Amateur Athletes, Pro-Tests
 Updated: 08-05-2008
Once every 4 years nations come together to compete and showcase the best athletes they have to offer. It is an event that I, like many others wait for to finally say “the Olympics are here!” I can’t get enough of the Olympics. I’ve already begun my preparation to ensure that I don’t miss an event (Tivo, video tape, and on-line). I’ll admit that I am a tad biased towards the Olympics, being a competitive swimmer, I love this time. This is the time that my favorite sport (swimming, in case you were wondering), comes to the forefront of sporting news, and the news is great.
Michael Phelps is poised to win an impressive 8 golds, Katie Hoff (the female parallel to Phelps) had a remarkable Trials winning 5 events, even the “Redeem Team” (U.S. basketball-for those of you who aren’t as interested in swimming as I am) is hoping to recapture gold. And, there are countless more stories that are just as compelling. This should be an amazing time for fans of the Olympics, but these games have a cloud surrounding them. The word ‘protest’ is being tossed around a lot lately when referring to the Olympics. The host city of Beijing is in a country that is considered by many to be a major threat to the world. China is the largest remaining communist state. The Chinese government is constantly being judged for their violations of human rights.
Stephen A. Smith wrote an article in the last issue of ESPN The Magazine entitled Remember When Athletes Had the Guts to Stand up for Their Beliefs?, where he criticizes modern day athletes for signing wavers stating that they will not protest at the games. Smith referenced the ’68 Mexico City games where track stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos (gold and bronze winners of the 200 meter race) raised their fists on the awards podium in a “black power” salute for the entire world to see. T. Smith and Carlos were shunned for years for this action, but they didn’t care about the consequences; they had a belief and agree or not, it was a courageous act. S. Smith believes that today’s athlete has gone soft. So, has today’s athlete ‘gone soft’? Do they have a responsibility to stand up for their fellow (wo)man?
As I see it…
Modern day American athletes may be less eager to protest than their predecessors, but I don’t think that makes them ‘soft’. It is just a product of the era. The 1960’s were a time of great social reform. People were used to protesting, but thanks to men like T. Smith and Carlos, today’s athletes have enjoyed a period of relative equality. Most of the people competing in the 2008 Olympics weren’t alive for Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X (excluding Dara Torres). Heck some of them weren’t alive for the Rodney King incident. Besides, the Olympics should be a forum to show your athletic superiority, not your moral compass.
In fact, forget the athletes. Blame the I.O.C. (International Olympic Committee). They are the ones responsible for picking the location. They should have shown better judgment! Do they pick the location by throwing a dart at a map? What’s next, the 2016 Bagdad games? 2020 from Darfur? Honestly, the I.O.C. whiffed on this one and should be subject to all of the criticism. Leave the competitors alone, they just want to live the Olympic dream.
Even though this controversy has cast an ugly shadow over these games, in my eyes, all will be forgoten by the time the Olympic flame is lit in Beijing. Nothing could diminish my love of the games. I will be glued to NBC's coverage over the next 17 days and I hope you will too. Remember, this only comes around once every 4 years.
What’s in a name?
Updated: 06-25-2008
Adam “Pacman” Jones announced recently he would like to remove the “Pacman” moniker from his name and simply be known as Adam Jones. This sort of PR move is not without precedent. Image revamping like this is reminiscent of similar name changes such as Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs renaming himself “P-Diddy”, then “Diddy”, then “Sean Combs”, and most recently “Sean John” (it’s hard to keep up). Or, Prince renaming himself “an unpronounceable symbol”, and now just “The artist formerly known as Prince or TAFKAP for short”. There are plenty of other examples; I will let you do the research yourself.
Publicly changing a name has one goal, to ditch an image and start fresh with a new one, specifically to overhaul a tarnished or “bad boy” image (no this is not a plug for Sean Combs’ record label, it’s just an expression). Does changing your name work with regards to leaving your past behind? Is your past attached to your name or to yourself? These questions beg another question. What’s in a name?
As I see it…
The shady details of our pasts cannot be erased simply by erasing ones name. As is the case with “Puff Daddy”, no matter what he prefers to be called, I will always think of him as the rapper who was involved in a nightclub shooting. The same is true with “Pacman”; regardless of the number of team and name changes he undergoes, he will forever be linked with strip clubs at 3am. That is until he realizes that “Pacman” is not the one committing the infractions, Adam Jones is the one accountable, and Adam Jones is responsible for a lifestyle overhaul. As Shakespeare said, “that which we call a strip club at 3 in the morning by any other name would be as sleazy.”
Favre From Gone
Updated 05-29-2008
*After this article was written, The Packers decided (due to media pressure) to remove the name plate from Favre's locker.
The Green Bay Packers seem to be planning to turn Bret Farvre’s now vacant locker into a shrine to honor the memory of the greatest player in the history of the franchise. The beloved quarterback retired (for now at least) at the end of the 2007-2008 season, capping off an amazing 18 years in the league. Favre (pronounce Faavv-Ray-thanks Ben Stiller) was a great quarterback, probably in the top-ten all time, but in a sport focused around the “team” should one player be honored above all others? Should his locker forever bear his name? Is this good for the new guy?
As I see it…
Aaron Rogers has a difficult road ahead of him just replacing Favre on the field, he doesn’t need the distraction in the locker room. With Favre’s locker constantly reminding Rogers that the Packers have a “remember when” attitude, he doesn’t stand a chance. Unless he puts up Tom Brady like numbers next year, he will always be the guy who replaced “the guy”.
Listen, I’m a Favre fan, just like everyone else at ESPN I view his childlike love for the game as infectious. I too am going to miss the excitement he brought, whether watching him throw touchdown passes or snowballs during a cold day at Lambeau. He was always fun to watch, but it’s time to move on. Put yourself in Rogers’ shoes, would you want to come into work everyday to see the “employee of the month” plaques of the person you replaced? Rogers, just like everyone who dates someone who just ended a long relationship, does not want to be constantly reminded of the ex, especially when the ex is the all time touchdown leader.
If the Packers want to have a successful 2008-2009 season they are going to have to remove the pictures from their wallets, toss the old love letters, and get rid of everything that brings back nostalgic memories of their former love. They need to make a clean break and usher in the Rogers era; if they do that, the future is looking bright for the most promising young team in the NFL.
Updated 04-23-2008
Danica Patrick won the Firestone IndyCar 300 at Japan becoming the first female driver to ever win an IndyCar event. The Japan 300 was her 50th race since joining the IndyCar series, so she is not an unknown; we know she is a great driver. She is a great driver, but this win has spurred the argument “is Patrick’s win the most impressive accomplishment of a woman in professional sports?” Well is it? Is she “the man”?
As I see it…
Attaching the “best in sports” tag to her win is erroneous. Patrick’s win is the best for a female driver ever, but in racing there are too many factors to attribute the win to a single person; the pit crew and mechanics have just as much influence as the driver.
I don’t want to diminish how grueling a 300 mile race must be on a person, but as far as athletes go, there are several women’s performances I would put ahead of hers: Keri Strug landing the vault in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games to secure the gold on an injured ankle, Britney Griner, the 6’8” high school junior from Huston dunking in games, Natalie Caughlins dominance of swimming in the 2004 Olympics, and the Williams sisters owning women’s tennis for the better part of a decade, just to name a few.
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Want to argue? Email me jason@espnsportsradio.com
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