Tag Archives: basketball

Ritual – American

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

When at the free throw line- 3 dribbles and a deep breath then shoot

My informant grew up playing and watching basketball, so it would make sense that he would play for his middle and upper school basketball teams.  Since my informant grew up watching basketball, he saw many different players approach the free throw line every game and do something before they let the ball out of their hands for the shot.  After watching basketball for many years, my informant developed his own technique.  It is common for players to dribble the ball and then shoot, but my informant added his own touch, “the deep breath.”  He said the reason for this method before shooting a free throw is to “give me a method before each shot to get a rhythm and make sure all free throws are consistent.”  Moreover, it is obvious that this method is done while the informant gets fouled and goes to the free throw line.

The reason why this ritual is so important in my informant’s world today is because he loves basketball.  Whether it is going outside on a warm day to play a pick-up game or just watching a game on ESPN, my informant just loves being a part of the game of basketball.  He grew up as a huge fan of the NBA, so it makes complete sense that basketball means so much to his life.  Even though his favorite hobby is music, he loves doing anything involving basketball.

When I interview my informant, I asked him what he thought of this free throw ritual and he said “it works and as long as it keeps my head in the game I will continue to use it.  My view on this ritual is that it is an extremely good idea, because basketball is such a complicated sport that one needs a certain ritual on a free throw.  If one doesn’t have a set ritual, it makes the game that much more confusing.  The free throw is the one part of the game that allows one to pause for a few seconds and take everything in.  You are standing at a line to shoot two free shots with no one guarding you, and because of this it helps to have a ritual to make this situation a calm one.

Ritual – American

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Informant listens to music before every game

Before playing any sport it is important to get into a “zone” so one is ready to play a full game.  One way to get into a “zone” is to listen to music.  Listening to music causes one to ignore all outside distractions and focus on one thing: the game.  It is common for many players to listen to music before a game, whether it is basketball, baseball, football, soccer, or any other sport.  My informant has played basketball ever since middle school and has listened to music before every game ever since his first basketball game.  The reason why my informant started this ritual is because he realized he had a connection with music which helped before games.

The reason why this ritual is so important in my informant’s world today is because he loves basketball.  Whether it is going outside on a warm day to play a pick-up game or just watching a game on ESPN, my informant just loves being a part of the game of basketball.  He grew up as a huge fan of the NBA, so it makes complete sense that basketball means so much to his life.  Since his favorite hobby is listening to music, this ritual is a way to incorporate both basketball and music into one idea.  My informant stated that music pumps him up and gets him ready, and music is very important in his life so it is a way to “reflect and examine myself before every game to get me ready.”

When I interviewed my informant, I asked him what he thought of this basketball ritual and he said “it is a good way to get motivated and is a way to get ready for a game.  Before a game you feel a lot of adrenaline and the music feels it.”

My view on this ritual is that it is an extremely good idea, because basketball is such a complicated sport that one needs a certain ritual to stay focused.  If one doesn’t have a set ritual to get focused, then it could lead a player to have a lot on their mind during a game which could affect his or her play.

Slogan

Nationality: African-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Piedmont, CA
Performance Date: April 17, 2008
Primary Language: English

Sports Slogan

We Believe

The informant, Ilana, is an avid Golden State Warriors fan. The Golden State Warriors are a traditionally mediocre NBA team. We believe has become the official slogan of the team. However, Ilana reports that the slogan had a much less official beginning. At the close of the 2006-2007 season the Warriors made the NBA playoffs, but were facing a heavily favored Dallas Mavericks team in the first round of playoffs. Ilana reports that a man from Alameda, CA brought a sign to the game that said simply “WE BELIEVE”. The sign was a hit and all the people in the stands around him picked up on the phrase. The man began making shirts that said we believe on it and the crowd began to use it as a chant. The team then approached the man about taking the slogan over. The man agreed, although Ilana doesn’t know if he was given any sort of compensation for creating the slogan. The team then printed signs and made shirts for every fan that attended the rest of the playoff games. Ilana has one of the shirts printed by the team and says it is one of her favorite possessions. The Warriors went on to upset the Dallas Mavericks. Ilana thinks the slogan became so popular because it expresses the sentiments of Warriors’ fans in a concise manner.

The slogan we believe is obviously a banner under which Warriors fans can unite. The slogan obviously captured a sentiment shared by the fans because of its meteoric rise in popularity. The slogan suggests that although the past may have been rocky, the team’s fans have faith in the team right now. It is interesting how quickly the Warriors organization was able to key in on the popularity of the slogan and make it official. The slogan has become the motto of the Warriors because it describes them as a team. The slogan has been featured in many sports articles like this one from ESPN http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=3139200. The articles use the slogan as a way to describe the fan’s feelings about the team’s recent success after many years of mediocrity.