Jason Collins is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, and you've probably never heard of him.
Until today.
Collins did what no other active professional athlete has ever done in American sports today, when he came out to the world and announced that he is homosexual. Immediately, the sports world was abuzz with the information, with some athletes and coaches voicing strong messages of support while others posted dissent and negative messages.
Honestly, I'm ecstatic that this happened, and there's several reasons why. I recently went to go see "42" in theaters, which if you aren't aware, details the life of Jackie Robinson, the first African American player to break the color barrier from the black baseball into the Major Leagues. Now, apart from some Hollywood embellishment, the movie had a lot to say. Robinson moved to a league where many people hated him, hated what he represented, even amongst his own teammates.
This strikes a chord given the comments from San Francisco 49er's cornerback Chris Culliver before this years Super Bowl, in which he said
"No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do...Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah...can't be....in the locker room man. Nah"
Despite such an eloquently stated opinion, Culliver eventually realized his error and retracted his statements, but the question stands. How many current players feel the same way as Culliver?
I'm a Christian. I'm also a supporter of equality for all, including fair treatment of those in the gay community. Color is no longer a barrier in professional sports, thanks to the heroics of Jackie Robinson and those who followed and supported him. The new barrier in sports is the stigma of sexuality. Professional athletes are in a sense barred from their right to love members of the same sex. They are encouraged to wait until after they retire to "come out". This is because some players are afraid to change in the locker room in front of a gay male, or a lesbian female. It is because they are ignorant enough to believe that being gay makes you any less of a human being. It is because to them, the phrase "love your neighbor as you love thyself" only pertains to their straight neighbors.
To them, and to anyone who feels like someones sexual orientation discounts them from playing professional sports or that it warrants hateful names and demeaning comments then to those people I would say GROW UP. This isn't 1910, it is time to move past the religious bias in sports and allow fair and equal competition amongst those who have earned it.
Jason Collins and anyone else who follows in his footsteps should be commended and respected for taking those first few scary steps into a world where acceptance is not a given. As an individual who has never been harassed for my sexual orientation, I respect Collins and hope that this action will eradicate the social bias towards the "out professional (or amateur) athlete.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
No plaque for home run king Bonds
Baseball's home run king is without a plaque commemorating his achievements, at least for now. According to ESPN, the plaque, which was in AT&T Park in San Francisco, where Bonds set the home run record with 756, has gone missing. While authorities search for the missing plaque, and the team makes an effort to replace it, the story brings up a sour topic for many baseball fans, the issue of whether Bonds, widely regarded as a steroid user for much of his career, even deserves the award.
Despite still denying ever using performance enhancing drugs, as well as support from some diehard fans, Bonds has not been able to shake the reputation that taints his record even to this day. After his record breaking ball was auctioned off to fashion designer Marc Ecko,Ecko left it up to a fan vote to decide what was to be done with the ball.Eventually, the ball was branded with an asterisk (to signify the record was tainted) and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, a fitting solution for many baseball fans, including myself.
This plaque being stolen is most likely someone either wanting the piece for himself or a vehement critic of Bonds who would wish for him to not be recognized for his record. If it is the latter, my only regret is that I know the plaque will be replaced and that he will continue to be recognized as the home run leader. This seems especially unfair given the attitude towards Lance Armstrong after it was found that he cheated, and his support fell out from under him. Perhaps Barry should have received the same treatment. All I know is that for me, at least, that record will always mean nothing to me for as long as Barry Bonds holds it. I recognize the true home run king, Hank Aaron, and you should too.
Despite still denying ever using performance enhancing drugs, as well as support from some diehard fans, Bonds has not been able to shake the reputation that taints his record even to this day. After his record breaking ball was auctioned off to fashion designer Marc Ecko,Ecko left it up to a fan vote to decide what was to be done with the ball.Eventually, the ball was branded with an asterisk (to signify the record was tainted) and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, a fitting solution for many baseball fans, including myself.
This plaque being stolen is most likely someone either wanting the piece for himself or a vehement critic of Bonds who would wish for him to not be recognized for his record. If it is the latter, my only regret is that I know the plaque will be replaced and that he will continue to be recognized as the home run leader. This seems especially unfair given the attitude towards Lance Armstrong after it was found that he cheated, and his support fell out from under him. Perhaps Barry should have received the same treatment. All I know is that for me, at least, that record will always mean nothing to me for as long as Barry Bonds holds it. I recognize the true home run king, Hank Aaron, and you should too.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Upcoming NFL draft a big boost for teams, fans
April 22nd is a big day in the NFL.
No, its not the start of the season again, calm down, we just had the Super Bowl.
This Thursday, the NFL draft will begin, a whirlwind event during which teams can make great strides towards future success for their programs. Bloggers, analysts and every fan with a lick of football knowledge and three hours of free time have already created their own mock drafts and spent hours pouring over it, and that's not even mentioning the countless hours that teams have spent countless hours looking over the stock for this years draft.
Around Mt.Pleasant, most of the buzz is aimed at this man, Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle from CMU with big potential at the next level. There is substantial debate as to where he will go in the draft, but there is reason to believe that he could go as the No.1 overall pick, an honor that no Chippewa has ever had.
Aside from players from their own schools and hoping for the best for them, fans are especially interested to see how their own teams will fare in the draft. As this list points out, some of the most highly touted individuals never pan out in the NFL, and some plummet so gloriously they earn the title of "bust". However, if the team drafts well, their fans will enjoy watching the team be successful for many years to come.
No, its not the start of the season again, calm down, we just had the Super Bowl.
This Thursday, the NFL draft will begin, a whirlwind event during which teams can make great strides towards future success for their programs. Bloggers, analysts and every fan with a lick of football knowledge and three hours of free time have already created their own mock drafts and spent hours pouring over it, and that's not even mentioning the countless hours that teams have spent countless hours looking over the stock for this years draft.
Around Mt.Pleasant, most of the buzz is aimed at this man, Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle from CMU with big potential at the next level. There is substantial debate as to where he will go in the draft, but there is reason to believe that he could go as the No.1 overall pick, an honor that no Chippewa has ever had.
Aside from players from their own schools and hoping for the best for them, fans are especially interested to see how their own teams will fare in the draft. As this list points out, some of the most highly touted individuals never pan out in the NFL, and some plummet so gloriously they earn the title of "bust". However, if the team drafts well, their fans will enjoy watching the team be successful for many years to come.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Sports teams race to throw away money
I used to watch Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on TV when I was growing up. Back when Regis Philbin hosted it and it was pretty damn cool. I liked answering the questions (if i could), and poking fun at contestants who couldn't.
However my favorite part was seeing how much money they won if they did well. One million dollars was such a crazy high amount of money to me at that point. If only I had been able to see what the current landscape of sports contracts would soon turn out like, I wouldn't have been so thrilled.
I first noticed a major issue when the Lions drafted Matthew Stafford at QB out of Georgia in 2009 as first overall pick, and guaranteed him a record high 41.7 million dollars over a 6 year contract. The moment he signed the contract, Stafford became 42 million dollars richer without even playing a down for the Lions. That is madness, people.
But wait, there's more. The very next year, Sam Bradford signed for 50 million guaranteed before playing a single snap. Now, Stafford has become a very good quarterback for the Lions. Bradford for the Rams, err, not so much. However, neither team is getting rid of either of them anytime soon, because they are currently so inundated with the massive contracts these players have them on the hook for, they can't afford to cut their losses and go with a different player.
This trend, while proceeding rapidly in the NFL, has it's reaches in every professional sport. Hockey has always been good about spacing these high numbers out over long contracts, 9, 10 or even 12 year contracts, but the other leagues throw money at players like it is nothing, and in doing so, they have dug themselves into a major hole. The trend cannot be reversed with the current sports culture. Players will continue to expect such high guaranteed money, and agents will continue to fight until they get it. When it comes to sports contracts, the team ownership has truly not done themselves any favors.
However my favorite part was seeing how much money they won if they did well. One million dollars was such a crazy high amount of money to me at that point. If only I had been able to see what the current landscape of sports contracts would soon turn out like, I wouldn't have been so thrilled.
I first noticed a major issue when the Lions drafted Matthew Stafford at QB out of Georgia in 2009 as first overall pick, and guaranteed him a record high 41.7 million dollars over a 6 year contract. The moment he signed the contract, Stafford became 42 million dollars richer without even playing a down for the Lions. That is madness, people.
But wait, there's more. The very next year, Sam Bradford signed for 50 million guaranteed before playing a single snap. Now, Stafford has become a very good quarterback for the Lions. Bradford for the Rams, err, not so much. However, neither team is getting rid of either of them anytime soon, because they are currently so inundated with the massive contracts these players have them on the hook for, they can't afford to cut their losses and go with a different player.
This trend, while proceeding rapidly in the NFL, has it's reaches in every professional sport. Hockey has always been good about spacing these high numbers out over long contracts, 9, 10 or even 12 year contracts, but the other leagues throw money at players like it is nothing, and in doing so, they have dug themselves into a major hole. The trend cannot be reversed with the current sports culture. Players will continue to expect such high guaranteed money, and agents will continue to fight until they get it. When it comes to sports contracts, the team ownership has truly not done themselves any favors.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
HTML in the Journalism World
Today in class my professor posed the question to me; Should journalists be made to learn HTML coding in their course of study? I was initially floored by the question, then I got defensive.
Of course not, why pile on one more topic of debatable use for me to learn before I graduate?
It wasn't until I gave it a second thought that I realized that the ability to write code can aid in web design and structure, and while hardly the focus of a journalism career, it can be a useful qualification to have at a time when you've never expect to need it.
For me, learning HTML would actually be a refresher on my old web design class in high school, which seems so far in the past I'm not sure If i even remember anything I learned from it. I made a St. Patricks Day website, I remember, probably the most hideously ugly bright green webpage you'd ever have the misfortune to load. It had all sorts of super amazing special effects, wavy gold lettering, and I seem to remember something about a jumping dog emote.
In case you want a little extra information on HTML, w3schools.com has a pretty informative walk through page. However, I would caution the novice user of HTML,my phantom website is still out there in the web, just waiting to trap some poor soul. Don't be the irresponsible web creator that I once was, if you make a mess, clean up after yourself.
Of course not, why pile on one more topic of debatable use for me to learn before I graduate?
It wasn't until I gave it a second thought that I realized that the ability to write code can aid in web design and structure, and while hardly the focus of a journalism career, it can be a useful qualification to have at a time when you've never expect to need it.
For me, learning HTML would actually be a refresher on my old web design class in high school, which seems so far in the past I'm not sure If i even remember anything I learned from it. I made a St. Patricks Day website, I remember, probably the most hideously ugly bright green webpage you'd ever have the misfortune to load. It had all sorts of super amazing special effects, wavy gold lettering, and I seem to remember something about a jumping dog emote.
In case you want a little extra information on HTML, w3schools.com has a pretty informative walk through page. However, I would caution the novice user of HTML,my phantom website is still out there in the web, just waiting to trap some poor soul. Don't be the irresponsible web creator that I once was, if you make a mess, clean up after yourself.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Griner to the NBA?: Opening the age old debate
Brittany Griner is exactly what comes to mind when discussing an athlete who in their time and place, completely conquers a sport and makes themselves its biggest star. At 6-8. Griner is already taller than most female college basketball players, and her additional athleticism has made her incredibly dominant in her sport. As her college career winds down, the very obvious choice for Griner is to head to the WNBA, a league where she will star, but fail to receive much fame.
Mark Cuban, the extravagant and outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has recently come ut and said that not only would he give Griner a try out to make his tea,. but she would get a spot on the roster if she earned it. If this seems like something without precedent, it's because it is. An NBA owner willing to take a direct shot on inviting in a female player is sure to make some waves, and just yesterday, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier added some fuel to the fire when he said that "there will be a female in the NBA in my lifetime". No one can be sure whether Griner will be that person or not, but Battier feels like there could be potential.
Realistically, the concept is rather farfetched. Very few women display the skills in their own league necessary to even warrant this conversation, and those that do face a very biased and skeptical public view on female athletes. People will offer all sorts of reasons why female athletes will never reach men's leagues, whether it be their size, strength, speed or technical skills. Griner is no different. A center at Baylor, she would be a solid 4 inches shorter than the typical NBA center, and about 50 lbs. lighter. She'd be undersized to play that position, and more than likely lack the agility to match up at the forward spot with the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or Dirk Nowitzki.
Additionally, most forwards in the NBA need to be able to run the floor and hitting outside shots, including three pointers, a shot that Griner never even had to consider in college. She would need to have very quick feet to keep up on defense, and would not have such a forgiving time guarding men that were her size or bigger.
Not to say that the concept isn't a very cool idea to me, (I actually want her to try out and prove everyone wrong) but the odds are certainly stacked together. No matter how much you want to tout her successes, the obvious fact is, we're talking about the same game, but we might as well not be. Everything she knows, everything she is used to about basketball, will be different in the NBA. It may or may not be Brittany Griner that ends up fulfilling Battier's prophecy, but I certainly hope someone comes along soon. I'll be waiting.
Mark Cuban, the extravagant and outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has recently come ut and said that not only would he give Griner a try out to make his tea,. but she would get a spot on the roster if she earned it. If this seems like something without precedent, it's because it is. An NBA owner willing to take a direct shot on inviting in a female player is sure to make some waves, and just yesterday, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier added some fuel to the fire when he said that "there will be a female in the NBA in my lifetime". No one can be sure whether Griner will be that person or not, but Battier feels like there could be potential.
Realistically, the concept is rather farfetched. Very few women display the skills in their own league necessary to even warrant this conversation, and those that do face a very biased and skeptical public view on female athletes. People will offer all sorts of reasons why female athletes will never reach men's leagues, whether it be their size, strength, speed or technical skills. Griner is no different. A center at Baylor, she would be a solid 4 inches shorter than the typical NBA center, and about 50 lbs. lighter. She'd be undersized to play that position, and more than likely lack the agility to match up at the forward spot with the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or Dirk Nowitzki.
Additionally, most forwards in the NBA need to be able to run the floor and hitting outside shots, including three pointers, a shot that Griner never even had to consider in college. She would need to have very quick feet to keep up on defense, and would not have such a forgiving time guarding men that were her size or bigger.
Not to say that the concept isn't a very cool idea to me, (I actually want her to try out and prove everyone wrong) but the odds are certainly stacked together. No matter how much you want to tout her successes, the obvious fact is, we're talking about the same game, but we might as well not be. Everything she knows, everything she is used to about basketball, will be different in the NBA. It may or may not be Brittany Griner that ends up fulfilling Battier's prophecy, but I certainly hope someone comes along soon. I'll be waiting.
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