Contrast Within Sports

One common theme to be considered for the readings this week would be the idea of contrast. Let’s take for example the reading of “The Last American Hero” by Tom Wolfe. In this specific reading the author can see this theme from the beginning of the reading the theme of Middle Class v. High Class. Wolfe introduces Junior Johnson as a hero of middle class because of the background information given about him about how he was a country boy. Junior Jonson is a professional racecar racer and he started racing with a Chevrolet. Even with his Chevy he would beat drivers with Fords, Mercurys, Dodges and better cars than him. The idea of Middle Class v. High Class takes place in this that Junior Jonson representing in some way middle class because of his life and the car he used that symbolized that. Then there is the High Class where it’s people with money and expensive new cars. People even saw it as a betrayal when Jonson got a Ford. “They unanimously regard as some kind of betrayal on Johnson’s part. Ford, it seems, they regard as car symbolizing the established power structure”. This to them was Jonson betraying where he came from and becoming and fitting in with the “high class”. Another example is “The Chosen One” by Gary Smith. Smith touches on The Machine v. Tiger Woods. Earl Woods had high expectations of his son, Tiger how he was going to change the world in his view. The Machine in this sense is society that Tiger had to face from. Tiger was very good but even as good as he was, Earl’s expectations were too big of a burden for Tiger to carry. In the end as good as Tiger was The Machine wins.

These same themes are seen elsewhere too. For example in Middle Class v. High Class concept of Junior Johnson reminded me of several soccer players like Mirsolav Klose and Mesut Özil. Jonson got a Ford because one can say that it is faster than his old car and that is probably the case he changed cars because it was better. Similar to Klose and Özil. Klose was born in Poland but was nationalized German. German is a better national soccer team than Poland and he chose to play in Germany instead of where he came from/was born. Fans saw this as a betrayal of Klose because he should have played in the national team where he was born. The same with Özil who has Turkish blood but also decided to play with Germany for same reasons. When it comes to sports there will always be this idea of contrast between one thing vs. the other just as seen through these readings and athletes still today.