A college friend of mine was on The Price is Right. He's a black guy, about 6'5", and barely fit in frame next to Bob Barker. The only question BB had for him: "So... do you play basketball?" #onion
I'm 6'. I hated basketball. My daughter is 6'4" and always loathed team sports. Her high school experience was made even more torturous by the coaches who chased her in the hallways and the constant questioning, "do you play basketball?" I had to hear the question from other parents, who always responded, "too bad" when I said she didn't play. I learned, when I got the question to answer by asking, "Are your short children circus performers?" Just because we're tall doesn't obligate us to do "tall things," any more than being short obligates men to become little Napoleons. #onion
I had to deal with numerous gym teachers assuming I could run fast too, at 5ft11, but luckily they never suggested netball, as my lack of coordination was evident... #onion
The other tall girl I work with asked me the other day if I played basketbal and volleyball in high school. I did, and she did too, and we both admit we were recruited for the teams because of our height. #onion
I'm average to a little tall-ish, and I played high school basketball (mostly because my dad was a superathlete in high school and he would have been very disappointed had I not played). I was the captain my senior year, and started at point guard until I started calling the coach out on his stupid play calling. He benched me. The team lost every game for the rest of the season and for the following two seasons. My mom called it "(real name)'s Curse." #onion
@morninggloria: I got sucked into volleyball due to my father's glory days of superathleticism. In fact, he used to play with my old coach. Ah, parents and their misplaced expectations... #onion
So funny. I was asked to join a work basketball team today. No one asked if I played, they just assumed that I did because I am a girl giant. Like I signed a contract the devil to play sports and get things off the top shelf for ladies in the grocery store if he'd make me taller.
Like many others here, my above-average height peaked at an early age. I was guilted into playing as a kid until all of the other girls caught up and eventually exceeded me in height (and in skill). Basketball is vicious.
@o-line: Is jezebel secretly a community for talls? On other posts I've noticed a lot ot tall people speaking up. We should conduct a spurious relationship study on height and feminism. #onion
@o-line: I was 5'8" by about eighth grade, and I finally went to basketball camp that summer to shut everyone up. Above average height simply couldn't fix: my two left feet when it came to running plays, my inability to dribble and walk at the same time, and my utter mystification that people can actually shoot the ball with two hands (this has frustrated many ex-boyfriends who are just sure that I could be really good if I tried). #onion
@Katxyz: I'm 5'10" and still get asked these on a regular basis. I usually tell them I don't play ball sports, as anyone who has watched me try can attest to. #onion
Am I the only one here who actually DID say "ok?" To both basketball and volleyball.
I was in the courtyard, freshman year of high school, with no friends (just moved to Texas from S. Africa) and the basketball coach saw me standing there and begged me to follow him. He asked if I had ever played basketball and I said "yes" (I had, but not, like, real basketball) and he asked what position I played and I said "defense." He frowned. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with Texas high school athletics (basketball, volleyball AND cross country). A relationship that would get me a nearly full ride to an Ivy League school (where I decided I preferred rowing). #onion
@winner: I said yes, to all of the sports teams I was recruited for (v-ball, b-ball and track). I was really terrible at all of the sports, but I don't regret playing on the teams. Some of my best high school memories directly result from playing team sports - sleepovers, bus rides to cities two hours away, actually making it to the state championship one year which meant we got to stay in hotel rooms...good times, yo. Good times. #onion
That happens to really tall guys, too. My university has had quite a few 7'+ players who obviously made the team based only on the possibility that having such a player under the basket with his arms up might result in an accidental block.
I can relate too. I never took them up on it because I have the hand-eye coordination of a gerbil, but as a kid (I was 5'9 at 13) I was constantly being nagged about joining basketball teams.
Hell, last year (when I was 22!!!) an old man at the grocery store almost made me cry because he kept INSISTING that I should be playing basketball despite my assertions that I'm really, really bad at it.
@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Oh, and I'm sure he thought he was paying you a great compliment! Which, he probably was in his mind, but...I hate stuff like that. #onion
@pursedangler: His wife looked really, really embarrassed (probably because I was about to cry). I kept explaining that I'm not THAT tall in the basketball scheme of things ("But you're tall for a lady!") and that I don't like basketball and am not very good at it.
They obviously forgot to hand me my basketball talent at the tall clinic. #onion
@Zombie Ms. Skittles: The onion article also brings up volleyball. Did you get this one too?
The only sport I was ever decent at was soccer (you only have to use one set of limbs!) where height is a handicap. Unless you consider colorguard a sport (I do) because I kicked ass at that. #onion
@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Good for you, volleyball is hard! At leat for me; when forced to play in gym my serves regularly hit my teammates in the back of the head.
ANTM/ 'you should model' is a nice change of pace. My angle for getting on the show would be to fill the smart girl who is too good for this role. Then I would have a breakdown during panel about 3 epsiodes in declaring how wrong I was. #onion
@highjump: The thing is, I'm 5'9. Modeling is a realistic career at my height. Professional basketball is not unless you've got a lot of natural skill and trained very hard.
Neither of those really apply to pudgy slow girls.
SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. -- A Shepherdsville jury has awarded $6.1 million to a former McDonald's employee who was strip-searched and sodomized in a back office at the behest of a caller impersonating a police officer.
@Jack_Burton: That haunts me to this day. I cannot believe that people believe a random person on the phone is a police officer, and that the 'police officer' wants them to sexually assault a person.
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I had to deal with numerous gym teachers assuming I could run fast too, at 5ft11, but luckily they never suggested netball, as my lack of coordination was evident... #onion
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Like many others here, my above-average height peaked at an early age. I was guilted into playing as a kid until all of the other girls caught up and eventually exceeded me in height (and in skill). Basketball is vicious.
10/16/09
Awesome. I might use this if anymore old men try to convince me that height = sports ability. #onion
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There are a lot of Jezetalls. We should form a basketball team! #onion
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I try to muster up as much sympathy as I can from my 5 foot form, but my shoulder is far to low for her to cry on.
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I was in the courtyard, freshman year of high school, with no friends (just moved to Texas from S. Africa) and the basketball coach saw me standing there and begged me to follow him. He asked if I had ever played basketball and I said "yes" (I had, but not, like, real basketball) and he asked what position I played and I said "defense." He frowned. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with Texas high school athletics (basketball, volleyball AND cross country). A relationship that would get me a nearly full ride to an Ivy League school (where I decided I preferred rowing). #onion
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Hell, last year (when I was 22!!!) an old man at the grocery store almost made me cry because he kept INSISTING that I should be playing basketball despite my assertions that I'm really, really bad at it.
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They obviously forgot to hand me my basketball talent at the tall clinic. #onion
10/16/09
The only sport I was ever decent at was soccer (you only have to use one set of limbs!) where height is a handicap. Unless you consider colorguard a sport (I do) because I kicked ass at that. #onion
10/16/09
My favorite was when some guys asked if I'd ever thought about going on America's Next Top Model. It was a nice change from basketball. #onion
10/16/09
ANTM/ 'you should model' is a nice change of pace. My angle for getting on the show would be to fill the smart girl who is too good for this role. Then I would have a breakdown during panel about 3 epsiodes in declaring how wrong I was. #onion
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Neither of those really apply to pudgy slow girls.
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06/22/09
SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. -- A Shepherdsville jury has awarded $6.1 million to a former McDonald's employee who was strip-searched and sodomized in a back office at the behest of a caller impersonating a police officer.
06/22/09
06/22/09
All is good when the gropings welcome, y'all.
05/15/09