It's Cold Out There

Well, I took week off blogging because I had too much non-blogging to do. If only I were refreshed. So be it.

Bryant Gumbie Is Still Supid

Bryant Gumbie suggested that the Winter Olympics were not real sports because (1) there aren't many blacks, just like a GOP convention, and (2) the sports are largely determined by judges.

KJ's All Inclusive Theory Of Sport

Agreed on the second point. In my view, there are three kinds of sports:

Level 1: Those with objective scoring or defense. Most of these are objective scoring points. For exemple, a race is objective - the first to cross the finish line. Most races and field competitions satisfy this requirement.

Level 2: A level 2 sport has both objective scoring and defense. Most common team sports, like basketball, are level 2 sports. Events that are head to head also satisfy this. I consider head to head competition to be the equivilent of "defense." For example, tennis. Note: Although soccer is a level 2 sport, it still sucks big time.

Level 0: A sport with neither objective scoring or defense. You know what I'm talking about. Judged sports. This is most winter games with the exception of the Level 1 races (skiing, speed skating, bobsledding and luge) and Level 2 hockey. In the summer, you have level zero games like gymnastics and ball room dancing. These are nice, athletic forms of entertainment. They are not sport.

Back To Gumbie

But what was he thinking on the first. His remarks:

"Count me among those who don't care about them and won't watch them... So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the winter games look like a GOP convention."

Glad to know that white people don't qualify as the world's best athletes, though. While figure skating may be the sport of queens, in more ways than one, last I checked hockey was a real man's sport. It isn't whities fault that it doesn't snow in Africa.

Some black activists recognize this.

"Everyone can understand a person's disdain for a particular sporting event, but for Gumbel to castigate an entire field of athletes who have worked a lifetime in pursuit of a dream - and then injecting race into it - is unforgivable," said Project 21 member Mychal Massie.

"Interest in sporting activities are often dictated by environment. That's why Nordic and European countries have excelled in past Winter Olympics," said Project 21 member Deneen Moore. "It's a simple fact that winter sports are not part of black culture for both geographic and economic reasons. Accessibility, affordability and motivation are key requirements for individuals to excel in sport activities, not the color of one's skin. Mr. Gumbel should be aware of these obvious facts and not try to score cheap racial political points."

Nicely stated. In the irony category, a few days after Gumbie's comments, Shani Davis became the first black male to win a Winter Olympic Gold medal, though that doesn't end the story about him.

Bin Laden Makes An Offer I Can't Refuse

In other news, Bin Laden vows to never be captured alive.

Uh, OK. Agreed.

Other stuff

More evidence of global warming? I'm sure someone is claiming that it is.

Heh.