Michael L Butterworth
Biographic Data
| ID | 254047 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michael L Butterworth |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michael L |
| FAMILY NAME | Butterworth |
| SIGNATURE | BUTTERWORTH M L |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at Austin |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6070-0090 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 144 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 3 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Eileen Gu, Global Politics, and the Rhetoric of Athlete Branding
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu was among the most compelling athletes of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The native Californian’s decision to compete for China made her a subject of intense scrutiny, and her athleticism, intelligence, and conventional good looks made her a global superstar. Against competing claims over her identity, Gu declared her aspirations to inspire young girls and unify people through sport. In using some of the language of social-ju…
On Rhetorical Theory and Criticism in Sport Communication
Using Cummins and Hahn’s review of Communication & Sport as an invitation to consider future directions in research, this commentary suggests sport communication scholars can do more to engage with the contributions of rhetorical theory and criticism. While Cummins and Hahn rightly point to the field’s overall limited engagement with method and theory, they may miss the epistemological assumptions at play which guide the use of method and theory …
Kyrie Irving, vaccine hesitancy, and the politics of rugged individualism
NBA superstar Kyrie Irving has a well-earned reputation for both his elite talent and his unpredictable public commentary. Such expressions have included references to the Earth being flat, advocacy for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and reluctance to proceed with the 2020 basketball season in the midst of a pandemic and resurgent Black Lives Matter movement. He has become most notorious, however, for his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19…
Toward a decolonial American rhetoric: Embracing an Anglo-Latin American dialogue
This essay compares scholarly practices across Anglo and Latin America, showing not only a lack of a real dialogue between scholars from the North and the South but also the scarce dialogue among Latin American scholars themselves. In addition, the significant influence of Eurocentrism in Latin American rhetorical studies explains the strong relationship between discourse studies and rhetoric and the shadow of European standpoints in Latin Americ…
Rhetorics of Democracy in the Americas
Rhetorics of Democracy in the Americas
Democracy is venerated in US political culture, in part because it is our democracy. As a result, we assume that the government and institutions of the United States represent the true and right form of democracy, needed by all. This volume challenges this commonplace belief by putting US politics in the context of the Americas more broadly. Seeking to cultivate conversations among and between the hemispheres, this collection examines local polit…
There Is No Unity, Only Politics: A Reply to Kurtz
Jeff Kurtz offers a substantive response to my essay, “Sport and the Quest for Unity.” Although he takes seriously my claims that “unity” is too often used within sports as a rhetorical means for eliding important cultural, political, and social differences, he also responds by suggesting that I tacitly endorse claims to unity when made on behalf of social justice causes. Moreover, he contends that the unity modeled by social justice advocates is…
Sport and the Quest for Unity: How the Logic of Consensus Undermines Democratic Culture
In response to the political protest of National Football League (NFL) player Colin Kaepernick and subsequent controversial comments from President Donald Trump, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft declared, “There is no greater unifier in this country than sports and, unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics.” Such a sentiment is commonplace in sport, whether it is about race, political affiliations, or responses to tragic events, …
George W. Bush as the “Man in the Arena”: Baseball, Public Memory, and the Rhetorical Redemption of a President
Presidential libraries and museums are important sites for understanding the rhetorical construction of presidential legacies in the United States. The newest of these institutions is the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. The museum assists in the rhetorical redemption of a historically maligned presidency, anchoring President Bush’s legacy in the virtues of masculine, authoritative leadership. This is aided in particular by a …
Sport and Militarism: Contemporary Global Perspectives
Cross-cultural comparisons of religion as 'character: Football and soccer in the United States and Germany
This study compares sports media coverage of American football ('football') in the United States and association football ('soccer') in Germany, with a specific focus on the portrayal of Christian athletes. Specifically, we contend that media coverage of Christian football players in the United States presupposes that religiosity necessarily equates with good character. Thus, American athletes are encouraged to make public declarations of faith a…
Nate Silver and Campaign 2012: Sport, the Statistical Frame, and the Rhetoric of Electoral Forecasting
Political communication scholars have long noted the prevalence of sports metaphors in media coverage of campaigns, especially through references to the "horse race." During the 2012 presidential election, however, a cluster of terms associated with science and math emerged as an alternative model for monitoring the campaigns' progress. This "statistical frame" was best symbolized by Nate Silver, a former baseball analyst whose attention to polit…
Introduction to “Mapping the Terrain”: Shaping the Landscape of Communication and Sport Scholarship
In this introduction to a Communication and Sport special issue on “Mapping the Terrain: Shaping the Landscape of Communication and Sport Scholarship,” guest editors Michael Butterworth and Jeffrey Kassing situate the need for broadening research on communication and sport beyond media studies and media-centric analysis to be inclusive of the breadth of lenses and concerns seen in communication studies. It is noted that this special issue feature…
Public Memorializing in the Stadium: Mediated Sport, the 10 th Anniversary of 9/11, and the Illusion of Democracy
Among the purported virtues of sport, whether through participation or viewership, is its capacity to foster community. In the years since September 11, 2001, the institutions associated with the production of mediated sport have constituted community rhetorically through nationalistic and militaristic rituals and ceremonies. Such ceremonies played a prominent role in the public memorialization of 9/11 on its 10 th anniversary in 2011. Although i…
Militarism and Memorializing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
More than ever, entertainment industries work in concert with the US armed forces in the rhetorical production of militarism. This is especially the case in sport, where leagues such as the National Football League routinely make war imagery and military personnel a focal point of football culture. One such iteration of this relationship is the “Pro Football and the American Spirit” exhibit that is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Understoo…
Public Memory and Penn State: On the “Legacy” of Joe Paterno
In the wake of the child abuse scandal at Penn State, much attention was given to the role of Joe Paterno, who had spent 46 years as the university's head football coach. Paterno's subsequent death, just months after he had been fired by the Board of Trustees, provoked numerous efforts in sports media to determine his 'legacy.' Such attempts to make sense of Paterno's legacy, and to do so immediately, spotlight our collective anxieties and prompt…
Saved at Home: Christian Branding and Faith Nights in the “Church of Baseball”
Baseball has enjoyed its status as the "national pastime" in part because it has been associated with democracy. To the extent that baseball, as an institution of civil religion, fosters pluralism and inclusion, it can indeed be viewed in democratic terms. In recent years, the advent of conservative Christian events called "Faith Nights" threatens the democratic health of the "church of baseball." In particular, Faith Nights depend on a logic of …
Muhammad Ali's Fighting Words: The Paradox of Violence in Nonviolent Rhetoric
While Muhammad Ali has been the subject of countless articles and books written by sports historians and journalists, rhetorical scholars have largely ignored him. This oversight is surprising given both the tradition of social movement scholarship within rhetorical studies and Ali's influential eloquence as a world renowned celebrity espousing nonviolence. Ali's rhetorical performances played a pivotal role in radicalizing the civil rights movem…
American Football, Flags, and âFunâ: The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and the Rhetorical Production of Militarism
The Armed Forces Bowl provides a troubling integration of commercial sport and the American culture of militarism. The game features patriotic displays and symbols that have become increasingly central to sporting events during the 'war on terror,' represents the first time a military manufacturer has been the official sponsor of a college bowl game, and depends on a ubiquitous rhetoric of "support the troops." By expanding the familiar conflatio…
Fox Sports, Super Bowl XLII, and the Affirmation of American Civil Religion
The Politics of the Pitch: Claiming and Contesting Democracy Through the Iraqi National Soccer Team
Sport was among the many cultural resources that George W. Bush used to justify rhetorically the need for war in Iraq. Specifically, he sought to capitalize on the unexpected success of the Iraqi national soccer team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Bush campaign produced a commercial that aired during the two weeks of Olympic coverage, in which Bush was credited with spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. Simultaneously, the p…
Pitchers and Catchers: Mike Piazza and the Discourse of Gay Identity in the National Pastime
This essay identifies the recent discursive formation that has emerged about gay players in the 'American game.' In particular, media reports speculating that New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza could be gay spotlight the tensions that historically have been part of baseball culture. The author's argument suggests that Piazza's on-field performances of gender shifted to rearticulate his identity in terms of hegemonic masculinity. In this specific c…
Ritual in the “Church of Baseball”: Suppressing the Discourse of Democracy after 9/11
Baseball was among the most prominent American institutions to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Tributes at ballparks across the country promised comfort to millions in shock but soon developed into rituals of victimization that affirmed the Bush administration's politics of war, discouraged the expression of dissenting opinions, and burdened the nation with yet another disincentive to reflect constructively on its response…
American Football, Flags, and âFunâ: The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and the Rhetorical Production of Militarism
The Armed Forces Bowl provides a troubling integration of commercial sport and the American culture of militarism. The game features patriotic displays and symbols that have become increasingly central to sporting events during the 'war on terror,' represents the first time a military manufacturer has been the official sponsor of a college bowl game, and depends on a ubiquitous rhetoric of "support the troops." By expanding the familiar conflatio…
Fox Sports, Super Bowl XLII, and the Affirmation of American Civil Religion
Pitchers and Catchers: Mike Piazza and the Discourse of Gay Identity in the National Pastime
This essay identifies the recent discursive formation that has emerged about gay players in the 'American game.' In particular, media reports speculating that New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza could be gay spotlight the tensions that historically have been part of baseball culture. The author's argument suggests that Piazza's on-field performances of gender shifted to rearticulate his identity in terms of hegemonic masculinity. In this specific c…
Militarism and Memorializing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
More than ever, entertainment industries work in concert with the US armed forces in the rhetorical production of militarism. This is especially the case in sport, where leagues such as the National Football League routinely make war imagery and military personnel a focal point of football culture. One such iteration of this relationship is the “Pro Football and the American Spirit” exhibit that is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Understoo…
The Politics of the Pitch: Claiming and Contesting Democracy Through the Iraqi National Soccer Team
Sport was among the many cultural resources that George W. Bush used to justify rhetorically the need for war in Iraq. Specifically, he sought to capitalize on the unexpected success of the Iraqi national soccer team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Bush campaign produced a commercial that aired during the two weeks of Olympic coverage, in which Bush was credited with spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. Simultaneously, the p…
Ritual in the “Church of Baseball”: Suppressing the Discourse of Democracy after 9/11
Baseball was among the most prominent American institutions to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Tributes at ballparks across the country promised comfort to millions in shock but soon developed into rituals of victimization that affirmed the Bush administration's politics of war, discouraged the expression of dissenting opinions, and burdened the nation with yet another disincentive to reflect constructively on its response…
Sport and the Quest for Unity: How the Logic of Consensus Undermines Democratic Culture
In response to the political protest of National Football League (NFL) player Colin Kaepernick and subsequent controversial comments from President Donald Trump, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft declared, “There is no greater unifier in this country than sports and, unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics.” Such a sentiment is commonplace in sport, whether it is about race, political affiliations, or responses to tragic events, …
Public Memorializing in the Stadium: Mediated Sport, the 10 th Anniversary of 9/11, and the Illusion of Democracy
Among the purported virtues of sport, whether through participation or viewership, is its capacity to foster community. In the years since September 11, 2001, the institutions associated with the production of mediated sport have constituted community rhetorically through nationalistic and militaristic rituals and ceremonies. Such ceremonies played a prominent role in the public memorialization of 9/11 on its 10 th anniversary in 2011. Although i…
On Rhetorical Theory and Criticism in Sport Communication
Using Cummins and Hahn’s review of Communication & Sport as an invitation to consider future directions in research, this commentary suggests sport communication scholars can do more to engage with the contributions of rhetorical theory and criticism. While Cummins and Hahn rightly point to the field’s overall limited engagement with method and theory, they may miss the epistemological assumptions at play which guide the use of method and theory …
Toward a decolonial American rhetoric: Embracing an Anglo-Latin American dialogue
This essay compares scholarly practices across Anglo and Latin America, showing not only a lack of a real dialogue between scholars from the North and the South but also the scarce dialogue among Latin American scholars themselves. In addition, the significant influence of Eurocentrism in Latin American rhetorical studies explains the strong relationship between discourse studies and rhetoric and the shadow of European standpoints in Latin Americ…
Kyrie Irving, vaccine hesitancy, and the politics of rugged individualism
NBA superstar Kyrie Irving has a well-earned reputation for both his elite talent and his unpredictable public commentary. Such expressions have included references to the Earth being flat, advocacy for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and reluctance to proceed with the 2020 basketball season in the midst of a pandemic and resurgent Black Lives Matter movement. He has become most notorious, however, for his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19…
There Is No Unity, Only Politics: A Reply to Kurtz
Jeff Kurtz offers a substantive response to my essay, “Sport and the Quest for Unity.” Although he takes seriously my claims that “unity” is too often used within sports as a rhetorical means for eliding important cultural, political, and social differences, he also responds by suggesting that I tacitly endorse claims to unity when made on behalf of social justice causes. Moreover, he contends that the unity modeled by social justice advocates is…
George W. Bush as the “Man in the Arena”: Baseball, Public Memory, and the Rhetorical Redemption of a President
Presidential libraries and museums are important sites for understanding the rhetorical construction of presidential legacies in the United States. The newest of these institutions is the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. The museum assists in the rhetorical redemption of a historically maligned presidency, anchoring President Bush’s legacy in the virtues of masculine, authoritative leadership. This is aided in particular by a …
Public Memory and Penn State: On the “Legacy” of Joe Paterno
In the wake of the child abuse scandal at Penn State, much attention was given to the role of Joe Paterno, who had spent 46 years as the university's head football coach. Paterno's subsequent death, just months after he had been fired by the Board of Trustees, provoked numerous efforts in sports media to determine his 'legacy.' Such attempts to make sense of Paterno's legacy, and to do so immediately, spotlight our collective anxieties and prompt…
Saved at Home: Christian Branding and Faith Nights in the “Church of Baseball”
Baseball has enjoyed its status as the "national pastime" in part because it has been associated with democracy. To the extent that baseball, as an institution of civil religion, fosters pluralism and inclusion, it can indeed be viewed in democratic terms. In recent years, the advent of conservative Christian events called "Faith Nights" threatens the democratic health of the "church of baseball." In particular, Faith Nights depend on a logic of …
Ritual in the “Church of Baseball”: Suppressing the Discourse of Democracy after 9/11
Baseball was among the most prominent American institutions to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Tributes at ballparks across the country promised comfort to millions in shock but soon developed into rituals of victimization that affirmed the Bush administration's politics of war, discouraged the expression of dissenting opinions, and burdened the nation with yet another disincentive to reflect constructively on its response…
Pitchers and Catchers: Mike Piazza and the Discourse of Gay Identity in the National Pastime
This essay identifies the recent discursive formation that has emerged about gay players in the 'American game.' In particular, media reports speculating that New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza could be gay spotlight the tensions that historically have been part of baseball culture. The author's argument suggests that Piazza's on-field performances of gender shifted to rearticulate his identity in terms of hegemonic masculinity. In this specific c…
The Politics of the Pitch: Claiming and Contesting Democracy Through the Iraqi National Soccer Team
Sport was among the many cultural resources that George W. Bush used to justify rhetorically the need for war in Iraq. Specifically, he sought to capitalize on the unexpected success of the Iraqi national soccer team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Bush campaign produced a commercial that aired during the two weeks of Olympic coverage, in which Bush was credited with spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. Simultaneously, the p…
Fox Sports, Super Bowl XLII, and the Affirmation of American Civil Religion
American Football, Flags, and âFunâ: The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and the Rhetorical Production of Militarism
The Armed Forces Bowl provides a troubling integration of commercial sport and the American culture of militarism. The game features patriotic displays and symbols that have become increasingly central to sporting events during the 'war on terror,' represents the first time a military manufacturer has been the official sponsor of a college bowl game, and depends on a ubiquitous rhetoric of "support the troops." By expanding the familiar conflatio…
Saved at Home: Christian Branding and Faith Nights in the “Church of Baseball”
Baseball has enjoyed its status as the "national pastime" in part because it has been associated with democracy. To the extent that baseball, as an institution of civil religion, fosters pluralism and inclusion, it can indeed be viewed in democratic terms. In recent years, the advent of conservative Christian events called "Faith Nights" threatens the democratic health of the "church of baseball." In particular, Faith Nights depend on a logic of …
Muhammad Ali's Fighting Words: The Paradox of Violence in Nonviolent Rhetoric
While Muhammad Ali has been the subject of countless articles and books written by sports historians and journalists, rhetorical scholars have largely ignored him. This oversight is surprising given both the tradition of social movement scholarship within rhetorical studies and Ali's influential eloquence as a world renowned celebrity espousing nonviolence. Ali's rhetorical performances played a pivotal role in radicalizing the civil rights movem…
Militarism and Memorializing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
More than ever, entertainment industries work in concert with the US armed forces in the rhetorical production of militarism. This is especially the case in sport, where leagues such as the National Football League routinely make war imagery and military personnel a focal point of football culture. One such iteration of this relationship is the “Pro Football and the American Spirit” exhibit that is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Understoo…
Public Memory and Penn State: On the “Legacy” of Joe Paterno
In the wake of the child abuse scandal at Penn State, much attention was given to the role of Joe Paterno, who had spent 46 years as the university's head football coach. Paterno's subsequent death, just months after he had been fired by the Board of Trustees, provoked numerous efforts in sports media to determine his 'legacy.' Such attempts to make sense of Paterno's legacy, and to do so immediately, spotlight our collective anxieties and prompt…
Public Memorializing in the Stadium: Mediated Sport, the 10 th Anniversary of 9/11, and the Illusion of Democracy
Among the purported virtues of sport, whether through participation or viewership, is its capacity to foster community. In the years since September 11, 2001, the institutions associated with the production of mediated sport have constituted community rhetorically through nationalistic and militaristic rituals and ceremonies. Such ceremonies played a prominent role in the public memorialization of 9/11 on its 10 th anniversary in 2011. Although i…
Nate Silver and Campaign 2012: Sport, the Statistical Frame, and the Rhetoric of Electoral Forecasting
Political communication scholars have long noted the prevalence of sports metaphors in media coverage of campaigns, especially through references to the "horse race." During the 2012 presidential election, however, a cluster of terms associated with science and math emerged as an alternative model for monitoring the campaigns' progress. This "statistical frame" was best symbolized by Nate Silver, a former baseball analyst whose attention to polit…
Introduction to “Mapping the Terrain”: Shaping the Landscape of Communication and Sport Scholarship
In this introduction to a Communication and Sport special issue on “Mapping the Terrain: Shaping the Landscape of Communication and Sport Scholarship,” guest editors Michael Butterworth and Jeffrey Kassing situate the need for broadening research on communication and sport beyond media studies and media-centric analysis to be inclusive of the breadth of lenses and concerns seen in communication studies. It is noted that this special issue feature…
Sport and Militarism: Contemporary Global Perspectives
Cross-cultural comparisons of religion as 'character: Football and soccer in the United States and Germany
This study compares sports media coverage of American football ('football') in the United States and association football ('soccer') in Germany, with a specific focus on the portrayal of Christian athletes. Specifically, we contend that media coverage of Christian football players in the United States presupposes that religiosity necessarily equates with good character. Thus, American athletes are encouraged to make public declarations of faith a…
George W. Bush as the “Man in the Arena”: Baseball, Public Memory, and the Rhetorical Redemption of a President
Presidential libraries and museums are important sites for understanding the rhetorical construction of presidential legacies in the United States. The newest of these institutions is the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. The museum assists in the rhetorical redemption of a historically maligned presidency, anchoring President Bush’s legacy in the virtues of masculine, authoritative leadership. This is aided in particular by a …
There Is No Unity, Only Politics: A Reply to Kurtz
Jeff Kurtz offers a substantive response to my essay, “Sport and the Quest for Unity.” Although he takes seriously my claims that “unity” is too often used within sports as a rhetorical means for eliding important cultural, political, and social differences, he also responds by suggesting that I tacitly endorse claims to unity when made on behalf of social justice causes. Moreover, he contends that the unity modeled by social justice advocates is…
Sport and the Quest for Unity: How the Logic of Consensus Undermines Democratic Culture
In response to the political protest of National Football League (NFL) player Colin Kaepernick and subsequent controversial comments from President Donald Trump, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft declared, “There is no greater unifier in this country than sports and, unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics.” Such a sentiment is commonplace in sport, whether it is about race, political affiliations, or responses to tragic events, …
Rhetorics of Democracy in the Americas
Rhetorics of Democracy in the Americas
Democracy is venerated in US political culture, in part because it is our democracy. As a result, we assume that the government and institutions of the United States represent the true and right form of democracy, needed by all. This volume challenges this commonplace belief by putting US politics in the context of the Americas more broadly. Seeking to cultivate conversations among and between the hemispheres, this collection examines local polit…
Toward a decolonial American rhetoric: Embracing an Anglo-Latin American dialogue
This essay compares scholarly practices across Anglo and Latin America, showing not only a lack of a real dialogue between scholars from the North and the South but also the scarce dialogue among Latin American scholars themselves. In addition, the significant influence of Eurocentrism in Latin American rhetorical studies explains the strong relationship between discourse studies and rhetoric and the shadow of European standpoints in Latin Americ…
Kyrie Irving, vaccine hesitancy, and the politics of rugged individualism
NBA superstar Kyrie Irving has a well-earned reputation for both his elite talent and his unpredictable public commentary. Such expressions have included references to the Earth being flat, advocacy for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and reluctance to proceed with the 2020 basketball season in the midst of a pandemic and resurgent Black Lives Matter movement. He has become most notorious, however, for his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19…
Eileen Gu, Global Politics, and the Rhetoric of Athlete Branding
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu was among the most compelling athletes of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The native Californian’s decision to compete for China made her a subject of intense scrutiny, and her athleticism, intelligence, and conventional good looks made her a global superstar. Against competing claims over her identity, Gu declared her aspirations to inspire young girls and unify people through sport. In using some of the language of social-ju…
On Rhetorical Theory and Criticism in Sport Communication
Using Cummins and Hahn’s review of Communication & Sport as an invitation to consider future directions in research, this commentary suggests sport communication scholars can do more to engage with the contributions of rhetorical theory and criticism. While Cummins and Hahn rightly point to the field’s overall limited engagement with method and theory, they may miss the epistemological assumptions at play which guide the use of method and theory …
Political science (21 works) · Sociology (19 works) · Law (17 works) · Politics (14 works) · Law (13 works) · Sports, Gender, and Society (13 works) · Media studies (11 works) · Rhetoric and Communication Studies (10 works) · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts (10 works) · Art (8 works)