I am going to assume that you might have misread some of those quotes due to the poor quality of writing. Because, I did not get that he said that at all. I believe that was inferred by the writer or another person being interviewed.
The dark side of women's recruiting
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I am going to assume that you might have misread some of those quotes due to the poor quality of writing. Because, I did not get that he said that at all. I believe that was inferred by the writer or another person being interviewed.
I don't think the article, poorly written as it was, even said that BF was telling players that all of his assistants were straight and married. What he was saying was that he felt it was ridiculous that he and his staff were getting punished for being married and having families because somebody decided that "family" was a bad word as it relates to gay and lesbian athletes.
Just for the record. It is possible for some of us that believe in the importance of the "traditional" family to do so without hating on those that disagree.
Based on some of the comments in this thread, the opposite is not always true.
Based on some of the comments in this thread, the opposite is not always true.
I think I agree with what you're saying (although it's just vague enough that it could be taken a bunch of radically different ways), I just feel that BF was a pretty unjustified target and that a lot of what he says was taken the wrong way to make it fit into the point the writer wanted to make.
Traditional family? You sound like that crazy congressman/preacher from DM who thinks women shouldn't work outside the home.
Unfortunately for your argument, that are certainly many, many dysfunctional families out there. Believing a "traditional" family is the best way to raise a child is short-sighted, unintelligent, and bigoted.
I took it as "I wish someone could say family is important to them without it being labelled secret anti-gay speech." I think two people seeing such different things in the same post kind of proves my point that if you're looking for "code words" you're going to see them.
Your reply was short-sighted, unintelligent, and bigoted. I love how the people that call other people bigots have a very closed mind themselves.
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I agree 100% that anyone looking for "code words" will find them and wishing it not be veiwed and anti-gay speech just shows how you also see things as you wish.
Any Div 1 womens basketball head coach has to know that there are lesbians that play basketball and it may help or hinder the coach's ability to land other recruits if his/her team is portrayed as being a "gay" team. If they don't at least understand that there are implications +/- to this, their head is in the sand.
They also should know that people on both sides know what the "code words" are. They use them at their own risk. Now in an ideal world there are no "code words", but we don't live there.
Oh, I get that. I'm just saying, part of the appeal of playing for ISU would have to be the familial environment, in a sense that has nothing to do with sexual orientation of anyone on the team or staff. How the hell else is he supposed to describe that? Again, I am pretty damn sure that there have been gay members of ISU squads during Fennelly's tenure and he didn't really appear to treat them any differently. However, he can't come and say that or prove it without naming names, and it's really none of that writer's or her reader's damn business. Really, he should have had to prove anything.
I agree that he's between a rock and hard place. I'm not too worked up about his interview b/c I don't think he's the second coming of Rene Portland at Penn State. It's always seemed in the past that he's played the best players, his personal favorites determined by ability to score and defend. (And I am pretty sure as well that there have been gay players on the team.) Mostly, I'm not too interested in what he says to get them to play for ISU, as long as he doesn't run them off when they get here for ... (Insert your own personal bias here).
Fennelly does sometimes create his own problems with an occasional bout of Foot in Mouth Disease. Which I'm sure made it easy for the reporter to manipulate his statement. Nothing to base the next statement on other than my conjecture, but I would guess he walks the recruiting line pretty tightly. We all love ISU and only can see the good, but it can't be an easy job to recruit to top level talent to the middle of Iowa. With the success he's had, he must work his sales pitch hard.
In human context, a family (from Latin: familiare) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Extended from the human "family unit" by affinity, economy, culture, tradition, honor, and friendship are concepts of family that are metaphorical, or that grow increasingly inclusive extending to nationhood and humanism. A family group consisting of a father, mother and their children is called a nuclear family. This term can be contrasted with an extended family.
Wasn't it the Pittsburg Pirates and their fans, a few years ago, who adopted the theme song "We Are Family". Like the ISU WBB familiy, it was a group of tens of thousands with a common interest, which support each other and hold each other accountable. I think it admirable to seek student athletes who come from environments where they learn a good work ethic, value good academics, exercise self discipline, citizenship, patriotism, public service, courtesy, and respect. These qualities manifest in on court performance and are precursors of adults who represent themselves and the university well.
- Mar 23, 2006
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I've heard tons of men's players on various teams say they picked the team because it felt like a family. So does that mean their straight or gay? Maybe their coaches should be turned into the NCAA for creating a family atmosphere. If there are homophobes are there also heterophobes? I loved the great response to the article by the two guys. Now I am done with this thread.
What a wonderful testimony from Matt and Robert! Thanks so much for posting their response to the ESPN article. I also appreciated the approach of Helen Carroll who is also quoted in your above link: "That does mean that the coaches talk to the parents and the athlete and say that they, as coaches, expect that there are/will be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes on their team. That strengthens the team. The coach could even bring it up before the parents ask. That is what I used to do as a coach and 9 out of 10 times it worked out successfully."
