By John Sparks Jim Motavalli has been writing on the environment for more than a decade. His work has appeared in the Mother Nature Network, E Magazine, and the New York Times. In this interview with The Marist Poll’s John Sparks, he talks about organic food, what people can do to preserve our environment, and […]
7/28: Sports Ethics
July 28, 2010
By John Sparks This season there have been an increasing number of empty seats at major league ballparks, and the television audience continues to decrease. Could baseball have finally out-priced itself for most fans? And, are ethics compromised when it comes to sports? The Marist Poll’s John Sparks discusses these issues with Richard Lapchick, Founder […]
7/15: Instant Replay in the MLB
July 15, 2010
By John Sparks “To err is human, to forgive divine.” -Alexander Pope A whopping 73% of baseball fans have told the Marist Poll that they like the idea of expanding the use of instant replay in baseball. For all of its shortcomings, television coverage of the baseball games has given the armchair fans the best […]
7/14: Multitasking Bad for the Brain?
July 14, 2010
One could argue that digital technology has helped make us better multitaskers. These days, we can simultaneously check our e-mails, monitor our Twitter feeds and listen to a podcast, all while eating our breakfast. Wouldn’t it make sense that such a capacity for divided attention is making our brains stronger? Unfortunately, that might not be […]
7/14: Baseball Strikes Back
By John Sparks The other day I criticized television’s coverage of Major League Baseball — specifically television’s pre-occupation with taking shots and talking about things that have little to do with the strategies and nuances of the game being played on the field. The dramatic close-up shots of the players, the shots of celebrities in […]
7/13: The President and the Midterm Elections
July 13, 2010
By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff If there is a silver lining for President Obama in Marist’s latest national poll numbers, it is that well into his second year as president– by more than 2 to 1– the electorate still thinks current economic conditions are mostly inherited from the Bush years and not the result of […]
7/13: Expansion: A Role in Baseball’s Demise?
By John Sparks In my last blog, I suggested that television may have killed off the national pastime. In the latest national Marist Poll, 54% of the American public tell us that they do not follow baseball at all. But, television can’t be held solely accountable for the demise of our great game. Expansion and […]
7/12: Baseball’s Demise at the Hands of the Networks?
July 12, 2010
By John Sparks “God, I just love baseball.” –Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs in “The Natural,” 1984 So, in the latest Marist Poll, 54% of the American public tells us they do not follow baseball at all. Clearly, Roy Hobbs and I are in the minority. I’m writing this column in Texas as I watch […]
7/7: Kids and Sports
July 7, 2010
By John Sparks Carol Anne Riddell is a veteran reporter who specializes in issues dealing with children. She is also a mother. And, when she talked with the Marist Poll’s John Sparks, they discussed sports and what it teaches our children. Listen to the interview or read the transcript below. John Sparks Carol Anne, the […]