Paris Is Our City
Terrorism has always been a huge problem for the human race and in today’s environment a big concern for the world of athletics. Sporting events are an easy target - considered a soft target. There is a history relating to terrorism during sporting events.
The tragedy of last Friday the 13th happened in one of the most beautiful places in the world: The City of Lights – Paris, France. Innocent people, going about their lives, on a Friday night, were taken from their families, as they were enjoying the beginning of the weekend.
There is an infestation of hate and distrust/mistrust, and the lack of acceptance of others for their beliefs in the mind of the hateful. This is a radical idea, more than anything, a lack of tolerance and respect for religious differences. The many “holy books” of the different faiths of the world have their own sacred respect for life, written and authored by mankind as scripture. Many questions need answers, such as: Why are these terrorists threatened by different theology? Can the inadequacy of understanding and the disrespect of the acceptance of diversity be changed? Is it that the militants feel a threat of losing their power for their cause? What is the real culprit behind terrorism; can it be a bloodthirsty hunger for power and control? The concepts of power and control are the seeds of hate and the motivation to kill anyone who thinks differently than they do has become the terrorist mantra.
In this country, when we think of terrorism during a sporting event, we think of the most recent crime of hate at the Boston Marathon of April 15, 2013. It seems throughout history marathons are one of the biggest targets. A marathon has a vast area over its 26.219 miles; it’s a battlefield that can only be selectively covered against these cynical groups. You can see why that particular venue can be a desirable target for the discontented to carry out their reign of terror and slaughter of the innocent.
Sporting events are huge soft targets, mainly because security can be a nightmare of protection given the number of people who attend those events. For those who don’t know what is meant by “soft target,” it’s a military term for some one, or thing that is relatively vulnerable and unprotected.
A good example is a marathon, a soccer game and so forth, because of the vulnerability of the large number of people attending these events. It’s a great way, or an ideal venue for terrorists to slip under the radar to commit their atrocities of hate and mass murder.
Throughout Olympic history there have been terrorist attacks. The Olympics have never experienced a darker day, than the 1972 Munich Games. The Palestinian militant group Black September took the Israeli national team hostage, eventually slaughtering eleven athletes and coaches and one German police officer after a 16-hour standoff.
As the world watched in horror, ABC broadcaster Jim McKay broke the news: “My father used to say our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. They’re all gone.” For the first time in modern Olympic history, competition was suspended for a memorial service held in the Olympic Stadium attended by 80,000 spectators and 3,000 athletes.
My late brother-in-law was a teacher in Berlin at an American school, the Kennedy School, during that time and he worked as a volunteer at the Munich Olympics. I can remember him saying what an awful experience that whole scenario was for him and the many who had first hand experience of watching this horrific event take place. There are so many other historical atrocities of terror related to sporting events that they all cannot fit into this column.
Since 9/11, our world has changed, and it may not ever be what it was like before the destruction of the Twin Towers. Since the second Iraq War, beehives of hate and murder from different terrorist groups have developed, like the fanatical militants of ISIS and al-Qaeda, as they try to swarm the world looking for ways to sting the free thinking of democracy’s freedom. Ignorance might be the biggest root of the tree of evil; the major fact about ignorance is that it closes the door of reasoning!
Considering how we Americans love our sporting events, there are innovative forms of security growing for our protection. It has to be a nightmarish worry and task for law enforcement agencies to prepare and prevent the worst.
Security is a difficult endeavor, because of the unexpected nature of the terrorists. The biggest weapon of terrorism is fear of what could happen, and it might be it’s their most effective tool - the anticipation of attack. That’s why we hear our leaders suggest that we try to live or lives as normal as possible.
When we attend our sporting events, there has to be a new respect for those who are putting their lives on the line to keep us safe, as we cheer for our teams. The police and security people are the real heroes of the game, as we watch our heralded athletes perform on the field.
The Triumph Games
An organization called “OurVetSuccess” has a mission of honoring our country, and those who have served in the military. They do this by presenting stories of leadership and achievement of United States’ Veterans who have defended our country. They were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice and survived battle-related injuries. Returning to civilian life with traumatic physical concerns, such as lost limbs, would break most people. The Triumph Games’ athletes have risen above the breaking point. They are motivated by sports as a way to heal. They are driven to compete, and to win.
In honoring their stories, OurVetSuccess is introducing The Triumph Games. Twelve winning athletes will bring their physical, mental and competitive skills to a completely new environment. Cutting edge technology will enhance performance as never before. Steady streams of data will tell judges who is training and competing at peak levels. The athletes must master the technology, or lose the Games.
A Triumph Games television special will air on NBC Sports Network in October, and later on Comcast’s Xfinity platform on-demand. The program will be co-hosted by Al Roker, of NBC and the Weather Channel, and Patrick Murphy, host of Taking the Hill, on MSNBC. It is a broadcast of the games that took place in New York City last August.
“We are so proud to partner with OurVetSuccess on this groundbreaking competition,” said Al Roker. “We look forward to raising awareness with millions of viewers - both online and on-air - as we share very positive and personal stories from some of today’s most inspiring military heroes.”
Veterans who saw the need to increase positive public awareness of successful military veterans created OurVetSuccess. The Triumph Games will follow 12 world-class veteran athletes as they train at home over the next eight weeks for three rounds of competition in New York. The athletes are competing to win the Triumph Games title as Champion, and take home a $100,000 prize.
The event itinerary will begin with Round 1, which tests physical strength with a triathlon of a water-based obstacle course, a cycling race, and an Olympic-style infrared rifle competition. Round 2 tests mental acuity with a live-streamed e-sports competition featuring League of Legends and Hearthstone, the two top strategy games on the Twitch broadcast platform. Round 3 addresses the athlete’s depth of courage as they drive professional high-performance cars on the nation’s most exclusive and challenging private racetrack, located in the Hudson Valley.
The competitors, each having overcome life-changing injuries and going on to medal nationally or internationally in a wide range of sports, are known as the Terrific 12, or T-12. The T-12 were selected by a judging panel from a pool of 100 participants nominated by organizations such as the International Olympic Committee, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and SoldierSocks.
“Some 300 million Americans need to know the full stories of military veterans,” said Patrick Murphy, an Army veteran with service in Iraq, two-term Congressman and current anchor of MSNBC’s Taking The Hill. This is the only national television program dedicated to national security and veterans policy. “The Triumph Games will inspire millions who see the ‘Terrific 12’ compete.”
“Our veteran athletes are role models who embody leadership, integrity, character, perseverance, inspirational winning and success, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles,” said Triumph Games Co-Founder and OurVetSuccess CEO Mary L. Hagy, an Army veteran with service in the Gulf War. “They’re in it to win, but more importantly, these athletes are on the front lines of telling stories of success and valor.”
Al Roker will tell the stories of the athletes and their training via digital and television video content on NBC Sports Network this fall. Promotional and distribution partners at Comcast, NBCUniversal, Xfinity, WWE Network, and Twitch will bring the Triumph Games to millions of viewers.
Non-profit partners SoldierSocks and the Paralyzed Veterans of America (pva.org), have played key roles in providing medical devices, physical challenge elements, and support on all aspects of game development. OurVetSuccess is dedicated to increasing a positive public awareness by changing the public perception of the US veteran population to one of not only honor, but also leadership and success.
I have seen clips from this competition and the athletes were impressive and inspirational! These games will demonstrate to its many viewers that today’s military vets do not fit the old ideological perception of being handicapped because of the wounds they fell victim to in war.
Keep an eye open for this coming NBC show on the Triumph Games this October.
James Plays the Contract Game Like a Genius
Now we see LeBron James opting out of his final year of his contract and the sports media is right on top of this move. What it means is that his rights are part of the NBA clause that all players have this option to move on to become free agents. This has nothing to do with the Cleveland Cavaliers; it would be an oversight by him and his agent if they don’t exercise that clause and the right to use it. So let's not jump to conclusions that James is looking to move out of Cleveland’s lineup.
Here's some of the info that explains this move. One, James will end up increasing his salary another $1.5 million for next season. Two, part of the option means that at the end of next season, he again becomes a free agent. Why? It's in his contract, and the deal with the NBA for next season is that the salary cap moves up from $63.065 million to $67.1 million.
What does the salary cap mean? The actual amount of the salary cap varies on a year-to-year basis, and is calculated as a percentage of the league's revenue from the previous season; for instance, in 2007-08, the NBA's salary cap was approximately $55.6 million per team, and for the 2008-09 season it was $58.68 million. So a bigger raise in 2016-17 will have to do with the fact that there will be new TV money kicking in and it is projected that the cap will exceed $90 million and possibly to $108 million the following year.
So James' move has nothing to do with his wanting to hold the Cavilers hostage, because he and his agent are not seeking a new team, they are playing by the rules of the contract and have all of the intention to sign for next season with a $1.5 million bump. But, because of what is expected to happen in 2016-17 with an inflation rate of the future TV money, the negotiations will start moving in a different direction. Understand this, you'll see King James go from year-to-year with his future contracts because the money will get bigger with each season as the pot becomes more enticing in the commercialization of his ability to play professional basketball.
There will always be the critics who will ask the question: When is enough, enough? But, let me ask them this question: Wouldn't you make the same choices given the opportunity? I know the answer to that: Of course we would, with few exceptions to look for more money. We are a nation that has been labeled the land of opportunity, and in most circumstances our republic is all of that.
I can remember, when I was a kid in the late 1950s, when the late-great center fielder for the New York Yankees, Mickey Mantle, and for the NY Giants, Willie Mays, who is still around, signed $100,000 contracts. This became a huge story across the country that some people were critical of but most were amazed that a professional athlete could make that much money to play a sport, as more players became $100 thousand dollar stars. Oh how times have changed, I guess it can be called crazy. Now it has become a given for these anomalies in the world of professional athletics to make millions of dollar a year.
Back to James, he is also concerned that his teammates get what they deserve for their financial needs as part of his snail's pace to re-sign to his next season's contract. He will sign as soon as his colleagues get their piece of the pie. Also, Kevin Love has become a free agent, and he was absent from the finals because of an injury that put him on the sidelines. Rumor is that he and James are far from being best buddies, but it seems that Love won't be going too far, even though it's rumored that he will become a Los Angeles Laker, but I actually think he is expected to be with Cleveland next season.
More Than Title IX is Needed Today
Since Title IX was instituted there hasn't been any sort of update to the original purpose behind the amendment.
In 1972, an equal opportunity law was implemented in public education that stated: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." The author of the amendment, Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana, stated that the time has come to get past the stereotypical notions about women.
"Give them their equal right to attend schools of their choice, to develop the skills they want, and to apply those skills with the knowledge that they have a fair chance to secure the jobs of their choice with equal pay for equal work," he said.
On June 23, 1972, was when President Richard Nixon signed the bill. The wording of the amendment is very brief and Nixon directed the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to carry it out. Sen. Bayh kept his eye on the bill as it moved into interscholastic and collegiate athletics, and by 1975 he was pleased with how women and girls were getting their equal opportunity to play sports. As female athletics began to grow, opportunities followed. Many division I schools, because of the amendment, had to develop comparative sports programs, by giving out athletic scholarships and, or grant-in-aid for financial assistance for qualified women to play at the intercollegiate levels in athletics. Collegiate leagues across the country were paralleling their schedules with the addition of women's leagues. At the interscholastic level, there was a similar move of creating girls teams and leagues, as Title IX began to grow and become part of the interscholastic sports programs, girls began to develop their talents as athletes, and to this day it has been very successful.
In professional sports there are areas that might need to be addressed. One in particular: Salaries of the athletes. Here are some interesting examples. The NBA's average salary is $4.5 million, compared to the WNBA, where the average salary is $72,000. The NBA's top wage earner in 2014 was Kobe Bryant, at $23.5 million and in the women's pro league the maximum wage from 2013 was $107,000.
In professional golf, the men averaged $973,000 in 2014, while the LPGA's average salary is $162,000. Also in 2014, Rory Mcllroy was top PGA wage earner at nearly $7 million, and for the ladies, Stacy Lewis brought home about $2 million. Here's a real discrepancy, Major League Soccer, where the average salary is $207,831 and the National Women's Soccer League is a shocking $15,000. Michael Bradley was the 2014 top wage earner for MLS at $6 million and in the NWSL the max salary in 2014 was a mere $30,000. While talking soccer, David Beckham's net worth is $350 million while Mia Hamm, famous American female retired soccer star at 43, has a net worth of $10 million.
Professional tennis may have a little different story, as Serena Williams has an estimated net worth of more than $130 million dollars, which also includes endorsements. With the men, Roger Federer, who has career earnings of approximately $81, and $300 million with endorsements.
A note of interest: Of all the college athletes only 2 percent make it to the professional ranks.
In professional sports gender inequality seems to have some significance differences. Why is that so? I think that there is still a stigma of gender inequality viewed by the fans and the national sports media. It seems that the sponsors lean more toward the male athlete than they do the female. Endorsements from Nike, Adidas, Reebok and so forth, seem to be male-dominated in their sponsorships. Just watch the TV ads for athletic apparel -- they are generally dominated by male athletes.
There are certain aspects of some sports common to both genders that have different rules for the women than men. For instance, in tennis why do women only play the best-of-three sets, while the men play the best-of-five? In track and field, the men run the 1600m run (mile), the women run the 1500? Also with track, the men run 110m high hurdles, the women run the 100m intermediate hurdles. As a track coach, I could never figure out what was so difficult about a few extra meters. Why is it that women run the 3000m run and guys the 3200m (two miles)? I can't begin to tell you how many times my female runners asked me the reason for the difference. I have no answer.
In high school and college basketball both genders have shot clocks. The boys are at 35 seconds and the girls are 30 seconds. Darn if I can figure how an extra 5 seconds, or 5 seconds less can really make a big significance in the outcome of a game.
But in defense of gender-related athletics, the ladies have come a long way. Ever since they changed girls' basketball to mirror the boys' game, it has changed the type of player the girls have become. Many of these WNBA players can out shoot some of these NBA guys. If you don't believe me, just watch and compare.
To be fair, there have been many great achievements from the growing of female athletics since instituting the Title IX Amendment. It has been researched that because of the amendment there are more young people involved in sports than ever before. For example in 2014, there were 21 million children ages 6 to 17 who play a sport on a regular basis. About 7.8 million are of high school age. Locally there are some high schools that have more girls involved in sports than boys. Title lX might need a little tweaking but it has been a great addition to athletics across the United States.
Maybe with more media coverage, especially in the sport of women's basketball, the possibility of better salaries might be in the near future for the women. I think that the WNBA needs to look at changing the timing of its season, from springs/summer to the indoor sport of winter. I enjoy watching the women play the game and I also feel that they're going to get better as time moves forward.
It's time to see more female pro athletes get more recognition with endorsements and increased pay, Nike and other athletic apparel companies need to showcase the ladies, as they do the men. They have truly earned it.
From Failure, We Learn to Grow
All ages, from little tikes and secondary school teens who are involved in athletics, are having to deal with their fears of failure.
Just recently I had a conversation with a young man about working on his basketball skills, especially shooting. This is something that I have known for years, as a basketball coach, that there is a silent majority of young people, who are hesitant of coming out of their comfort zone. Or, as coaches would say: "You need to work at your game," and that means change; but more than anything, it means that they are setting themselves up for some failure, but as a learning tool.
The message that is a necessary tidbit that all kids must become aware of: Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. The other concept of learning from failure is that there has to be an understanding that change is the secret ingredient of this learning. I don't like to use the word failure, but it just hits home for the many young athletes who fear that they cannot perform to their own expectations, or in other words, are afraid to fail.
When you haven't been taught the proper mechanics of some specific fundamentals, like throwing a baseball or softball, or using the correct shooting form in basketball, or dribbling a soccer ball, and you have been doing things in your own way, it makes it hard to break old habits. Change is a necessity, and the difficult aspect is, that it has to be accepted in order to develop the proper techniques and fundamentals. In reality, an athlete needs to accept the need to push out of their comfort zone. To do that, it means there needs to be an understanding that part of the learning curve is accepting the struggle along the way.
One needs to accept that you learn from personal mistakes. The down side might come from the adults in the lives of these growing athletes who do not adhere to that philosophy. I never took a player out of a game right after he or she made a mistake. When I'd go to a game, or watch one on TV and see a coach immediately take a player out because of a turnover, I would cringe and find that upsetting. I've seen coaches scream and yell to express their frustration and discontentment with an athlete, only to embarrass the player to the point of tears. So proven, part of the problem with the athlete's fear of failure comes from some of the adults in their lives.
When both parties are involved, the adults and the young athletes can accept the fact that mistakes are part of the learning of the game and imperfection is the nature of all sports, then they need to learn to forgive. This only can be done when you, the athlete, the parent and the coach, learn to readjust the relationship with the making of miscues. All parties need to align with the concept that being a perfectionist means they must not beat themselves up mercilessly because of a screw up.
It just important to accept and realize that mistakes or failures aren't the problem; it's how you react to and handle them. Expecting perfection comes with self-admonishment and it creates the problem of not being open to the change that leads to the next step for learning the proper techniques. This can produce unhappiness, and if an athlete isn't enjoying the sport, then comes the sabotage of not being able to have fun in the learning of the necessities that the particular sport requires.
In my career as a coach, and teacher, it's more than about basketball. I have evolved more as a person by understanding others. I still hear, "I can't do this," and my message has been: "Don't tell yourself that you can't, your body might hear you." My mantra has more and more become the development of self-confidence. Getting young athletes and students to believe in themselves is probably one of the most difficult tasks, as a coach and teacher that I have had in my career.
I guess I can say I feel that the point of focus that all young athletes, from bottom to top, including college players, is stay away from the future of your game and zero in on the now, the present. Never be discouraged because of what you want, but be driven to practice for perfection. The necessity to learn from stumbling blocks is the tool for your development. I have had those who gave up on themselves, despite my effort to change their self-appreciation of their potential. I can talk for hours about those who persevered and who were determined to learn from their failures and weaknesses as a means to develop the game they loved.
My message to kids is simple: If you have a passion to be the athlete of your dreams, in the sport you love, use your daily routine of the present to strive for the perfection you seek.
A cliché that I love and truly understand is: "Perfect practice makes perfect." But remember, with the focus to strive for perfection there will come some stumbling blocks, and the irony is that without the occasional tripping over your feet, you can never get to where you want to go.
Accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes.
And believe me when I say that perfection can never be achieved, but it's the ultimate goal.
