http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/sports/sprinter-dutee-chand-fights-ban-over-her-testosterone-level.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&module=inside-nyt-region®ion=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region
September 29, 2014
Despite Athletic Excesses, the Academic Mission Prevails http://chronicle.com/article/Despite-Athletic-Excesses-the/149031/?cid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en- Outdoors: Long-range shooting: Consider the ethics I'm not clear on the point -- perhaps someone can explain it to me? http://www.uticaod.com/article/20141004/SPORTS/141009694
- In Hope Solo Case, Soccer Turns a Blind Eye Toward Domestic Violence By JULIET MACUR
- The secret double life of a gay basketball coach http://www.outsports.com/2014/9/18/6411133/katie-barnes-gay-basketball-coach-catholic
- George Shuba, Whose Handshake Heralded Racial Tolerance in Baseball, Dies at 89 - NYTimes.com http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/sports/baseball/george-shuba-whose-handshake-heralded-racial-tolerance-in-baseball-dies-at-89.html?referrer=
- The FCC considers a ban on using the term 'Redskins' | Al Jazeera America http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/live-news/2014/10/the-fcc-considersabanonusingthetermredskins.html
- Reid: FIFA still refuses to release ethics violations reporthttp://www.ocregister.com/articles/fifa-637291-garcia-blatter.html
- Ethics investigator sends World Cup corruption report to FIFA | FOX Sportshttp://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/ethics-investigator-sends-world-cup-corruption-report-to-fifa-090514
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John Toner, UConn Basketball Architect, Dies at 91 - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/sports/john-toner-uconn-basketball-architect-dies-at-91.html?referrer=
An Uneven Response to Jameis Winston’s Wrongdoing - NYTimes.com
Hope Solo, the star goalie of the United States national women?s team, has been allowed to play and wore the captain?s armband despite accusations she punched her sister and nephew.
Florida State U. Launches Inquiry Into Rape Allegation Against Star Quarterback – The Ticker - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education
An Uneven Response to Jameis Winston’s Wrongdoing - NYTimes.com
Hope Solo, the star goalie of the United States national women?s team, has been allowed to play and wore the captain?s armband despite accusations she punched her sister and nephew.
Florida State U. Launches Inquiry Into Rape Allegation Against Star Quarterback – The Ticker - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education
I really thought that the secret life of the gay basketball coach was very interesting. I understand her fear coaching at a Catholic school, but I also wonder if Catholics present a false view towards people in the LGBT community. I think many people (in this instance the coach) believe that Catholics don't accept gay people. That belief is totally false. Catholic people only have a problem with the lifestyle choice that they make towards their sexuality. They still accept and love gay people, but cannot accept the life of sin that they live. For example, we had two lesbian teachers at my Catholic high school. Both were clearly out about their sexuality. No one had a problem with it, even when the archdiocese came out with their new rules this past year. Instead, we accepted them as a person and respected their beliefs. No one even discussed their sexuality because it wasn't relevant to the subject matter they taught. Even here at TMC and growing up with Spinney as my club coach, I've always accepted him. I may not believe with his lifestyle choice, but I respect his decisions and definitely respect him as a coach. I feel that if someone comes out, they will earn more respect that way than living a double life. I've had multiple coaches come out gay or lesbian and I've never thought any differently of them. I've always just saw them as a coach or a teacher, nothing less. So I don't understand why it took so long for her to come out as a basketball coach. The only thing I can guess it the judgment from the Catholic school or parents on the team. Which if that is the case, is very sad.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that someone can't be themselves for fear of media repercussions and people with hateful opinions. Be who you are. A person should not be afraid to be who they are today and it is a shame that some have to hide their feelings on a particular subject due to fear of what will happen next. I do believe that society in general is becoming more accepting of different views people hold and personal preferences.
ReplyDeleteI found the article on the LGBT basketball coach to be an insightful one that offers a unique account of what it must be like to have to live a “double” life as a result of compulsion to conceal one’s sexual orientation. It is disappointing that a dichotomy was created where she was forced to choose between honesty and openness and the career that she had come to love. She obviously had a strong interest in the wellbeing of her athletes, wanted to see them succeed, and had all of the appropriate qualifications. To me, given these attributes, it really should not matter what her sexual orientation might be. If I had a daughter who played basketball, I would have absolutely no problem whatsoever with Katie Barnes coaching her—and I really have a hard time understanding why anyone else would. I am not trying to be intolerant of other individuals’ points-of-view with respect to this social matter, but this is my own perspective.
ReplyDeleteOne comment that she made that was particularly interesting was with regard to how coming out does not represent a single decision but rather is an ongoing action in that one constantly has to evaluate if he or she should inform those around them of their sexual orientation. Perhaps with time and as the stigma is mitigated, this will not be as much of a harrowing—and as expressed here, lifelong—experience for LGBT individuals. Likewise, she potentially may not feel coerced to choose between honesty and meaningful work that she values.
The secret double life of a gay coach was interesting, but unfortunately not a new concept. Our society, especially where sports are concerned, does not allow for much more than the cissexual heteronormative life we've come to accept as normal. Therefore members of LGBT are either scrutinized or forced to remain "in the closet." In regards to Katie Barnes' story, it's clear she valued sports and athletics more than her own labels as she hid herself away in order to help students enjoy the game they loved so much. She willingly lived this double life in order to coach at a Catholic school, no easy task, for if her sexuality were revealed she would have been fired and judged for her love which goes against the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Personally I believe her personal life she have no bearing on her professional life, which would only be truly held if she were heterosexual because of the aforementioned heteronormative society in which we reside.
ReplyDeleteBasically what I'm trying to say is, Katie Barnes shouldn't have had to live that double life to coach nor should she ever feel obligated to "come out" to anyone because her sexuality has no bearing on her ability to coach and perform in the professional world. Such things would never be a matter worthy of questioning if she was heterosexual, after all, so why should it be otherwise if she doesn't conform to society's bigoted standards?
The article on Dutee Chand is interesting and to me highlights the difficulty inherent in recognition of how some people simply have a natural genetic advantage over others. Their limitation of the maximum testosterone levels a woman may have to compete seems completely arbitrary and randomly advantages those women with levels as close to the maximum as possible without exceeding it. Some athletes have a natural advantage over others—whether they are stronger, faster, or more agile—but the abilities of these individuals are not limited. Chand’s testosterone levels are no different and thus should not be regulated with a separate set of rules (creating what I find to be double standard). As her condition is completely natural and not the result of use of performance-enhancing drugs, I believe that she is perfectly entitled to be permitted to play without taking drugs.
ReplyDeletehttp://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11671378/todd-gurley-georgia-bulldogs-suspended-indefinitely
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across an interesting article here about a case where a football player for the University of Georgia was suspended for collection of funds in exchange for his signature, a violation of NCAA rules. This links back to our earlier discussions involving the NCAA and the debate surrounding whether it exploits collegiate athletes through generation of large profits off of their time and abilities. This case brings the matter to the forefront by giving an example of an athlete who tried to work around the system and earn money that many would argue is rightfully his and the NCAA’s swift and perhaps draconian response. It is definitely a difficult controversy to address and no easy answer exists that conveniently takes into account considerations of how college athletics are inherently for amateurs (i.e., not professionals) and also how athletes invest considerable time and effort into their pursuits.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/11/us/new-jersey-football-abuse-scandal/index.html
I also came across this next article outlining unusual happenings in Sayersville, NJ, where upperclassman on the state-championship winning football team hazed and sexually assaulted underclassmen. Ethically, hazing is palpably wrong, but I think that this case brings up some controversial points in that the superintendent decided to terminate the season as a result of the pending allegations and there is a likelihood that charges may be pressed against the juveniles who have already been taken into custody. Some of the parents in the town have accused the superintendent of wrongfully ending what was a promising season while other parents—largely staying silence—are probably still trying to understand and come to terms with what happened at their children’s school.
The Jameis Winston’s article was very interesting. I think they should have cracked down harder on him. With him being suspended the Clemson game that was just a slap on the wrist to him. Even though he apologized I still don’t think he meant it from the heart. This is the 3rd thing in the past year that he has done where he has gotten in trouble for it. With just these little slaps on the wrist they will keep acting up until something major happens. If an average African American male student would be accused of sexual assault, steal crab legs, or stand up on the table and yelling dumb stuff the student would be kicked out of school or for sure be in jail. Just because Winston is a Heisman winning athlete he gets away with a lot more then what he should and that goes for every athlete.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sydney here. Jameis Winston is placed on a pedestal for his outstanding performance on the field and is treated with a long leash. If any other player did what he did, he would be dismissed from the team. Jameis Winston has changed the NCAA because following his actions, many players are getting dismissed from the teams more than they used to. Some coaches see that Jameis is bad for the sport and taking actions on their own players to prove a point. Jim Bo Fisher needs to open his eyes and realize that he is enabling more players on his team to follow what Jameis is doing and not expecting punishment.
DeleteI liked the long range shooting article. This is a great article describing the sport of hunting. They discuss how there is a difference in a hunter just shooting and killing a deer with a long range silenced 50 cal sniper from a mile away, and actually being in contact with the deer and killing it with a bow from 25-50 yards. You have to actually be pursuing the animal and wanting the kill for meat or prize or to sell it. I don't agree with their view that sniping a deer is the same as sniping in a war, but I do agree that when you're hunting, there is a fine line between hunting and just target practice with no regard for another life, even if it is an animal. This article does a good job of helping the reader understand the difference between hunting as a sport and those who abuse it as target practice for their guns
ReplyDelete