BlogHer - Sports - Comments

Love Serena!

Megan Smith — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:47 -0600

I love Serena, always have. In spite of her meltdown at the US Open, which she rightfully got raked over the coals for she's an amazing tennis talent, and a extremely well rounded person.

Good for her.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Nancy, I figured...

Sarah — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:49:55 -0600

Nancy,

I don't see a reason why we couldn't have a mixed male/female team. :)

I figured you would guard The President.

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Sports and Fitness Sarah and the Goon Squad Draft Day Suit

Maybe I will take my son TJ

nancyespn — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:01:31 -0600

Maybe I will take my son TJ as my teamate :)

On Choreography & Judging

Sarah Granger — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:00:38 -0600

Maria - you hit the nail on the head there - I've been thinking a lot about the lack of flow in many of the programs with the new judging system too while watching the Grand Prix so far. I think the best choreographed programs make it flow, but I miss the long spirals from the days of Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.

Jozet made a good point that spins are getting more (well-deserved) attention. And I think the new system downgrades appropriately for two-footed jumps and wrong-edge take-offs. Some skaters got away with too much in the past in that respect.

One more thing I didn't note in my post - some of the Olympic skaters are now on Twitter! So you can read about their reactions to their programs there. I've created Twitter lists on my @segsk8 account that follow them. As people qualify, I'll be adding them to my Olympians2010 list. For now, you can find some of them in my worldskaters list, along with past competitors and champions.

Yu-Na is just spellbinding.

Jozet at Halushki — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:22:52 -0600

She reallyputs the new judging system through its paces and proves that there's plenty of artistry to be found. I personally like the judging system because while big jumps score high, so do fabulous spins. Skaters are my daughter's age are watching the greats like Lucinda Ruh and spinning is becoming its own art form.

I saw Alexe Gilles for the first time, and I can't wait to see how she progresses.

But the skater who really knocked my socks off was Akiko Suziki. Her exhibition/gala program at NHK trophy was crazy amazing. First of all, who skates to wild, weird jazz like that? But Suzuki tore up the ice and has such passion and flare.

I love that skating has upped the ante so that it's not just 4 minutes of teeny-bopper jumping beans. Even triple axels don't guarantee a win. Speed, art, power, spinning, and jumping. And even footwork is exciting to watch!

I can't wait for the Olympics and I'm loving all the Grand Prix competitions leading up!

Halushki.com

So glad you are back!

Maria Niles — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:05:27 -0600

Glad you are back to guide us through skating season, Sarah. The recent skating I've seen leaves me not loving the new judging system - like gymnastics, it seems the emphasis is on elements that score difficulty points and the cohesion of the overall programs seems to have been lessened - so I look forward to your analysis guiding me as to what to look for.

BlogHer Contributing Editor PopConsumer Beyond Help

UUuhhhhhh.....

PunkyB — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:15:36 -0600

If it were to help kids with physical fitness, it would be one thing, but making all the kids do physical fitness tests once a year in front of their classmates actually has the opposite effect for those of us who were husky kids. There would be no real physical fitness for the rest of the year, other than standing in line for 20 minutes waiting to take a turn at hitting a ball or being brought out to the track to wonder around while the teacher reads. The worst was when they weighed us all in front of each other and called out their weight… What could be more terrifying for a chunky pre-teen than having to get on a scale in front of your classmates? It made me want to skip gym class any time I got the chance, so the people who saw me get weighed and not able to hold myself above a bar wouldn’t make fun of the heavy girl.

Ahhh… how stupid little things you do as a kid scar you for life. They shouldn't

embarrass a kid into into fitness... Wow, that test really messed me up.

Punky B

www.stuffpeoplebought.com

www.deadwalking.com

So excited!

beccalynn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:45:45 -0600

Thanks so much Sarah for this detailed account of what to watch out for! Can't wait!!

Soccer world

snigdhasen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:08:09 -0600

I was raised in a soccer-crazy part of the world: soccer is a contact sport, not a violent sport, at least not any more violent than American football or boxing. This kind of behavior will attract attention in the men's sporting arena as well -- remember Zanadine Zidane's infamous head butt in the 2006 World Cup?

However, it is quite possible, as you say, that this caught the attention of a not-so-soccer-crazy American media because it had what we call the "cat fight" element to it. And women's soccer for the most part is still a curiousity and not as widely watched or followed as men's soccer.

Over reaction for sure

Mothershaffer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:51:59 -0600

"Good" is so subjective. Isn't sportsmanship more about how much air time you get off the field these days than on? I think we're all guilty here...

http://mothershaffer.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/what-good-sportsmanship-re...

No Question

Sarah — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:41:02 -0600

The is absolutely no question that Lambert deserves her suspension. I agree with that. What she did was wrong. I just question the level of outrage. Crazy things like this happen in men's soccer/football on a weekly basis and they never get this much media coverage.

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Sports and Fitness Sarah and the Goon Squad Draft Day Suit

Mean Girl Behavior is What Got Her Suspended

ChickTalkDallas — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:21:23 -0600

I spent my Sunday watching the Manchester United vs. Chelsea game. Yes, there was physical contact and plenty of boos and wankers and get up you bastards! called at players whose aggressive behavior (fake or real) was too much. And there were yellow cards handed out equally. Physical contact is NOT what soccer is about. Lambert's behavior is what got her suspended not her sex. And the hooligans are fans not players; it's not fair to insinuate that American fans just don't get it. I sat in a bar with plenty of foreign soccer lovers and NONE of them would excuse Lambert's behavior. Is it great that it's a girl? Is it cat fight material? Absolutely. But Lambert deserves her suspension.

Not appropriate

thegreens — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:12:28 -0600

I am an avid football fan, former player and overall sports enthusiast. I was outraged to see the various incidents on the pitch leading to this young woman's suspension. Yes, football is a "contact" sport but at no point in time does this sort of aggression have any place in the game (women's or men's). I have seen a few instances of this in the men's game and it is not tolerated at a professional level. In fact, what bothers me even more than the violence perpetrated is the seeming lack of referee intervention. Red card anyone?

I do think it a sad commentary that this is what the media chooses to highlight and give a voice to - women's football is hardly valued to the extent that it should be although this can be said about any sport in which women participate with the exception of say tennis which is a mainly individual game.

Where...

Leighbra — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:38:56 -0600

did you see that the BYU player grabbed Lambert's crotch?

When the BYU player reaches back and grabs her shorts, Lambert already has hands on her.

We can't hear the trash talking that's obviously going on, but PUNCHING someone in the spine is not anywhere in the official FIFA rules for soccer.

It's the BYU players' JOB to get in front of her. It's then HER job to get open for the play. That does not include hair pulling, shoving, or punching. If she had an issue with the elbowing, there's her coach and the ref to talk to.

I played soccer on city leagues, a AAA high school team and a junior college team before I started working. I watch a lot of professional soccer, I coach and ref youth soccer. I've yet to see a man pull another player's hair. Another difference is that the girl who was pulled to the ground didn't get up and punch Lambert right in the face, which would not have been a surprising move, in men's soccer.

HANDS are for the goalie, nobody else. At no point should anyone's hands be on another player. Here's the rub for me personally, this attitude of might makes right starts with the little kids. I have a no tolerance policy for the 6 year olds, the 12 year olds, or the 20 year olds. Male, female or otherwise. The real issue? Why were the coaches and ref allowing this behavior to go on at all? It's gotta make national news to get a girl in trouble?

Soccer IS a contact sport, accidents DO happen. But assault is assault, and we can't condone it for women just because there's a history of it with men. How about holding ourselves to a higher standard? That's why it's such a big deal to the media, usually we DO behave better than our Y chromosome counter parts.

Two different issues

Jozet at Halushki — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:47:39 -0600

People don't pay much attentions to women's sports, full stop. Well, except maybe figure skating and gymnastics. And even then, if I say "Women's Figure Skating", I'd bet my triple lutz that the first name 9 out of 10 people would mention would be Tonya Harding.

The front page is rarely good news, so it's not a big surprise when bad news of any kind makes the headlines. I've bveen introduced to more dark corners of the universe by hearing about the bad stuff happening there than the good stuff, so this is no exception.

Speaking of this situation, yes, soccer is a contact sport, but hair pulling, elbowing, and shoves are not included even in the wildest or widest definition of Good Sportmasnhip. Keep it to the roller derby rink, ladies.

Halushki.com