BASKETBALL JONES-FEMALE STYLE
Gary Norris Gray-Staff Reporter
This year America got a ladies’ basketball treat two games in one night with four-star athletes. It was the highest female basketball televised ratings in the NCAA Quarter-Finals ever but it was marred by pre-game hijinks and a second quarter injury. It was marred by a reporter making disparaging remarks on a team he had little information about, the greatest female basketball night ruined by words written. It was still a night for the ages and people wanted to watch.
Catlin Clark-Iowa, Angel Reese-LSU, JuJu Watkins-USC, and Paige Bueckers-UConn put on a show for the ages. Iowa played Louisiana State University in the first game and University of Connecticut vs. University of Southern California in the second game. It was just too bad Reese turned an ankle retrieving a rebound in second quarter of the first game and was not as strong on the floor in the second half. It cost the Tigers the game and a chance to repeat.
The political, social, and racial issue once again comes up in lady’s sports. American men have to stop sexualizing female sports stars like the Los Angeles Times beat reporter Ben Bolch. Mr. Bolch’s job is to follow the UCLA women’s team and informs the Southern California fan base for the Lady Bruins. After The match between the LSU Lady Tigers and Bruins Mr. Bolch decided to write his report.
In the article he called the UCLA Lady Bruins Cinderellas vs. the dirty debutantes (LSU) he also called it good-UCLA vs evil-LSU, sound familiar. Bolch stated he was trying to be cute and clever with his bi-line and story. It did not work and started a firestorm around women sports-AGAIN…Mr. Bolch should know that words are powerful and can hurt.
Head Coach Kim Mulkey would not stand for it and called him out at two press conferences; there was also a hint of racism and misogyny because most of the Lady Tigers are Black…Again who is telling the story…..Bolch made the apology a week later but the horse is out of the barn…just like 20 years ago with New Jersey’s Rutgers Scarlet Knight ladies. Don Imus called that team nappy headed ho’s…It seems like we never learn. Imus lost his morning broadcasting job for 8 months and America moved on but here we are again.
Mr. Bolch must be happy now that The LSU Lady Tigers are out, the so called evil empire lost to the Lady Iowa Hawkeyes and Catlin Clark, America’s new sweetheart and that’s the sad thing about this national sporting event. We should be congratulating Clark and Iowa. Instead Angel Reese is hurting and in pain not because of the loss but because of this very bad experience.
It is sad that sports fans think they have the right to threaten players because they play the game of basketball. Burning their jerseys, throwing racial chants, just disrespecting players of color-when will this change?
We should have enjoyed the two great games played that night by these outstanding female athletes. Instead we get foolishness from a writer and jealous fans who wish they could play the game they love.
Lastly, white players never have to deal with this psychological mental warfare-EVER
Think about that for a second. Just think how many African American athletes have either stopped playing or altered their game by thoughtless acts from Mr. Bolch, broadcasters, and foolish fans.
glcgray@gmail.com
©Copyrighted Gary Norris Gray @ Gray Leopard Prod
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