Active Team Sports : February 2006
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/103952095/ Brian Polak is suing the NCAA Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. It could mean millions of dollars in damages and brings up an interesting question regarding the role of money and amateur athletics. Should student athletes be provided the total cost of attendance to a university that often makes millions of dollars off of their efforts? Or should they be asked to shoulder any overages just as non-athletic students are asked to do with academic-based scholarships? Or does the fact that student athletes often have no time for a part-time job make their situation different?
For the whole story check out this fascinating article by Tom Farrey of ESPN magazine. Also click hereto leave your comment on this hot
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/102736945/ Katie Douglas drives to the basket. Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Despite cynics who claimed there wasn???t much of an audience for professional female basketball the WNBA has seen a significant rise in ratings over the last three years. Attendance and bottom-line financials continue to be a problem???but this can also be said of nearly every other sports league besides the NFL.
Does the success of the WNBA mean that there is viability for other professional female sports league such as slo-pitch baseball and *team soccer*? Is it the financial and logistical support of the NBA that helped the WNBA succeed? And should other male professional sports leagues take the lead to create their female counterpart?
Click here to tell us what you think about this hot-button issue. Also check out our basketball message boardsto see what other members of the eteamz community are saying. And if you???d like to be a guest blogger here just click on the ???blog with us??? link on the right.
(Photo Courtesy of Chris Trotman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/100912542/ Jorge Posada will NOT play in WBC. Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Yesterday marked the beginning of spring training when professional baseball players work on their mechanics---as well as their golf games???under the Arizona and Florida sunshine in preparation for the upcoming season.
But underneath it all is the trepidation of baseball owners, such as George Steinbrenner, over their players??? participation in the World Baseball Classic next month. Though billed as a tournament for the ???best players in the world??? many owners tried to discourage their star players from going???citing risk of injury as a main factor.
Should baseball owners (employers) have a right to dictate to their players (employees) what they can and can do? Is the relationship between player and owner different than other work relations? And is the WBC any different than other pro sports participating in exhibitions like the Olympics and all-star games?
Click hereto tell us what you think about the somewhat lukewarm support for the WBC. Also check out our baseball message boardsto see what other members of the eteamz community are saying.
And don???t forget to take care of your[ team registration for the upcoming season|http://www.active.com/advance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/100162359/ Wayne Gretzky under media scrutiny Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Whether he knew or did not know that his wife and assistant coach were placing bets is difficult to say. But what is worth debating is whether Mr. Hockey should even be in Turin to support the Canadian national hockey team.
Players for Team Canada say Gretzky should definitely be there and fully support him. But the press conferences have been dominated by questions about ???Gretzky-Gate??? and one wonders would the team have better served by Gretzky staying home. Many contend that hockey ???owes??? Gretzky this honor---but does any sport owe an athlete anything?
Click hereto tell us what you think about Wayne Gretzky???s participation in the Olympics. Also check out our hockey message boardsto see what other members of the eteamz community are saying. And if you???d like to be a guest blogger here just click on the ???blog with us??? link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/99786484/ What happens when a coach quits on its players? Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Barring a family emergency is it ever okay to quit on your team---regardless of level? Do coaches owe their players the same level of commitment that they demand of their players? Does money play a part in the sometimes flippant regard college coaches have for the players they coach?
Click hereto sound off on the quitting issue. Also check out the basketball message boardsto see what other members of the eteamz community are talking about. And if you???d like to be a guest blogger here just click on the ???blog with us??? link on the right navigation.
(Photo Courtesy of Brian Bahr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/99361712/ Shaun White takes the gold. Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. But it does bring up an interesting question. Does the growing popularity of extreme sports have any direct effect on youth team sports? Will youth team sports lose potential players to sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding? Or can the two co-exist without affecting each other???s growth?
Click hereto tell us what you think about the relationship between extreme sports and team sports. And if you???re interested in being a guest blogger here be sure to click on the ???blog with us??? link on the right.
(Photo Courtesy of JOHN MACDOUGAL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/97650228/ Youth soccer team celebrates Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Trecker describes two very divergent philosophies in youth soccer today???the AYSO model which emphasizes group participation over ultra-competitiveness and the ???select team??? track based on the Olympic Development Program which stresses player development over personal self-esteem.
It???s a fascinating article about what the primary focus of U.S. youth soccer should be. Do those two visions necessarily have to be in contradiction? Can you provide solid player development at the youth level without creating ???club teams??? that require a significant financial commitment on the part of parents? And what effect does this have on the development of American professional soccer leagues in the future?
Click hereto join this lively debate. Also check out our soccer message boardsto see what other members of eteamz have to say.
(Photo Courtesy of Aris Messinis
http://blogs.active.com/eteamz/uploaded_images/news10-702233.jpg Here's an interesting story about one leagues effort to play soccer along the gulf coast. People in that part of the country have had a really tough time and this goes to show that there is still much to be done. 
Click here to read the story from the Slidell Sentry-News.
(Photo by Jacob Brooks, Slidel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/97234247/ Freddy Adu in the spotlight Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. But this brings up some interesting issues regarding the sometimes blurry line between youth and professional sports. Gymnasts and tennis players routinely turn pro before the age of 18 without much protest. But in team sports things are a little different???especially in an intense soccer environment like the UK. Many question whether the move might just end a promising career before it starts.
Does D.C. United have some sort of some responsibility, considering that they drafted him in the first place, to ensure the 16-year old is not put into an unfavorable environment? Should professional team sport leagues, such as Major League Soccer and the NBA, revisit their age limits when it comes to minors? And how young is too young when it comes to professional sports?
Click hereto tell us what you think about youths playing in professional sports. Also check out the [message boards |http://eteamz.active.com/basketball/boards/hottopicz/message.cfm?id=1505801]to see what other members of the eteamz community are saying about this and other team sports issues.
(Photo Courtesy of Jay Davis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/96875564/ Official Complaint Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. Coach Tom Penders collapsed to his knees in the first half of a game Saturday against Alabama-Birmingham due to lightheadedness. He was called for a technical foul because the officials believed he was pulling a ???Bobby Knight??? and dramatically protesting the previous call. When he was carried off the court in a stretcher and given oxygen the officials realized they had made a mistake.
*And they still called him for a technical*---because under NCAA rules an official has complete latitude when it comes to handing out fouls.
Do you think that rule should be changed? Do you think basketball officials should adhere to a strict guideline when it comes to giving out technical fouls? And what rule in any sport would you change? (I would change the rule that says the San Diego Padres have to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs ehttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=20098642&postID=113934568854192784to tell us what team sport rule you want changed.
And to read the entire story in the Charlotte Observer click on this link.
(Photo Courtesy of Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034700@N00/96411772/ Super Disappointment Originally uploaded by eteamz photos. In a phenomenon as rare as Kobe Bryant passing the ball the Seahawks won such critical categories as turnovers, total yards, and time of possession and still ended up losing the hallowed game. Many unbiased observers are saying the reason lies squarely on some of the worst officiating in Super Bowl history. And while many Seahawk players downplayed the effect of the officials, most Seahawk fans--including their coach???stated simply that they were ???robbed.???
Here at eteamz we???d like to know if you???ve ever had a problem with an official during a game. What happened? What did you do about it? And short or replacing officials with robots what technological advances could we use to improve team sports and make sure the contest is decided by the participants???and not those who preside over it.
Click here to sound off on the issue of officials and team sports. And click hereto check out what other members of the eteamz community are saying about the big game on our eteamz message boards.
(Photo Courtesy of Otto Greule Jr.