WomenTalkSports.com is an online network that connects the very best blogs relating to women's sports. http://womentalksports.com Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:02 -0400Well here's a loaded piece: reactions from three former Baylor Bears to Brittney Griner's comments that coach Kim Mulkey told her to be quiet about the fact that she's gay.This comment from Stasha Richards is intriguing, if true:“When I woke up, about 45 minutes into the day, they already had a group of (people) that didn’t even play, just around the program are like…pissed -- because Kim is loyal. What is this about? It has to be about something that happened from the last game up until now. (Griner) wasn’t at the banquet and (she didn’t) graduate." http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/667/1568130Tue, 21 May 2013 13:03:00 -0400Today at 9:11amCaught up with Storm All-Star C Lauren Jackson (way) early Tuesday morning to get her thoughts about the WNBA season without her and Sue Bird due to injuries. More from t he interview (and a chat with Bird) later, but Jackson did give some insights to what would be a successful season for the Storm considering all of the changes. None of ESPN's prognosticators have Seattle advancing for a WNBA-record 10th playoff appearance and league general managers pretty much feel the same, only giving Seattle a nod for its staple fan support and coach Brian Agler's strategies the final two minutes of a tight game. "Obviously a successful season is dictated by wins and losses," Jackson said. "But when teams are rebuilding or dealing with injuries, you've just got to get your players better and stronger and ready. You never know what can happen. Stranger things have happened. The girls could come out and win every game, you never know. Chemistry is a really important thing. I've played sport long enough to know you can't really rule anybody out." Maybe, but here's a release of what the league's GMs think. The full tally can be found on the WNBA's website: 2013 WNBA.COM GM SURVEY TAPS PHOENIX MERCURY TO WIN TITLE   – L.A. Sparks’ Candace Parker Picked to Win MVP Honors – – Seattle Fans Again Provide Storm Best Home-Court Advantage – – Minnesota Lynx Selected as Team that’s Most Fun to Watch –   NEW YORK – May 21, 2013 – If the WNBA’s general managers are accurate prognosticators, the Phoenix Mercury will be taking part in a parade in October. The Mercury, with No. 1 overall draft pick Brittney Griner in the fold,  collected 33 percent of the votes as the team most likely to win the WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile in the 11th annual WNBA.com GM Survey.  The defending Western Conference champion Minnesota Lynx, led by a quartet of All-Stars, was voted as the most fun team to watch (25 percent). These results marked a reversal from a year ago when 83 percent of GMs tabbed the Lynx as eventual champions and 55 percent had cited the Mercury as the most entertaining team.   The Sparks’ Candace Parker, the Fever’s Catchings, and the Mercury’s duo of Griner and Diana Taurasi figured prominently in a number of categories. Parker, who led all vote-getters as the choice for MVP (42 percent), also was selected as the player with the greatest hunger to win a championship in 2013 (30 percent). Now in her sixth WNBA season, Parker was the only player to receive votes as the best player at all three frontcourt positions, ranking as the No. 2 power forward (36 percent) and center (17 percent), and as the No. 3 small forward. Catchings, the league’s regular season MVP in 2011, was this year chosen by GMs as the best leader among players (67 percent), the toughest player (64 percent), the top power forward (46 percent), and the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year (42 percent).   An overwhelming favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year honors (75 percent), Griner was voted as the player acquisition that will make the biggest impact (42 percent).  She also shared top honors in two categories with a pair of WNBA MVPs, Taurasi (2009) and Catchings (2011). Griner tied for the lead with Taurasi as the player who forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments (25 percent apiece), and along with Catchings was viewed as the player a team would sign first if starting a franchise today (25  percent each).   In the backcourt, the GMs saw Taurasi as the top shooting guard for the fifth straight year (50 percent), and Minnesota’s Lindsay Whalen was named the best point guard (67 percent). At the forward spots, the versatile Catchings (46 percent) was selected as the No. 1 power forward and shared the top spot among small forwards with Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry (33 percent apiece). Connecticut’s Tina Charles captured the vote as the top center (67 percent) and also was selected as the league’s best rebounder (50 percent) and the player with the best post moves (58 percent).   Ten players received votes as the league’s most underrated player, with Indiana’s Briann January and Washington’s Ivory Latta sharing the top honor (17 percent each).   The New York Liberty’s Cappie Pondexter was deemed the best at creating her own shot (58 percent) and her crossover dribble was voted as the most effective individual offensive move (55 percent).   The coaching category included a variety of winners. San Antonio’s Dan Hughes was selected as the coach that best develops young players (58 percent) and Indiana’s Lin Dunn was voted as the best manager/motivator (42 percent) and the coach who runs the best defense (33 percent).  Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve was given the nod as the coach who runs the best offense (42 percent) and Washington’s Mike Thibault was considered to be the coach that makes the best in-game adjustments (33 percent).   The Seattle Storm, despite preparing to play the season without injured All-Stars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird (the player voted by GMs as the best leader in each of the past five surveys), came out on top in a pair of categories for a second straight year. Seattle was once again voted as the team with the best home court advantage (58 percent) and Storm head coach Brian Agler was named the best head coach in the last two minutes of a close game (50 percent).   Additional leaders in the WNBA.com GM survey included: Tulsa Shock – team that will be most improved (33 percent), edging Washington and Phoenix (25 percent each) Lindsey Harding signing with Los Angeles – the most surprising move of the offseason (44 percent) Nicole Powell and Candice Wiggins each joining Tulsa – most underrated move of the offseason (20 percent apiece) Kara Lawson, Connecticut Sun – active player who would make the best head coach (42 percent) Toni Young, New York Liberty – most athletic rookie (42 percent) Tayler Hill, Washington Mystics – “sleeper” rookie most likely to be a success (25 percent) Stephanie White, Indiana Fever – the best assistant coach (33 percent)   Please note - GM Responses were tabulated prior to the May 16, 2013 announcement by the Tulsa Shock that Liz Cambage would be returning to the WNBA.   http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/42/1568353Tue, 21 May 2013 16:18:00 -0400Today at 8:58amAdidas Grand Prix edition Who are the world’s best athletes in each event? It’s not necessarily the same ranking as on the world lists for each event (although there is quite a bit of crossover). We don’t have win-loss standings, and the Diamond League standings in each event aren’t always descriptive either, especially this early in the season. It’s something that most fans more or less keep in their head–and if they don’t, then they lack the proper perspective when watching a race. They have no idea whether the result went to form, or there was an upset, and who moved up and down in this theoretical ranking. So here I am to enlighten you. These rankings are based on a lot of things, including last year’s results. The more high-level competitions an event has seen in 2013, the more the ranking is based on this year. Today I’m listing women’s events, and just the ones that will be part of Saturday’s Adidas Grand Prix in New York. 100 meters 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) 2. Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) 3. Blessing Okagbare (NIG) 4. Kelly-Ann Baptiste (TRI) 5. Barbara Pierre (USA) disabled list: Carmelita Jeter (USA) No start lists are available yet for the Adidas Grand Prix in this event. Fraser-Pryce won the Diamond League opener in Shanghai and Cambell-Brown won the major early race of the World Challenge circuit in Kingston. The others have all taken runner-up spots in major races. 200 meters 1. Allyson Felix (USA) 2. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) 3. Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) 4. Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) 5. Kimberlyn Duncan (USA) disabled list: Carmelita Jeter (USA) The top two, Felix and Fraser-Pryce, will face off in 150 meter street race on Sunday in Manchester’s Great City Games, and Campbell-Brown will run in New York. As is common in the 200 meters, there hasn’t been much high-level competition between top sprinters. 400 meters 1. Amantle Montsho (BOT) 2. Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) 3. Christine Ohuruogu (GBR) 4. Novlene Williams-Mills (JAM) 5. Stephanie McPherson (JAM) All of the top four will be running at the Adidas Grand Prix. Montsho won the Diamond League opener in Doha, and Richards-Ross rates second on the strength of her outstanding 2012 season. New Jamaican find McPherson won the World Challenge meet in Kingston, but will need to back that up with another good performance to move higher. 1500 meters 1. Abeba Aregawi (SWE) 2. Genzebe Dibaba (TUR) 3. Maryam Jamal (BHR) 4. Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (KEN) 5. Jenny Simpson (USA) Of the top five, only Aregawi will be running in New York. She’s head and shoulders above the rest right now. The top athletes have met only once, the Diamond League race in Doha, and so a lot of the ranking is based on 2012. Steeplechase 1. Yuliya Zaripova (RUS) 2. Sofia Assefa (ETH) 3. Habiba Ghribi (TUN) 4. Lidya Chepkurui (KEN) 5. Milcah Chemos (KEN) Chepkurui won the Diamond League opener in Doha, but Assefa still rates higher based on a stronger 2012. Zaripova and Ghribi have yet to race this year but still rank highly, again based on their 2012 seasons. High jump 1. Anna Chicherova (RUS) 2. Ruth Beitia (ESP) 3. Tia Hellebaut (BEL) 4. Brigetta Barrett (USA) 5. Svetlana Shkolina (RUS) Chicherova put up the 2013 leading mark just today in Beijing. Beitia won the European Indoor Championship but lost to Hellebaut earlier in the season. Barrett will jump in the NCAA preliminary round in Austin on Friday, then jump on a plane and fly to New York for the Adidas Grand Prix. Pole Vault 1. Jenn Suhr (USA) 2. Yarisley Silva (CUB) 3. Holly Bleasdale (GBR) 4. Kylie Hutson (USA) 5. Anastasia Savchenko (RUS) The top three will face off in New York, led by Suhr, the new world indoor record holder. Silva and Bleasdale have the most big wins this year, with Silva beating Suhr in their most recent meeting at the Drake Relays. It seems strange to have a power ranking without Yelena Isinbaeva, but she hasn’t yet earned it in 2013. Long Jump 1. Brittney Reese (USA) 2. Janay DeLoach (USA) 3. Darya Klishina (RUS) 4. Olga Kucherenko (RUS) 5. Blessing Okagbare (NIG) Reese is beatable (DeLoach did it at the Millrose Games) but when she hits a big one, no one else is in the same zip code. Klishina won the European Indoor Championships. Discus Throw 1. Sandra Perković (CRO) 2. Nadine Müller (GER) 3. Yarelis Barrios (CUB) 4. Yanfeng Li (CHN) 5. Gu Siyu (CHN) Perković is easy money in the IAAF Diamond Fantasy race and won the Diamond League season opener in Doha by a mile. With none of the other top throwers entered, the Adidas Grand Prix should be a walkover for her. Müller won this year’s other major competition, the European Winter Cup. Gu is a new find for China, throwing very well in a U-23 competition this week. Javelin Throw 1. Mariya Abakumova (RUS) 2. Christina Obergföll (GER) 3. Vira Rebryk (UKR) 4. Barbora Špotáková (CZE) 5. Linda Stahl (GER) The Adidas Grand Prix looks like it could be a good battle, as it opens the Diamond League for the women’s javelin with the top three in the power rankings. Abakumova leads the world list by nearly ten feet. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/986/1568322Tue, 21 May 2013 18:14:00 -0400Today at 8:54amThe WNBA's general managers seem to have a better grasp of things than ESPN. Their preseason picks:Who will win conference and the title?Best players.Best off-season moves.Best rookies and international players.Best defense.Best coaches.Miscellaneous categories.Other WNBA news:Today's preseason game: Sun 88, Lynx 80. Minnesota was without Janel McCarville and Lindsey Moore.ESPN is analyzing each team.Sparks....have named Bridget Pettis assistant coach and Gail Goestenkors and Olaf Lange consultants. Pettis replaces Jim Lewis, who resigned, and reuniting Goestenkors with Alana Beard and Lindsay Harding sounds like a winner. Lange is married to the other Sparks assistant coach, Sandy Brondello.Mystics....one on one with Tierra Ruffin-Pratt.Today's transactions:Player Team TransactionScholanda Dorrell TUL Waived 5/21Megan Frazee PHO Waived 5/20Jordan Madden SAN Waived 5/20Interesting piece from the Hartford Courant:Does sexuality impact roster construction? http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/667/1568129Tue, 21 May 2013 20:06:00 -0400Today at 8:50am Through last weekend’s mid-week matches: Full Match Possession 60% – Portland (vs CHI) 56% – Washington (vs BOS) 55% – Portland (vs SBFC) 53% – Washington (vs SEA) 51% – Seattle (vs SBFC) 50% – FC Kansas City 50% – Western New York 49% – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 47% – Seattle (vs WSH) 45% – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 44% – Boston 40% – Chicago Passes 468 – Portland (vs SBFC) 446 – Portland (vs CHI) 437 – Washington (vs BOS) 430 – Seattle (vs SBFC) 402 – Western New York 390 – Washington (vs SEA) 388 – FC Kansas City 375 – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 339 – Seattle (vs WSH) 319 – Boston 267 – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 263 – Chicago Pass Completion 68% – Portland (vs SBFC) 66% – Seattle (vs SBFC) 65% – Washington (vs BOS) 63% – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 62% – Washington (vs SEA) 62% – Western New York 61% – FC Kansas City 61% – Portland (vs CHI) 58% – Seattle (vs WSH) 57% – Boston 54% – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 48% – Chicago 3+ Pass Strings 71 – Seattle (vs SBFC) 65 – Washington (vs BOS) 63 – FC Kansas City 61 – Portland (vs SBFC) 58 – Portland (vs CHI) 58 – Washington (vs SEA) 57 – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 57 – Seattle (vs WSH) 57 – Western New York 50 – Boston 31 – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 28 – Chicago Average Pass String Length 6.2 – Portland (vs SBFC) 5.6 – Portland (vs CHI) 5.1 – Washington (vs BOS) 5.1 – Western New York 4.9 – Seattle (vs SBFC) 4.9 – Washington (vs SEA) 4.8 – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 4.8 – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 4.6 – FC Kansas City 4.4 – Chicago 4.2 – Boston 4.1 – Seattle (vs WSH) Longest Pass String 25 – Portland (vs SBFC) 15 – Portland (vs CHI) 14 – Sky Blue FC (vs SEA) 14 – Washington (vs SEA) 13 – Seattle (vs SBFC) 12 – Washington (vs BOS) 11 – Boston 10 – FC Kansas City 10 – Seattle (vs WSH) 10 – Sky Blue FC (vs POR) 10 – Western New York 9 – Chicago By Half Possession 63% – Portland (2H vs CHI) 60% – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 59% – Washington (1H vs BOS) 57% – Portland (1H vs CHI) 55% – Washington (1H vs SEA) 54% – Washington (2H vs BOS) 51% – FC Kansas City (2H) 51% – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 51% – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 51% – Washington (2H vs SEA) 51% – WNY Flash (1H) 50% – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 50% – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 49% – FC Kansas City (1H) 49% – Seattle (2H vs WSH) 49% – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 49% – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 49% – WNY Flash (2H) 46% – Boston (2H) 45% – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 43% – Chicago (1H) 41% – Boston (1H) 40% – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 37% – Chicago (2H) Passes 273 – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 238 – Washington (1H vs BOS) 229 – Portland (2H vs CHI) 226 – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 217 – Portland (1H vs CHI) 204 – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 202 – WNY Flash (1H) 200 – WNY Flash (2H) 199 – Washington (2H vs BOS) 198 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 197 – Washington (1H vs SEA) 195 – FC Kansas City (1H) 195 – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 193 – FC Kansas City (2H) 193 – Washington (2H vs SEA) 178 – Seattle (2H vs WSH) 177 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 170 – Boston (2H) 161 – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 150 – Chicago (1H) 149 – Boston (1H) 147 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 120 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 113 – Chicago (2H) Pass Completion 72% – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 69% – Washington (1H vs BOS) 67% – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 65% – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 64% – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 63% – Washington (1H vs SEA) 63% – WNY Flash (1H) 62% – FC Kansas City (1H) 62% – Portland (2H vs CHI) 62% – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 61% – FC Kansas City (2H) 61% – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 61% – Washington (2H vs SEA) 61% – WNY Flash (2H) 60% – Portland (1H vs CHI) 60% – Washington (2H vs BOS) 59% – Boston (1H) 59% – Seattle (2H vs WSH) 58% – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 58% – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 56% – Boston (2H) 51% – Chicago (1H) 50% – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 45% – Chicago (2H) 3+ Pass Strings 37 – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 34 – Portland (2H vs CHI) 34 – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 33 – FC Kansas City (1H) 33 – Washington (2H vs BOS) 32 – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 32 – Washington (1H vs BOS) 31 – Seattle (2H vs WSH) 31 – Washington (2H vs SEA) 30 – FC Kansas City (2H) 29 – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 29 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 29 – WNY Flash (1H) 28 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 28 – WNY Flash (2H) 27 – Washington (1H vs SEA) 26 – Boston (1H) 26 – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 24 – Boston (2H) 24 – Portland (1H vs CHI) 19 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 17 – Chicago (1H) 12 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 11 – Chicago (2H) Average Pass String Length 7.2 – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 6.0 – Portland (1H vs CHI) 5.6 – Washington (1H vs BOS) 5.2 – Portland (2H vs CHI) 5.1 – Washington (1H vs SEA) 5.1 – WNY Flash (1H) 5.1 – WNY Flash (2H) 5.0 – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 5.0 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 4.9 – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 4.9 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 4.8 – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 4.7 – FC Kansas City (2H) 4.6 – FC Kansas City (1H) 4.6 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 4.6 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 4.6 – Washington (2H vs BOS) 4.6 – Washington (2H vs SEA) 4.5 – Boston (1H) 4.5 – Chicago (2H) 4.5 – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 4.3 – Chicago (1H) 3.9 – Boston (2H) 3.7 – Seattle (2H vs WSH) Longest Pass String 25 – Portland (1H vs SBFC) 15 – Portland (1H vs CHI) 15 – Portland (2H vs CHI) 15 – Portland (2H vs SBFC) 14 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs SEA) 14 – Washington (1H vs SEA) 13 – Seattle (2H vs SBFC) 12 – Washington (1H vs BOS) 11 – Boston (1H) 11 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs SEA) 11 – Washington (2H vs BOS) 10 – Boston (2H) 10 – FC Kansas City (2H) 10 – Seattle (1H vs SBFC) 10 – Seattle (1H vs WSH) 10 – Sky Blue FC (1H vs POR) 10 – Sky Blue FC (2H vs POR) 10 – WNY Flash (2H) 9 – Chicago (2H) 9 – FC Kansas City (1H) 9 – Washington (2H vs SEA) 8 – Seattle (2H vs WSH) 8 – WNY Flash (1H) 6 – Chicago (1H) Send to Facebook Tweet This Post http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/651/1568121Wed, 22 May 2013 00:42:00 -0400Today at 8:07am Courtesy FILA/Alexander Oreshnikov Over the weekend, wrestling’s top officials met at the FILA Extraordinary Congress in Moscow to vote on major changes in wrestling, so it makes it more exciting for the fans. The biggest change is a new “passivity rule”. If the a wrestler is being passive and not trying to improve his/her position, a warning will be implemented then a 30 second clock. If the wrestler does not score or improve their position in the 30 seconds, their opponent is given a point. If there is no scoring in a period, the referee will determine a “passive” wrestler and will give them 30 seconds to score. If they don’t, their opponent gets the point. Among other rules that will be implemented: Cumulative score for the entire bout The structure of the match is now two three-minute periods A takedown is worth two points, making it more valuable than a point for the pushout or a penalty point. There is a difference in what a technical fall will be. In freestyle, it will be a difference of 10 points. The rules will be implemented immediately, with the World Championships in Budapest this coming weekend. Newly elected FILA president Nenad Lalovic of Serbia also stated his commitment to increase inclusion of women not only on the mat, but as a part of the FILA congress itself. Under the new constitution, at least one of the vice-presidents will be female. The newly formed FILA Bureau will also have three female members. No word on what exact female weight classes were added to the FILA. Filed under: BJJ/Wrestling http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/652/1568111Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:00 -0400Tue at 7:59pmAs part of a process of regular follow-up to complaints of a negative sexual climate and confusing sexual assault policies and procedures two years ago, Yale University has issued a campus climate report that shows some of the steps the university has taken since 2011 have been effective.Most effective has been the streamlining of policies and procedures that address incidents (and their reporting) of sexual assault and harassment. Students who were surveyed reported that they felt confident they could access the system for reporting sexual assault and harassment. Many could name an office on campus that deals with these issues. In short, awareness is up. This is good----because what remains unclear is how much the climate has actually changed. So while mechanisms and personnel are in place and have been well-advertised, the need to actually use them may not have decreased. Climate is more difficult to measure, but something Yale--and every school--needs to pursue. What are the proactive measures Yale is taking to decrease incidents of sexual assault and harassment? Remembers, the resources and mechanisms Yale has put in place and/or streamlined should have already been there. That's the law. And it was a reaction to an OCR complaint filed by students which ended in a voluntary resolution agreement.One of the ongoing issues is the lack of female faculty in some departments. Also, the unique needs of graduate students should be addressed. Grad students work closely with faculty members and rely on them for progressing in their degree program and for help in getting a job afterwards. In other words, there is large power imbalance and plenty of cases to suggest that grad students who complain about inappropriate relationships with or behavior from faculty members experience significant backlash.Yale will continue to assess campus climate. I hope they will report on specific measures to curb sexual assault and harassment and how they are measuring climate. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/35/1568113Tue, 21 May 2013 12:37:00 -0400Tue at 7:55pmBY: JAMES M DORSEYSaudi Arabia, under domestic and international pressure to grant women sporting rights, is creating separate stadium sections so that female spectators and journalists can attend soccer matches in a country that has no public physical education or sporting facilities for women.The move announced by the recently elected head of the Saudi Football Federation, Ahmed Eid Alharbi, a storied player believed to be a reformer, also comes as soccer is emerging as a focal point of dissent in the conservative kingdom.Saudi Arabia has been slow in granting limited enhancement of women’s rights in response to demands by activists. Women in Saudi Arabia are banned from driving, travelling without authorization from a male relative and banned from working in a host of professions. Saudi Arabia’s religious police said last month that women would be allowed to ride bikes and motorbikes in recreational areas provided that they were properly dressed and accompanied by a male relative.Saudi Arabia recently also announced that it would allow girl’s physical education in private schools as long as they do so in line with Islamic law. Yet, a five-year national sports plan, the kingdom’s first, currently being drafted does not make provisions for women’s sports. Saudi sources say the government is also for the first time considering licensing women’s soccer clubs.Saudi Arabia last year sent under pressure from the International Olympic Committee women athletes, albeit expatriate ones, to the 2012 London Olympics, the first time Saudi women competed in an international tournament. The kingdom is also under pressure from the West Asian Football Federation, which earlier this year, issued guidelines to ensure that women have equal rights and opportunities in soccer.Speaking at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, according to Saudi press reports, Mr. Alharbi hinted at the economic impact of allowing women to attend matches by saying that the creation of facilities for them would increase capacity at various stadiums by 15 percent. He said the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah would be the first to accommodate up to 32,000 women followed by the King Abdullah City stadium in the capital in 2014. Saudi Arabia, which enforces strict gender segregation, first announced in 2012 plans to upgrade the Jeddah stadium to enable women to enter.Meanwhile, in the latest politically-loaded soccer incident, Al Ittihad SC of Jeddah, filed a complaint against Riyadh’s Al Hilal SC after an Al Ittihad official and fans tweeted and chanted racist remarks. Al Ittihad, which has a number of dark-skinned Saudi players, and Al Hilal are among Saudi Arabia’s top clubs.“The last match between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad clearly revealed the indecency of Al-Ittihad players through two movements – one from ‘the monkey’ Fahd Al-Muwallad who did not stop proceeding when Muhammad Al-Qarni was injured in a jostle with him. Secondly, (they) did not fulfill the commitment to Majed Al-Murshidi, and did not greet or thank him,” Saud Al-Sahli, assistant director of public relations and announcer at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, said on Twitter. Al Hilal fans chanted Some Al-Hilal fans had shouted “Nigger, Nigger” during the match earlier this month. Messrs. Al-Muwallad and Al-Qarni are both dark-skinned.Saudi newspapers warned that racist incidents threaten to rekindle religious sectarianism, tribalism, and regionalism in the kingdom, in part a reference to Shiite Muslim protests in the oil-rich Eastern Province. “The racist and sectarian utterances of sports fans should not be punished by fines alone, as some heads of the sports clubs are immensely rich and can pay the fines against their fans without feeling any burden. There should be harsher punishments, including a ban on the fans from entering the stadiums, reducing the club’s league points or even downgrading it to a lower division,” the Saudi Gazette said in an editorial.Members of the royal family with positions in Saudi soccer or who own clubs have been repeatedly in the past year in the firing line of disgruntled fans. A Facebook page entitled Nasrawi Revolution demands the resignation of Prince Faisal bin Turki, the owner of storied Riyadh club Al Nasser FC and a burly nephew of King Abdullah who sports a mustache and chin hair. A You Tube video captured Prince Faisal seemingly being pelted and chanted against as he rushed off the soccer pitch after rudely shoving a security official aside.The campaign against Prince Faisal follows last year’s unprecedented resignation of Prince Nawaf bin Feisal as head of the Saudi Football Federation (SFF), the first royal to be persuaded by public pressure step down in a region where monarchial control of the sport is seen as politically important.Prince Nawaf’s resignation led to the election of Mr. Alharbi, a commoner, in a country that views free and fair polling as a Western concept that is inappropriate for the kingdom. Prince Nawaf retained his position as head of the Saudi Olympic Committee and the senior official responsible for youth welfare that effectively controls the SFF.Nevertheless, the resignation of Prince Nawaf and the campaign against Prince Faisal gains added significance in a nation in which the results of premier league clubs associated with various members of the kingdom’s secretive royal family are seen as a barometer of their relative status, particularly at a time that its septuagenarian and octogenarian leaders prepare for a gradual generational transition.Said a Saudi journalist, summing up the mood among fans and many other Saudis: “Everything is upside down. Revolution is possible. There is change, but it is slow. It has to be fast. Nobody knows what will happen.”http://mideastsoccer.blogspot.ca/2013/05/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-into.html http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/15/1568110Tue, 21 May 2013 11:49:00 -0400Tue at 7:51pm When Sheila Lambert came to Baylor back in 2000 along with head coach Kim Mulkey, the program wasn't nearly as prominent on the national landscape as it is now. Lambert went on to become the best player in Baylor's history to that point well before Brittney Griner came along and was eventually drafted No. 7 in the 2002 WNBA draft. In short, Lambert was one of the key figures who helped build the foundation for today’s Baylor program alongside Mulkey. So when Lambert heard about ESPN’s Outside the Lines story about Brittney Griner and Kim Mulkey, her reaction was anger and disgust. “It’s years that I would never forget; I wouldn’t trade them in for the world. Coach Mulkey is an outstanding, not just a coach, but an outstanding person. It’s so crazy to hear what is being said about her right now -- it blew my mind. I would never in a million years think that or even a little bit, Coach Mulkey would never…ever…EVER -- you know what I’m saying? I know her, I know what type of person she is and I know that she treats her players as if they’re her only children. "She always wanted us to be the best person that you could be as a young lady, and then basketball comes second. All she worried about (was) you going to class and you making those grades and you performing on the court. NOT ONCE since I’ve know Coach Kim, not once has she asked me about my personal life, about my sexuality, about anything that has anything to do with my personal life - coach Kim didn’t care. You were there to graduate college and she would tell you that. "When I left in 2002, when I got drafted, she called me and touched base with me every month for four years telling me to come back and finish school. She didn’t have to -- for four years until I went back and finished, she didn’t leave me alone. ‘You need to come back, and you need to finish school -- that is the ultimate goal, we are going to get you a degree.’ I’m pissed first and foremost because I know what type of person Coach Mulkey is, she treats you as if you are her child. She wanted everybody to see that person for who they are, not for what they choose to do in their (personal) life. The craziest thing (about all of this) is that she doesn’t even speak on that! It hurts my heart…it hurts my heart that somebody can reach out and bash her. Whatever issues that may be going on, that is a great woman!" In response to ESPN’s latest feature, Lambert and other ex-Baylor players were adamant about sharing another perspective to this story since it was not represented in the original piece. Swish Appeal had the opportunity to speak with a couple other former Baylor players and this is their perspective in their own words: Jhasmin Player (2005-09) “Ok, so after seeing, reading and hearing about Baylor University and Griner these past couple of days, my anger and frustration has turned into down right... PAIN. Pain knowing a woman who has done NOTHING but try her hardest to love and protect her 'cubs' from the media, from the public, from the fans, from the lovers, from the HATERS, and to end up being hurt by the accusations by a former player.“My issue is I was teammates with Emily for a year, and I have not seen or heard from her in eight years. And they had to (reach out to her) because if they reached out to any other Baylor players, we all over the country, we aren’t going to back that. And I’ve talked to at least 10 to 20 of them today -- we all feel (angry) about [this report]. “Baylor was everything to me; it’s crazy because I support (them) so much. Coach Mulkey -- I was there for four years, and I saw nothing but (her) fight for us. When Griner punched that girl, Coach Mulkey was like, ‘Media, you better not say anything, and you let me handle her because that’s not your child.’ And that’s how she treated us, the whole time we were there. She protected us from the media; she protected us from the public." Stasha Richards (1999-2003) “In all of my years being around her and being around the program, as a past player and working camps, I’ve never heard her say to anyone that…any type of team meeting, no forum ever -- and I’m a coach and she never ever (has and) would never even discuss sexuality, what you do in your private time, who you date, we never discussed any of those types of things. And I’ve never personally heard or insinuation of, ‘you can’t be who you are, you can’t be yourself…ever.’ And what I’m hearing from other teammates and other people, there was never that pressure put on anyone to be perceived to be something they are not."Here’s what I want to say: I’ve watched -- because I’m very close to the program -- I’ve watched people destroy Brittney in the media about her looks, about her voice, about the way she talks, the way she walks -- and I’ve watched Kim lose sleep over defending and making statements and making sure she was respected. In my opinion, she went out of her way to defend her. “There’s no question, [a person] coming out is not a question. People watching TV are not going, ‘Oh, really, they’re gay?’ They’re going, ‘Oh okay, now onto other news.’ And (Baylor) was not shortsighted as to say, ‘She looks a certain type of way, we’re not going to have that.’ But they are doing that at other institutions -- trust me. I had this conversation less than two weeks ago about another institution, ‘they look a certain type of way, don’t bring them in.’ There’s got to be something going on that we don’t know.“When I woke up, about 45 minutes into the day, they already had a group of (people) that didn’t even play, just around the program are like…pissed -- because Kim is loyal. What is this about? It has to be about something that happened from the last game up until now. (Griner) wasn’t at the banquet and (she didn’t) graduate. When you are insinuating that a university is less than fair when it comes to who they let attend, I think that’s a little unfair. Because I had a lot of teammates that have come through and everybody was allowed to be who they were." http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/267/1567959Tue, 21 May 2013 02:21:00 -0400Tue at 7:43pm