Matches in SemOpenAlex for { <https://semopenalex.org/work/W53581279> ?p ?o ?g. }
- W53581279 abstract ".i Acknowledgements .ii Chapter One: There's Something About Barry 1 Chapter Two: Baseball Mythology and its Place in American Culture 13 Chapter Three: Chasing Retords Methodology 52 Chapter Four: A) Official Biography 75 B) Unofficial Biography The Media Representations of Barry Bonds 76 Chapter Five: A Giant of Mythological Proportions .114 Appendix A: Sample Coding Sheets .• 129 Appendix B: Sampled Articles from Each Newspaper. 130 References 131 Abstract In 2007, Barry Bonds hit his 75 6th home run, breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record for most home runs in a Major League career. While it would be expected that such an accomplishment would induce unending praise and adulationfor the new record-holder, Bonds did not receive the treatment typically reserved for a beloved baseball hero. The purpose of this thesis is to assess media representations of the 2007 home run chase in order to shed light upon the factors which led to the mixed representations which accompanied BOlTds ' assault on Aaron's record. Drawingfrom Roland Barthes ' concept of myth, this thesis proposes that Bonds was portrayed in predominantly negative ways because he was seen as failing to embody the values of baseball's mythology. Using a qualitative content analysis of three major American newspapers, this thesis examines portrayals of Bonds and how he was shown both to represent and oppose elements from baseball's mythology, such as youth, and a distant, agrarian past. Recognizing the ways in which baseball is associated with American life, the media representations of Bonds are also evaluated to discern whether he was portrayed as personifYing a distinctly American set of values. The results indicate that, in media coverage of the 2007 home run chase, Bonds was depicted as a player of many contradictions. Most commonly, Bonds' athletic ability and career achievements were contrasted with unflattering descriptions of his character, including discussions of his alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. However, some coverage portrayed Bonds as embodying baseball myth. The findings contribute to an appreciation of the importance of historical context in examining media representations. This understanding is enhanced by an analysis of a selection of articles on Mark McGwire 's record-breaking season in 1998, and careful consideration of, and comparison to, the context under which Bonds performed in 2007. Findings are also shown to support the contemporary existence of a strong American baseball mythology. That Bonds is both condemned for failing to uphold the mythology and praised for personifYing it suggests that the values seen as inherent to baseball continue to act as an American cultural benchmark.In 2007, Barry Bonds hit his 75 6th home run, breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record for most home runs in a Major League career. While it would be expected that such an accomplishment would induce unending praise and adulationfor the new record-holder, Bonds did not receive the treatment typically reserved for a beloved baseball hero. The purpose of this thesis is to assess media representations of the 2007 home run chase in order to shed light upon the factors which led to the mixed representations which accompanied BOlTds ' assault on Aaron's record. Drawingfrom Roland Barthes ' concept of myth, this thesis proposes that Bonds was portrayed in predominantly negative ways because he was seen as failing to embody the values of baseball's mythology. Using a qualitative content analysis of three major American newspapers, this thesis examines portrayals of Bonds and how he was shown both to represent and oppose elements from baseball's mythology, such as youth, and a distant, agrarian past. Recognizing the ways in which baseball is associated with American life, the media representations of Bonds are also evaluated to discern whether he was portrayed as personifYing a distinctly American set of values. The results indicate that, in media coverage of the 2007 home run chase, Bonds was depicted as a player of many contradictions. Most commonly, Bonds' athletic ability and career achievements were contrasted with unflattering descriptions of his character, including discussions of his alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. However, some coverage portrayed Bonds as embodying baseball myth. The findings contribute to an appreciation of the importance of historical context in examining media representations. This understanding is enhanced by an analysis of a selection of articles on Mark McGwire 's record-breaking season in 1998, and careful consideration of, and comparison to, the context under which Bonds performed in 2007. Findings are also shown to support the contemporary existence of a strong American baseball mythology. That Bonds is both condemned for failing to uphold the mythology and praised for personifYing it suggests that the values seen as inherent to baseball continue to act as an American cultural benchmark. Acknowledgements Recognizing the subject of this thesis, it seems appropriate to acknowledge that this project was, from beginning to end, a team effort. This thesis would not have been completed without the contributions and continuous support of several individuals that, like members of all good teams, provided a range of diverse skills and abilities. 11 I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the members of my thesis committee, Nick Baxter-Moore, Scott Henderson, Jim Leach and Mark Dyreson for their generosity with both their time and knowledge in helping me carry out this project. Special thanks to Dr. Baxter-Moore, whose insight, patience and good humour rivalled that of a seasoned Major League manager. I would also like to thank the faculty from the Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film specifically Greg Gillespie, Michael Ripmeester and Dale Bradley, whose willingness to supply advice and perspective was always appreciated. I was especiaUy fortunate to have the camaraderie of Armando Alfaro throughout a long summer of being confined to the graduate student office. I am similarly indebted to Amanda Bishop, who had answers to my logistical questions and was always a friendly face down the hall. I would also like to extend much thanks to my family and friends for their encouragement, understanding and endless supply oflaughter throughout this process. Finally, thank you to Katie, who always believed in me and now probably knows more about Barry Bonds than she ever thought possible. Chapter One There's Something About Barry On August 8th, 2007, Barry !3onds hit his seven-hundred and fifty-sixth career home run, breaking the Major League record previously held by Hank Aaron. While it might usually be expected that such an historic moment in baseball history would be accompanied by a flood of praise and adulation for the new record holder, this did not occur in the summer of2007. The momentous home run was not treated as a coronation of the latest baseball hero to become legend. The Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, was not present to witness the record-breaking feat (Curry, August 8, 2007). Neither was Hank Aaron there to congratulate his successor (Schulman, August 8, 2007). The news of Bonds' achievement was greeted with mixed reactions as it flashed across scoreboards at stadiums in other Major League cities (Associated Press, August 7, 2007). The responses of the sports media were equally mixed. It is worthwhile to examine why the player who holds both ofbaseball's most prestigious records most home runs in a single season and most career home runs is not held in the same high regard as similarly or less talented players of the past. In other words, why is the task of glorifying Barry Bonds so difficult to undertake? Only nine" @default.
- W53581279 created "2016-06-24" @default.
- W53581279 creator A5033209228 @default.
- W53581279 date "2009-02-16" @default.
- W53581279 modified "2023-09-28" @default.
- W53581279 title "Bonds Away: Baseball Mythology and the 2007 Home Run Chase" @default.
- W53581279 cites W1151228740 @default.
- W53581279 cites W117731346 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1488246626 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1489085936 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1494680878 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1495444374 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1502034638 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1525647368 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1533372410 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1555675111 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1570278093 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1576460547 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1580696107 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1588455062 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1589275176 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1597778914 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1981845791 @default.
- W53581279 cites W1985418464 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2000138195 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2009481303 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2019585945 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2026007504 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2034405579 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2043533996 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2047616424 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2052714477 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2063460205 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2068796326 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2071738111 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2074016639 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2077449101 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2077529579 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2085564892 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2090364280 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2093615526 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2094916545 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2115224127 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2122956520 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2127318696 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2138865446 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2142225512 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2159656138 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2165935007 @default.
- W53581279 cites W220596619 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2341670587 @default.
- W53581279 cites W237184792 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2478752172 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2488579333 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2496884151 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2499319572 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2559939302 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2800951387 @default.
- W53581279 cites W2980891040 @default.
- W53581279 cites W3048488671 @default.
- W53581279 cites W305227275 @default.
- W53581279 cites W385253288 @default.
- W53581279 cites W403121998 @default.
- W53581279 cites W567092662 @default.
- W53581279 cites W610766118 @default.
- W53581279 cites W615435871 @default.
- W53581279 cites W631904558 @default.
- W53581279 cites W641483625 @default.
- W53581279 cites W652058186 @default.
- W53581279 cites W654071917 @default.
- W53581279 cites W655400156 @default.
- W53581279 hasPublicationYear "2009" @default.
- W53581279 type Work @default.
- W53581279 sameAs 53581279 @default.
- W53581279 citedByCount "0" @default.
- W53581279 crossrefType "dissertation" @default.
- W53581279 hasAuthorship W53581279A5033209228 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C112698675 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C124952713 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C142362112 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C144133560 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C153349607 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C519517224 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C52119013 @default.
- W53581279 hasConcept C95457728 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C112698675 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C124952713 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C142362112 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C144133560 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C153349607 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C519517224 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C52119013 @default.
- W53581279 hasConceptScore W53581279C95457728 @default.
- W53581279 hasLocation W535812791 @default.
- W53581279 hasOpenAccess W53581279 @default.
- W53581279 hasPrimaryLocation W535812791 @default.
- W53581279 hasRelatedWork W1570553807 @default.
- W53581279 hasRelatedWork W1971894154 @default.
- W53581279 hasRelatedWork W1983717049 @default.
- W53581279 hasRelatedWork W1984222387 @default.