Force Factor

According to this article, Force Factor is a natural supplement that is a blend of naturally occurring ingredients that helps one gain muscle, increase blood flow and oxygen to the body, boost strength and endurance, and improves the immune system. Basically, it does what steroids do, but Force Factor is legal. I find that there are many products on the market that target male athletes who want to “beef up”. I feel that our neoliberal society’s views on competition drive men, and women, to the extremes in order to succeed and become the best at their sport. Sometimes, male athletes who participate in power and performance sports are driven passed their limits and turn to steroids and other performance enhancing substances to perform at higher levels. There have been many popular athletes who have been discovered to be using performance enhancing substances due to the stresses of competition. With the discovery of athletes using steroids, I feel that competition and the drive to succeed have overshadowed the class and integrity of many sports.

S. Wen
KIN 332I
T/TH 2-3:15

Kin 332I Final

My collage of my final reflection of the class

Isis Roberts

kin 332I

S3200

Final Blog

This collage represents what I have learned from this class. I came into this class with perseptions and opinions that strictly came just from my own thoughts, but this class has taught me that to learn something to the fullest you have to understand how others view and see certain things. This collage shows that people could be viewing the same thing or game at the same time, but since they all see it from different perspectives everyone has different opinions that can be shared.

Erik Moran
Kin 332i
TuTh 12:30-1:45

Final Blog

This collage is what i feel that I have learned about in this class. The quote by John Wooden gives a pretty good idea of what people should think about when participating in sport. Not to judge themselves based on what they have accomplished or what people perceive that the individual has accomplished, but just doing it for you with the ability you have.

J Parkin
Kin 332I T Th 1230

Tiger Woods Fall from Greatness

Tiger Woods recent admission to transgressions and infidelity has hit the sporting world with a fury. When a celebrity falls from greatness or their public perception of them being invincible is tarnished, society rushes to their TV sets for the latest coverage, Internet sites for the latest up to date information on the story. The story becomes the subject of conversations around the world. We as a nation become public-relations experts, and we debate crisis management strategies with our friends and we all form our own opinions on the stories that are being told to the public. Tiger Woods is at the top of his game right now and one of the most recognized athletes around the world and also the best golfer in the world. Should we as a society feel sorry for Tiger? Should we accept his faults and mistakes or knock him off his pedestal? The information that has surfaced regarding his many infidelities and his own admissions prove that his public persona was all a fraud and the image that he cultivated was a misinterpertation of the real man behind all those magical putts and PGA wins throughout his career. The saddest part in my opinion is that Woods attempted to make his private life look pristine and now the world knows that he was selling a lie to the public. What is has come down to is that "Mr Perfect" is not so perfect after all.

Stacy O'Mary

KIN 332I

Final Post

~Fat Talk~

Weighing down your body,

weighing down your mind.

It doesn't mean you're lazy, 

their view of you is hazy.

Your body type is different,

they are ignorant of your situation.

Stop judging, stop putting each other down!

Accept everyone as equals, spread love around town!

RS Kin 332I TuTh 12:15-1:45

Chris Henry

The loss of a teammate, even though it is an overwhelming and sad event, can be a very motivating thing. Chris Henry did have many off the field issues that were not up to the standards of how NFL players should act, he was learning and growing as a person and player through his family and mainly through his teammates that were his best friends. Players like Chad OchoCinco and Carson Palmer were becoming great friends, teammates, and influences in Henry's life and he was becoming a better player, but mainly a better person with surrounding himself with these people.

Losing a teammate like the Bengals are now going through can provide the team with that extra jolt of confidence and desire to win and bring a championship to the organization for a player like Henry. If you have watched a few videos of sports analysts and players talk about the death of Henry and what it will bring to the team everyone is talking about how it will motivate the team to play for something, almost a 12th man on field type experience, as some people call it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615
This is the webpage that provides a video of Chad OchoCinco describing what he feels about Henry and what kind of person Henry was becoming through his life journey in the NFL and playing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Deaths like this bring teammates that once were not close closer than they could have ever imagined. It can bring about new friendships and connections that change the dynamic of sport, teammate interaction, and changing yourself for the better of the sport and community you live in. It is said to say that it takes something this tragic for people to change, but it will help the franchise and people in the community to come together for the family of Chris Henry and also to honor him.

Kin 332I T Th 1230-145
J Parkin

Final Submission

"Sports creates a bond between contemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide."
-Bob Cousy


I learned that sports can bring people of all race, social status and background together as one. Sports should change for the better where sportsmanship and having fun are valued.

-Jandar Ry
Kin 332I Section:3017

Teary return for Iverson

Allen Iverson is undoubtedly one of the toughest little big man in the NBA in the last 10-15 years. He displayed many great plays and provided NBA fans with crazy over the top behaviors that society find odd and entertaining. In the last 3 years, Allen Iverson skills have started to diminish where his age was becoming a factor. He was no longer the fast guard he used to be,where he used dived for the ball every time it rolls down the court; he became slower and turnovers were increasing every game. During his early NBA career, Allen Iverson have changed the game of basketball in the NBA. Allen Iverson have started many trends in the NBA that many professional athletes are still doing today. He showed heart and the passion for the game. Although Allen Iverson have given the NBA a fresh new look, he also displayed many deviant behaviors that many rejected and disapprove. This year have been a roller-coaster ride for Allen Iverson, he was released Memphis Grizzles and was unemployed. No team wanted to pick him up because of his history of be deviant behaviors. Allen Iverson was recently singed to the first team he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he cried during the interview. I feel that the reason why he cried during the interview was not because he was playing for the team that drafted him, I believe he cried because he knew his career is ending and he knew he is not the player he used to be.


-Jandar Ry
Kin 332I section 3017

Playing Soccer in the Streets of Lisbon, Portugal

This is my final post (I am the one with the shaggy blonde hair in a striped shirt)

Shane Bowman KIN332I s.3017

Female Athletes Paying the Price for Aggression

The University of New Mexico soccer player, Elizabeth Lambert was recently suspended indefinately for her actions in a match on November 5th. New Mexico was playing BYU in the Mountain West Conference semifinal when the incident accured. Several videos and images have been released of Lambert throwing punches, pulling a girl down by her ponytail, and making aggressive tackels. During the game she was only issued a yellow card for a tackel from behind. But upon reviewing the tapes Lambert was suspended from the team indefinately by her coach. She has also made several public apologies for her actions. As a female soccer player, when I first saw these tapes I was awestruck. I immediateltly wondered what had lead her to react so violently and was sickend by her actions. However once I read her statement to the press and saw all the footage, which included many cheap shots to Lambert by the other team, I felt sorry for Lambert. She not only has been suspended but has received a great amount of negative media and even threats from various viewers. I feel her suspension is warrented but the negative media coverage and threats are far from neccessary. I have to ask if she was a male soccer player would she receive the same treatment? I highly doubt that she would. Men break out in fights on the soccer field all the time. Yes, they get a card and sit out a game but that is about the end of it. Just because Lambert is a female does not mean she should be punished above and beyond how a male would be punished. Women athletes are aggressive and, just like male athletes, they can sometimes lose their temper. In a contact sport and during a competitive game, it is not all that shocking to me that Lambert lost her head. Especially when you review the tape and see all the elbows she took. Does she deserve to be suspended? Yes, this type of deviance is unacceptable in sport. But I just simply ask that she be judged as an athlete rather than a female athlete. She should be held to the same standard as a male soccer player and not penalized for her sex.

Check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LPIUI_CY44
And her response http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/sports/soccer/18soccer.html?_r=1

K. Raby
KIN 332I
Section 3017

How high can we go?

Thanks to all for a great semester!Go to the following address for my creative post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TADJh_DZOfE

Michael Vick dogfighting...

Michael Vick is a well-known football player who served over a year in jail for financing and leading a dog-fighting club. He is now done with his sentence and back to playing professional football. Many people are absolutely outraged that he can just step right back into the limelight and continue his life after what he did. Professional sports athletes often become celebrities to the public and millions of people follow their personal lives, something with which I have never agreed. People have a right to their personal lives without constant judgment. Although I do not agree with Vick’s recent “activities” outside of football, that was an issue between him and the court and it was dealt with. On a separate note, it is interesting that his entire life revolves around a violent sport where aggressive and brutal physical behavior is encouraged and praised. Is it possible that spending so much time being rewarded for this type of performance led him to believe that treating dogs inhumanely is actually ok? Perhaps it caused his morals to become altered, which is very unfortunate.

F. Gualda
Kin 332I Sect. 3017

Sociology of Sport Reflections

Kelly Raby
KIN 332I
Section 3

Felicia G. Kin 332I Section 3017

Before this class, many of us were living in a bubble. We are now exposed to some common issues that need to be changed.

FInal Submission

-Sophearun D. Kou
Kin 332I T/Th 12:30 - 1:45PM

Tiger Woods Scandal...

Lately, Tiger Woods’ name has been all over the media—television, magazines, the internet—and none of this media attention has anything to do with his golfing career. Now, it is my belief that the media is being a little too critical on Tiger. The media originally made Tiger Woods out to be this perfect all around athlete, happily married, and never screwing up—not in his golfing career and not in his personal life either. Tiger is human he makes mistakes, now I am in no way condoning what he did to his wife, but I do believe that some information should remain confidential. I am also curious to know if the media would be as critical on a famous white male golfer as they are on Tiger Woods. Does the fact that he is part African American have anything to do with the media’s judgmental eye? I can recall Kobe Bryant’s numerous scandals over the years, as well as the recent media spotlight on Serena Williams’ outburst but none regarding famous white athletes. White or black, male or female, athletes should be allowed privacy in regards to their personal lives. Instead our society idolizes these athletes and turns them into celebrities but once these athletes show any sign that they are normal, average, everyday people who make just as many mistakes as the rest of us these fans suddenly turn on their idolized athletes. Also, why is it the media chooses to highlight negative aspects and events occurring within the world of sports? Why not highlight the positive events?

A. Hamilton
KIN 332I Sec3017

final submission

sports always changing
is never what meets the eye
love for the game stays

V. Migliorini
Kin 332i

Final Reflection

D.Albus KIN 332I S 2

Ron Artest at it again...

This past off-season the Lakers signed a known badass by the name of Ron Artest. As a Lakers fan I was excited that he was part of my favorite team because he is actually a great basketball player and he just has a hilarious personality. Throughout the course of his career his hot head ego and anger management problems have caused many problems on and off the court, most notably starting the largest brawl in the history of the NBA. Up until a couple of weeks ago Artest had not caused any drama on or off the court for the Lakers. Just recently though, Artest admitted in an interview that he used to consume alcohol on a regular basis during the half times of games when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls for the first few years of his career. I personally do not care what a player does off the court. His life is his life and he can do what he wants whether or not I approve of it. As long as he produces on the court, I will appreciate his game which should have nothing to do with his personal life. Taking this position I could not help but sit back and laugh at what a ridiculous and entertaining character he truly is. I am posting this because I believe it is a great example of deviance underconformity because he shows that he has complete disregard for league policies.

Sean Stolpp
KIN332I. S3017

Final Submission

K - Kauer was a great instructor
I - ignorance of societal prejudices within sport was abolished
N - negative societal outlooks were reexamined
3 - 30 student minds converged to provide differet perspectives
3 - 3 units to hopefully boost my GPA
2 - 2 blog posts to stay involved outside of class
I - involvement in class discussion helped with learning topics

Sean S.
KIN332I.S3017

Final Submission

Sports in society,
Some things are controversial,
While other things are purely commercial,
Ranging anywhere from steroids being abused,
To Tiger Woods seeming to be confused,
Groups of people become outraged because of a mascot,
Even to the point where they start a boycott,
We take a look at the difference between white and black,
Only to realize we are running on the same track,
If there is one thing to take away,
It’s to understand that athletes live to play each and every day.

N. Veeh
kin332i

Former Ref Tim Donaghy

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy acknowledges that he bet on games, but he denies that his officiating influenced any games he bet on. Donaghy, who was released from prison last month after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal. Tim Donaghy and his officiating has been deviance to sports. As a referee they need to be the ones enforcing the norms of the sport. In class, we discussed the deviance in sports and the characteristics that fall out of the range of norms. This is an example of deviant underconformity which consists of subnormal ideas and actions that indicate a rejection of norms. Donaghy insisted he made wagers on NBA games based on his knowledge of other officials’ biases for and against certain players and teams, and that his officiating was not compromised. In one game where he bet on San Antonio, he ejected Coach Gregg Popovich midway through the first quarter and the Spurs eventually lost the game. You wonder which games he bet on and officiated and whether the team truthfully won or not.

Sec.3017 Tues-Th 12:30-1:45
Renato Gutierrez

FInal: Why We Started Playing Sports

This class has taught me numerous things. Sports now involve Media, rules, politics, economics, gender roles, violence, religion, race, ethnicity, etc. The list continues of what we may think is either hurting or benefiting sports. Regardless of our views on any of these situations, We can NOT forget the real reason we play sports. TO HAVE FUN like these kids are doing.
E. Steele
Kin332I T/Th 12:30-1:45

Media's Influence

As we all have seen on many sports media channels, celebrating in sports is fun to watch but not so humorous for the opposing team. However, the media can depict how we view the celebrations whether it is a certain sport or player. The National Football League has had many problems in the past with players celebrating after a touchdown or just a great play. Many of those players have been scrutinized by the media for doing so such as Terrell Owens. T.O has been the media's black sheep for many years in the football league so it is only fitting that they would continue to pick at his moves.
What happens when another professional athlete does similar actions but is a “golden boy” of that sport. Lebron James is just one to name since he recently stole the ball made a shot and then began to eat a fan's French fries. We have not heard too much regarding his celebration. I am not picking on either T.O or James but it is incredible to see the views of athletes that the media gives us. This class has taught me to seek out many different sources in order to get the best view of what the athlete’s are doing and how they are acting.
E. Steele
Kin 332I T/TH 12:30-1:45

Final Submission

This class really taught me to realize how often we unintentionally stereotype sport participants so I will really take away the idea of opening up my mind to thinking about different populations when I think about sports.

Michelle Silva
KIN 332I T/R 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Final "Racism in Sports"

This class has opened my eyes to a broader aspect of racism that still exists in our lives. No matter how big or small a group may be it is never okay to offend others. If one person has a problem, then it is one to many.  I hope "change" does occur, and stop racism in sports and in our lives.

Steve LaRue, Kin 332i

Roy “Big Country” Nelson

Roy “Big Country” Nelson is the “Ultimate Fighter 10” heavyweight winner with a record of 13-4, and 1-0 in the UFC. He is 6’0 and weighs in at 264lbs!! If you see Roy Nelson walking down the street you would never guess he was a mixed martial arts fighter, and a good one at that. He has a legit black belt given to him under the instruction of Renzo Gracie. In 2007, Roy Nelson became the first heavyweight champion in IFL: International Fight League and successfully defending his title two times. Yet, on various mixed martial arts websites and online blogs, he is being addressed as the “fat and sorry” fighter. Even the president of the UFC: Ultimate Fighting Championship, showed disgust toward him, saying he was annoying. On an online interview with www.mmafanhouse.com, Roy was asked if being called “fat” was hurtful or interfered with his fight preparations. Roy commented that when he won he was considered “big boned” when he lost he was “the fat guy”, he states “make up your mind, and he does not let any talk bother him, he does his talking in the ring”-Roy Nelson. The question remains is “Does society have a fat-phobia toward mixed martial arts fighters body structure, who do not fit the norm? Just like the readings on Body, both Unbearable lessons: Contesting Fat Phobia in Physical Education and Running Big: Clydesdale Runners and Technologies of the body, people tend to look at overweight people and athletes as something outside the norm. How is it possible that Roy “Big Country” Nelson be in better shape compared to Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson? Kimbo Slice appears to have a body sculpted by he Greek gods, yet his conditioning is nothing compared to Roy Nelson?

Steven LaRue, KIN 332I

Sports for Change!

The movie Invictus opened on Friday, December 11, 2009. Based upon the book, Playing the Enemy, Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made A Nation, by John Carlin, Invictus tells a true story of how Nelson Mandela used the game of rugby to unite a bitterly divided South Africa. The significance of this story cannot be underestimated. In many ways, the role of sports in society is minimized. How many times have we heard, or even said that sports is “Just a game?” John Carlin noted that “…Sport was a powerful mobilizer of mass emotions and shaper of political perceptions.”
Since sports can have such a powerful effect for change, why do we not utilize sports in a more positive way for our own society? Perhaps we should revisit why we identify with sports. Is it the money? Maybe it’s because sports represents the definition of what makes an individual successful. If we thought about what sports means to us, then maybe we can use it to effect positive change for our society, just as Nelson Mandela did. Over simplified? How about unreal? Perhaps, but we live in a country recognized as a leading nation in the world. South Africa was not considered a world leader in 1995 when It’s national rugby team, the Springboks, won the World Cup and united their racially divided country. If South Africa can accomplish this, so could we.
I propose we accept a more critical view of sports, a view that is more inclusive and based less upon money, power and control. Let’s engage in sports to mobilize a spirit of cooperation that will ultimately benefit the greater good for society. This will steer us away from the current trend in sports, which is the “Winner takes all” environment with, “A win for us, is a win for all.” By doing this, the overall purpose of participating in sports changes. By maintaining a critical approach in sports competition, a different attitude towards competition, in general, can be adapted in all areas of life. It is this change in thinking that can help us to dismantle the barriers erected in the names of color, sex and gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability. Then, we can truly claim to be United.

Tough Year for Nike Athletes

Nike is known for having the best athletes in the world. Serena Williams, Lebron James, and Tiger Woods are just a few of Nike's biggest athletes. Unfortunately for Nike, these same athletes have gotten in a bit of trouble this past year. It all started with LeBron James during the Eastern Conference Finals. After the Cavs lost the game-ending series to the Orlando Magic, James walked off the court without shaking any of the Magic players' hands and he also refused to participate in a post-game press conference. James got a lot of heat for his actions, but the situation end up dying down for the most part.

Then came Serena Williams. During a match at the U.S. Open, Williams had an explicit outburst with one of the line judges after she disagreed with a call. She was fined $10,000 for the outburst.

Last but not least, Tiger Woods had his run-in with the media recently, when he was in a one-car accident. Rumors spread that the accident was caused because of a possible domestic violence incident. Stories later came out that Woods had committed adultery against his wife. Several women have said they have had an affair with Woods since the story came out.

With of these issues with Nike athletes, my question to you is, do you think any of these athletes should be dropped by Nike? Also are there any possible socio-cultural issues that may have caused these athletes to behave the way they did? Is there any excuse for their behavior? Please explain.

Isis Roberts
kin 332I.
S3200

No Excuses: Story of Angela Madsen

A few months ago, I met an inspiring female athlete who changed my whole mindset of life. Everything that could have gone wrong in her life did. But you will never hear her feeling sorry for herself. Nor will you ever hear her making an excuse.

Angela Madsen is a paraplegic athlete. When she was in the military she suffered a back injury while on duty. The injury was bad, but not bad enough to the point to make her paralyzed from the waist down. Unfortunately, the doctors of a Veteran Affairs hospital made several mistakes during her surgery. She was left with a Spinal Cord Injury L1 incomplete. What’s worse is her injuries were not even repaired. Angela received very little physical therapy or rehab. She had to do everything on her own. She revised her goals because she refused to give up.

Several doctors and physicians told Angela she couldn’t do anything anymore. One physician even said, “You’re injury is a waste of human life.” But, what do they know? Angela turned their insults into motivation and turned back to sports. Sports changed the negative things into a positive. It made her stronger!

Angela’s first attempt back was at the 1996 Veteran games. She then started playing wheelchair basketball and was great at that also. Through wheelchair basketball, Angela was introduced to the sport of rowing. The fixed seats installed in the boat made it easy for Angela to row. Rowing has actually made Angela’s back stronger. In 2002, she made her first trip to the World Championships of Rowing and won a silver medal there. Since then, she has been in five World Championships of rowing and she is a five time gold medalist. Angela even competed in the Paralympics in Beijing last year.

One of Angela’s two greatest accomplishments was when she rowed across the Atlantic with an amputee man from France in 2007 and the Indian Ocean with a crew of eight members in June of 2009. After 58 days, 15 hours and eight minutes of rowing across the Indian Ocean, Angela became the first woman, disabled and paraplegic, to row across two oceans.

Since crossing the Indian Ocean, Angela has been recovering from the long trip. She is a rowing coach and also has an adaptive rowing program. Angela teaches differently abled people how to row in Long Beach, California. A lot of autistic kids and amputees participate in her class.

Angela wants to contribute so much to the sport of rowing, but she is being held back because of financial issues and discrimination from rowing centers. Not a lot of rowing centers want people with disabilities to “take up space.” Despite all the negatives, she still remains positive. One of the best things she told me during our interview was, “There’s a big difference between a victim and a survivor. The victim is always someone who’s going to have excuses of why they can’t do things. A survivor is going to be someone who just does it no matter what!” If you want to learn more about Angela’s story or rowing class go to rowoflife.com.

- Isis Roberts
kin 332I.
S3200

Kin 332 sport image reflection

katelyn beighton t. th. 1230-145

Shiny Toy Guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright so a bit off topic, i apologize but for any of you who love shiny toy guns as much as i do youll want to be apart of this! http://www.wix.com/tomiknv/Pandora
My girlfriend bought me a ticket for my christmas present but will be in colorado seeing her favorite band for new years so i get to enjoy them alone.

-danny

New Movie: Invictus

Invictus is a new movie coming out directed by Clint Eastwood and I think it is a perfect example of how sports can change society. The movie is based on a true story about how Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, used their national rugby team as a way to bridge the segregation gap between the black population and the white population. In the movie rugby was a white, male dominate sport so therefore it was loved by whites and hated by blacks. Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, was aware of this fact. With the Rugby World Cup coming up he believed by getting blacks and whites to support the nations team it would help unite them as one. The only problem was the rugby team needed to start winning to make it to the world cup. So Mandela teams up with the rugby captain, played by Matt Damon, and instills the notion of change in his mind help motivate him to start winning. Of course in the end this “feel good” movie it is safe to assume the rugby team wins and country is united. But on a serious note this movie looks very good and again is a true testimony to how sports can lead to social change. GO SEE IT!!

Shane Bowman
KIN 332I s. 3017

Kobe Demonstrating Deviant Overconformity

After searching for some highlights in the NBA, I came across the Lakers’ recap video posted on 12/11 on the Yahoo! Sports website. It is the recap on the Timberwolves vs. Lakers game where Kobe injured his right finger and still finishes the first quarter and leaves the second quarter to check it out. He comes back in the second half to play. And the video shows Kobe making a left handed lay-up proving that he still can play. Kobe ends up with 20 points and 5 rebounds that game. This ties into deviant overconformity because this includes “supranormal actions” and playing with a fracture is one example of this. Kobe probably is deviant in this way because of the sport ethic’s norms of dedication to “the game”, strive for distinction, accept no obstacles in the pursuit of success, and accept risks and play through pain. In society’s eyes, when an athlete such as Kobe follows the sport ethic and models society’s values, they become likable.

M. Peyton
KIN332I Class#: 3017
Section: 03

Officials bribed in the world of Boxing

Four officials of the Mongolia team were expelled from the world boxing championships Thursday for trying to bribe a referee with a watch. The Mongolian boxers, their coaches and team doctor were allowed to stay in Milan until the tournament ends. The International Amateur Boxing Association said on its Web site, code of ethics states any gifts offered to a referee must be authorized. Gifts can be exchanged "only as a mark of respect or friendship" but must have a nominal value. More than 550 boxers from 133 countries are participating in the world championships. If these laws were not put into place then there would be no control as to what the outcome of matches would be. Rules have to be enforced, with no rules the athletes are competing for no reason. There will always be people trying to rig games in one way or another; it’s up to officials to stop this from happening.

E. G.
006239725
TTH – 9:30-10:45

NFL fines Chad Ochocinco

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, formally known as Chad Johnson is being fined yet again, this time $30,000 for throwing on a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown and getting a win over the Detroit Lions. A month prior to this event, Ochocinco was fined $20,000 for pretending to bribe an official. While one of Ochocinoco’s catches was being reviewed, he waved the dollar bill to the official, as the official motioned to him to keep away. Having fun on the field should not be punishable; Ochocinco is not committing crime with his actions. Punishable should be those who yell out profanities after scoring a touchdown, or sacking a quarterback. Punishable those that get extra licks in after tackling down their opponent. These few specific actions ultimately consist of plays that should be punished with these fines, not someone who’s trying to spice up the game a bit with a little extra entertainment.

E. G.
006239725
TTH – 9:30-10:45

Laker Fans

Yahoo sports recently did an article on the best and worse fans in the NBA. They said that Laker fans have sold out every home game the past 2 seasons and 98% of season ticket holders renewed their tickets. Over 267,000 fans viewed Laker games either on KCAL 9 or FS West. That does sound like much but you have to keep in mind that those or local stations that usually only LA area households get. Not only or local fans showing up but also of course the celebrities are showing up as well. Jack Nicholson has court side season seats and we constantly see others like Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio. People could say that it is only due to their success but even teams who don't do so hot like the Knicks rate higher than teams that do have success such as the Orlando Magic who were in the finals last season. As a Laker fan myself I do have to say, "GO LAKERS!"

US World Cup Draw

The US has gotten one of their best draws in years! They are in group C with England, Algeria, and Slovenia. They play England 1st and many soccer analysts say that they have a pretty good chance to defeat them. Even if they do not if they beat both Algeria and Slovenia they will move on. If the US cannot defeat both of them then they have no right to move on to the knockout stage of the world cup. This years group of death is group G with Portugal, Brazil, Ivory Coast, and North Korea. The reason its the group of death is because you have 3 good teams in Portugal, Brazil, and Ivory Coast which means that one of them will not move on to the next round which would be an upset to any of them. We will all look forward to watching to see how all these countries do especially the US and hopefully see them move on to the knockout round!

Freddy Adu, 14-Year Old Professional Soccer Athlete

Interesting story about a drafted professional soccer athlete from the African republic of Ghana who has recently completed on November 18, 2009, his six year contract with United team in the Major League Soccer. Of noteworthiness is the fact that he is the youngest and most highest paid since the inception of the MLS. Adu’s basic salary is $500,000 with increasing earnings as he signs into agreement with sporting goods sponsors. Adu is reported saying that he intends to financially assist his single mother with his earnings. Despite the high level of stress this adolescent will experience in professional sport, he perceives this opportunity as "I know I'm not going to be at my best every day. I know there are going to be days when I'm going to be terrible. I chose this life as my career, so I have to deal with it."

Iman Leong KIN 332I

New NFL head concussion management procedures in effect

The NFL is a role model sports league that instigated new head concussion management. If an athlete were to exhibit symptoms of concussion, they are to be removed from either their practice session or game and restricted from reentry unless they are more thoroughly examined by the team physician and neurosurgeon. Since last week, there have been four players: Jamal Lewis (Cleveland Browns), Brodney Pool (Cleveland Browns), Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) that have been prevented from playing in scheduled games. These new procedures are the result of a one year medical investigation commissioned by the NFL to study former football players of the past who experienced multiple untreated concussions during their careers in the league, and now presently have dementia and motor control problems such as 1971’s Baltimore Colts John Mackey whose touchdown won his team the Super Bowl that year. Repeated concussions can result in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Currently the NFL provides one hundred former athletes $88,000 per year to support their long-term medical expenses.

Iman Leong KIN 332I

Cowboys in December

It is the month of December and as any Dallas Cowboy fan knows, this is when our team crumbles. Since 1996 in the month of December the Cowboys are 18-32. The media has claimed this as Dallas’s curse. They have already played their first game in the month of December and lost to the New York Giants 31-24. Usually the quarterback, Tony Romo, got the blame for losing the games down the stretch but that wasn't the case. He was 41-55 throwing for 392 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. If that didn’t help them to win against the Giants then I don’t know how they are going to win their next couple of games. Their next game is against the San Diego Chargers, who are 9-3, and then against the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Well, now that Jessica Simpson is out of the picture that might give us a better chance at winning.
Kevin M. KIN332i Sec.2

Parents Gone Wild

Recently I have gone to little league baseball games to watch my fiance umpire. At each game I have sat through, I have been tempted to bring a video camera to tape the parents in the stands. These parents are yelling at their kids while they are up to bat, arguing with the coaches to put in a new pitcher and screaming at the umpire to make better calls. I am not trying to say that excitement is not allowed at the field ever but these little 9 and 10 year old kids are put under so much pressure to perform like professionals. Parents are sitting beside the dug outs near the plate just waiting to give a quick few pointers to their kids on how to bat. At each pitch the parents are yelling at the child on how to adjust and what they should do better next swing. These types of comments are not the same as "Good Eye Johnny", they are remarks with an underlying tone for the kid to do better next time or else. Parents take out almost all of the fun for these kids by pressuring them to perform a certain way. If parents were video-taped and shown the way they behave, would they see that they are yelling at 9 and 10 year old kids to play as if they were 25 years old with 15 years of experience? Would they see the look in their kids eyes that explains how much pressure they are under or are do they really only have an agenda for themselves?

J. Zeeb
005032610
Kin 332 : T/Th 9:30-10:45

Barry Bonds Career is Dead

Barry Bonds has played 22 seasons in the major leagues and now his career is finally officially over at age 45. Bonds has been out of baseball for two years because of his ongoing steriod or "performance-enhancing drugs" scandal that still has the public and media talking today. I hope people can remember his 762 homers, 14 All-Star Games, seven NL MVP awards and many many more honors, and not just his illegal drug use.

M.Lisnock KIN 332I

The Pressure of being a champion

When ever a team or individual becomes a champion or champions of their sports there is added pressure to perform. Most athletes want to keep their title, belt or status. This is definately true for the light weight UFC champion BJ Penn. He is going for his third title defense against Diego Sanchez on Saturday. This fight is extremely hyped up and should be a good one. Diego has not lost a fight since 2007 and is ramped up and ready to go, but BJ has his own agenda and is the top ranked fighter at 155 in the world. I am rooting for BJ because he is a humble guy and is the best MMA fighter at Brazilian jujitsu. I wonder if the pressure of being the best in the world is taking a toll on his training and his drive to win. Either way I hope the best fighter wins and that the pressure does not get to BJ.

J. Cruickshank KIN 332I

Are Superstar Athletes More Prone to Cheat?

Is it possible for a superstar athlete to remain faithful to their spouse? Blinded by lights and glamor many of these elite athletes tend to cheat on their significant others. This brings about a question, are highly paid and idolized athletes more prone to cheat compared to your average Joe? I believe so; money and power brings about many temptations, and sometimes these athletes just cannot help themselves. After all they are only human. Athletes such as Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant have been caught up in such scandals. Both of these athletes are constantly traveling and are an image in our society. Does the fact that they both cheated on their wives make them less of a person? Not that I am justifying cheating, but both of these men probably have done more to help society in positive ways compared to your average person who has never cheated on their spouse. If they are seen as less of a moral person, then so should all of the women that they have slept with. It takes two to tango, and sadly in events like these many of the women are using these men to become famous for their 15 minutes. I won't lie, I love all of the late night television jokes that are surrounding Tiger's infidelities right now, but come on cut the guy some slack; he has the same troubles as each and every one of us, the only difference is he is a multimillionaire.

N. Veeh
Kin 332i

What Happened to the Steelers?

Last years Superbowl Champions the Pittsburg Steelers have lost 4 games in a row to some teams they should have beaten with their eyes closed! They lost Sunday to the Oakland Raiders 27-24!!! Their record is now 6-6. With these losses,this is now the franchise's longest losing streak since 2003! Their number one reciever, Hines Ward, apparently called out Roethlisberger for not playing in last weekends game because of a minor concussion. He was placed as third string quaterback if it was necessary for him to play. The doctors had cleared him to play, but the coaches didn't want to risk him getting any more hurt than he already was. Just a little personal note, I'm actually glad to see the Superbowl Champions lose, maybe it will shut up all my friends who are Pittsburg fans!!!
B. Arthur kin332 S2

Sports Leadership

The fact that our society is a neoliberal society is not a secret by any means. Individualism and materialism has saturated the professional sports areana. The professional sports leagues should undergo a major facelift if they are looking to try to make role models out of their athletes. No longer is sportsmanship making the headlines. Instead it is filled with headlines concerning athletes who bribe, cheat, and steal. In my opinion it is very sad that these athletes take for granted the fact that they are lucky to be there. They are typically part of only 1% of the athletes that gain admittance to this level. Tiger Woods, Chad "OchoCinco", coachs like Bobby Knight have made a mockery of the professional sport world. The importance of money is prominent and these athletes have shown that money definitely talks in our society and it is screaming at the younger generation that bad actions and moral values are acceptable if you have money. The money and power in these sports is ridiculous and there are less than a handful of athletes that I ca say I look up to.
-C. Carr KIN 332I sec 3

Weather is not an Excuse

Today Bill Belichick sent home 4 Patriots players for showing up late to an 8am meeting, one of which was Randy Moss. As of right now, there is no word on whether or not the players will be fined. They claim the reason they were late was due to traffic in the terrible snow conditions. Even with an excuse such as that, Belichick believed the men should have left earlier and the players need to take their meetings more seriously. This is the first time the Patriots have lost 2 games in a row since 2006. Tom Brady and Giselle welcomed a new baby boy yesterday, even after just becoming a dad for the second time, he managed to show up to the meeting on time. Brady wanted to set an example to his teammates by showing up, even after having a baby.
B. Arthur kin 332 S2

Eliminate Competitive Sports from Society NOW!

Through the semester we have seen a great deal of trouble following competitive sports in all forms and arenas. Any rational human being would therefore conclude that competitive sports in our society perhaps diminishes our goal as a species to unite and intellectually grow. Now some would certainly argue that sports benefit and foster skills in our younger generations that will benefit them in the future, but at what cost? Now recognize, sports and competitive sports are not one in the same. Sports benefit the individual physically which in turn strengthens cognitive skills. Naturally we can spend hours listing the benefits, which i would not disagree with. Now competitive sports on the other hand encourage winning at all costs which prompts emphasis on physical domination rather than by skill. The competitive aspect encourages egos to inflate while discriminating against others who can not perform at the same level. How can our society honestly expect to grow and unify if we encourage and expect our younger generations to follow in our foot steps? What does competitive sports teach our youth if their parents are screaming at the point of explosion on the sidelines? What values will our youth be taught if coaches yell in a non-constructive manner at athletes when they make a mistake, as if they already do not feel bad enough? I also happen to be the most competitive individual you would ever meet.

D. Albus KIN 332I S 3017

Former Compton basketball coach won't be retried

In an article that I read, the former basketball coach of Dominguez High School will not be retried for his charge on meeting a minor for a lewd purpose. In a 10-2 vote, the Compton jury decided not to retry Russell Otis which would have gave him up to a three year jail sentence. It was reported that Otis had contacted one of his former 16 year old basketball player at his home, offering him $1,500 in cash if the boy would let him “sexually arouse him.” It was said that there was not enough evidence to prove that Otis actually went to the boy’s house. The article did say that, “The jury did convict Otis on a misdemeanor child-molesting charge for barraging the boy with text messages that continued into the early morning hours in August 2008.” The misdemeanor that he received will force him to register as a sex offender and will not be allowed to coach or teach minors. I feel as though this relates to the negative aspect of coaching. Things like this should not be tolerated and more things should be done such as background checks on coaches to help prevent events like this from happening.

C. Barragan kin 332I.S2

Bengals Widereciever Didn't Learn His Lesson

Well, Chad Ochocinco is at it again as though his one dollar bribe that cost him twenty thousand dollars was not enough to at least calm his urges to do stupid things, he got fined again this past weekend for wearing a poncho and a sombrero in celebration of a touchdown against the Lions. As far as the past few seasons go there is no real reason why anyone except for maybe the Bengals should celebrate in any way against the Lions. Ochocinco was fined a reported thirty thousand dollars for his stunt which to most football players is no more than a slap on the wrist. I am sure that he will no doubt do something like this again. He obviously didn’t learn his lesson the first time he violated rules. This is not an example of deviance to where he is cheating or anything like that, but he is setting an example to people who watch what he is doing. This was in an article on the Fox Sports website.

Marco Egurvide
kin 332I.S2

Hassiba Boulmerka (Religion and Sport)

In 1992, Hassiba Boulmerka became the first Arab woman (and African) to win a gold medal in Olympic history in Barcelona, Spain in the 1,500 meter. After her victory in the Olympics, Boulmerka could no longer train in her home country of Algeria. She was constantly harassed by fundamental Muslim groups and was even sent death threats, because she had dared to show her legs during the race. She was forced to move to Europe so she could safely continue her training. Boulmerka still considers herself a good Muslim. She equates Islam with peace and tolerance, and was determined to not let fundamentalists stop her from pursuing her dreams. In 1993, she earned a bronze medal in the 1,500 meter competition in Stuttgart, Germany. Two years later, she competed in Gothenburg, Sweden, and won a second gold medal in the event. Boulmerka retired in 1997 but she has remained outspoken in her opposition to any form of oppression of women. She publically condemns Islamist extremism and especially restrictions placed upon women, particularly in athletics. She captured international attention in 1999 by specifically accusing Mexico and Pakistan (and other Muslim countries) of discriminating against women athletes. She appealed to the International Olympic Commission (IOC) to campaign to stop what she called terrorism against women. Later that year, she was among the first Olympians directly elected to the Athletes’ Commission of the IOC.

L. Kinnaman KIN 332I.S2 T&TH 9:30am

Marion Jones medals to be reallocated

In an article that I read, the International Olympic Committee is ready to reallocate the gold medals that Marion Jones won that were taken away from her after a doping scandal. She had originally won five medals, but the IOC has decided to reissue two of them. The two that will be reissued are the ones she won at the Sydney, Australia Olympics in 2000 for long jump and the 200 meters. The gold medal for the long jump will go to Heike Drechsler from Germany and the gold medal for the 200 meters will go to Pauline Davis-Thompson from the Bahamas. Jones was linked to the company called Blanco who was associated with athletes that tested positive for steroids. That occurred in 2003 and it was not until 2007 that Jones admitted to lying to federal agents about using performance enhancing drugs. This caused her to go to jail for six months. She is now out of jail and would like to pursue a career in basketball. I feel as though nothing good comes out of using steroids. It is another form of cheating that should receive punishment just like Jones did.

C. Barragan kin 332I.S2

Has-been new UFC Ultimate Fighter Coaches

It was announced this weekend on a free UFC event that the new coaches of the next season of The Ultimate Fighter will be Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Tito Ortiz hasn't won a MMA fight in about 4 years. Although many people around this area love Tito, because he is the "Huntington Beach Badboy", he is no longer a competator in the MMA world. The other coach, Chuck Liddell, hasnt won a fight in about 2 years and has been retired. Both of these coaches have already had there big shot and made their money in the sport of MMA. Even though they will probably be good coaches, no one really wants to watch them fight at the end of the season. These coaching opportunities should be given to new up and coming fighters.

T. Knox Kin 332i - 9:30am - 008041642

Impostor MJ causes drama

An NBA Development team, Utah Flash had to refund tickets to their fans after a big "hoax" went wrong in the city of Orem, Utah. The Utah Flash GM,Brandt Andersen, attempted to coordinate a highly anticipated match up of 21 between two of basketball's greatest Michael Jordan and Byron Russell. This match was supposed to happen during the halftime of one of their games. Andersen heard word of a look a like Michael Jordan, and brought him to Utah for the stint. This however went all wrong once the fans figured out that he was an impostor. More than half booed at half time and left shortly after. The commissioner of the Development League, Dan Reed, went on to say this on the matter, "for a Utah Flash promotion that never should have happened." Since then Andersen has deeply apologized and refunded the spectators of their tickets. This type of situation was used to bring more fans to the arena and to boost popularity of the team. However it only backfired and brought a negative reaction to the franchise. It was supposed to be for popular business, as our book explains it in Chapter 4, Business of Sport.

Here is the link for additional info:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/12/09/09/nba-d-league-apologizes-jordan-vs-russell-hoax

Julien Cromer SEC 2 KIN 332I

Currency Rise Helps Canadian N.H.L. Teams

The Canadian teams in the NHL used to be the "poor cousins" to the American teams. Now, the decline in the American dollar has created a trade imbalance in Canada. Because of the stronger currency, it's now cheaper for the six Canadian teams (Maple Leaves, Canucks, Oilers etc.) to pay their players in United States dollars and to reduce debts. N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke of Canada’s renewed economic strength when he said the league was interested in expansion to Winnipeg and Quebec City, cities that lost N.H.L. teams in the 1990s. The league initiated the Canadian Assistance Program at the start of the 1995-96 season to help small-market Canadian teams stay afloat. The program ended when a salary-cap and revenue-sharing model was adopted by the league before 2005-2006, during the lockout that wiped out the previous season. Today, several Canadian teams are net contributors to revenue sharing, helping to keep weaker American franchises alive.

M.L. KIN 332I

From High School Eating Disorder to Big West Champion

http://www.northbay.com/running/09xcsumpter.html

Sarah Sumpter, a freshman at UC Davis recently won the Big West Conference cross country championship. She was only the second freshmen to win in history. What people might not know before reading this article is that Sumpter suffered heavily from anorexia and over-exercising throughout high school at Healdsburg High, and when she arrived at UC Davis. Sumpter admitted: “She was anorexic and that she needed to change her lifestyle. Her weight had dropped to 92 pounds, down 20 pounds from her preferred weight. She felt sick most of the time.” She had over-exercised so much that she ended up injured her freshmen year and had to redshirt. While at UC Davis, Sumpter met with the school’s sport psychologist twice a week. Now Sumpter is as healthy as she’s ever been and the fastest she has ever been as well. This article ties to our deviance in sports chapter and sheds light on a rather dark subject in the sports world that is often overlooked. Matt T. KIN 332I

KIN 332I Kauer Final Blog

Think back over their semester in this course. Considering what you have and haven't learned, how you have and haven't grown and changed in your thinking about the topics of the course, what has been disappointing, what has been enlivening-and present those reflections to the class, and also on this blog. The format is wide open-except that no traditional essays or written responses are allowed." You can post an image and reflect upon it. You may do a brief video. Write prose or poetry.

Tiger Woods pulling out of the tournament

Over the Thanksgiving break, a worldwide known athlete was in a car crash. Yes I found an article on Tiger Woods. (no surprise there) unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few days, you have heard about his car crash on ESPN, the nightly news, gossip sites, and anywhere else where media is present.

The article that I read talked about Tiger pulling out of his own golf tournament because of injuries that he received in his car crash near his home in Florida. The cause of the accident and many other questions about the crash has still not been answered by Tiger. The article stated that the world’s number one golfer posted a statement on his own website saying that injuries (unspecified) prevented him from play in the Chevron World Challenge. The professional golfer continues on saying, "I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there." The article then said that The Golf Channel reported that headaches and soreness will prevent Tiger Woods from traveling to attend the event.

The article then goes on about how the tournament directors said that starting next week, fans that bought early tickets can get refunded starting next week, or fans can be refunded by 20 percent of the ticket price.

The article then finishes up by recapping everything that the media knows about the accident, which is not too much information besides that Tiger takes full responsibility for the crash and that all the rumors that are flying around out in the media are not correct. He has said, “the crash is a private matter, and I intend on keeping it that way.”

Emma Frawley

Kin. 332I Sec 2

Special Olympics

The special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Shriver, it was created to "provide people with mental disabilities opportunities to develop their physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship through sport." The first special Olympics attracted only 1,000 atheltes, but it has dramtaically expanded over the years, and in 2003 more than 7,000 athltetes competed. In addition to the numbers of participants exapnding attitudes from particular countires have changed about the Special Olpympics. For example, China used to be a country where if a person was born with an intellectual disablity it was considered a punishement from wrong doings in a previous life, and in some cases it was suggested for parents to kill their babies. China has transformed, within the past seven years China has helped over 700,000 athteles with intellectual disablities. The Special Olympics can transform your life. For example, a girl named Zhang Xinhui deveopled a serious illness that left her with a mental disablity. She became withdrawn from her peers, and her parents didn't know what to do. They turned to the Special Olympics for answers, and Zhang discovered a passion for table tennis. She has won two gold medals, and in 2007 she she participated in the Special Olympics East Asia Athlete Leadership Program training course and later became a torch carrier in Japan and Korea. Zhang is one example of how the SPecial Olympics can change families, and give new hope.
Alexis Whalen 332i sec 02
http://www.specialolympics.org/china.aspx

A win is a win

The New Jersey Nets after loosing 18 straight games now hold the new NBA record for worst start ever. On December 4th the New Jersey Nets finally got the chance to feel what winning felt like as they defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91 on their home floor in the Continental Airlines Arena. The Nets are in a rebuilding mode after trading Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, a team who has young talent in Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee. It will be interesting to see how new head coach Kiki Vandeweghe handles the team in games to come. His first move was to bring Courtney Lee back into the starting line up instead of Trenton Hassel, apparently no one told the person doing introductions who introduced Trenton instead of Lee. The Nets have a long season ahead of them, we are all glad they got a win but don’t expect the team to miraculously change and start winning games. The New Jersey Nets are 1-18, and staring straight into the face of a 63 game schedule. For now a win is a win.
Matthew Hivner Kin 322I tu/th 9:30am

Zola Budd

Have you ever heard of Zola Budd? I hadn’t until I read an article about her in the October 2009 issue of Runner’s World Magazine. Zola grew up in South Africa. Her parents were English immigrants; she was the fifth child and had a great childhood. Her oldest sister Jenny was her inspiration. Jenny loved to run and when Zola was old enough she began running with her. They would run barefoot through the hills and huge fields near their home. As time went by people began to notice Zola’s talent. Sadly her sister Jenny died at the age of 25 leaving Zola feeling alone. At this point Budd put all of her energy into running! The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were approaching and it was time for Zola Budd to compete in the 3000m race against the best female runners; including Mary Decker from the United States Olympic team and Romanian runner Maricica Puică. Barefoot, Zola lined up with the other runners to begin the race. Mary Decker took the lead, followed by Maricica Puică second and Zola Budd third. Budd picked up her pace about halfway through the race. She attempted to pass Decker; after she made the pass she moved back toward the inside. Unfortunately there was some kind of contact between the two runners and Mary Decker fell. Boos reined through the stands and Zola ended up finishing seventh. This caused much controversy. Many assumed that Budd purposely pushed Decker off the track. After many years this was finally cleared up. I found this story very interesting. I’m including a link for a clip of the race.

16 Days of Glory – Maricica Puica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QF9vOnkzvk

**the fall happens at 4min 50sec**

Carolann Baldridge 332I Sec. 2

The Hand of Henry

Thierry Henry from the France national team handled the ball in the box allowing his team to get a game winning goal over the Republic of Ireland. The final score was 2-1 and this game determined the acceptance of France into the 2010 World Cup with the Republic of Ireland coming up short. The referee missed the call and needless to say the Republic of Ireland was in a bad mood. After FIFA determined that a replay was not on the table, the Republic of Ireland asked to be the 33rd team in the World Cup. This was also turned down. The real issue of this, involving sports in general, is the media. If the handball was not caught so easily on camera then there would have been no argument. The media plays a key role in high performance sports. We have almost every possible camera angle imaginable in most sports allowing us to have instant replays that can effect sports during and after the fact.

Adam Cahill 332I.s2

Larry Johnson- Was He Worth It?

I recently read an article written by Doug Tucker, a sports writer, who talked a lot about Larry Johnson and how he was such a high maintenance athlete while he was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs football team. From the moment he was drafted by the Chiefs to the moment of being released from the team, he has been benched a few times for violating team rules and suspended for violating the league's player-conduct policy. He also plead guilty on two counts of disturbing the peace and was sentenced to two years probation. One of the counts was because Johnson threw a drink on a woman and then the other count was because he pushed the head of another woman. He also refused to go to training camp due to him demanding more money which he eventually received. Even though Larry Johnson was a great football player (up until his foot injuries that caused him not to play as well as before) I wonder if it was really worth keeping him on the team as long as they did while putting up with his high maintenance attitude? Celeste Summers KIN332I.S2 T/Th 9:30.

The NBA and Its' Age Barrier

For many years high school phenoms were allowed to test their skills in the NBA. Now however, this is not the case. Athletes wishing to make the jump from the high school ranks to the NBA now have to be one year removed from high school. This age barrier is foolish because not only does it detour young athletes from accomplishing their dreams, but it sends a discriminatory message by excluding a particular ethnic group. African Americans are the majority of the athletes in the NBA, and for the most part African American people are usually the only persons to make the high school to pro jump. Brandon Jennings is now the leading candidate for rookie of the year and a possible all-star selection, yet his road to the NBA was altered due to the new age rules. Brandon didn't have the academic background to go to college in America so he played pro basketball overseas for one season. I don't mind the athletes having to be 18 years of age, because that only makes sense. Historically in America the age of 18 is the defining moment of when a minor becomes an "official" adult. I believe the NBA should allow these athletes to enter the NBA draft and leave it up to the teams to choose wisely. Jonathon S. KIN 332I Section: 3017