published May 16, 2012 at 7:40pm EDT
PRIVATE SCHOOL FORFEITS CHAMPIONSHIP TO AVOID PLAYING AGAINST A GIRL
This week in Arizona, a fundamentalist Catholic high school called "Our Lady of Sorrows" and#40;indeed!and#41; forfeited the high school championship game rather than face Mesa Preparatory Academy and its female second-baseman, Paige Sultzbach.andnbsp; According to its press release, this decision was an extension of their religious beliefs: Our school aims to instill in our boys a profound respect for women and girls. Teaching our boys to treat ladies with deference, we choose not to place them in an athletic competition where proper boundaries can only be respected with difficulty. Sadly, OLS's "respect" and "deference" for Sultzbach means denying her and her team exactly that -- the opportunity to play for the championship.andnbsp; This instance of discrimination, however, may be outside the scope of the laws that usually govern high school sports.andnbsp; OLS is a private school, not subject to the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, und [Read More]published May 12, 2012 at 8:53am EDT
FAIR BALL: THE ORIENTALISM OF CANADA GOING TO UGANDA TO PLAY BASEBALL
Photo from the Toronto Star. Recently, Sportsnet aired a 30 minute documentary about the Canadian little league team flying to Uganda to play a World Series game that never occurred called Fair Ball. andnbsp;The documentary and the team were sponsored by Right to Play, an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a means to facilitate international development. andnbsp;Despite the goodwill that was intended, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the problematic power relations that are reproduced by this documentary.In 2011, Uganda was the first African team to ever qualify for the Little League World Series. andnbsp;They were set to play Canada in their first game; however, due to improper documentation the American Embassy refused to grant the Ugandan team travel visas. andnbsp;Saudi Arabia took Uganda's place in the World Series. andnbsp;Five months later, the Canadian team from Langley, British Columbia decided that the game should still be played. andnb [Read More]published April 9, 2012 at 1:13am EDT
JESSICA MENDOZA: SOFTBALL’S OLYMPIC RETURN HINGES ON MLB
Softballandrsquo;s Olympic return hinges on MLB Mar 13 5:06 PM ET | By Ramona Shelburne ESPNLosAngeles.comandnbsp; Jennie Finch is a wife, a mother of two and a successful businesswoman. Since retiring from softball sheandrsquo;s run the New York City marathon, written a book and launched an online store. In other words, sheandrsquo;s busy. But until her voice no longer resonates on the international stage, she will always make time to campaign to get softball reinstated onto the Olympic program. Which is why she didnandrsquo;t just accept an award at the recent IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in Los Angeles, she used the opportunity to deliver an impassioned, emotional speech to some of the same IOC members who had voted her sport out of the Olympics in 2005. andldquo;Honestly, I wish there was more I could do,andrdquo; Finch said after delivering the rousing speech. andldquo;I didnandrsquo;t really know if this was the right place to do this, but I figured I might not have a better opp [Read More]published March 15, 2012 at 8:56am EDT
VICTORIA'S SECRET PINK UNVEILS 2012 MLB COLLECTION
Victoriaandrsquo;s Secret PINK is back in the game this season with another collection of MLB-themed apparel.andnbsp;The VS PINK MLB Collection first launched inandnbsp;March 2010, providing an assortment of co-branded merchandise with select teams. The lineandnbsp;has expanded again this year and will now include all 30 squads. To round out the group, seven new teams have been added to the collection: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins,andnbsp;Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays. The extension of the product line is part of MLBandrsquo;s efforts to continue to connect with its extensive female viewers. Based on data from TNS Sport andamp; Sponsorship, women account for 46% of the MLB fan base. As with past collections, the 2012 gear merges VS PINKandrsquo;s brand iconography and the names and logos of MLB teams. Items range from tees, hoodies, sweatpants and yoga pants to new additions, such as crossbody bags and sequin baseball caps. The brand co [Read More]published March 14, 2012 at 12:23pm EDT
DANCE CARD: TENNESSEE. AND NOW "ROCKY TOP" IS STUCK IN MY HEAD. (YOURS TOO?)
Who? The Lady Vols of Tennessee. What? Tennessee has a history of answering the call. Smokey is a blue tick coon hound who knows how to work a room. And now "Rocky Top" is stuck in my head. and#40;And now it's stuck in yours, isn't it?and#41; Where? Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. When? March 4th, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Why? They won the Southeastern Conference tournament. How? The much maligned senior class stepped up to give Tennessee a 70-58 win over LSU. Glory Johnson had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Lady Vols dominated the Lady Tigers on the boards 39-23. andnbsp; Surprise? Tennessee was picked to win the SEC in the preseason and finished second, so I wouldn't call it a surprise. A mild one at most- but let's be honest, it's Tennessee. Earthquakes happen when Tennessee's in trouble. RPI and#40;as of 3/4and#41;: 4 SOS and#40;as of 3/4and#41;: 1 Record: 24-8 and#40;12-4 Southeasternand#41; Good wins: Miami, at Rutgers B [Read More]published March 5, 2012 at 6:06pm EST
BATTER UP: USA BASEBALL TO HOST WOMEN’S TRYOUTS JUNE 2012
DURHAM, N.C. andmdash; USA Baseball will host more Womenandrsquo;s National Team identification events than ever before in 2012, the federation announced Thursday. It also named the four-person coaching staff for the IBAF Womenandrsquo;s Baseball World Cup in August.Three regional tryouts for the 2012 Womenandrsquo;s National Team will be held across the country in June, and from there 20 women will be selected to represent their country in the IBAF Womenandrsquo;s Baseball World Cup in Edmonton, Canada, Aug. 10-19. The United States has not won World Cup gold since it secured titles in the first two events in 2004 and 2006. Japan finished first in 2008 and 2010. andnbsp; New for 2012 is a 16U womenandrsquo;s division in the National Team Identification Series and#40;NTISand#41;, set for Sept. 7-9, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Heading into its fourth year, the NTIS serves as USA Baseballandrsquo;s most all-encompassing identification event for the following yearandrsquo;s Na [Read More]published February 22, 2012 at 3:59pm EST
BREAKING BARRIERS IN BASEBALL: TIFFANY BROOKS FUNDRAISER
You might remember the interview I conducted with Tiffany Brooks and#40;find it hereand#41;. Brooks is a baseball player. She has broken down barriers for women and girls in the sport by becoming the first female professional baseball player this century. Aside from her skills on the field, she is a talented and#40;professionaland#41; writer and helps young boys and girls develop their skills on the diamond. Brooks has participated in the Arizona Winter, the California Winter, and the Arizona Summer Leagues. She has determined that this is the year she is going to make her mark. She wants to show the world that women and girls do have a place in this sport. To do this, Brooks hopes to participate in two upcoming events: the Independent Professional Baseball showcase in Phoenix and the tryouts at the North American League open this April. She is looking for our help. Please check out her page, "ChipIn: Breaking Barriers In Baseball." There you can read more of her story, comment to show your [Read More]published February 23, 2012 at 2:04pm EST
REMEMBERING "THE KID" GARY CARTER IN STYLE
The sports world suffered a great loss when legendary Hall of Fame catcher, Gary Carter, passed away last Thursday after a battle with brain cancer. Tributes have been numerous as fans, former teammates and colleagues remember andldquo;The Kid.andrdquo; The Empire State building shined in blue and orange to honor of the life of Carter, who helped propel the New York Mets to their 1986 World Series title. The Montreal Canadiens paid their respects to Carter, who spent 11 seasons playing for the Montreal Expos, with a pre-game tribute of their own. Players wore No. 8 sweaters during their warm-ups and projected images of Carterandrsquo;s baseball cards appeared on the ice. Now Montreal-based t-shirt company, True Rivalry, is showing their respect for andldquo;The Kidandrdquo; with a memorial fashion. The companyandrsquo;s andldquo;The Kidandrdquo; t-shirt was designed in Expos blue, and includes Carterandrsquo;s No. 8 and the tagline: andldquo;Hereandrsquo;s looking at you Kid.andrdquo; Only 200 of the limited [Read More]published February 20, 2012 at 1:23pm EST
SNEAK PEAK: THE RETRO BASEBALL COLLECTION FROM NEW ERA
Many associate New Era as theandnbsp;official on-field cap of Major League Baseball but the brandandrsquo;s appeal extends well beyond itandrsquo;s sports heritage. The companyandrsquo;s headwear has been seen on fashion runways and on the heads of iconic musicians, artists, celebrities and athletes. Unique design elements and influences from different cultures allow wearers to make a style statement with their otherwise traditional baseball caps. With the start of the new year, the brand continues to debut designs that allow fans to combine their team spirit and creative fashion sense. For baseball cap lovers who like a vintage flair, New Era is introducing a collection of nostalgic baseball designs in The Retro Baseball Collection. Details such bright colors and throwback logos are incorporated into the line, which consists of four styles: The Reverse Word Snap 9FIFTY and#40;Philadelphiaand#41;, The All Star Patch 9FIFTY and#40;Minnesotaand#41;, The World Series Frontal 59FIFTY and#40;Los Angelesand#41 [Read More]published January 24, 2012 at 2:39pm EST