The HSMSE Dragons hoped to get more out of the game suffering a 43-7 loss against East Side Community. The team was struggling with their zone defense and could not keep a steady passing pattern for the reason that they simply could not maintain possession of the ball.
With only one player scoring, and no ball motion there was no way this team could win. They planned a decent defensive approach, but the girls could not follow through. Their offense was very well planned, but they just could not finish their shots.
Fortunately, head coach Mr. Diunte had actually seen improvement in some players such as Nancy Zhu. ”Nancy improved and was more energetic and was able to get a lot of loose balls and shot opportunities”, said Mr. Diunte.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Social media regulations in sports
Social media is the new medium of this age. Actors, politicians, and even the random guy down street are all trying to maximize social media in order to better their brand and public-image. However, not everyone is able to truly maximize the potential social media offers. A prime example of this is in the realm of professional sports. Almost all of the different sports have their own social media policy that can either be very restricting, such as Major League Baseball and the Olympic games, or a wide open field, such as that of World Wrestling Entertainment's.
The WWE shows how successful an unfettered social media policy can be. The WWE has amassed over seven-hundred thousand followers on Twitter and over seven million fans on Facebook and encourages all the fighters to have their own social media presence. In fact, the WWE promotes the players’ social media presence whenever they are at a fight. They don’t place any restrictions on their players and it pays off. The fans are able to interact with the fighters like never before and this gives them a feeling of connection; WWE memes have trended multiple times on twitter. It pays off for the WWE as well, as they get an opportunity to drive traffic to their site and promote less popular content. They have struck social media gold with their policy of unregulation.
Not everyone has been so accepting. The Olympics have been anything but accepting of social media by putting in place harsh restrictions such as: not allowing the contestants to comment on anything other then the events that they took part in, or not being able to interview other players, and perhaps the most ridiculous thing is that they can’t post any pictures of the games themselves. The list goes on and on with more rules that completely kill the hope for athletes to develop a social connection with their fans, and ultimately all this hurts the Olympics as well. The Olympics is having to struggle with making the games more relevant, and it is quickly becoming the token of dying media.
Other leagues are also falling behind. MLB has recently implemented a new social media policy that is failing them. MLB has 1.6 millon Twitter followers about half of both the NBA and NFL. The MLB is also falling behind in new media forms of publication, specifically their presence on YouTube. Frequently MLB takes down fan-made videos with MLB content, not allowing the fans to interact and express their passions for the game. All this, while having a practically non-existent presence on the site, occasionally uploading videos not catching more than a thousand views. Compare this to the NBA who happily post game excerpts driving people to get interested in the game and watch it on tv, greatly increasing the revenue flow.
There is no doubt that social media can be very influential in sports, but the people in charge are still slow to embrace it. The WWE should be a model for other sports to look to for their social media policies. The WWE shows how being open can win you everything.
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| Dolph Ziggler sporting a social media costume with the #heel hashtag |
Not everyone has been so accepting. The Olympics have been anything but accepting of social media by putting in place harsh restrictions such as: not allowing the contestants to comment on anything other then the events that they took part in, or not being able to interview other players, and perhaps the most ridiculous thing is that they can’t post any pictures of the games themselves. The list goes on and on with more rules that completely kill the hope for athletes to develop a social connection with their fans, and ultimately all this hurts the Olympics as well. The Olympics is having to struggle with making the games more relevant, and it is quickly becoming the token of dying media.
Other leagues are also falling behind. MLB has recently implemented a new social media policy that is failing them. MLB has 1.6 millon Twitter followers about half of both the NBA and NFL. The MLB is also falling behind in new media forms of publication, specifically their presence on YouTube. Frequently MLB takes down fan-made videos with MLB content, not allowing the fans to interact and express their passions for the game. All this, while having a practically non-existent presence on the site, occasionally uploading videos not catching more than a thousand views. Compare this to the NBA who happily post game excerpts driving people to get interested in the game and watch it on tv, greatly increasing the revenue flow.
There is no doubt that social media can be very influential in sports, but the people in charge are still slow to embrace it. The WWE should be a model for other sports to look to for their social media policies. The WWE shows how being open can win you everything.
A few characters can mean a lot for professional athletes
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| Nick Swisher |
Chad Ochocinco, a wide receiver who at the time played for the Cincinnati Bengals, has made a number of bad decisions over the years while playing in the NFL. During a simple harmless preseason game in 2010, he made another. While sitting out of the game, Ochocinco sent a tweet. The NFL does not allow a player to use social media during the game. Ochocinco was fined $25,000 for his act.
Athletes also have become very popular on Facebook or Twitter. Nick Swisher, a right fielder for the New York Yankees, currently has about 1,430,000 followers. He has interacted well with fans and knows what to say and what not to say. Swisher tweets all the time. He also is a huge supporter of stopping cancer which makes his popularity extremely high.
Social media is something that has hurt some players, while others have had great success with it. If it is possibly going to cost the athlete $125,000, maybe it just isn’t right for some players. Communicating with others who do not share that personality can be damaging to both the player and the fan.
The age of social media and sports
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| Zack Ryder / thatguygil - Flickr |
The WWE rewards wrestlers who build up a fan base on social media. One instance of this is Zack Ryder’s recent climb in the business. Ryder began making Youtube videos that many fans enjoyed. His Youtube fame got to the point where fans would hold up signs for him in live events that he wasn’t a part of. This persuaded the WWE to put him in more matches and when it came to their annual Slammy Awards event a few months later, Ryder won the Trending Star of the Year.
Professional athletes are often on the road which causes some athletes to feel lonely. “It’s good to stay in touch with friends, family, and fans,” said Aaron Brown, a sophomore shooting guard at Temple University, to SLAM. Social media is an easy way for athletes to stay connected to these various people.
Social media already has the capability of spreading news faster than newspapers. In fact, Twitter can now boast how it alerts athletes faster than their agents on topics as big as a trade. Craig Breslow, now a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, tweeted, “I can no longer denounce the relevance of Twitter. It broke the story of my trade ... to me.”
Social media is an athletes stage for a different type of preformance and it effects them in many ways. Many athletes are targeted as prey through social media, but as Howard Ferguson (1990) wrote in his book The Edge, “Mediocre people play it safe and avoid criticism at all costs. Champions risk criticism every time they perform.”
NBA makes money off twitter
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| Mark Cuba / Keith Allison - Flickr |
The rule for NBA players regarding the use of Twitter extends to 45 minutes before and after the game. First the players have to satisfy their obligations to the media, and then they can tweet away. This rule cost Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks $7,500. He was announcing a big win right after the game. Unfortunately it was not 45 minutes after the game which meant he had broken a NBA rule.
Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks has found a new thing he is good at, paying fines to the NBA! Cuban has paid more then one million dollars for his many critiques. One of his very first tweets were complaints about NBA officiating twitter in to their rule book. That tweet unfortunately cost him $25,000.
He was not the only fined. During the 2011 NBA lockout Micky Arison, owner of the Miami Heat was given an enormous fine of $500,000. He apparently had posted how frustrating the lockout was. He had also replied to a comment by a fan,”How’s it feel to be a part [sic] of ruining the best game in the world? NBA owners/players don’t give a damn about fans&and guess what? Fans provide all the money you’re fighting over&you greedy [expletive] pigs.” And his reply was,” Barking at the wrong owner.” The NBA had told owners and coaches that they were not to discuss anything about the lockout on Twitter or any other social networks.
Other owners like Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and Michael Jordan, owner of the Bobcats were also fined. Leonsis received a $100,000 fine last year for comments about possible changes to the league’s salary cap and Jordan also was fined $100,000 fine for comments he made in August about the lockout.
Players, owners, and coaches should watch what they post on Twitter or other social websites that can be viewed by NBA officials unless; paying fines is a new hobby.
Twitter: What athletes should be aware of
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| Darron Gibson / Dailymail.Co.Uk |
A perfect example of an athlete that has received abuse on Twitter is young Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson. The midfielder joined Twitter to join his “Twitter Famous” teammates Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, after seeing the success they had on their accounts. Rio Ferdinand gave Gibson a warm welcome to the site, tweeting, "We have a new member from the Man utd crew... @dgibbo28 has joined twitterverse show him some love tweeps!"
His first impression on the site did not go as planned however, and within two hours he had already received a plethora of abusive tweets from United fans. Gibson quickly shut his account down, but the damage had already been done. Some of the tweets that were directed at him include :
“@dgibbo28 the biggest compliment i can give you is that you are better than Carrick”
“@dgibbo28 your performance on saturday was one of the worst I've ever seen of any utd player. scared of the ball much? “
“@dgibbo28 hasn't tweeted yet. Seems somewhat fitting after the countless anonymous performances we've seen from the 'footballer”
After his account was deactivated, fans wanted him to reactivate the account and a #getbackgibbo hashtag started to trend. Gibson refused to comment on the matter, but his reaction was noted on the field. He did not get playing time until two weeks later, in a Champions League semifinal clash against German side Schalke 04. Gibson started the match in the centre of United’s midfield, and the Irishman disappointed greatly. He was subbed at half time and United won the game 4-1.
Gibson ended up making two more appearances that year before he was deemed not good enough to play for the Red Devils. True Manchester United fans were disappointed because the once promising midfielder was now just a wasted talent. The abusive comments aimed at Darron Gibson undoubtedly took a blow at his confidence, and perhaps caused his string of bad performances.
Twitter has the ability to ruin an athlete's career, and Darron Gibson learned the hard way. Athletes should be aware that while Twitter gives fans an opportunity to stay updated on the athlete's life, it can also give fans the opportunity for fans to post abusive comments about them.
Social media is becoming a trend among athletes
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| Shaquille O'Neal / Keith Allison / Flickr |
Players past their prime often use social media to expand their market and still make money even though they do not perform as well as they did before on their field of play. Chad Ochocinco is a prime example of this. Ochocinco has three million followers, but has career lows in yards and receptions, despite that his New England Patriots jersey is one of the highest selling in the NFL.
Another example of a player whose salary depends on his popularity is Shaquille O’Neal . Shaq has 4.7 million followers, but has not averaged more than 20 ppg in almost five seasons. Even though Shaq has not performed well on the court, he made $15 million dollars in endorsements.
Twitter can be an asset, but more often then not it damages athletes and their reputation. Dutch midfielder Ryan Babel was fined 10,000 pounds for posting a picture of a referee wearing a Manchester United jersey who directed their game against Manchester United. Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett was fined for tweeting 20 minutes before the game. This is not the first time that Dockett got in trouble for one of his tweets. Before the season started he tweeted about bringing one of his many guns to work and was criticized heavily by the media.
Social media has become such a factor in sports in the NFL, they have chosen to speak to rookies about how to use social media and the dangers that come with it. Other leagues such as the NCAA and the NBA have followed. Now coaches and teams are not worried about what a player says to a reporter, but are now worried about what he or she types on the Internet. Due to this, many leagues have been forced to adapt to social media, but now are cautioning their players about what social media can do.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The HSMSE Dragons victory over Lab Museum Gators
The High School for Math Science and Engineering's basketball team, had a very interesting match against Lab Museum United's basketball team, on the 19th of December. HSMSE was able to pick up the victory which was a very easy win for them.
The Dragons started off strong. In the first quarter the HSMSE Dragons, had a lead of 10-0. They got the ball moving throughout the team and were exercising their advantage of height. The Gators, on the other hand, weren’t getting it together and they weren’t passing the ball properly. This left them with a weak offense and defense. The HSMSE Dragons got into the paint with the slightest of ease leading to a big advance in points. The Dragons were playing man to man defense allowing the Gators to only score a very limited amount of points.
In the second quarter the HSMSE Dragons showed they were tired. Their game got very sloppy in defense and they allowed points to slip. They also performed many fouls some of which were good and some that were unnecessary. The Dragons changed up their style of play to zone playing. This resulted to give up in points. In an interview with Coach Epstein, he said “We had a strong first half, but we had a bad second half… we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
Key players that had huge effects in this game were Kavan Edwards. Edwards, the key player of the game, had a total of six rebounds, and 25 points. He scored almost half of the points for the Dragons. Besides Edwards, Dylan Agyemang was another key player for Dragons. Agyemang had a total score of 12 points with two rebounds.
The Dragons and the Gators had a great match. The Dragons started off their games strong but as the game went on, they lost their power. At the end of the match the Dragons got a total of 51 points and the Gators a total of 40 points. Hopefully, the HSMSE Dragons will be able to fix their flaws and retaliate with even better performance.
The Dragons started off strong. In the first quarter the HSMSE Dragons, had a lead of 10-0. They got the ball moving throughout the team and were exercising their advantage of height. The Gators, on the other hand, weren’t getting it together and they weren’t passing the ball properly. This left them with a weak offense and defense. The HSMSE Dragons got into the paint with the slightest of ease leading to a big advance in points. The Dragons were playing man to man defense allowing the Gators to only score a very limited amount of points.
In the second quarter the HSMSE Dragons showed they were tired. Their game got very sloppy in defense and they allowed points to slip. They also performed many fouls some of which were good and some that were unnecessary. The Dragons changed up their style of play to zone playing. This resulted to give up in points. In an interview with Coach Epstein, he said “We had a strong first half, but we had a bad second half… we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
Key players that had huge effects in this game were Kavan Edwards. Edwards, the key player of the game, had a total of six rebounds, and 25 points. He scored almost half of the points for the Dragons. Besides Edwards, Dylan Agyemang was another key player for Dragons. Agyemang had a total score of 12 points with two rebounds.
The Dragons and the Gators had a great match. The Dragons started off their games strong but as the game went on, they lost their power. At the end of the match the Dragons got a total of 51 points and the Gators a total of 40 points. Hopefully, the HSMSE Dragons will be able to fix their flaws and retaliate with even better performance.
HSMSE Dragons dominate in a convincing win
On December 19th, the HSMSE Dragons played their fourth game of the season against the Lab Museum Gators in their City College gym. The Dragons entered the game as favorites with a 2-1 record, while the Gators were still in search of their first game of the season. They would not be able to find it however, as the Dragon’s dominated in a 51-40 victory.Overall the Dragon’s played entertaining basketball and were very efficient with their passing and shooting.Star player Kavan Edwards led the team in scoring with 25 points, one assist and six rebounds. Starting point guard and captain Eli Auslander also scored four points and had eleven assists. The Dragons showed superiority with their height advantage, the Gators had no relatively tall players to compete with the likes of Dylan Agyemang or Brandon Agyemang. The Dragons had no problem getting their plays going and scored most of the time they were on the opposing court. It should be said that the defense was far from impressive, and if not for the Gators horrible shooting then the outcome could have possibly been very different. Another problem was that the Dragons gave up nine fouls which gifted the Gators many valuable points.The Dragons played a dominating game of basketball and showed off their attacking prowess. Their should be improvement on defense and the amount of cheap fouls given away needs to be reduced. The Dragons now have a 3-1 record and are only three wins away from tying their record last year.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
HSMSE Dragons win against Lab Museum's Gators
On December 20th, the HSMSE Dragons faced off against the Lab Museum's Gators and produced a 51-40 victory over the Gators. The game seemed easy for the Dragons as they were constantly ahead throughout the entire game. The Dragons made great passes leading to beautifully executed assists.
The Dragons opened up the game strong, exercising their superior physical abilities in terms of height and speed. The Dragons were able to get down the court and execute their plays with ease. The Gators let them into the paint making scoring for the extremely tall Dragons a breeze. The Gators also let many of the players remain undefended allowing for easy three pointers. During the second quarter the Dragons lost their lead because of the sluggishness they showed on the court after seemingly tiring out from the first quarter.
Throughout the second half of the game the Dragons were able to rack up the points, but not without cost. The Dragons racked up nine fouls, giving the Gators the points that they needed. Eli Auslander of the Dragons said, “Fouls were our Achilles heel of the game and we gave up shots and without them we would have done much better.” That is the main thing that the Dragons needed to work on.
Overall the Dragons played excellently and have been doing very well this season in general standing 3-1. A much better position than they were last season and they have been improving over the past few years in general. It is still early in the season, but we are all hoping for a very successful for the Dragons.
The Dragons opened up the game strong, exercising their superior physical abilities in terms of height and speed. The Dragons were able to get down the court and execute their plays with ease. The Gators let them into the paint making scoring for the extremely tall Dragons a breeze. The Gators also let many of the players remain undefended allowing for easy three pointers. During the second quarter the Dragons lost their lead because of the sluggishness they showed on the court after seemingly tiring out from the first quarter.
Throughout the second half of the game the Dragons were able to rack up the points, but not without cost. The Dragons racked up nine fouls, giving the Gators the points that they needed. Eli Auslander of the Dragons said, “Fouls were our Achilles heel of the game and we gave up shots and without them we would have done much better.” That is the main thing that the Dragons needed to work on.
Overall the Dragons played excellently and have been doing very well this season in general standing 3-1. A much better position than they were last season and they have been improving over the past few years in general. It is still early in the season, but we are all hoping for a very successful for the Dragons.
HSMSE's big win
The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering varsity basketball team had their fourth game on Monday, December 19, 2011 against Lab Museum United and won 51-40. They started their game strong and were weak into the second half. With their star player Kavan Edwards scoring 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist he contributed to the Dragons' final score much more than his teammates.
Even though Edwards put up almost half of his team’s points, it was not a one man show. Dylan agyemang scored 12 points and got 2 rebounds, with the majority of his points scored by assists from Eli Auslander.
HSMSE started their first half with a lead of 10-0 and played good man to man defense on Lab Museum United. Then the half ended with HSMSE leading 28-18. When the second half started they switched up their defense and played zone for the rest of the game. As a result, during the second half the team’s defense did not play well and gave up points much more often than their first half. In an interview with the team’s coach Epstein said, “We had a strong first half, but in our second half we played bad…we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
The team’s weak points during the second half was mostly their defense. They were not able to block passes. With Lab Museum United getting their passes through, they scored a lot of points. Another obstacle for HSMSE was their fouls. They forced a lot of fouls, which added up to a large portion of the opponent’s score.
HSMSE started their game great and ended their first quarter with a decent lead. However, their flaws were increasing and their defense played poorly. If they focus on how they played today they can find out where they went wrong and improve in their future games.
Even though Edwards put up almost half of his team’s points, it was not a one man show. Dylan agyemang scored 12 points and got 2 rebounds, with the majority of his points scored by assists from Eli Auslander.
HSMSE started their first half with a lead of 10-0 and played good man to man defense on Lab Museum United. Then the half ended with HSMSE leading 28-18. When the second half started they switched up their defense and played zone for the rest of the game. As a result, during the second half the team’s defense did not play well and gave up points much more often than their first half. In an interview with the team’s coach Epstein said, “We had a strong first half, but in our second half we played bad…we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
The team’s weak points during the second half was mostly their defense. They were not able to block passes. With Lab Museum United getting their passes through, they scored a lot of points. Another obstacle for HSMSE was their fouls. They forced a lot of fouls, which added up to a large portion of the opponent’s score.
HSMSE started their game great and ended their first quarter with a decent lead. However, their flaws were increasing and their defense played poorly. If they focus on how they played today they can find out where they went wrong and improve in their future games.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Athletes tweet away
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| Credit to Morpurgo |
There are plenty of examples of athletes getting into trouble on social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Most of the time, an artificial, insincere apology follows. Then, the story fades away into the bellows of the past within the next couple of days. As more athletes get into trouble over what they say, more coaches and agents are banning their players from Twitter or filtering what they post.
Athletes have said stupid things on Twitter since it first became popular, and they will continue to say such things on Twitter until it fades away (if it ever does). A lot of the time, they do not realize that seconds after they post something on Twitter, thousands of fans can see it and it could be damaging to their reputation or image.
Stupid or insulting things posted on Twitter rarely damage a professional athlete’s image permanently. When an athlete posts something offensive on a social media site, all they have to do is say “Sorry” with an explanation afterward which mostly consist of something like “I wasn’t thinking” or “I realize now that what I said could have been offensive”. After that happens, most of the time the story is over and everyone is forgiven.
With all the players who have gotten fined for what they tweet, there has only been one well-known instance of someone losing their job. That person is Larry Johnson, former Pro-Bowl running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. After lashing out at one of his coaches and insulting one of his fans with a gay slur, he was released from the team after 32,000 fans signed a petition asking the Chiefs to fire him. No amount of apologies could have gotten him out of that situation.
Social media rarely has a permanent, negative effect on an athlete’s image. If anything, it draws more publicity to them and makes them have even more followers because everyone wants to see their post.
Athletes have said stupid things on Twitter since it first became popular, and they will continue to say such things on Twitter until it fades away (if it ever does). A lot of the time, they do not realize that seconds after they post something on Twitter, thousands of fans can see it and it could be damaging to their reputation or image.
Stupid or insulting things posted on Twitter rarely damage a professional athlete’s image permanently. When an athlete posts something offensive on a social media site, all they have to do is say “Sorry” with an explanation afterward which mostly consist of something like “I wasn’t thinking” or “I realize now that what I said could have been offensive”. After that happens, most of the time the story is over and everyone is forgiven.
With all the players who have gotten fined for what they tweet, there has only been one well-known instance of someone losing their job. That person is Larry Johnson, former Pro-Bowl running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. After lashing out at one of his coaches and insulting one of his fans with a gay slur, he was released from the team after 32,000 fans signed a petition asking the Chiefs to fire him. No amount of apologies could have gotten him out of that situation.
Social media rarely has a permanent, negative effect on an athlete’s image. If anything, it draws more publicity to them and makes them have even more followers because everyone wants to see their post.
Has social media affected professional sports?
Social media has affected professional sports throughout the world because of its speed and availability. Athletes and even news reporters find out about new important information right away when somebody posts the data or tweets it. Social media also allows the strengthen bonds between fans and athletes. Social Media also had a negative impact on players. Social media is allowing athletes to exercise their “freedom of speech”. Not only that, but with athletes referring to some ill conceived idea about other team members and athletes, consequences are to be had.
There have been many incidents where team members find out what coaches want to do with the athlete before they do. On December 9th, the Oakland Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks completed a huge trade. In total, five players changed teams including left handed pitcher Craig Breslow, who was sent to the Diamondbacks. Breslow says that he was able to get his information about his trade through Twitter. Breslow tweeted, “I can no longer denounce the relevance of Twitter. It broke the story of my trade ... to me.” Although Breslow didn’t appreciate his trade being announced publicly before it was to him, he replied with thank-yous to all the people that wished him good luck on the Diamondbacks.
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter have ruined many careers for athletes. Athletes may tweet or post quotes or ideas that may sound correct to them but to the readers ear it may not. Also athletes may want to express something, but in reality it may be wrong. One athlete that fell into the hole of Twitter was Larry Johnson, who was a starting NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Nowadays, he is out of work after being released by the Redskins. He was released because of his poor play and his continued use of gay slurs on Twitter. Now look where that has brought him.
Social media is allowing us to receive information right away. Athletes do not realize information that is released into the Internet is never erasable. Many athletes have made that mistake in sports and have suffered greatly.
There have been many incidents where team members find out what coaches want to do with the athlete before they do. On December 9th, the Oakland Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks completed a huge trade. In total, five players changed teams including left handed pitcher Craig Breslow, who was sent to the Diamondbacks. Breslow says that he was able to get his information about his trade through Twitter. Breslow tweeted, “I can no longer denounce the relevance of Twitter. It broke the story of my trade ... to me.” Although Breslow didn’t appreciate his trade being announced publicly before it was to him, he replied with thank-yous to all the people that wished him good luck on the Diamondbacks.
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter have ruined many careers for athletes. Athletes may tweet or post quotes or ideas that may sound correct to them but to the readers ear it may not. Also athletes may want to express something, but in reality it may be wrong. One athlete that fell into the hole of Twitter was Larry Johnson, who was a starting NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Nowadays, he is out of work after being released by the Redskins. He was released because of his poor play and his continued use of gay slurs on Twitter. Now look where that has brought him.
Social media is allowing us to receive information right away. Athletes do not realize information that is released into the Internet is never erasable. Many athletes have made that mistake in sports and have suffered greatly.
NHL’s new social media policy for players
The National Hockey League enforced a new policy approved by the National Hockey League Players’ Association, restricting the use of social media applications by its players. Taking effect for the 2011-2012 season, the policy includes a social media blackout period that starts two hours before the game, lasting until are post-game interviews are over.
The policy was created in order to make sure certain information isn’t leaked out to the public, as well as false information that could go against the NHL’s league rules. It was also made to prevent people from betting on the game using information that is not approved. Players are asked to be cautious of what they post online. Failure to follow the policy would result as a fine to the player. “The policy is sensible. It lets our players and clubs participate substantially in the opportunity of social networking while identifying and mitigating some of the risks. To date, our players and clubs have been exemplary in connecting with fans on social networks, and fans should not expect to see any material difference as a result of this policy," said Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on a CbsSports.com article.
The National Football League and the National Basketball Association have been using this policy for about two years. Major League Baseball has been using a social media policy for a shorter time. The NHL was one of the last leagues to implement a social media policy because they felt that their players don’t engage into social media, as much as the players from the other league.
One of the most active tweeters in the NHL, Paul Bissonnette, a left winger for the Phoenix Coyotes, does not seem to have a problem with it. “People asking about NHL’s new policy on Twitter. I think it’s good. I don’t even play much and I don’t tweet on game days. Plenty of off days,” he said to TheStar.com. New York Islander Michal Grabner also tweeted, “Heard there will be a social media policy in the NHL ... good thing most our my tweets are about food, napping or video games #dontwanttobefined.”
Though a policy has been administered, there should not be any changes in the way players communicate with the use of social media. Players are restricted from revealing certain information; however the public will continue hearing from them.
The policy was created in order to make sure certain information isn’t leaked out to the public, as well as false information that could go against the NHL’s league rules. It was also made to prevent people from betting on the game using information that is not approved. Players are asked to be cautious of what they post online. Failure to follow the policy would result as a fine to the player. “The policy is sensible. It lets our players and clubs participate substantially in the opportunity of social networking while identifying and mitigating some of the risks. To date, our players and clubs have been exemplary in connecting with fans on social networks, and fans should not expect to see any material difference as a result of this policy," said Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on a CbsSports.com article.
The National Football League and the National Basketball Association have been using this policy for about two years. Major League Baseball has been using a social media policy for a shorter time. The NHL was one of the last leagues to implement a social media policy because they felt that their players don’t engage into social media, as much as the players from the other league.
One of the most active tweeters in the NHL, Paul Bissonnette, a left winger for the Phoenix Coyotes, does not seem to have a problem with it. “People asking about NHL’s new policy on Twitter. I think it’s good. I don’t even play much and I don’t tweet on game days. Plenty of off days,” he said to TheStar.com. New York Islander Michal Grabner also tweeted, “Heard there will be a social media policy in the NHL ... good thing most our my tweets are about food, napping or video games #dontwanttobefined.”
Though a policy has been administered, there should not be any changes in the way players communicate with the use of social media. Players are restricted from revealing certain information; however the public will continue hearing from them.
Social media, a change for the better?
Many people use social media such as Twitter and Facebook, for these are ways to send and receive information faster than newspapers. However, when sports start to ban social media, many questions arise wondering if social media is good or bad for the sport.
However; soccer is not the only sport being affected. The National Football League and The US Open also ban the use of any social media during a game. Andy Roddick, who plays in the US open said, “I think its lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting. … I understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we can.”
This seems that social media is a bad influence on sports, but there are others that argue social media has positive influence. Many sports fans using Twitter or Facebook check on their favorite players and see how they played in recent games. They could also have a chance of talking to favorite player. Sports teams also can use social media as a chance to generate revenue. The Jets used social media and gained many fans by giving away prizes such as tickets to games.
Sport fans say sports teams should just adopt the way social media is going to affect them, because of its positive results affecting both sports and sport fans alike. Adam Ostrow, chief editor of Mashable said, “Social media should be viewed as a fantastic compliment to sports that is good for both fans and the TV networks, but at the moment, it seems that’s anything but how it’s being perceived.”
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| Some major social media used by many |
Manchester United is a soccer team that banned the use of social media. Many of its members’ Facebook and Twitter accounts were closed right after the policy came down. Manchester United said that banning social media keeps the teams reputation safe and protects inside information without it being revealed to the public. Shortly after Manchester United’s ban, their rival Manchester City also banned the use of social media.
However; soccer is not the only sport being affected. The National Football League and The US Open also ban the use of any social media during a game. Andy Roddick, who plays in the US open said, “I think its lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting. … I understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we can.”
This seems that social media is a bad influence on sports, but there are others that argue social media has positive influence. Many sports fans using Twitter or Facebook check on their favorite players and see how they played in recent games. They could also have a chance of talking to favorite player. Sports teams also can use social media as a chance to generate revenue. The Jets used social media and gained many fans by giving away prizes such as tickets to games.
Sport fans say sports teams should just adopt the way social media is going to affect them, because of its positive results affecting both sports and sport fans alike. Adam Ostrow, chief editor of Mashable said, “Social media should be viewed as a fantastic compliment to sports that is good for both fans and the TV networks, but at the moment, it seems that’s anything but how it’s being perceived.”
Social media and it's affect on the sports industry
In a generation influenced by social media, websites such as Facebook and Twitter are strong tools in advertising. The cause of this is that news can be posted through mobile devices quickly and easily. With this option, athletes are able to present opinions and promote public events to their fans. These interactions through social media networks offer fans a voice in the sports industry and can share their thoughts to the athletes using Twitter.
Social media's reliable ways to spread information and give fans an option to communicate with athletes has positive effects on the sports industry. Depending on a player’s involvement with Twitter and Facebook their popularity will increase. With a large fan base, players see higher sales in their merchandise such as jerseys and other apparel.
Even though the athletes have better ways of spreading their thoughts through the internet, there can be negative effects of doing this. With the world spending time on social media, athletes have to be aware of how they are addressing their opinions. If their post is offending to anyone, it will spread and negatively impact the player’s reputation.
Players even have to watch what they say about their opponents. There have been numerous situations where the players have said insults toward the opposing team and caused conflict. For example, in the past week there was a college basketball fight that started over Twitter. At first it was just the players talking trash, but it escalated from there and all the anger poured out during the game.
Social media will always have ups and downs. If athletes appropriately express their opinions to the public they can avoid conflicts, but if they feel free to express their thoughts they may run into trouble and face consequences. However, players and coaches are able to share advice with their fans and even advertise their team’s merchandise.
Social media's reliable ways to spread information and give fans an option to communicate with athletes has positive effects on the sports industry. Depending on a player’s involvement with Twitter and Facebook their popularity will increase. With a large fan base, players see higher sales in their merchandise such as jerseys and other apparel.
Even though the athletes have better ways of spreading their thoughts through the internet, there can be negative effects of doing this. With the world spending time on social media, athletes have to be aware of how they are addressing their opinions. If their post is offending to anyone, it will spread and negatively impact the player’s reputation.
Players even have to watch what they say about their opponents. There have been numerous situations where the players have said insults toward the opposing team and caused conflict. For example, in the past week there was a college basketball fight that started over Twitter. At first it was just the players talking trash, but it escalated from there and all the anger poured out during the game.
Social media will always have ups and downs. If athletes appropriately express their opinions to the public they can avoid conflicts, but if they feel free to express their thoughts they may run into trouble and face consequences. However, players and coaches are able to share advice with their fans and even advertise their team’s merchandise.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Women Boxers might wear miniskirts in 2012 Olympics
Women’s Boxing is finally making its entry into the 2012 Olympics. This step forward in gender equality in sports is facing an immediate problem; the women competitors are being forced to abide by a different dress code than their male counterparts.
The Amateur International Boxing Association, the group behind this dress code, is calling for the women to wear miniskirts instead of shorts. All of their reasons for their decision revolve around the appearance of the match. President of AIBA, Ching-Kuo Wu, said to Albany, N.Y.’s Times Union, “I have heard many times people say, 'We can't tell the difference between the men and the women.’”
The Polish women’s boxing coach, Leszek Piotrowski, has already made his boxers wear the skirts in a previous tournament. Piotrowski tried explaining to BBC Sport his reason for supporting the rule. "By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression."
Many people consider Piotrowski’s argument humorous. Whether or not the competitors are wearing miniskirts, they will still be trying to knock each other out. Conspiracies also are arising due to the dress code specifying miniskirts. This creates an idea that the dress code is being used to please male viewers and increase ratings.
Badminton suggested a similar dress code a while before the AIBA started an attempt at creating the miniskirt dress code. The Badminton dress code was quickly given up after it was made fun of by much of the general public.
With the Olympics coming up soon, talks on the dress code aren’t finished. There is still a bit of hope that a miniskirt dress code may not happen, but only time will tell if the AIBA will drop their idea and not face angered athletes.
The Amateur International Boxing Association, the group behind this dress code, is calling for the women to wear miniskirts instead of shorts. All of their reasons for their decision revolve around the appearance of the match. President of AIBA, Ching-Kuo Wu, said to Albany, N.Y.’s Times Union, “I have heard many times people say, 'We can't tell the difference between the men and the women.’”
The Polish women’s boxing coach, Leszek Piotrowski, has already made his boxers wear the skirts in a previous tournament. Piotrowski tried explaining to BBC Sport his reason for supporting the rule. "By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression."
Many people consider Piotrowski’s argument humorous. Whether or not the competitors are wearing miniskirts, they will still be trying to knock each other out. Conspiracies also are arising due to the dress code specifying miniskirts. This creates an idea that the dress code is being used to please male viewers and increase ratings.
Badminton suggested a similar dress code a while before the AIBA started an attempt at creating the miniskirt dress code. The Badminton dress code was quickly given up after it was made fun of by much of the general public.
With the Olympics coming up soon, talks on the dress code aren’t finished. There is still a bit of hope that a miniskirt dress code may not happen, but only time will tell if the AIBA will drop their idea and not face angered athletes.
Improvements needed for the High School for Math Science and Engineering girls’ basketball team
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
One way the HSMSE girls can sharpen their skills is by improving their defense. The girls are energetic and rushed back to defend their court; however sometimes it is better to press instead of playing a zone. ICE pressed the HSMSE girls and managed to get plenty of turnovers and steals. Also the HSMSE girls need to practice having control of the ball and rebounds. There was only two offensive rebound made by the HSMSE girls. These improvements are critical toward the team’s success.
The next issue with the team is the amount of recruits they’re gaining each year. This year, HSMSE only has one freshman recruit, Omotayo Adeoye. A few of the team’s best players are seniors. What will happen next year once the best players leave. Adeoye said, “Wow I haven't thought about that. I feel us though we're improving so i mean we can't really replace them, but we can do as well as they're doing and we're doing pretty well so far."
If the team gets more recruits and a better defense, the HSMSE girls basketball team will be a strong team. The question now is will they fly high, or will they fall down fast? It all depends on the team themselves.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Dragons come up short, but have reason to not hang their heads
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
An early problem for the HSMSE Dragons were that they were not passing the ball well in the 1st half which led to many turnovers. Larissa Wormsby, a senior for ICE, intercepted a pass during the second period and drove for a layup extending the lead for ICE. There also seemed to be a lot of miscommunication for the Dragons. One girl would constantly pass one way while the other girl would be running another. It looked like some sloppy basketball in the first half, putting the Dragons in an early 15-6 hole.
However the 2nd half looked like a bit of a re-energized offense and a hope for the future. Despite being completely outscored in the first half, the Dragons were only outscored by four in the 2nd half. Passing between the HSMSE Dragon offense was much more consistent and in the third period, the Dragons erupted for a total of eight points despite Donna Fintzi, a sophmore and one of the top HSMSE Dragon scorers, being double covered for the beginning of the half. Sophomore Mikaela Bloch, sunk a nice bank shot three pointer right before the sound of the buzzer to make it 25-11 at the end of third period. The Dragon offense would not show anymore fight after that, and despite signs of good effort and good passing, the Dragons were outscored in every period.
“We have had a lot of opportunities and we need to get the ball in the net,” said Donna Fintzi when spoken too after the game. Indeed, the Dragons missed a number of shots that they should have made. However they still set a record this year on offense scoring 16 points and it was mainly because of the improvement of the passing in the second half.
The Dragons defense played pretty well all game and did not allow ICE to get open shots. “I think the [defense] was able to stop a lot more shots [this game],” said coach Diunte. The defense made ICE earn the win and forced ICE to spread the ball around the court.
With a tough loss, the Dragons can at least reflect on some improved defense, but for the most part, the offense needs to be consistent for the entire game if the Dragons are going to win.
-contributed by Geoffrey Nathan
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Dragons lose with pride, but have high hopes for the future
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
Normally, 16 points would be a low score in basketball, but it is a good sign for the Dragons. In their previous two games, they only had six points each game and a combined total of six offensive rebounds. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera. They made more shots with the opportunities that they had, including two three-pointers that helped boost their offense.
The game also gave some hints on what to improve in the future. There was only two offensive rebounds, which obviously will not get them far. "A shot goes off and some people are just kinda watching the person shooting, which is typical of high school basketball, but I think it's a problem," said Nick Diunte, the coach of the Dragons. They also need to improve their passing game if they want to continue to improve. Their weak passing game has caused turnovers and has resulted in the ball being easily intercepted. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and more accurate passes and that'll help get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi.
Despite their loss, they have made vital improvements and now know what they need to do to progress further. The loss will also not have an impression on their future games. Donna said, "We're improving ... I think we tried our hardest."
Female dragons break a season record
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
One of the biggest problems for the Dragons was their passing. The Dragons would usually either overpower a pass or misinterpret a player’s path when passing to each other. Many fast breaks for the Dragons were ended by these little errors. “I feel that next practice we are probably going to take a step back and focus on like the mechanics of the pass a little bit more and then add passing under pressure a bit,” said head coach Nick Diunte.
With a close score near the end of the first quarter, ICE began a full court press. The press proved troubling for the Dragons as ICE began to cause several turn overs near the rim. To make up for these turn overs, the Dragons double teamed the ICE players, but the fast breaks sometimes proved too quick for this. Once the clock finally finished its countdown, the Dragons saw themselves down 8-2.
ICE went through the second quarter causing many fouls, but the Dragons only managed to score two out of seven of the free throws, one of which was to convert a three point play. The problem with this is that those were the only points the Dragons could get during the quarter which ended 15-6.
The third quarter was the most productive quarter for the Dragons. Not only did the defense stop ICE from scoring for more than four minutes, but the Dragons’ offense erupted. After having been double teamed for a while, Fintzi scored an impressive three pointer four minutes into the quarter to send the crowd cheering.
The Dragons continued to score and even managed to put up more points in the quarter than they had in their past two games. This was only accomplished when Mikaela Bloch connected with a three point shot at the buzzer to bring the score to 25-14.
With the Dragons finally getting used to the ICE offense, other than limiting ICE to only four points for the fourth quarter, the Dragons also managed to finally gain an offensive rebound with four minutes left in the game.
A playoff run is out of the question, but Leah Cabrera, HSMSE’s captain, looked at this game as a good sign. “I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening.”
Big improvement for a small team
With a small club, the HSMSE Girls Basketball team has been playing less than stellar. A record of 0-4 has haunted the struggling Dragons, they have been improving since their first few games.
Their game on December 9th, 2011 was exceptionally exciting for the girls. They put up a season record for points. With 16 against visiting Institute for Collaborative Education.
Donna Fintzi and Mikaela Bloch led the team with five points each. With the other players contributing six points, the team made major improvements that helped them rack up baskets. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera.
They played exceptionally well on defense. Before this game, their opponents averaged 40 points. One visible improvement on defense was the ability to stop their opponents from scoring after turnovers. I.C.E managed to get multiple back to back steals in the first half. The Dragons managed to limit fast break points on the other end.
They struggled on passing, a problem they suffered from game one. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and [get] more accurate passes and that will help to get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi. They got over those passing troubles by dominating the paint. The Dragons saw a weakness in I.C.E's defense and started running to the basket. In the second half, they focused on their shooting and that helped later in the game. Another major problem was offensive rebounding. "I think it's the fact that we are undersized, and also that a lot of our players are standing around and watching. I think that is somewhat due to the inexperience. A shot goes off and some people are just kind of watching the person shooting which is typical of high school basketball," said coach Diunte.
Hoping that they can pull off a win, Head Coach Diunte said the team needs to practice on passing. "I feel that next practice we are probably going to take a step back and focus on like the mechanics of the pass a little bit more and then add passing under pressure a bit. So I think those things will help us play better if we can you know pass correctly and then also on the same time be able to pass under some pressure."
Their game on December 9th, 2011 was exceptionally exciting for the girls. They put up a season record for points. With 16 against visiting Institute for Collaborative Education.
Donna Fintzi and Mikaela Bloch led the team with five points each. With the other players contributing six points, the team made major improvements that helped them rack up baskets. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera.
They played exceptionally well on defense. Before this game, their opponents averaged 40 points. One visible improvement on defense was the ability to stop their opponents from scoring after turnovers. I.C.E managed to get multiple back to back steals in the first half. The Dragons managed to limit fast break points on the other end.
They struggled on passing, a problem they suffered from game one. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and [get] more accurate passes and that will help to get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi. They got over those passing troubles by dominating the paint. The Dragons saw a weakness in I.C.E's defense and started running to the basket. In the second half, they focused on their shooting and that helped later in the game. Another major problem was offensive rebounding. "I think it's the fact that we are undersized, and also that a lot of our players are standing around and watching. I think that is somewhat due to the inexperience. A shot goes off and some people are just kind of watching the person shooting which is typical of high school basketball," said coach Diunte.
Hoping that they can pull off a win, Head Coach Diunte said the team needs to practice on passing. "I feel that next practice we are probably going to take a step back and focus on like the mechanics of the pass a little bit more and then add passing under pressure a bit. So I think those things will help us play better if we can you know pass correctly and then also on the same time be able to pass under some pressure."
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Debate over the 2012 Olympics
When the International Olympic Committee announced that the 2012 Olympics would be in London many people were supportive of the decision. It would be a great boon to the city, and the local economy. That unhindered support, however, quickly changed. At the beginning it was just petty things like a terrible logo design that raised its fair share of crackpot conspiracy theories: its a modern form of the swastika, or that the the logo when read backwards reads Izzo, a nickname for the rapper Jay-Z. Most importantly is that things have started to turn political.
In February of this year the National Olympic Committee of Iran called upon the IOC to change the £400,000 logo because they though it was a hidden pro-Israeli message. “As Internet documents have proved, using the word Zion in the logo of 2012 Olympic Games is a disgracing action and against Olympics’ valuable mottos,” the Iranian Olympic Committee said in an open letter.
The complaint notably was written four years after the publication of the 2012 logo. The IOC responded, “The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012, nothing else.” Iran has called for a boycotting of the 2012 Olympics.
Most recently there has been a major controversy about one of the main sponsors for the event, Dow Chemical Company. Dow is sponsoring the stadium wrapping, a seven million dollar deal. Many environmentalists have questioned this deal because of an environmental disaster that happened in Bhopal India.
In 1984 the chemical company Union Carbide changed the city of Bhopal forever with possibly the worst industrial environmental catastrophe in history.. On the night of December 3rd at the Bhopal pesticide plant in India, water had leaked into the canisters containing methyl isocyanate, which then leaked in the form of a toxic gas across the city of Bhopal. About 3,000 people died from the incident and an estimated 8,000 have died from gas-related diseases. The general conditions of the plant were horrendous. With workers being told not to replace faulty parts, and there was no plan in place for knowing how to deal with such an incident. The alarms had not been functioning for four years, the boiler was not on for unknown reasons, but the few safety measures that were put into place, such as water sprayers to reduce the concentration of the gas were barely functioning; the list goes on and on.
The Indian government passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act, which granted the government the right to represent everyone who was affected by the disaster. Union Carbide offered to pay out a mere $350 million when the government demanded $3.3 billion dollars. They eventually decided on a $470 million compensation. Not long after Union Carbide decided to sell off their Indian subsidiary (UCIL), and were forced to finance a 500 bed hospital that would give free health care to all of those affected by the Bhopal disaster; that was in 1998.
Eventually the Dow chemical company acquired UCIL, and now they are experiencing the heat. The recent Olympic deal has angered many people who have demanded that they give more compensation to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been affected by the Bhopal disaster. Most recently India announced that they were going to have a meeting yesterday, December 5th, but backed down after the IOC urged them not to vote on the matter. Acting president VK Malhotra, a member of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party said, "There is no question of India boycotting the London Olympics. We are not boycotting Olympic Games and that is very clear on Indian Olympic Association's part ... but we want to express in black and white that there has been opposition in the country with the London Games being associated with Dow Chemical. We have to take account of their sentiments."
India has not been the only one to complain, Britain has as well. The Telegraph reported that, “One of the councils neighbouring Olympic Park, Tower Hamlets, is now set to debate a motion to demand the removal of the wrap because it does not meet the Locog sustainable sourcing code.”
Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the IOC defended the deal, saying that Dow should not be held responsible because they were never directly involved with the Disaster.
"I am the grandson of an Indian so I am not completely unaware of this as an issue," Coe said. "But I am satisfied that at no time did Dow operate, own or were involved with the plant, either at the time of the disaster, or, crucially, at the time that the full and final settlement was made."
It looks as if the 2012 Olympic Games will continue, unaffected by the complaints of humanitarians around the world. There have only been quiet rumblings of anyone actually boycotting the Olympics, and no player has come forward saying that they will. The debate continues over the 2012 Olympics continues, but one thing is certain; nobody is listening.
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| 2012 London Olympics Logo. Photo by Nigel Chadwick. |
The complaint notably was written four years after the publication of the 2012 logo. The IOC responded, “The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012, nothing else.” Iran has called for a boycotting of the 2012 Olympics.
Most recently there has been a major controversy about one of the main sponsors for the event, Dow Chemical Company. Dow is sponsoring the stadium wrapping, a seven million dollar deal. Many environmentalists have questioned this deal because of an environmental disaster that happened in Bhopal India.
In 1984 the chemical company Union Carbide changed the city of Bhopal forever with possibly the worst industrial environmental catastrophe in history.. On the night of December 3rd at the Bhopal pesticide plant in India, water had leaked into the canisters containing methyl isocyanate, which then leaked in the form of a toxic gas across the city of Bhopal. About 3,000 people died from the incident and an estimated 8,000 have died from gas-related diseases. The general conditions of the plant were horrendous. With workers being told not to replace faulty parts, and there was no plan in place for knowing how to deal with such an incident. The alarms had not been functioning for four years, the boiler was not on for unknown reasons, but the few safety measures that were put into place, such as water sprayers to reduce the concentration of the gas were barely functioning; the list goes on and on.
The Indian government passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act, which granted the government the right to represent everyone who was affected by the disaster. Union Carbide offered to pay out a mere $350 million when the government demanded $3.3 billion dollars. They eventually decided on a $470 million compensation. Not long after Union Carbide decided to sell off their Indian subsidiary (UCIL), and were forced to finance a 500 bed hospital that would give free health care to all of those affected by the Bhopal disaster; that was in 1998.
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| The 2012 Olympic Wrap sponsored by Dow Chemicals. |
India has not been the only one to complain, Britain has as well. The Telegraph reported that, “One of the councils neighbouring Olympic Park, Tower Hamlets, is now set to debate a motion to demand the removal of the wrap because it does not meet the Locog sustainable sourcing code.”
Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the IOC defended the deal, saying that Dow should not be held responsible because they were never directly involved with the Disaster.
"I am the grandson of an Indian so I am not completely unaware of this as an issue," Coe said. "But I am satisfied that at no time did Dow operate, own or were involved with the plant, either at the time of the disaster, or, crucially, at the time that the full and final settlement was made."
It looks as if the 2012 Olympic Games will continue, unaffected by the complaints of humanitarians around the world. There have only been quiet rumblings of anyone actually boycotting the Olympics, and no player has come forward saying that they will. The debate continues over the 2012 Olympics continues, but one thing is certain; nobody is listening.
Moves the Yankees need to make in 2012
The 2011 season will be remembered as a season that has left many New York Yankee fans scratching their heads. The Yankees had a very productive regular season, finishing at the top of the crop in an ever competitive American League East. The Yanks went 97-65 and boasted a .599 win percentage, giving them a healthy six game lead over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It wasn’t until October; however, that the Bronx Bombers’ weaknesses were brutally exposed by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Divisional Series.
This off season, the Yankees will look to add much needed depth to their rotation, and possibly acquire a catcher or a versatile utility player that could give senior players like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter a rest once in a while. As always, money will not be an issue for the Yankees this off season and they should have the financial muscle to outbid any team in the majors. There are three pitchers that the Yankees have been linked to during the course of this offseason that they would be smart to acquire, Mark Buehrle, Yu Darvish and CJ Wilson. Although a catcher and a utility player would certainly prove useful for next season, at this point the main priority should be pitching. The Yankees need an ace that could ease the pressure off of CC Sabathia. The Yanks also have a great number two in Ivan Nova, who will only improve after his extraordinary season. Freddy Garcia will also prove his worth next season, as he is a very calm pitcher and should be able to get at least ten wins under his belt. However, the Yanks need to replace A.J. Burnett if they want to improve on their 97 wins during the regular season, as he has proven that he just can’t cut it in New York. This leaves the Yankees with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. The Yankees have to do their best to acquire one of either CJ Wilson, Mark Buehrle or Yu Darvish
Out of the four listed above, Mark Buehrle seems to be the most likely to sign. He is a free agent, and has been a very consistent and reliable pitcher for the past decade. Buehrle has not been hit by any major injuries and has consistently played over 200 innings a year. Buehrle has a career ERA of 3.83, and although he is 32, he should be able to give the Yankees a solid thee to four seasons of consistency on the mound He is also a lefty which is always a plus.
Another free agent the Yanks have been linked to is CJ Wilson. Wilson is a young pitcher who has been a consistent starter for the Texas Rangers for the past three seasons. The Yankees should stay away from Wilson, as he is very unproven in the post season with a 2-4 record in the Rangers run in the post season, and has not done anything spectacular to earn him the 120 million dollar contract he is looking for. Wilson is a quality pitcher, and may even be worth the gamble, but I think its best if the Yankees stay away from him.
This leaves us with Yu Darvish, the Japanese ace that has MLB teams scrambling for his signature. Darvish has impressed many with his 1.32 ERA in the Japanese league, and also showcasing his talent for Japan at the World Baseball Classic. He has been phenomenal in the Japanese league and the switch to the majors may be a tough one, but I think if the Yankees take the gamble it will pay off big time.
This off season, the Yankees will look to add much needed depth to their rotation, and possibly acquire a catcher or a versatile utility player that could give senior players like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter a rest once in a while. As always, money will not be an issue for the Yankees this off season and they should have the financial muscle to outbid any team in the majors. There are three pitchers that the Yankees have been linked to during the course of this offseason that they would be smart to acquire, Mark Buehrle, Yu Darvish and CJ Wilson. Although a catcher and a utility player would certainly prove useful for next season, at this point the main priority should be pitching. The Yankees need an ace that could ease the pressure off of CC Sabathia. The Yanks also have a great number two in Ivan Nova, who will only improve after his extraordinary season. Freddy Garcia will also prove his worth next season, as he is a very calm pitcher and should be able to get at least ten wins under his belt. However, the Yanks need to replace A.J. Burnett if they want to improve on their 97 wins during the regular season, as he has proven that he just can’t cut it in New York. This leaves the Yankees with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. The Yankees have to do their best to acquire one of either CJ Wilson, Mark Buehrle or Yu Darvish
Out of the four listed above, Mark Buehrle seems to be the most likely to sign. He is a free agent, and has been a very consistent and reliable pitcher for the past decade. Buehrle has not been hit by any major injuries and has consistently played over 200 innings a year. Buehrle has a career ERA of 3.83, and although he is 32, he should be able to give the Yankees a solid thee to four seasons of consistency on the mound He is also a lefty which is always a plus.
Another free agent the Yanks have been linked to is CJ Wilson. Wilson is a young pitcher who has been a consistent starter for the Texas Rangers for the past three seasons. The Yankees should stay away from Wilson, as he is very unproven in the post season with a 2-4 record in the Rangers run in the post season, and has not done anything spectacular to earn him the 120 million dollar contract he is looking for. Wilson is a quality pitcher, and may even be worth the gamble, but I think its best if the Yankees stay away from him.
This leaves us with Yu Darvish, the Japanese ace that has MLB teams scrambling for his signature. Darvish has impressed many with his 1.32 ERA in the Japanese league, and also showcasing his talent for Japan at the World Baseball Classic. He has been phenomenal in the Japanese league and the switch to the majors may be a tough one, but I think if the Yankees take the gamble it will pay off big time.
Edwards goes another year without a championship title
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| Tony Stewart's car racing around a track. Credit to the Freewheeling Daredevil on Flickr. |
To lose what could have been your first Championship win in a tiebreaker must be heartbreaking. Carl Edwards was in first place coming into the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. In the regular season, he had not won any races. In the Chase, he had only won one race. At the end of the Chase, he finished in second place, falling to 3-time champion Tony Stewart.
When the Chase started, Stewart was in 9th place and his chances of winning were slim. He had been repeatedly left out of the top three drivers in the 2011 predictions. It seemed like all odds were against him until he went on a two-race winning streak. After eight more races and two more first place wins, the itle came down to the last race.
Stewart won the race, followed by Edwards. “To do it [win the race] under the circumstances and pressure we had, I'm very, very proud of that. I can't even remember how many races I've won, but I would have to say under this set of circumstances I've got to believe one of the greatest races of my career,” says Stewart to ESPN. This had put them in a first place tie with 2,403 points each. The tiebreaker went to Stewart, who had five wins compared to Edwards' one win.
Stewart and Edwards will not soon forget this race. Edwards had his first championship title stripped from him because of a tiebreaker. Stewart was able to come back from 9th place and claim his third championship title when even he didn’t think that he would win.
Trevor Yealy wins MCLA Player of the Year
After a year of playing Michigan Lacrosse, Trevor Yealy, won the MCLA player of the year award in November. Yealy, who was selected by 39% of the votes believes his victory is due to all the tough training he has been doing this season.
“I think a lot of the credit has to go to a completely different mindset this year than there has been in previous years. [I] could tell that something was different about this season. They had us work a lot harder than they had in previous seasons and they had us more focused on the team and hustle,” says Yealy on LaxMagazine.com.Playing since he was seven years old, Yealy is filled with experience. According to Tim Sullivan, Yealy, the nation’s leading goal scorer in 2010, should definitely win the Player of the Year award. “It [is] a blend of speed, athletic ability, grittiness, lacrosse IQ and leadership in the confines of one play – all traits that gives Yealy the nod for Player of the Year honors, said Sullivan in a GreatLaxState.com article.
Yealy, who attended Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been playing lacrosse since he was a freshman. His coach recommended the University of Michigan because it had great teams and due to that, Yealy is at the position he is right now. “My high school coach during my senior year had been an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh and he had told me how Michigan had a great club team and would be going varsity soon, and I knew I wanted to keep playing at a competitive level,'' Yealy says in another LaxMagazine.com article.
Yealy being six-foot-four and 180 pounds, is hoping to expand his role as an offensive attacker to a dodger. His coach, John Paul called him the best dodger on the team. "I think I could be a threat dodging, I haven't really had to do that the last couple of years because we had guys who were much better than me at it. This year, I want to get outside a little bit more,” says Yealy.
According to many, Yealy was the team’s “missing piece.” Yealy agrees with this, but believes that anyone could have accomplished what he did. "To be honest, people ask me that question a lot and I always tell them a monkey could do it," he said. "I completely agree with that. There are things here and there that can help and I've been working to get better at them.” With hard work and experience, Yealy proves that anyone can achieve what they want, as long as they are determined.
Dan Henderson Vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
An epic battle against legends Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson was held on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. This was a mixed martial arts match and was held by the UFC. At the end of the day Dan Henderson took home the victory. Although Shogun lost the match, he put up a great fight. This is why the match went down as one of the top ten light heavyweight fights for 2011.
Henderson is an amazing fighter with a record of 29 wins and eight losses. He has a punch that releases a tremendous amount of energy when put into action. He was the last man to hold on to both the welterweight and middleweight belts. This caused him to be the only man in mixed martial arts to hold more than one title in different weight divisions. Today, the 41-year-old Henderson remains one of the world’s elite MMA athletes.
Rua has a fighting record not to be overlooked: 20 wins and six losses. His career started in Brazil when he played for the Vale Tudo events. Shogun is an impressive athlete due to his past influences on other organizations and his very aggressive way of fighting. He is also considered to have an incredible amount of strength. Shogun as of now is 30 years old and had a great early start to his MMA career.
This match was held to determine for the number one contender for the Light Heavyweight Championship. Their match was very controversial. Some judges and fans believe the winner should have been Shogun, while others believe that it should remain the same. Henderson was dominating in rounds one to three and Shogun kicked up his game in the last two rounds. Henderson was able to take control over in the beginning of the match because he laid his most powerful punches, which are known as H-bombs, on Shogun. This weakened his opponent very much, letting him pick up the victory. At the end of the day Shogun and Henderson had a very close match with Henderson winning 48-47.
Although the competition between Henderson and Shogun was a very controversial and exciting event, there can only be one winner. In this match the official winner was Henderson and he got his opportunity to have a match against the Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones. Now, we will have to see what is next for Shogun
Henderson is an amazing fighter with a record of 29 wins and eight losses. He has a punch that releases a tremendous amount of energy when put into action. He was the last man to hold on to both the welterweight and middleweight belts. This caused him to be the only man in mixed martial arts to hold more than one title in different weight divisions. Today, the 41-year-old Henderson remains one of the world’s elite MMA athletes.
Rua has a fighting record not to be overlooked: 20 wins and six losses. His career started in Brazil when he played for the Vale Tudo events. Shogun is an impressive athlete due to his past influences on other organizations and his very aggressive way of fighting. He is also considered to have an incredible amount of strength. Shogun as of now is 30 years old and had a great early start to his MMA career.
This match was held to determine for the number one contender for the Light Heavyweight Championship. Their match was very controversial. Some judges and fans believe the winner should have been Shogun, while others believe that it should remain the same. Henderson was dominating in rounds one to three and Shogun kicked up his game in the last two rounds. Henderson was able to take control over in the beginning of the match because he laid his most powerful punches, which are known as H-bombs, on Shogun. This weakened his opponent very much, letting him pick up the victory. At the end of the day Shogun and Henderson had a very close match with Henderson winning 48-47.
Although the competition between Henderson and Shogun was a very controversial and exciting event, there can only be one winner. In this match the official winner was Henderson and he got his opportunity to have a match against the Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones. Now, we will have to see what is next for Shogun
Moreno takes his talent to America
Anselmo Moreno, 26 years old, might just seem like a foreign boxer to you, but he is a widely recognized athlete in Panama. He currently has a record of 31-1-1 and now he will take his talent around the world. On Saturday December 3, 2011 Moreno will have his first match in America.
Recently he joined with the World Boxing Association and he will be fighting against Vic 'The Raging Bull' Darchinyan in the Bantamweight class to prove he is a strong fighter to the audience outside of Panama. In an interview with punch.ocregister.com he said, “He (Mariano Rivera) worked hard to get where he is in America and now I am beginning my journey to hopefully get there too.”
The reason Moreno is going to start boxing worldwide is because not only does he want to become famous, he hopes to prove that he is not just an average boxer from Panama. To do this his first opponent is going to be Darchinyan, but he is not scared. In an interview with badlefthook.com Moreno said, "This is my first fight in the U.S. and I'm ready to get in the ring and show my skills. I'm not nervous about my first fight in the U.S. … I just want to show why I'm the world champion."
Recently he joined with the World Boxing Association and he will be fighting against Vic 'The Raging Bull' Darchinyan in the Bantamweight class to prove he is a strong fighter to the audience outside of Panama. In an interview with punch.ocregister.com he said, “He (Mariano Rivera) worked hard to get where he is in America and now I am beginning my journey to hopefully get there too.”
The reason Moreno is going to start boxing worldwide is because not only does he want to become famous, he hopes to prove that he is not just an average boxer from Panama. To do this his first opponent is going to be Darchinyan, but he is not scared. In an interview with badlefthook.com Moreno said, "This is my first fight in the U.S. and I'm ready to get in the ring and show my skills. I'm not nervous about my first fight in the U.S. … I just want to show why I'm the world champion."
A rainy race ends the NASCAR season
November 20th was a rainy day at the Ford 400 in Homestead-Miami during the last race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The race was very important for the two top drivers in the season, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. They entered the race with nearly the same amount of points, as Stewart was only three points behind Edwards. The race was also had importance for other drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, who fought for fifth place in the season.
Stewart had a bad start in the season, but about halfway through; he started winning a lot of races. Edwards had been one of the top drivers the whole season. Stewart won the three more points that he needed to tie Edwards at the Homestead-Miami race. Stewart gained the title even though they were tied, because he had more wins (five as opposed to one that Edwards had). “I drove to the edge and beyond, and that is all I had. Truly, we’ve never run any better than this,” stated Edwards to Sacbee.com.
Instead of being disappointed about not winning, he is looking forward to next year’s opportunity to win his first championship. “It would be crushing, if we didn’t get to go race next year. I am being 100 percent, completely honest with you, I am more excited about next year than I have ever been about going into the next season,” he said.
Johnson, who before this season has never ended below the top five, had a horrible race that made Keselowski snatch fifth place away from him. Due to the rain, Johnson’s engine started having problems. He ended in sixth season place with 2304 points behind Keselowski’s 2319. “It is disappointing… Our cars are running really fast, even today our car was plenty fast but we just had some unfortunate racing situations happen and it took us out of it,” Johnson said to Scenedaily.com.
Finishing in fifth place, Keselowksi and his team believes that, they can win a championship in the near future. "You look at the No. 14 (Tony Stewart) and the No. 99 (Carl Edwards) and they just had a lot of speed… If we can get a little more speed in our cars, I feel like we can go out there and win a championship," he said to NASCAR.com.
Stewart had a bad start in the season, but about halfway through; he started winning a lot of races. Edwards had been one of the top drivers the whole season. Stewart won the three more points that he needed to tie Edwards at the Homestead-Miami race. Stewart gained the title even though they were tied, because he had more wins (five as opposed to one that Edwards had). “I drove to the edge and beyond, and that is all I had. Truly, we’ve never run any better than this,” stated Edwards to Sacbee.com.
Instead of being disappointed about not winning, he is looking forward to next year’s opportunity to win his first championship. “It would be crushing, if we didn’t get to go race next year. I am being 100 percent, completely honest with you, I am more excited about next year than I have ever been about going into the next season,” he said.
Johnson, who before this season has never ended below the top five, had a horrible race that made Keselowski snatch fifth place away from him. Due to the rain, Johnson’s engine started having problems. He ended in sixth season place with 2304 points behind Keselowski’s 2319. “It is disappointing… Our cars are running really fast, even today our car was plenty fast but we just had some unfortunate racing situations happen and it took us out of it,” Johnson said to Scenedaily.com.
Finishing in fifth place, Keselowksi and his team believes that, they can win a championship in the near future. "You look at the No. 14 (Tony Stewart) and the No. 99 (Carl Edwards) and they just had a lot of speed… If we can get a little more speed in our cars, I feel like we can go out there and win a championship," he said to NASCAR.com.
Ma Long takes number one back
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| Ma Long / E-Pingpong.pl |
Currently Long represents China; he is a back hand dominant player, has a lot of power and plays in the pen hold, a common hold for many Chinese players.
This year the 23-year-old talent had made it to the finals again to win his title back. The match on November 27th in London was one of the most interesting matches. Long was playing against Zheng Jike also representing China. The interesting part was that Zheng Jike is also a back hand dominant player and also uses the pen hold. When you see two players that are so alike play each other it really brings out the skills in each player. And to top everything off this was the finals to determine who would be number one.
Before the game started none of the players were found practicing. Long wasn’t even at the table and Jike was taking a quick nap next to the table. Some might have called it an interesting way to prepare for the game.
When the match started both played extremely well. In the first game Long won easily beating Jike by six points. But Jike fought back and won just barely in the second game. The next two games were an easy finish for Long which beat Jike by seven and eight points.
When the fifth game came both players knew this game was the most crucial of them all. This would determine who would win the match. Both played furiously. It was hard to tell who would win the game as the scores where close to tied. They then made it into deuce and it was then that Long beat Jike by two points making the score 14-12. The match ended and Long was automatically declared as winner since this was a best out of seven. Long had already won four which meant that even if Jike won the next two games the winner would still be Long.
The match was another win for Long and with that he had won back his title of number one back. The records were 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, and 14-12. Currently in every singles match they have played Long has always won.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Suh playing rough with NFL
The Detroit Lions have been at the bottom of the NFL for the past 10 years. Losing was the norm for Detroit fans because every year the Lions ended up with a horrible record.
After the 2010 season, the Lions have been crushing opponents with a newly found defense. The master key to the defense is defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. Suh was chosen in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft from Nebraska.
He showed his dominance with brute force and strength. Teams had to rearrange their offense in order to account for Suh. The one downfall of Suh is his anger and passion.
Suh has been known to channel his anger and passion in inappropriate ways on the field. He has been called for many penalties and ejections from roughing the passer, head to head tackles, and unsportsmanlike conduct. “He’s a blind dog let loose in a meat house,” said Fox Sports analyst Jason Whitlock about young Suh.
So far, one of the most controversial has been the “Thanksgiving Stomp.” On November 24th, 2011, the Detroit Lions played the undefeated Green Bay Packers. After tackling Packers’ guard Evan Dietrich-Smith, Suh separated himself from Dietrich-Smith by using his helmet. Suh pushed Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground and after he got up, raised his right knee and stomped on Dietrich-Smith’s right hand. Suh was quickly penalized and ejected. The Lions went on to lose 27-15.
Suh has been suspended for two games and is trying to appeal the suspension. He missed the penalty filled New Orleans Saints game and will miss the December 11th home game against Minnesota.
In the Saints game, three defensive tackles added 107 yards onto the Saints’ drives. They had 11 penalties which came from pushing the referee, punching opponents, and offensive pass interference. The game showed that Suh isn’t helping the team by committing silly penalties. If the team is committing penalties alone, why would they need Suh stomping on people?
Suh has been compared to all- time defensive great “Mean” Joe Greene. The Steelers defensive tackle was known for hard hits and head to head tackles during the 1970’s. They are very similar in their rough and tumble play, but times have changed. The NFL has created more rules against wild play. These rules are hindering Suh from using sheer anger to have success on the field, which may leave a sour taste in the mouth of other teams when his free agency comes around.
After the 2010 season, the Lions have been crushing opponents with a newly found defense. The master key to the defense is defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. Suh was chosen in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft from Nebraska.
He showed his dominance with brute force and strength. Teams had to rearrange their offense in order to account for Suh. The one downfall of Suh is his anger and passion.
Suh has been known to channel his anger and passion in inappropriate ways on the field. He has been called for many penalties and ejections from roughing the passer, head to head tackles, and unsportsmanlike conduct. “He’s a blind dog let loose in a meat house,” said Fox Sports analyst Jason Whitlock about young Suh.
So far, one of the most controversial has been the “Thanksgiving Stomp.” On November 24th, 2011, the Detroit Lions played the undefeated Green Bay Packers. After tackling Packers’ guard Evan Dietrich-Smith, Suh separated himself from Dietrich-Smith by using his helmet. Suh pushed Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground and after he got up, raised his right knee and stomped on Dietrich-Smith’s right hand. Suh was quickly penalized and ejected. The Lions went on to lose 27-15.
Suh has been suspended for two games and is trying to appeal the suspension. He missed the penalty filled New Orleans Saints game and will miss the December 11th home game against Minnesota.
In the Saints game, three defensive tackles added 107 yards onto the Saints’ drives. They had 11 penalties which came from pushing the referee, punching opponents, and offensive pass interference. The game showed that Suh isn’t helping the team by committing silly penalties. If the team is committing penalties alone, why would they need Suh stomping on people?
Suh has been compared to all- time defensive great “Mean” Joe Greene. The Steelers defensive tackle was known for hard hits and head to head tackles during the 1970’s. They are very similar in their rough and tumble play, but times have changed. The NFL has created more rules against wild play. These rules are hindering Suh from using sheer anger to have success on the field, which may leave a sour taste in the mouth of other teams when his free agency comes around.
Lockout ends, but plans for future are hectic
Christmas Day 2011 might be the merriest Christmas that any basketball fan has ever had. After the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in Game Six of the NBA finals, basketball was as popular as ever. An upset had occurred in an exciting NBA final, but quickly, the league's popularity sank because of a 149 day lockout. The NBA 2011-12 season was doubtful; however, a deal between the players and the owners was reached, and it is agreed that the season will begin on Christmas day. The Grinch did not steal Christmas after all.
With little time between the agreement of the deal in late November and December 25th, free agency will have to be a quick process. Contracts are not allowed to be signed until December 9th, but rumors of possible trades are already spreading. Dwight Howard, a center from the Orlando Magic, is coveted by many teams. The New Jersey Nets are already willing to offer center Brook Lopez and two future first round draft choices for Dwight Howard.
The upcoming 2011-12 season will be a shortened 66 game regular season, but the lack of games doesn’t matter to the players or fans. They are just happy that basketball is back. "We are thrilled that a tentative agreement has been reached and are looking forward to getting back to work and playing basketball," Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat said in an official statement. To make the season even more interesting, two more games will be added to the original three that are shown on Christmas. One of those games will be a rematch of the NBA finals with Dallas hosting Miami.
With a wacky schedule coming up, this may be one of the more memorable NBA seasons. It is not very often that fans open presents while watching the NBA players take the court for the first time in over six months.
With little time between the agreement of the deal in late November and December 25th, free agency will have to be a quick process. Contracts are not allowed to be signed until December 9th, but rumors of possible trades are already spreading. Dwight Howard, a center from the Orlando Magic, is coveted by many teams. The New Jersey Nets are already willing to offer center Brook Lopez and two future first round draft choices for Dwight Howard.
The upcoming 2011-12 season will be a shortened 66 game regular season, but the lack of games doesn’t matter to the players or fans. They are just happy that basketball is back. "We are thrilled that a tentative agreement has been reached and are looking forward to getting back to work and playing basketball," Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat said in an official statement. To make the season even more interesting, two more games will be added to the original three that are shown on Christmas. One of those games will be a rematch of the NBA finals with Dallas hosting Miami.
With a wacky schedule coming up, this may be one of the more memorable NBA seasons. It is not very often that fans open presents while watching the NBA players take the court for the first time in over six months.
Friday, December 2, 2011
NBA lockout continues
The NBA lockout is in its fifth month, and things are getting worse. NBA commissioner David Stern recently announced that there are not going to be anymore games until December 15th, totaling a loss of 324 games, which equates to about 25% of the season. The players felt that nothing has been getting done, so they disbanded their union in the hopes that things might change. Many players have decided to file class action anti-trust law suits, arguing that the NBA owners locking out the players on July 1st violated anti-trust laws by not letting the players work.
Even if the court date isn’t moved up there still might be hope. Last week the NBA players missed their first paycheck. On average this is a loss of over $220,000 per player. Many players spend their money lavishly, and with the season being cut even shorter, the players will become more desperate. Many hope that the players are more prepared for the impending loss of money then they were during the ’98 - ’99 lockout. Hopefully this will mean that the players will settle outside of court, so they can minimize the amount of money they would miss, and the fans will finally be able to watch more basketball.
Unfortunately it is not just the players, or the owners, who will experience losses, the average workers at the stadium will be hit the hardest. There are thousands of workers across America who are experiencing the loss of their jobs. These workers were already paid low wages, and the loss of a monthly of paycheck will throw thousands of Americans into an even deeper state of poverty.
The NBA lockout really needs to come to an end. Everyone is starting to experience the pains of the lockout. The most important people to the success of basketball, the fans, are also getting fed up, and are starting to go elsewhere. If the lawsuit continues, we might not hear a verdict for a very longtime, and the scars of the suit will never go away. It is time to end the lockout.
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| David Boies. Photo by Steve Rhodes. |
The players have filed two lawsuits in two different states, California and Minnesota, and are being represented by Attorney David Boies. Boies moved the California case to the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals; the 9th circuit is known for being a very liberal court, and thus would likely favor the players in the upcoming court battle. The other case, filed in Minnesota, is also a very liberal court. The NBA has decided to file a counter suit in New York City in an attempt to have the other court cases moved there as well. This could seriously damage the players case as the New York City’s court system often is in favor of the owners in worker disputes such as these. The players are suing for “treble damages,” three times the two billion that they would have made if they had played for the entire season. At the moment the court case is set to be heard on February 29th, 2012, but Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has reported, “[A] court official says that [the] court date could be moved up.”
Even if the court date isn’t moved up there still might be hope. Last week the NBA players missed their first paycheck. On average this is a loss of over $220,000 per player. Many players spend their money lavishly, and with the season being cut even shorter, the players will become more desperate. Many hope that the players are more prepared for the impending loss of money then they were during the ’98 - ’99 lockout. Hopefully this will mean that the players will settle outside of court, so they can minimize the amount of money they would miss, and the fans will finally be able to watch more basketball.
Unfortunately it is not just the players, or the owners, who will experience losses, the average workers at the stadium will be hit the hardest. There are thousands of workers across America who are experiencing the loss of their jobs. These workers were already paid low wages, and the loss of a monthly of paycheck will throw thousands of Americans into an even deeper state of poverty.
The NBA lockout really needs to come to an end. Everyone is starting to experience the pains of the lockout. The most important people to the success of basketball, the fans, are also getting fed up, and are starting to go elsewhere. If the lawsuit continues, we might not hear a verdict for a very longtime, and the scars of the suit will never go away. It is time to end the lockout.
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