Canadian Sports Media

After discussing the historical background of radio and looking at the development of sports broadcasting in Canada and the emergence of sports media in Canada we can now discuss how these technological innovations helped recreate and reshape how sports in Canada specifically Hockey and baseball were modernized. “The relationship between the press and the popularity of hockey lead directly to the initial broadcast/sport interaction, radio transmissions of professional hockey” . After sport became more professionalized the commercialization of sport put the cult of athleticism at risk. In the early 1900’s before the NHL was created journalist John Ross Robertson was concerned that with the development of radio and the growth of professional

hockey would undermine the main principal of the amateur ideal of hockey and that was non-payment for participation. “A fervent advocate of amateur sport, [Robertson] became president of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1899, at a critical moment in the history of the sport. His battle to protect hockey from the influence of professionalism caused him to be called the ‘father of Amateur Hockey in Ontario”. “A promoter of amateurism and secretary of the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union, Norton Hervey found himself at the heart of the debate about payment to athletes at the turn of the 20th century. This debate, which highlighted conflicting social perceptions of sports, led to a split within the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union in 1906” . As hockey was becoming more professionalized at the time of 1906-1920, the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union had become ungovernable because the practice of paying the athletes became more prominent. With the creation of the National Hockey League in 1917 society had slowly started to see the professionalization of hockey by having athletes get paid to play the game. The NHL organized itself to maintain a long-term stability when first created. In J. Andrew Ross’ book Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945 “he argues that sports leagues like the NHL pursued a strategy that responded both to standard commercial incentives and also to consumer demands that the product provide cultural meaning” . This book shows us how with the use of commercialization through technological advancements like radio and broadcasting it is easier to cater to consumer demand and increase your fan base. As we learned throughout the course, the idea of non-payment against wage labourers reinforced this idea of heroic and unselfish play that would attract the middle class, whereas the practice of paying your athletes came from event such as carnival contests and team sports such as baseball. The popularity, variety and pre-dominance of American programming back in the early 1900’s were a cause for concern for the Canadian Government. In addition, the Canadian government thought radio would become another avenue in overwhelming Canadians with American popular culture. Thus, the Canadian government created the CBC so Canadians can have a national system of radio broadcasting that promotes Canadian culture and national identity. The CBC began to have weekly programming of hockey every Saturday night. This program soon became known as Hockey Night in Canada.

After the CBC was created hockey as a sport became a lot more commercialized. More attention was given to the athletes and as well to the teams involved. Foster Hewitt was the first Canadian radio broadcaster that used radio to broadcast hockey games. “Hewitt’s broadcasts’ helped hockey become a national sport for Canada because he showed true passion as a broadcaster for the game as a Canadian” . Foster Hewitt shows us that the development of broadcasting not only helped modernize the game of hockey, but also, helped give Canada a Canadian sport. In Richard Gruneau’s book Hockey Night in Canada: Sports, Identities, and Cultural Politics he argues how Hockey Night in Canada as a program not only made the game of hockey become more well-known around the world, but also examines the changes and pressures hockey has within a growing marketplace for commercial spectacle. The CBC had gratefully succeeded in giving Canada a national identity, and as well make hockey as a sport more popular in society. To add, in Andrew Holman’s book Canada’s Game: Hockey and Identity he discusses how thanks to the CBC not only had hockey grown as a professionalized sport but as well, seen as hockey was commercialized so well under the Canadian national broadcaster CBC, hockey became a staple in identifying as being

Canadian. “To be Canadian is to be not American. And hockey is Canadian” . Hockey Night in Canada’ success shows that even though individuals like John Ross Robertson wanted to avoid professionalizing the game of hockey, it had to be done in order for hockey and Canada to gain more of an identity. The development of broadcasting specifically the CBC helped hockey become a more well-known sport. Hockey became professionalized thanks to the development of radio and broadcasting, the creation of the National Hockey League and more importantly the development of the CBC. All of these developments changed the way hockey was organized and played but as well made the sport much more prominent later in society. Baseball on the other hand is a sport that is rare because it is a sport that has a combination of pre-modern and modern ideals. On one hand it is a game that has been played the same way since its development in a circular course, but had become professionalized because it began to feature specialization, bureaucratic organization, rationalization, rules etc. At first, professionalization in baseball was looked at as very corrupt due to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Eight players threw the World Series in exchange for money from Gamblers. After this incident the Baseball association was hesitant on professionalizing the game, but due to the rapid change in society and the developments of technological innovations they had to commercialize the game in order for it to be a successful sport. As well, the baseball leagues after the scandal would crackdown on bribes and game fixing.

The Black Sox scandal showed a shift in the sport from amateur to professional because pre-modern games were played for fun and not for material reward, whereas in professional sports the whole idea of the sport is to win a trophy or medal. It is argued that between 1900 and 1920 Baseball was looked at as Canada’s most popular sport and as well took over Lacrosse as the summer game to play. As Metcalfe says “It was the only sport played by all social classes” . Baseball in Canada in the 1920’s was so popular that many Japanese baseball players immigrated to Canada to play the game. Baseball was a unisex sport in Canada, both females and males loved to play the game. The creation of the Major League Baseball league was known was majority American teams and do this day is still the case. Furthermore, throughout the history of the professional league known as the MLB there have only been two professional Canadian teams: the Montreal Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays. The lack of Canadian teams in the professional baseball league also shows us the MLB is organized to make baseball an American

game. The professionalization of baseball through commercialization of leisure and marketing through broadcasting and radio have turned baseball into strictly becoming an American sport by calling baseball “America’s past time. The professionalization of baseball had led to the sport no longer becoming a Canadian sport. “It can be argued however, that baseball today plays more of a part in the process through which Canada is being Americanized than in helping to maintain a separate sense of Canadian identity” . The Americanization of baseball has shown how much of an effect the media and the commercialization of the sport have become. Even though baseball is a widely played sport in Canada it is known globally as an American sport thanks to the marketization of baseball being America’s past time in the media. Furthermore, throughout the history of the professional league known as the MLB there have only been two professional Canadian teams: the Montreal Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays. The lack of Canadian teams in the professional baseball league also shows us that not only is the league shaped to be an American game but sets the media up to keep commercializing it as an American past time. Overtime, baseball has significantly changed due to the emergence of media and the development of radio and broadcasting. Baseball was once considered Canada’s most popular sport but due to the commercialization and marketing done in the United States through the media it has become known as “America’s past time”. The professionalization of baseball has made Canadians feel Americanized because the MLB thanks to the media is looked at as an American game. The development of radio and broadcasting have both greatly changed how both baseball and hockey are organized and played today. Both sports had become professionalized thanks to the emergence of the media in the 1920’s. The emergence of Canada’s national broadcaster the CBC not only helped professionalize the game of hockey through promotion of the game through the program Hockey Nightbut the CBC became so important but also gave Canada its own identity.