Sports of old were competitive activities rooted in heroism and romance. However, today's sporting activities have neither this innocence nor this simplicity. Currently in America, the activities that make up our sports culture are not only the competitive events themselves, but also the processes and issues that underlie and surround them. The giant business of mass broadcasting is closely linked to our sports culture. Indeed, sports and media go together like peanut butter and jelly, like Mickey and Minnie, Darth Vader and Luke. They are closely related and depend on each other to continue growing. Sports media includes television, radio, magazines, newspapers, books, films, and now, most importantly, social media provided by the Internet. Sports media has had its pros and cons, its truths and its lies in the world of sports culture. Sports and media have mutually benefited each other in the market. Although these benefits have had many positive effects, negative or distorted views have also emerged. A negative connotation is felt when the media shapes its viewers' perception of athletes by portraying them in negative or undervalued ways based on racial or gender stereotypes. This negativity can be seen when the media attempts to distort the truth or avoid full coverage. The broadcast industry has given a skewed view of athletes based on their gender or race. One such group that the media tends to misrepresent is female athletes. Female athletes tend to receive less media coverage than male athletes. Often, comments made about female athletes are demeaning or have sexual overtones. Female athletes are recognized and considered notable only because of their attractiveness...... middle of paper ......itake.Works CitedCashmore, Ellis. Sports culture: an A-Z guide. London: Routledge, 2000. Print. Jacobson, Robert. Sports in America: Leisure, Business, Education and Controversy. Detroit, Michigan: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2008. Print. Rein, Kotler I. and B. Shields. “The Future of Sports Media.” The Futurist 41.1: 40-43. ProQuest. Internet. February 10, 2012. Remember the Titans. Real. Boaz Yakin. 2000. Movie. Sharma, Shailendra. “The Effect of Media on Perceptions of Athletes' Gender and Race.” The sports summary. 2002. Internet. February 15, 2012. Sharma, Shailendra. “The Effect of Media on Perceptions of Athletes' Gender and Race.” The Sport Digest 2.9 (2002). Print. “Social media”. Telephone interview. February 10, 2012.Toolen, Tim Toole. “Athlete hero worship rewinds the past.” The spiritual herald. Eastern Tsalagi Publishing Company, May 2011. Web. February 15. 2012.