Jezebel 
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New York, 1:44 AM
Thu Dec 3
63 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/02/09
Im just shocked that this mother and daughter are so bewildered that pregnant teens can;t naturally be the star athletes they once were. Coaches, especially when it comes down to teams worthy of playoffs, titles, etc. are always going to favor people that will be there in the long run. I know that it was the early stages, but who knows what could happen in a month. I think I would be more worried how my child, especially with the insane amount of extra curriculars and time she spent with her mother got pregnant in the first part. Maybe this mother, who finds religion so important it could seperate her child from her dreams, would be more active within the school to discuss birth control instead of pregnant athletes.
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In theory, Protestantism doesn't make these distinctions--sin is sin, no matter what--but on a personal level, I think it's difficult to avoid seeing some sins as greater or lesser, simply because the way both theologians and the laity describe sin and punishment tends to be judicial, and that type of language lends itself to legalistic stratification. Girls raised in these traditions may think "premarital sex is a sin, but the only consequences fall on me, so it may be bad; but abortion is worse, because the consequences affect another human being."
(I'm not saying I don't agree with you--and I think in this case there's the all-too-common failing of lack of foresight and common sense--, but I do take issue with arguments that say "religion should be [or is] cut and dry," because it isn't; it's a human thing, so it can't be. This goes for fundamentalists who want to see ideal religion in practice, as well.)
12/02/09
The entire segment's bizarre. She's religious, so didn't want an abortion, but once the coach benched her (at 3 months) she started seriously thinking about abortion because of it. So all the arguments about rough play and accidental miscarriage... I don't want to sound callous here, but if she signed a waiver and got a note from the doc, then there you go. She knew the potential outcome of a bad dive on a hardwood floor, I'm guessing. It was a risk she was willing to take.
Sounds like the coach was running out the clock. If he kept her off the team long enough, then the season would be over and he wouldn't have to deal with it.
I AM slightly curious about whether there's a religious element to the coach's attitude? Or anyone's attitude, really, when they restrict a pregnant woman's activity. If the mother is willing to engage in an activity that could conceivably terminate the pregnancy, would a religious person feel compelled to create obstacles between that woman and her chosen activity?
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12/02/09
'I've been wondering how to address this,' the teacher said, 'since you are obviously gay.'
You'd best BELIEVE there was a shitstorm of EPIC proportions.
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As the coach is not a health-care provider, they're definitely not bound by HIPPA, and anyway, if the coach found out from the girl or her parents (even via a doctor's note) it may be unethical for him to release the information, but it isn't illegal.
I 100% agree with you, he should have just obfuscated.
12/02/09
Whoa. That abstinence-only education in Texas has people thinking that pregnancy is a communicable disease.
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12/02/09
This almost makes up for the case of the sads I got watching that episode of Glee.
12/02/09
12/02/09
God, maybe I am pregnant.
12/02/09
10/21/09
I've made this point here before, but it tooks decades for the major male professional leagues to catch hold, with some of the same "are they doomed" talk at the time. But, because they weren't part of the 24-hour news cycle, everything must turn an immediate profit world of today they were given the time and nurturing to grow a fan base. Sometimes I think the WNBA tried to start too big, it's needs time to grow in a natural way. Many of the women who play in the league were major starts in college (such as Candace Parker and the now-retired Rebecca Lobo), it would be a shame if they wouldn't be able to play after graduation. It's also too bad that women's professional sports haven't been able to captitalize on Olympics momentum. The US is dominant in women's basketball, soccer and softball--why can't the excitment of 2 weeks every 4 years spill over into being able to see these ladies play all the time? #wnba
10/21/09
/Not the point. But it is kind of hard to take the whole "just take what you have" argument, rather than men ever being expected to change their ways to lead to more inclusive environments (within and beyond athletics) for women. #wnba
10/21/09
Women's basketball and men's basketball are different entitites--the players have different physical capabilities and thus the games (and strategy involved) have evolved differently. I am completely willing to admit that women play basketball in a different way, and it's ok that some people find this "less exciting". That's just an opinion, though, and some people feel the opposite way. I don't understand why "different" has to translate into "not worthwhile", or not a legitimate sport.
It's not for you--and that's fine--so go watch something else, and quit bitching about it already. #wnba
10/21/09
10/21/09
My husband and I both enjoy college women's basketball and loved watching the University of Minnesota women's team when they made the Final Four and had Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville on the team. Their college games were sold out and had a bigger following than the men's team. Whalen was drafted by Connecticut and has been successful there, but I am sure the MN Lynx would have gotten much more attendance and interest if she would have stayed in an area with instant celebrity/name recognition. Not to mention how that could play into endorsements. #wnba
10/21/09
On another note, It bothers me when people say that womens' athletics just aren't as fun to watch as the men's competition. Of course, it will be a different game. And of course, the average NBA player can jump higher than the average WNBA player. But its just a different type of top-level competition. College-level play is different than professional play in most sports, and people still watch both, appreciating it for what it is (because when it comes down to it, its entertaining as hell to watch teams, who devote themselves to training and being premier athletes, compete against one another). #wnba
10/21/09
This is a good point -- I think people are often into sports for emotional, not logical reasons, and may be turned off of them for emotional reasons as well. I don't doubt that there are fans who will never like women's basketball because it is, in some ways, a different game -- but I worry that many also just can't root for women on the court the same way they can for men. #wnba