The “boycott” will not be televised. Not on ESPN anyway.
A “world leader in the sport” is channeling her inner Gil Scott-Heron in connection with a growing list of women's volleyball teams refusing to play against teams led by men.
In the 1970s, jazz poet Scott-Heron famously said while playing a conga drum, “Revolutions aren't televised.'' Scott-Heron's song referred to the overthrow of the government and the so-called liberation of black Americans.
I can't stay home, brother.
Cannot be plugged in, turned on or turned off
You can't beat Skag.
Don't go get a beer during commercials
The revolution won't be shown on TV…
On Monday, the University of Nevada, Reno, the No. 5 college volleyball team, announced its intention to forfeit its game against San Jose State University, a Division 1 member of the Mountain West Conference. The Spartans' best player is Brayden Fleming, a young man who changed his name to Blair. He had played for the San Jose State team the past two years while the university hid his biological sex.
In March, one of his teammates, Brooke Slusser, joined a lawsuit accusing the NCAA of violating Title IX by allowing biological males to compete against females. Slusser was one of Fleming's roommates at one point.
“That was a really hard pill to swallow. I couldn't understand the fact that there were men on the team, and it was like I was in denial for a really long time that something like this was happening,” Slusser said. spoke. Exclusive interview with OutKick.com. “So it was really hard to get my thoughts together. And it was still a topic that we weren't allowed to talk about much. It was just whispers behind closed doors that this was happening, but no one knew. We didn’t really talk about it or address it.”
This is a great moment. Teammates are at odds with each other. Colleges compete against athletes.
Slusser's experience sounds exactly like what's happening at ESPN, a mature media institution born in 1979. Slashers are children. She should be confused and hopeful. A true world leader would explore this controversial topic and provide Slusser and others with the information and insight to make informed decisions about gender identity.
ESPN, 45, is a scared kid. Disney will not allow broadcasters to address the most important issues in all sports. I'm sure it's being whispered about behind closed doors.
But in front of the cameras, Stephen A. Smith, Pat McAfee, Ryan Clark, Shannon Sharpe and the other speakers are all silent. It's a stark contrast, the difference in how ESPN handles racial and gender conflicts.
Two years ago, a black volleyball player at Duke University claimed that BYU fans hurled racial slurs at her during a game. Smith and Sharpe loudly defended Rachel Richardson on camera. University of South Carolina head basketball coach Dawn Staley canceled a basketball game at BYU, claiming the players were unsafe. ESPN.com published several top stories about the incident and Staley's reaction.
BYU conducted an extensive investigation and worked to identify the alleged perpetrator. The investigation concluded there was no suspicion of assault. This claim never made sense. A group of college students shouting the “N-word” everywhere using smartphones in a closed environment? Come on.
But something real, important and traumatic is happening in the world of volleyball and sports. ESPN has nothing to say.
Nevada, Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State all announced they will not play “Blair” Fleming State University and San Jose State University. Hours after the Nevada team made its announcement, the school issued a rebuttal to the young women on the team.
“The players' decisions and statements were made independently without consultation with the university or the athletic department, and the players' decisions do not represent the university's position,” the administration said in a statement.
“The university intends to proceed with the game as scheduled, and players may choose not to participate on game day,” the statement concluded. No player will be subject to disciplinary action for deciding not to participate in a match. ”
This is an amazing moment and an incredible story that highlights a watershed moment in our country's history and culture. Teammates are at odds with each other. Colleges compete against athletes.
Is gender a state of mind or a state of body?
The answer is obvious. Confusion is a byproduct of a lack of public discussion. It is not discussed because those who prefer “state of mind” realize that they will be slaughtered in public debate. Their public silence and not-so-private bullying sparked an off-television revolution.
I call it the “cis rights movement.” It is led by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines. Three years ago, she publicly protested when William “Leah” Thomas invaded women's swimming and stole NCAA medals from women. Gaines is the Rosa Parks of female athletes. Her courage inspired the courage of volleyball players from Nevada, Wyoming, Boise State, Southern Utah and Utah State.
This week, women in Utah started wearing “Boycott” T-shirts. They want to keep the boys out of the locker room and out of sports. They understand that women excel in athletics by competing among themselves.
That's a message progressives don't want to spread. The left believes in androgyny. They believe that men and women are the same. They reject God's Word written in Genesis. They reject common sense.
To publicly defend their position would expose their hostility to God and common sense.
Disney and ESPN won't televise this revolution — especially in an election where the Democratic candidate is from San Francisco, parties with drag queens, and thinks children should be neutered on demand. Not so in the year of .
