Are Female Athletes The Best Positive Influence For Black Women?
Despite the positive effect that sports have on young girls, female athletes still don't get the credit they deserve.
Many folks probably missed Wednesday's headlines proclaiming the Texas A&M Lady Aggies the 2011 NCAA women's basketball champions. It's nothing new, but I am still amazed that girls' and women's sports don't receive the recognition they deserve. It's time the black community rallied to change that. More important than championship trophies, there is a long-lasting, positive effect that organized sports can have on young girls, especially black girls.
For as long as I can remember, I was doing cartwheels and backflips around my house and neighborhood. When I removed the top mattress from my bunk bed and turned the bed into a poor man's uneven bars -- as seen in women's gymnastic competitions -- my mom had had enough. She enrolled me in gymnastics classes. I was in the third grade.
A few years later, I was on a competitive gymnastics team. I was one of two black girls on a team of about 40. Playing kick ball in my all-black neighborhood was nothing like this. We would spend hours a day practicing and conditioning, which consisted of repetitive exercises to increase strength, flexibility and endurance. All of that was to prepare for competitions at places I had never been. I went on to compete on my high school gymnastics and cheerleading teams.
I'm convinced that those sports experiences played a key role in who I am today. Sports teaches children how to follow rules, work as a team and engage in healthy competition. For girls, the benefits are greater -- increased self-esteem and confidence, a better body image and an improved academic performance. In fact, studies show a decrease in high school dropouts among girls who play sports, as well as a lower likelihood of smoking or becoming pregnant.
Unfortunately, black girls are significantly less active in sports than their white counterparts. As you might have guessed, barriers include limited access, costs and peer pressure. Roxanne Jones, a vice president at ESPN who grew up running track and cheerleading, told The Root that needs to change.
Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball Player Stabbed To Death
Tragic news out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Wednesday evening as police said Middle Tennessee women’s basketball player Tina Stewart was stabbed to death at her apartment close to campus. Police also say they have two people in custody and were searching a third.
The 21-year-old Stewart had multiple wounds when authorities found her, Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans said. Police had been called because of a disturbance, and Evans said officers took a man and a woman into custody outside the apartment before finding Stewart inside.
Middle Tennessee president Sidney McPhee spoke at a press conference, saying the university family had lost “a wonderful talented and vibrant young woman. The anguish I feel as a father and a president … but personally as a father with a daughter about the age of Tina cannot adequately be expressed with words,”
McPhee also said Stewart had spent the past three Thanksgivings with his family.
The Lady Raiders are 23-6 on the season. Stewart had started 14 of those games, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG. The Sun Belt Conference Tournament begins March 6th. It’s unclear at this time whether or not these events will affect the team’s participation.
NCAA WINNERS AND LOSERS SATURDAY
WINNERS
Virginia Tech (19-8 overall, 9-5 ACC; Def. Duke, 64-60)
Go figure that the Hokies' first win against a ranked opponent this season would come against the No. 1 team in the land (yes, I know, it's debatable). The upset of Duke, though, which included an impressive late comeback, put them on the right side of the NCAA tournament bubble. It's not in stone, however, because a loss either Tuesday at home to Boston College or Saturday at Clemson will have them right back in danger. It wouldn't be late February in Blacksburg without this fine-line situation, would it?
Kansas State (20-9 overall, 8-6 Big 12; Def. Missouri, 80-70)
It's becoming clearer and clearer as K-State continues to roll: This is the team most likely to get a 7-, 8-, 9- or 10-seed that no one will want to draw on Selection Sunday. Mizzou is now 1-6 on the road in the Big 12, but this is still an impressive win for the Wildcats, who essentially clinched it with a 9-0 run late while senior stalwart Jacob Pullen was on the bench with four fouls. Monday night should be quite interesting, as K-State heads on the road to take on Texas and go for its fifth straight win. The Wildcats have won in each of their last two trips to Austin.
Colorado (18-11 overall, 7-7 Big 12; Def. Texas, 91-89)
Overcoming a 22-point deficit to defeat the fifth-ranked Longhorns will go down as a marquee win, but it's far from Colorado's first. It's the Buffs' fifth win against an RPI Top 50 team, which helps negate an RPI of 77 and a schedule that ranks as the nation's 69th strongest. This win simply puts Colorado back into the bubble discussion, though it's far from in. Its two remaining regular season games — at Iowa State and vs.Nebraska — are both very winnable. Even with those, the Buffs would likely still have to get at least one win in the Big 12 tournament.
Boston College (17-11 overall, 7-7 ACC; Def. Virginia, 63-44)
The Eagles trailed early on at Virginia, and a loss would have all but ended their at-large push. Like Colorado, BC isn't quite in, but now a Tuesday night trip to take on Virginia Tech becomes a must-watch.
Baylor (18-10 overall, 7-7 Big 12; Def. Texas A&M, 58-51)
The Bears just won't let us write them off for good, will they? The pulse is still faint, and Saturday's win was far from pretty. No one is expecting them to sweep the season's final week, which includes a trip to Oklahoma State and a home game against Texas. But at least they're still playing for something.
LOSERS
Nebraska (18-10 overall, 6-8 Big 12; Lost at Iowa State, 83-82)
The Huskers couldn't build off of last Saturday's upset of Texas, and two losses this week pretty much punched their ticket to the NIT. Colorado should be taking notes.
Nebraska (18-10 overall, 6-8 Big 12; Lost at Iowa State, 83-82)
The Huskers couldn't build off of last Saturday's upset of Texas, and two losses this week pretty much punched their ticket to the NIT. Colorado should be taking notes.
Memphis (21-8 overall, 9-5 Conference USA; Lost at UTEP, 74-47)
The Tigers still have four RPI Top 50 wins and an RPI of 33, but this loss looks brutal. Six of their eight losses have now come by 13 points or more. C-USA is looking more and more like a one-bid league.
Alabama (19-9 overall, 11-3 SEC; Lost at Ole Miss, 68-63)
Despite the still-shiny league record, Alabama's RPI of 89 and SOS of 138 means that this is likely the last questionable loss the Tide can afford to swallow. They can, however, offset it with a win at Florida on Tuesday.
Colorado State (18-10 overall, 8-6 Mountain West; Lost at Air Force, 74-57)
A week ago, at 8-3 in the league, Colorado State was the front-runner for the Mountain West's third bid. Three consecutive losses later, and the Rams have not just been passed up by surging UNLV, but they now need a sweep of their final two games to keep the NCAA tourney dream alive. The problem? They're at San Diego State next Saturday.
Tennessee (17-12 overall, 7-7 SEC; Lost to Mississippi State, 70-69)
The Vols still have friendly numbers that matter — seven RPI Top 50 wins, RPI of 34, SOS of 3 — but this loss just might have done them in. Losing to the trainwreck that is Mississippi State is just not a good look whatsoever. The Vols have now dropped five of their last seven and, in all, it was a week to forget for the program.
Technical Foul On a Cheerleader??
Had Pittsburgh somehow erased a five-point deficit in the final second of overtime on Sunday afternoon, a male Louisville cheerleader would have been fortunate to make it out of the KFC Yum! Center with all his limbs intact.
Instead the cheerleader's unusual technical foul will probably be remembered as a bizarre but ultimately harmless blunder.
Convinced that Kyle Kuric's apparent game-sealing dunk in the final second of overtime marked the end of the game, the cheerleader walked onto the court and hurled the ball high in the air in celebration. The only problem was five tenths of a second remained on the clock, causing the referees to assess a technical foul for delay of game on the unsuspecting cheerleader.
Guard Ashton Gibbs sank two free throws to pull Pittsburgh within three, but he misfired on a half-court heave that appeared to come a fraction of a second after time expired anyway. That enabled Louisville to eke out a 62-59 victory and the embarrassed cheerleader to no doubt breathe a sigh of relief.
"The male cheerleader is coming to an end," Louisville coach Rick Pitino joked to start his post game press conference. "It was good while it lasted. It was fun. Now we'll try another sport for him."
"No, I'm sure it was unintentional, but you could actually lose a game that way," Pitino added once the laughter subsided. "Hopefully he'll learn the rules of basketball next time."
Some Louisville fans have already argued the cheerleader should be suspended or even kicked off the team for his actions, but that punishment seems a little harsh for an innocent mistake.
On the other hand, he'd be wise to remember this valuable lesson: Don't run onto the court and touch the ball under any circumstances – even if the final buzzer has already blown.
Marquis Daniels Surgery?
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told CSNNE.com on Wednesday that Celtics forward Marquis Daniels -- who suffered a bruised spinal cord against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 6 -- might require season-ending surgery.
"There is a chance that he will miss the season and may need surgery to resume his playing career," Ainge told the website. "We're still gathering information, but that's where we're at."
It stands to reason that with Daniels' availability for the rest of the season now more in question than ever, the Celtics will surely be looking at small forward options on the trade market leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Daniels suffered the injury while trying to drive by Orlando guard Gilbert Arenas with 11:01 remaining in the second quarter of that Feb. 6 game. Daniels collapsed to the floor face-first after colliding with Arenas' chest, and was tended to by team doctors and arena paramedics, before eventually being taken off the court on a stretcher and transported to New England Baptist Hospital. Daniels was released from the hospital the following day, and Ainge, along with team physician Brian McKeon, initially stated that Daniels would be out for at least a month, if not longer.
Since suffering the injury, Daniels has sought out opinions from several doctors to determine the best course of action moving forward.
Daniels played in 49 of the Celtics' first 50 games and averaged 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while serving as the primary backup to captain Paul Pierce.
CELTICS TRADE RUMORS
The NBA trade deadline is a mere hours away and the Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on any one of the hundreds of rumors flying through the interwebs. With the roster already at 15 players, Celtic president Danny Ainge has very little to work with heading into the deadline.
Tradeable Chips: Avery Bradley, Von Wafer, Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden, Nate Robinson and draft picks.
Bradley has the most potential, but Ainge would need to be willing to mortgage the future to fix the present. Erden is short money (500K next season) but will not command a lot in return. Wafer and Daniels offer the NBA gold of expiring contracts, but there is a downside attached. Wafer does not make enough money to provide a decent return and Daniels has the right to veto any trade due to his early “Bird Rights” having signed a second consecutive one year deal with the Celtics. Nate Robinson is owed 4.5 mil next season and could be used as leverage to take on an even bigger contract in return. The Celtics have their first rounds picks to offer as well, but with the Celtics likely no where near the lottery, they would be of little interest to opposing GM’s.
Needs: Small Forward and general bench depth.
Rumors:
Nate Robinson: will/will not be traded to the Golden State Warriors. Almost as quickly as we heard about this one, it quickly went away. The Celtics need a small forward and could use Nate Robinson to obtain one or clear the way to obtain one via buyout once the trade deadline passes.
Rasheed Wallace: the long standing rumor is that Sheed would join the C’s after the trade deadline passes. With Semih Erden now forced into the starting lineup, signing Rasheed Wallace does not seem like such a bad idea.
Shane Battier: Battier has over 7 mil in contract remaining and it will most likely take both Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels to make the trade work from a money standpoint. At this point, what do you really gain. Odds are, Battier will be available in a few days via a buyout.
Anthony Parker: The Cavs have been rumored to be in search for a “quality draft pick” in return for Parker. With the C’s looking to draft possibly from #28 on, the draft pick option is out of the question. The only other conciviable option would be Avery Bradley. With an enticing Rondo, Bradley backcourt combo for the future, the C’s would be hard pressed to swap Bradley for a rental player.
Grant Hill: A deal for Hill would make sense for the right price. Hill has an expiring contract, but it will take the combination of Daniels along with either Bradley, Haragody and Erden to make it happen.
Clearing the way for a Buyout.
A host of quality NBA players are rumored to be available in a few days as teams buy out the remaining money on their contracts. Players such as, Richard Hamilton, Troy Murphy, James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Rasaul Butler and Jason Kapono could be looking for work and the Celtics offer a preferred destination for players looking to make a run at a title. The downside is that the Celtics need to let someone go in order to make this happen. They may not make a blockbuster deal before the deadline, but they may make a player for picks trade or a 2 for 1 deal just to get the roster below 15 in order to accommodate a new acquisition.
NBA Trade Deadline
NBA Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Here are the deals completed this week:
• NETS GET: G Deron Williams
• JAZZ GET: G Devin Harris, F Derrick Favors, two first-round picks (New Jersey's 2011 pick and Golden State's 2012 pick)
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• KNICKS GET: F Carmelo Anthony, G Chauncey Billups, C Shelden Williams, F Renaldo Balkman, G Anthony Carter from Denver; F Corey Brewer from Minnesota
• NUGGETS GET: G Raymond Felton, F Danilo Gallinari, F Wilson Chandler, C Timofey Mozgov, 2014 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2012 and 2013, $3 million from Knicks; C Kosta Koufos from Minnesota
• TIMBERWOLVES GET: C Eddy Curry, F Anthony Randolph, $3 million from New York; 2015 second-round pick from Denver
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• CLIPPERS GET: G Mo Williams, F Jamario Moon
• CAVALIERS GET: G Baron Davis, 2011 first-round pick
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Hornets add to frontcourt
• HORNETS GET: F Carl Landry
• KINGS GET: G Marcus Thornton, cash considerations
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• HAWKS GET: G Kirk Hinrich and C Hilton Armstrong
• WIZARDS GET: G Mike Bibby, G Jordan Crawford, G/F Maurice Evans and Atlanta's 2011 first-round draft pick.
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Nets ship Murphy to Golden State
• WARRIORS GET: F/C Troy Murphy, Nets' 2012 second-round draft pick
• NETS GET: C Dan Gadzuric and F Brandan Wright
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• BULLS GET: Miami's 2011 first-round pick (which Raptors acquired in Chris Bosh sign-and-trade)
• RAPTORS GET: F James Johnson
