Diana Taurasi's Decision: What It Means For The WNBA

By Alexx Klein

While it may not have been at the top of the average sports fan's radar, the Diana Taurasi decision was one that holds significant impact for the future of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). This blog is not meant to criticize or condone the WNBA's highest-paid player's decision, but rather to voice my concern for what this means moving forward.

To backtrack, Taurasi recently announced that she would be sitting out the entirety of the 2015 WNBA season to focus on herself, her family and honing her basketball skills. How she will be able to do that is because her Russian team she plays for in the off season offered to pay her more to sit out than she would make playing in the WNBA this season.

Taurasi wrote a letter to the Mercury fans and in it, stated that, "The year-round nature of women’s basketball takes its toll and the financial opportunity with my team in Russia would have been irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay me to rest and I’ve decided to take them up on it. I want to be able to take care of myself and my family when I am done playing" (Taurasi, 2015).

It is the culture within the WNBA for athletes to play overseas during the winter because of the short WNBA season (four months). Taurasi's team is UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she is making about $1.5 million, according to a Washington Post article. Her salary with the Phoenix Mercury amounts to just less than $107,000 a year, which is less than the league maximum available. 

So what can be done?

ESPN's Kate Fagan suggested a restructuring of salaries within the league. In the 2014 season, there were about 40 players receiving close to the league max, which breaks down to 3-4 "max" players on each team and if anybody has watched a WNBA game you know that is definitely not the case. Fagan's article suggests that there should only be 12 players in the league to receive that type of money: one on each team.

If the NBA doesn't pay Cleanthony Early (a mediocre, at best, player for the Knicks who very few have heard of) the same as Lebron James, then why pay average WNBA players the same as its stars? Yet that's what the league chooses to do.

She also goes as far to say that the highest paid member of the team should not be the coach, it should be the player, like it is in most other professional leagues. You'd be hard pressed to find a sport where the coach makes over twice the salary as his/her players do.

If Taurasi's decision to sit sparks other WNBA stars' into following her lead, then the league needs to implement a solution sooner than later. Other players have been offered money by their overseas team to sit out the WNBA season, Taurasi is just the first to take the deal.

Without the Taurasi's, Britney Griner's, Elena Della Donne's, Skylar Diggins' and Maya Moore's of the league, the WNBA loses a large chunk of its entertainment value and that is where the downward slope would begin. Without fans to consume the product, there is no revenue coming in from ticket sales, apparel or concessions, and with only half of the teams currently turning a profit, the league cannot afford to take such a financial hit. As stated by a Deadspin article, if the players "begin to make decisions based solely on finances, there may not be any players left" (Draper, 2015, para 11).

Is this simply an issue of money or do you think the athletes are actually concerned about their long-term health? Is it right for a coach to be making two or three times more than these star athletes in the league? Do you think the salary reallocation proposed by Kate Fagan is a good solution?

References:

Boren, C. (2015, Feb. 4). Diana Taurasi's decision to skip this season is sobering message for WNBA. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/02/04/diana-taurasis-decision-to-skip-this-season-is-sobering-message-for-wnba/


Draper, K. (2015, Feb. 3). Diana Taurasi's Russian Team Is Paying Her To Skip The WNBA Season. Dead Spin. Retrieved from http://deadspin.com/diana-taurasis-russian-team-is-paying-her-to-skip-the-w-1683643165

Fagan, K. (2015, Feb. 4). Diana Taurasi's decision to sit out should spark WNBA salary changes. ESPNW. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/12272036/diana-taurasi-decision-sit-spark-wnba-salary-changes


Taurasi, D. (2015, Feb. 3). Diana Taurasi's Open Letter To Phoenix Mercury Fans. Arizona Republic. Retrieved from http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/wnba/mercury/2015/02/03/diana-taurasi-open-letter-to-phoenix-mercury-fans/22808453/

Chris Paul's criticism of referee Lauren Holtkamp

On Thursday Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul made critical comments about rookie referee Lauren Holtkamp after a 105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Holtkamp issued five technical fouls against the Clippers, who lead the league as a team with 50 such fouls.

Paul was among the Los Angeles players issued a technical foul on Thursday night. The call against him was made early in the third quarter when he tried to get an inbounds pass quickly but instead was T’d up after questioning Holtkamp.

In response, after the game, Paul stated “…I don’t care what nobody says, I don’t care what she says; that’s terrible. There’s no way that can be a tech. That’s ridiculous. If that’s the case, this might not be for her.”

After reviewing Holtkamp’s calls, the referee’s union general counselor Lee Seham made a statement, deeming Holtkamp’s calls “fully justified.” He also said the union “deplores the personal and unprofessional comments made by Chris Paul. [Holtkamp] belongs.”

Holtkamp, who is serving her first full season as an NBA referee, is one of two active female officials in the league, along with the NBA’s first female referee, Violet Palmer. Prior to working for the NBA, Holtkamp had six seasons of NBA Development League experience. She has also refereed in the WNBA, college, and FIBA ranks.

In a league with its share of controversial players, Paul is a well-respected individual with little controversy attached to his name before this event. His reputation among his peers earned him election as the NBA player's association president. In my opinion, Paul's comments were not overtly sexist and he has earned the benefit of any doubt in that regard. They do, however, leave room for debate about his intentions. 

What do you make of Chris Paul’s comments? Do you believe they were justified? Does his position as NBA player's association president make it inappropriate for him to make these comments? Do you believe he would he have made similar comments if a male referee had made the calls? 


By Nate Pentecost
References: http://es.pn/1zY7ird

Jerry Sandusky: Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal

The article is related to ethical issues of coaches. 

In 2011, after two years investigation, Jerry Sandusky(born January 26, 1944)  was arrested because he was involved with 52 ("Jerry Sandusky case," 2012, para.96) counts of sexual abuse of young boys for more than 15 years from 1994 to 2009. Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years of prison  on October 9, 2012.("Jerry Sandusky case," 2012, para.96) At his age, this kind of sentence seems like  a life imprisonment, which means he will spend the rest of his life in prison. 

According to the introduction from Wikipedia, Sandusky used to play football as a defensive end for Rip Engle at Penn State. After he retired from being a player, he became an assistant coach for his entire career. And he was honored with the Assistant Coach of the Year awards in 1986 and 1999. 

On November 4, 2011, Sandusky was indicted on 40 cases of sex crimes against young boys.("Jerry Sandusky " 2014, para.19) This charge indicated Sandusky had inappropriate contact with an underage boy for four years when the boy was only 10 years old. And the grand jury identified 8 other boys who had been sexually assaulted by Sandusky from 1994 to 2009. More than half of these cases happened when Sandusky was still employed by Penn State.

In December 2011, Sandusky was accused of an additional 12 cases of sexual crimes against young boys.("Jerry Sandusky " 2014, para.25) The grand jury charged Sandusky with sexual intercourse and unlawful contact with underage children. The victims participated in Sandusky's youth program. Furthermore, they were just 10 to 12 years old when they were sexually assaulted.

Ironically, in 1977, Sandusky founded a non-profit charity The Second Mile served Pennsylvania underprivileged and at-risk youth. So after being charged, Sandusky refused to admit his crimes.("Jerry Sandusky " 2014, para.28) He was released awaiting trial after he paid $ 250,000 bail, and he accepted the NBC's interview:


Host: "Are you sexually attracted to young boys, to underage boys?"
Sandusky: "Am I sexually attracted to underage boys?"
Host: "Yes."
Sandusky: "Sexually attracted, you know, I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But no I'm not sexually attracted to young boys."

Attached is an interview with Sandusky:


But, Sandusky admitted his inappropriate contacts and sexual assaults with young boys, and he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

As coaches of a team, it is extremely crucial for them to control their behaviors in front of players. According to DeSensi and Rosenberg, "A coach is a moral agent, but usually the ethical behaviors of a coach are questioned." (2010. p.127 ) In my opinion, Sandusky's behaviors had already produced negative influences not only for Penn State, but also on the society. I think the long jail life could give him a time for introspection.

From this issue, what do you think of Sandusky's crimes? Do you think it is an appropriate sentence to Jerry Sandusky or not? Why? What are the most important qualities of being a moral coach?

By Veeco Zheng

Reference:

DeSensi, J.T. & Rosenberg, D. (2010). Personal ethics—Rights and responsibilities. Ethics and morality in Sport Management (pp. 119-134). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.

Jerry Sandusky. (December 2014). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky

Jerry Sandusky case: A timeline of key Dates. (2012, June 23). Pennlive.com Retrieved from http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/06/jerry_sandusky_case_a_timeline.html

Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal. (2015, January). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_child_sex_abuse_scandal

An Overview About Controversial Issues in Ski Jumping

by A. Khuny

After I have mentioned an example from ski jumping in one of my comments last week, I have decided to dedicate a whole blog entry on this sport, which has been frequently surrounded by some of the ethical issues we have discussed so far.

Before I start addressing these issues in more detail, however, I would like to give a brief insight into the sport itself: Even though ski jumping (or ski flying as it is often referred to) might be a rather exotic sport in the US, it is one of the most popular winter sports in many Central and Northern European countries. Events like the Four Hills Tournament – a series of four competitions held in Germany and Austria – attract thousands of spectators and millions of viewers in front of the TV. The world record in sky flying is held by the Norwegian jumper Johan Remen Evensen, who landed at 246.5 meters (800 feet) in 2011.

However, as pointed out in the beginning, ski jumping has always been accompanied by many controversial issues. In my last last week’s comment I have mentioned the modified bindings used by Suisse ski jumper Simon Amman during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In fact, this was not the first time equipment has lead to debates. There are many examples of athletes who were disqualified for wearing skis or jump suits that did not meet the regulations. An article on Thrive Sports mentions a US ski jumper who was disqualified from the large hill competition in the 2010 Winter Olympics, due to suit violations. The article furthermore points out how complex the regulations in ski jumping are by making references to the official FIS regulations:

Ski jumping equipment regulations include specifications about logo size and , ski length (based on the athlete’s body/mass index), ski width, contour, length, shape, flexibility, and durability (based on screw retention strength in the area of the binding mounting).

Ski jumping suits have to be equally permeable from inside and outside. They have specifications about fabric (81% Polyamid gloss dtex 44f12, 19% Elasthane dtex 44f1), and how the fabric should be fit together (either a hot-melt process or flame laminated, during which 4 specific steps are necessary—no more, no fewer).

Historically, ski jumpers have also tried to bend the rules by increasing their uniforms ability to catch wind. They were assigned their regulation suit size and then undergo massive diets to lost weight and increase the “sail” effect of the cloth. Officials addressed that problem by requiring suits to be fitted to an athlete within a few centimeters. (Moores, 2014, para. 8-10)

Unlike any other sports, technical equipment plays a big role in ski jumping and often leads to the fact that it is not the best athlete who wins in a competition, but the ones who have a technological advantage with regard to the development of their skies, bindings or jump suits. Besides that, changing weather conditions during a competition, like wind, snowfall or rain, can influence the outcomes drastically.

The article by Moores also comments on athletes' BMI (body mass index). The weight of ski jumpers is another issue that has often been discussed very controversial. Surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympics The New York Times released an article titled “Battle of Weight Versus Gain in Ski Jumping“,  which states that, “a weight loss of a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, could result in added distance of two to four meters, or 6 ½ to 13 feet” (Longman, 2010, para. 3). Due to their light weight ski jumpers have always been brought into connection with eating disorders, like bulimia or anorexia. And even though this seems to have changed for the better during the last couple of years, due to new regulations and better screening of athletes, there are examples from the past that provide evidence for the occurrence of eating disorders among athletes. Moores (2010) mentions the example of the German Sven Hannawald, who not only had to deal with eating disorders and as a consequence had to resign from professional ski jumping, but suffered from mental disorders beyond his career.

One final aspect about controversial aspects in ski jumping I would like to bring up, is the danger of ski jumping itself. Even though it is often claimed that ski jumping is a safe sport, in that the number of injuries is relatively small (compared to other sports), a fall from a gigantic jump can lead to serious injuries, as happened to Austrian ski jumper Thomas Morgenstern, who sustained severe head and lung injuries after a fall during practice in 2014, that eventually formed his decision to resign from professional ski jumping. In order to protect the athletes, a jury, that oversees the competition has the right reduce the length of a jump's inrun and stop or abort a competition due to unbearable weather conditions. However, juries have often been accused by athletes or coaching staffs for putting the risk of athletes on jeopardy, as it was the case when Austrian ski jumper Gregor Schlierenzauer fell during his 224 m flight in Vikersund, Norway in 2009.

The issues mentioned above aim to provide a brief overview about some ethical dilemmas in a sport that is not very popular in the US. The list of issues brought up in this article by no means claims to be complete and a variety of topics may be added to it. For example, one aspect that would be worth discussing is the fact that until lately women were not allowed to compete in Winter Olympics. As for this blog post, I would be interested if you can relate some of the issues mentioned to other sports.

References:

Clarke, L. (2014, February 11). Women's ski jumping makes Olympic debut. Retrieved February 1,  2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/womens-ski-jumping-makes-olympic-debut/2014/02/11/e14542fe-9365-11e3-83b9-1f024193bb84_story.html

Longman, J. (2010, February 11). Battle of Weight Versus Gain in Ski Jumping. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/sports/olympics/12skijump.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Moores, G. (2014, February 16). Anders Johnson disqualified for equipment violation. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://thrivesports.com/2014/02/16/anders-johnson-disqualified-equipment-violation/

New Ski Flying World Record - 246,5m Johan Remen Evensen

(2011, February 11). Youtube.com [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvfo4W0NV64

Ski Jumping WC - 4.1.15 - Innsbruck-Bergisel - Hill Record of Michael Hayböck: 138 m ! (2015. January 4). Youtube.com [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwkNf48Fy4I

Vikersund 2009 - Gregor Schlierenzauer 224m Fall (2011, January 20). Youtube.com [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMHL3b5t4qQ