Unproven
To quote Timbaland on Aaliyah's 2000 single "Try Again": "It's been a long time... since I left you... without a dope beat to step to..." Been a crazy three weeks, but then again, so has the sporting life. America is in a frenzy four weeks into the NFL season and at the start of baseball's playoffs. Ladies and gentlemen... hold up. There is something on my mind that has nothing to do with shaky pitching rotations and Carson Palmer. You might have blinked and/or didn't care much, but read on and you might.
Entering their third seasons in the NBA, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade have something that league veterans such as Erick Strickland, Ron Mercer and Cliff Robinson don't. Well, make that three things; youth, riches (insane riches) and playoff expectations. This past offseason essentially gave James and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert a new, playoff contending roster that is actually approaching the proverbial salary cap. Anthony and Wade have two playoff apperances apiece, with Wade sniffing the NBA Finals this past postseason. Not to mention being the cover player for NBA Live '06.
I'm not here to talk about expectations, shoe deals or a top starting lineup under the age of 25.
Within the last few days, 15-year old Michelle Wie announced her intentions to turn professional. Wie, the so-called golf phenom who threatens not only her LPGA peers, but apparently their male counterparts as well, is expected to make between eight and ten million dollars based on endorsements.
Indy Car Racing has not captured the imaginations and fuel gauges of auto racing fans in some time, but this season they rolled the dice on Danica Patrick, an easy-on-the-eyes 23-year old who became the first female driver to ever lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500 back in May. She has already caught the ire of fellow drivers, but the hormones of young men thanks to her appearance on several magazines.
Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004 and for most of the past year has held the number one ranking in the WTA. Sharapova, the 18-year old Russian tennis star, has graced magazines, modeled some clothing and endorses consumer products such as Olympus cameras.
So they're all female, all young and much more talented that I may ever be in their realms. They are also pretty damn savvy at promotions for themselves and their sports. They are also... gasp... unproven. I am not railing on some battle-of-the-sexes tip, I'm one of the few that actually thinks that Becky Hammon, Nykiesha Sales and the exiled Latasha Byears could ball as good as most men at any level. However, I do question the television segments and Madison Avenue spin machine for a bunch of athletes who haven't won anything. Yes, Sharapova did beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon last year, but nothing else. Not even the Police Athletic League summer tournament in the Bronx. Oh, Freddy Adu hasn't exactly catapulted Major League Soccer on his feet, but even he can be separated from this pack of unprovens by playing in a team sport.
Ah, team sport. THAT'S what has irked me about Wie, Patrick and Sharapova. These three play in sports that are as individualistic as they come. This isn't like Mark Prior arriving to save the Cubs from being... well, themselves a couple of seasons ago. When young, unproven players enter a team sport, they enter as a sponge, soaking in not only from observation or even mentoring from veteran players and coaches, but from taking part in achieving the overall team objectives. Those NBA stars mentioned earlier had to enter the court with a mix of experienced players who would set the picks or double team on defense. Mike Williams joins a potent group of receivers in Detroit along with a powerful young RB in Kevin Jones and veteran TE Marcus Pollard to attempt to save Joey Harrington's youknowwhut. Heck, Sidney Crosby's ascenscion to hockey savior will be helped by another former phenom named Mario Lemieux and vets like John LeClair. Yet, these folks are on islands of their own, to reap the benefits and fall hard when they sputter.
Sadly, I have to admit that gender has something to do with my thoughts. Not that I believe that they don't have a place in sports because they have done something to earn them. So did Annika Sorenstam. Sorenstam has been one of the most dominant athletes/players in all of sports over the last five years, male or female. Her historical appearance at last year's Colonial was supposed to prove that female golfers can hang. Yet, it seems as if it is all in vain in some ways because Wie will be given (I repeat, given) an invitation to a men's tourney coming up. While I will stay away from discussing the unfairness to Sorenstam about this particular point, I think that this makes a statement to both genders about their selective memories. Since women team sports do not present much sexuality or individual personality, let alone skill, female athletes are chosen very carefully in terms of stepping into the limelight. The breeding ground tends to be in the individual sports. Yet when there are successful names such as Lindsey Davenport, Venus and Serena, Annika, society tends to write them off as successful under handicaps of being women. So we throw in other criteria that have nothing to do with talent. Youth (Wie and Sharapova), cute face (Patrick) and short skirts (Sharapova) all apply when we are looking for a new ripple in the ocean. Male athletes have the same criteria to a degree (Tom Brady), but men have established their sports. Women are stil trying to, but unfortunately, Madison Avenue has interjected the same sets of rules that had limited minority athletes from showing themselves at the same levels.
Yeah, I said it.
If Joe Louis showed that he could think for himself a little more, he may have realized that he was revered because of his light skin and seemingly lack of intelligence. Oh, and he wasn't Jack Johnson. Muhammad Ali will be long revered for being a pretty face with a penchant for the mic. Alex Rodriguez did not experience the same language barriers as Roberto Clemente, nor did he exactly embrace his Latino heritage as much as some would like. As said, Madison Avenue has incorporated some of the same rules. "You have to have a semblance of talent if you are a female athlete in this millenium, but we need something else. Say, look good in a bikini?" Yet, there is still one criteria that the hypsters don't add until it's too late. She has to do some winning.
Remember Anna Kournikova?
For more thoughts on this matter, check out this post from the newest link, Sports Law Blog.
Say What?!?!: This weekend's fight between Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones, Jr. was set in a sunny backdrop of Tampa, Florida with the boxing world abuzz to see if Jones could still hang. Also lingering in that backdrop was the date itself: October 1. Thirty years to the day since the Thrilla in Manilla. It seems to be that mainstream media and fans are looking for folks to fill those shoes of Ali and Frazier as well as present another memorable trilogy in order to remember that the sport that was once as big as baseball still exists. Sadly, the fact that three fighters have died this year is so ho-hum that they are barely mentioned or followed up on news tickers. An interesting thought.
Entering their third seasons in the NBA, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade have something that league veterans such as Erick Strickland, Ron Mercer and Cliff Robinson don't. Well, make that three things; youth, riches (insane riches) and playoff expectations. This past offseason essentially gave James and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert a new, playoff contending roster that is actually approaching the proverbial salary cap. Anthony and Wade have two playoff apperances apiece, with Wade sniffing the NBA Finals this past postseason. Not to mention being the cover player for NBA Live '06.
I'm not here to talk about expectations, shoe deals or a top starting lineup under the age of 25.
Within the last few days, 15-year old Michelle Wie announced her intentions to turn professional. Wie, the so-called golf phenom who threatens not only her LPGA peers, but apparently their male counterparts as well, is expected to make between eight and ten million dollars based on endorsements.
Indy Car Racing has not captured the imaginations and fuel gauges of auto racing fans in some time, but this season they rolled the dice on Danica Patrick, an easy-on-the-eyes 23-year old who became the first female driver to ever lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500 back in May. She has already caught the ire of fellow drivers, but the hormones of young men thanks to her appearance on several magazines.
Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004 and for most of the past year has held the number one ranking in the WTA. Sharapova, the 18-year old Russian tennis star, has graced magazines, modeled some clothing and endorses consumer products such as Olympus cameras.
So they're all female, all young and much more talented that I may ever be in their realms. They are also pretty damn savvy at promotions for themselves and their sports. They are also... gasp... unproven. I am not railing on some battle-of-the-sexes tip, I'm one of the few that actually thinks that Becky Hammon, Nykiesha Sales and the exiled Latasha Byears could ball as good as most men at any level. However, I do question the television segments and Madison Avenue spin machine for a bunch of athletes who haven't won anything. Yes, Sharapova did beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon last year, but nothing else. Not even the Police Athletic League summer tournament in the Bronx. Oh, Freddy Adu hasn't exactly catapulted Major League Soccer on his feet, but even he can be separated from this pack of unprovens by playing in a team sport.
Ah, team sport. THAT'S what has irked me about Wie, Patrick and Sharapova. These three play in sports that are as individualistic as they come. This isn't like Mark Prior arriving to save the Cubs from being... well, themselves a couple of seasons ago. When young, unproven players enter a team sport, they enter as a sponge, soaking in not only from observation or even mentoring from veteran players and coaches, but from taking part in achieving the overall team objectives. Those NBA stars mentioned earlier had to enter the court with a mix of experienced players who would set the picks or double team on defense. Mike Williams joins a potent group of receivers in Detroit along with a powerful young RB in Kevin Jones and veteran TE Marcus Pollard to attempt to save Joey Harrington's youknowwhut. Heck, Sidney Crosby's ascenscion to hockey savior will be helped by another former phenom named Mario Lemieux and vets like John LeClair. Yet, these folks are on islands of their own, to reap the benefits and fall hard when they sputter.
Sadly, I have to admit that gender has something to do with my thoughts. Not that I believe that they don't have a place in sports because they have done something to earn them. So did Annika Sorenstam. Sorenstam has been one of the most dominant athletes/players in all of sports over the last five years, male or female. Her historical appearance at last year's Colonial was supposed to prove that female golfers can hang. Yet, it seems as if it is all in vain in some ways because Wie will be given (I repeat, given) an invitation to a men's tourney coming up. While I will stay away from discussing the unfairness to Sorenstam about this particular point, I think that this makes a statement to both genders about their selective memories. Since women team sports do not present much sexuality or individual personality, let alone skill, female athletes are chosen very carefully in terms of stepping into the limelight. The breeding ground tends to be in the individual sports. Yet when there are successful names such as Lindsey Davenport, Venus and Serena, Annika, society tends to write them off as successful under handicaps of being women. So we throw in other criteria that have nothing to do with talent. Youth (Wie and Sharapova), cute face (Patrick) and short skirts (Sharapova) all apply when we are looking for a new ripple in the ocean. Male athletes have the same criteria to a degree (Tom Brady), but men have established their sports. Women are stil trying to, but unfortunately, Madison Avenue has interjected the same sets of rules that had limited minority athletes from showing themselves at the same levels.
Yeah, I said it.
If Joe Louis showed that he could think for himself a little more, he may have realized that he was revered because of his light skin and seemingly lack of intelligence. Oh, and he wasn't Jack Johnson. Muhammad Ali will be long revered for being a pretty face with a penchant for the mic. Alex Rodriguez did not experience the same language barriers as Roberto Clemente, nor did he exactly embrace his Latino heritage as much as some would like. As said, Madison Avenue has incorporated some of the same rules. "You have to have a semblance of talent if you are a female athlete in this millenium, but we need something else. Say, look good in a bikini?" Yet, there is still one criteria that the hypsters don't add until it's too late. She has to do some winning.
Remember Anna Kournikova?
For more thoughts on this matter, check out this post from the newest link, Sports Law Blog.
Say What?!?!: This weekend's fight between Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones, Jr. was set in a sunny backdrop of Tampa, Florida with the boxing world abuzz to see if Jones could still hang. Also lingering in that backdrop was the date itself: October 1. Thirty years to the day since the Thrilla in Manilla. It seems to be that mainstream media and fans are looking for folks to fill those shoes of Ali and Frazier as well as present another memorable trilogy in order to remember that the sport that was once as big as baseball still exists. Sadly, the fact that three fighters have died this year is so ho-hum that they are barely mentioned or followed up on news tickers. An interesting thought.
posted by Jason Clinkscales @ 7:07 PM
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