Sport is a generally competitive and consensual human activity that aims to utilize, enhance, or improve physical aptitudes through casual or organized involvement to accomplish a purpose. Entertainment may be provided to contestants and, occasionally, to fans during the competition. The theory of cowboysization originates from an American team called Dallas Cowboys. It is often used to describe a mechanism by which predominant pro sports brands influence culture both within and outside the nation.
The theory holds that competitions change the nature of sports and play to focus more on amusement, including cheering band activities, drinks, snacks, and halftime performance. In this paper, I aim to contrast and compare my initial perception of sporting as an enthusiast of my current stance of the sector as a successful business. I will also analyze my future ambitions as a significant trade in the field of the sport while collaborating with a firm and how my present understanding of the field will help facilitate them. Thus, this paper incorporates the cowboysization concept, which is a term used to describe the supersizing of everything.
As a spectator, I have attended many sporting events. I noticed that in-game amusement was not a standard occurrence. Halftime reportage often contained commentary of the last half across sporting events such as soccer, basketball, and other competitions. However, this contrasts with the current and contemporary form of performance known as the halftime show. Music artists are commonly used to run the programs considering their popularity; for instance, Jay-Z has been used during several Super Bowl games.
I always knew that professional games only entailed spectators going to arenas to watch players contend against each other. Nevertheless, according to Kelly et al. (2020), it is challenging for sports managers to keep the audience captivated to maintain their focus and ensure they are entertained during an event, especially when the entire game may not be captivating.
Moreover, the halftime show is a small business on its own and has direct connections to the game’s television ratings and the costs to the game producers. Since it is a trade, it eventually means that profits are generated to reward the shows’ performers through monetary benefits. Kelly et al. (2020) states that “in-game presentations offered to viewers by a professional team manager may be considered a fan service to improve the consumption experience” (p. 111). It implies that a greater level of broadcasting quality will enhance customer loyalty, satisfaction, and development, which will, in turn, yield profits for the company.
I realized that cowboysation could also be implemented through the use of cheerleaders throughout sports events. My familiarity with gaming includes a limited awareness of the numerous unorganized teams that willingly praise their teammates for fun. It differs from the modern style of cheer, including coordinated team performances where dance and acrobatic aspects are combined with crisp slogans (Kelly et al., 2020).
The practice aims to entertain fans at sporting occasions and foster louder and more energetic cheering. Therefore, it makes professional sports more amusing since cheerleaders also play an essential part in branding the team.
In addition, there is a growth in the application of sports journalism in expanding the sports business. During my different games’ spectating experience, I realized that numerous television stations employ journalists who do commentaries during the activities. According to Güven (2016), mainstream media has played a significant role in promoting sports and continues to be a driving force in reaching large numbers of people.
Insertion of pictures as headings instead of words on newspapers and magazines after games provides an advantage of shortening the activities’ contents, which simplifies reading, making it accessible by many people (Güven, 2016). It eventually results in the generation of more revenue from sports. Therefore, television stations and radio channels play an essential role in transmitting live games, which popularizes the playing teams and generates a considerable profit, making it profitable.
My future goal regarding the sports business is to work with a television station that transmits live rugby games. There are many television channels, but my interest is in Fox Sports, based in America. From what I have learned, halftime shows are crucial to creating a broad fan base.
I will integrate this during commentaries by liaising with local entertainers or music groups to engage my fans during breaks to keep their attention. Moreover, together with my work partners, I will advise team owners to develop strong cheerleading groups to keep our fans concentrated and motivate them.
In conclusion, the theory of cowboysization plays a vital role in expanding the sports industry as entertainment now focuses more on attracting potential fans. Besides, the industry continues to develop every day, and the businesses associated with it seem to be growing with time. It happened due to extended activities associated with it, such as halftime shows, which generate more money through the widened reach of fans through platforms such as newspapers and television.
In addition, sports build opportunities for groups such as cheerers who make the games more entertaining by shouting and yelling, creating more lively engagements within and without the field. Therefore, considering sports as a business, my main interest will be to transmit live games and commentaries for-profit and engage more fans, which will be in line with the cowboysization theory.
References
Güven, B. (2016). Importance of Sports Journalism Education. Journalism and Mass Communication, 6(11), 661–668. Web.
Kelly, Y. J., Berri, D., & Matheson, V. A. (2020). The performers. In Y. J. Kelly, D. Berri, & V. A. Matheson (Eds.), The economics of the super bowl: Players, performers, and cities (pp. 95–130). Springer International Publishing.