Denne bog er beskyttet i medfør af gældende dansk lov om ophavsret. Kopiering må kun ske i overensstemmelse med loven. Det betyder f.eks. at kopiering til undervisningsbrug kun må ske efter aftale med Tekst og Node.
Opgaver, links og forslag til forløbsplaner kan findes på bogens hjemmeside og er markeret med dette symbol.
Filmhenvisninger er markeret med dette symbol.
Forord
More Than Just a Game er en temabog til engelskfaget, der lægger op til arbejdet med at forstå, hvordan der gennem tiden har været og til stadighed er en stærk sammenhæng mellem sporten og kampen for bl.a. menneskerettigheder og ligestilling. Bogen beskæftiger sig derfor med, hvordan samfundets tendenser gennem tiden har påvirket amerikanske og britiske atleter til at stå frem i deres sportslige virke med deres budskab i håbet om at blive hørt. På baggrund heraf lægges der op til en diskussion af, hvorvidt denne kamp om rettigheder hører hjemme i sportens arena, og om atleter overhovedet bør bruge deres platform til politisk aktivisme.
Tanken med bogen og bogens kapitler er at afdække den del af kernestoffet, der omhandler “væsentlige sproglige, historiske, kulturelle og samfundsmæssige forhold i Storbritannien og USA […]“
Ligesom eleverne på baggrund af arbejdet med et eller flere af kapitlerne bl.a. skal kunne leve op til det faglige mål “at kunne perspektivere tekster kulturelt, samfundsmæssigt og historisk “ . Læreren og eleverne skal drage paralleller mellem hvordan samfundstendenser såsom racisme og undertrykkelsen af kvinder, feminisme og diskrimination på baggrund af seksuel orientering også kommer til udtryk i sporten, og at samfundet også historisk set derfor afspejles i sporten.
Bogen indledes med On Your Marks – Set – Go! som er et introducerende kapitel, hvori sammenhængen mellem sport og politik klarlægges. Derefter er bogen inddelt i 3 kapitler med hver deres hovedfokus. Chapter 2 – Sport and Race, Chapter 3 – Sport and Women og Chapter 4 – Sport and Sexuality. Alle kapitler indledes med en historisk introduktion, der klarlægger udgangspunktet for kapitlet, hvorefter teksterne typisk vil omhandle en atlet eller en begivenhed, som på den ene eller den
anden måde har været betydningsfuld for samtiden i sporten. Samtlige tekster har både introducerende øvelser og analyserende øvelser af forskellig slags, der skal give eleverne en bredere forståelse af teksterne og emnet. Spørgsmålskategorierne spiller på en sportsreference, hvor Warm-up vil have en indledende karakter, så eleverne spores ind på det pågældende emne. Exercises fanger under en bred kam analyserende og dybdegående spørgsmål til teksten, og spørgsmålene under overskriften Stretching refererer til det videre arbejde med samtiden eller begivenheden og dennes betydning på et bredere plan. Som lærer kan man vælge at arbejde med ét enkelt eller flere kapitler, eller man kan kombinere teksterne på tværs af kapitlerne. Et forslag til en sådan forløbsplan – Sport and Minorities – kan tilgås via bogens hjemmeside Forlagetcolumbus.dk/More-Than-Just-a-Game. Bogen afsluttes med Crossing the Finish Line, som samler op på arbejdet med koblingen mellem sport og politik og lægger op til diskussion om brugen af sporten til politisk aktivisme.
Der skal lyde en stor tak til min redaktør Katrine Cohen og forlaget Columbus for et godt og inspirerende samarbejde. Ligesom jeg også gerne vil takke mine mange fantastiske kollegaer, venner og ikke mindst elever for deres tålmodighed, sparring og råd i forbindelse med afprøvning af diverse forløbsplaner samt støtte i processen. Tak til min mor for at have lyttet på mig og mine mange ideer, og min far for altid at stå bag mig og mine beslutninger. Særligt tak til den famøse idrætstrio JonaZ, Stanis og min mand Andreas, som var med til at udtænke forløbet på baggrund af deres uendelige historiske og samfundsfaglige viden og interesse for sporten og dens betydning verden over.
København, 2025
Ditte Louise Juul Ingvartsen
Analytical Tools
While working with this book, you will need to use many of the analytical tools you already know from class. However, some analytical tools will be used more frequently than others, so here is a brief introduction to those. Whenever you are asked to, have a look at these pages for guidance.
The Rhetorical Pentagram
When analyzing non-fiction, the rhetorical pentagram is useful. The rhetorical pentagram has 6 components: topic, reader, writer, language, circumstances, and intention. They all have their individual analytical function, but they also interrelate. The interaction of the components can help you assess the intention of a non-fiction text. Ask yourself the following questions:
Topic: What is the text about? Is the topic controversial, provocative, sensitive, personal, based on general knowledge, or obscure? Is it relevant to a smaller or bigger audience?
Writer: Who is the writer of the text? Are they a journalist, politician, academic, or influencer? A public figure or private person? What is their expertise or role in relation to the topic? Do they have credibility?
Reader: Who is the intended reader or audience of the text? Is there more than one audience? If yes, who are they and why?
Circumstances: What is the situation surrounding the non-fiction text? What is the text relating to? Has there been an event leading up to it? If yes, which?
Language: What kind of language is used in the text? Is it formal, informal, or a mixture of the two? Is the language complex or simple? Can the language be characterized as humorous, serious, angry, sad, demanding, melancholic, or something else? What kind of rhetorical devices does the writer/speaker use? And how does that affect the quality of the text? How are the modes of appeal used? Are they used equally or is one used more than the others? If you find that one is used more dominantly than the others, why do you think that is?
Intention: What is the main intention of the text? To delight, inform, persuade, entertain, inspire, or provoke?
Modes of Appeal
Pathos: The Emotional Appeal
Sometimes, the most powerful way to connect with an audience is by tapping into their emotions. This could be through a moving personal story or a vivid description that stirs up empathy, anger, or hope. When a speaker shares something personal, it creates a bond with the listener.
Logos: The Logical Appeal
The logos appeal is all about facts, data, and solid reasoning. If someone uses statistics, studies, or clear step-by-step arguments to support their point, they are appealing to logic. It helps the audience feel the argument is rational and trustworthy.
Ethos: Credibility
Before people believe what you are saying, they often want to know who is saying it and if that person is a credible source. Ethos has to do with the speaker’s character and trustworthiness. Are they knowledgeable? Are they experienced? Are they someone worth listening to? The speaker in question can also obtain ethos by paraphrasing or quoting valid sources.
Rhetorical Devices
Alliteration: The repetition of the same initial sound in nearby words. It adds rhythm and can make phrases more memorable. Examples: Bob brought the box of bricks to the bench, busy bee.
Anaphora: Repeating a word or phrase at the start of consecutive sentences or clauses. It adds emphasis and rhythm.
Example: Some didn’t like his personality. Some didn’t like his size. Some didn’t like how he flamed out with the team.
Anecdote: A short, often personal, story used to illustrate a point or bring a human touch to an argument.
Example: When I was little, I used to wait by the window every Sunday with my backpack on, hoping my dad would show up — he rarely did, but it taught me early what it means to manage expectations.
Assonance: Repeating vowel sounds in nearby words. Like alliteration, it creates rhythm and can make language more pleasing to the ear. Example: She needs to feed the sheep.
Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration used for effect — often humorous or dramatic. Example: This is a million times worse than anything I’ve ever seen!
Simile: A simile is a way of comparing two different things by saying they are similar in some way. What makes a simile easy to spot is that it always uses the words ’like’ or ’as’ in the comparison.
Example: She’s as busy as a bee, She was sleeping like a baby.
You can check the pronunciation online, e.g. at dictionary.cambridge.org or similar online dictionaries.
Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech where you compare two unrelated things to show a deeper meaning or create a strong image even though it is not literally true. One common example is the phrase “Time is money.” This doesn’t mean that time is actual money you can hold or spend. Instead, it means that time is valuable — just like money — and wasting time is like losing money.
Examples: He has a heart of gold, Life is a rollercoaster, America is a melting pot of cultures.
Rhetorical Questions: Rhetorical questions are questions that are asked to make a point or get the audience thinking and not to get an actual answer.
Example: How can anyone truly be free if they’re afraid to speak their mind?
Argumentation
When you form arguments or examine how others form arguments, a model like Stephen Toulmin’s model of argumentation is useful:
Claim The statement the sender wishes to argue.
What is the sender (writer, speaker) trying to convince the receiver about?
Data/grounds Justifies or proves the claim. Empirical evidence that supports the claim.
With what facts or information does the sender support the claim?
Warrant The general view or rule which acts as the reason why the claim is approved. It functions as a bridge between the claim and the data. What general principle or belief connects the evidence to the claim?
Too much fast food is not good for you
Fast food contains a lot of fat and sugar and is therefore high in calories
Food high in calories and which contains fat and/or sugar is bad for you in larger quantities.
Nelson Mandela –Sport Has the Power to Change the World
Warm-up
1. In pairs, tell each other what you know about Nelson Mandela.
2. Use the internet to find out more details about him and his story. Make a timeline of his life.
3. Read about the Laureus World Sports Awards below.
Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), anti-apartheid activist, former president of South Africa (1994-1999) and
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honoring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont. It is supported by its global partners Mercedes Benz, IWC Schaffhausen, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. The awards support the work of Laureus Sport for Good, which supports over 160 community projects in more than 40 countries. These programs aim to use the power of sport to end violence, discrimination, and disadvantage, and prove that sport has the power to change the world. The name “Laureus” is derived from the Greek word for laurel, considered a traditional symbol of victory in athletics.
In 2000, Nelson Mandela, who was to become Patron of Laureus, delivered his famous speech, a speech that has become the driving force for the Laureus movement, at the first ever Laureus World Sports Awards.
Patron of Laureus
Nelson Mandela at the Inaugural Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, Monaco, 2000
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I am happy to be with you tonight at the first Laureus World Sports Award. Sport has the power to change the world.
[Applause]
It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.
The heroes standing with me are examples of this power. They are valiant not only in the playing field, but also in the community, both local and international. They are champions and they deserve the world’s recognition.
[Applause]
Together they represent an active, vigorous Hall of Fame. A Hall of Fame that goes out into the world, spreading help, inspiration and hope.
Their legacy will be an international community where the rules of the game are the same for everyone, and behavior is guided by fair play and good sportsmanship. I ask you now to rise and join me in commending the original inductees into the World Sports Academy Hall of Fame.
...
Peace is the greatest weapon mankind has to resolve even the most intractable difficulties. But to be an effective agent for peace, you have to seek and not only to change the community and the world. What is more difficult is to change yourself before you seek to change others. Only those who have the courage to change themselves and to know that in all communities without exception there are good men and women who want to serve their communities in regards to the peaceful resolution of their problems and it is absolutely essential for the leaders of the community and the world to create an atmosphere where those good men and women can show their maximum abilities in trying to resolve problems in a peaceful manner and that is why a legend like Pelé and all of these behind me are our heroes, our hope, because whatever they do in their respective fields they are promoting peace. These are monarchs, they are queens and kings, not as a result of heredity, but as a result of their personal commitment and efforts. It is one of the most enjoyable moments for me to be able as a pensioner to take part in a function of this nature.
Thank you.
Exercises
1. In pairs, help each other summarize the main points of Mandela’s speech.
2. Mandela says: "[Sport] is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers " What do you think he means? Do you think he is right? Explain your answer.
3. Explain the situation in which this speech was delivered.
4. Style
a. Underline four abstract nouns that you find significant.
An abstract noun is a noun that refers to something non-physical – something conceptual that you can’t perceive directly with your senses. Examples include 'sadness', 'analysis', 'government' and 'adulthood'.
b. Find examples of repetition. How does this affect the message of the speech?
c. Which semantic fields do you notice?
d. How would you describe the language: formal/informal? personal/impersonal?
5. Rhetoric
a. Why do you think the Laureus Sports Awards have chosen Mandela as the first patron of Laureus? What does he symbolize as a speaker?
b. How does Mandela come across here? What ethos virtue does he show: wisdom, good moral character, goodwill towards the audience?
c. What is the intention of the speech: to inform, to delight, or to persuade?
6. Mandela says that "Sport has the power to change the world. " What do you think he means?
Do you think he is right? Explain your answer and provide examples of how sports can be influential.
7. What is the topic of the speech?
Stretching
1. Discuss whether sports can be used as a means for achieving a different goal.
2. Make a list of positive and negative outcomes of sports.
Grammatik
Peace is the greatest weapon mankind has to resolve even the most intractable difficulties. But to be an effective agent for peace, you have to seek not only to change the community and the world. What is more difficult is to change yourself before you seek to change others. Only those who have the courage to change themselves and to know that in all communities without exception there are good men and women who want to serve their communities ...
1. Find seks verber i infinitiv i teksten ovenfor og bøj dem i alle verbets tider og person.
2. I teksten finder du følgende tre adjektiver: intractable, difficult, good. Bøj de tre adjektiver og forklar bøjningsreglerne for adjektiver.
Dave Zirin – Carriers of a Dream
Warm-up
1. In American English people say ‘sports’, e.g. I like sports/Do you watch sports?
In British English people say ‘sport’, e.g. I like sport/Do you watch sport?
a. In which case does the word ‘sport’/’sports’ function as a plural noun and when is it an uncountable noun? You may want to look it up in a dictionary, e.g. Longman or Oxford Learner’s dictionary.
b. Write two sentences in American English using the word ‘sports’.
c. Write two sentences in British English using the word ‘sport’. In both American English and British English, ‘sports’ is used as a countable noun when talking about a number or a specific sport. e.g. Soccer and tennis are two popular sports and Tennis is a very popular sport
d. Write two sentences (British or American) where you talk about one sport or two sports.
2. In pairs, define the word ‘sports’. Then read the definition of sports below and discuss whether it matches your own definition.
Sports, physical contests pursued for the goals and challenges they entail. Sports are part of every culture past and present, but each culture has its own definition of sports. The most useful definitions are those that clarify the relationship of sports to play, games, and contests. “Play,” wrote the German theorist Carl Diem, “is purposeless activity, for its own sake, the opposite of work.” Humans work because they have to; they play because they want to. […]
As games, chess and basketball are obviously different from leapfrog and playing house. The first two games are competitive, the second two are not. One can win a game of basketball, but it makes no sense to ask who has won a game of leapfrog. In other words, chess and basketball are contests. […]
Sports, then, can be defined as autotelic (played for their own sake) physical contests. Despite the clarity of the definition, difficult questions arise. Is mountain climbing a sport? It is if one understands the activity as a contest between the climber and the mountain or as a competition between climbers to be the first to accomplish an ascent. Are the drivers at the Indianapolis 500 automobile race really athletes? They are if one believes that at least a modicum of physical skill is required for winning the competition. […]
A People’s History of Sports in the United States –250 Years of Politics, Protest, People, and Play (excerpt)
BY DAVE ZIRIN, 2008
Preface
The great Howard Cosell in a scathing critique of the sports world once said “rule number one of the jockocracy” was that sports and politics could never mix. Sports had to be dumbed down and quarantined from that nasty netherworld where political ideas and social concerns threatened to ruin the party. Debate was to be confined to “less filling” versus “tastes great.”
Today major sports columnists rain down many a verbal blow anytime an athlete takes a political stand. They can be worse when people outside the sports world try to say their piece—for example, when Jesse Jackson criticized hiring practices in the athletic department at the University of Alabama. They argue that sports and politics don’t belong in the same zip code, the same country, the same universe. It’s not just sports columnists—it’s the conventional wisdom throughout your local newspaper. Even E. J. Dionne, the house liberal of the Washington Post, wrote in 2003, “Most of us who love sports want to forget about politics when we watch games. Sports, like so many other voluntary activities, create connections across political lines. All Americans who are rooting for the Red Sox in the playoffs are my friends this month, no matter what their ideology.”
Dionne’s starting point is that sports are apolitical, neutral space. The problem with Dionne, the sports page, and everyone who tries to segregate these two worlds is that they are trafficking in myth. They want us to believe that sports and politics together are as painful a mashup as Mitt Romney getting cornrows or Hillary Clinton cutting a salsa album. It is certainly easy to understand why this is so readily accepted. Many of us watch ESPN to forget at all costs what they are doing on C SPAN.
But in an era where the budding of publicly funded stadiums has become a substitute for anything resembling an urban policy; in a time when local governments build these monuments to corporate greed on the taxpayers’ dime, siphoning off millions of dollars into commercial enterprise while schools, hospitals, and bridges decay, one can hardly say that sports exists in a world separate from politics. When the sports
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Michael Vick
kendt amerikansk fodboldspiller som blev dømt for at medvirke til ulovlige hundekampe suit retssag sounding board klangbund, resonans graft korruption, bestikkelse transcend overskride aspiration stræben vast betydelig level lige, jævnbyrdig volume bind, udgave resuscitate genoplive, puste nyt liv i dissenter afviger hoopster (slang) basketballspiller
page—with its lurid tales of steroids, Michael Vick, referee gambling, and highprofile sexual harassment suits—no longer can be contained in the sports page, then clearly we need some kind of framework to take on and separate what we love and hate about sports so we can challenge it to change.
But sports are more than just a sounding board for war, graft, and mindnumbing moralism. It can also be a place of inspiration that doesn’t transcend the political but becomes the political, a place where we see our own dreams and aspirations played out in dynamic Technicolor. Politics are remote and alien to the vast majority of people. But the playing field is where we can project our every thought, hope, and fear. We want to believe fiercely that this is the one place where ability alone determines how we are judged. If you can play, you will play, no matter your color, class, or gender. This is why boxers such as Joe Louis and the great Muhammad Ali, Olympic stars such as Wilma Rudolph and Jim Thorpe, tennis players such as Billie Jean King and the Williams sisters, and even golf’s Tiger Woods (although he would never want the title) are viewed, consciously or not, as political beings—carriers of the dream that the playing field for all of us might be made a little more level.
This volume is an effort to resuscitate the political heart that beats in the sports world—to have a history that critically examines the political forces as well as the political power at work in the world of sports. It also stands proudly with the tradition of progressive dissenters in sports, people who have attempted to use the world of sports as a platform to advance ideas of resistance. These are people who have not allowed the politics of modern sport in the United States to be the province of those who financially control it—and those in government who would so casually exploit the platform. This book is dedicated to all rebel athletes. From fivefoot jockeys to sevenfoot hoopsters, they are the giants upon whose shoulders this hidden history rests.
