Sport

In the past few decades, there has been a major shift in human resources management in line with new paradigms in labor force management. Human resources management studies have revealed that employees are the most important asset for any organization as they are more dynamic and influential in productivity compared to physical assets such as machinery. In a health care organization, human resources management strategies influences quality of services delivered to patients and can be linked to patient satisfaction. Strategic human resources strategies are important for healthcare organizations to deliver high quality services.  Studies have linked the quality of human resources management in hospitals with patient satisfaction (Kharti, Jack, McKune and Brewer, 2006). This implies that hospitals with prudent human resources management strategies are likely to fulfill the needs of patients compared to hospitals without such strategies.

Fault in human resources management in a healthcare organization results to problems patient satisfaction. This can be clearly illustrated from a survey that was carried out in Fayetteville VA hospital that was ranked as one of the worst  in job satisfaction in 2009 (Ramsey, 2009).  A survey that was carried out among patients and employees in the hospital rated it lower than other seven counterparts VA hospitals operating in North Carolina and Virginia. The validity of the surveys can be ascertained by the fact that results were reflected in two recent government surveys of the hospital.

Fayetteville VA Medical Center serves veterans in the region. Fayetteville VA Medical Center is a Clinical Core Level III facility with 90 beds and 69 beds for long-term care units. It serves a population of about 155,000 people in North Carolina with two community-based outpatient clines one in Jacksonville and the other in Wilmington. However, the hospital facility does not handle specialized medical conditions and therefore veterans seeking specialized medical care have to be referred to Durham VAMC or to other facilities.  This has been considered to be one of the factors that rate the hospital low among other healthcare facilities in the area. However, the effectiveness of the hospital in delivery of healthcare care has been constrained by human resources management issues that have created unmotivated workforce (Ramsey, 2009).

Fayetteville VA Medical Center has experienced high employee turnover in the recent past owing to a number of human resources issues.  In the survey, it was revealed that every year, most employees leave the hospital to other healthcare organizations because of a number of reasons (Ramsey, 2009). This has affected the quality of healthcare service delivered in the hospital and patients are not satisfied with the quality of care they receive.

In the survey, it was revealed that veteran adocates, employees, and patients in general are more frustrated with the results of the survey, which paints a grim picture of the hospitals ability to provide medical services to its clients. However, the problem and Fayetteville VA Medical Center should not be looked merely on basis of the results of the survey but rather the implications and reflections of the survey.  It is evident that the problem with Fayetteville VA Medical Center is a human resources problem that emanates from low morale in the workforce.

In the survey, the hospital ranked lower marks in 12 of the 13 categories that had been included (Ramsey, 2009).  Although low marks sometimes may not be translated to quality, there is a direct link between patient survey and the quality of services patients are receiving from the medical facility.  The management denied the results of the survey but obviously, it was reflection of the state of the hospital.

About 87 of the 850 employees working at Fayetteville VA Medical Center responded to the survey (Ramsey, 2009). Evidently, the most negative surveys in the questionnaire came from the employees ranging from doctors to janitors.  The lowest score from employees came in different areas like rating of promotion opportunities, relationship to the senior management and working conditions in the facility.

It is obvious that management has a hand on the issue.  The survey revealed that more employees were not satisfied with their jobs. Although management attribute this to 63  minority population who make up the staff, it is important to note that prudence in human resources management strategies are not gauged by  how  an organization takes care of the majority but how it treats the minority (Ramsey, 2009). However, senior management was also indicted in the survey.  It is therefore evident that senior management has failed in their duties to deliver employee concerns.  Management has failed in looking at the needs for employees to increase their satisfaction and lower employee turnover.  Employee satisfaction is central to effective running of any hospitals because service delivery in healthcare organization is all about human interactions.

Employees in the survey pointed out that there have been longstanding issues of favoritism and retaliation. VAs office of inspector general found that the previous director at Fayetteville VA Medical Center had preferential treatment issues that were reflected in 2004 and 2004 personnel moves (Ramsey, 2009). In the recent past, Dr. Barbara Wilson had been fired after she filed suit against the senior management with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her firing was considered a retaliatory act and other employees believe that she was given a raw deal.

The situation at Fayetteville VA Medical Center can be explained using Maslow theory of hierarchical needs. This theory outlines that employees are likely to be motivated when their low level of needs are met and hence motivated to work hard to achieve the next level (Tutor2u, 2010). In this case, employees believe that their efforts are not being appreciated and even after working hard, management is imposing preferential treatment on promotions.

Using Maslow theory, it is important for management to note that employees need to believe that their lower needs have been fulfilled to be motivated to deliver quality services (Tutor2u, 2010). From the survey, patients replied that doctors were treating them with contempt as if they were dirt.  This doctors attitude toward patients emanates from the fact that doctors do not feel the need to increase their efforts because there is no reward.  They think that their current level of needs in terms of appreciation of the competitiveness of their skills is not being appreciated and hence no need to put in more efforts to climb with ladder.

The current director of Fayetteville VA Medical Center, Triplett, argues that the hospital has taken steps to improve employee satisfaction to deal with the situation (Ramsey, 2009).  The most important step that has been taken by the facility has been setting up a new employee satisfaction committee mandated with coming up with different ways to motivate employees. To deal with the problem, the hospital needs to come up with strategies that will make employees feel more appreciated and a part of the hospital. The hospital must put in place a promotion program that will ensure that promotions are based on merits. In addition, the hospital should introduce other monetary and non-monetary programs as short and long term measures to motivate employees.

Sports is regarded as the best physical activity all over the world. It has been known as early as 4000 BC and has been developed widely. Today, there are a lot of sports activities arising that enhances ones competence, commitment, and physical capabilities. Coaches train the athletes to bring them into a standard aptitude and make them physically fit for their sport. Their training entails commitment, hardship, and discipline not only for the physiological and psychological aspects, but also for the nutritional aspect. Athletes work out and do exercises to physically train their bodies, engage in proper diet, and to maintain body nourishment such as taking in food supplements. Physical training helps athletes maintain the strength that they need to perform well at the sporting events they participate in. Having a balanced diet also helps in sustaining the athletes good body movement and to enhance their metabolism.

Athletes seem to feel intuitively that they need higher levels of protein than the average sedentary person. This intuitive feeling is backed up by their claims of the ergogenic effects of high protein diets. Perhaps, supplements that have no intrinsic effects may work for a while through the placebo effect, but eventually, they fall by the wayside and are abandoned by the majority. High protein diets are used because they work as well as a major energy source for the body. Whether athletes need to supplement their diet with extra protein depends on their goals (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008).

Athletes use a wide range of nutritional supplements in their quest for improved performance. Even a cursory inspection of sports shops and magazines reveals the scale and diversity of supplement use. Sales figures for exotic supplements such as ginseng, inosine, colostrums, bee pollen, royal jelly, and pangamic acid, together with a wide range of vitamins and minerals (including boron, vanadium, zinc, magnesium and manganese), demonstrate that many athletes remain convinced of their effectiveness. However, the balance of the available information suggests that there is no benefit from these substances for healthy individuals consuming a normal diet. Some supplements are said to be potentially harmful in large doses, and their use should be actively discouraged (Maughan  Burke, 2002). Athletes often look for alternative nutritional supplements or substances to improve performance. Some of these substances are naturally occurring and completely legal while others are manufactured, illegal, or banned by many sporting organizations (Maughan  Burke, 2002).

The power of the placebo effect is well recognized, and athletes seem to be particularly susceptible to it. Athletes are forever searching for nutritional supplements that will give them a significant advantage over their competitors. All essential dietary components, including protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, might be considered to fall under the category of ergogenic acids since they indirectly assist performance by maintaining normal health and physiological function. However, supplementation above the level required for maintenance of health is not likely to improve exercise performance. While research supports direct benefits from compounds such as creatine, bicarbonate, and caffeine, the majority of the compounds and products targeted to athletes have not been shown to provide performance enhancements (Maughan  Burke, 2002).

Sports foods that address real nutritional needs of athletes can provide a valuable though often more expensive way for them to meet their sports nutrition goals. The most obvious examples of valuable sports foods are liquid meal supplements and sports drinks (Maughan  Burke, 2002). Aside from intense muscular activity that increases protein catabolism (breakdown) and protein use as an energy source, there should be less protein available. The less muscle athletes are going to build, a high protein diet is needed to protect the protein that will be turned into muscle by, among other things, providing another energy source for use during exercise (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008).  The use of all sports foods and supplements needs to be balanced against expense, the risk of side effects from some ingredients, and the possibility of an inadvertent doping outcome (Maughan  Burke, 2002).

Hence, this study will determine if legal supplementation increases the overall performance of trained athletes. It will also present the usual results of professional studies regarding the beneficial effects of legal supplementation on the performance of well trained athletes so as to provide medically based information on the effects of supplements on the health status of athletes. Determining the probable cause and effect of supplementation on trained athletes may provide baseline information to young and professional athletes as well as to sport analysts and trainers about the importance of supplements. The study will be limited in some conditions due to professionalism and availability of resources. The materials and methods used in determining the effect of legal supplementation in athletes will be based on professional studies and the like.

If legal supplementation can increase athletes performance, then taking in supplements should be advised for all the athletes to help their body maintain fit.

Literature Review

Athletes often look for alternative nutrition to perform at their best (Quinn, 2008). Most athletes need the economy of maximizing lean body mass and minimizing body fat Athletes cannot afford to eat the amount of food necessary for them to have enough protein in their body since they are much focusing on the competition and recreational activities (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008). Due to this, they have to take only moderate or low caloric diet (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008). To be able them to increase the amount of protein, they have to plan their diets carefully and basically use protein supplements for them to afford the necessary protein for their body (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008). On the average, for anyone involved in competitive or intense recreational sports who wants to maximize lean body mass but does not wish to gain weight or have excessive muscle hypertrophy, it is recommended that he or she should take a minimum of 1 gram of high-quality protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kg) every day. This would apply to athletes who wish to stay within a certain competitive weight class or those involved in endurance events. However, athletes involved in strength events, such as Olympic field and sprint events, those in football or hockey, and those who are weightlifters, power lifters, and bodybuilders, may need even more than the recommendation to maximize body composition. For example, in sports with weight classes and in bodybuilding, it is possible that protein may well make up 50 of their daily caloric intake (Wolinsky  Driskell, 2008).

A supplement is something added to the diet, typically to make up for a nutritional deficiency. Ideally, it should be used as a substitute for eating well. Products classified as dietary supplements are not required to meet any Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. There are no regulations that guarantee the safety or purity of something sold as a supplement (Quinn, 2008). Because supplements are something added to the diet to make up for a nutritional deficiency, before going out and buying the latest magic pill in a bottle, an athlete would be wise to evaluate his or her diet. Everything an athlete requires for energy and high performance can be acquired through a proper, balanced diet (Quinn, 2008). One of the substances that comprise a supplement is the erogenic aid, which is said to consist of substances, drugs, procedures, and even devices that are intended to improve athletic performance. Some of these substances are naturally occurring, easily available and completely legal while others are manufactured, illegal, or banned by many sporting organizations. Many athletes, coaches, politicians and fans feel the use of certain substances is unethical in sports (Quinn, 2008).

Determining which substances are regulated, however, is an area of constant debate. Many substances classified as supplements are widely marketed as health aids yet have limited research on their safety or effectiveness. Being classified as a supplement means the contents of the product and the claims on the label have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may not have any scientific basis. In general, ergogenic acids are called performance enhancing substances (Quinn, 2008).

According to the study of Padilla in 1997, supplementation of creatine has become the common practice among competitive athletes who participate in different sports. It was stated that supplementary creatine mechanism could have potential ergogenic effects that could increase muscle creatine and phosphocreatine concentration, leading to a higher rate of ATP resynthesis, a delay in the onset of muscular fatigue, and a facilitated recovery during repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise. A critical literature review reveals that the enorgenic effects have been generally shown in subjects performing several exercise under regular conditions. The limited body of scientific data available concerning highly trained athletes performing single competition-like exercise tasks indicates that this type of population does not benefit from creatine supplementation (Padilla, 1997).

However, in the study of Colombani et al. (2004), they investigated the effects of acute L-carnitine supplementation on metabolism and performance of endurance-trained athletes during and after a marathon run. Seven male subjects were given supplements of 2 g L-carnitine 2 h before the start of a marathon run and again after 20 km of the run.  Concentration of plasma metabolites and hormones were then measured and analyzed before the run, immediately after the run, and one hour after the run. The results showed that the administration of L-carnitine was associated with a significant increase in the plasma concentration of all analyzed carnitine fraction. However, acute administration of L-carnitine did not affect the metabolism or improve the physical performance of the endurance-trained athletes during the run and did not alter their recovery.

On the other hand, Oral creatine supplementation is widely used in sportsmen and women. Side effects have been postulated, but no thorough investigations have been conducted to support these assertions. It is important to know whether long-term oral creatine supplementation has any detrimental effects on kidney function in healthy population. Creatinine, urea, and plasma albumin clearances have been determined in oral creatine consumers (10 months to 5 years) and in a control group. The research showed no statistical differences between the control group and the creatine consumer group for plasma contents and urine excretion rates for creatinine, urea, and albumin. The glomerular filtration rate, tubular reabsorption, and glomerular membrane permeability were normal in both groups (Poortman  Francaux, 1999).

In the study of Crowe, OConnor, and Lukins in 2003, they investigated the effects of six-week oral supplementation of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) and HMB combined with creatine monohydrate (HMBCr) on indices of health in highly trained athletes. Testing prior to, and immediately following, supplementation included a full blood count, plasma testosterone and cortisol, blood electrolytes, lipids, urea and glucose, sperm count and motility, and assessment of psychological state. The results revealed that there are no adverse effects on the parameters evaluated in this study taken orally by highly trained male athletes over a period of six weeks (Crowe et al., 2003).

The effect of dietary supplements on the promotion of muscle growth has also been reviewed. Nutritional strategies of overfeeding, ingesting carbohydrate or protein before and after exercise, and dietary supplementation of various nutrients have been purported to promote gains in fat-free mass during resistance training. Creatine and calcium -HMB supplementation during resistance training has been reported to increase fat-free mass in athletic and nonathletic populations. Prasterone supplementation has been reported to increase testosterone and fat-free mass in non-trained populations. However, the results are equivocal studies have yet to be conducted on athletes and prasterone is considered a banned substance by some athletic organizations. The report showed the rationale and effectiveness of nutritional strategies in promoting lean tissue accretion during resistance training (Kreider, 1999).

In the study of Clarkson (1991), she examined whether mineral supplements are necessary for athletes, and whether these supplements will enhance performance. Macronutrients and trace minerals as well as the importance of calcium supplements in bone health of the athletes were described. Also, other vitamins and minerals were tested for importance and on how athletes lack most of these needed minerals. According to Clarkson (1991), because of the low intake of chromium for the general population, there is a possibility that athletes may be deficient. Therefore, the study concluded that mineral supplementation may be important to ensure good health (Clarkson, 1991).

Another study showed a positive effect of supplementation for athletes. Vitamin status were measured in athletes including supplementation by assessing vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, A, and E status with a combined determination of dietary intake with biochemical indices in fifty five male young athletes. The study included twenty matched sedentary controls. The results showed that supplementation administered for one month improved the vitamin status of the controls as well as the athletes (Guilland et al., 1989).

The principal argument for vitamin supplementation is the assumed increased vitamin requirement of athletes. Theoretically, an increased requirement can be caused by decreased absorption by the gastrointestinal tract, increased excretion in sweat, urine, and feces, increased turnover, as well as biochemical adaptation to training. Of course, a marginal low vitamin status can simply be the consequence of a long-term inadequate intake. However, considering the RDAs, there are no indications that long-term vitamin intake among athletes is insufficient. Neither are there indications that vitamin excretion or turnover is increased in athletes. However, a marginal vitamin status, induced by inadequate vitamin intake in athletes with an adequate vitamin status, has no effect on physical working capacity. Possibly, exceptions have to be made for the use of vitamin E at high altitudes and for the use of vitamin C and multiple B-vitamin supplements (van de Beek, 1991).

Methods

A double-blinded experiment will be done with 24 trained male athletes as the subjects for the study. The subjects will then be divided into two groups Group A (12 male athletes) will receive daily supplementation of 18,000 mg of a popular nitrous oxide proprietary blend, 545 mcg of three kinds of B vitamins, 5,000 mg of L-arginine, 4,000 mg of L-Glutamine, and 20g Creatine for about 1 to 16 weeks. Group B (remaining 12 male athletes) will serve as controls. A record of maximum repetition of weight core lifts (e.g. squat, bench press, dead lift) will be observed and tracked as a test for plyometric abilities. The research will also include the observation of isometric exercises between the two groups to test whether there is an increase in muscle endurance. Sustained aerobic activities will also be observed to test the cardiovascular performance of the subjects. These factors will help to complete the overall assessment if there will be an increase on athletic performance or it will still remain the same even after having legal supplementation.

Summary and Conclusion

Supplements are said to contain ergogenic aids, defined as a performance enhancing substance. These substances are said to influence the performance capacity of athletes by directly enhancing the physiological capacity of the body. These nutritional aids help increase the recovery of speed in training as well as in the competition. These substances are necessary in re-establishing the normal function of the body system. The effects of legal supplementation in trained athletes have been measured to show if it aids in increasing their overall performance.

The subjects will be divided into two groups. The first group will be observed by having them supplemented with different amounts of minerals and vitamins. The other group will not be taking in any supplements and will serve as controls. Both groups will be assessed based on the trainings they will undergo, such as weight core lifts as well as aerobic and isometric exercises. Their activities will be tracked and recorded to assess if there will be an increase in the performance, or if it will remain the same after having the supplementation.
According to the results of most researches, supplements such as vitamins did not increase the physical working capacity of the athletes however, it is important for them to have this supplementation in order to maintain their physiological needs and capacity. Since most of the trained athletes are maintaining proper diet, it is possible that they may consume incomplete nutrition to have the energy they need so as to have a better performance. However, some studies suggest that supplementation may also influence the psychological aspect of the trained athletes and motivate them to exert more effort in their performance.

Based on the researches, it can be suggested for this research that legal supplementation may have the capacity to increase the overall capacity of the athletes, although evidences are not enough to make a solid conclusion. However, supplements help in maintaining if not increasing the energy source of trained athletes to have a better overall performance on their performance. This nutritional maintenance aids in sustaining the body systems needs to gain an extra support and energy source for the athletes.

According to the Giants Website (2009), History shows that the New York Giants moved into the Giants stadium in 1976 after using four other stadiums as their home ground 50 years prior. The stadium is located 6.9 miles from Times Square. Masteralexis, Barr and Hums (2008) acknowledge that it is owned by the Mara and Tisch Families. This paper aims to focus on the facility and all amenities associated with it including its foundation and comparison with other facilities and to determine what makes it a unique one.

The Funding Procedure
The Giants website gives the history of the funding procedure whereby the Giants are said to have signed a 30 year lease for a 75,000 seat stadium that would be constructed in the season of 1975. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority was established by an act of the state legislature on May 10, 1971 to provide funding, construct and manage the complex. It was also decided that the facility would include a stadium for football and a racetrack. It is further asserted that through legislature, this authority was granted the power to rent property, borrow money, issue bonds and conduct horse racing. The state was authorized to issue revenue received from the race-track in order to finance the complex. No expense was incurred by the tax payers. Rodriguez (2006) states that the number of taxpayers who have resisted to publicly fund sports facilities has increased. The case of the Giants Stadium construction contrasts this.

Approval
The Giants Website (2009) provides information that accounts on the process that occurred in order for the construction of the stadium to be finally approved. It is stated that the project encountered various obstacles such as legal disputes that occurred as a result of protests against the construction of the complex. There were also protests from environmentalists who expressed concerns about the wildlife and the occurrence of air pollution due to the rising number of cars.

Despite all this, the Authority managed to enable the project to succeed by hiring real estate consultants, accountants, bond attorneys and brokerage firms in order to ensure a smooth process.

Amenities provided
The Giants website (2009) states that during the 2000 season, the grass that was played on was natural whereby the grass was grown in a series of replaceable trays. In 2003, a new state of the art grass field was introduced by FieldTurf. It is said to look like real grass and it has special silica sand, cryogenic rubber and Nike Grind filling which includes sneakers. Drainage is also said to be immediate and the heat, which was a problem with other surfaces has been contained by being isolated by a rubber layer below the surface.  
There are two Sony Jombotron color video scoreboards that are located at the top of each end of the stadium that measure 32 x 24 feet. They are supported by two Daktronics Matrix black and white scoreboards in addition to four auxiliary ones.

The sound system is said to possess over 27,000 audio watts where there are 2,100 speakers in the entire system that is fed by more than 47 miles of cable.

The seating capacity is illustrated as being 80,242 whereby the Upper Tier holds a capacity of 32,832 while the Lower Tier is occupied by 34,824 people. In addition, it has a Mezzanine Tier which has a capacity of 8,961 as well as Suites that occupy 2,852 people.

Rich (2000) describes that in addition to the Stadium, there is a 75 million Brendan Byrne Arena that occupies 20,000 people. Also, after the completion of the Giants Stadium, there was an inclusion of office buildings, factories and hotels.
 
Comparison to other Stadiums
Lacayo (2009) investigates that the Dallas Cowboys Stadium has a huge number of private clubs and bars and a gigantic 600-ton JumboTron scoreboard that soars 90 feet above the field of the stadium, which he describes as a presiding deity. The stadium measures at 3 million square feet and is three times bigger that their previous one. It is reported to be the most costly stadium so far in the NFL (National Football League) at 1.2 billion but this record will be broken by Jet-Giant Stadium which is set to cost  1.6 billion.

The unique quality that the Giants stadium bears in comparison with other stadiums is the fact that it is a complex that has space for football as well as a race track. It also has the unique factor of being 6.9 miles from Times Square compared to the Yankee Stadium which is 6.6 miles away. Another amenity is the possession of state of the art grass that ensures immediate drainage and is also able to contain heat with the aid of a rubber layer located below the surface.
 
Trumpbour (2007) researches that Kansas City was ahead in devoting its time to providing luxurious stadium amenities thus attracting the media. The stadium owners used 17.5 million of their own money to in order to provide luxurious skyboxes, plus team offices and stadium clubs.

The Cost for the Giants Stadium
Petersen (1989) researches that the cost for constructing the Giants Stadium as  78 million and is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, opening in 1976 after proposals to construct a sports complex in 1967.

Maske (2006) reports that the two teams that share the Giants Stadium, the Giants and the Jets, plan to jointly build a new stadium at the Meadowlands which will probably make them among the wealthiest franchises in the NFL. The two teams that have shared the stadium for 30 years are scheduled to open the privately funded stadium that costs 1.2 billion in the year 2010. Fisher (2002) researches on a statement that contradicts this by stating that almost all professional sports stadiums including those that are privately financed, involve some public money.

Sponsorship Agreements
Sports Business News (2007) gives information on the agreement between the New York Giants Chairman and the Wasserman Media Group for the new stadium in the Meadowlands. Casey Wasserman who is the chairman of WMG is reported as saying that combining the power of the NFL and its reach to the greatest sports teams forms an unparalleled platform for a marketer to form an ally with the most prominent media, entertainment and sports objective in the world. The Chairman of the Jets hopes that WMG will expand their vision and make the stadium the most memorable spectator environment in professional sports.

The Daily News (2008) reports that Anheuser-Busch has signed a contract to become the second major sponsor to support the new Meadowlands stadium. The announcement was made after a provisional agreement was reached between the New Meadowlands Stadium Co. and MetLife therefore becoming one of the four cornerstone partners in the stadium that is said to have 82,500 seats. Experts have stated that each of the partners will pay between 10 million and 15 million. The fifth sponsor will be expected to pay an amount of 20 million for the naming rights of the new stadium.

Jozsa (2004) researches that Manchester United had attracted audiences of about 271,000 spectators at American stadiums in 2003 who were watching exhibition games against European teams. As a result, Manchester United agreed to play another four matches in 2004 in various stadiums. One these stadiums was Giants Stadium.

Conclusion  
When the Giants stadium was constructed in 1976, it is said to have cost 78 million compared to the new stadium which is scheduled to open on 2010, that has been privately financed by the Jets and the Giants at a cost of 1.2 billion although this contradicts Lacayo (2009) who states that the stadium will cost 1.6 billion.
The Giants shares the same model of big screen scoreboards with the Dallas Cowboys. It has the unique facility of having state of the art grass that looks real. This new type of grass also has been able to contain heat through the rubber layer that is located beneath the surface.

Zimbalist (2001) investigates that the New York Giants and New York Jets have shared the Giants stadium since the autumn of 1984 after years of competing against each other.

Rouse (2001) researches that 115 of the major professional sports franchises are getting new or renovated facilities. Examples of franchises that have done the former are Dallas Cowboys and the Giants. An example of a frachise that has renovated its stadium is provided by Thornton (2010) who gives that of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who spent 20 million to renovate their stadium.

The salaries given to American athletes and other sports personalities have always attracted a lot of heated debates among the Americans. Americans of all walks of life always talk about the big salaries paid to sports personalities. Some people have complained that the sporting personalities are paid large sums of money which according to them is not justified. However, the big question has always been whether these arguments are valid. Moreover, if the arguments are not valid and the sportsmen are justified to receive these high salaries, where does the money come from For example, a sportsman such as Alex Rodriguez, a baseman with the New York Yankee received about twenty five million dollars per season while Michael Jordan receives much more. Some of the arguments against these high salaries for sportsmen have been the contrast that other individuals such as teachers who have contributed more to the society are not paid as well. However, those who support the high salaries for the sportsmen have argued that the sportsmen are offered those attractive salaries and cannot turn them down. Moreover, if the owners of these sportsmen are wiling to pay them these huge sums of money, it means they are earning even more (Anderson, pp 8).

Athletes High Salaries
Almost all the people in the United States have some interest in sports. Sporting activities such as athletics, basketball, American football and soccer have evolved into a major source of entertainment in America and other parts of the world. People around the world are wiling to pay large sums of money to watch sporting activities either live or on the television. Moreover, sporting personalities have attracted a lot of admiration from people all over the world. But the big question has always been who is responsible for the big salaries that these personalities receive at the end of the season The correct answer to this question is the fans. Anybody interested in what an athlete earns has some interest on the game and spends some money to watch the sport which contributes to the huge salaries the sportsman is earning. If the public is obsessed by a sporting personality, more revenue is collected which translates into higher wages for the sportsman. In other words, the sport fans are responsible for the huge salaries received by the athletes and other sportsmen in the world.

The same fans who are disturbed by the huge salaries outstanding athlete receive and always grumble about them are the ones who set these salaries. This is because like any other economy, the price assigned for each factor of production is determined by the market. The choices of the customer on what they are willing and able to buy are one of the main determinants of the price of the product. The producers on the other hand meet the cost of production which is included in the product prices. If the producer has to make any profit and stay in business, the customer must be willing and able to buy the product at a price that covers the production cost and leave the producer with some profit. Otherwise the producer will not be willing to produce the product if the consumer cannot pay for them. The ability of the producer to accurately forecast the expected gains in the long run is more likely to stay in business longer (Anderson, pp 8).

The case is not in any way different in the sporting economy. The large salaries paid to athletes today are partly as a result of the voluntary choices the fans are willing to pay for. The large salaries is chiefly because of the large number of fans who are willing to pay to watch these sportsmen play. Therefore, if the general public is disturbed that the sportsmen are earning much more than anybody else in the world, then they have themselves to blame. The public have the powers to determine what the athletes earn. If the public stop paying so much to watch the games live or on television or buying expensive tickets and redirect the funds somewhere else, the athletes will earn much less than they earn today. However, it is in doubt whether this change in priority is possible if the obsession of the public with sporting activity is anything to go by. The public allover the world is becoming more dependants on sports as a source of entertainment with the loyalty to certain sporting activity increasing.

However, it should be noted that the fans are not fully responsible for the huge salaries because other factors also play a part in the determination of the salaries. There are several interest groups such as managers of big multinational corporations who are able to use their influence to lobby for restrictions that favor them. These corporate managers have been able to use the sporting personality to market their products due to the great obsession the general public have had with prominent athletes. Owners of some of these players have received huge sponsorship from big companies which is enough to pay the athletes without the support of the central government. The corporate involvement in the sporting activities is also a major factor that contributes to the large salaries given to athletes. This factor is also dependent on the choices made by the fans. If the sporting activity has large number of fans, it is likely to attract more corporate managers to sponsor the activities. The loyalty of the public to athletics and other sports is therefore the main factor contributing to the huge salaries paid by sportsmen.

Teachers and other professionals have complained that despite the value that is given to education, their earning compared to sportsmen is not comparable. However, it is evident from these complains that the American society does not give as much value to education as to entertainment accrued from sporting activities. The Americans should therefore not complain about educators being paid less to educate their children than the athletes. The Americans are willing to pay athletes more than they are willing to pay for their childrens education. For this reason, a prominent athlete today is capable of earning in one season more than most of the highly learned professionals are likely to earn in their lifetime. Despite the high number of Americans attending athletics event allover the country and adoring great athletes, some of the athletes have been surrounded by many controversies. The behaviors of some of the professional athletes outside the field which has been published by media to the fine details leaves every body wondering whether these personalities are worth being considered as role models to the young American generation. The undesirable behaviors have been directly attributed to the huge salaries these young professional athletes receive (Schneider, 2001).

Despite the large increase in the salaries received by professional athletes in the last few decades, many people have come out to defend the athletes huge pay. The high pay has been considered a positive trend which indicates people in America are becoming more prosperous. The pay rise should not be analyzed by considering the negative aspects of the trend towards other professionals or as a dangerous surge in the profession.

Economists have used the increased salaries paid to professional athletes to analyze the economic power of the American society. This analysis has been useful in the past in the analysis of the alleged declining living standards among the American society. The increasing salaries among the professional athletes indicate that the American society is better off in terms of their economic strength. Despite the declining living standard, the American society has the economic ability to pay the athletes. The society imputes a higher marginal value to their entertainment through sporting. It is also wrong to argue that the Americans are spending more on sports than other important aspects of the society such as education. It is also wrong to conclude that based on the huge pay awarded to the professional athletes, the American society values professional sportsmen and sportswomen than other professionals. For example, the education in the United States spent up to 532 billion dollars while commercial sporting spent a total of 13.1 billion dollars in 1995 (Callahan, p 8). The amount spent on education is therefore not comparable with the amount of money spent on sporting activities despite the huge salaries. The disparity of the salaries received by the professional athletes compared to other professionals is explained by the principle of diminishing marginal utility.

There is one dominant factor that cannot be denied whatsoever. The abidance of professional athletes who have the physical abilities to participate in the rigors activity is very low compared to professionals in other fields. It is relatively easier to train teachers as compared to training athletes. Moreover, one professional athlete has the ability of attracting thousands of funs in the arena and thousand of others in the mass media. Even the best teachers in the world cannot effectively attend to a fraction of such number of students. Most teachers can effectively handle at most twenty five students at a time. This is true for other professionals. The number of professional athletes in the United States is very few compared to the number of individuals joining other professionals every year. For example, while only about forty rookies qualify for to the national basketball association in the country, over forty thousand individuals are awarded PhDs in the United States. The number of professional athletes may be even less. This is a basic reason why there is a large disparities between the salaries paid to the professional sportsmen relative to other professions (Callahan, pp 8).

Conclusion
It is not in doubt that sporting personality including professional athletes receives huge salaries. There has been heated debate on whether the American society has it priorities right by paying huge sums to athletes rather than other professionals such as teachers and doctors. However, the fans are to be blamed for the huge salaries. Despite this, the huge salaries are justified.

I was only five when I first accompanied my father to watch soccer. With full of anticipation, I could not keep my eyes still after hitting the bench seats. The place was full of cheerleaders, the band filled the air, and the smell of popcorns ruled the place. I was eager to see the soccer players themselves although this never made sense to a majority of spectators. My father, noticing the lack of interest in some of the spectators, he quickly turned to me and said that we had gone to exclusively watch soccer. Practically, watching soccer would seem difficult at the age of five as children could miss the ball once it went up in the air. The same applied to me. Once I mastered to follow the ball in the air, I started learning various explanations of the plays the defense, quarterbacks, running pass routes and so forth. My father also taught me about penalties, how they happen, and how they are treated. It was wonderful experience at an early age.

As the adage goes, like father like son I grew up loving soccer just like my father. It happened that all my friends and age mates knew soccer pretty well and did not get to the soccer game for other reasons such as social purposes but to watch soccer they understood the game. At thirteen, I was a strong cheerleader at high school. However, I did not make the cheer team for merit purposes I instead made it a popularity contest and something to do with outfit, social networking and making friendship. This made me not to become a cheerleader again.

I have come to love soccer immensely due to some basic reasons. Almost anyone can play soccer. It is a simple game which all people of different ages can play. Everything one needs is to find something to keep kicking around-and that is soccer This comes from the facts that the first British people used cans as soccer. It is a game not at all complicated. Some sports have complexities which distract them from being games. Contrary to soccer, it is a simple and a lot easy- to- play game.

I have a lot of interest in soccer simply because of the best workout of life which is granted from soccer. Soccer beats any other form of sports when comparing the nature of physical fitness. It does not matter how strong one is if one does not have good endurance, then one is likely to quit. This is quite interesting.

Soccer has become a source of national pride for most countries. An example is Iraq which was in great shreds. Despite this nature, Iraq managed to establish a national soccer team that represented the country during the Summer Olympics. During the opening ceremony, Iraq team came out strongly and receives a standing and enthusiastic response which was very touching. This implies that soccer can truly be a peace building venture, uniting people in times of disagreement.

In may experience in soccer, I have been able to meet all types of people. People who speak in different languages and people who come from several geographical locations are united by soccer. In addition, people from different continents meet and talk about soccer. The same soccer in Europe is the same and only soccer in America. This makes things uniform and interesting. Soccer can therefore be seen to be bringing homogeneity among all kinds of people regardless to class, race and color.

I have loved soccer because I can play it anywhere I feel like. Soccer on grass, on sand on concrete, even on my bedroom floor The ball can be kicked around anywhere one feels like kicking it. No specific place to do the kicking. Restrictions in the place to play soccer do not arise just like in other games and the requirements are-just a ball Other games may need some other requirements which in general complicate matters. The requirements in soccer are just the body (feet and head and sometimes the chest) and the ball. Obviously you need a ball and without it, it can never be called soccer.

Soccer can be played solo. Incase one finds no one to play with, it is possible to playa alone. It is a different scenario that is observed in basketball where at least two people have to be present in order to play the game or practice. Soccer is best played either alone or with someone and this gives it an advantage that it can be played anytime and anywhere without the need of anyone.

Among the most elements I admire in soccer is the international standard of soccer. Soccer can comfortably be termed as a world sport without making any flaws. It is the world most popular game that is enjoyed by people from all walks of life. All the continents have embraced soccer which only began from the west region. People from other continents have even become champions and can challenge the place where soccer was invented. Like American roulette, even the maker was not able to win the bets However, soccer is not all about luck but is about the tactics. Generally, these are some of the aspects that captivate my personal interest in soccer. I love soccer and will continue to love it No other game comes near.

Identify the three components of neuromuscular control.

The nervous system controls the contraction and relaxation of muscles bringing about movement. The brain is the part of the body that deals with the coordination of muscle movements. Neurons relay both voluntary and autonomic signal from the brain to the muscles. Neuromuscular control is composed of three components. These include volitional control, which is the conscious control of muscles or in other words voluntary control of muscles. The other component of neuromuscular control is the reflex responses. A good example of this is correction of balance while standing on one leg. Reflex response implies that information from the central nervous system must be accurately relayed to the muscles. The last component is the complex, functional movement (Denegar, Saliba  Saliba, 2009).

Differentiate between neuromuscular control deficits and muscle atrophy as causes of muscular weakness.
Muscle atrophy is in other words referred to as wasting of muscle tissue. There are two types of muscle wasting disuse atrophy and neurogenic atrophy. Disuse atrophy results from failure to exercise regularly. Muscle atrophy in many people results from lack of enough use of muscles. People who have jobs that do not entail constant motion have a high risk of developing muscle atrophy. This type of atrophy can be corrected with regular exercise. Decreased muscle tone occurs in bedridden people and astronauts who are far away from earths gravity. The other type of atrophy, neurogenic atrophy, occurs as a result of an injury to, or disease of nerves. Diseases that affect the nerves include poliomyelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Giullain-Bare syndrome. Strength of muscles decreases with age. Exercise is crucial for the development of strong bones and muscles (Lephart  Fu, 2000).

Neuromuscular control deficits lead to an impediment in personal reaction time which is a peripheral reflex. Impairment of movement about a single joint may be associated with the deficits in the regulation of the thresholds of stretch reflex of antagonists and agonist muscles (Denegar, Saliba and Saliba, 2009). Factors affecting nervous control of muscles that leads to stability or instability of the spinal cord are influenced by fatigue and mechanical rigidity of the musculoskeletal system. Rigidity in particular negatively affects the contraction of muscles in the body. Inhibition of neuromuscular control by fatigue is detrimental to runners. Fatigue leads to development of muscle imbalance and reduces neuromuscular response and also alters susceptibility of strain injury in fatigued muscles (Granata, Slota  Wilson, 2004).

Discuss the effects of swelling, pain, and joint instability on neuromuscular control.
Tension as well as of muscle exhaustion leads to muscle pain. Muscle pain is very disturbing to an individual. Stiffness and pain in the joints also leads to discomfort. A lot of joint pain involves some form of swelling  either systemic or local. The inflammatory cascade triggered by injury to the joint in conjunction with the function of the white blood cells results to swelling and redness of the joint and thus pain and immobility. Pain and inflammation of joints negatively affects the nervous control of muscles. Pain greatly hinders nervous stimulation of muscles. An impulse from the central nervous system on reaching a certain joint is not put into effect due to pain and swelling of joints which causes immobility. Swelling, pain and joint instability lead to weakness. Failure of contraction of muscles as a result of pain also leads to weakness. In case joints are frozen and unable to move as a result of inflammation, muscles are not able to cause movement. Weakness may affect one joint or limb. This is clearly illustrated when a single muscle, joint or a nerve is diseased (Denegar, Saliba, and Saliba, 2009).

I. Purpose
The purpose of the lab is to be able to understand caloric expenditure of the human body. In addition, the lab will also help us develop a regression equation that can be used to predict certain values for VO2 and caloric expenditure of the body.

II. Results
Refer to the caloric expenditure data sheet, regression graph and line.

The regression line obtained from other person cannot be used to determine the caloric expenditure of a person. The regression line obtained from other person cannot be used since the predicted equation comes from another group of values. Predicting values using regression line can only be used to predict certain value from the group of interest and not from other group. For example, if a regression line is obtained to predict disease risk of basketball players, then it cannot be used to predict disease risk of baseball players. Thus, someone elses regression line cannot be used to predict my own caloric expenditure.

The regression line obtained from own caloric expenditure cannot be used to predict values of caloric expenditure from maximal levels of exercise. Regression line can only be used to predict values within a certain range of scores. The regression line cannot be used to predict values from other range of scores. For example, if a regression line is used to predict  fat base on  the normal height of a person, then the regression line cannot be used to predict fat of a person base on the maximal height. Thus, one cannot use their own regression to estimate their caloric expenditure at maximal levels of exercise.

Table A
Heart Rate (bpm)VO2 (Lmin)STAGE 1 Steady state1111.05STAGE 2 Steady state1321.53STAGE 3 Steady state1451.8 Table B
ActivityHeart Rate (bpm)Estimated VO2 (Lmin)Estimated Caloric Expenditure (kcalmin)Walking1010.622.99Jogging1681.969.46Stair-Climbing1571.748.40Table C
ActivityTime it takes to lose 1 pound of fat - 3500 kcal (min)Walking1169.98Jogging370.10Stair-Climbing416.89 The table shows the time it takes from to lose a pound of fat from different activities. From the table, one can see that it takes shorter time to lose a pound of fat from jogging than from stair-climbing and walking.

III. Closing paragraph
After completing the laboratory, I have learned a lot about estimating caloric expenditures. First, I have learned to create an equation that will help me estimate my VO2. Second, I have learned to calculate for the estimated caloric expenditure from the estimated VO2. Lastly, I have learned using caloric expenditure to estimate the time it takes to lose fat at different activities such as walking, jogging and climbing up stairs. I thought that the method can be applied to different activities such as weightlifting and running.

IV. Data
a. Regression line and scatterplot of VO2 versus Heart rate

Regression Line
VO2  0.02(HR)   1.4, where HR is the heart rate of the person.

b. Estimated VO2 calculations
Heart rate  101
Estimated VO2  0.02HR   1.4
 0.02(101)   1.4
 2.02   1.4
 0.62

Hear rate  168
Estimated VO2  0.02HR   1.4
 0.02(168)   1.4
 3.36   1.4
 1.96

Heart rate  157
Estimated VO2  0.02HR   1.4
 0.02(157)   1.4
 3.14   1.4
 1.74

c. Estimated Caloric Expenditure calculations
VO2  0.62
4.825 kcalLVO2 X 0.62 LVO2min  (4.825 kcal X 0.62)min
 2.9915 H 2.99
VO2  1.96
4.825 kcalLVO2 X 1.96 LVO2min  (4.825 kcal X 1.96)min
 9.457 H 9.46
VO2  1.74
4.825 kcalLVO2 X 1.74 LVO2min  (4.825 kcal X 1.74)min
 8.3955 H 8.40

d. Time it takes to lose fat calculations
Walking  (3500 kcalslb)(2.9915 kcalmin)
 3500 kcalslb X 1 min2.9915 kcal
 3500 min2.9915
 1169.9816 minutes
Jogging  (3500 kcalslb)(9.457 kcalmin)
 3500 kcalslb X 1 min9.457 kcal
 3500 min9.457
 370.0962 minutes
Stair-Climbing  (3500 kcalslb)(8.3955 kcalmin)
 3500 kcalslb X 1 min8.3955 kcal
 3500 min8.3955
 416.89 minutes
Caloric Expenditure Data Sheet
Subject

MinuteSpeed (mph)Elevation ()VO2 (lmin)Heart Rate (bpm)1281.0511122.581.531323381.8145

TABLE A.
Heart Rate (bpm)VO2 (Lmin)STAGE 1 Steady state1111.05STAGE 2 Steady state1321.53STAGE 3 Steady state1451.8

TABLE B.
ActivityHeart Rate (bpm)Estimated VO2 (Lmin)Estimated Caloric Expenditure (kcalmin)Walking1010.622.99Jogging1681.969.46Stair-Climbing1571.748.40