After Atalanta

Some time during the past couple of weeks (even though I wasn't blogging, I have been trying to keep up) I read about the growth of women's rugby in the NYT : "Women make up the fastest-growing segments of rugby players in the United States," the writer notes. And most of it is at happening at the college club sport level (though there has been a recorded growth at the youth level as well. Let me say, for the record, that I think club sports are great. But I am a little disappointed that, eight years after the NCAA put rugby on its list of emerging sports, only one university (Eastern Illinois) started a varsity program. Again, there are hundreds of club teams with various levels of institutional support. With the addition of rugby (7s) to the summer Olympic Games roster, we may see changes within the collegiate sports structure. But I wonder about the cultural legitimacy of the sport in this country, and specifically how this will affect female rugby players. What I...

So Joe Biden got up in front of some Girl Scouts and US Women's National Hockey team members yesterday--in addition to the usual crowd of reporters and assorted others--and announced that the Obama administration would be rescinding the 2005 "clarification" of prong three compliance. The clarification which came from George W. Bush's administration, stated that schools could exhibit compliance with prong three of the three-prong test that ensures the provision of equitable opportunities for athletic participation, by sending out email surveys to gauge female students' interest in sports not currently offered at the institution. Non responses would be interpreted as lack of interest. The clarification came to be known as the Title IX loophole because administering a survey over email to undergraduates--come on. Not to mention that it is unlikely that a student who was truly interested in playing a sport would attend a school where said sport did not exist. (There w...

You know, Lorena Ochoa, I went to bat for you . When that idiot commentator asked whether you were thinking retirement when you announced your engagement last summer, I noted that no man would ever be asked that question. And your response that you would continue to play made my rant seem justified. So, really? You're retiring ? At age 28? To concentrate on your family duties and charitable work? I mean, I think you're good and all, and I know your new new husband, like, owns an airline and you probably don't need the money, but your first name is not Annika. I mean, if you want to pull a Kim Clijsters, I would be fine with that, but I am not so sure I can be as supportive of that comeback. I do have to thank you, though, for getting me out of this blogging slump I have been in. I was just whining about the lack of blog-worthy sport news when I casually glanced and Yahoo! sports and there you were! Ochoa will hold a press conference Friday to share more details about this ...

It is not news to most that BYU athletic teams (or even, I suppose, the debating team, if they have one) do not compete on Sundays for religious reasons. It is not especially difficult to control when scheduling regular season contests. Post-season can be a little more tricky. But the NCAA does not allow scheduling that would infringe on a school's religious practices. But the BYU women's rugby team is a club sport (not governed by NCAA rules) and the women have made it to the national championships which are being held this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. By the time the scheduling issue was realized plane tickets had been purchased by BYU and other teams and it was too late. So if the BYU women win on Saturday, they cannot play on Sunday . Actually they are not officially affiliated with the school (not sure how that works) so they can play, but being practicing Mormons, they will choose not to. My reaction to this story is a mix of "live and let live" and "scr...

I know, it flew under the radar and all, but Tiger Woods is out of rehab and playing the Master's this week. And The Globe and Mail is wondering whether his return will offend women who make up a pretty decent sized segment of the golfing audience. They play less but spend more on the sport. (It's because halfway decent-looking golf clothes for women cost more than those ubiquitous polos guys throw on with their khakis. Women of course could wear the polo/khaki combo, but I, personally, have an issue playing a sport in khakis. I mean is it golf or casual Friday at the firm?) Anyway, some are worried that women are going to be offended if things are just allowed to go one without comment or sanction. Tiger cheated. Cheated with women deemed unsavory. And he got caught. It's a scenario "women" are familiar with. I wonder how many wives of August National members have an intimate knowledge of such things?? Give me a break. People cheat. I am not saying it is right; ...

Until yesterday morning, I had not read anything about how Brittney Griner of Baylor has been treated by the fans and by the media. And I don't mean the reaction to her punching a Texas Tech player a couple of months ago. We all know that. I meant the reaction to HER as a very tall, slightly androgynous, deep-voiced, woman of color with a so-called aggressive style of play. But I knew that similarly situated players, like Courtney Paris, experienced racialized and sexualized taunts from the crowd. And I heard that from a fan, not from the media. This recent NYT article reported that Griner has been the subject of web chatter over her sexuality and gender (which is tied up in her race as well, though the NYT fails to note this). (Little aside: check out Dr. Lavoi's report on the experiences of two high school players on their meeting with Griner down in San Antonio last weekend.) But despite this information, the writer seems to think that Griner is part of a group of female ath...

1. The moment, described as tender/nurturing/loving between West Virginia's Coach Bob Huggins and player Da'Sean Butler happened when the latter went down with a knee injury during the semifinal game against Duke. With Butler writhing in pain on the floor, Huggins came out and knelt down and cradled his head and kind of stroked his face and got really really close and was talking to him trying to calm him down. I read it is as quite a queer moment in men's basketball. Not a "that's so gay" moment. I just thought it was interesting, especially given that coaches often do not come off the sidelines when players get injured (I watched a women's hockey coach talk strategy with his players on his bench while one of his players was down on the ice for an extended period of time, eventually going off on a stretcher with a season-ending back injury.) And the ones that do come out to check on things don't kneel down and whisper comforting words while cradling t...

...the more I miss Myles Brand.

When Moose Lewis announced he was starting an all-white, American-born basketball league, there was a fair amount of uproar--and rightly so. But Lewis came off simply as a racist (not that there is anything simple about racism--he just appeared to be a one-dimensional racist guy spouting neo-conservative catch phrases). Thankfully, the Daily Show got Lewis to do an interview. And nothing aids in character development like a good mocking from the Daily Show folks. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Snowball http://www.thedailyshow.com/ Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform huge h/t to my friend, Jane, for making me aware of this video.