Fox Sports, Super Bowl XLII, and the Affirmation of American Civil Religion

Butterworth, Michael L.

doi:10.1177/0193723508319715

Cited by 41 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…It is no secret that football is closely tied to American national identity and masculinity (Butterworth, 2008, 2012; Schimmel, 2012). Football and American national identity appear to be intertwined, particularly with respect to militarism.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Football and American national identity appear to be intertwined, particularly with respect to militarism. Butterworth (2008) observed that over-the-top renditions of the American national anthem, military flyovers, and pleas to “support the troops” are as much a function of the sport broadcast as the game itself, a trend that has become more pronounced post 9/11. Schimmel (2012) argued that the relationship between the NFL and the military is mutually beneficial and works to secure the NFL’s profitability and to foster support for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “War on Terror.” A similar contention was raised by Butterworth (2012) who posited that the “Pro Football and the American Spirit” display in the NFL’s Hall of Fame functioned to normalize war.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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A Hero or Sissy? Exploring Media Framing of NFL Quarterbacks Injury Decisions

Sanderson

Weathers

Grevious

et al. 2014

Communication & Sport

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There has been growing attention on health and safety issues in sport, most notably football. Consequently, it is important that communication scholars attend to this topic. This research explored print media framing in response to two injury situations involving National Football League quarterbacks—Jay Cutler and Robert Griffin III. An analysis of 177 newspaper articles revealed 11 frames that were used to discuss these injuries. The most prominent frame for Cutler was support while shifting the blame was most prominent for Griffin. The results suggest that sports journalists framing of injuries could potentially be a catalyst to shift football cultural norms towards valuing players who put their health first. The results also reveal that organizations may shoulder most of the blame for players’ injuries, which suggests a short-term setback may be more beneficial in the long-term interest of the organization.

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Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

A Hero or Sissy? Exploring Media Framing of NFL Quarterbacks Injury Decisions

Sanderson

Weathers

Grevious

et al. 2014

Communication & Sport

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Relatedly, Jenkins (2013) asserts that sports institutions and events increasingly have become “forums for a type of large-scale, patriotic theater meant to promote a sense of national unity” (p. 247). Arguably, these forums might not only engender feelings of national pride but also possibly coerce “exhibitions” thereof whereby fans and athletes are expected to participate in conspicuous displays of patriotism (Butterworth, 2008; Silk, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Emerging Adults’ National Attachments and Their Reactions to Athlete Activism

Smith

Tryce

2019

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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Recently, striking numbers of U.S. professional athletes have protested social injustices during the customary pregame national anthem (e.g., not standing in protest to police brutality). Fans have met athletes’ protests with mixed reactions, thus calling into question whether fans’ national attachments might help explain their reactions. In this empirical study of emerging adults (N = 514), we posit and find that disapproval of athlete activism is related significantly to overall national attachment. Decomposing national attachment into its respective subdimensions, we also find that fans’ disapproval relates most strongly to uncritical patriotism followed by national identity, symbolic patriotism, and constructive patriotism. Leveraging partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and importance-performance analyses, we offer a rare multifaceted look into how national attachments can shape fans’ reactions to athletes’ social protest behaviors.

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“…Contrary to Mathisen's expectations, interest in civil religion periodically resurfaces in the academic world with renewed force, reflected in new theoretical contributions and empirical studies (Baubérot 2007;Butterworth 2008;Meizel 2006). During its long history, the concept of civil religion has undergone different interpretations and has been related to other social phenomena, in particular nationalism.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From “Civil Religion” to Nationalism as the Religion of Modern Times: Rethinking a Complex Relationship

Santiago¹

2009

Scientific Study of Religion

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Interest in civil religion periodically resurfaces in the academic world with renewed force, reflected in new theoretical contributions and empirical studies. Due to its long history, this concept has been given different interpretations and has been related to other social phenomena. One of these is nationalism. Several theoreticians have sought to explain nationalism as a manifestation of "civil religion" in modern times. This article examines the relationship between (civil) religion and nationalism. A brief review of the ideas of the main authors who have theorized about this relationship is followed by a criticism of theories concerning civil religion and nationalism as the religion of modern times. I demonstrate the significant shortcomings of those theories from a three-fold perspective: definitional, theoretical, and empirical-methodological.

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Fox Sports, Super Bowl XLII, and the Affirmation of American Civil Religion

Cited by 41 publications

References 4 publications

A Hero or Sissy? Exploring Media Framing of NFL Quarterbacks Injury Decisions

A Hero or Sissy? Exploring Media Framing of NFL Quarterbacks Injury Decisions

Understanding Emerging Adults’ National Attachments and Their Reactions to Athlete Activism

From “Civil Religion” to Nationalism as the Religion of Modern Times: Rethinking a Complex Relationship

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