Brittney and Baylor

[Ozzie Nelson]

From Baylor’s mission statement…

“Baylor encourages all of its students to cultivate their capacity to think critically, to assess information from a Christian perspective, to arrive at informed and reasoned conclusions, and to become lifelong learners."


http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...ttney-griner-takes-bullying-new-autobiography

How Britteny saw the mission accomplished…

"I remember thinking once I got to college I would finally be free," she said. "And then I get there and I had to stay hidden. My teammates didn't have a problem with me being gay, but the school did. It was crazy."

 

[HoopsFan21]

On the one hand it was her choice to go there, on the other it's despicable that any person or institution would discriminate against someone's sexual orientation. It's probably the same people who are also racist. It's 2014. Guess there are still some living in the dark ages.

 

[UcMiami]

On the one hand it was her choice to go there, on the other it's despicable that any person or institution would discriminate against someone's s e xual orientation. It's probably the same people who are also racist. It's 2014. Guess there are still some living in the dark ages.

Don't want to be preachy but there is religious dogma which over centuries has changed (it was used to support the concept of slavery for a long period) and there is a separate issue of human interaction. I do not have a problem with a religion determining what their faith stands for, or defining religious sacraments however they choose - Catholics do not allow women to be priests, a number of religions do not recognize same sex marriage and religious sects are not monolithic either. I also don't have a problem with 'religious' schools being set up and creating codes of conduct that conform to their religious strictures. I believe Baylor like BYU has a rule against any fornication and a student will get in trouble if 'reported' and a pregnant unwed woman is not permitted to continue her studies until after her child's birth.
I personally find most of these things both unrealistic and very outdated and ridiculous, but I don't dispute the institutions right to implement them. If they are enforced unequally and generally they are, then that is a problem. And if there are tax dollars involved that also is very troubling.
I do have a problem in the recruiting process if a student asks if there will be a problem and the coach only says 'not on my team' and does not add, 'but the school does have these policies and they are enforced.'
There is a real issue at BYU (or was as of a few years ago) that gets almost no publicity regarding fornication with athletes being reported for violations - white mormons got a little extra counseling and maybe a little more missionary work, black athletes were expelled for the same offenses, and the numbers were pretty stunning. And this was never an issue in recruiting where the athletes were feted in stereotypical fashion with the nubile groupies playing a prominent role.

 

[j66kicker]

Just bought the book (eerie coincidence it was released on the day of the women's NC game, huh?)

 

[Northeast86]

In my opinion what the Griner/Baylor situation underscores the importance of recruits actually researching the university they are going to. It also shows that choosing where to play is so much more important than just the coach and the basketball program.

Griner obviously liked Mulkey as a coach and was impressed with Baylor's basketball program, with good reason.

If Griner had even slightly researched the university, aside from the recruiting pitch, she would have realized that Baylor is not friendly (if not downright hostile) to the LGBT community. Obviously, being a part of the LGBT community is a large part of Griner's life.

I think as fans we forget that these young women who commit to a program spend more time not playing basketball than playing basketball. They spend more time in class (hopefully) and spending time on campus. They need to be comfortable with the entire university and want to commit to the university and the basketball program.

This is why I am troubled whenever we casually dismiss a recruit's decision not to come to UCONN. The recruit might love the staff, feel that it is in her best basketball interest to play here, but realizes it isn't in her best overall interest to come to UCONN. And there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

No one is "uncomfortable" with Baylor receiving Federal Funding while maintaining an acknowledged antipathy for a minority group of students, or indeed, single individual?

For example
https://www.bcm.edu/education/financial-aid


I am. Let them support their own religious dogma with their own funds.

 

[Striper69]

Are any lesbian WCBB players upfront about being gay right now? I haven't heard about any at all.

I'd like to know how Griner was recruited by Mulkey and what she exactly said to her about attending Baylor.

I'd also like to know how her parents figured in on all this. Her father has commented a couple of times saying that Mulkey "is through with her now" or words to that effect. I'm not sure if Griner told both of her parents before she went to Baylor though.

 

[ndmb]

No one is "uncomfortable" with Baylor receiving Federal Funding while maintaining an acknowledged antipathy for a minority group of students, or indeed, single individual?

For example
https://www.bcm.edu/education/financial-aid


I am. Let them support their own religious dogma with their own funds.

I agree. Hostility towards gay couples on college campuses is pretty much the same in my mind as the rule at Bob Jones University (that was only repealed relatively recently) banning interracial dating. I don't think that it should be illegal, but it shouldn't happen with the support of my tax dollars either.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Are any lesbian WCBB players upfront about being gay right now? I haven't heard about any at all.

I'd like to know how Griner was recruited by Mulkey and what she exactly said to her about attending Baylor.

I'd also like to know how her parents figured in on all this. Her father has commented a couple of times saying that Mulkey "is through with her now" or words to that effect. I'm not sure if Griner told both of her parents before she went to Baylor though.

I haven't heard of any, but there have been some male athletes that have come out while still playing. Of all the sports, women's basketball "should" be the easiest atmosphere in which a young woman should be comfortable being herself, as there are so many WNBA players who are out.

 

[sarals24]

Not in college basketball, but I also think that coaches and schools are a little more apt to protect college players' personal lives in general. Straight or gay, you really don't hear much about them, and that's how it should be.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I give up.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't have the book yet but I'll be buying it soon.

To answer a previous question, BG came out to her parents in high school. Dad had a major influence in her college choice. Maybe he hoped that she would pray away the gay at Baylor.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I don't have the book yet but I'll be buying it soon.

To answer a previous question, BG came out to her parents in high school. Dad had a major influence in her college choice. Maybe he hoped that she would pray away the gay at Baylor.

I hope that's not the case. If a family member (or friend, for that matter) ever tried to push that on me, I'd be out of their life forever. I've seen too many people's lives ruined because of that crap.