Conor McGregor Embodies Why People Pay Attention to Sport

In my January 21 and 26, 2016 class we talked about what sport is and why we study it.  We defined sport as being physical, competitive, institutionalized, and motivated by a combination of personal gain and external rewards.  We then stated that many of the reasons for studying sport are the size of the industry (4^th largest in the US & 11^th largest in the world), the amount of money sports generate, the number of people who are interested in sport, and the amount of media coverage (TV, radio, internet, newspaper, magazine) that is devoted to sport.  There is no current athlete that I think exemplifies the traits of sport and why we study it more than the UFC’s “Notorious” Conor McGregor.  McGregor’s rise in the mixed martial arts world has been astronomical and one of the most entertaining displays of sport that I have personally ever witnessed.

Here is an article that I think did a good job of explaining McGregor's rise and just how incredible it is. http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Bottom-Line-Conor-McGregors-Surreal-Rise-97261

The first connection that I made with McGregor's story is that it exemplifies the personal gain that sports can provide that captivates people.  McGregor literally came from nothing and through shear hard-work and what he describes as an "obsession" he literally fought his way to the top.  The second connection I made between this story and my class discussion was the money that is involved in sport.  McGregor's trash talk and promoting of his fights showcases how conflict in sports hooks fans in to wanting to watch sport events and that is what drives a great number of revenue in any sport.  Finally, the last connection from this article that I made to my class discussion on why we study sport this that McGregor's bold predictions on what he is going to do in his fights is an example of why so much media coverage is devoted to sport because people want to see these larger than life events play out and covered extensively.  So, as a future sport manager I can only look at Conor McGregor and think that he is the perfect example of why people are so obsessed with sport in the United States and around the world, and that obsession is why we study sport.  

Here's video giving you a closer look at the Irish Superstar's Journey: