What Really Matters

Once again, on the way to work this morning, I heard the latest gossip about Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. Uck. Who cares?

Then, scanning through the on-line news outlets, I see these articles:
Colleges need education about pregnant athletes
What does a health crisis look like? See Houston

These are things that really matter. But our favorite news outlets, and entertainment sources, responding to our desire to read fluff and pick the scabs of the famous, give us pablum.

Though my blog is not intended for examining news stories most of the time, I figured I would follow up with a few links and comments on one of these stories. Health Care is too big. I'll deal with pregnant athletes.

Here's an excerpt from the Star Tribune article by Rachel Blount:

"ESPN reported that seven Clemson athletes had abortions because they feared their scholarships would be rescinded."

I went to the ESPN site to find the original stories and found these:

• Reports prompt NCAA to review pregnant athletes policies
• Athletes often forced into heartbreaking decisions

First of all pregnancy is not an injury or illness. I am aware of that. But follow my reasoning here:

If a (male) athlete gets sick or injured when under scholarship, the scholarship is not taken away. The athlete cannot participate to the level which had been expected when the scholarship was awarded, but no threat is leveled to remove it. Yet apparently it's been somewhat common for female athletes to at least be warned that pregnancy could jeopardize their ability to afford to stay in school and remain with their athletic programs.

This is a double standard of the most dangerous and sexist variety.

"But wait!" some might say. "We don't want to reward this kind of behavior in our young women."

So let's look at another view of that double standard. Again, from Blount's article:

"Former Gophers quarterback Bryan Cupito became an unmarried father on scholarship and was praised for being a good and responsible dad."

By allowing women who get pregnant to keep their scholarships, we are not rewarding them for getting pregnant, or for becoming mothers. We are supporting them in an unexpected and unplanned circumstance, and we owe it to them during this life-changing situation at least as much as if the athlete had broken her leg or gotten a bad case of mononucleosis.

I'm impressed that the University of Minnesota official, AD Joel Maturi, responded so clearly and strongly in favor of retaining scholarships and dealing with athletes in this situation with "counseling, support and love."

So, there, rather than discuss the self-inflicted tribulations of the God-only-knows-why-Elite, for a moment, we can think about something that really matters.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled pablum.

Or whatever banalities I decide to write about next.