The story Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher discusses the topic of letting kids slide through school, as long as they are benefiting the school's sports teams, like the mens UConn basketball team has been doing recently. The conflict of prioritizing sports before school is a prominent issue in the book Whale Talk as it is in the real world, specifically on the men’s UConn basketball team.
T.J. refuses to participate in school athletic teams because he hates the fact that athletes are granted special privileges because of their positions on a team. Crutcher shows T.J.’s dislike for the school's athletic department when he says, “Cutter is such a jock school. They pray before games and cajole you to play out of obligation, and fans scream obscenities …show more content…
Like T.J. said, Cutter really revolves around sports, by focusing mainly on their winnings, and doing everything they can so that the odds are in their favor. From T.J.’s use of italics for the word “such”, the reader can infer that he is sick and tired of guys running the school. The school is so enthusiastic about sports that they incorporate religion and unfair advantages, anything to make sure that they win. Not much is different in real life, except the pair of feet change. For example, the men’s basketball team at UConn. Although they may be some of the best basketball players in the country, their academic achievements aren't as hot. “At 8 percent, UConn’s six-year graduation rate for its men’s basketball team is, frankly, a disgrace that can’t remotely be offset by the glories of Monday night’s victory.” (Boston Globe 1). In efforts of winning, schools just barely pass the students through their classes with little to no success, and hardly any learning is being done. School is supposed to be an academic learning experience, not a time focused primarily on sports, of course, there is always a time to play, but school should always be put first. A very low number of
T.J. refuses to participate in school athletic teams because he hates the fact that athletes are granted special privileges because of their positions on a team. Crutcher shows T.J.’s dislike for the school's athletic department when he says, “Cutter is such a jock school. They pray before games and cajole you to play out of obligation, and fans scream obscenities …show more content…
Like T.J. said, Cutter really revolves around sports, by focusing mainly on their winnings, and doing everything they can so that the odds are in their favor. From T.J.’s use of italics for the word “such”, the reader can infer that he is sick and tired of guys running the school. The school is so enthusiastic about sports that they incorporate religion and unfair advantages, anything to make sure that they win. Not much is different in real life, except the pair of feet change. For example, the men’s basketball team at UConn. Although they may be some of the best basketball players in the country, their academic achievements aren't as hot. “At 8 percent, UConn’s six-year graduation rate for its men’s basketball team is, frankly, a disgrace that can’t remotely be offset by the glories of Monday night’s victory.” (Boston Globe 1). In efforts of winning, schools just barely pass the students through their classes with little to no success, and hardly any learning is being done. School is supposed to be an academic learning experience, not a time focused primarily on sports, of course, there is always a time to play, but school should always be put first. A very low number of