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Baseball / Football / Sports
Commentary: Summertime blues include unsavory sports fodder
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor
It’s been a columnist’s dream, the start to this summer. Between a delayed but discordant reaction to fan behavior at Westlake’s state semifinal baseball game against El Paso Socorro to a frightening incident at a local golf course involving former Chap Matt Nader, sports fodder has come at a rate to match the rising temperatures.
But revoke my columnist’s card, because I don’t want any part of it.
In 370 words, how can one psychoanalyze a Westlake student who inexplicably wears a Confederate bandanna and chants “We speak English” to the predominantly Mexican-American fans in support of Soccoro during the June 12 baseball game? And, yes, it happened. I was there. Westlake’s an accomplished school; certainly the history classes taught on campus have conveyed the hate behind such symbols and the ignorance behind mean-spirited chants.
In 370 words, how can one psychoanalyze a community? Westlake has worked hard to reverse a nasty reputation of sportsmanship acquired during some nasty moments more than a decade ago. Every student that attends a Chap sporting event should realize his – and, yes, I use that pronoun deliberately – responsibility to exhibit fan behavior that only draws praise. A first shirking of that responsibility should draw a stern warning from school officials; a second should lead to a yearlong suspension from attending any further Westlake athletic events.
In 370 words, how can one psychoanalyze a troubled man who drew a gun on Nader following a round of golf at Lions? According to media reports, 73-year-old Edwin Dailey was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, after he pointed a handgun at Nader and several other golfers during an argument in a parking lot. Dailey reportedly said that he was “morally obligated to destroy” anyone who threatened him. Nader may stand 6-feet-6-inches and weigh’ 300 pounds and enjoy the gift of gab, but only a noseguard should feel threatened by the former all-state offensive lineman and current University of Texas student coach.
In 370 words, why should a columnist explore the lesser actions of human nature through the prism of sports?
Well, look out the window and glance at the thermometer. It’s still summer, and football remains two months away.
Thank you for writing about this issue and for confirming that you witnessed the behavior and attitudes displayed at the WHS baseball game. I have heard that more than one student was involved in more than one incident.
Bullying is a big problem in Eanes ISD. The attitudes underlying this problem are apparent not only in the children, but also in the adults who model this behavior either overtly or through their silence. Perhaps even worse than the superior, exclusive attitude displayed by many adults and students is the response of apathy and/or denial.
Children who are different and even adults who voice a different experience and/or opinion in Eanes ISD are at risk (almost predictably) of intimidation, retaliation and other forms of bullying behavior. The hegemony of Eanes ISD is powerful. People conform and become apathetic to the problems because they believe there is protection in going along to get along.
The prism of sports is a good one, albeit not the only one, through which we can examine these problems. The priority on athletics, the sense of entitlement and superiority, the win-at-all-costs mentality (literally) of the Eanes ISD leadership, the disenfranchisement of those with a differing opinion, is fertile ground for bullying behavior.
Let’s be shocked by the behavior of the students at the baseball game — but let’s also recognize that removing one child or two or more will not solve the underlying problem. Eanes ISD is certainly no model for acceptance and/or accommodation of diversity.
Each and every child who has been bullied out of the district (sometimes by those at the top) can attest to this sad truth. Each and every district parent who has been bullied into a quiet submission understands there is a price to pay for speaking up. And the silent apathy surrounding this problem is — deafening.
My question has to be whether you pointed out the student(s) to members of the administrative or athletic staffs present if you felt your journalistic role doesn’t include becoming directly involved. As a member of this community who has attended many sporting events, including out of town events, I do care about the sportsmanship we display. I have to tell you that Westlake fans are far better behaved and have more class than many of the fans of opponents we have faced.
That being said, adolescents make poor choices–it happens frequently. And I’ve seen the assistant principals intervene at playoff football games if some of our students started yelling something off color. Now if this kid was not one of our students, they probably couldn’t do anything about it. However, I think before you wrote this piece it would have been legitimate to contact the high school administration to see if they knew about it and what they did.
As a community I think we all have a responsibility to step in to the extent appropriate to protect the reputation of our school and community. I’m just sorry that this was done with an after the fact published article rather than a report to school authorities at the event when something could have been done about it.
I’ve seen bullying happen on Eanes ISD playgrounds. With no help in sight. And when the administrators are notified and the bullying is confirmed by school psychologists, there is still no help.
The Eanes ISD administration likely reads the Austin American-Statesman. I do not believe this is a matter of the administration being clueless about this problem. Immediately following the baseball game, in an article by the Statesman sports reporters, El Paso ISD students and players wrote about the abuse by WHS students at that game. It is outrageous. Just like the Eanes ISD playgrounds and halls and yes, bathrooms — where Eanes ISD children (at all grade levels) are bullied. Sometimes so harshly that they must leave the district. Rather than protecting the “reputation of our school and community” we need to start by protecting all children from bullying within our own school district and community.
Kudos to the WP reporter for bringing this issue into the light. Now, let’s hear from the Eanes ISD administration regarding plans to address this issue. Oh, wait – they’re in China …
Slow news day Tom? How about the first day of football practice?