LINK: http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/article/BY/20130925/OPINION03/309250003/Guest-column-Pull-plug-Native-American-mascot-names
The Washington Redskins. Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago Blackhawks. Atlanta Braves. Central Michigan Chippewas. Twin Lakes Indians.
What’s
in a name of a sports team? What does it mean if that name is
considered offensive or derogatory to the group, even when the sports
team or school suggest the name was meant as an honor?
The
issue around the use of Native American nicknames for sports teams has
been around for a long time. Interest in the Washington Redskins
changing its named picked up steam in May, when a group of congressmen
as diverse of Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Democrat Betty
McCollum of Minnesota urged Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to
change the name of the NFL team, which has been around since 1932.
Snyder,
like past owners of the franchise, dismissed the recommendation, saying
he would never change the name of the Washington Redskins. Never, ever.
Period.
Of
course, names such as these are meant to honor Native Americans for
their strength, bravery and courage. Right? They are meant to recognize a
location of Native American history or recognize their contributions.
Yeah, that’s what they all say.
Yet,
it seems strange that the honors and recognition never extend beyond
the cheering crowds of the athletic teams or the mockery of Native
American traditions in the name of sports.
Patrick
Freeland, a Native American doctoral candidate studying at Purdue
University, called the use of such names “outdated,” but people continue
to hang on to them for a supposed sense of tradition. He said he
believes it builds a false persona about Native Americans.
“The
larger argument right now is that it builds an entire perception of
people, like Native American, that is false. Not only that it’s false,
but it’s glorified, bought, sold and heralded as something that is
proper and praised. That’s an insult to native people and indigenous
people in the U.S.”
Opponents
of the Washington Redskins nickname continued to grow, including Peter
King from Sports Illustrated, Christine Brennan from USA Today, and
Salon.com, which is refusing the use the term Redskins and other Native
American nicknames in its sports stories.
Granted, I never gave much thought about the subject until 1994, when
I attended what was called the Unity Conference, the first joint
convention of national minority journalists groups in Atlanta. During
one forum, I met the late Native American activist Vernon Bellecourt.
His
passionate speech about his stand against Chief Wahoo, the mascot of
the Cleveland Indians, still moves me today. The way he described how
native children are teased and taunted by images that are massed
produced and glorified in sports pages, and the way Native Americans
were portrayed in general as only these savage warriors to be feared,
stopped me cold.
I
wrote a column on the subject in 1997 when I was a reporter at the
Toledo Blade, at the time Miami University changed its nickname from the
Redskins to the RedHawks.
The
great thing about America is our capacity to look at ourselves and
right our own injustices. On some issues, we are little slow; on others,
we may walk sideways or backwards at times. But eventually, we get it
right.
In this
case, that only happens with an honest, frank discussion about targeting
one specific ethnic group for these names. Would we accept the Ragin’
Caucasians? The Runnin’ Negros? The Fightin’ Latinos? If not, why do we
insist on keeping the Redskins and Indians?
When
I hear some people say that the issue of Native American nicknames is
not even matter worth discussing — which is the position Snyder has
taken with the Washington Redskins — it tells me one thing: You don’t
want the discussion because you know you are on the losing side of the
issue.
My
challenge — more of a dare — to those sports teams, colleges and high
schools that use Native American nicknames is to invite someone such as
Freeland or another Native American to speak to your masses. Purdue’s
Native American Educational and Cultural Center would be an outstanding
place to start.
“You
almost have this perception among people that we’re just a symbol,”
Freeland said. “You have to remind them that we are actually people. The
majority of people have never met a Native American person in their
life. The primary problem is they are unable to empathize with each
other.”
Think
about it. Would Robert Griffin III be any less of quarterback if his
team wasn’t named the Redskins? Would Hank Aaron be any less of a Hall
of Fame baseball player if the team he played for wasn’t named the
Braves? Would Twin Lakes High School would any less of the outstanding
institution it is for his children if its sports teams were not named
the Indians?
If
the answer to those questions is no, then why is it so hard to even have
talk about its use of its use of Native American sports nickname?
Hughes is a member of the Greater Lafayette Commerce's Diversity Roundtable.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Halsema, Carlson upstage leaders with twin aces at women's city golf championship
Published in the Lafayette Journal & Courier Sunday, July 13, 2013
LINK: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130713/SPORTS03/307130032/Halsema-Carlson-upstage-leaders-twin-aces-Women-s-City-golf-championships
By Clyde Hughes for the Journal & Courier
BATTLE GROUND — Lafayette Jeff junior golfers Lauren Halsema and Abigail Carlson would have had better odds winning the Hoosier Lotto, getting a royal flush with their first five cards in poker, or spotting a UFO than what they pulled off Saturday afternoon at the Greater Lafayette City Women’s Golf Tournament.
Halsema and Carlson, members of the same group, each made a hole-in-one on the 119-yard par-3 fourth hole at the Battle Ground Golf Course. While the champions of the past two seasons, Cyndi Lohmoeller and Ashley Wright, took a big lead after the first day, almost everyone talked about the near back-to-back holes-in-one.
Lohmoeller, the 2011 city champion, shot an even-par 72 in the first round, two shots ahead of defending champion Wright. Wright’s 74 was five shots better than the next two golfers, former McCutcheon star Bethany Hainje, who now plays at St. Joseph’s College, and Lafayette Jeff senior golfer Lindsey Burklow.
Jeff’s all-state golfer, Samantha Hatter, had a tournament-low 24 putts and finished with an 80.
But it was her high school teammates, Halsema and Carlson, who caught everyone’s attention with their feat. A 2000 Golf Digest study calculated the odds of two members of the same grouping making a hole-in-one at the same hole at 17 million to one.
Halsema said her ball landed on the front portion of the hole, but the momentum of the shot kept it rolling toward the pin.
“I thought I hit it a little under, but it kept rolling and it went in,” said Halsema, still excited about the shot after playing 18 holes. “It was crazy. I felt amazing. I was just stunned for the next two holes. I was like, ‘did I really do that?’ ”
After Gretchen King hit her tee shot, Carlson said she saw her ball land 10 feet away from the hole and turned her back to grab her clubs.
“We were thinking, ‘How in the world are supposed to match up to (Halsema’s shot)?’ ” Carlson said. “I hit my shot and I didn’t think I made it there. I turned back around and asked, ‘Where did my ball go?’ They said it went in. I said, ‘No way.’ I didn’t believe them.”
Carlson said she thought her fellow golfers were pulling her leg until she walked up to the hole and saw her ball in the cup.
“We told our coach, but didn’t know if anyone else knew,” Carlson said.
It was the first hole-in-one for both golfers. Carlson finished with a round of 86, just one shot from making the championship flight. Halsema ended with a round of 119.
Lohmoeller and Wright were paired in the first group to tee off Saturday, establishing the standard for the other golfers early. Lohmoeller said her job at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue came in handy as the day went on.
“I really want to thank Dave Ross for hiring me,” Lohmoeller said with a laugh. “Playing there, seeing how those younger golfers play and the professionalism they show, it may be wearing off on me a little bit. I was able to save No. 18 and not have a blow-up hole.”
Wright, just weeks past gall bladder surgery, said she was surprised by how well she played, but credited her husband and competing with Lohmoeller and Maggie Boaz as inspiration.
“It was a fun, inspiring group to play with,” Wright said. “My husband was my caddy, and he kept me going. I was getting tired at the end, but he was the one who kept telling me that I was doing great and I could do it.”
Hainje said she was more familiar with Coyote Crossing Golf Course, where the final round will be played Sunday.
“It’s going to be a whole new 18 holes tomorrow,” Hainje said. “Coyote Crossing is a course I’m somewhat comfortable with. I will forget about this round, even though it’s one I’m happy with.”
LINK: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130713/SPORTS03/307130032/Halsema-Carlson-upstage-leaders-twin-aces-Women-s-City-golf-championships
By Clyde Hughes for the Journal & Courier
BATTLE GROUND — Lafayette Jeff junior golfers Lauren Halsema and Abigail Carlson would have had better odds winning the Hoosier Lotto, getting a royal flush with their first five cards in poker, or spotting a UFO than what they pulled off Saturday afternoon at the Greater Lafayette City Women’s Golf Tournament.
Halsema and Carlson, members of the same group, each made a hole-in-one on the 119-yard par-3 fourth hole at the Battle Ground Golf Course. While the champions of the past two seasons, Cyndi Lohmoeller and Ashley Wright, took a big lead after the first day, almost everyone talked about the near back-to-back holes-in-one.
Lohmoeller, the 2011 city champion, shot an even-par 72 in the first round, two shots ahead of defending champion Wright. Wright’s 74 was five shots better than the next two golfers, former McCutcheon star Bethany Hainje, who now plays at St. Joseph’s College, and Lafayette Jeff senior golfer Lindsey Burklow.
Jeff’s all-state golfer, Samantha Hatter, had a tournament-low 24 putts and finished with an 80.
But it was her high school teammates, Halsema and Carlson, who caught everyone’s attention with their feat. A 2000 Golf Digest study calculated the odds of two members of the same grouping making a hole-in-one at the same hole at 17 million to one.
Halsema said her ball landed on the front portion of the hole, but the momentum of the shot kept it rolling toward the pin.
“I thought I hit it a little under, but it kept rolling and it went in,” said Halsema, still excited about the shot after playing 18 holes. “It was crazy. I felt amazing. I was just stunned for the next two holes. I was like, ‘did I really do that?’ ”
After Gretchen King hit her tee shot, Carlson said she saw her ball land 10 feet away from the hole and turned her back to grab her clubs.
“We were thinking, ‘How in the world are supposed to match up to (Halsema’s shot)?’ ” Carlson said. “I hit my shot and I didn’t think I made it there. I turned back around and asked, ‘Where did my ball go?’ They said it went in. I said, ‘No way.’ I didn’t believe them.”
Carlson said she thought her fellow golfers were pulling her leg until she walked up to the hole and saw her ball in the cup.
“We told our coach, but didn’t know if anyone else knew,” Carlson said.
It was the first hole-in-one for both golfers. Carlson finished with a round of 86, just one shot from making the championship flight. Halsema ended with a round of 119.
Lohmoeller and Wright were paired in the first group to tee off Saturday, establishing the standard for the other golfers early. Lohmoeller said her job at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue came in handy as the day went on.
“I really want to thank Dave Ross for hiring me,” Lohmoeller said with a laugh. “Playing there, seeing how those younger golfers play and the professionalism they show, it may be wearing off on me a little bit. I was able to save No. 18 and not have a blow-up hole.”
Wright, just weeks past gall bladder surgery, said she was surprised by how well she played, but credited her husband and competing with Lohmoeller and Maggie Boaz as inspiration.
“It was a fun, inspiring group to play with,” Wright said. “My husband was my caddy, and he kept me going. I was getting tired at the end, but he was the one who kept telling me that I was doing great and I could do it.”
Hainje said she was more familiar with Coyote Crossing Golf Course, where the final round will be played Sunday.
“It’s going to be a whole new 18 holes tomorrow,” Hainje said. “Coyote Crossing is a course I’m somewhat comfortable with. I will forget about this round, even though it’s one I’m happy with.”
Guest column: What you'll do if you care for Trayvon Martin
Published Saturday, July 20, 2013 in Lafayette Journal & Courier
LINK: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130720/OPINION03/307200005/Guest-column-What-you-ll-do-you-care-Trayvon-Martin
By Clyde Hughes
I will be right up front. I was profoundly disappointed when a Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Trayvon Martin last week.
It would be all too easy to endlessly relitigate the case. I found the result stunning, but hardly unexpected.
The challenge for everyone, regardless how you feel about the verdict, is: Where do we go from here?
The truth of the matter is that Zimmerman’s fate was decided in the Florida legislature long before he fired that shot into Martin’s chest, because “stand your ground” laws protected him. Doesn’t anyone find it strange that even though the defense did not claim the law, it still was mentioned in deliberations, according to one juror?
In fact, Zimmerman’s fate was decided during jury selection, with a group that could not connect with a witness such as Rachel Jeantel, Martin’s friend, even though her testimony was critical — vital, actually — in the prosecution’s case.
People are angry over the verdict. I saw a graphic on CNN Tuesday that listed 100 Trayvon Martin rallies scheduled that day alone. “Stand your ground” laws are flawed pieces of legislation that give a person with a weapon the ultimate power against anyone they deem as threatening to them. The law, though, misses the most basic question — when is a person reasonably in fear of their life?
Feeling in fear of your life is such a subjective phrase that it seems incredible that it ended up in serious legislation from which the guilt or innocence of a person can be determined. But six jurors in the George Zimmerman trial were left with that ambiguous determination.
In the end, with the absence of a way to define reasonable fear of life, the six jurors gave Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to walk free. This happened even with no evidence introduced beyond Zimmerman’s own words that Martin started the fight. Nothing.
But if all of these rallies, protests and boycotts do nothing to dismantle, or at the very least dramatically improve, such laws, all these calls for justice for Martin will end up falling empty, flat and hollow.
Don’t get me wrong. There is plenty to be angry about. Even Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara concedes that the justice system is skewered against most African-American males and deserves a serious national conversation. Why can’t this be that time?
Why can’t these 100 rallies focus on fundamentally cleaning up “stand your ground” laws by not allowing people who pursue a suspect and then use self-defense as a claim? Why not change jury selections that would allow change of venues on either social or class grounds to ensure an actual and true jury of peers?
Radical, you may think. I find it radical that a teenager coming home with candy and a drink can be profiled, confronted and killed before he reached his front door, and the person who pulled the trigger walks away without even a parking ticket.
But if all the energy and angst over the Zimmerman verdict does not turn into conversation and action, the next Trayvon Martin shooting will happen sooner than you think, and everyone will be back in the same position.
It is important to engage law enforcement, engage public officials and engage community leaders today and without delay. If you think “stand your ground” laws have nothing to do with politics, you are foolishly wrong.
If you really care about Trayvon Martin, you will not miss the next time you have a chance to cast a vote. You will not miss the next time to become involved when such laws are up for consideration in localities and state legislatures.
The bottom line is if you really care about the verdict in this case, your actions will not end with a rally, but begin with taking action to bring about change.
Hughes is a member of the Greater Lafayette Commerce’s Diversity Roundtable.
LINK: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130720/OPINION03/307200005/Guest-column-What-you-ll-do-you-care-Trayvon-Martin
By Clyde Hughes
I will be right up front. I was profoundly disappointed when a Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Trayvon Martin last week.
It would be all too easy to endlessly relitigate the case. I found the result stunning, but hardly unexpected.
The challenge for everyone, regardless how you feel about the verdict, is: Where do we go from here?
The truth of the matter is that Zimmerman’s fate was decided in the Florida legislature long before he fired that shot into Martin’s chest, because “stand your ground” laws protected him. Doesn’t anyone find it strange that even though the defense did not claim the law, it still was mentioned in deliberations, according to one juror?
In fact, Zimmerman’s fate was decided during jury selection, with a group that could not connect with a witness such as Rachel Jeantel, Martin’s friend, even though her testimony was critical — vital, actually — in the prosecution’s case.
People are angry over the verdict. I saw a graphic on CNN Tuesday that listed 100 Trayvon Martin rallies scheduled that day alone. “Stand your ground” laws are flawed pieces of legislation that give a person with a weapon the ultimate power against anyone they deem as threatening to them. The law, though, misses the most basic question — when is a person reasonably in fear of their life?
Feeling in fear of your life is such a subjective phrase that it seems incredible that it ended up in serious legislation from which the guilt or innocence of a person can be determined. But six jurors in the George Zimmerman trial were left with that ambiguous determination.
In the end, with the absence of a way to define reasonable fear of life, the six jurors gave Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to walk free. This happened even with no evidence introduced beyond Zimmerman’s own words that Martin started the fight. Nothing.
But if all of these rallies, protests and boycotts do nothing to dismantle, or at the very least dramatically improve, such laws, all these calls for justice for Martin will end up falling empty, flat and hollow.
Don’t get me wrong. There is plenty to be angry about. Even Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara concedes that the justice system is skewered against most African-American males and deserves a serious national conversation. Why can’t this be that time?
Why can’t these 100 rallies focus on fundamentally cleaning up “stand your ground” laws by not allowing people who pursue a suspect and then use self-defense as a claim? Why not change jury selections that would allow change of venues on either social or class grounds to ensure an actual and true jury of peers?
Radical, you may think. I find it radical that a teenager coming home with candy and a drink can be profiled, confronted and killed before he reached his front door, and the person who pulled the trigger walks away without even a parking ticket.
But if all the energy and angst over the Zimmerman verdict does not turn into conversation and action, the next Trayvon Martin shooting will happen sooner than you think, and everyone will be back in the same position.
It is important to engage law enforcement, engage public officials and engage community leaders today and without delay. If you think “stand your ground” laws have nothing to do with politics, you are foolishly wrong.
If you really care about Trayvon Martin, you will not miss the next time you have a chance to cast a vote. You will not miss the next time to become involved when such laws are up for consideration in localities and state legislatures.
The bottom line is if you really care about the verdict in this case, your actions will not end with a rally, but begin with taking action to bring about change.
Hughes is a member of the Greater Lafayette Commerce’s Diversity Roundtable.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Guest column: Suddenly, Trayvon Martin's friend is put on trial
Published
in Lafayette Journal & Courier, Wednesday, July 3, 2013
By Clyde Hughes
Ladies
and gentlemen of the jury, I realize that George Zimmerman is on trial for the
death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin this week, but I would like to give a
defense to the last person besides Zimmerman to hear Martin’s voice — his
teenage friend, Rachel Jeantel.
I
did not realize Jeantel would need defending until I saw and heard mainstream
and social media accounts of her testimony last week. Jeantel, described as a
friend or girlfriend of Martin, was on the phone with him when Zimmerman confronted
the teen last year.
A fight ensued and Zimmerman pulled out a weapon, shot and killed Martin. Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense is at stake with Jeantel’s testimony. She claimed Martin tried to run and hide from Zimmerman but the neighborhood watch volunteer pursued him, leading to the confrontation. That would seriously undercut Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense.
Don West, a defense attorney in Florida, did pretty much what we would expect defense attorneys to do — pull every trick out of his hat to make a star witness look bad so he can save his client’s life. Facing off against a reluctant teenager with few skills to handle an aggressive (and at times demeaning) interrogation, it is of little surprise that Jeantel would lash out the way she did during the first day of testimony.
My guess is West hoped for as much to make his job of discrediting her in front of the jury easier. He was dealing with a scared teenager who knew while taking the stand that she would have to account for a couple of fibs she told unrelated to her conversation with Martin and knew she would be on the hot seat.
What surprised me was the unrelenting criticism from the Fourth Estate and social media of Jeantel, which came across much of the time as elitist, disconnected and completely out of the touch with the challenges Jeantel faced on the stand beyond simply answering attorneys’ questions.
CNN’s Jake Tapper opened his June 27 show, “The Lead,” with this statement describing Jeantel’s testimony: “Have you ever seen a witness make, ‘Yes, sir,’ sound so much like, ‘Go to hell?’ ” That’s when I knew many of my fellow journalists were off the mark and maybe even lacked the ability to understand Jeantel’s struggles.
There is a culture gap in this country — a canyon-wide, in some instances. And it was put on brutal display during Jeantel’s two-day cross examination by West. I continued to watch Tapper, to see if he would address the world of Jeantel — inner-city Miami, tough streets, rough language and a real fear for authority figures — compared to West, who demanded that she respond like a Harvard-educated scholar.
I got nothing. Not even an attempt to explain why Jeantel had her defenses up the second she took the witness stand. Tapper didn’t even try. He let his “yes, sir, sounds like go to hell” statement stand without explanation. But in his defense, many journalists and experts failed miserably as well.
Now, there was plenty to dissect in Jeantel’s testimony, from the fibs she told about attending Martin’s funeral to her exclusion of Martin screaming, “Get off me,” in previous statements before the trial. Yet, failing to call out West for his outright attempt to embarrass Jeantel by getting her to read a letter written in cursive when he knew she couldn’t read it was yet another low point for the media.
This does not include what amounts to vicious attacks on Jeantel by “social media goons” who compared her with pictures of Jabba the Hut from “Star Wars,” and worse. Longtime African-American journalist and creator of Backbonewomen.com Sherri Williams called Jeantel’s treatment “a social media stoning.”
“She was called fat, ignorant, sassy, ugly and manly,” Williams said. “Jeantel was called everything except what she is, a witness in one of the most significant criminal trials in recent history — a young woman who heard her friend fight for his life.”
How could we expect anyone from Jeantel’s world to trust anyone from your world, my world? How could we expect them to reach out to us in a time of need? How can we expect them to seek us out in a time when justice needs them to?
There were good and bad things you can say about Jeantel’s testimony. At times it was powerful and riveting. At other times, it was clumsy and inconsistent. It’s pretty much what I would have expected out of a nervous teenager in the foreign environment of a courtroom in a high-stakes, nationally televised murder trial. Too bad we were too busy criticizing her looks, voice volume and attitude to notice.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Westfield, Carmel boys golf qualify for state tournament; Zionsville falls two shots short
Published in Indianapolis Star Saturday, June 8, 2013
LINK: http://cmsstage.indystar.com/article/20130607/SPORTS02/306070093/Westfield-Carmel-boys-golf-qualify-state-tournament-Zionsville-falls-two-shots-short
By Clyde Hughes
Star Correspondent
BATTLE GROUND, IND. — Trailing four teams at the turn Friday at the Lafayette Regional, Carmel boys golf
coach Chad Carr knew his team was in serious trouble.
But the sixth-ranked Greyhounds improved by four strokes on the back nine at the Battle Ground Golf Course to finish in the all-important third spot, nipping Zionsville by two shots to advance to next week’s state tournament.
Valparaiso won the Regional with a 10-over-par 298, followed by Westfield (300) and Carmel (302). Zionsville’s season concluded with a 304.
“It’s a big weight off my shoulders,” Carr said. “Now we can go into state with a clean slate and compete evenly with everyone else.”
Jake Brown, the Greyhounds’ No. 2 golfer, shot a 72 to help Carmel secure third place.
“I didn’t want to go to state as an individual,” Brown said. “I didn’t play well in sectionals but my team picked me up. I hoped that I would be able to pick them up today. State is going to be fun.”
The tournament was a major disappointment for No. 14 Zionsville, which was tied for the lead with Valparaiso after the first nine holes, only to see things fall apart over the back nine. The Eagles shot a 149 on the front nine, but shot 155 down the stretch. Adam Wood’s 2-under 70 captured individual medalist honors, but it wasn’t enough for the team to extend its season.
“We know in a tournament like this, every stroke counts,” Zionsville coach Steve Simmons said. “We knew it would come down to a shot here and shot there. I'm disappointed but with four of five holes to go we were the owners of our destiny and the tournament and we just let it go. That happens.”
Simmons said missed birdie chances on the final holes sealed the Eagles' fate. He said No. 5 was a killer as well.
“We played that hole five-over as a team,” Simmons said. “We had played so well up to that point. It was just a straight forward, easy hole but for some reason with really struggled on it.”
No. 4-ranked Westfield built on its sectional win, falling just two shots short of the regional title. Freshman Thomas Lewis, the Shamrocks’ No. 3 golfer, shot a 72 to lead Westfield.
“I felt a little pressure but it started to feel good once I began hitting the ball better on the back nine,” Lewis said. “It takes everyone playing well to win here. We knew that if we even had one guy not play well, we would be going home.”
Westfield coach Jon Hoover said Lewis, sophomore Keith Ponsler (74) and senior Colton Smith (75) gave the Shamrocks the lift it needed to challenge for the title.
“I’ve played in tournaments before and I don’t think I could be in these kids’ shoes,” Hoover said. “We saw the scores at the turn and there were five teams within four shots of each other so the pressure was just tremendous. If you can handle that kind of pressure, I have tremendous respect for you.”
Valparaiso captured the sectional title behind Kyle Meihofer’s 71.
“The thing about state is that we have to do it all over again, so there’s no vacation,” Valpo coach Wayne Lichtenberger said. “There was some outstanding competition here and we had a state ranked team go home today. The slate will be clean next week.”
LINK: http://cmsstage.indystar.com/article/20130607/SPORTS02/306070093/Westfield-Carmel-boys-golf-qualify-state-tournament-Zionsville-falls-two-shots-short
By Clyde Hughes
Star Correspondent
BATTLE GROUND, IND. — Trailing four teams at the turn Friday at the Lafayette Regional, Carmel boys golf
coach Chad Carr knew his team was in serious trouble.But the sixth-ranked Greyhounds improved by four strokes on the back nine at the Battle Ground Golf Course
to finish in the all-important third spot, nipping Zionsville by two shots to advance to next week’s state tournament.Valparaiso won the Regional with a 10-over-par 298, followed by Westfield (300) and Carmel (302). Zionsville’s season concluded with a 304.
“It’s a big weight off my shoulders,” Carr said. “Now we can go into state with a clean slate and compete
evenly with everyone else.”Jake Brown, the Greyhounds’ No. 2 golfer, shot a 72 to help Carmel secure third place.
“I didn’t want to go to state as an individual,” Brown said. “I didn’t play well in sectionals but my team picked me up. I hoped that I would be able to pick them up today. State is going to be fun.”
The tournament was a major disappointment for No. 14 Zionsville, which was tied for the lead with Valparaiso after the first nine holes, only to see things fall apart over the back nine. The Eagles shot a 149 on the front nine, but shot 155 down the stretch. Adam Wood’s 2-under 70 captured individual medalist honors, but it wasn’t enough for the team to extend its season.
“We know in a tournament like this, every stroke counts,” Zionsville coach Steve Simmons said. “We knew it would come down to a shot here and shot there. I'm disappointed but with four of five holes to go we were the owners of our destiny and the tournament and we just let it go. That happens.”
Simmons said missed birdie chances on the final holes sealed the Eagles' fate. He said No. 5 was a killer as well.
“We played that hole five-over as a team,” Simmons said. “We had played so well up to that point. It was just a straight forward, easy
hole but for some reason with really struggled on it.”No. 4-ranked Westfield built on its sectional win, falling just two shots short of the regional title. Freshman Thomas Lewis, the Shamrocks’ No. 3 golfer, shot a 72 to lead Westfield.
“I felt a little pressure but it started to feel good once I began hitting the ball better on the back nine,” Lewis said. “It takes everyone playing well to win here. We knew that if we even had one guy not play well, we would be going home.”
Westfield coach Jon Hoover said Lewis, sophomore Keith Ponsler (74) and senior Colton Smith (75) gave the Shamrocks the lift it needed to challenge for the title.
“I’ve played in tournaments before and I don’t think I could be in these kids’ shoes,” Hoover said. “We saw the scores at the turn and there were five teams within four shots of each other so the pressure was just tremendous. If you can handle that kind of pressure, I have tremendous respect for you.”
Valparaiso captured the sectional title behind Kyle Meihofer’s 71.
“The thing about state is that we have to do it all over again, so there’s no vacation,” Valpo coach Wayne Lichtenberger said. “There was some outstanding competition here and we had a state ranked team go home today. The slate will be clean next week.”
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Guest column: About that delayed reaction to Hibbert's comments
Published in Lafayette Journal & Courier, Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Link: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130603/OPINION03/306030010
By Clyde Hughes, for the Journal & Courier
It was a freelance sports writing assignment late Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and I’m holding an audio recorder in a news conference no more than 10 feet away from Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert. He just played one of his best playoff games in helping beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
In a room of reporters during an interview that was broadcast live, Hibbert and teammate Paul George were chipper in responding to question after their big win. Then, Hibbert said something that absolutely floored me — something I rarely get in athlete news conferences.
“I really felt I let Paul down (in Game 3) in terms of having his back when LeBron was scoring in the post or getting to the paint, because they stretched me out so much. No homo.”
“No homo,” as in a slur for homosexual. I thought immediately: “Whoa, did he really just say that.”
The comment, then, was followed by chuckles from Hibbert, George and the media corps. In fact, the giggles and smiles from the press corps was so evident that I started to second-guess myself about whether the comment was even made. There were certainly no follow up questions to the comment at the time.
“Maybe I must misheard it,” I told myself. Looking back over the media transcript after the press conference, the comment was deleted. When I reviewed the recording, though, there it was, as plain as day.
By this time, the beat reporter for the organization I was working for talked about the incident and another Hibbert expletive during the press conference. He also wrote about the incident.
By Sunday, Hibbert issued his Pacer media department crafted concession.
“I am apologizing for insensitive remarks made during the postgame press conference after our victory over Miami Saturday night. They were disrespectful and offensive and not a reflection of my personal views. I used a slang term that is not appropriate in any setting, private or public, and the language I used definitely has no place in a public forum, especially over live television.”
There are some things that quickly reach beyond the basketball court or any sports venue. There are countless history lessons on how society has struggled to overcome prejudice and discrimination. Those wins and losses come in small doses, as well as big ones.
One would think after the trouble some athletes have gotten into for using such slurs that Hibbert would have been much smarter. While fellow reporters made sure the star center was held accountable after the press conference, I am surprised a question about the comment wasn’t put to Hibbert at that moment.
Would it have made a difference whether the media responded at the press conference or immediately after the comment was made? I think it could have sent a message that such comments should be stopped in their tracks, instead of going along with the joke. Yes, we were all facing a tight deadline for a late-ending game. With Hibbert opening the door, it was a subject that needed to be addressed, and at the time, it wasn’t.
It left me wondering: Do we in media actually create the climate for such comments, only to show our fangs in an effort jump on bandwagon in the aftermath? Was it the right time to take on the issue? Of course, it was.
After Jason Collins came out in April, with overwhelming support he received from fellow NBA players and society, one would have thought we have moved forward just a little bit regarding LGBT issues. Hibbert is hardly the first athlete to use such terms this year, even, and it shows we are still in the starting blocks.
Maybe this is one of those teachable moments for Hibbert, as suggested by Yahoo Sports Dan Devine.
“We like players who like to joke around, and we like players willing to offer something more than just standard clichés,” Devine said in his “Ball Don’t Lie” column Sunday. “It just kind of sucks that this — the “no homo” thing, particularly — was in Hibbert’s mind in the first place. Here’s hoping that apology comes from a place of earnest recognition and not from a place of fearful, frantic damage control.”
Maybe we as journalists can get athletes to start doing that soul searching just a little faster.
Link: http://www.jconline.com/article/20130603/OPINION03/306030010
By Clyde Hughes, for the Journal & Courier
It was a freelance sports writing assignment late Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and I’m holding an audio recorder in a news conference no more than 10 feet away from Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert. He just played one of his best playoff games in helping beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
In a room of reporters during an interview that was broadcast live, Hibbert and teammate Paul George were chipper in responding to question after their big win. Then, Hibbert said something that absolutely floored me — something I rarely get in athlete news conferences.
“I really felt I let Paul down (in Game 3) in terms of having his back when LeBron was scoring in the post or getting to the paint, because they stretched me out so much. No homo.”
“No homo,” as in a slur for homosexual. I thought immediately: “Whoa, did he really just say that.”
The comment, then, was followed by chuckles from Hibbert, George and the media corps. In fact, the giggles and smiles from the press corps was so evident that I started to second-guess myself about whether the comment was even made. There were certainly no follow up questions to the comment at the time.
“Maybe I must misheard it,” I told myself. Looking back over the media transcript after the press conference, the comment was deleted. When I reviewed the recording, though, there it was, as plain as day.
By this time, the beat reporter for the organization I was working for talked about the incident and another Hibbert expletive during the press conference. He also wrote about the incident.
By Sunday, Hibbert issued his Pacer media department crafted concession.
“I am apologizing for insensitive remarks made during the postgame press conference after our victory over Miami Saturday night. They were disrespectful and offensive and not a reflection of my personal views. I used a slang term that is not appropriate in any setting, private or public, and the language I used definitely has no place in a public forum, especially over live television.”
There are some things that quickly reach beyond the basketball court or any sports venue. There are countless history lessons on how society has struggled to overcome prejudice and discrimination. Those wins and losses come in small doses, as well as big ones.
One would think after the trouble some athletes have gotten into for using such slurs that Hibbert would have been much smarter. While fellow reporters made sure the star center was held accountable after the press conference, I am surprised a question about the comment wasn’t put to Hibbert at that moment.
Would it have made a difference whether the media responded at the press conference or immediately after the comment was made? I think it could have sent a message that such comments should be stopped in their tracks, instead of going along with the joke. Yes, we were all facing a tight deadline for a late-ending game. With Hibbert opening the door, it was a subject that needed to be addressed, and at the time, it wasn’t.
It left me wondering: Do we in media actually create the climate for such comments, only to show our fangs in an effort jump on bandwagon in the aftermath? Was it the right time to take on the issue? Of course, it was.
After Jason Collins came out in April, with overwhelming support he received from fellow NBA players and society, one would have thought we have moved forward just a little bit regarding LGBT issues. Hibbert is hardly the first athlete to use such terms this year, even, and it shows we are still in the starting blocks.
Maybe this is one of those teachable moments for Hibbert, as suggested by Yahoo Sports Dan Devine.
“We like players who like to joke around, and we like players willing to offer something more than just standard clichés,” Devine said in his “Ball Don’t Lie” column Sunday. “It just kind of sucks that this — the “no homo” thing, particularly — was in Hibbert’s mind in the first place. Here’s hoping that apology comes from a place of earnest recognition and not from a place of fearful, frantic damage control.”
Maybe we as journalists can get athletes to start doing that soul searching just a little faster.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Roy Hibbert , Paul George again carry Pacers, lead team to Game 7
Published on Sunday, June 2, 2013 in Miami Herald.
LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/02/3428816/hibbert-and-george-carry-pacers.html
By Clyde Hughes
Special to The Miami Herald
INDIANAPOLIS - Facing elimination in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers determined early they would ride center Roy Hibbert and forward Paul George as far and as long as they could.
Indiana's dynamic duo refused to let the Pacers die, getting help from its supporting cast along the way at critical times to stave off elimination with a 91-77 victory.
Hibbert's 24 points and 11 rebounds along with George's 28 points provided firepower Indiana was missing in Game 5. David West, playing reduced minutes because of an illness with a temperature of over 100, grabbed 14 rebounds and scored eight of his 11 points in the final quarter.
"It's all about heart," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said of West's performance, particularly in the fourth quarter. "That guy is all heart, and it's contagious. I don't really have words for it to be honest with you."
George's three-pointer at the 5:28 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Pacers a 75-68 lead. Miami had cut a 13-point deficit to start the period to four points (72-68), ending with consecutive baskets by LeBron James.
George's basket sparked a 9-0 run that included two technical foul free throws, which gave the Pacers enough to across the Game 6 finish line.
"We knew they were going to make a run," George said. "This team, they're deadly offensively. They can really put points up. That's just us staying together, being poised and just rallying. Lance (Stephenson) made some big plays offensively on the boards to get us some extra possessions. We shared the ball. We made huge plays when we needed to."
In Game 5 in Miami, the Heat used a big third quarter to turn that contest in its favor. On Saturday, it was the Pacers' time to use the same period as a springboard. Indiana held the Heat to six points over the first 10 minutes of the period.
With the defensive effort well in hand, Hibbert and George provided the offense, scoring 19 of the Pacers' 29 points in the third quarter.
Hibbert's dunk off the dribble with 5:48 left in the third quarter capped a 14-2 Pacers run to start the third to give Indiana a 53-42 lead. The dunk appeared to double the noise volume in the arena - energy the Pacers needed after an up-and-down first half.
"Roy Hibbert is making extraordinary plays in the pocket," Vogel said. "He's getting the paint catches, and he's just having great poise and great reads. Roy is playing the best basketball of his career right now. He's leading us, and he's a big reason why we are where we are."
George added a three-pointer at the 5:05 mark after Dwyane Wade made a long-range shot to help maintain Indiana's momentum.
"What separated us (in the third quarter) was being able to get into transition and trying to strike early," George said. "Their half-court defense is tough. We really executed."
Hibbert said the aftertaste of Game 5's third quarter still lingered for the Pacers and actually provided incentive for them after halftime.
"We had a couple of bad possessions at the beginning of the third, but we rallied," Hibbert said. "Paul made big shots for us and found me on a pick and roll. We realized the third quarter let us down, so we tried to take advantage of that and come out aggressive."
LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/02/3428816/hibbert-and-george-carry-pacers.html
By Clyde Hughes
Special to The Miami Herald
INDIANAPOLIS - Facing elimination in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers determined early they would ride center Roy Hibbert and forward Paul George as far and as long as they could.
Indiana's dynamic duo refused to let the Pacers die, getting help from its supporting cast along the way at critical times to stave off elimination with a 91-77 victory.
Hibbert's 24 points and 11 rebounds along with George's 28 points provided firepower Indiana was missing in Game 5. David West, playing reduced minutes because of an illness with a temperature of over 100, grabbed 14 rebounds and scored eight of his 11 points in the final quarter.
"It's all about heart," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said of West's performance, particularly in the fourth quarter. "That guy is all heart, and it's contagious. I don't really have words for it to be honest with you."
George's three-pointer at the 5:28 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Pacers a 75-68 lead. Miami had cut a 13-point deficit to start the period to four points (72-68), ending with consecutive baskets by LeBron James.
George's basket sparked a 9-0 run that included two technical foul free throws, which gave the Pacers enough to across the Game 6 finish line.
"We knew they were going to make a run," George said. "This team, they're deadly offensively. They can really put points up. That's just us staying together, being poised and just rallying. Lance (Stephenson) made some big plays offensively on the boards to get us some extra possessions. We shared the ball. We made huge plays when we needed to."
In Game 5 in Miami, the Heat used a big third quarter to turn that contest in its favor. On Saturday, it was the Pacers' time to use the same period as a springboard. Indiana held the Heat to six points over the first 10 minutes of the period.
With the defensive effort well in hand, Hibbert and George provided the offense, scoring 19 of the Pacers' 29 points in the third quarter.
Hibbert's dunk off the dribble with 5:48 left in the third quarter capped a 14-2 Pacers run to start the third to give Indiana a 53-42 lead. The dunk appeared to double the noise volume in the arena - energy the Pacers needed after an up-and-down first half.
"Roy Hibbert is making extraordinary plays in the pocket," Vogel said. "He's getting the paint catches, and he's just having great poise and great reads. Roy is playing the best basketball of his career right now. He's leading us, and he's a big reason why we are where we are."
George added a three-pointer at the 5:05 mark after Dwyane Wade made a long-range shot to help maintain Indiana's momentum.
"What separated us (in the third quarter) was being able to get into transition and trying to strike early," George said. "Their half-court defense is tough. We really executed."
Hibbert said the aftertaste of Game 5's third quarter still lingered for the Pacers and actually provided incentive for them after halftime.
"We had a couple of bad possessions at the beginning of the third, but we rallied," Hibbert said. "Paul made big shots for us and found me on a pick and roll. We realized the third quarter let us down, so we tried to take advantage of that and come out aggressive."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)