The definition of sportsmanship.

Let's just speak hypothetically for a moment. Say you were a soldier. A good soldier stationed in South Korea. You and your wholesome friends decide to have a weekend getaway. Somehow you pass out and awake to find yourself stuck in a turtle ditch. But you're not alone. There's a Newport smelling stranger weaved between you and the drain. You wonder to yourself, "I'm not sure how this is going to play out but damn, how did it all begin?" That's kinda the mentality I had when I began this blog three short weeks ago. I jumped into the examples without presenting a definition upfront. Well, take a look at the woman in the picture. Don't tell me you need more. Here's some text to accompany the living, breathing example: F-E-L-I-S-H-A. That's Mrs. Felisha Legette-Jack!

She exhibits fairness in following the rules of basketball and I've had the pleasure of knowing her for 32 years. Our mothers were co-workers at a CNY hospital. That meant our paths would cross during summer cookouts and funerals. A silhouette of us must have resembled Willy Wonka beside an umpa lumpa. Our Virgo bond allowed us to get along despite a three year age difference and a mere two or three feet height difference. Let's fast forward to Nottingham High School in 1984. I was a Freshman on the JV squad while she was the Captain of Varsity. Muscle covered her once fragile frame and she was a force to be reckoned with under the boards. The coach, Ms. Spease, was demanding and obnoxious. But, like Joe Jackson, she molded talent and developed a star studded team. They won two State Championships.

After Nottingham, she went to the best college in the developed world--Syracuse University. That was when I officially crossed the line from friend to fan. Her respect for her opponent and the game was evident every time she stepped on the court. It reminded me of a Mike Singletary quote: "do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." She was named Rookie of the Year in 1985. By the time she graduated she was 2d leading scorer and all time leading rebounder for SU women.

Since there wasn't a WNBA established, it was logical that she turned to coaching after college. She was a high school coach from 1989-91; the following two years an Assistant coach at Boston College; back to her alma mater as an Assistant coach from 1993-2000; Michigan State from 2000-2002; Hofstra from 2002-2006; and currently at Indiana University. Now don't think she went to all these places and just collected a paycheck. She guided Hofstra to one of its best seasons and has taken the Hoosiers to back-to-back 18+ season wins. Plus, they had to two trips to the postseason. One of those little known facts about her is she was a double major in college (child/family studies and psychology). As a coach at SU, she was credited with 100% graduation rate of the players. The lady gives all she has on and off the court.

Felisha is married and has a son. I strayed away from that because she's an incredibly private person. Considering how available she makes herself for members of the community, I think she should be able to have her own space. And she'd probably kick my pygmy ass if I did step out of line! Just kidding. She's a good-hearted person. She's gracious as a winner or loser. She transcended gender and racial barriers because of her attitude along with athleticism. I hope sharing her story makes another competitor stronger from beginning to end.

Anyone hungry???

Remember those pleasantly plump kids that participated in hot dog eating contests? Everyone in my neighborhood thought they were the biggest losers. Well, nowadays the hot dogs have been replaced with buffalo wings, ribs, pizza, doughnuts, cheesecake, deep-fried okra, and philly cheese steaks to name a few. Competitive eating is more than a trend. It's become a popular profession with individual prizes averaging $10,000 per contest. If you go on Facebook you can meet the "eaters" (that term still makes me laugh) under Major League Eating.

These guys train like you would do for any other type of competition. There are associated health risks with this as well. But, they have organizations that oversee all that technical stuff. According to the International Federation of Competitive Eating, "there are safety standards...it has to take place in a controlled environment with proper safety measures in place." And like any sport there are stars that shine a little more than others. For example, Sonja "The Black Widow" Thomas is a beautiful, petite, Korean born American. At first glance, you'd swear she could use a couple of burritos in her life. Those who've competed against her realize she got her nickname and 30 records because she takes her job seriously. There's Ian "The Invader" Hickman from Sterling, VA. He got my attention because he's noted for his great sportsmanship. What the ...? Do you get bonus points if you wipe your mouth after each bite?

I looked into it and yes, depending on who you talk to, there's an Eaters Code of Ethics. The Association of Independent Eaters was started by Arnie "Chowhound" Chapman. Officially, his organization states, "no separating, mashing, dunking, or other mutilation of contest food." In an unofficial interview (http://www.videojug.com/tag/interview-with-chowhound) he talks about the fellowship and respect that goes along with this sport. If someone is struggling, pour some water on their head or hit them in the stomach. You know the Marines have their code (God, country, corps). I have mine (family, country, Jim Boeheim). If that works for Chapman and the eating world, it's cool with me.

Mr. James, I had to take it there!

I am a hip hop junkie. I'm not in the closet. I don't need a recovering member of the Four Tops to lead an intervention for me. Just give me a Public Enemy cd and I'm high. But a dose of Jay-Z will suffice during hard times.

Last night I was watching his latest video and you'll never guess who had a cameo...Lebron James! I understand why Jay has Kanye West, the biggest baby in rap, appearing in his videos. They are on the same label. But, to add another? Oops, I said I wouldn't bash athletes. Let's put it this way, he's challenged, "in a gracefully defeated" way and I'm mad Jay even gave him a spotlight. Yes, it's been 90+ days since Cleveland lost to LA during the NBA playoffs. Both teams played well and the better team won, of course. However, all of that was quickly overshadowed by the selfish unprovoked act of Lebron. Why didn't he shake hands?

The entire city of Akron, OH idolizes him. He gives bikes to children during the Summer and school supplies during the Fall. I didn't read this in a tabloid. Shawn, my ex-boyfriend, has developed a Stan/Eminem relationship with Lebron. He tells me the poor man's schedule and activities way too often. I know he was ranked #1 for points per game during the playoffs. I realize he kicks butt in free throws. He's not exactly Carmello Anthony or Earl "the Pearl" Monroe but he's good. Which leads me back to the question: why didn't he just shake hands?

I heard that he didn't like to lose and to shake hands was an acceptance of his loss. BULL! Basketball is a team sport. If other members of the team can "humble" themselves, then he should be able to as well. Also, the Cavaliers have an impressive record. This means other teams have taken the time to shake hands in the face of defeat. This is bigger than sweaty palms touching. If that was the case, no one would ever go near Dennis Rodman. It's about tradition and good sportsmanship. In my opinion, neither are negotiable.

Excuse me while I sneak a sip of New Boyz...

When is enough...really enough?

I am the proud mother of three active boys. Two inherited my competitive gene. The other merely plays for the sake of the post-game snack. But, that doesn't bother me at all. My philosophy about organized sports is the children get exercise, learn group dynamics, and of course, better their skills at that particular sport. Notice I replaced the usual "team player" with "group dynamics." Team player implies someone "takes one"; while "dynamics" sounds more like leaders are being developed on and off the court/field. Well, during one of their many soccer games, it became obvious the other team was not much of a contest. Our coach put in the bench warmers. But to be honest, Dick Cheney and Hugh Hefner could have wiped these boys out! The crowd gave the coach a piece of their mind. I'm sure the members of the losing team must have gone through a spectrum of emotions: anger at themselves, anger at their teammates, anger at their opponents. I'm sure hearing their parents scream profanity at the coach and the zebra-clad villain, takes the defeat to another level. Ironically, the parents on our end were not sympathetic. They figured, "if they can't stand the heat get out the kitchen." I was really torn because I don't believe in all this politically correct, "everyone is a winner", nonsense. Someone has to lose. You can take the situation and practice harder or quit the team. At the same time, there's enough estrogen left in my household that I have some sense of empathy. Would I want to be that parent? Or better yet, would I want my child to be put in the position of that team?
Should the game have been stopped? Should the winning coach encourage his team to go softer on these guys? What is the sportsman code when getting spanked (that's a level beyond beat)?