The Rhetoric of Sports

Guy Krueger
LIBA 102, Section 19 – M W F 09:00A-09:50A

Few people’s words are scrutinized more carefully than those of athletes. Politicians, judges, and doctors, for example, are all often under the public microscope. Many people look to get behind or attack whatever they say. Athletes play games. Why, then, do their words and actions carry so much public currency? Why do some athletes maintain huge Twitter followings? Why do some athletes’ words and actions make more than just the sports news? In this course we will examine the rhetoric of sports and how the words and actions of some athletes and organizations shape their public personas in ways that are both advantageous and damaging.