The Cheerleading Debate Continues...

For those of you who witnessed (i.e., were subjected to) the Great Debate of senior year at Revere High School between Rob Walter and myself over whether or not cheerleading was a sport and are interested in the status of that debate, Rob has informed me that our argument has finally had it's day in court! The article is below and while the Judge ruled that cheerleading is NOT a college varsity sport, I must point out that the limiting word "college" in this decision means that my argument is weakened, but not completely defeated! I do admit that this is a setback for cheerleaders out there and the "sport" I ardently defended. But, as I'm sure none of you are surprised to hear, this debate is (still) not over yet!

CHEERLEADING NOT A COLLEGE VARSITY SPORT, JUDGE RULES

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Competitive cheerleading is too "underdeveloped" to qualify as a full-fledged sport for women under federal gender equality rules, and the university which proposed it discriminated against women, a federal judge in Connecticut ruled.

In the 95-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill said Quinnipiac University, located in Connecticut, had discriminated against women when it sought to eliminate the school's varsity volleyball team and create a competitive cheerleading squad in its stead.

Universities are mandated under a federal statute called Title IX modified in 1975 to provide equal opportunity for men and women in athletics programs.

"Quinnipiac discriminated on the basis of sex... by failing to provide equal athletic participation opportunities for women," Underhill said.

Plaintiffs' attorney Jonathan Orleans praised the ruling, saying in a statement "This is a victory not only for the student athletes and their coach, but for women's collegiate sports generally."

Connecticut ACLU executive director Andrew Schneider said the decision "gives force to the law that has opened doors for women over the last 30 years."

"The University's competitive cheerleading team does not qualify as a varsity sport for the purposes of Title IX and, therefore, its members may not be counted as athletic participants under the statute," the judge ruled.

While cheerleading may be recognized in the future, the judge said, "the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."

It’s Not Bad to Be Prince…Unless You’ve Been King

If anyone bothered to watch the presentation of the Miami Heat’s “new look,” besides witnessing something that looked eerily like the opening of a Jonas Brothers’ concert, you might have noticed Lebron James standing in a new position. For a man who has been the “center” of attention his entire career, he was now standing off to the side, specifically to Dwayne Wade’s right. Numerous examples, such as Destiny’s Child, the Three Tenors, the Chipmunks and the Supremes, demonstrate that that the one in the middle is the leader (Beyonce, Pavarotti, Alvin and Diana Ross) and the ones on the sides are in support roles. Welcome to Wade County Lebron, where you are no longer King. You are now just a helper there to acquire another championship for Miami, which will be quite an accomplishment since they haven’t done it in four entire years. I suppose 2006 was a really long time ago for some people, but if you’re in Cleveland you’ve been waiting for an NBA Championship since, um, 1970 when they first became a franchise. That’s 40 years--- a little more impressive than 4 for whoever can accomplish it. We know that person is NOT Lebron James. I’m not sure who will be able to do it, but since Lebron failed, can Cleveland really blame him for giving up?

Well, yes, they can. And I won’t even address the playoff series against the Boston Celtics this year where the fans concluded that the only possible explanation for the way Lebron played was that Delonte West must have been sleeping with his mom. But to return to my point, it was not so much for quitting, but for how he did it. Like Lebron, I grew up in Akron, Ohio. My parents’ house is in the neighborhood across the main street off of which Lebron lives. (I thought about toilet-papering his house but apparently there are too many cops outside). And like Lebron, I chose to leave. I love visiting Akron and think the people there are the best I’ve ever met, but it’s not the place for me to live. So I can’t blame him for wanting to experience a new city. However, James owed the town that made him King some respect. He could have politely and professionally sat down with Dan Gilbert and informed him of his decision. After everything that Gilbert has done for James over the years, I think that’s the least he could have done. Instead he made the type of presentation that hasn’t been seen since 2006 when high school quarterback Jimmy Clausen arrived at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend in a stretch hummer limousine to announce that he would be attending Notre Dame. Clausen paid for that one dearly with the media and to this day will still be remembered for that embarrassing spectacle he made of himself at age 18. As if Lebron James needed more attention in his life. But even if we give him leniency on account of his being a complete narcissist, I would still think that a 25 year-old “professional” athlete would behave more appropriately.

And just so you know Lebron, the people are the ones who made you King… and they can turn on you… and they can take it back. As far as Cleveland is concerned, you’ve lost your crown. You now live in a Kingdom ruled by King Wade and at best, you are his Prince.