#extendedpost

[pailzingis]

COMM 3070 - WEEK 4 - PROMPT 3 - DOPING SCANDALS

Prompt 3: Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

Any scandal that involves sports something of the magnitude of Doping is an undeniable crisis that has to be solved immiediately in order to save any face. It is important to handle the scandal in a way where you recognize the wrong doing of what happened and try to work past it while still reprimanding the situation.

One sports scandal that I know very well is the Spygate scandal from the Patriots in the 2000’s. Spygate was was an incident during the National Football League (NFL)'s 2007 season, when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the league for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals from an unauthorized location during a September 9, 2007 game.

The similarity these two cases have is that their is this kind of eerily similar “we don't know exactly what happened here” feeling. In the doping scandal it was never proven whether some of the athletes knew (all the wide believe is that they did); in the Spygate scandal it was never proven that there was anything directly that had some sort of impact on the game and the success of the patriots. The main difference is that there were some members of the Patriots who know what was going on, according to the reading “he lack of choice on the part of athletes and the involvement in the programme  of the national secret police” (Dimeo, Page 2). 

The image I chose was an image about the medals in Eastern and Western Europe from the DDR museum. One of the exhibits told us that many men who trained would do high amounts of drugs before performing (often similar when going into battle) in order to maximize performance. There have been long forms of doping throughout history as well as sports scandals and there will continue to be more.

[cecehensley-blog]

week 4 post 3

Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

During the East German regime, women were forced into doping in order to supplement their performance. “the GDR organized doping alongside talent identification and development systems to establish the small country with a population of 17-19 million as a regular top-three finisher in both summer and winter Olympics.” (Dimeo, 220)The athletes were forced into doping, and they were recruited at a young age in order to build the best of the best athletes, and win gold metals for their home country. “the East German ‘regime’ has been widely written about in academic sports research and mainstream non-fiction, and often cited in media sources as the worst example of corruption in the history of competitive athletics” (Dimeo, 219). Instead of just training their athletes, the East Germans just cheated the system to come out on top. 

The athletes, (especially the females) were heavily effected by the testosterone because firstly, they were given the drugs even before they began puberty, and because women do not have high levels of testosterone in their bodies. The men were also given the drugs, but they weren’t as highly effected as the females. The east Germans won a total of 40 gold medals in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

In more recent times, there was the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. Lance Armstrong was a world renowned cyclist, who came back to cycling after a terrible cancer diagnosis. Lance was accused of doping during the second half of his career, starting as early as the 1999 Tour De France. Lance was stripped of all of his titles after he was found guilty of the doping scandal.

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Promot 3: Extended, Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

Doping has been an issue in sports for a very long time. From the beginning of athletic competition, people have been trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. It was only a matter of time before medical knowledge progressed to the point of effective doping. The GDR doping scandal was huge athletic news at the time. Interestingly enough, we had a similar occurrence happen this year with the 2018 winter Olympics. Both involved a large number of Russian (GDR in the original case) athletes taking large amounts of performance-enhancing drugs.

The photo I chose for the GDR doping scandal was the 1936 summer Olympic stadium. There was some discrepancy on whether or not doping was happening in these games too, however, GDR took the main fall after they were the first large scandal to come to light. The reason why I chose this picture is that it is an Olympic village. Being in the Olympic village has the effect of wanting to win. Even standing there today I started daydreaming about how amazing it would have been to watch an Olympic event there. The photo, for me, captures the joy and the drive to perform in the Olympics. It makes sense that people will try to win an Olympic gold, it is a dream for many professional athletes. I think something that contributed to this doping scandal was the post ww2 tensions between the Americans and the Russians. Any form of a peaceful game between the two nations is incredibly important from a nationalist standpoint. I believe this contributed to the “worst example of corruption in the history of athletics” as the Olympic officials attempted to cover up the scandal (Dimeo et al, 2011, 219).

In today's example, Russia was just hit with another doping scandal. They were not allowed to wear their colors in the last winter Olympic games. What amazes me is how little history has changed. When I heard about this recent doping scandal it made me think, “hasn’t this already happened”. One can argue that this scandal is less politically motivated and motivated more by the increasingly harsh living conditions for professional athletes. It is becoming harder to be a professional athlete. Countries across the world are cutting benefits and may are having a hard time getting by. If I were a professional athlete who wasn't quite good enough for a sponsorship taking performance-enhancing drugs would be very tempting. My photo to represent this scandal is a picture of Victory Column here in Berlin. This statue, to me, represents the glory that can come from winning. For many athletes that is the goal. It is this pursuit for glory that pushes them to the point where they consider doing.

In some ways, it is a shame that doping has become such an issue in sports. One would wish that competition could stay fair, however, that will probably never happen. Athletes will find a way to break the rules if it means supporting themselves. There is still so much to learn from older sporting events as well. The “over-emphasis on doping and elite athletic competition has drawn attention away from other aspects of sports in East Germany that might offer additional forms of insight into the function of the state” (Dimeo et al, 2011, 225). This solidifies my point that it was the international competition on the world stage that could have driven GDR to pursue the route of doping.

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Prompt 2 (Extended): You have now seen the Mercedes-Benz arena and museum, the bmw motorcycle factory, and the VW Autostadt. How are these various locations similar in terms of stakeholder engagement? In what  ways are they different? As a tourist viewing these locations (rather than as a fan/customer), which was more effective in terms of creating a compelling experience for you? Think about the Remshaw reading as you answer, and include specific examples. German automotive engineering is something the Germans boast to the rest of the world. They have a deep national pride in terms of the ability to create and market their engineering marvels all across the world. The main three German automotive companies are VW, Mercedes, and BMW. Each company has undergone measures to market and promote their companies ideas to the rest of the world. By allowing groups to come, tour, and learn about their organization's principles and products they are spreading their name across more cultures and possibly expanding their customer market. The first place we visited was the Mercedes-Benz museum and Arena in Stuttgart. The museum walked the viewer through the evolution of the automotive industry and promoted Mercedes as the driving force towards future innovation in automotive engineering. They started with one of the first motors, motor carriage, and motor cars. As the viewer walked down the different floors the cars became more advanced and the company's principles were clearly seen. Mercedes cares about being the car of the future. They have invested a fortune in a facility which promotes the evolution of the car that ends with their newest zero-emission models. Many of the exhibits focused on ow Mercedes-Benz was "first" in terms of performance, design for safety, and technology. They want their customers to be proud to drive a Mercedes. They had a whole exhibit on notable owners of Mercedes cars. These included a popemobile, Princess Diana's car, and many other political figures who chose to drive in a Mercedes. It is also seen as the car of the ambassador as their sleek boxy luxurious design is commonly seen carrying prime ministers and presidents. All of this was advertised in the Mercedes-Benz museum to promote a sense of community and pride with their customers. They want their customers to see their car as a leading piece of automotive technology. Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz arena also promoted a similar sense of community and pride. This was portrayed with their most dedicated fan section. They installed movable seats to allow their most passionate fans to cheer for their team in the manner that they want. Clearly, community as well as being the forefront of automotive innovation is what is most important to Mercedes-Benz. On the other hand, we experienced BMW's company culture when we visited the BMW motorcycle manufacturing plant. BMW is not known for designing the most technologically advanced cars. They are also not known for having the most sense of community. Their culture revolves around the driver's experience. Part of having fun cars to drive is the means to manufacture them. The tour guide commonly discussed the different quality checks they had during their manufacturing process. He mentioned how tight their 5-micron tolerance was as well. All of this paired with known automotive technology in their 4 and 6 cylinder engine gives a pure driving experience. They could implement hybrid technology or install more innovative engined. THey choose not to in order to preserve the ride quality. This was confirmed through their production of classic style bikes. The boxer engine is nowhere near as advanced or efficient as modern engine technology and they still choose to use it. The same can be said for their use of old chassis designs, tires, brakes, and suspension. They know this will appeal to the drivers who are looking for this authentic driving experience. When we watched the final test process we were able to watch the technician ride the bike and test it himself. Their reasoning was to make sure the bike felt a certain way as it drove. It would be more efficient to simply automate the process, but, they chose to keep it human. VW promotes a different culture than BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well. Ironically enough, their companies focus is on being environmentally friendly with an emphasis on user accessibility. Mercedes and BMW brag about their luxury status and VW likes to see itself as a car for the people. Their name reflects this as they are Volkswagen or peoples car. They offer one of the broadest ranges of cars spending from the Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron, Audi R8 V10, Seat, Skoda, all the way down to their affordable small hatchbacks like the up!. The Autostadt is essentially a way for them to promote their ideas through entertaining their audience. They have many games which deal with one's carbon footprint. They have games which require the user to reduce CO2 emissions or play the stock market. They have an entire garden to make the user feel at home and comfortable while being surrounded by different automotive technology displays. They have a children's section to promote the importance of family in a car as well as various ways for adults to have fun in the number of exhibits. The entire campus gives the guests a sense of community. It makes one feel like driving a VW is an environmentally sound decision which will promote the further production of cars for the people. They may not boast about being the first to offer a feature of having the most authentic driving experience, but they will advertise their environmental consciousness and emphasis on family life. The three locations are similar in terms of stakeholder engagement because they all appeal to different senses that we have. VW appeals to our desire to give back or be ethically sound. BMW appeals to our desire to be a kid again and have fun simply driving. Mercedes appeals to our curiosity and the paths of the future in the ever-changing world of automotive engineering. I would argue that VW does the best job or compiling an effective argument. Their Autostadt genuinely makes me want to drive one of their cars. It makes me believe that buying a VW is an ethical decision that will pay off in the long run. As a car enthusiast, I want to own a BMW bike for a fun perspective, however, VW's entire experience is much more effective. Mercedes was interesting from an appreciation standpoint however simply reading about them and their cars lacked the hands-on personal touch that VW had and therefore was a less compelling experience.

[pailzingis]

COMM 3550 - WEEK 4 - PROMPT 2 - CAR MUSEUMS!

Prompt 2: You have now seen the Mercedes-Benz arena & museum, the BMW Motorcycle Factory, and the VW Autostadt. How are these various locations similar in terms of stakeholder engagement? In what ways are they different? As a tourist viewing these locations (rather than as a local fan, a native German, or a customer), which was more effective in creating a compelling experience for you? Think about the Ramshaw reading as you answer, and include specific examples. 

All three of these excursions were a lot of fun; I think if I polled the group, the consensus would be that, at least two of these would be in the top rankings of all everyone on the trip. Although all of them were forms of public communication about the automotive industry they are all uniquely different.

Something that was extremely similar about all 3 locations was the commitment to the fan/stakeholder experience that each organization had. Here are three examples: However I do think one fan experience was better than the other two.

3) The BMW Factory: Unfortunately this is last, but certainly not least. The BMW Factory, strictly based on the layout and what we were able to do, was probably the most confusing for the average tourists such as ourself. There was so much to see.

2) VW Autostadt: The VW Autostadt was my favorite experience. There was not only so much to see and look out, but there were so many interactive experiences to take part in. However, in terms of how I would rank these three in this setting, it would be #2. The sheer size of the ‘theme park’ does lose a little bit of that brand integration and stakeholder engagement.

1) Mercedes-Benz Arena & Museum: If we had a completion this would be the winner! There was something so awesome about the fan and stakeholder experience in the arena. There were different seating/ticket packages that they offered; there was unique ‘advertisement room’ that had the names of companies plastered all over the walls. There was an awesome “Fan Club” in which fans can get invested into a real family setting with the team.

[cecehensley-blog]

week 4 post 2

You have now seen the Mercedes-Benz arena & museum, the BMW Motorcycle Factory, and the VW Autostadt. How are these various locations similar in terms of stakeholder engagement? In what ways are they different? As a tourist viewing these locations (rather than as a local fan, a native German, or a customer), which was more effective in creating a compelling experience for you? Think about the Ramshaw reading as you answer, and include specific examples.

Visiting all of the automotive museums was definitely a highlight of my trip to Germany. The Mercedes Benz museum was the first museum we saw, and the only one where we didn’t have a tour guide. Instead, they gave us small devices that would connect to the exhibits and explain what was going on; you could even pick the “category” of explanation in terms of technology, history, and even a kids version. In terms of the tours themselves they were all very unique and catered to the companies visions/missions, but obviously there was some type of overlap between them.

The most obvious difference between the tours in terms of stakeholder engagement was actually the ways in which the tours were given. For example, at the BMW Factory we actually went behind the scenes and saw how and where the motorcycles were made. The tour was more technical and informative about the companies current products, rather than an interactive tour where we learned about all of the types of bikes they have made through history. The other two tours were more a showcase of all of the cars they have produced, and there were a lot more things we could interact with. The VW museum and the Mercedes museum in particular seemed more catered towards people who are interested in the history of cars, and not necessarily for people who are interested in purchasing vehicles, or the way they are produced. The BMW tour seemed more for people who are looking to buy bikes and want to know the logistics and production of what they are planning on purchasing. The tours were similar all in that they are designed to make people feel comfortable with the brand, and to increase brand awareness. They all focus on making their brand look like it is better than all the others.

As a tourist, my perspective of the museums was different than say that of a buyer because my main goal was not to learn about the functionality of a potential vehicle, or validate the reputation of a particular brand so I know what I am buying. As a tourist my main goal was essentially learning and entertainment, so I focused more on the experience than the actual content. According to the Ramshaw article, “heritage tourism as not related to a site or object, per se, but as one’s own perception of his or her heritage. In this, heritage tourism becomes about the interaction between the individual and object and/or space, and not about the particular attributes of the object and space itself. In terms of experience, heritage can also be about performance” (Ramshaw, 21). Based on my this definition, and point of view at the museum I would say that the VW museum definitely created the most compelling experience, at least for me. The VW museum had so many opportunities to interact, and essentially “experience” the brand (they even had something called the Lamborghini experience for pete sake). Between the mini bike arena, driving course, Ritz Carlton, and numerous restaurants there was literally no way you could get bored. All of the different opportunities at the museum drew me in and made me want to stay forever, and it definitely changed my perspective on VW in a positive way. They also had different buildings for the different car brands, which created a very unique and memorable experience.

[pheebz-abroadingermany-blog]

Prompt 2: You have now seen the Mercedes-Benz arena & museum, the BMW Motorcycle Factory, and the VW Autostadt. How are these various locations similar in terms of stakeholder engagement? In what ways are they different? As a tourist viewing these locations (rather than as a local fan, a native German, or a customer), which was more effective in creating a compelling experience for you? Think about the Ramshaw reading as you answer, and include specific examples.

Even though Mercedes-Benz Arena & Museum, BMW Motorrad, and VW Autostadt are all car companies, each experience while visiting was way different.  A commonality among all was that each product should be made with care and should provide an experience for the consumer. 

Mercedes Benz differed in that it was a self-guided tour and in addition to an arena tour afterward. The Mercedes Benz museum focused more on the history of the company and their cars and transforming to current day, while the others focused only on the current day with some explanation of the past. Mercedes Benz did a good job with making some parts of it interactive, for instance, the race simulator and the interactive futuristic exhibit, but for the most part it was really based on what interested the tourist the most since you are directing your own path. The tour of the arena was also interesting in that they engaged us to talk and ask questions while learning about their brand. It allowed us to go further than just viewing the stadium, we got to walk throughout the press rooms and the dressing rooms. It was an amazing experience being able “to cross the symbolic boundaries that distinguish the worlds of the audience and the worlds of the performer or privileged” (Ramshaw, pg. 19, 2013). Mercedes-Benz has universal recognizability of their brand, and so it was very cool to see the history of the company and what it is doing to modernize itself.

Of the three BMW had the least amount of products to show. Given this is an actual motorcycle plant rather than a museum it is hard to make the comparison. It was interesting to see the true enthusiasm of each employee over the product. They provided great explanations of their guaranteed quality care. For true motorcycle enthusiast, the BMW plant provided the pinpoint marks of the construction of the bike. In order to be more compelling, I wish that it was a little bit more interactive but because it is a plant it might be hard to do so.

In regards to interest, I think that VW did an amazing job of engaging the tourist and because the company is so big we got to see many different brands of cars like a Lamborghini, a Bugatti, and a few Porsches. VW is the only company that can show each brand while keeping concise and interesting. In comparison with BMW, we were less aware of what type of quality care procedures but especially with the very expensive cars it seemed as though that was a given. In regards to size, VW was by far the largest with almost everything needed to spend the weekend at Wolfsburg without leaving and each different brand had its own artistic touch. I think that VW provided me the most compelling experience. Our tour guide was amazing, and she showed us each brand without dragging on the conversation. What really caught my attention with VW was the video which they played at the beginning of the tour. It showed how through a large company how each separate groups works together to provide the exceptional experience for the consumer.

[pheebz-abroadingermany-blog]

Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

Throughout the years there have been many incidents relating to doping in the athletic community. One phenomenon of doping occurred during the era of the German Democrat Republic in East Germany. Quickly, the GDR rose to the top of competitors in the world through the use of steroids. Pictured above is a comparison of trophies won by the GDR and West Germany. It’s plausible to see the extent to how much the steroids helped to improve the performance of athletes. Many more awards were given to GDR athletes due to their so-called ability. At this time, the world was unaware of the mass amounts of doping going on among GDR athletes. A similar occurrence happened with Russia in the 2014 winter Olympics. Due to doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics, the country was punished with not being allowed to participate as well as a 15$ million dollar fine. ( “IOC upholds Russian doping ban...” , 2018). 

From the early 1960’s until 1989, East German athletes were heavily involved with using steroids to improve their performance. What is even more problematic about steroid use during this era, is that many athletes were not given the choice of taking steroids versus not taking them. Not only was forced steroid use unethical, but it caused health issues among many female athletes. This trend among athletes remained a secret throughout the time Germany being split. Research covering this period of time is recent because many were unaware of the trend, while it was occurring. Similarly, “East German athletes were so numerous that their individuality had been lost in the focus on politics, systems and the wider implications for the cultural significance and value of a sport” (Dimeo, Hunt, Horbury, pg. 221, 2011). The doping scandal that occurred was horrible for not only the integrity of athletes but for individuals as well.

After being found guilty of using steroids to enhance performances, Russian athletes now have to face the consequences. Athletes who were not found guilty can still participate in future games, but cannot hold the flag and wear a very simple uniform nor will the Russian national anthem be played. There are some similarities between the Russians and GDR athletes. For instance, after finding out about the issues of steroid use, the IOC looked further into and found out that they had been doing this for many years as GDR athletes had. Another similarity between GDR and the Russians is that they both quickly gain success in competition. For instance, “within only a few years of organizing and planning the doping programme, the GDR was ranked consistently in the top three for both summer and winter Olympics (1972-1988)” (Dimeo, Hunt, Horbury, pg. 221, 2011). It will be interesting to see the research that will come in later years concerning Russian steroid use in the 2014 winter games.