MAY - SEX, SUDS, AND SPORTS IN THE CLASSROOM

With a trip to the home of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland next week, this column was to originally focus on a tribute to the late Juan Antonio Samaranch and his influence on capitalism and profiteering in the Olympics. Samaranch passed April 21, 2010 leaving a legacy of influence and international chaos.

A second consideration was to highlight the short list of candidates not selected this month to replace the late Myles Brand as the NCAA Chief Executive. The impressive list included Beth Brook, Global Vice Chairman at Ernst and Young [and a consistent member of Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women]; Evan Bayh, a Junior US Senator; and Lieutenant General Franklin Hagenbeck, the Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. The candidate who was selected as the 5th Chief Executive of the NCAA is Mark Emmert, former President of the University of Washington in Seattle.

The final redirection for May’s column was fueled by considering a month always populated with college graduations coupled with the sensational sport headlines of late - thanks to LT, Ben, and (unfortunately) the U. Virginia lacrosse tragedy. When diplomas have are handed to deserving graduates, one can only wonder what unique courses students took advantage of on their campus.

Tiffin University has just approved a class titled “Sex Crimes” lending credibility to where sex and academia cross paths. Using inventive adjectives, suggestive terms [Sex], or play-on-words for the title of a course can change the perception of sitting in another bland, vanilla class into anticipation for studying an amazingly fascinating subject. Criminal Behavior or Sex Crimes? Hmmm. Which title might be more appealing to the traditional 18-24 year-old college student?

I have always thought that a great title for a class designed to explore May’s headlines and the off-field conduct of selected collegiate and professional sport personalities would be “Sex, Suds, and Sports.” The list of potential topics would be a mile long….just like the line of students who would enroll in the class!

Here are a few more suggestions for creative sport-related course titles which may someday become one of the most favorite classes ever taken in college:

• The Business of Covering up Professional Sport Scandals
• The Art of the Press Conference according to Tiger Woods
• The Economics of the NFL Draft
• Bracketology and the Gaming Industry
• Bobby Knight’s Fashion and Etiquette Guide
• Banana Slugs and Fighting Okras: The Sociology of Nicknames
• Add Yours Here!

Finding examples of unique course titles is relatively easy through a Google search. Perhaps one day Tiffin or Heidelberg will offer a class similar to these authentic courses taught at various colleges:

• Philosophy and Star Trek - Georgetown University
• Cyberfeminism – Cornell University
• Queer Musicology - UCLA
• Nonviolent Responses to Terrorism – Swarthmore University
• Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles - University of Wisconsin
• The American Vacation - University of Iowa
• Comparative History of Organized Crime - Williams College
• American Degenerates - Brown University
• Death and the Nineteenth Century - Purdue University

Finally, here is a list of actual course titles for sport specific courses at universities and proprietary schools:

• Fin Sports Operation
• Sexuality of Sports
• Sports Capology [Salary Cap Analysis]
• Mascot Training
• Hockey GM and Scouting
• The Art of Walking

No, I didn't make any of these up, but perhaps the mission is accomplished if one of these titles inspires a college grad to get BACK into the classroom! See what those tuition dollars can pay for! Stay tune for next month’s sports report. Surely that trip to the Olympic Museum and home of the IOC will spark a few interesting topics for June’s column.