first hand that there is a consistent theme that runs throughout all college visits that makes many applicants feel safe in applying: a solid teacher-student relationship. With the rise of online courses and handling learning and studies digitally, the education system is starting to lose this connection and opportunity to correct one's mistakes. Author AJ Jacobs of the New York Times uses his personal experience with online courses to inform his audience about the his evaluation of these systems and the implications that these programs could have on how we learn as Americans. He establishes this point with his use of contrast in the criteria he uses for his evaluation. The program receives a bad report in terms of teacher-to-student interaction, but a solid grade in student-to-student interaction, revealing an interesting series of questions for readers to consider. Is this really valuable to students learning things? Could this place an emphasis on cooperation in the workplace in the near future? Does this situation embrace or push students towards cheating? All of these inquiries arise from the format and division Jacobs uses in his piece. Jacobs achieves his purpose and makes a strong point, stating that, while having courses available at your fingertips is valuable and useful when extra assistance is necessary, nothing beats the current college experience institutions are able to offer. This article has brought me new insight as to how I can most effectively collect the best information from my future in college.

We've Wasted Our Timeout (TOW 25)

          In terms of major conflict, the world has been dormant lately. Still warm after having been engaged in heated competition with the Soviet Union during the events of the Cold War, the United States was licking its wounds domestically, as were Russia, China, and most of Europe. Resolving underlying conflicts was unimportant, since nations were so fixated on their imminent danger. Author Thomas Friedman contemplates what the world could now see from this brewing conflict, and he writes an article trying to persuade readers that the world could surely be headed to another worldwide battle. The most evident rhetorical device he uses to help display this message is a metaphor connecting the situation of global politics to that of a timeout. Friedman links the two when he writes, “After all, in sports, timeouts are when you catch your breath, try to make sense of what is coming at you at high speed, figure out what has been working and what has not, design a play to win the game and then collaborate on its execution.” In a time that the world must be collaborating to find solutions to clear problems, nations are isolating themselves and simply regrouping. The comparison Friedman draws is perfect to describe the danger that is imminent in the near future of the globe. Friedman, in his article considering his opinion on what the world has become and what direction it is currently headed, effectively conveys his message and, as a result, achieves his purpose in the text.

Pope Election Cartoon

The world shook with discomfort and intrigue when Pope Benedict announced his retirement from the position as the Catholic leader. Who would be the next leader of the largest single religious denomination of the world? After much deliberation, the Cardinals came to their decision: Pope Francis I would be the next Pope. However, could there be underlying interests riddled in the election, or is speculation simply the conflicted world's welcome message? Cartoonist Christopher Weyant plays with this idea in the drawing above as a way of linking religious movements with the progression of politics. He does so with the comment at the bottom of the page, which portrays the image of the Pope's election being directly related to the US presidential election of 2012 and the failures of Mitt Romney. Weyant plays on the stereotype of Catholics, one that chains the Catholic church with the Republican party, and continues the perception that these two bodies are intertwined. Other ways Weyant is able to convey his message to his audience of New Yorker readers is through his characters, similar to a writer's stylistic formatting. Instead of looking like heavenly and pure angels, Weyant poses his angels with clipboards and with faces of Americans and businessmen, making the work of God look more like a matter of formulaic terms, not one geared towards the greater good. Through these points and the unique ability of the cartoonist, the image is able to capture the attention of readers and create a humorous satire on the recent Catholic developments for readers to enjoy.

The Book of Basketball (IRB #6)

Most championship-caliber teams are rightful victors, the teams you can predict for the crown months or even years before the season finale. However, not all teams have statistics to compliment their trophy, leaving a burning question in minds of sports analysts and fans: how do teams win championships without the numbers? Bill Simmons answers this question for his audience of basketball fans by explaining "The Secret", the formula he claims can win championships consistently for multiple consecutive seasons. The trick? Simmons says that teams that recognize and utilize the Secret are those that are willing to discard all regard for personal statistics and focus completely on the success of the team as a whole. As Simmons asserts, a team ready to win a championship is one ready to give 110% effort to getting his teammates a win. Simmons substantiates this claim mainly through his unique, one-of-a-kind tone and evidence from NBA history. The former is established primarily by Simmons's use of conversational language supported by insightful footnotes, both tendencies from which Simmons has received great appraise. These footnotes highlight various stories from the earliest NBA stories to those that were being recorded just three years ago. These peeks into the past champions exposed to the Secret create solid grounds for Simmons to base his argument off while writing his book. Because of the notable impression these techniques have had on me from reading this portion of the book, I would agree with the statement that Simmons's writing style is able to convey his purpose consistently throughout his revised version of The Book of Basketball.

A Tale of Two Internets

When considering censorship in today's world, a major example that comes to mind is China, where videos and Internet information must be cleared by the government or else the act of creating such a site is seen as a crime. However, we do not even think about the United States as a nation that has censorship, most likely since it comes in a different form than that of China. In his article, Michael Fertik of the Scientific American magazine delves into how American websites like Google and Facebook sneakily control the information and opportunities Americans are exposed to. An effective strategy Fertik uses involves his syntax, since most of sentences in his explanation of how sites do this are quite short. When reading these sentences, it makes a concept that millions of Americans fail to realize simpler and easier to comprehend. Fertik also uses imagery, saying that "99 percent of [Americans] live on the wrong side of a one-way mirror," This comparison was especially creative and powerful in my mind, since it reminded me Plato's "The Cave", with almost all people fixed on the shadow figures on the walls and completely missing the secrets and freedoms hidden in the light. So many people seem content with what is easily available to them that Americans lose sight of a human consciousness and miss the important facts and information. As a result of all of these creative paths the article can take the well-educated American audience the Scientific American is written for, Fertik achieves his purpose and makes the country's people more aware of the world and the filters the Internet creates and we neglect.

Shoving the Blame Away

Tom Toles, a cartoonist for the New York Times, has, yet again, poked fun at the constant, seemingly endless disagreement that exists between the dominant political parties today. The work of Toles is not unfamiliar to many of my peers and I, as we have explored various works from the artist in our English course. From this experience, we can better define Toles's purpose, audience, and, most importantly, message from the visual text. Clearly, the audience for this political cartoon is the American people, most likely those who lack the radical viewpoints that some hardcore Democrats and Republicans possess. If these biases were present, then the true intention of the piece would be lost behind what could be seen as offensive for some people. Toles, as previously mentioned, attempts to make a comparison between the awkward conflict in the political landscape in the government and an uncomfortable solution to a dinner bill. This simile of sorts is able to make a serious political disruption seem, for lack of a better term, silly in the eyes of both American and international observers. Through humorous depictions of President Obama and the figurative Republican elephant, Toles achieves his purpose and conveys a funny take on what is a gripping issue in our nation.

Michael Jordan at 50

One of the most decorated players in history turned fifty yesterday, bringing reminiscent memories back to long time basketball fans as they remember Jordan's era of dominance. Phil Taylor, author for Sports Illustrated, tried to capture this influx of past instances of Jordan's excellence in his article for the magazine. What a tall task Taylor was faced with! Michael Jordan, arguably the best player of all time, is known for hundreds of unbelievable moments that can barely be put into words. For example, as Taylor highlights, Jordan is remembered for one moment in the playoffs of one of his six championship seasons when he played despite experiencing flu-like symptoms prior to the game. Not only that, but Michael Jordan lead his Bulls team to the victory with his 38 points and 44 minutes played. For most of us, getting out of bed is a stretch when we have the flu, let alone participate in any physical activity. Jordan competed in an NBA game with some of the best athletes in the world and played like a true champion. Taylor also fills the piece with quotes and references true to Jordan's personality, ones that make your remember his competitiveness and drive. One such quote comes in the first paragraph, where Jordan says, "One day you may look up and see me playing a game at 50. Don't laugh. Never say never." Fifty years of age seems to be the boundary for athletes in terms of the limit to which they will play. For Jordan to come out and say this while he was winding down his career shows a true love for the game and a determination like no other. These mementos of the life of Michael Jordan were all present in the article because of Taylor's craftiness and ability to highlight the characteristics that made MJ special.

The Book of Basketball (IRB 5)

The game of basketball has quite an expansive history, spanning from the domination of Wilt Chamberlain to the magical Michael Jordan era and even to today's time headlined by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant. The timeline of the National Basketball Association is dotted with high points, low points, and unbelievable points. Bill Simmons, in his The Book of Basketball, takes a stab at explaining the history of this incredible basketball league. The introduction is unique to that of many books, since it talks solely about Simmons and his experience with the Boston Celtics since when he was five years old. Not only does this method help to detail the impact of one of the greatest NBA players ever, Larry Bird, but it also establishes Simmons as a credible source of information on the game of basketball, making him someone the reader can trust going forward into the book. The purpose Simmons has in mind, both in his introduction and his entire book, is to inform his audience, predominately composed of avid basketball fans, of the history of the best basketball league in the world. So far, Simmons has been able to attract an audience and set readers up to be amazed and entertained as the book continues.

The Boys at the Back

The canvas that represents the young people of America is quite diverse and colorful, ultimately becoming a blend that surpasses that of what the United States has seen in its history. As an average high school student and an explorer of the upcoming college experience, I find this to be especially true, with racial, religious, and ethical boundaries being destroyed left and right as the nation progresses. These fast-paced advancements have showed no signs of stopping, which has become a problem today because of the female gender's slow gaining ground on the American males. Author Christina Hoff Sommers called for policy to alter this trend and hopefully bringing about a new sense of balance between men and women in the coming years with her article in the New York Times. The proposals Sommers makes in regard to evening out the imbalance in current educational settings reminded me of a  previous push for enhancement of school systems. George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind policy was one that instantly entered my mind, as it addressed a dormant but potentially dangerous issue in the growth of America's youth academically. The use of cause and effect and reasoning by Sommers allows the American taxpayers reading the article to be reaffirmed of the promise within the government fees they pay each year and to even feel the need to contribute more to a dire cause. Sommers, through persuasive rhetoric and passionate belief, is able to convey the importance of balancing the educational confusion that currently surrounds our country to the US people and bring about a push for a revision of the current school structure for the bettering of the sometimes unpredictable male gender.

The 33-Year Old Rookie (IRB #4)

With his body weakening, his age rising, and his doubts growing, Chris Coste was fighting against the odds to do what he loved. His amazing story is highlighted in his autobiography, The 33-Year-Old Rookie, and explains his ascension on the baseball hierarchy. Coste's motivation behind creating his book: spreading the story of his amazing battle to save his career and become a major league baseball player. Coste's life goes beyond simply being a good enough athlete to reach the big leagues, but a rare display of perseverance and determination, despite the dwindling his window of athletic opportunity, that can inspire anyone to follow their dreams. Coste achieves this through his connections to the past, telling tremendous recollections of his first meeting with Charlie Manual, the Phillies' manager, and his first time playing catcher. Another effective strategy Coste uses in his book is a unique structure, placing his first Major League Baseball experiences in the first chapter and then moving back to his days in elementary school to begin his life's timeline. This excites readers and helps them in keeping a result or ending point in mind throughout the book. When reading, I found myself questioning what limits there are on what I can do, disregarding the negative responses people give me when presenting ambitious goals. Coste's book is able to provoke these thoughts, with an accurate depiction of his rollercoaster-esque career and the focus on victory despite many conflicting factors. It is a book I will surely recommend to others and remember when facing strong competition or battling the giants that face my hopes and dreams.

TOW Rewrite (From #7)

Marc Santora highlights the coming hurricane and the conditions that this storm will bring about in the upcoming days for northeastern states. However, the audience Santora seems to be focusing on is the western and central states, probably in an attempt to tell those not involved and, consequently, not informed on the storm of the serious implications this could have on the eastern coast. An interesting way Santora goes about revealing this information is through a comparison to Hurricane Irene, which struck just this past year, saying that the destruction and danger that Sandy presents depicts almost exactly that of what Irene challenged the East coast with. This use of comparison allowed the article to give more detail and more relevancy to the impending storm for the American audience, as it drew parallels to a well-known storm that occurred relatively recently. The states far from the impact points of Hurricane Sandy's path can connect the devastation that approaches the northeast to a similar encounter from the past. Santora also deserves praise for his use of personification, creating a character for Sandy that shows the unpredictable and impulsive nature this hurricane pretends to have. This use of personification makes reading the passage more interesting and more enjoyable for its audience. Through this comparison, the use of personification, and incredible detail in diction, Santora is able to achieve his purpose, spreading the message of the status of the northeastern states as they face an imminent weather catastrophe. Santora paints the picture of urgency and defense for the people living along the Atlantic and encourages bystanders in the western and central states to join support groups to aid the preparations for what looks like immense devastation.

The New Yorker Political Cartoon

Many people question the truth in political speeches and the true intellect of the people giving the promises. This political cartoon recently published by the New Yorker plays on the questionable image politicians have in a large portion of Americans. The cartoon has one main purpose: to portray the idea that the politicians we see on television are nothing without the advisers they receive aid from. This is scene in the dialogue between the speaker and his female assistant, with the woman saying, “Jobs, jobs, jobs.” This caption becomes humorous with the audience holding up their ‘JOB’ signs, making the issue of job creation and strengthening the economy a no-brainer. This conflict in themes makes this cartoon so effective, emphasizing the theory that politicians are not responsible for the amount of problem solving and decision-making that we the public give them credit for. For the New York citizens as well as Americans across the country, the cartoon creates a newfound awareness for the political stage and has the potential to change the way that Americans see and evaluate their vote. David Sipress, the New Yorker cartoonist who created this cartoon, is able to achieve his purpose of bringing about intrigue to the office and role of politicians in the scheme of the government. This piece creates an visual that draws on past anger towards public office and almost forces people to laugh at the scene, showing the success of Sipress’s work.