Brittney Griner and the Girls we Forgot to Represent
By: Cierra Moore
The American public’s mixed reaction to Brittney Griner while she remains detained in Russia is deeply troubling, but not surprising. It is a testament to the impact of representation and its ability to create not only affinity, but humanity too. Brittney Griner is an American. She is a woman but she’s not America’s girl, and therein lies the bias and apathy. She’s not America’s girl because of the lack of diversity in girls and women represented in the media. Diversity and inclusion has not been intersectional and it has created an America that doesn’t recognize the humanity of girls and women who look like Brittney Griner…
When the Love turns into Hate: The Growing Toxic Fandom in American Sports
By: Cierra Moore
The backdrop of this year’s just-concluded Mental Health Awareness Month continues to be a pandemic that has everyone’s mental health at risk. The World Health Organization reported in the first year of the pandemic that anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% globally. Athletes and their fans aren't absolved from being a part of that statistic. After having fans back at live events for the past several months, we’ve gotten a chance to see with our own eyes how fan behavior has grown more sinister. The American fan base is growing more toxic and athletes are taking the brunt of their violent outbursts…
Club brands are sacred for sports fans. How can designers avoid a negative response?
By Sam Bradley
To minimize the risk of sports fans rejecting new design elements, sports clubs must embrace a team spirit with their fanbase when creating new design elements. Teams must solicit, value and implement fan design feedback. No team should change design (look and feel) without soliciting the input of their fanbase. Long after the whistle blows and the season ends, it is the fan that continues to rep (and wear) the brand. Their beloved sports club is part of their personal identity. Including fans in the evolution of the team’s identity is key to minimizing rejection and blowback from passionate fans. -Cierra Moore
Sports Ecosystem Needs to Balance the scales: What happens when you don't support female athletes
By: Cierra Moore
This year, more than 1,300 female athletes competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, accounting for 45% of the athletes — a record-breaking number. Our televisions and social media are feeding us countless stories about female athletes’ inspiring journeys and victories. But unfortunately, this is not the norm. A 2018 report from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), warned us of this. The Olympics remain the rare time female athletes receive sustained coverage. Outside of major sporting events, men represent 96% of all sports media TV coverage…