Perspectives on Drug Testing in Athletics

www.icassp2006.org

On February 17^th, I attended an international sports law symposium hosted by the Michigan Sports Law Society.  For one of the topics, Howard Jacobs, one of the leading athlete’s lawyers in the United States, and William Bock III, who has served as General Council to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) since 2007, discussed their perspectives on drug testing in athletics.  Both agreed that doping in order to increase athletic performance should be considered cheating, but they disagreed over the ways in which USADA handles drug testing and prosecution of those athletes who test positive.

Mr. Bock opened by discussing the difficulty of actually catching dopers.  He used as an example a blog that tells dopers how to avoid testing positive.  He also showed how athletes could use extremely complex and exact routines that involve ingesting huge amounts of chemicals to avoid detection.  However, these detection avoidance routines involve a lot of money too.  As a consequence, the athletes that actually get caught doping are usually just the ones who can’t afford the extensive lab work and expensive physicians that these complex routines require.  Another consequence is that just because an athlete never tested positive for steroids doesn’t mean he or she never used them.

Mr. Jacobs argued that current testing results in too many false positives.  He believes that substances other than steroids or accidental consumption cause the majority of positives in drug tests, citing problems such as the notoriously bad quality control in the supplement industry and the general athlete attitude, ‘I’m not taking illicit substances, so I don’t have to worry.’  USADA spends too much money prosecuting these false positives when it should be spending its money developing more accurate drug tests.

If an athlete tests positive, the burden then lies with the athlete to prove their innocence.  Then, even if the athlete shows that the positive was caused by, for example, accidental consumption of a substance through a contaminated supplement, he or she is still penalized, though less so than an intentional doper.  Does this seem right?  Mr. Bock argued that some of these excuses are ‘dog ate the homework’ excuses.  Also, even if an athlete accidentally consumed a substance they still might be receiving its illicit benefits.  Is USADA going about its drug testing and prosecution the right way? 

Play AND Learn?

Every kid engages in several different games, whether it be by themselves or with other children around them.  My personal favorites were the game of LIFE, Guess Who?, Twister, and Chutes and Ladders.  These games all have set rules and are common among all childhood cultures in the United States.  As we learned in class, there are many benefits to children participating in these games.  Increased math skills and problem skills are among the most important.  I wonder where I would be if I never played these games.  Would I have liked math as much as I do? Would I have the same problem solving skills as I do now? And would my intelligence be at the level it is today allowing me to still be attending the University of Michigan? I never realized how much of an influence moving up and down ladders on a board game or simulating real life with game pieces would have on my life.  Because games are critical for a child’s development, most children play.  I find it unique that regardless of the environments in which we live, there is a shared “children’s culture” that is common among all kids.

Google v. Foursquare - Who Will Be the Winner?

According to ABC News, Google is directly taking on Foursquare and creating its own version of a location-service check-in game. Both of these services allow users to check into a location, share it with friends, and earn points on a leaderboard just for showing up.

The New Google Latitude Interface

The Established Website Foursquare

And even though both of these games are in competition with one another, Foursquare does not seem phased. Erin Gleason, a Foursquare spokesperson told ABC News "far from concentrating on what others are doing, we're 100 percent focused on continuing to build an amazing product that changes the way people experience the world around them."

I guess we will all have to wait and see whether the service Google Latitude or Foursquare prevails as the winner of the location check-in competition.

Best of luck to both competitors!

Mind Games

When first hearing the phrase 'mind game' some may think about the things people say or do that is purposely meant to trick or fool the psychological thinking of another, in other words, they play tricks with your mind. However, what about the games we play in our own head? The ones that are not meant to trick or fool you but actually try to help you make better decision in the future, which is essenitally the same to a  game theory or decision theory mentality. 

I personally find myself playing mind games as well with situations I encounter. Like when I was recently away at a soccer camp with a new coach and new staff members. I had no idea what they would be like or how they thought, and the only thing I had to go off of was what I saw and heard from them each and every day, which was definately a challenge. I was constantly trying to figure what they meant by this and that, and how they thought I was playing based off of their body language, comments and feedback. I found myself always thinking what I should do to be better based off what I thought they wanted. And of course that changed from day to day when something new would come up, it became sort of like a game to figure out what actions would help me the most.

Hunger Games

 We can see an example of this in The Magic Circle's book quest of the novel The Hunger Games. I recently finished reading the novel and I realised that there is game theory throughout the whole book. The main character Katniss Everdeen battles with many decision about who to trust, how she should act and many more. There are countless examples of where she tries to understand and interpret actions of other so should can do and say the right things to better herself. For example, how she analyses the conversations and actions of fellow district member Peeta Mellark, and mentor Haymitch to find out their intentions so she can make her decisions from them. The decisions she makes are not also permanent and are actually changing numerous times as her interpretations are changing as well. You get a chance to see how she plays these games in her head and her thought process throughout her experience of the hunger games.

Even though your intentions are to make decision that will benefit you, playing to many decision games in your head can get confusing and tiresome. But I think it's something that is hard to avoid when you want so some so bad, like Katniss does with surviving the hunger games or wanted to impress coaches. But it's interesting to see what games your mind plays when faced with decisions.

Make Love, Not Warcraft

  

Make Love, Not Warcraft

This is a clip from the South Park episode "Make Love Not Warcraft" when the characters use their avatars to first go inside the game of World of Warcraft. I think that this clip is very relevant to our class discussion today about choosing your own avatar and how it relates to one's sense of self. Additionally, this clip is an example of Murphy's idea of Media Convergence. 

This episode is an example of different forms of media converging as the makers of South Park and Blizzard Entertainment were able to combine the media of television and video games in order to create a new medium. The medium of television plays on the medium of video games by literally incorporating real game footage into the episode. 

Therefore, this episode of South Park is a good example of how avatars play into gaming culture and how new media remediates older media as well.

Girly Games Too?

Upon hearing Sheila Murphy speak about the emerging field of Video Games, I was intrigued when she mentioned the sexism and gender segregation present in most video games.  As we began the class we brainstormed a list of typical stereotypes people think of when picturing a "gamer".  Most people said nerdy, isolated, and most strikingly, male.

I was a victim of believing this stereotype because I do not know many females who engage in video games often.  Sheila Murphy noted that often games that are directed towards boys are adventurous and can be violent, whereas those games directed for girls usually revolve around secrets, puzzles, and juvenile activities that are generally more playful.  I never noticed the difference until Sheila had said something because I never thought of electronic puzzles, such as tetris, or hello-kitty games as "video-games".

I, too, fell under the impression that all video games were adventurous, violent, and mainly for men.  After listening to her lecture, I was able to have a broader and more detailed understanding of what video games were, and now know that they encompass much more than just the simulated war zones.

A Second Life in a Virtual World

I have heard of Second Life, but have never played it before so when making an avatar was part of our homework assignment I was very interested in finding out more as to what Second Life was all about.

My original avatar

The vampire version of my avatar

Like the title, Second Life actually is a "second life" where your avatar can socialize and interact with other characters in an online virtual world. In this role-playing game, you can easily direct your character to interact with the other users simultaneously playing this game.

 

My avatar interacting in the world of Second Life

The well-designed graphics of the game
 make it interesting and entertaining

The arrows in the game direct players where to go

Although I previously had no idea how people could get into a game such as this, after playing it for a few minutes, I was easily able to find out how players could become captivated by Second Life. This game is literally a whole different world, but once you get the hang of the game maneuvers, it is actually quite simple and entertaining as well.

The chat feature allows the game to become extremely social and interactive

Presentation Can Be Everything

Last Tuesday, February 7th, was the 14th annual Mock Rock Athletic Variety Show  findraiser held at Hill Auditorium . The show consisted of various skits, songs, and dances performed by many athletic teams, and trainers. The show was hosted by ESPN analysist Dana Jacobson and judged this year by, Laura Hoke, wife of the football coach, men soccer coach, Chaka Daley, Mary Petrovich President of the Letterwinners M-Club and a former Mott patient Max Merget. This years fundraiser supported the C.S. Motts Childrens's Hospital, Big Brother Big Sister of Washtenaw County and Student-Athletes Leading Social Change. During the show there was singing, dancing, jokes, jumps and a few wild performances. The most interesting part of the show was the performances that may have played to close to the line of being funny and just plain mean.

This is related to what we learned in our UC 256 class with the Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman. There are two things that occur when people express themselves to others, there is the impression they give and the impession they give off. The impression they give is totally intentional, with the use of words, sounds, symbols and more they believe this will form a connection. On the other hand, the impression they give off could be both intentional and unintentional, and happens when other people are recieving those expressions. And during the show, lets just say they were a few teams who may have gave off a bad impression.

Take men's soccer who played out a news broadcast skit that mocked many athletic teams. Although it was meant to be all fun and games, it was not well recieved by the judges and many in the audience, and consequently getting them the "better luck next year" award. Even their newly assinged head coach, Chaka Daley, couldn't sway the unimpressed audience with his great freestyling abilities. This was also the vibe given off during the men's ice hockey performance when they decided the make fun of their own teammates along with a few other athletes from different teams. In some cases (and surely not all!) their intent was just to entertain the crowd in the way they knew how and hopeful get some laughs. In the end it just came out to a lot of "oooo that's bad!" and a few, "wow, they're bold!" statements. At the same  time this could of been their plan from the beginnning. Having the audience react the way they did surely made their performance one that would never be forgotten.

Chaka Daley, Men's Soccer Coach



By the end of the show the main point of the event was realised, which was to raise money for a few worthy charities. Even though there were high and lows during the show, more than $85,000 was raised and the event was a success. This is the case every year at Mock Rock and proves to be one unforgetable night.

Gamer: Is It Really a Game?

               I find it ironic that this movie begins with the song Sweet Dreams, as the future presented in Gamer seems much more like a nightmare.  In the movie, the future of videogames has arrived with gamers controlling real people instead of virtual characters.  Every movement or command of the gamer must be obeyed by his or her character because of mind controlling nano-cells implanted in the person’s brain.  There are two different types of games, Society and Slayers.

                       In Society, players can pay to control someone else or get paid to be controlled by someone else.  It’s basically a much lewder version of Second Life with real people.  Gamers can make their avatars socialize, go to raves, or engage in some kinky sex.  The movie also shows how the gamers use Society to take on new identities.  For example, a morbidly obese pervert uses a woman in racy attire as his avatar.  Of course, he doesn’t care because his fake identity hides the real him. 

                      

Society looks a lot like a Lady Gaga music video

                         In Slayers, gamers control death row inmates in Modern Warfare like death matches.  When a player dies, it is a real person getting killed.  Slayers’ creator defends the ‘game’ by arguing that the convicts volunteer willingly because they will be released if they can survive thirty matches.  So is it really a game?  Certainly not for the convicts themselves.  They may volunteer, but within the arena or ‘the magic circle’ they are little more than puppets. 

 My finally question is: can anything designed to take a human life really be considered a game?  What about games that can put human life at serious risk, such as mountain climbing or bull fighting?  What about Society, in which the gamers force their avatars to do terribly demeaning things?  Don’t games ultimately require fun and harmlessness as a fundamental part of their nature?

Do you have a Second Life?

For those of you who are not familiar with the virtual game, Second Life, let me explain. Second Life is a game that has introduced a unique virtual world. In this game, users have the ability to create an avatar of anything they can imagine, regardless of who they are in reality. According to its developers, Second Life is, "A place to connect, a place to shop, a place to work, a place to love, a place to explore, a place to be different, a be yourself...and a place to love your life." Second Life is a game that facilitates a world away from reality in which users explore a world unlike that of our own. By creating their own fantasies, hundreds-of-thousands of Second Life users have the ability to interact with individuals throughout the world and connect with them via their avatars. 

Boston's Financial District *E#494

Avatars Interacting Via Second Life

The first time I heard about Second Life was in 2010, when I watched the Sundance Film Festival documentary, Life 2.0. Made by documentary filmmaker, Jason Springarn-Koff, Life 2.0, explores the world of Second Life, and how it has transformed the lives of its users—not just in the virtual world, but in the real world as well. It is a game that is truly unlike any other I've ever seen. I, myself, have yet to play Second Life, but I am fully aware of the potential effects the game can have on its highly active users. I am curious as to how players perceive this game, and why they have become so entranced. 

We all have passions in life (real life); ambitions we seek and hope to achieve sooner rather than later. In Second Life, users have objectives as well. In both lifestyles, there are various paths for individuals (or avatars) to take. If a person (or avatar) is on the right course, he or she should pursue it. However, when it comes to direction, it is never too late for anyone (or anything) to change. Why spend so much time organizing your Second Life, when you have the potential to change your real life? Second Life is a game, and so is life—you can play it however you want.

Super Bowl Rematch: New York Giants beat the New England Patriots

Did you have déjà vu watching the NFL Super Bowl last night, or did New York Giants actually beat the New England Patriots again in the Super Bowl? Oh yes, that’s right, history does repeat itself; at Super Bowl XLII, four years ago, the Giants—2007 NFC Conference Champions—beat the Patriots—AFC Conference Champs—in Glendale, Arizona. But, as if beating Bill Belichick and the Patriots in 2008 wasn’t sweet enough, Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning did it again last night; four years since their last face off, Coughlin, Manning and the NY Giants beat Belichick, Brady and the Patriots in a Super bowl rematch on February 5th, 2012. The final score of Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants—21, New England Patriots—17.

Mike Segar/Reuters

For me, the Super Bowl this year wasn’t about sifting through the most entertaining commercials. This year, it was all about the game. Actually, it was all about the New York Giants. Americans’, for the most part, love the game of football. I know I find great enjoyment watching the NFC and AFC Conference Championship teams face off in the Super Bowl year-after-year. 

I have always had enormous faith in the Giants, especially in MVP quarterback, Eli Manning. Having evaluated each teams’ dynamic, as well as each quarterbacks’ performance, I believe the Giants deserved to win. As a proud New Yorker (born-and-bred), I couldn’t be more proud sporting my 2011 NFC Conference Champions’ apparel around Ann Arbor.

HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

I believe the Giants won because overall, they were significantly more consistent than the Patriots. The Giants communicated, performed and executed as one team, with adeptness and confidence, which is why they prevailed. With dignity and determination, comes success—especially in sports; and during last night's game, the New York Giants were the true epitome of success. GO GIANTS AND GO BLUE!

Feelings of Flow

In class today we discussed the sense of flow.  For me, when playing lacrosse, I experience this sensation because it is something I have dedicated several years of my life to.  I have been playing lacrosse since I was in sixth grade, and played up until my senior year of high school.  Throughout practice, we engage in various kinds of drills in which we are practicing for the sole purpose of improving our abilities in lacrosse.  Flow is described as the mental state where a person is fully engaged and focused on a certain activity.  Psychologists have also added that when in a current state of flow, it is as if nothing else in the world matters.  I am able to experience flow when I play lacrosse because I have engaged in various types of deliberate practice.  During lacrosse season, my entire team is given specific workout instructions and explicit drills in which we are to complete.  These drills are designated by both our coach and our trainer, ensuring we are training to be the best we can.  Even during off-season we are also participating in deliberate practice.  We each meet with the trainer several times a week and have a detailed workout plan that we must adhere to in order to keep us in shape.  Before every game, especially those that determine our rankings, I tense up with fear and nerves.  However, once I am placed in the game and focused on winning, it is as if nothing else matters, and the plays that I do seem to come naturally, without thinking.  Because I am fully involved in the game, and I seem to be playing without thought, I believe I experience flow each time I play lacrosse. 

What Really Influences the Outcome of Sports?

     During this past week, as a student of the University of Michigan, I was able to attend to the basketball game our school had against Indiana University on Wednesday night.  I normally do not attend our basketball games, but as a fan of basketball in general I found the game to be very entertaining and quite an experience.  However, the impact that this class has had on me made my experience a little different than a normal sports event, but very interesting.  As a spectator, I was able to observe parts of the game in very different perspectives that gave me a very different insight into sporting competitions in general.

Point Guard Trey Burke drives past Indiana's Victor
Oladipo during the game.

     One major concept we learned about and discussed in class is the psychology behind sports/games and the motives associated with it.  Specifically, Mr. Garcia had explained to us what drives us towards close competition with others, including both situational factors such as number of competitors, and individual factors such as relevance and relationship closeness.  As I kept these in mind at the game, the entire environment all of a sudden seemed to make so much more sense to me.  Right from the start, you could observe the high levels of excitement and energy throughout the Crisler Arena.  As one of our conference members and among our top rivals, Mr. Garcia’s theories explaining relevance and closeness to the competitor became very appropriate to the situation.  Because the other team was so close to us in ranking (22 vs. 20) and very relevant to us because of our conference, the game’s importance and competitiveness was sky rocketed.  You could easily tell how hard the players were battling each other as well as the intensity of the crowd.  Also, pertaining the the concept of the “N-effect,” in a game like basketball there is only one other competitor, which also led to an increase in competition.  Knowing these theories behind competition not only bettered my game experience, but also enhanced my understanding of the game’s environment.

     Another important perspective we learned about in the course so far was the incorporation of game theory.  Game theory involves strategic decision making based on both the consequences you will receive and the decisions that your opponent also makes.  What makes the game theory complex is the fact that you do not know how our opponent will act, so you must weigh your options accordingly.  It is all basically a mind game deciding between what you should and/or how you could deceive your opponent into doing something that either helps you or hurts them.  I found this theory to be very relative to how the basketball game played out.  During the beginning stages of the game, Michigan held a big lead, but soon enough Indiana had cut down the lead to about 3 points.  After another half of close battling, Michigan finally came out with a safe victory.  When I think about the course of how the game played out though, game theory was the first thing that came to my mind.  It became apparent to me that in the beginning of the game, Michigan must not have only been scoring easily on Indiana, but clearly they knew their opponents’ tendencies well and used this to also play great defense.  Like game theory, Michigan was making the best decisions for their team to succeed while keeping in mind the actions of their opponents.  Additionally, when Indiana started to make a comeback, it became evident to me that at that point during the game, they were performing exactly as Michigan was previously.  Essentially, game theory was the prime factor behind the outcome of this game.

     Sports and games have always been a pretty big part of my life, but the perspectives we’ve learned so far int he course have significantly changed my outlook on them.  Watching games is not simply rooting for my favorite team anymore, but rather examining very influential aspects of the game that normally are not even discussed.  Both the psychology behind competition and game theory are two concepts that are much more relevant to my life than I had originally thought.

Do Video Game Graphics Matter?

According to Bleszinski, the graphics of today's games are not good enough... and he wants video game graphics to resemble Avatar quality. He says "The Xbox 360 is great, we've pushed it further than we ever have with Gears of War 3, but I want 'Avatar' in real-time and beyond. I want fully realistic CG, and are we there? Absolutely not. I think there's absolutely room for improvement."

The stress they are putting on improving the design of video games leaves me to think about a few things: 
Are people more likely to buy video games with beautiful graphics and design? Do people prefer video games that are better designed?


A microsoft representative told CNET, "as an innovator we're always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology like we did with Kinect. We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers."


So...how important do you think the graphics are in playing video games? And, if video games do not evolve and improve with today's technologies, will their lifespan be shortened as well?


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'Avatar' Like Graphics  
The above article talks about the computer graphics of video games.