On April 21st, 2010, an American golfer whose achievements made him a legend found himself behind a podium, defending his actions in front of a crowd of family, friends, and a public whom he had shocked. In 2009, Tiger Woods experienced the biggest blow to his career in the form of a car crash and infidelity scandal. Not only was he married with two kids, but he was easily identifiable as a positive role model for children across the world. His actions challenged the core of American morals and raised feelings of contempt among the public. These next 14 minutes of speaking in defense would be Tiger’s only chance to set things straight, his only chance to rebuild his life. Over the course of his speech, Tiger utilized the four rhetorical techniques for self-defense as cited by Ware and Linkugel in the article, “They Spoke In Defense Of Themselves: On The Generic Criticism Of Apologia”. By expressing denial, bolstering, differentiation, and transcendence, Tiger made a plea for forgiveness in his Apologia speech. Tiger does not once deny that he was unfaithful to his wife, or that he betrayed his friends, fans, and family. Although he took full responsibility of his actions, he denied claims made by the media concerning his involvement with performance enhancing drugs, and his wife’s actions. It seemed kind of off-base for Tiger to address allegations involving the use of steroids in a speech focused on apologizing for his actions as this was a blatant distraction from the issue at hand. In addition to this, Tiger also denied any rumors in circulation that his wife had hit him. He claimed that there had never been “an episode of domestic violence” in their marriage. By stating this, Tiger was successful in creating a sense of no... ... middle of paper ... ...ch. Tiger employed denial in response to media accusations claiming that he and his wife were involved in domestic violence. Bolstering was made apparent when he spoke of his virtues through the charity he and his late father founded and the values Buddhism instilled in him as a child. Differentiation wasn’t quite as emphasized as the other 3 “modes of resolution” (275). Instead of attempting to explain the meaning behind his actions, he took on an apologetic and understanding approach. Tiger’s use of transcendence shifted the issue from his own actions onto a larger plateau regarding the corruption that wealth brings. Works Cited Ware, B.L., and Wil A. Linkugel. “They Spoke in Defense of Themselves: On the Generic Criticism of Apologia.” Quarterly Journal of Speech 1973: 273-283. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/19/tiger-woods-speech-press_n_468880.html
This research paper will determine whether professional athletes deserve a second chance to play in professional sports after inappropriate behaviors. Professional athletes are considered idols and are often held to higher standards. Society has become concerned with so many of today’s athletes making the evening news for their unsuitable behaviors.
6 Geoffrey C Ward, Not For Ourselves Alone. (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1999) : 65.
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
In this case study, Researcher Chad M. Nelson weighs in on the closing of Mexican American studies that occurred in Tuscon Arizona in 2012. Nelson uses a collection of Chicano literature published by Santino J. Rivera that includes a series of works from different authors that critique the decision to close the MAS program. Nelson goes deep into these texts to demonstrate how the texts employ certain rhetorical strategies to combat white privilege. Nelson refers to these strategies as In Lak’ech and mestiza rhetorics. The mestiza strategy illustrates the conflict between Mexican, American, and Indigenous cultural values and identities and an Anglo-American dominated world. The Lak’ech strategy is based on a deep principle of love and respect for humankind in the same matter as one feels for their own self. Nelson shows that both of these rhetorics are utilized by the texts.
Although the two stories "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "The Nicklaus" by Guy De Maupassant were both written in the same period (The Victorian) the ancient years to the middle of the19thcentury, they have some differences and some similarities in many ways and aspects. A close examination in the two women characters in The Nicklaus and in The Story of an Hour show that they both shared the same experience in marriage, how society views women, and finally, freedom in both characters views.
In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.
Thesis: Professional golfer Tiger Woods is a modern-day tragic hero because his flaw of excessive pride directly led to the destruction of both his personal relationships and his professional career. Tiger took complete responsibility for his actions, but it came too late and by then he ended up suffering consequences that were excessive compared to his errors.
Lebron James is a well known professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron is often referred to as one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball. Lebron makes money from playing basketball but a substantial amount of his income comes from sponsorships and endorsement deals with outside brands. This is where his social media plays a huge part of his life.
Women’s rights pioneer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in her speech, The Destructive Male, expresses her feelings about Women's suffrage in 1868, and brought to light the misconception that women are not equal to man and imply that men bring more destruction than restoration.
In a moral context, it is important to understand the extension of unethical conduct on the field to the inevitable corruption of personal life that becomes part of societal interaction. This type of behavior can extend to sexual misconduct (rape, marital infidelity, etc.), violence, and criminal activity. In modern sporting culture, the popularity and great success of athletes tends to tempt tem into thinking that the game they play is also being played in their personal lives. This form of public personae affects the way they view lawful conduct and morality as a means to achieve success in family life, personal choices, and the management of their daily activities off the field. The public image dictates the way they interact with other people outside of their professional careers. More so, the promotion of immoral and unethical behaviors in sporting institutions set another precedent in which athletes are encouraged to behave through a gamesmanship model. The enculturation of corrupt business practices tend to create a culture of winning as the primary goal of attaining greater wealth and financial prosperity over the sportsmanship qualities that can increase the ethical and moral culture of athletic performance. These moral aspects of off-field behavior define the underlying extension of gamesmanship as a part of immoral behavior by professional athletes:
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Gautama Buddha, a figure responsible for the founding of the Buddhist culture, urges that those who experienced a fulfilling life will succeed. However, in this generation, social norms placed on citizens prevent this state of spiritual acceptance. For instance, humans have this certain mindset to crave perfection, knowledge, and power; and, as a result, these needs hinder any attempt to succeed. In other words, humans have the condition to continuously strive for success through the means of power and control. Contrarily, this excessive need to succeed, consequently, segways to conflicts; and, as a result, the solution
Kennerly, K., Olds, S., Olsen, T., Sontag, S., Vonnegut, K. (October 24, 1985). “The case of
The study of Buddhism over the past century or so has resembled the encounter of the blind men and the elephant in many ways. Students of Buddhism have tended to fasten onto a small part of the tradition and assume their conclusions held true about the whole. Often the parts they have seized on have been a little like the elephant's tusks a striking, but unrepresentative, part of the whole animal. As a result, many erroneous and sweeping generalizations about Buddhism have been made, such as that it is 'negative', 'world-denying', 'pessimistic', and so forth.
Scott lady D. Everyman revived: the common sense of Michael Polanyi. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1985. Print.
Wetlaufer, Suzy. AA Question of Character.@ Harvard Business Review, September/October 1999, Volume 77 Issue 5, p30, 4p, 1c.