In the previous item in this series Improbable looked at the question of whether ‘praying to win’ at sports might be ‘unsporting’. One aspect (which wasn’t mentioned) is a possible scenario whereby those who pray to win might gain an advantage by a kind-of ‘Divine Placebo’ effect – that’s to say they might try just […]
Tag: sport
On Biting in Sport(s)
The clip above shows (amongst others) the now-famous 2014 FIFA World Cup biting-incident featuring Luis Suárez. One might ask, and indeed some have, what are the ethical and philosophical implications of such an act? Bearing in mind that : “A prohibition against biting an opponent is not included in the rules of most contact sports, […]
Recent progress in Quidditch studies (part 3)
Our post-penultimate note regarding Quidditch in academia concerns work in progress from doctoral student Ryan Rigda at the Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, US, who draws attention to Quidditch as a source of feminist agency. “Using a close text analysis of Quidditch blogs since the 2012 World Cup, I argue that the IQA has truly […]
Recent progress in Quidditch studies (part 1)
For those interested in following recent academic attention afforded to Quiddich may we recommend, Quidditch : Impacting and Benefiting Participants in a Non-Fictional Manner (in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues December 7, 2014) by professor Adam Cohen (Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA) and professor Jon Welty Peachey (University of Illinois, Champaign, USA). “This […]