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Image Restoration in the Apologetic Rhetoric of Professional

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Image Restoration in the Apologetic Rhetoric of Professional IMAGE RESTORATION IN THE APOLOGETIC RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES: A CASE STUDY OF TIGER WOODS, KOBE BRYANT, AND MICHAEL PHELPS by Adam Epstein A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL May 2017 Copyright by Adam Epstein 2017 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would first like to thank my wife Nicole, my parents, sister and extended family for their unconditional support and patience throughout this process. The extended years of study were not easy for those around me. Without them, this accomplishment would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my Thesis advisor Dr. Becky Mulvaney for the tolerance to work with me for these past years. Her guidance has allowed me the opportunity to finish my research and become a better version of myself in the process. Lastly, I must thank Mrs. Jamie Spooner for her tireless help reading, proofreading and reading again over the years. Thank you. iv ABSTRACT Author: Adam Epstein Title: Image Restoration in the Apologetic in the Apologetic Rhetoric of Professional Athletes: A Case Study of Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Phelps Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Becky Mulvaney Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2017 This purpose of this study is to investigate the apologetic rhetoric of professional athletes’ off-field scandals. The three case studies used were Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Phelps. A genre analysis was conducted to determine the success or failure of the speech by examining the image repair strategies used during the rhetoric. Further research revealed that the audiences’ perception plays a large role in determining if the rhetoric was successful or not. Two factors that aid the audience are the medium in which the public address was given, and the time it took to deliver the speech once the off-field scandal took place. The findings determined that Tiger Woods apologia was not successful, while Kobe Bryant’s was successful. The rhetoric of Michael Phelps’ speech lacked in delivery and strategies chosen. To have a successful apologia, one should have a clear use of strategies as well as a timely public address. v IMAGE RESTORATION IN THE APOLOGETIC RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES: A CASE STUDY OF TIGER WOODS, KOBE BRYANT, AND MICHAEL PHELPS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Background ............................................................................................................. 2 Thesis Questions ..................................................................................................... 3 Literature Review.................................................................................................... 4 i. The Rhetoric of Apologia ..................................................................... 4 ii. Apologia and Image Restoration .......................................................... 6 Types of Apologia................................................................................................... 9 i. Political Apologia ................................................................................. 9 ii. Religious Apologia ............................................................................... 9 iii. Athletic Apologia ................................................................................ 10 iv. Criticism of Image Repair Theory ...................................................... 12 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 15 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 16 i. Genre Criticism ................................................................................... 16 ii. Criticisms of Genre Analysis .............................................................. 20 iii. The Apologia Genre ............................................................................ 22 Selection of Case Studies ...................................................................................... 26 Artifacts................................................................................................................. 27 vi Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 27 CHAPTER THREE: CASE STUDY 1: TIGER WOODS ............................................... 28 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 28 Context .................................................................................................................. 28 Analysis................................................................................................................. 31 Woods' Apologia Strategies .................................................................................. 33 i. Denial .................................................................................................. 33 ii. Evading of Responsibility ................................................................... 34 iii. Reducing Offensiveness of Event ....................................................... 34 iv. Corrective Action ................................................................................ 37 v. Mortification ....................................................................................... 39 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 40 CHAPTER FOUR: CASE STUDY 2: KOBE BRYANT ................................................ 44 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 44 Context .................................................................................................................. 44 Analysis................................................................................................................. 46 Bryant's Apologia Strategies ................................................................................. 47 i. Denial .................................................................................................. 48 ii. Evading of Responsibilities ................................................................ 48 iii. Reducing Offensiveness of Event ....................................................... 48 iv. Corrective Action ................................................................................ 49 v. Mortification ....................................................................................... 49 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 51 vii CHAPTER FIVE: CASE STUDY 3: MICHAEL PHELPS ............................................. 54 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 54 Context .................................................................................................................. 54 Analysis................................................................................................................. 57 Phelps' Apologia Strategies .................................................................................. 58 i. Denial and Evading of Responsibilities .............................................. 58 ii. Reducing Offensiveness of Event ....................................................... 58 iii. Corrective Action ................................................................................ 59 iv. Mortification ....................................................................................... 60 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 62 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................... 64 i. Summary of Findings .......................................................................... 64 ii. Limitations and Further Research ....................................................... 70 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 73 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 79 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Five Strategies and Key Characteristics of Mortification ................................... 25 Table 2: Strategies Employed in Tiger Woods’ Apology Speech .................................... 42 Table 3: Kobe Bryant’s use of Benoit’s IRT in His Apologia .......................................... 52 Table 4: Michael Phelps’ Employment of Benoit’s IRT Strategies in his Apology ......... 62 Table 5: Summary of Apology Techniques Employed by Aforementioned Athletes ...... 67 ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The professional sports world has a vast following, and with the help of today's technologies, sports events have spread to all corners of the globe. With increased viewership comes an increased fan base. However, multitudes of fans mean athletes have an increasingly difficult time keeping their private lives private. The media and the public have become increasingly interested in the misfortunes
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