. www.CharacterCounts.org | www.JosephsonInstitute.org Vol. 7, No. 5 - May 2007 Editors: John Wood and Janice Nicol

IN THIS ISSUE:

FRONT ROW

Youth- and School-Based Sports: Hey Batter, Batter – Shhh!
Collegiate Sports: The Chronicles of Mia: The Olympics, the Genocide, and the China Syndrome
Professional Sports: Barbaro Relived
Googling With: Barry Bonds
Jocks Behaving Badly:
    • The Phrase That Doesn't Pay …
    • Greek Volleyball Fans Are Gnarly …
    • Greek Soccer Fans Are Gnarlier …
    • Why Little League and Basketball Don't Mix …
    • Why Soccer Moms and Road Rage Don't Mix …
    • Why Swim Dads and the Metric System Don't Mix …
Jocks Behaving Exceptionally:
    • Penn State Shows It's the Class of the Field …
    • Junior High Team Pays Final Respects …
    • This Gesture Deserved a Medal …
    • Nice Way to Pass the Baton …
    • Goal and Assist to This Lacrosse Team …
    • High-Five It With Flowers …
Michael Josephson Commentary: The End of Imus
JI Happenings


SIDELINES

Announcements
Trivia Test: Is Sportsmanship Outdated?
Sportsmanship User's Guide: Sample Letter to the Student Body
You Make the Call: Should High School Baseball Chatter Be Banned?
Principle of the Month: Nip Entitlement in the Bud
Say What?
Upcoming Seminars



The two most important things in life
are good friends and a good bullpen.

-- Bob Lemon, baseball pitcher (1920-2000)


FRONT ROW

YOUTH- AND SCHOOL-BASED SPORTS

Hey, Batter, Batter - Shhh!

"It's the most asinine thing I've heard in youth sports, and I've heard a lot."

That was Little League coach Nick Lutz's reaction to the Knothole Club of Greater Cincinnati's recent decision to ban traditional baseball "chatter" unless the comments are positive and directed at one's own team.

The edict was enacted due to increased incidents and severity of taunting in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area and the fact that some of the league umpires are as young as 12 and can't handle the abuse.

To which some would say, "There's no crying in baseball!"

Players agreed. Comments ranged from "Dumb" to "Really dumb."

In the interest of sport, however, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Deadspin.com offered a few suggestions on How to Conduct Proper Chatter While Maintaining the Tradition:

"The umpire is visually challenged in a positive way!"
"Your uniform certainly looks spiffy, Jeff!"
"Hey, batter, how about this crazy weather we've been having?"
"Pitcher wears a dress -- not that there's anything wrong with that!"

[http://news.enquirer.com, 3/30/07; http://www.deadspin.com]




When I did this three years ago, it was death.
When I did it last year, it was near death.
This year, it was just really hard.

-- John Howie, wheelchair 10k athlete



COLLEGIATE SPORTS

The Chronicles of Mia: The Olympics, the Genocide, and the China Syndrome

With the 2008 Beijing Olympics approaching, China has come under an increasing barrage of public criticism from human-rights activists. Not for the Games, but for the country's complicit support of the violence in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

China has extensive oil and business connections with the Sudanese government, which has provided money and assistance to the Arab militias who have murdered and enslaved hundreds of thousands and displaced millions since 2003. Despite American, European, African, and United Nations pleas and threats, nothing has quelled the atrocities.

Until Hollywood got involved. A recent spotlight cast by actress and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow may have inexplicably flustered China enough to step into the fray. In a March 28 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Farrow vilified China for its apathetic foreign policy, dubbing the upcoming Olympiad the "Genocide Olympics" to symbolize the country's humanitarian hypocrisy.

China is particularly susceptible to public criticism. The games have been a source of national pride since the country's successful bid in 2001, which symbolized for many China's growing influence as an international political and economic player.

Farrow also attacked director Steven Spielberg for supporting the summer Olympics as a consultant, warning him he could "go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games" (referring to the infamous German filmmaker who made Nazi propaganda films). Spielberg responded with a letter urging Chinese President Hu Jintao to use his influence in the region.

Within days, China's Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun was in Darfur.

On April 16, Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir (who once threatened to treat any U.N. peacekeepers as "foreign invaders") agreed for the first time to allow a U.N. force into his country.

[The Wall Street Journal, 3/28/07; The New York Times, 4/13/07, 4/16/07; Los Angeles Times, 4/17/07]



Experience is a hard teacher
because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterward.

-- Vernon Law, baseball pitcher


PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Barbaro Relived

Triple Crown season has begun, which means it's going to be all Barbaro, all the time. NBC and HBO will air documentaries, and ESPN will telecast a movie on a similar thoroughbred tragedy, the fatal breakdown of undefeated filly Ruffian during its 1975 "Battle of the Sexes" match race against Derby winner Foolish Pleasure.

Thanks to the diabolical staff at the parody newspaper, The Onion, we share with you part of their satirical take on the Barbaro phenomenon:

Conspiracy Theorists Insist Barbaro Still Alive
"Barbaro lives," said Raleigh, NC, resident and longtime fan Keith Greer. "Countless eyewitnesses in the area reported seeing a mysterious horse of Barbaro's size, coloration, and stature galloping freely about the corral with what each one described as a 'joyful gait, save for a suspicious limp in the right hind leg.'"

Some say he fled from increased media attention. Other theories suggest Barbaro ran off with an unidentified mare to start a family and is now roaming the countryside in disguise, mentoring and training troubled colts.

Harry Matheson, author of The Barbaro Conundrum, has documented several other clues, including a leg cast found outside the home of Barbaro's trainer, his sire Dynaformer's continuing silence concerning the incident, and the fact that just one day after his alleged death, a brown horse with a slight limp boarded a double-decker cattle trailer in Pennsylvania under the assumed name of Serendipitous, an alias Barbaro reportedly used several times when checking into stables on the road.

[www.theonion.com, 3/15/07]



We must all suffer one of two things:
the pain of discipline
or the pain of disappointment.

-- Jim Rohn



GOOGLING
with Barry Bonds


FTD, Thinking of You bouquet
home address, Hank Aaron
bobblehead doll patent, head sizes, range of
eBay, large-volume sales, flaxseed oil
Ask.com, perjury trial dos and don’ts
FTD, Big Hug bouquet
home address, Bud Selig
hidden baseball helmet iPod installation
best music to intentionally walk to
best music to home-run trot to
FTD, Let’s Be Buds bouquet
Baseball Writers Association of America
hidden baseball cap IPod installation
best music to drown out the media to
best music to drown out grand-jury committees to
FTD, At Least I Never Bet on Baseball bouquet
Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Committee





Cooperation is the thorough conviction
that nobody gets there
unless everybody gets there.

-- Virginia Burden


JOCKS BEHAVING BADLY

The Phrase That Doesn't Pay …

When shock jock Don Imus was fired for referring to the Rutgers women basketball players in a racially and sexually obscene manner, you would think that would have dissuaded others from repeating the offense.

Naw.

Gary Smith, a longtime Allentown, Pennsylvania, morning DJ for rock station WSBG offered free NASCAR promotion tickets for his regular Tuesday "Phrase that Pays" contest to any listener who said "I'm a nappy-headed ho" on the air. Three did so and were awarded tickets. Smith was fired.

ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott, who is black, discussed the issue on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning show. When asked if it was fair to sack Imus for using such language when rappers frequently use it in their lyrics, Scott replied, "There are some people who can use the n-word and the things Imus said and mean it in an affectionate way. It's taking something that's negative and making it a positive."

[http://news.yahoo.com, 4/11/07; http://Arkansas.aolsportsblog.com, 4/12/07]


Greek Volleyball Fans Are Gnarly …

What do crowbars, pick axes, and baseball bats have in common? What else but Greek women's pro volleyball.

One man was killed and seven were hospitalized after fans from rival pro women's volleyball clubs clashed last month near Athens. Following the riot, police raided 15 supporters' clubs and homes and rounded up the gruesome makeshift weapons.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called an emergency cabinet meeting afterward and suspended all pro sports in the country for two weeks.

[http://lioninoil.blogspot.com]


Greek Soccer Fans Are Gnarlier …

Greece's loss to Turkey in a recent European Championship qualifying match was particularly painful for Greek tavern owner Dimitris Tsibibakis. As he attempted to stop a scuffle between local patrons and four rowdy Bulgarians rooting for Turkey, both of his ears were chewed off.

Mike Tyson jokes aside, Tsibibakis must undergo plastic surgery to reconnect the missing pieces (which, thankfully, he salvaged). Police arrested three of the Bulgarians. As to the fourth culprit, officers are keeping an ear to the ground (okay, we couldn't resist).

[www.yahoonews.com, 3/28/07]


Why Little League and Basketball Don't Mix …

We hate when this happens. You're enjoying the Bridgeton [New Jersey] Recreation Midget League youth basketball championship game when an official calls a foul with 25 seconds left. Out of the stands storms not an angry basketball parent, but an irate Little League parent. Not only that, he's the president of the Bridgeton Little League.

Dozens of spectators follow him onto the court, and a melee occurs. The president is arrested for cursing the police when they prevent him from reaching the official.

Suggestion to Bridgeton: A three-strike policy for Little League executives might not be a bad idea.

[Bridgeton News, 3/3/07]


Why Soccer Moms and Road Rage Don't Mix …

Okay, so your 15-year-old daughter didn't play her best soccer game. That doesn't mean you abandon her on the I-80 turnpike. But one Lincoln, Nebraska, mother did just that.

On the drive home, she made her daughter repeat over and over again how to improve her performance. When the teen messed up, her mom slapped her. The girl told her to stop the car. Mom pulled over along the interstate, yelled at her to get out, and drove off.

Fortunately, a teammate's parent saw the incident, picked the girl up, and called the police. The mother was charged with child neglect.

[Lincoln Journal Star, 4/16/07]


Why Swim Dads and the Metric System Don't Mix …

No one was more disappointed than Kateryna Zubkova after the 18-year-old Ukrainian failed to qualify for the 50-, 100-, and 200-meter backstroke finals at the Swimming World Championships in Melbourne in March. Well, actually, her dad was more upset.

After one of the races, her father and coach, Mikhail Zubkov, appeared to console her in the waiting area at Rod Laver Arena when suddenly the two began shouting, pushing, and shoving. The ugly scene, lasting several minutes, was caught on camera and broadcast around the world.

Victoria police temporarily ordered Zubkov to stay 200 meters away from his daughter (later dismissed when Kateryna refused to testify or press charges).

FINA, the governing body of swimming, imposed a lengthier restriction. It banned him for six years for dishonoring the sport.

[www.metro.co.uk]

If you want to share any videos, photos, or stories like this, e-mail us at CharacterCountssports@jiethics.org and put "Jocks Behaving Badly" in the subject box.

To report acts of poor sportsmanship to the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, click here.



My responsibility is to get my 25 guys
playing for the name
on the front of their uniform
and not the one on the back.

-- Tommy Lasorda, baseball manager


JOCKS BEHAVING EXCEPTIONALLY

Penn State Shows It's the Class of the Field ...

It was the annual Blue and White spring scrimmage game at Penn State University as fans got their first glimpse of the 2007 football squad.

So why were thousands dressed in maroon and orange apparel? Why was the Blue Band wearing orange? Why did students in the card-block section spell out the logo of another school from a different conference?

They were demonstrating one of the most memorable displays of support and sportsmanship in recent memory by honoring the Virginia Tech community following the tragic events on the Blacksburg, Virginia, campus.

Prior to the intersquad game, a Penn State player addressed the 70,000-plus crowd. Condolences were offered to the victims, and the band played "Amazing Grace."

"It's a great day for college athletics and a great day for college institutions," said Penn State coach Joe Paterno at a press conference beforehand, grasping a Hokie cap. "All those people are up there because they love the game and love this place. And yet their love is deep enough that it carries across two states to another state. It's a great day, and I'm proud to be part of it."

[http://story.scout.com, 4/21/07]


Junior High Team Pays Final Respects …

A junior high football team in Clovis, New Mexico, was well into its afternoon practice when players noticed a funeral procession leaving the church parking lot across the street. Stopping play, the entire squad walked to the end of the field, stood in a straight line with their helmets under their arms, and silently waited until the procession passed.

A church member later called the school to thank them. "You could have heard a pin drop that afternoon," said the onlooker.

Brian Stacy, athletic director for Clovis Municipal Schools, was equally moved. "The athletes and coaches showed extreme respect for someone they didn't even know."


This Gesture Deserved a Medal …

E-mail to us from Glendale College cross-country runner Anjelica Mucci:

For the Southern California junior college cross-country meet last November, Glendale's captain Rosario Castaneda could not run because of injury. Instead, the 8th place runner, Zitlalic Ley, ran in her place.

Glendale won the meet, and all the team members were awarded medals for finishing first. Ley, however, gave hers to the captain because she felt Castaneda should have run the race and received it.

Later at the team banquet, Castaneda stood up and presented the medal back to Ley because she said she was the one who ran and really earned it.


Another Way to Pass the Baton …

The California Interscholastic Federation website highlighted this incident:

As relay runners for the anchor leg began their mental preparations prior to a race at the Watsonville Track Relay meet last month, Daniel Rodriguez of Alisal High School stepped out of his lane.

Shaking the hand of every competitor, he wished them good luck. Soon they were all doing the same to each other.

It only takes one person of character and confidence to stop and think of others. Too often, we forget that taking that moment away from our own race preparation may be the most important thing we do all day -- win or lose.


Goal and Assist to This Lacrosse Team …

E-mail from Juniper Serra High School athletic director Kevin Donahue to Bellarmine athletic director Terry Ward regarding the latter's lacrosse coach Brad Lipscomb (forwarded to us from the California Interscholastic Federation):

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the help of your lacrosse coach in helping get our goals ready for our first home match.

Our team had not yet arrived and little did I know what was involved in putting up the net. While he could have been warming up with his team and preparing for the contest, he decided to help out.

We always talk about cooperation and sportsmanship, and I believe your coach definitely practices this. He is definitely a credit to your school and to a quality program.


High-Five It With Flowers ...

E-mail from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School athletic director Jo Ann Momono to the California Interscholastic Federation.

I thought I'd mention a nice gesture that Debbie Mathews and Mercy San Francisco High made after our girl's basketball team won the state championship. They sent our team a lovely bouquet of flowers to congratulate us on our accomplishment.

Though we are no longer in the same league, the history between our two schools and the common bond of being from the "city" gives us a connection that goes beyond the normal high school competition.


Want a Free Sportsmanship Patch?

We sent each of those who contributed an item a free Pursuing Victory With Honor patch for telling us about honorable deeds on and off the field of play.

We'll send you one, too, if you send us your stories at CharacterCountssports@jiethics.org. Put "Jocks Behaving Exceptionally" in the subject box.

You can also report acts of good sportsmanship to the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct by clicking here.



Life will always throw you curves.
Just keep fouling them off.
The right pitch will come.
When it does, be prepared to run the bases.

-- Rick Maksian




COMMENTARY BY
MICHAEL JOSEPHSON

The End of Imus

Don Imus, one of the original "shock jocks," is a 66-year-old cranky but clever commentator who built a huge audience that liked his rude, crude, and controversial remarks.

The I-Man, as he called himself, is rich and influential. He made about $10 million a year, and a continual parade of politicians, journalists, celebrities, and authors lined up to be on his show.

But when this very powerful man referred to a handful of college girls who recently played in the NCAA women’s national championship final basketball game for Rutgers as "nappy-headed hos," he caused a volcanic eruption of outrage that forced potential guests to boycott and sponsors to withdraw. Both CBS and MSNBC fired him.

But don't worry; I'm sure we haven't heard the last of him. He'll undoubtedly write a book and, after a cooling-off period, find another broadcasting home.

Although his banishment from the airways probably won't last long, his termination will serve as a landmark in broadcasting history precisely because he was so famous.

Some will diminish the significance of "The Day Don Imus Was Fired" as political correctness gone berserk, but it's much more. Firing him struck an important and much-needed blow for civility and standards of respectful discourse.

It's not a question of free speech. The government didn't fine or jail Mr. Imus for his offensive and hurtful words; his companies fired him by saying, in essence, "You may have the right to demean innocent young women with racist and sexist insults, but it's not right and you can't do it on the platform we built and paid for."

In a letter to his employees, CBS president Les Moonves said, "[Imus] has flourished in a culture that permits a certain level of objectionable expression that hurts and demeans a wide range of people. In taking him off the air, we take an important and necessary step, not just in solving a unique problem, but in changing that culture."

I agree.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

For an archive of Mr. Josephson's commentaries with audio files, go to: www.CharacterCounts.org/knxtoc.htm.

To receive free weekly e-mail, including all five of Mr. Josephson's commentaries from that week, please sign up at: www.CharacterCounts.org/newsletters.htm
.

 


CHARACTER COUNTS! Sports, a project of the nonprofit Josephson Institute, leads the Pursuing Victory With Honor sports campaign, which is endorsed by the country's leading amateur athletic organizations.

The campaign's purpose is to help administrators, athletes, coaches, legislators, officials, and parents improve personal and organizational decision making and behavior in sports.

Archives of Past Issues

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FREE E-NEWSLETTERS

SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE

CHARACTER COUNTS! Chronicle (monthly, on character education)
Commentary (weekly, with mini-essays from Michael Josephson and more)
Pursuing Victory With Honor (monthly, on sportsmanship)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

It's the end of the school year and we're cleaning house to make room for next year's hot items. Stock up and save on a variety of character-education support materials. Coalition members take an additional 10 percent off! Read more and purchase online.


Tee Up for Sportsmanship at the CIF Champions for Character Golf Tourney

On June 25 at the Rancho San Joaquin Golf Club in Irvine, the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section will hold its third annual golf tournament to benefit its Champions for Character recognition program.

The awards are presented annually to individual schools, students, administrators, coaches, officials, and members of the media for demonstrating the highest standards of sportsmanship.

The CIF is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California and embraces Josephson Institute's Six Pillars of Character and Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship initiative.

Entry fee for the 18-hole tournament is $150 and includes cart, lunch, dinner, raffle, and numerous awards and prizes. Deadline for entries is June 11.

For more information and entry forms, call 562-493-9500 or click here.


Wanted: Character Educators for Online Survey

We're developing an innovative online resource of lesson-planning materials for educators. To best serve your needs, we'd like to know how you explore the Web for teaching content. How do you search? What do you look for? Where do you go?

We've created a short, one-page, confidential online survey. Your valuable input will help us provide you with the most useful resources available.

Please take a moment to participate by clicking here.


August Conference a Must for Character-Development Practitioners

Do you want to start a character-education program? Have you done so and want to expand? Are you looking for best practices from the nation's foremost ethics educators?

Then consider attending the National CC! Conference on August 1-3, 2007, in Anaheim, California. Whatever stage of character development you're at, this conference was created for educators like you.

Connect with experienced program developers from some of the most successful programs in the country. Gather resources, contacts, support, and materials. Get motivated so you can make character count in your school and community.

The three-day gathering will feature:

• Michael Josephson and other featured speakers
• Breakout sessions (last year's conference presented 24 panels and workshops on everything from model programs to at-risk youth to sustainability to state standards)
• Networking opportunities with program developers from primary and secondary schools, athletics, youth-development, and community projects
• Morning and lunchtime general sessions
• Inspiring student presentations
• CHARACTER COUNTS! booth with instructional products and resources

The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort just blocks away from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the new California Adventure (free hotel shuttles to amusement parks).

For more information, call (559) 733-6172 or click here.


Top 10 Foundations for Life
Essay Winners Announced

The top ten compositions from our 2007 FFL National Essay Contest have been selected from nearly 700 contestants. Each of the winning students will receive a scholarship savings-bond award based upon grade level.

Foundations for Life is a maxim-based essay and recognition program that enhances the reading, critical thinking, and composition skills required by the new SAT exam, state and federal standards, and No Child Left Behind proficiency testing.

The 2007 winners and award amounts are:

3rd grade ($200) -- Abby Walker
Lone Mountain, Cave Creek, AZ

4th grade ($200) -- Jasmine Duthu Copper Ridge Elementary, Downey, CA

5th grade ($200) -- Naomi Copeland Maude Price Elementary, Downey, CA

6th grade ($500) -- Gabriel Frankel
The Dwight School, New York, NY

7th grade ($500) -- Nikolai Barrett Imagine Charter School, Sierra Vista, AZ

8th grade ($500) -- Samantha Frazier NB Clements Junior High, Prince George, VA

9th grade ($1,000) -- Owen Kroener NB Clements Junior High, Prince George, VA

10th grade ($1,000) -- Haotian Xu
Clear Creek High, League City, TX

11th grade ($1,000) -- Cory Nordenbrock
Crawfordsville High, Crawfordsville, IN

12th grade ($1,000) -- Alaina Ashwill Crawfordsville High, Crawfordsville, IN

Look for the complete list of our honorees in the next couple of weeks, plus the ten national winning essays, on our FFL website (http://www.ffl-essays.org) and in our May 15th issue of the Chronicle e-newsletter.


TRIVIA TEST


Is Sportsmanship Outdated?

"On-field antics or delaying tactics, when done correctly, are all part of the game and well within the rules."

"Silly talk about the 'spirit of the game' is a waste of breath."

"The argument that gamesmanship is the antithesis of sportsmanship is nonsense. Sportsmanship is a quaint, old-fashioned, seriously outdated ideal."

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game that counts – what crap. This is the mantra of the weak and inept, and anyone who thinks this carries any weight in modern sport is mad. All people really care about is whether their team wins."

These comments were recently said about what sport?

See the answer below.


SPORTSMANSHIP USER'S GUIDE


The Ultimate Sportsmanship Tool Kit is an all-in-one resource to help athletic programs achieve sportsmanship and character-building goals for players, coaches, administrators, officials, security personnel, parents, and spectators.

Sample Letter to the Student Body

Unruly crowds and an inhospitable student body can taint the atmosphere at your sporting events, tarnish your reputation, and harm your relationship with visiting teams.

This can be prevented by instituting a school-wide push for character to improve student conduct, inspire athlete sportsmanship, and improve your school's image.

To help you get student buy-in for such an inititative, we've provided a sample letter explaining your sportsmanship campaign and asking students to behave accordingly. To view the letter, click here.

Read more about the Ultimate Sportsmanship Tool Kit.

 

YOU MAKE THE CALL

Should High School Baseball
Chatter Be Banned?

• Yes. Been to a game lately? Taunting has gone far beyond what it used to be.
• No. Baseball wouldn't be baseball without it. If your kid can't take it, try another sport.
• It depends. It shouldn't be outlawed, but guidelines should be imposed to restrict the type and severity of comments.
• I'm not sure.

Click here to vote


Results of Last Month's Poll


Should High Schools Curb Booing and Heckling?

Yes.
No.
It
depends.


PRINCIPLE OF THE MONTH


Principle Sixteen: Nip Entitlement in the Bud

Teachers and coaches can do much to lessen behavioral problems in sports by preventing talented athletes at an early age from thinking they're bigger than the game.

In a speech before the National Catholic Educational Association convention in Baltimore, Joe Garagiola Jr., senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball and the son of the famous catcher and baseball commentator, told attendees it's their responsibility to teach athletes that although they may have a special talent, "that does not make them a special person. They must learn to distinguish between what they can do and who they are."

Not doing so can cause a gifted athlete to feel he or she is entitled to special treatment. This can steer young people toward "completely inappropriate and wrong things."

Principle Sixteen of the Arizona Sports Summit Accord states that "Coaching is a profession of teaching. In addition to teaching the mental and physical dimensions of their sport, coaches must strive to build the character of their athletes."

[Catholic News Service, 4/12/07]

Nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord in 1999 to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletic competition.

There are youth/interscholastic and collegiate/Olympic versions. Read the full texts here.

SAY WHAT?


"I just wrote down 3 for every hole. Nobody checked."
-- From the "Top Ten Things I Can Say Now That I've Won the Masters" by Masters winner Zach Johnson on the Late Show With David Letterman

"Racist Park."
-- Garbled English translation of the Park of the Chinese Ethnic Minorities in Beijing, one of thousands of similar signs the government declared it will fix before the 2008 Summer Olympics

"Hitler and then me, in that order."
-- New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin commenting on the criticism he got for his team's 8-8 record last year

"Pete Rose was the Vietnam of ballplayers. He once told me he was the best ambassador baseball ever had. I've wondered why we haven't sent him to Iran."
-- Baseball writer Roger Kahn regretting his collaboration with Rose on the book, Pete Rose: My Story

"If I've got to cheat, I got to cheat. I want to be in the big leagues. I'm not talking about steroids. It's having an advantage. I'm not going to be happy sitting in Triple-A six or seven years when I know I'm better than that guy in the big leagues -- and he's cheating and I can't."
-- Former Red Sox player Jim Rice's advice to minor league players on how to make it to the pros

"An NFL team will generate a lot more fan interest by going 10-6 with nine felons than by going 6-10 with a team of humanitarians."
-- FOXSports.com columnist Michael Rosenberg on the fact that clubs don't care what players do as long as they help their team win

"I guess he takes youth sports real serious."
-- Tennessee youth basketball coach after an opposing player's father waved a gun at him in a church parking lot when his son's team lost

"$96.66."
-- Highest bid for AC Milan goalkeeper Dida on eBay (before the site pulled his name off the market) after a disgruntled fan put him up for sale


~ Classic From the Past ~

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided."
-- Casey Stengel, baseball manager



UPCOMING SEMINARS


JOSEPHSON INSTITUTE
2007 TRAINING COURSES


Subject to change. To register, click on the links below or call (800) 711-2670.

Pursuing Victory With Honor Sportsmanship Seminars

Jun. 20-21, Los Angeles


Character Development Seminars
Jun. 19-21, Chicago area
Jun. 19-21, San Francisco
Jun. 26-28, Los Angeles
Jun. 26-28, Baltimore
Jul. 10-12, Los Angeles
Jul. 31 - Aug. 2, Los Angeles
Aug. 7-9, San Diego
Aug. 7-9, Philadelphia
Aug. 14-16, Los Angeles
Aug. 21-23, Los Angeles
Sep. 25-27, Los Angeles
Oct. 16-18, Chicago area
Nov. 6-8 , Los Angeles
Dec. 4-6, Los Angeles

 

Honoring the Badge:
Ethical Issues for Peace Officers
and Administrators

May 15-16, Birmingham, AL

Jun. 13-14, Chula Vista, CA
Jul. 25-26, TBD
Aug. 29-30, Sacramento, CA
Sep. 4-5, TBD
Sep. 19-20, Owensboro, KY
Oct. 24-25, Los Angeles
Nov. 13-14, TBD

Dec. 11-12, Los Angeles

 

Living Up to the Public Trust:
Ethical and Risk Management Issues for Public Administrators and Managers
May 23-24, Yuba City, CA
Jul. 18-19, Los Angeles
Oct. 9-10, TBD
Dec. 4-5, Los Angeles
TRIVIA TEST ANSWER


Cricket.

The comments were from writer Craig Hackney (interesting name) regarding the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

We always wondered how the term "that's not cricket" got its name.

[www.sportingo.com, 4/17/07]

 

IN SEARCH OF SPORTSMANSHIP


Please let us know what you are doing -- or what you see others doing -- so we can share your stories to strengthen character-building efforts everywhere. Go to: CharacterCountsSports@jiethics.org

CONTACT US


Josephson Institute
9841 Airport Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 846-4800
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The nonprofit Josephson Institute is involved in many other exciting projects besides sportsmanship. Here is a roundup of some of our most recent activities.

New Websites to Debut Soon
Have you noticed our new JI logo and the new look of our newsletters? We've been subtly incorporating the new symbol in our products and publications, but many more changes are on the way. Thanks to a generous donor and the talents of design firm 4thought, our websites will soon undergo a complete makeover. Watch for our brand-new look in the coming months.

CHARACTER COUNTS! Achievement Videos
With the help of a gift from another benefactor, the Institute will begin documenting the benefits of schools using our CC! framework -- at an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. It is hoped these valuable marketing videos will help us better demonstrate CC!'s effectiveness to potential clients in the future.

Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer
Mr. Josephson's two new landmark California policing manuals, Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer: An Introduction to Peace Officer Training and Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer: The Guide to Ethical Decision Making, have not only been well received across California, but the Institute has received inquiries from 15 additional states that are considering replicating the guides. Click here for info.

The Medal of Honor Foundation
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting the values of courage, sacrifice, selfless service, and patriotism, recently received a grant from the GE Foundation to provide education on the importance of character and courage. The Institute has been working with the foundation to test-market their project in Erie, Pennsylvania. If the test is successful, the program could be rolled out nationwide.

New Mexico Ethics Training Gets Big Boost
The State of New Mexico has passed legislation to provide about $80,000 for ethics training for school administrators. The Institute is working with the New Mexico Department of Education and Albuquerque Public Schools to set up future CC! programs there.

Josephson Institute is working to create a world where people act more ethically. Being a nonprofit, we need the help of readers like you to embark on projects such as those above and to provide services like this newsletter free of charge. Please consider making a gift today of whatever you can afford.

To donate securely online, click here. To read about the Institute's many other activities, visit:

www.CharacterCounts.org and www.JosephsonInstitute.org


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  "CHARACTER COUNTS!" and "Pursuing Victory With Honor" are service marks of Josephson Institute.