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IN THIS ISSUE: FRONT ROW Youth- and School-Based Sports: Imagine SIDELINES Announcements
YOUTH- AND SCHOOL-BASED SPORTS Imagine Green Bay Press-Gazette columnist Bill Gosse presented this unique scenario: Imagine two teams playing simultaneously in an athletic facility – a basketball tournament at one end and a Special Olympics soccer game at the other. Borrowing lyrics from John Lennon’s classic ballad "Imagine," Gosse painted this inspiring fantasy: “Imagine all the people living in peace.” “Imagine all the people sharing all the world.” “Imagine all the people living for today.” “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.” Gosse is a former walk-on basketball player for Marquette University and WIAA official, and is president of TeamScore Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes good sportsmanship in youth athletics. [teamscoreinc.com; greenbaypressgazette.com, 4/26/09]
The Rise and Fall of Troy There's no question the University of Southern California is among the greatest powerhouses in the history of college athletics. It has won 89 national team championships. In football, it’s won the national championship 11 times, including 2003 and 2004. Seven of its players have won the Heisman Trophy, including 2002, 2004, and 2005. In basketball, it leaped onto the national scene with a new coach, a new arena, and standout recruits, breaking the school record for wins in a season. Then the house of cards collapsed: • In 2007, a federal investigation revealed taped conversations that allege 2005 Heisman Trophy running back Reggie Bush received $47,000 in cash and his family got $291,000 from a sports marketer while playing for USC. Both the NCAA and Pac-10 continue to investigate. The severity of the charges, coupled with what appears to be a disdainful, cavalier environment that pervades the storied institution, go far beyond the usual college scandal. “It’s way beyond USC,” Yahoo sportswriter Jason Cole told XTRA Sports San Diego. “The FBI is involved. The IRS is involved. The U.S. Attorney is involved. This goes way beyond USC and whether they’re going to get in trouble with the NCAA.” [sportsradiointerview.com, 3/14/09; bruinsnation.com, 5/12/09, 5/15/09] In just the last few years, gamblers have tried to alter professional tennis matches, have fixed games with European soccer and NBA refs, and now have been caught paying college athletes to shave points. In a 20-count indictment, two Detroit businessmen and six former University of Toledo athletes (three football players and three basketball players) were charged by a federal grand jury last month for wagering more than $400,000 on Toledo games between 2004 and 2006. The eight face charges of conspiracy to commit sports bribery and unlawful use of interstate facilities. Each count carries a prison term of up to five years and a $250,000 fine. When the details first surfaced years ago, a UT spokesman commented by saying, “If the allegations are proven to be true, they certainly do not fit within the university's values system. We consider it past history.” Toledo might want to check its past history. In 1951, a mob associate was arrested for allegedly bribing four Toledo basketball players. [sports.espn.go.com, 8/29/07; usatoday.com, 5/6/09; freep.com, 5/6/09]
Australia to Its Athletes: Prior to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, an Australian swimmer and cyclist were kicked off the team because they faced criminal charges. During the Games, a judo wrestler resigned when he was charged with assault. After the competition, Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates demanded that the country hold its athletes to higher standards to protect “the excellent reputation established by past Olympians.” He introduced strict rules requiring all Olympic team members to disclose charges or convictions involving alcohol or drugs or any offense punishable by imprisonment. This year the AOC went further, requiring all athletes to undergo a police background check. “What applies to the Olympic Games should also apply to the world championships and other international competition,” Coates announced at the AOC’s annual meeting. [Associated Press, 5/9/09]
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Horseracing’s Good Ol’ Boys The national drama that captivated this year’s Triple Crown races was nearly scratched when two owners, fearing that the powerful filly Rachel Alexandra could embarrass their favored colts, connived to try and exclude her from entering the Preakness. Although the filly hadn’t been nominated for the three Triple Crown races, the situation changed after Rachel Alexandra routed a field of fillies by more than 20 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Kentucky Derby and was subsequently bought by new owners, who announced they wanted to match her against the colts in the Preakness. Mark Allen, co-owner of longshot Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, wasted no time calling Ahmed Zayat, owner of Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile. According to Zayat, Allen said, “This race is between me and you. You’d have been the favorite if Rachel Alexandra is not in the field, and I’m looking for vindication that my colt was not a fluke. I’m going to be entering a colt to fill the field. I understand you are the No. 1 owner in number of nominations. Can you please help us? It’s good for the game.” What Allen was asking Zayat to do was fill the rest of the 14-horse field with colts to deny Rachel Alexandra a spot. Zayat initially agreed, citing the tragedy last year when filly Eight Belles broke both of her front legs trying to run with the rougher colts in the Kentucky Derby. ”Nobody wants a situation like we had last year.” Allen had another reason to exclude the filly. His Derby-winning jockey, Calvin Borel, who rode Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks, said that if she got in the Preakness, he would switch from Allen’s Mine That Bird to the filly because she was the best horse he’d ever ridden. “I just want my rider back,” Allen said. After their collusion was revealed, both men backed off and Allen announced, “It was selfish. I was getting greedy. It was the wrong thing to do.” Interesting considering that Allen’s father Bill Allen testified in Alaska’s political corruption trial that his son had delivered a bribe on his behalf to a state legislator. Zayat’s reason for not blocking the filly was equally puzzling: “Although what is right is not very clear to me, I am happy to reconsider my decision for the fans.” In the Preakness, Rachel Alexandra held off Mine That Bird and won by a length, becoming the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924. [dailyracingnews.com, 5/12/09]
Dr. Robert Hindmarch was general manager and assistant coach when Canada launched its amateur national team in 1963. He believed then, and believes now, that the international element of any sport eventually proves superior to and takes precedence over the national element. “Take a look at the World Baseball Classic, with the Americans going down to defeat,” he told Ice Hockey News. “The next time, the United States is not going to want to lose. That’s exactly what happened with Canada. We weren’t winning in the 1960s, and they’re now developing hockey the way it should be developed.” As an example, he cited helmets. “People said, ‘Oh no, people won’t wear them.’ I said, ‘Kids will have to wear them.’ Then it was, “Don’t think the National Hockey League players will ever wear them.’ I said, ‘When those kids grow up, they’ll wear them. They’ll be used to wearing them.’ You sometimes hear, ‘Well, fighting’s part of the game.’ I say, ‘Then why don’t we start teaching 9- and 10-year-olds how to fight?’ They’ll say, ‘Oh no, not for kids.’ “It’s garbage. Ten percent of the players cause 90 percent of the fights. Did you see Wayne Gretzky start a fight or Mario Lemieux? The greatest players don’t fight. Now when we go to an international tournament and there’s no fighting, everyone says, ‘What great hockey!’ There are discussions about taking it out now, so we’re on the right track. The NHL has to get a little wiser about where it fits in.” [icehockeynews.eu, 5/9/09]
Sports Videogames: Kids’ lives revolve so much around sports videogames that it’s a good idea to check out what they are and how they’re being marketed. You may be surprised. Take for example, the following: • Baseball Juiced. Players have a choice of six sluggers to play: Barry Bombs, A-Fraud, Marky McWeird, Josie Conswaco, Jason Gambini, or Slugger Slimeball. They choose whether to gain strength by working out or by taking steroids. During the game, each player must take a random drug test. If steroids are found, the player is banned. As in all videogames, there are secret cheat codes on the Internet that allow players to avoid most obstacles. This game’s code allows players to take steroids and pass all drug tests. We wonder what will happen when kids find out real life doesn't come with cheat codes. • All-Pro Football 2K8. Players have a choice of 24 teams in six divisions to play. Each team is composed of actual retired NFL players licensed by 2K Sports, including O.J. Simpson. In the game, whenever Simpson scores, he makes a “throat slash” celebration. • Gametrailers.com. This independent company makes videogame trailers that have been called distasteful, insensitive, and inaccurate to name a few. For the All-Pro Football game above, it ran:
[addictinggames.com; pastapadre.com, 7/20/07]
Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” grosses out viewers with uncomfortable vocations such as shark-suit tester, skull cleaner, and yak farmer. In Canada and England the History Channel’s “The Worst Jobs in History” astonishes them with such awful professions as executioner, plague burier, and sin-eater. We respectfully submit our nominee – soccer referee – for the following reasons: England – After making questionable calls in the European Champions League semifinal match last month, Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo was chased by an irate player on the field and into the tunnel. After the game, he was escorted from the stadium, had to switch his hotel room, and was smuggled out of the country. He remains in hiding after his Oslo address was posted on the Internet and multiple death threats were made. Malaysia – When an unruly mob of fans attacked a referee for giving a player a red card, the official, who was also a police officer, rushed to his car, got his gun, and fired warning shots into the air. Romania – In a match between Popesti Stefan and Unirea Dragalina, the referee made a controversial decision on a goal that ignited the crowd. His linesman, an assistant referee, kept the mob at bay by pulling a pistol out of his shorts.
In 2003, Australian professional tennis player Jelena Dokic split from her overbearing Serbian father/coach Damir Dokic after years of physical and mental abuse. Damir has maintained through the years that he never abused his daughter.
“I’ve been hunted like a wild beast in Australia for all these years, and this has to stop,” he told the Politika Daily. “They have ruined my family, my life, everything. I know Jelena has not said I physically abused her. They have made it all up, and she will sue them for it.” After Damir’s threat, authorities found seven hunting rifles, a gun, and two grenades at his home. He faces eight years in prison for endangering security and unlawful possession of weapons. [guardian.co.uk, 5/7/09; chattahbox.com/sports, 5/8/09]
At a Texas high school party last October, a cheerleader at Silsbee High School claims three young men raped her including Rakheem Bolton of the basketball team. A grand jury did not charge Bolton for the assault, did nothing about his alleged threat of a teacher, did nothing about his alleged threat to shoot the occupants of the party house for not returning clothing he left in the room where the reported assault take place, and did nothing about his attending the party where alcohol was served. Neither the school nor the athletic department did anything either, and he remained on the basketball team. That’s where the real head-shaking begins. During a subsequent basketball game, the cheerleader (identified as “H.S.”) who accused Bolton refused to cheer for him during his free throws. That crossed the line. Both the cheerleading coach and the principal kicked H.S. off the team for violating the Cheerleader Constitution for “failing to cheer for the entire team.” Silsbee’s Founding Fathers were hard taskmasters. H.S.’s parents have sued the school district for treating her harshly while going easy on the star athlete and sued the district attorney for not pursuing the case against Bolton vigorously enough. [beaumontenterprise.com, 5/11/09; badjocks.com]
This Fielder’s Choice Was Sportsmanship With one out in the sixth inning and Carmel High School (Carmel, CA) at bat leading Gonzales High 11-1, coach Randall Bispo announced “Number 30 pinch-running for Number 14” and sent in Will Rudolph to run at third. When Will emerged from the dugout, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. When his mother Michelle heard his number called, she started crying. “And I haven’t stopped crying since,” she told the San Jose Mercury News. Will hadn’t been on base since Little League because he has a mild form of cerebral palsy and has problems with motor skills, balance, and speech. The batter, Michael Gerlach, wanted to knock Will home and give him “the highlight of his high school experience.” Instead, he hit a weak dribbler to third. As Gerlach ran to first, he looked back in horror to see Will, instead of holding at third, make a mad, stumbling dash for home. He'd be out by a mile. That’s when third baseman Manuel Madrid and catcher Francisco Banuelos turned what would have been a routine out into a treasured moment and a national sensation. Madrid started to throw Rudolph out at home, but knowing who he was, he hesitated. At home, his catcher waved him off and pointed to first base. Both players realized that compassion took precedence over a meaningless run. Madrid threw to first base and Will scored. After the game's final out, Michelle Rudolph went over to the Gonzales side of the field and asked the players which one was the third baseman. When Madrid stepped forward, she thanked him for his gesture and for making her son’s dream come true. Later she e-mailed Gonzales’s principal: “I just wanted you to know what a wonderful sight it was to see a young man such as your player understand what this meant to William without even knowing him. Thank you for having such wonderful sportsmanship on your team.” Click here to see a video of the play. [chippep.blogspot.com, 5/12/09] |
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. |
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When she recently admitted to Australia’s Sport & Style magazine that she'd fled her home to escape her father’s beatings, Damir did what any innocent, falsely-accused, level-headed, nonviolent parent would do to clear his name: He called the Australian Embassy in Belgrade and threatened to fire a rocket into Ambassador Claire Birgin’s car. 
