SPT 510 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a report and press release. In this course, you will have the opportunity to analyze the role of sport in our society and vice versa. As a result, it is important to understand the social issues that can impact the development of sport organizations, the events sponsored by organizations, and the occurrences that involve sport organizations. As society continues to put more stock into sport organizations for entertainment, role models, and their economic contributions, the tide quickly turns when an event or incident besmirches the organization’s reputation. The immediate demand for a response and resolution due to societal pressure puts sport organizations in a challenging position to devise a solution that not only appeases the internal and external stakeholders, but also takes into consideration any and all potential economic, sociocultural, and political factors. Through researching and analyzing a particular event or occurrence involving a sport organization of your choice, you will learn how society’s perceptions impact sport organizations and how organizations respond to the various types of issues relevant in our society. For the final project, you will select a sport organization that has encountered an event or incident that impacted society’s perception of them from a provided list. Working as a consultant and from the organization’s perspective, you will investigate the issue, detail how the organization went about resolving it, and discuss the societal impact of the event. Most importantly, you will be required to analyze the surrounding society’s response and subsequent perception of the organization in how the event was handled. Finally, you will write a press release to external stakeholders, where you will explain the rationale behind the organization’s response and explain how potential events or incidents will be addressed. Choose one of the following sport organizations and events. If you wish to use an event not listed, please contact your instructor for approval.
Organization Individual(s) Allegation Year
Boston College Basketball team Point shaving 1978–79
Boston Marathon Rosie Ruiz Cheating 1980
Southern Methodist University Various boosters NCAA death penalty 1986
Major League Baseball Pete Rose Gambling 1989
Olympic ice skating Tonya Harding Assault for hire 1994
National Basketball Association Pacers and Pistons Brawl: “Malice at the Palace” 2004
Duke University lacrosse team Crystal Mangum Rape 2006
New England Patriots Bill Belichick Videotaping opposing team signals 2007
Louisiana State University Pokey Chatman Inappropriate sexual conduct 2007
BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) Marion Jones Doping 2007
BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) Barry Bonds Obstruction of justice 2011
Pennsylvania State University Jerry Sandusky Child sex abuse 2011
University of Miami Athletics Nevin Shapiro Provided improper benefits 2011
New Orleans Saints Gregg Williams Bounties paid to players 2012
United States An
