Monday, February 20, 2006
What in the Hell Took So Long?
NKY.Com - Associated Press: "An exclusive, 98-year-old country club in Louisville has admitted its first African-American member.
The Louisville Country Club has been criticized in the past by civil rights groups of discriminatory membership practices.
Louisville banker William Summers V joined the club last month after several members asked him to apply.
'This demonstrates on their part that they want to be inclusive. I encountered no opposition,' said Summers, 35, a bank vice president."
Being from Kentucky, this kind of story baffles me. I have been blessed to not encounter too many people who consider race one way or another. Or maybe I just don't remember as I have been out west for so long now. Whatever it is, this story reminds us that there are still hoards of rednecks that cannot seem to stand upright. It just stuns me that, in this day and age, we could have country clubs that still have no black members. There are plenty of successful and brilliant black people in Central Kentucky. We know that because our Universities are educating them. They are employed by some of our best and biggest companies. These kinds of stories just embarass Kentuckians who have evolved.
The Louisville Country Club has been criticized in the past by civil rights groups of discriminatory membership practices.
Louisville banker William Summers V joined the club last month after several members asked him to apply.
'This demonstrates on their part that they want to be inclusive. I encountered no opposition,' said Summers, 35, a bank vice president."
Being from Kentucky, this kind of story baffles me. I have been blessed to not encounter too many people who consider race one way or another. Or maybe I just don't remember as I have been out west for so long now. Whatever it is, this story reminds us that there are still hoards of rednecks that cannot seem to stand upright. It just stuns me that, in this day and age, we could have country clubs that still have no black members. There are plenty of successful and brilliant black people in Central Kentucky. We know that because our Universities are educating them. They are employed by some of our best and biggest companies. These kinds of stories just embarass Kentuckians who have evolved.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The Blind Wearing Stripes
NFL says Super Bowl 'properly officiated' - Super Bowl - MSNBC.com: "Two days after the Steelers beat the Seahawks 21-10 in the NFL title game, the league said Tuesday that the game was "properly officiated."
"Including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement."
Look, officials were not under fire simply for their calls at the Super Bowl. Fans had already lost faith in them earlier in the year. Aiello standing by his refs may be how to handle the public, but it seems dumb to support what were clearly bad calls week after week. They should just admit it and look into the best ways to handle the problem. I want to watch next season knowing that something has changed in this sport I love so that the best team on the field that day wins that game.
"Including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement."
Look, officials were not under fire simply for their calls at the Super Bowl. Fans had already lost faith in them earlier in the year. Aiello standing by his refs may be how to handle the public, but it seems dumb to support what were clearly bad calls week after week. They should just admit it and look into the best ways to handle the problem. I want to watch next season knowing that something has changed in this sport I love so that the best team on the field that day wins that game.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
If You Are Looking for a Team to Root For...
NKY.Com - UC bangs out big one: "It was the most crucial win of the season for a UC team trying desperately to get to its 15th straight NCAA Tournament.
'We knew in order to have a chance at the postseason we had to protect our home court,' Kennedy said."
The University of Cincinnnati is the team to root for, a true Cinderella story. They beat Louisville last night. To even keep up would be amazing, given that they are playing football players in Big East play just to have enough guys to play. After Bob Huggins was fired, Kennedy took over a really ugly situation. He has not only gotten a team together, which would be a major hurdle for most schools, but he has gotten a rather unlikely set of guys to play at an extremely high level. They looked great last night, and I will be rooting for them this year. Go Bearcats!
'We knew in order to have a chance at the postseason we had to protect our home court,' Kennedy said."
The University of Cincinnnati is the team to root for, a true Cinderella story. They beat Louisville last night. To even keep up would be amazing, given that they are playing football players in Big East play just to have enough guys to play. After Bob Huggins was fired, Kennedy took over a really ugly situation. He has not only gotten a team together, which would be a major hurdle for most schools, but he has gotten a rather unlikely set of guys to play at an extremely high level. They looked great last night, and I will be rooting for them this year. Go Bearcats!
These Calls Weren't for the Birds
These Calls Weren't for the Birds - Los Angeles Times: "Holmgren termed the number of penalties against his team 'unusual.'
'Our team is not a very penalized team in general,' he said. 'And in Super Bowls, they've kind of let the guys play. When you put those two things together, it was a little unusual. And they were very, very costly.
'But anything I say sounds like an excuse. We had our chances.'
As for the officials, they surely weren't happy with their result either. Before the game, the NFL's Pereira told the Associated Press that an officiating crew's goal is 'to be anonymous.'
'What we want to do is to pick up the paper Monday and read about the game, not the officiating,' he said."
A win's a win and a loss is a loss, but it would feel better for all involved, including the fans, if the officiating wasn't what we thought about days after the result. The biggest thing the stripes did on Sunday at the Super Bowl was change the momentum. After two or three very questionable calls, Seattle was thinking more about that than the game. They should have played better after that, used the calls as catalysts to beat the Steelers, but they really didn't emotionally recover, it seemed. The Steelers played a great second half of the season, so we congratulate them. I was happy for Cowher and his guys, Bettis in particular. I just wish it had appeared fairer than it did.
'Our team is not a very penalized team in general,' he said. 'And in Super Bowls, they've kind of let the guys play. When you put those two things together, it was a little unusual. And they were very, very costly.
'But anything I say sounds like an excuse. We had our chances.'
As for the officials, they surely weren't happy with their result either. Before the game, the NFL's Pereira told the Associated Press that an officiating crew's goal is 'to be anonymous.'
'What we want to do is to pick up the paper Monday and read about the game, not the officiating,' he said."
A win's a win and a loss is a loss, but it would feel better for all involved, including the fans, if the officiating wasn't what we thought about days after the result. The biggest thing the stripes did on Sunday at the Super Bowl was change the momentum. After two or three very questionable calls, Seattle was thinking more about that than the game. They should have played better after that, used the calls as catalysts to beat the Steelers, but they really didn't emotionally recover, it seemed. The Steelers played a great second half of the season, so we congratulate them. I was happy for Cowher and his guys, Bettis in particular. I just wish it had appeared fairer than it did.
