Lquinton Ross: Point/Counterpoint- A Female Perspective by Vicki Jacobs
I have to admit; I almost never drive around killing brain cells listening to sports radio. I don’t have the slightest idea who “The Common Man” is. Is he really just a common man or does he merely represent the common man?
I do however enjoy killing brain cells reading my friend Colin’s blog Pencil Storm. Sometimes. Depends who’s writing the posts. When I read this from Colin’s Laquinton Ross post: “…I was at the game with my ten year old son and I applauded when Q was escorted from the court…” I may have sniffed and blinked back a few tears.
As a mother, I applauded when I read that line. Then, I kept reading. Wait just a hot minute, yo. Colin was applauding when Q was escorted from the court because he thought Q (gulp) did a good thing?? The hell?
I wasn’t at the game, but I did watch the footage. The way Colin saw it, “Q was standing up for a teammate.” Um, because Amir Williams needs standing up for? I don’t think so. Colin goes on to say that “Q didn’t throw a punch and didn’t jeopardize the outcome of the game.” What if he had done those things…thrown a punch or jeopardized the outcome of the game? Is that where we draw the line at sportsmanship? Or isn’t that part of the game anymore? What about being accountable for our actions?
In my opinion, the “good hard push” was selfish. Amir Williams was handling himself under the boards just fine thankyouverymuch and the refs were working to get things under control. Then Q walked over and “gave a good hard push”. Why? Because he was standing up for his poor, bullied teammate? Hell no. Because he lost his temper. Came unraveled. Lost his cool. Came undone. Went a little bat shit crazy.
Nobody in his or her right mind should applaud that shit. Why?
Because… Steubenville. Q is a 21-year-old college basketball player. He’s a kid, I get it. (Technically not a kid, but whatever) He made a mistake. I get that too. But applauding him after pushing another player and getting ejected from a game? No way.
We need to teach our ten-year-old boys that it isn’t OK to loose your shit and push someone. Stand up for your friends in challenging situations… YES. Out of control, flagrant behavior… NOPE. Never, ever OK. Not during a basketball game, not while driving, not at a party. Not ever. Athletes aren’t any different than the rest of us and if they are treated like they are, awful things can happen. They aren’t above reproach. They aren’t above the rules or the law. They are accountable for their actions. Period.
I want my ten-year-old boy to know this NOW and six years from now so he never rapes a girl who is passed out and films it with his friends while laughing. I want him to learn to keep his wits about him in times of stress and to remain in control when there is a damn good possibility that others around him might be completely out of control.
As a mother, I want to send a clear message that this sort of behavior isn’t going to be tolerated. And it starts by NOT applauding athletes who are out of control.
Disclaimer: I love Colin Gawel. He is super cool and one of the greatest dads I know. Our parenting styles are very similar and we usually agree on most everything. Except his applauding Q while he was being ejected from the game. He got that shit wrong. Maybe a female perspective will help shed some light.
Vicki Jacobs is an avid reader of well written blogs. She misses writing on her own blog so she thought she’d offer a female perspective here on Pencil Storm because a lot of chicks read it. Vicki has a ten-year-old son and loves to hang out on the playground after school and talk politics, education and sometimes sports with Colin Gawel. (Even if he is wrong on occasion.)