Inside JMS

Kevin Stoker

Welcome to Inside JMS the stories behind the people who work at the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies. I'm Kevin Stoker, I'm the director of the school. Today we have our good colleague and new colleague, Bumsoo Park. Or more correctly in Korean, it would be Puck Bumsoo. But we also have here my colleague and sidekick, Dave Nourse.

Dave Nourse

Always a pleasure to be here, my friend

Kevin Stoker

And we're really excited to talk to Bumsoo today. Bumsoo, you know, kind of tell us about your experiences and coming to the US and going to school. I think you started at Florida State. So Bumsoo only goes to schools with good football, football teams. And he went to Florida State and then of course, he went to my alma mater, Alabama, so Bumsoo tell us about getting to Florida State and then going to Alabama.

Bumsoo Park

Okay, first of all, thank you for having me today. Yeah, I'm so excited to be here. And think about ah, first, yeah, I came to United States in 2015 to pursue my graduate studies. So I did my master's degree at Florida State University. And then I got my PhD from University of Alabama. So I naturally became a college football fan. Yeah. So 2015 Yeah. At Florida State University. Right after Jameis Winston left there. Yeah.

Kevin Stoker

Timing. Terrible time. Yeah.

Bumsoo Park

But good thing is 2018 when I first started my PhD, Alabama played Georgia at the national championship game. So since then, yeah, I became a huge college football fan. Even though I grew up playing soccer, for most of my life. Yeah. Nowadays. Yeah. Football is one of my favorite sports.

Kevin Stoker

That's great. Are there other sports you really like?

Bumsoo Park

Other sports? During the pandemic? Yeah, I start golfing. And then I really enjoy playing. Yeah.

Kevin Stoker

So Bumsoo is interesting, because Bumsoo has actually been a caddy at a professional golfing event. Tell us about that Bumsoo.

Bumsoo Park

I think about a month ago or Yeah, three weeks ago, at Epson tour. So one of my friends, good friends, she when John asked me, Would you be a caddy for me for the last term running? So I already made the LPGA tournament for next year? I think it's going to be good. Yeah, memory for both of us. So I asked my boss, and can I go? Because then he said yes.

Dave Nourse

So Kevin, did he have to twist your arm?

Kevin Stoker

You know, I'm a firm believer in adventures. And that would be an adventure to do that. If he hadn't done it. I'd have gone. Absolutely.

Dave Nourse

So tell me about the experience. What was that experience like?

Bumsoo Park

It's hard to explain with a one word. I think the the tournament was in Daytona Beach in Florida. So I flew there. And then I caddy. I was caddy for her for too long to restaurant, and then I follow her. And I just feel lies. There are so many things I need to prepare for her for one player. I think that if she her tea time was like 8am in the morning, and I had to be there like six something. So 3am

Dave Nourse

Pacific time? Yes.

Kevin Stoker

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Bumsoo Park

So and then during the tournament, I think that I have to walk like 18 holes, carrying a bag having bags and to be to be professional. Yeah. And that especially under greens. There are so many things I need to think about consider when I play which I don't think when I play actually I think I have to see other players lie and the bowls and everything. So it was tough to be honest, but it was worth it that experiencing as a caddy. And I enjoyed a lot. Yeah,

Kevin Stoker

yeah, but and she played pretty well, right? Yes,

Bumsoo Park

she was okay. Yeah, she quits it before that Tony And I think that she already made. Yeah, she already got the APGA pro card.

Kevin Stoker

Yeah, that's great. That's great. So also, you know, bumps who has friends in professional golfers among the men's league and PGA and they had the Shriners here, and you went and hung out with one of the golfers and he actually played really well.

Bumsoo Park

Yes, he ended up like seventh place. I think that yeah, that's great. Yes. I got to know him when I was in Florida. Cuz my friend attend. He he is very close to Koh Li and he introduced me and then asked me to follow when kh li play for the tournament in Florida. So I follow him like a 434 tournaments. And he is very, I think that nice guy friendly. So that's how I got to know him. And then since I moved to Las Vegas, I checked the PGA tournament schedule, and I found out oh, there is a tournament in Las Vegas, a Shriners club, so why not? Yeah, I feel like, yeah. I just follow him, like, for four days. And then after the tournament, he gave me a little gift. So Well, that's nice. Yes.

Kevin Stoker

We'll see the reason we're asking you all these questions. There's a reason there is Bumsoo's specialty his research area is sports. And, you know, so tell us about how that came about? How did you all of a sudden become a sports scholar? Ah,

Bumsoo Park

yeah, that's very good question. So, like you mentioned, I do sports research, not only because I'm a huge sports fan, but because sports meant a lot to me, and society. So my all my sports research stem from my personal experience and curiosity. And why I was in Korea, I, I experienced so many good sporting events such as 22,002, Korea, in Japan World Cup, I truly experience people get together and then true, I enjoy that. I see the true joy inside and outside field and stadium. So that's the moment I want to study more about sports. And then nowadays, yeah, of course, in the United States, why I came to United States, I want to learn more about sports, how sports play a role in the society, from many different perspective.

Kevin Stoker

Well, speaking about perspectives at Florida State, you were in the sports management master's program, yes. But then you went to Alabama, and you're in more of a sports media program. Tell me about that transition,

Bumsoo Park

because I realized media has an important role in sports. So I want to dive more into how media can impact sports in general, people's perception about crisis, athlete transgression, or about that's why I want to know more about communication and media, in the context of sports, and I decided to pursue my PhD at Alabama. So I searched and I read a great research articles from Dr. Billings, Dr. Brown. So that's why I decided to pursue my PhD in communication.

Kevin Stoker

And I should say that Andrew billings is considered one of the top scholars in sports media research. And, and he's at Alabama. So tell us, you know, talk to us about kind of some of the research search really has you that that's been really fulfilling and interesting for you and what you're working on now. My current research project well, first, let's talk about past research. What What were the what if you had your favorite piece that you've had published? What would it be? What was it about?

Bumsoo Park

One of my favorite past research was about athlete activism, especially about Colin Kaepernick X protest, and how people differently perceive that action, that incident and I was more surprised that Nike featured him in their campaign. So I want to know more about the things and then how, why and how people think like that. So I firstly, focus on media effect on people's perception about athlete activism. And then from marketers perspective, how this sponsorship or Nike advertising affect, yeah. Colin Kaepernick and the brand. So I found out, yeah, as men mentioned earlier, media play important law, how people perceived athlete activism, depending on their prior perception about the protests and issue, and Nikes Yeah, from the marketer marketing perspective, depending on people's perception about Colin Kaepernick ex protests, it has a different effect if people perceive Colin Kaepernick protests is fair, or have a positive attitude toward Colin Kaepernick. So what Colin Kaepernick was doing there, I think the positive image was transferred to Nike, the brand whose which sponsored Colin Kaepernick so

Kevin Stoker

and for those who did not support him, did that transfer to Nike as well,

Bumsoo Park

negatively? So if they perceive Colin Kaepernick ex protest was not fair or was not good. Yeah, their negative image or attitude toward the Colin Kaepernick, I think that transferred to the sponsored the brand.

Dave Nourse

So you're doing some more research, currently, that I know is. You know, if you think about kind of where the energy and the excitement is, in sports research, a lot of it revolves around NIHL, name, image and likeness. So you're doing some research with some of your colleagues here. And I know you're just kind of in the initial stages, but what are you really excited about what you're doing today. And, you know, as you think about where your research trajectory is ultimately going to take you over the next couple of years, maybe give us a little bit of insight into what you're currently working on.

Bumsoo Park

Okay. When NCAA first adopt the NFL policy, I had a conversation with my colleagues about this policy, whether this is good or not. So from professors perspective, first, I was very interesting how we can manage student athletes more properly, or how can we teach them to take advantage of NIR policy? Of course, naturally, I want to search I want to examine how other people perceive NIHL. So I firstly take a look at Twitter. What, what what people Yeah, tweet about NIHL. So I scrolled the tweet, I think the from when Anya first was adopted, and then for a one year period, and then depending on their I think, stake depending on their organizations, for example, journalism, how journalists perceive or how journalists tweet about NFL and how university or sports organization tweet NIHL. So, surprisingly, I found, yeah, that tweet, there's Twitter was so much different in terms of their sentiment, and then the words they are using something like that. So, of course, university or organization, they are concerned about some negative impact of NIHL on institution and athlete because not all the student athlete can take advantage of NIHL and there is some downside of NIHL. So that's why and interestingly, there are a lot of tweet from lawyer because they can take advantage of it. They're gonna NIR policy. So they tweet mostly very positive things about Enya because it's going to be new opportunity for student athlete and they can profit their name, image and likeness while they are playing for about college because not all the college athletes student athlete can make the Pro. Yeah.

Dave Nourse

If you think about the energy and the interest in this. I mean, you're in the right place at the right time. Las Vegas is ZE you know growing sports hub in America, a between what we have happening over the next couple of months with f1 and the Super Bowl, but Major League Baseball eventually coming to town and a few years, the Golden Knights and the ACES having World Championships. It's a pretty exciting place what? And I can understand from a sports researchers perspective, the allure, but maybe talk to us a little bit since you're relatively new to town VM. So what is it that drew you to UNLV? Specifically?

Bumsoo Park

All because of I think the university and the program, obviously, because I want to add a junior scholar and junior professor, I want to grow, I want to develop myself. At the same time, I want to contribute to the program, and University. And I found out Las Vegas and UNLV is the perfect place for me to pursue my career and continue my career. As a sports scholar. As you mentioned, there are a lot of sporting events around in town. So I can I want to examine more about your sporting events. Yeah. And then how university can our university students can actually take advantage of the kind of sporting events at a Communication and Media students? There are a lot of opportunities for them. So that's great.

Kevin Stoker

Well, tell us about what was like growing up in you grew up in Seoul, right. Tell us about, you know, your, your growing up years and what was that like? And I know you went to a very good university there. You played soccer. You know, give us give us a taste of what it was like to grow up in, in Seoul, Korea.

Bumsoo Park

So Korea. So I was born and raised in Seoul, Korea, I grew up in a big family. I have three older sisters. And I lived with my grand mother. So family members, seven family members. And then I grew up playing soccer there. And so talking more about the Sol Sol is very similar to Manhattan. Very I think about city skyscraper first and then. So I think that I think that I just took for granted about what I had before like public transportations, and restaurants and things, hospitals and everything. While I was in Korea, and as we talk about the first city I landed in the United States, was Tallahassee, even though it's capital city of Florida, my back kind of experience lower my expectation about the United States, even wars to pursue my PhD, I moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I don't think not many people actually have been there before. And then I think I got used to that kind of college town because I play sports. And that's perfect. No traffic's I think I naturally I think the gut use this surroundings. So whenever I visit my family in South Korea, I feel like ah, I don't belong here anymore. Yes.

Kevin Stoker

Tell us a little bit about your teaching philosophy.

Bumsoo Park

teaching philosophy. So in terms of teaching philosophy, so I try to become a more become a professor who can approach can be approachable, so based on my experience as a student, so, of course, there are some professors I admire. At the same time, there are some professors that I didn't like. So

Kevin Stoker

I can't imagine you not liking somebody bumped suit.

Bumsoo Park

So I try to input what works best for me when I was a student. That's what I'm trying to do. So I've tried to more try to approach my students. But still, I have a very strict Yeah, class policy at the same time. You want to personally, I want to very Yeah, become a very yet. approachable, Professor. That's

Kevin Stoker

good. Yeah. Well, one of the things that attracted This to you was your ability to teach both in public relations and advertising and sports to add that dimension. That's pretty unique. And because most of the time we think about sports journalist. Sure. And we're not thinking in terms of sports, marketing, sports, you know, public relations and stuff. How's it have you kind of felt like you've that this idea of strategic sports communication is kind of a great area to be in, but also a great area to teach.

Bumsoo Park

Yeah, that's, that's very good point, a gray area to teach and develop. But that's something I'm very interested in. Because based on my experience, as a students as a sport scholar, so I just realize why people's use strategically use as their endorsement or advertising and athletes nowadays, they are involved so many different issues, how we can prepare things for them to manage their reputation, something like that. So based on my experience, so for that class, stitch exports communication. I want to focus more on the cases first, try to teach students I think that they already know but they haven't I think the learn that in the in the classroom. So how many adverts sports advertisers and televisions? As you can assume there are many, many Yes, sports advertisements, and in the newspaper, how many Yeah, issues are related sports, something like that. So based on from their, from the cases, I want to analyze, and then delve more into how sports and why sports are statistically communicated and used.

Dave Nourse

So we've talked a lot about what got you to UNLV kind of your path from Seoul, South Korea, to Tallahassee to Tuscaloosa ultimately ending up here talked about what you're interested in, we're gonna what your research has brought you up to this point and kind of where you think you're going moving forward. We even talked a little bit about what it's like in the classroom with Professor Park. But we haven't really talked about is, what do you do when you're not thinking about the university? My guess has sports has something to do with it. But tell us a little bit about you. Tell us a little bit about when you're outside of UNLV in the classroom, and you're not thinking about research, what do you like to do? Give us some insight into you.

Bumsoo Park

So I enjoy playing soccer. And there are a lot of sports complex in Las Vegas, surprisingly, even though it's small city size wise, but there are a lot of sports complex in town. So during my I think that free time I play soccer regularly, once a week. And also there are a lot of great golf courses in Las Vegas. So also I play golf I think once a week as well so that's my Yeah,

Dave Nourse

so you play you play soccer you play golf, you keep up with college football. Yes. Outside of the sports from I know I know you cook you dabble in cooking every now and again. What do you like to cook?

Bumsoo Park

Me? Honestly, I'm I'm not a good cook. First of all, but since I'm living on my own to survive how to cook I start cooking I think my since I moved to United States. I like steak easy to cook. And yeah, so easy. The easy to add year to Yeah.

Kevin Stoker

Well, Bom Su is there's something that we should have asked you that we haven't asked you about in this, this interview this podcast, what would it be?

Bumsoo Park

Maybe my winter plan.

Kevin Stoker

There we go. Okay.

Bumsoo Park

So my winter plan, I haven't decided yet what to do and where to go yet, since I have many friends around the United States. So my plan is visiting my friend in different states. Florida, Massachusetts. Yeah. Texas. Yes. Yeah.

Dave Nourse

Well, and in the winter, you'll kind of hit all of the various ecosystems with various weather go from sunny Florida, to chilly Massachusetts to somewhere in between in Texas.

Kevin Stoker

It's kind of cool that you got friends all over the place. Well, thanks for joining us Bumsoo.

Dave Nourse

It was a real pleasure getting to know you and kind of learned a little bit about your history and I'm looking forward to continuing this conversation as you do some more this really interesting research fun so Exactly. Thank you so much, my friend.

Bumsoo Park

Thank you so much for having me. Thanks.