THE GOOD
HI FROM TANZANIA
My name is Edna John from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, a tennis player and a coach. I started to play tennis when I was young, 6yrs old. I used to be on a national junior tennis team, but after I turned 18 I changed my career and stopped playing tennis because in our country there is no support for senior players.
But I couldn't stay away long because I love tennis. After two years of no tennis, I came back and said let me start to teach people how to play tennis also. So I learned how to be a coach, and I think this is the best thing I've ever done.
I really love my job and I especially love teaching kids. That's all 🙏 thanks
My take: All the best to you, Edna. If any of our readers wants to connect with her, Edna Johns is on LinkedIn.
LINDSAY BRANDON NEW WTA DIRECTOR OF SAFEGUARDING
One of her tasks: creating a safeguarding code of conduct
AP reported on March 20 about Lindsay Brandon. The article titled "Women’s tennis works to safeguard against predatory coaches" explains that Lindsay is a lawyer who was previously involved with helping athletes dispute doping suspensions. "In her new post as the WTA’s first director of safeguarding, Brandon is leading an increased effort to protect athletes from predatory coaches — and others — on the women’s professional tennis tour." She said in a telephone interview from the BNP Paribas Open, "“Safeguarding is about emotional abuse. Physical abuse, as well. And it’s not just coach-athlete. There are other people that are part of this process. There can be athlete-to-athlete issues. There can be issue with respect to training staff separate from coaches. Those are just some of the examples.” Read more here
My take: Good move by the WTA. Having a lawyer safeguard women's tennis and the organization so the WTA legal department has less to worry about and the players feel safer. Excellent.
Speaking of women's tennis...
WTA RECEIVES $150M PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTMENT
Christopher Clarey explains in the New York Times
CVC Capital Partners, the former owner of Formula 1, will take a 20 percent stake in a commercial subsidiary as the tour seeks to expand its marketing of events and players and increase prize money.
Clarey writes that according to WTA CEO Steve Simon, the CVC investment was not directly linked to the revenue the WTA Tour lost by suspending tournaments in China. "The WTA announced Tuesday that CVC had become a commercial partner after making a $150 million investment that would give CVC a 20 percent stake in a new commercial subsidiary named WTA Ventures. The subsidiary will focus on generating revenue by managing, for example, sponsorship sales as well as broadcasting and data rights."
My take: The WTA needs the money, for sure. CVC is based in Luxembourg and has 25 offices worldwide with more than $100 billion under management. There's a better-than-average chance they know what they're doing.
UNIVERSAL TENNIS RELEASES INAUGURAL UTCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Twelve Head Coaches Across All College Tennis Divisions will Help Guide and Drive Innovation and Growth in the Sport
In January, Universal Tennis officially announced the launch of the Universal Tennis Collegiate Alliance (“UTCA”) to support the future of all college programs in the United States. In an article titled "UNIVERSAL TENNIS EXPANDS ITS COMMITMENT TO COLLEGE TENNIS" they stated that many college coaches had urged them to go ahead with UTCA, which "will be a dedicated effort to help guide and drive innovation and growth in college tennis with a board of college leaders and coaches from all five collegiate divisions. All Universal Tennis college program subscribers will be members without any incremental costs. Members will continue to benefit from our continuing investment in technology, events, and world-class support."
This month, they expanded on this vision by announcing the members of the 2023 Universal Tennis Collegiate Alliance (UTCA) Executive Committee.
The UTCA Executive Committee
NCAA Division I
Manny Diaz, University of Georgia
Audra Cohen, University of Oklahoma
Nick Crowell, University of Oklahoma
Robin Stephenson, University of Washington
Jenny Mainz, University of Alabama
Adam Schaechterle, Pepperdine University
Alexandra Leatu, Queens University of Charlotte
NCAA Division II
Derrick Racine, University of West Florida
NCAA Division III
John Browning, Emory University
HBCU Tennis
Alan Green, Xavier University of Louisiana
NAIA Tennis
Hannah Keeling, Georgia Gwinnett College
Junior College/Community College Tennis
Sam Blackburn, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Two coaches chimed in with statements.
“Joining the UTCA is something I greatly value as someone who is passionate about growing the sport and growing the sport through collegiate competition. College tennis is special, and being a part of moving the needle forward with the UTCA for future generations is a no-brainer,” said Alexandra Leatu, head women’s tennis coach at Queens University of Charlotte.
“I’m excited to be a part of the UTCA and appreciate their desire to promote college tennis on a bigger stage. The leadership at Universal Tennis loves our sport and wants to tell our story well,” said Adam Schaechterle, head men’s tennis coach at Pepperdine.
My take: Whatever moves college tennis forward and promotes it more than what's done today should be welcome. UTR has the expertise and the resources to make that happen. Bravo!
HI FROM Florida
Hi, I'm Kendall Nash from Jacksonville, Florida.
Tennis has always been a part of my life since I was a young girl. Every day I would go to practice and learn countless ways on how to improve my game. I now play college tennis at the University of North Florida where I got my bachelor’s degree in communication PR with a minor in sports management.
Due to COVID, I was lucky enough to gain an extra year of eligibility to continue playing alongside getting my masters in Athletic Administration. I coach at local country clubs all around Jacksonville where my main focus is the development of young children and trying to get them to fall in love with the sport just like I did.
I teach tennis because it is where I am most happy. Not only do I want kids to have fun, but I want to make an impact on their lives and their tennis game. I always think about the countless coaches I had growing up and how much they helped me, so I hope that I can be that person in a developing junior's career.
I love what I do and I can’t wait to graduate and continue coaching full-time at academies or country clubs all around the world.
My take: Love it, Kendall. The good news is: This country needs more female tennis coaches. All the best to you! If any of our readers wants to connect with her, Kendall Nash is on LinkedIn.
2023 US OPEN TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EQUAL PRIZE MONEY
50 Years Ago US Open Became First Sporting Event in History to Offer Same Prize Money to Male and Female Competitors.
From the USTA Press Release on March 14: The USTA today announced that the celebration of the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the US Open will be the central theme of the 2023 US Open, and will be bolstered by a number of significant events and a multi-media campaign that will cross linear, digital, and social media channels. The nine-month celebration beginning today on National Equal Pay Day will include extensions leading up to and through the 2023 US Open, and will continue for the duration of the year. Fifty years ago, in 1973, the US Open became the first sporting event in history to offer equal prize money to both men and women competitors, with each competing for total purses of $100,000, including a $25,000 payout to both the men’s and women’s singles champion.
The great Billie Jean King became the pioneer for equal prize money when she won the women’s singles title at the 1972 US Open and unequivocally demanded that the following year’s US Open pay men’s and women’s players equally. King’s ultimatum set the tone for a momentous year ahead, which first saw the formation of the Women’s Tennis Association. After the 1973 US Open milestone of equal pay, King then defeated Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match at Houston’s iconic Astrodome, a match that helped to propel the women’s movement in both sports and in society, and still remains the most-watched tennis match ever.
“The USTA is incredibly proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of awarding equal prize money at this year’s US Open, and to honor Billie Jean King’s efforts to make this a reality,” said Brian Hainline, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “No individual has done more to secure equality for female athletes than Billie Jean King. Her impact goes far beyond the tennis court, and there is no better time to celebrate her legacy than on the anniversary of this historic milestone.”
“It’s not just about the money, it’s about the message,” said Billie Jean King. “Every generation does have to fight for equality and freedom.”
The USTA also is actively supporting the effort to have King’s myriad achievements recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal. Though 11 individual athletes have received the Congressional Gold Medal, none of those recipients has been a woman athlete. The campaign to award the honor to King has begun, and efforts will be ongoing over the course of the year.
The USTA will be partnering with the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), founded in 1974 by King to enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life, which will support the Congressional Gold Medal campaign in a number of ways, including with their expertise in advocacy and collective impact, as well as their significant reach with athletes, leaders, entities and fans.
“Billie has rightfully received numerous honors and accolades in her life,” said Stacey Allaster, Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, USTA and US Open Tournament Director. “But the time has come for our nation to recognize her achievements with the Congressional Gold Medal for the wide-ranging positive impact these achievements have had on generations of women, men, girls, and boys of all backgrounds, making our country a better place.”
My take: I'm glad the USTA is getting behind this. BJK earned that Congressional Gold Medal.
HI FROM IRAN
Hi, my name is Paniz Shahribaf from Tehran in Iran.
When I was younger, my dream was to be the no.1 player in Iran but at that time we didn't have the right coaches. So I decided to learn how to teach tennis and help others achieve their dreams. I am a member of Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).
Paniz teaches part-time at Maham Tennis Club in Tehran and also works in Marketing and Business Development for the UAE-based sports management platform S-PIN.
My take: Thank you for connecting, Paniz. If any of our readers want to connect with her, Paniz Shahribaf is on LinkedIn. She also says that they created a LinkedIn group so coaches can share their ideas and experiences. Here's the link: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14222044/
INAUGURAL SOCAL CITY SLAMS SEASON
IN FULL SWING
Four teams representing the cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Studio City came together at Weddington Golf & Tennis to play the first round in the inaugural season of SoCal City Slams on March 25th. City Slams rules for group-level matches call for the first three teams to advance to the next level.
It was the team in red, Studio City's "Ace Holes" that won overall (see above). The team for Los Angeles (left) won the award for the most creative outfit. The team playing for the City of Pasadena fought hard but unfortunately didn't make it to the next round.
The three winning teams will meet on April 22nd in Santa Monica. One team will again leave the competition while the two winners play the finals in May. That winner will be the City Slams Champion for Southern California.
City Slams NorCal will start the competition in July. By December this year, we'll have both NorCal and SoCal champions meet and duke it out for the 2023 Inaugural California City Slams State Championship. Woohoo!
Interested in fielding a NorCal team? Please email Billy Shears.
THE NOT BAD
NON-TENNIS ROUNDUP
Lots going on in the Pickleball/Padel arena these days.
We collected some interesting stuff for you.
Pickleball Plans New York City Takeover This Summer
Front Office Sports reports about Central Park's Wollman Rink and the huge project by NY City-based CityPickle of turning it into a 14-court pickleball venue this summer. The courts will allow for 196 hours of available playing time each day! "Players can book a court for $80 per hour at off-peak times and $120 per hour at peak times. CityPickle will also offer paddle rentals for $6 each, but players are welcome to bring their own."
Photo: CityPickle
My take: These are, of course, NYC prices. You won't be able to charge $120 an hour anywhere else in the country. I guess the calculation will pay off for CityPickle and hope those prices will not rub off on tennis court rentals...
2023 USA Pickleball National Championships leaves Indian Wells for Dallas
Desert Sun reports about USA Pickleball announcing they will move its national championship from Indian Wells to Dallas starting in November this year.
"The nine-day tournament is expected to draw 3,500 amateur and professional players and 25,000 spectators to Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas, making it the world’s largest pickleball tournament. Officials said that's a 50% increase over the event’s participation in 2022 and will utilize up to 65 courts."
The tournament had been hosted at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden since 2018. "We have enjoyed hosting the USA Pickleball National Championships and are proud that we could play a key part in elevating the sport," said Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer at Desert Champions in Indian Wells. "We wish USA Pickleball continued success and look forward to watching as the event continues its growth.” Read full article
Professional pickleball player Parris Todd.
Photo: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun
My take: I assume Larry Ellison doesn't see a rosy future for pickleball. The new venue is more in the middle of the country and therefore accessible to more players. However, making this work at the Brookhaven Country Club looks like a monumental job to me. Where are they planning to put the parking lot? Hmm...
The Pickleball Craze Is Real, but Its TV Potential Is a Different Story
Morning Consult reports that Media executives and pickleball stakeholders share the challenges ahead as the growing sport now aims to become a sustainable media and streaming product.
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15% of U.S. adults said they have played pickleball, compared with 58% who have played tennis.
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66% of adults and 61% of sports fans said they are not interested in watching pickleball on TV or via a streaming provider.
My take: Whether all those new pickleballers that flock to parks and converted private courts are willing to watch their new favorite sport on TV remains to be seen. My March 2023 article "WHAT'S WRONG WITH TENNIS HOME VIEWERSHIP IN AMERICA?" concluded that "We (tennis) are creating an army of players and the others are creating an army of viewers." Is pickleball falling into the same trap?
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop
Pickleball is America's fastest-growing sport. These people hate it
This CNN BUSINESS article is about the sound and disruption from pickleball which is driving some neighbors, tennis players, parents of young children, and others crazy. "Homeowners groups and local residents in dozens of towns and cities have rallied to limit pickleball play and block the development of new courts. They are circulating petitions, filing lawsuits, and speaking out at council and town hall meetings to slow the audible spread of pickleball frenzy across the country." Read full article
My take: The pickleball noise problem has been with us for years. I'm really not sure why USA Pickleball hasn't addressed that problem with a softer ball which would make this irritant go away.
DUPR Collegiate Pickleball - 2023 Schedule
DUPR announced the Collegiate Tournament Schedule for 2023!
There will be 12 Regional Tournaments, The Collegiate Team National Championships, and new this year is the Collegiate Individual National Championship. All tournaments will be played at Life Time locations across the country.
DUPR is working to bring the college pickleball experience to as many schools as possible, and that starts by having regionalized tournaments across the nation. DUPR will be hosting the first annual Collegiate Individual National Championship, where players from any school can come and compete in brackets for all 5 events.
To conclude the year, DUPR will be hosting the 2023 Collegiate National Championship for the 36 best college teams in the country!
My take: I heard positives and negatives about DUPR. Can't make up my mind but applaud them for setting up an interesting program for college folks.
Pickleball Growth Explained
WHAT IS PICKLEBALL, AND HOW DID IT BECOME SO POPULAR?
Sportico reports: Depending on who you ask, pickleball is either an addictive recreational activity, the next big professional sport, a unique business opportunity, a major nuisance, or all of the above. Undeniably, it is the fastest-growing sport in America.
If any sport won the pandemic, it’s this one, emerging from relative obscurity to become an object of fascination both for casual players and the sports business industry looking to cash in.
In 2022, the number of players nearly doubled to 8.9 million in the US. That pushed it past older sports like softball and volleyball, though it still sits well behind tennis (23.6 million). Hundreds of manufacturers are filling demand for balls and paddles, while others look to build new courts or even entire destinations catering to the pickleball set. Read more here.
My take: I guess if I had a knee problem, I would play pickleball, too. Better than sitting on the couch watching Bag Checks on Tennis Channel reruns and commercials for adult diapers.
John McEnroe Guest on the Pat McAfee Show
"It's Great If You Aren't Athletic" Tennis LEGEND John McEnroe BURIES Pickleball To Pat McAfee
My take: Listen to the zingers John is dishing out. Absolutely hilarious! Not sure if I want to watch the Pickleball Slam but the I loved watching John on the McAfee show.
Yankees buying into Padel, a Pickleball rival
The New York Yankees are buying a stake in a three-year old touring circuit of a fast-growing, tennis-like racquet sport. Not pickleball, but padel.
Yahoo Sports reports: "Yankee Global Enterprises, the Steinbrenner family-owned holding company, has signed a preliminary term sheet to buy an equity stake in A1 Padel, a pro tour founded in 2020 by Fabrice Pastor, a Monte Carlo-based businessman who champions the game. Details of the investment were not disclosed."
THE SKEPTIC
WHAT'S GOING ON IN ESPORTS?
Strange messages pointing to bigger problems?
Sports Business Journal reported, "Kroenke Sports & Entertainment appears to be exiting esports space."The article pointed out that "Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has laid off the vast majority of its esports division in what appears to be an exit from the esports and gaming space, according to sources." Hmm. But who is KSE?
From Wikipedia: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) is an American sports and entertainment holding company based in Denver, Colorado. Originally known as Kroenke Sports Enterprises, it was started in 1999 by businessman Stan Kroenke to be the parent company of his sports holdings. Today, the company has control of over five professional sport franchises, and one association football club that has two teams Arsenal F.C. and Arsenal W.F.C., four stadiums, two professional esports franchised teams, four television channels, an internet TV channel, & 19 magazines which operate under the badge Outdoor Sportsman Group, four radio stations which operate under the badge KSE Radio Ventures, LLC, and websites.
The SBJ article continues, "The source also tells SBJ that KSE's decision could signal more exits to come among other franchise owners. Stick-and-ball team owners with franchises within CDL or OWL include the Patriots' Robert Kraft and Cavaliers’ Dan Gilbert, among others. Both KSE and Activision Blizzard did not respond to request for comment at deadline."
My take: When I also read in SportTechie that "Esports Engine co-founder & President Adam Apicella is no longer part of the turnkey esports solutions company" I'm thinking wow. What is going on in that young industry? I will investigate further and get back to you when there are more news.
TENNIS CHANNEL UPDATE
More questions than answers surround the only linear tennis broadcaster in the U.S.
To recap, in January we asked WHO COULD THROW THE TENNIS CHANNEL A LIFELINE? (Did jumping head-first into pickleball pay off for The Tennis Channel and its parent Sinclair Broadcasting, Inc.) We reported that Sinclair/Byron Allen Entertainment Studios' joint venture Diamond Sports Group and its Regional Sports Network Bally Sports was in financial trouble. They subsequently filed for bankruptcy. The rumors that Sinclair Broadcasting was trying to sell the Tennis Channel were quite persistent. My question was what if they can't find a buyer and the Tennis Channel goes under?
In February we reported TENNIS CHANNEL IS PRIORITIZING MAJOR LEAGUE PICKLEBALL OVER ATP AND WTA TOUR TENNIS AND LOST 20 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS (Is it time for another tennis media and entertainment player to emerge?) According to Nielsen Media Research, the Tennis Channel lost 20m households since 2019 and I asked "At 36,000 daily viewers (in January), will anyone notice if the Tennis Channel is gone?"
In our March issue, the TENNIS CHANNEL UPDATE (I guess it's really tough to sell tennis to home viewers nowadays) pointed out that the 36,000 daily viewers we reported on in February were corrected to 24,000 according to US.TVDB.
I concluded that advertisers may have lost confidence in the Tennis Channel and that the company was in a never-ending spiral. No viewers = no money = no ability to create quality content = no viewers... Diamond's bankruptcy could potentially be very dangerous for the Tennis Channel because all the money TC makes is by being bundled with Sinclair assets. As Sinclair's business gets disrupted, so does TC.
Everyone is wondering whether the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy has a huge impact on the future of the Tennis Channel. I guess time will tell. I am a little worried about the WTA, though, since they gave the Tennis Channel exclusive coverage of their matches in the U.S. Should Diamond Sports and Sinclair come to an end, and TC goes under because it doesn’t have cable/satellite bundling distribution leverage anymore, what happens to the WTA then? I guess they would be left without a media home.
I'm repeating what I've been saying for months now:
I think we're at a crucial time in tennis for a new media company to emerge with better content to attract a
younger audience and command bigger advertising dollars.
TIAFOE SAYS TENNIS FANS SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE FREEDOM AT MATCHES
"I think fans should be able to come and go and move around and speak during matches."
In a Reuters article on March 23, Frances Tiafoe says that tennis should loosen its strict rules governing the behavior of fans attending matches to help attract a younger audience. "Imagine going to a basketball game and not saying anything."
Fellow American and world number three Jessica Pegula said she liked Tiafoe's "positive" ideas but there had to be checks to ensure players are not disturbed. "You can't have people shouting in the middle of a point necessarily, but maybe if the movement was less restrictive, I don't think it's that big of a deal," Pegula said.
Read the article here.
My take: I love Frances. Saw him for the first time playing in a junior tournament in LA. His ideas are great in my opinion. You don't want to overdo it, of course. But tennis could borrow a lot from other sports. Let's do it!
Photo by All-Pro Reels -https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeglo/52391374709
ARE "MASTERS" TENNIS EVENTS DESIGNED FOR THE RICH?
Is that the new racket of tennis organizers, fleecing the regular customers and kowtowing to the rich?
When I saw Johan Kriek's post on Facebook, I thought large tennis tournaments are the perfect racket for fleecing regular people and making sure the rich know the show is mainly for them...
The racket looks like this for the average customer like you and me:
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In Indian Wells, you park far away on a gravel lot and pay $25 for that pleasure.
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In Miami, you have to buy expensive stadium tickets through Ticketmaster and pay a $30-60 service fee.
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You are not allowed to bring food or water in and pay through the nose for a plastic burger.
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In Indian Wells, the beer is $15.50 a glass, the champagne is $30-34 per glass, the water is $6 for a small bottle.
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In Miami, the plastic burger is $23 and the water is $10.
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In Indian Wells, you pay $10 for the pleasure of charging your phone (day pass). That used to be free.
If you're rich, that looks a little different, of course. You can afford the better seats, parking on grass lots close to the stadium included. You can also afford suite food. And I'm sure charging your phone is free, too.
At the US Open, they'll sell you a watered-down vodka drink that costs $3.50 to make for $22 and let you keep the plastic "commemorative, souvenir cup" while supplies last.
My take: I call this price gouging. A surefire way to piss people off and drive them away. Don't let the organizers tell you it's the vendors that make the prices. It's not. The vendors only react to incredibly high fees per square foot of rental space. It's all in the hand of the organizers. Looking at the US Open, you know where this is coming from. An organization that has to service $726M of debt has to find ways to price gouge, everyone.
THE WEIRD
TRACK AND FIELD BANS TRANSGENDER ATHLETES
Adopting last year's decision by the world swimming governing body
I have written exhaustively about Transgender women in sports since 2018. This article from July 2022 titled "IS THE USTA THROWING THEIR OWN LEAGUE PLAYERS UNDER THE BUS? FEMALES ARE NOT SMALL MALES WITH LESS TESTOSTERONE" is a good compilation and clarifies a lot for you. The USTA did this unbelievable woke announcement that opened the door to any male declaring himself a female and playing in women's leagues. And yes, it comes with stipulations but at the same time, they declared they do not need confirmation of any of those.
My article ended with an appeal to USTA CEO Lew Sherr and the Board: "It's OK that you're all always trying to be woker than the rest of us regular tennis folks. We all love all tennis players. Gay, straight, black, brown, white, young, old, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, you name it. I understand what good old boys do to appear diverse and embracing. You jump on an issue and trumpet it out as if you owned it. Like an ex-smoker condemning cigs at every opportunity. Or a Vegan trying to tell us how bad it is to murder a cow. I get it.
But here you are on the wrong side of the issue. Your league ladies are the sections' bread and butter. When they revolt and stay away, you will never get them back. You are now practically herding them toward other leagues and.... wait for it... PICKLEBALL!
Is that what you want, USTA?
What your brilliant board or committee should have done is announce that Trans Women have to play UP one NTRP level if they want to play League on a women's team. Put it into the self-rate function. End of story."
Fast forward to March 23, 2023. The AP story titled "Track bans transgender athletes, tightens rules for Semenya" reports "Track and field banned transgender athletes from international competition Thursday, while adopting new regulations that could keep Caster Semenya and other athletes with differences in sex development from competing.
In a pair of decisions expected to stoke outrage, the World Athletics Council adopted the same rules as swimming did last year in deciding to bar athletes who have transitioned from male to female and have gone through male puberty. "
My take: I am pro women's sports and have to therefore congratulate Track & Field on that decision. Nancy Hogshead, CEO at Champion Women, writes in her post Champion Women and the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group Praise World Athletics’ New Rules Affirming the Women’s Sport Category: "Champion Women and the WSPWG see these new rules as pro-women, affirming the sports category that celebrates our unique biology, and the fact that males and females are built from fundamentally different templates." And "The overwhelming science of 19 studies demonstrate that males cannot take drugs to become females. Moreover, the implication is that women are weakened males. Women are not men-minus-testosterone or men-plus-wombs. Women’s bodies are from a different mold, different in fundamental ways that affect sports performance – which is why virtually every sporting environment offers two distinct categories: one for women and one for men." Thank you, Nancy. I'll leave it at that.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ADIDAS?
First the Ye scandal and now a very strange new women's design (imo)
AP reported on March 8, "Adidas is still wrestling with how to dispose of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of Yeezy shoes after its breakup with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, forcing the German sportswear maker into a big loss at the end of last year and expectations of more pain ahead.
So they made a deal with a guy who came unhinged (surprise?) and now they're sitting on a billion-dollar inventory. Ouch.
And now I'm getting a promotional email celebrating their new line of women's tennis apparel called the Marfimekko Collection. The ad says, "Express yourself with the eye-catching adidas Marimekko Collection! Featuring an iconic 1960s print from the Marimekko design house, this collection makes a stylish statement while staying true to functionality with AEROREADY fabric. Get a head start on the latest trends and grab yours now!"
My take: Hu? The fabric may be AEROREADY but the design is not very appealing in my humble opinion. What were they thinking? Is that German company now becoming unhinged, too?
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