Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Basketball Is Merely a Vehicle

After I had read Beartown by Fredrik Backman and was raving about the book to a friend, he asked me what it was about. I almost responded that it was about boy’s junior hockey in a small Swedish town, but realized that it was about much more than that. Boy’s junior hockey was merely a vehicle for the real story. Likewise after you have finished this piece and someone asks you what it was about, I hope that you do not say, “Women’s college basketball,” because it is about much more that that. Like boy’s hockey in Beartown, women’s college basketball is merely the vehicle for the real story.

Last week our local paper had an article titled Equal Stand that described how San Diego State University “inspirationally” dealt with the issue of the women’s basketball team possibly kneeling during the National Anthem. The coach, Stacie Tracy, was informed about the possibility. She was put in quite a bind as apparently the team was divided 50-50. Whether the coach was “yeah or nay” on the issue, she risked alienating half of the team. I believe that she did the right thing by referring the issue to the Athletic Department. Now here is where the issue should have stopped being an issue, as the women on the basketball team are representing SDSU.

Everyone knew that once the NFL players started “protesting” during the National Anthem, it was only a matter of time before these “protests” could potentially spread to college wanna-bees I would think that every university or perhaps the NCAA should have had a game plan to deal with these inevitable “protests.” Surprisingly, it appears that there was no plan at SDSU.

When consulted, the Executive Associate Athletic Director, Jenny Bramer, decided to get an associate professor involved – a professor known on campus for working with groups and individuals about issues of race.. The solution – During the National Anthem the players and the coaches would link arms while wearing shirts with “Equality” printed on them.

Now if I say that the inmates are running the asylum or if it appears that the foxes are guarding the hen-house, I will certainly be accused of something that is far from the meaning of these common phrases. But seriously who is in charge??

It would seem to me that the university or its Athletic Department should be in charge Here Jenny Bramer either decided on her own or was told by superiors, not to make a decision on this issue. Mark my words this will not be the last time that the “children” will push and push and push until an adult stands up to them and basically tells them how they must behave . . . if they want to wear the uniform of the school.

The following is my answer to the college athletes who want to “protest” during the National Anthem while wearing the uniform of the school:

You are free to do whatever you want when not in the uniform of the school. As a sign of team unity, you may lock arms at anytime, however any form of protest during the National Anthem, including the wearing of politically inspired tee shirts will not be allowed. If you do decide to go ahead with your protest, despite being warned, you will be suspended from the team and your athletic scholarship will immediately be revoked.

In case you feel my response is too drastic, consider the response of a friend who said, “if you protest, we are canceling the women’s basketball program at SDSU effective next year – if you want to play next year, you had better start looking for places to transfer!”

Here in San Diego, SDSU is presently in the process of cajoling the voters to back the school’s plan for the land around the Chargers ex-football stadium.      If the adults at SDSU cannot learn to stand up to the children, my vote will be “No”!!

 

 

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