 |
|
     
|
Lions Roar, Olympics Commentary & Eight Belles - May 05, 2008
posted by: Josh
• Did anyone tune into ESPN on Saturday night to check out the Division I Men's Volleyball Championship final between Pepperdine and Penn State? There was a sold-out crowd on hand to watch the Nittany Lions win their first national title since 1994, when they became the first school outside of California to win it all. Senior Luke Murray saved the best game of his career for last, as the setter recorded his first-ever triple-double with 63 assists, 12 digs and 11 blocks in the victory. Junior Matt Anderson was named the tournament's most outstanding player and joined Murray, Max Holt and Max Lipsitz as Penn State's representatives on the all-tournament team. • It was the fourth national title for Penn State in the last 14 months. The athletics program has also won championships in women's volleyball, fencing and men's gymnastics during that stretch.
• Speaking of volleyball, check out the comment left by "Katie" on Friday. A college volleyball player, Katie said this about student-athletes being paid: "I got a scholarship and that's enough for me." • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was featured on a Double-A Zone podcast in February, shared a special commentary about the Olympics with the Los Angeles Times today. Abdul-Jabbar discusses the proposed boycott of the 1968 Games with what we're hearing about the Beijing Games 40 years later. • The Kentucky Derby is one of the nation's biggest sporting (and gambling) events, and there's no doubt that two of the most exciting minutes of the year happened at Churchill Downs between 6:04 and 6:06 on Saturday evening. After Big Brown won the first leg of the Triple Crown, second-place finisher Eight Belles had to be put down on the track after breaking both of her ankles after finishing the race. As exciting as horse racing can be, should we actually be racing these animals?
• Duke has earned the top seed in the Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship. Last year, the Blue Devils lost in the championship game, but how have they had such success after the scandal that rocked the campus and country two years ago? It seems remarkable that Duke has returned to the top of the lacrosse world so quickly. • Georgetown has been one of the best lacrosse teams in the country this spring and senior captain Matt McBride has had a lot to do with that success. Interestingly, McBride hasn't played one minute for the Hoyas this season. After suffering his third concussion in last year's season-opener, McBride had to hang up his game spikes and has been unable to resume his playing career. That doesn't mean he hasn't been integral to the program's success, and Sports Information Director Mex Carey chronicles that impact in his piece about McBride on the Georgetown Web site. • Northwestern earned the top seed in the Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship and is shooting for its fourth straight national title. • It was a good weekend for Wildcat athletics, as the softball program won a share of the Big Ten championship by beating Michigan State on Saturday, 6-1. 
CommentsShould the U.S. boycott the Olympics? As many people would argue, the Olympics is intended to bring countries around the world together to celebrate our common humanity and should not be mired in the political issues that divide us. I tend to disagree because I think the Olympic games are a high profile platform that, if leveraged correctly, can bring about powerful catalysts for change. Interestingly, however, a boycott may not be as effective in highlighting the ills of the Chinese government as actually participating in the games. With athletes competing, the media is far more likely to stay involved and question the treatment of the Tibetan people and China's involvement in Darfur. It's funny, though, what if the Olympics were held in the U.S.? It seems our country would provide plenty of fodder for international complaints and protests. Maybe the real political risk for any host nation is not in a boycott, but simply in turning the spotlight on those issues governments would rather never saw the light of day. I don't like athletes being used as pawns for someone else's political agenda. So, I'm not in favor of U.S. Olympic team members being forced to boycott, like the 1980 U.S. Olympians were forced to do. I believe host cities are awarded the Games six years in advance of the event. That was the best time for everyone to voice their opposition. Whatever nation hosts an event like this, I'm sure a legitimate reason to boycott the event could be made by someone. The human rights issues in China are bigger than any sporting event and should be solved through other diplomatic means. Post a Comment |
  
We need to educate our young adults about alcohol instead of acting like abstinence is their only option. We need to be realistic, these kids are drinking no matter what the legal age is.
- Stef
   
|
