{"title":"Motherhood in the Olympic Context: An Analysis of News Published on the Most Accessed Sports Websites in Brazil and Spain","authors":"Caroline Patatt, Micaela Cabral, Carla Cerqueira","doi":"10.1177/21674795251345054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251345054","url":null,"abstract":"Motherhood forms part of the life trajectory of many Olympic athletes. In this context, numerous news articles have focused on the sport–motherhood dyad. This paper seeks to contribute to this field of study, particularly through the lens of countries in the Global South. It compares the coverage of Olympic athletes engaged in motherhood by the most accessed sports news portals in Brazil and Spain. The corpus of analysis comprises articles published by the leading sports websites in Brazil and Spain — GE and MARCA, respectively — between January 2021 and August 2024, spanning the Tokyo and Paris Olympic cycles. The methodology combines thematic content analysis and interviews. The findings reveal a shared journalistic tendency to frame the topic through narratives of difficulty and exceptionality, often romanticising the subject and marginalising its athletic dimension. Notwithstanding the pervasive bias that subordinates athletes' professional achievements to their personal lives, there has been a growing space for politicised debates on the sport–motherhood intersection, contributing to positive developments — particularly influenced by maternal activism.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sports Fan Moral Reasoning Strategies in Response to an Athlete’s Controversial Political Associations","authors":"Stephen Warren","doi":"10.1177/21674795251344047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251344047","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores the reactions of New England Patriots fans to a rookie player’s association with a far-right militia group and objectionable social media posts. Drawing on moral reasoning, team identification, and social identity theories, the cross-sectional survey examines how fans’ team identification and political ideology influence their moral decoupling, moral rationalization, and moral coupling. Findings reveal that as team identification increases and political ideology becomes more conservative, fans are more likely to engage in moral decoupling and rationalization. However, the relationship between team identification and moral reasoning is moderated and weakened by political ideology. Die-hard Patriots fans, regardless of political ideology, equally engaged in moral decoupling and rationalization, while conservatives among slight fans are significantly more likely to do so compared to liberals.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Alternative Versus Mainstream Media: Representing of Women’s Sport in Iranian Sports News and Users’ Comments","authors":"Mahdi Latififard, Michael Mirer","doi":"10.1177/21674795251343267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251343267","url":null,"abstract":"This quantitative content analysis examines the framing of women’s sports in Iran by both mainstream and alternative media outlets and users’ comments on the posts. Data were collected in 2023 from Instagram pages representing mainstream (Varzesh3) and alternative (Iran International) media sources, yielding a sample of 149 posts and 14,442 user comments. The scheme code was executed based on data using quantitative content analysis and did not rely on previous research’s codebook. Media frames were categorized into seven thematic areas, while user responses were coded across eight distinct framing categories. Statistically significant differences emerged in some media frames. Significant differences in user framing were observed for all categories except one. Additionally, certain specific distinctions were observed in the framing of some media posts. User framing broadly reflected media-driven political orientations. The observed discrepancies between media and user framing underscore the critical role of the political information environment in shaping media consumption and production within both mainstream and alternative media contexts, suggesting that sports media can convene counter publics even in highly controlled media systems.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144133691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“It’s Your Whole Life:” Navigating Identity and Mental Health in Life after Sports","authors":"Elisabetta Zengaro, Heather J. Carmack","doi":"10.1177/21674795251341309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251341309","url":null,"abstract":"Retirement from sport can be one of the most difficult transitions for athletes who must cope with the loss of athlete identity in redefining their purpose outside of sports. Prior research has indicated the life after sports phase can pose mental health challenges in terms of identity crisis, depression, and anxiety for former athletes who cannot successfully navigate this transition. Guided by the Meaning Making Model, the following qualitative study adds to the literature by exploring how former NCAA and NAIA collegiate athletes describe their identity and how their experiences shaped their attitudes of mental health during life after sports. This research followed a narrative inquiry approach based on individual semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a total of 25 former collegiate athletes enrolled at various NCAA and NAIA institutions. Results led to an overall narrative that is presented in the analysis, “Life After Sports: Navigating Identity and Mental Health After Sports.” Results indicated participants’ difficulty in navigating life after sports, along with a new awareness of mental health once removed from competition, the implications of which are discussed.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143927320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keeley Lappin, Osman Hassan Ahmed, Karen A Sullivan
{"title":"Talking About Concussion and Getting It Right: Towards the Development and Psychometric Properties of a Checklist for Accurate and Responsible Sport-Concussion Commentary","authors":"Keeley Lappin, Osman Hassan Ahmed, Karen A Sullivan","doi":"10.1177/21674795251340354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251340354","url":null,"abstract":"Sport-concussion is an established concern amongst athletes, sports bodies, and the wider society. Many sports now have concussion-specific protocols, such as the Head Injury Assessment for suspected concussion (SC) in the Australian National Rugby League (NRL). Further focus on sport-concussion comes via live broadcasting, which exposes large audiences to concussion, including commentary about it. Whilst previous studies have raised public health concerns about sport-concussion commentary, it is unclear if this problem persists, and a method for quantifying the issue has been lacking. This study followed established test-development processes to construct and psychometrically test a new Checklist for Accurate and Responsible Sport-concussion Commentary (CARSCC). Items were derived from relevant literature, refined through health professional expert review, and found to have excellent interrater reliability and convergent validity. Two independent scorers used the CARSCC to evaluate the commentary of 15 randomly selected SCs from the 2024 NRL season. Eight SCs had commentary that was found to have both strengths and weaknesses, with none receiving full marks. Six SCs had no or very brief commentary, and four commentaries scored zero. There is room to improve concussion commentary in live sports broadcasting of NRL games, particularly referencing player safety and concussion protocols. Future applications of the CARSCC include as a field guide for commentators, or in training for accurate and responsible SC messaging.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"113 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chris Corr, Molly Harry, Sarah Stokowski, Brandon Boatwright
{"title":"The Local Perspective: Regional Television Framing of Name, Image, and Likeness","authors":"Chris Corr, Molly Harry, Sarah Stokowski, Brandon Boatwright","doi":"10.1177/21674795251340275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251340275","url":null,"abstract":"As name, image, and likeness (NIL) continues to be a fixture within conversations surrounding collegiate athletics, the present study sought to examine the manner in which local television media in the United States framed NIL during news broadcasts. Through the lens of media framing, researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of all local television broadcast content across the United States during the Fall of 2024. This analysis identified 1677 local news segments in which the term “NIL” or phrase “name, image, and likeness” were spoken on-air. Analysis revealed a similar proportion of comments that framed NIL as a positive change in collegiate athletics ( <jats:italic>promotion</jats:italic> ) and negative alteration to collegiate athletics ( <jats:italic>disruption</jats:italic> ). The findings of this study allude to the nature in which NIL is presented on local television in distinct geographic communities and is of practical significance to collegiate administrators given the strategic importance of distinct geographic communities to NIL efforts.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"98 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What Determines Attitude and Intention Toward Continuous Usage of Fantasy Cricket Apps? Evidence From Cricket-Loving Country","authors":"Manisha Saini, Vinay Sharma, Pankaj Kumar, Pardeep Ahlawat, Anil Khurana, Sapna Rana","doi":"10.1177/21674795251338692","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251338692","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aims to examine the determinants of users’ attitude and behavioral intention (BI) toward continuous usage of fantasy cricket apps (FCA) based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a research framework. Applying a non-probabilistic sampling technique, the survey data was collected through a structured questionnaire circulated to 320 users of fantasy cricket apps (FCA), just after Indian Premier League season 17, but during International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, held in June 2024. The findings reveal that monetary gain has emerged as the leading determinant of forming users’ attitude towards using FCA, followed by knowledge, cricket fandom, and celebrity trustworthiness. Notably, users’ behavioral intention (BI) towards continuous usage of FCA is majorly determined by attitude, followed by perceived behavioral control and subjective norms. Results have also shown that users’ attitude mediates the relationship of cricket fandom, celebrity trustworthiness, knowledge, and monetary gain with their BI towards continuously using FCA. This study offers an important theoretical contribution to the literature of fantasy sport and also provides several managerial implications to gaming app companies, which help them understand what drives users’ attitude and BI toward continuous usage of FCA and make appropriate strategies encouraging sports fans to use FCA and play fantasy cricket continuously and entertaining themselves.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Formative Knowledge at the Youth and University Levels: Communication and Sport Within Unique National Contexts","authors":"Andrew C. Billings","doi":"10.1177/21674795251339902","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251339902","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143893536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reclaim Pride and Dignity within Neoliberal and Olympic Ideals: An Analysis of Olympic Refugee Athletes' Self-Presentation on Instagram","authors":"Zikun Li","doi":"10.1177/21674795251334398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251334398","url":null,"abstract":"This study foregrounds the voices of Olympic refugee athletes by critically examining how they present themselves on Instagram. Using a mixed methods approach, this research analyzed 25 publicly accessible verified athlete accounts, including profile bios, captions, hashtags, emojis, images, and videos. The content analysis revealed that athletes predominantly identify as “Olympian” or “Athlete”. Moreover, their multidimensional and diverse narratives resist the alienation and perceived inferiority perpetuated by reductive media framings. The thematic analysis identified six key themes: (1) resilience and perseverance, (2) personal growth through sports and the Olympics, (3) representation, pride, and achievement, (4) support system and gratitude, (5) advocacy for social justice and peace, and (6) cultural identity and homeland attachment. Their online self-presentation reveals an intricate interplay where resistance to reductive media framings that flatten and isolate the “refugee” identity is both enabled and constrained by athletes’ privileged access to symbolic and institutional resources. By critically analyzing this interplay, this study advances understanding of how representation, resistance, and social advocacy intersect in the digital age. It acknowledges the potential of athletes’ social media to challenge legacy media framings and foster humanizing and nuanced perceptions of marginalized identities, while recognizing that these efforts remain shaped by systemic constraints.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143872791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘I Would Pretend to be a Dude’: NBA 2K Gamers’ Motivations, Use of WNBA Features, and Experiences With Harassment","authors":"Ali Forbes, Sada Reed","doi":"10.1177/21674795251336663","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251336663","url":null,"abstract":"When NBA 2K20 was released in 2019, it was the first time Women’s National Basketball Association players were included in the game. This study’s lead author conducted ethnographic fieldwork and 17 semi-structured interviews with American and Canadian NBA 2K players to explore how the presence or absence of female avatars influence male players’ perceptions of who plays the game, and in what ways NBA 2K serves as a platform for fostering or hindering female gamers’ participation in competitive gaming spaces. Since the game only had male avatars, participants often assumed their opponents were male. Female gamers said it wasn’t unheard of for NBA 2K players to exit the game when they realize there was a female player competing against them. In order to avoid this and other forms of harassment, women said they tried to change their voices in game chats to avoid being identified as women. In many cases, a male ally acted as a shield from such online harassment.","PeriodicalId":46882,"journal":{"name":"Communication & Sport","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143872774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}