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Trivia Test: Is Sportsmanship Outdated?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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Cooperation is the thorough conviction
that nobody gets there
unless everybody gets there.
-- Virginia Burden
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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
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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
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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.
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