OT: Alysa A Holds Forth About The Basketball Jerk

[RockyMTblue2]

Alysa Auriemma -- 'I grew up with the antithesis of LaVar Ball in my household'

"As much as I would like to devote a thousand words to why people like Ball make the game of professional men's basketball a complete train wreck to watch for someone like me, this is more about the culture that allows people like Ball to flourish, and the harmful machismo that follows."

The lazy sports media follow this clown around because they don't have to work their profession. But he is just a symptom of something I hesitate to call culture that has grown up around sports. He isn't the problem. He's a symptom.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Kudos to Ally!

 

[Kaizen]

 

[huskeynut]

Ball is an arrogant twit. His latest actions are an insult to refs, Nike, his team and all other teams. Why he is allowed to continue is beyond me.

 

[Plebe]

When I first read the thread title, I feared that "The Basketball Jerk" was a reference to Geno.

LaVar makes a great heel—the kind of guy people love to hate—and the media will not get enough of him.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I just find it curious that she seems to have a need to be apologetic for being "privileged." We all know Geno Auriemma's story and it seems to me she should be really proud of that earned privilege instead of feeling some seriously misplaced guilt about it.

 

[Roger G]

You missed it. She's not saying being masculine is bad. She's saying Bell's form of masculine is bad. Instead of adoring and giving so much attention to the jack@ss form of masculinity, we should be looking at "real masculinity" like (in her opinion) her father. Someone who doesn't have to put down women (or put them in their place) in order to display his masculinity.

No, I get it. What you missed is that masculinity had nothing to do with it. It was also bad nobleness, bad heroism, bad anything. So the only reason to bring masculinity into the discussion is to take a cheap shot at it. When Plenette Pierson takes a chop at the back of Maya Moore's leg (never happened, hypothetical) do we say that it is bad femininity? That would be just as absurd. Masculinity or femininity had nothing to do with it. He was being a jerk. He happened to be a man. That's the only connection. I guess I could counter, his was bad humanity. He is human. But you see, it makes humanity sound pretty bad. Meyers7, put those pants back on.

 

[CocoHusky]

No, I get it. What you missed is that masculinity had nothing to do with it. It was also bad nobleness, bad heroism, bad anything. So the only reason to bring masculinity into the discussion is to take a cheap shot at it. When Plenette Pierson takes a chop at the back of Maya Moore's leg (never happened, hypothetical) do we say that it is bad femininity? That would be just as absurd. Masculinity or femininity had nothing to do with it. He was being a jerk. He happened to be a man. That's the only connection. I guess I could counter, his was bad humanity. He is human. But you see, it makes humanity sound pretty bad. Meyers7, put those pants back on.

Hostility directed at women by a man= bad masculinity=bad humanity.

“Realistically you can’t win no championship with three white guys because the foot speed is too slow,”
Lavar Ball
Hostility directed at a certain race=racism =bad humanity.
With Ball all the labels fit.

 

[meyers7]

No, I get it. What you missed is that masculinity had nothing to do with it. It was also bad nobleness, bad heroism, bad anything. So the only reason to bring masculinity into the discussion is to take a cheap shot at it.

No, obviously you don't get it. HE thinks he's demonstrating masculinity. His form of course. She's just calling him out on it. Trying to show him what true masculinity looks like.

When Plenette Pierson takes a chop at the back of Maya Moore's leg (never happened, hypothetical) do we say that it is bad femininity?

Did she say something about Moore's gender???? Apples and oranges here. Try another example. (preferably one that fits)

Masculinity or femininity had nothing to do with it.

Actually, that's what it was all about. I don't believe he told the male ref's to "stay in their lanes" did he?

Meyers7, put those pants back on.

And why would I put my pants back on??? It's freaking hot out today.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Like others, I agree with the point about the culture, behavior and general attitudes of Ball. That said, I too, for some reason. felt the article was in a tone I didn't like.

I suspect she got "into" a subject she felt passionate about, and obviously wrote from her viewpoint. I think that the so-called masculine aspects of the role he models are only part of it - and in the end she made it sound like all of it, or at least the focus of the article.

I don't think the culture of men's basketball (and I too have used the "too much testosterone" label about the men's basketball crowd (even though I'm male)) can be singularly defined in criticizing a form of masculinity. So, in the end, I found, even as I agreed with the piece in general, that I didn't like the tone.