jasmine beach-ferrara | arsenal & grand

Ellington & Lawson: Outbound from Carolina

Sports Illustrated reports that both Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are bound for the NBA draft, opting out of their senior seasons at Carolina. For those wondering how these glaring gaps in the line up will be filled, you can check out frenetic recruiting coverage at Inside Carolina.

With 9 Hours 'Til Tip-Off

Those of you not from Chapel Hill, NC, may primarily know Danny Green as a shooting guard for the Tarheels with a deadly 3-point shot and a slow, winning grin. But you should also know him for his dance moves. 9 hours to go . . .

Turkey Wins in PKs

Turkey just pulled off an amazing win against Croatia in the quarterfinals of Euro 2008. As the announcer just put it, it was a "nerve-shredding" game, with both teams scoring in the last minute of overtime to make it 1-1 heading into PKs. The Croatian coach is pictured here.

The Highest Sport Court in the Universe

Who knew that there was a Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is apparently the most powerful judicial body in sport law IN THE UNIVERSE? 

They did good today, by recognizing the right of Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter who runs with two prostheses, to compete in the Olympics. In doing so, they overturned a previous ruling which had barred him from participating in the Olympics on the grounds that his prostheses gave him an unfair advantage. Pistorius is expected to represent his home nation in Beijing as part of a 4x400 meter relay team. The NYT reports on the ruling, and what it means for Pistorius and other disabled athletes, here. You can see a video of Pistorius running here, courtesy of ABC news.

Photo Credit: The Washington Post

Women's Pro Soccer: On Schedule for April 2009

Women's Professional Soccer has launched its new website, which details the relaunch of the women's pro soccer league. League play is set to resume in April 2009, with teams in Boston, Washington, DC, New York, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Tilgham Suspended After "Lynching" Comment

Kelly Tilgham, an announcer for the Golf Channel who used the word "lynching" in discussing Tiger Woods' continued dominance in the world of golf, was suspended for two weeks for her choice of words. I posted about this last week, unsure of where the story would go. Subsequent to that, the Reverend Al Sharpton called for a boycott of the Golf Channel and Tilgham was suspended. There's a more detailed version of the story here, courtesy of GolfDigest.com.

What to make of all this? My attention continues to be drawn to the official word from the Camp Woods' -- that this is a "non-issue." What does that mean exactly? Does he have a broader responsibility to acknowledge that it is an issue for others? If Tilgham and Woods figured this out, or at least making nice for the camera, is there a broader question about public discourse at play? The comment was directed towards Woods, but he wasn't the only one who heard it. Have people made the great mistake of thinking that lauding Tiger Woods means that race isn't an issue in the world of golf (which is, of course, metonymy for other institutions that have typically been the jurisdiction of the elite, and the white)?

Language and history; white women and black men; issues and non-issues. These are certainly palpable themes in the news cycle this week.

Pop Quiz: On the Subject of "Non-Issues"

Is this story about Tiger Woods a) further evidence of his policy of steering clear of political issues,  b) an insight into the curious social world of golf, in which race politics are secondary to good manners, c) another suggestion that, as they are in electoral politics, concepts of identity are also shifting in other sectors, d) none of the above, or e) other ____________________?

The Trinity Lateral

Resurfacing after a hiatus these past few weeks. Eavesdropping today, I heard folks talking about the "Trinity Lateral Play" that has redefined what a lateral play can look like and has earned the Division III Trinity team the national spotlight. Click here to view the play, made even more entertaining by the unrestrained gusto (Go! Go! Go!, he shouts into the mike) of the announcers.

World Cup Finale

The US beat Norway 4-1 this morning, clinching the 3rd place spot in the 2007 World Cup. This game was played against the backdrop of an ongoing controversy related to goalkeeping personnel and questions about players being on vs. off script in talking with the press. The US looked lively and connected, with team cohesion clearly, and somewhat deliberately, on display.

The final game pitched an aggressive Brazil squad versus a very disciplined German team, with Germany winning 2-0. Despite a PK and many set pieces, Brazil wasn't able to convert. Through all of this, I was rooting for Brazil, and hope that the squad's electric display might prompt the Brazilian federation (or a philanthropist somewhere) to invest resources in supporting women's soccer in the country.

The Latest from China

I found myself rooting for both England and the US in their World Cup match this morning. As it was, the US carried the game. After a roughly even first half, the US scored 3 quick goals at the start of the second half and England was unable to notch a goal. This photo, posted on The FA's website, is one of the best sports shots I've seen in awhile.

In other news, Germany beat North Korea, also by a score of 3-0, to advance to the semi-finals Tomorrow morning, Australia will take on Brazil and Norway will face China. Game highlights are available at FIFA's website.