Andre Agassi

Leave the Skeletons in Your Closet

Andre Agassi did crystal meth. Let it sink in.

Did it take you long? It didn’t really shock me. Not that I always assumed Agassi was a user, but more so that I have heard this “shocking” revelation made by one too many athletes. I think I am immune to it.

You see, athletes are just like the rest of us. If statistics hold true 65.5% of them drank in the past year, 32.4% smoked marijuana, and 6.8% used a stimulant of some sort. Although Agassi is no longer on meth, does it surprise me that he used at some point in his career (perhaps the lowest point in his career)?No.

That doesn’t mean that I condone his behavior. I believe athletes should be held to the same standards, if not higher standards, than the rest of us. Had he been caught (and he kind of was) he should have faced suspension from his job and possible jail time. But overall, the fact that he occasionally dabbled in crystal meth during the 1997 season is just not a shocker. Nor was it necessary for him to even tell the saga.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, lets review:

In Andre Agassi’s memoir entitled “Open” he reveals that his public persona was about as authentic as Miley Cyrus’s singing voice. The commercialized tennis star, married to Hollywood’s Brooke Shields, was incredibly unhappy. He hated tennis. Forced into the sport by an abusive father, Agassi never found joy in the game. In an effort to maintain that “rockstar on the court image” he even resorted to wearing a wig when in reality he was balding prematurely. And his happy marriage to Brooke? It was in shambles. Agassi hit a tipping point in 1997 when the former Olympic and World Champion plummeted in the ATP rankings.

His first experience with crystal meth came about in the same way a college kid decides to pop open a beer- without much thinking at all. While sitting around in a cloud of self-pity, his assistant “Slim” suggests that he try the drug. Agassi describes an almost out-of-body experience as he hears himself say “F*ck it” and proceeds to get high. Throughout the 1997 season he used periodically just to find some sense of euphoria. Lesson to all the kids out there- it didn’t help his game any. Agassi dropped to No.122 in the ATP rankings and was playing in a circuit that most view as the minor leagues of tennis. That’s what happens when a gold medal winner turns to Gak (street name).

The escapism didn’t last long for Agassi. After a sport sanctioned drug test, which no surprise came back positive for recreational drugs, he was facing a 3 month suspension in competition and the loss of all endorsements. So, what should one do to add to their problems? How about commit perjury? Agassi lied, saying that his assistant accidentally spiked his drink. ” I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, often spikes his sodas with meth- which is true. I say that I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas.” The ATP bought the story, because when you find someone with illegal drugs in their system it would never cross your mind that they might also be, * gasp *, a liar.

Long story short, the situation scared Agassi out of his drug use. Not wanting to throw his career and hard work in the trash, he turns his act around and goes on to author one of the greatest comebacks in sports. In 1998 his ranking went from No.122 to No.6 in the world- the largest one year jump in ATP ranking history. Lesson number two to kids- say no to drugs. You’ll perform better. Agassi won five out of eight major titles following the comeback.

Agassi did a complete 180. He has done a lot of work promoting the education of America’s youth. The Andre Agassi Foundation runs a public charter school to provide educational opportunities to students of all backgrounds. Agassi believes in not allowing Americans to continue to fall behind on the universal educational curve. The Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy opened in 2001, giving a first class education to the children of Las Vegas. The first graduating class has a 100% graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate.

My question is this…why tell the story? It’s easy for one to say that “the truth will set you free”or some other cheesy saying encouraging one to be honest about the person that you are and the person that you used to be. It’s easy to use the common phrase “I just needed to get it off my chest,” but somehow I can’t help but think that the money also eases the pain. It is rumored that Agassi received a $5 million advance for admitting to using meth in the tell-all.

It’s hard for me to see what good has come of going public with this story. You’ll see what I am talking about if you just Google “Andre Agassi.” Notice the top stories. Somewhere down the list you will find his foundation and all the work he has done to better the lives of America’s youth. He has put both his foundation and prep school on the back burner; all for what? A book deal? Do something good for the PR of your causes, not something to mar it.

I am not advocating that Agassi lie if posed questions about his past. I don’t think he should have lied in the first place. But why put it out there in the spotlight? Put your foundation and school in the spotlight.

Pink Cleat Translation: Do you willingly offer up every immoral story of your past to your kids? No! Then for the rest of your life you have to hear, “but you did it!” If asked by your child, depending on your parenting style, you may cop up to a few things. However, the crystal meth use…you probably shouldn’t go there. Agassi should focus on directing the children of his causes down the right path, not on making $5 million from a book deal. He doesn’t need the money.

The Best Un-Talked about QB in College Football

Davey O’Brien Committee Does Not Nominate Christian Ponder….Wrong!

Follow this link. I happen to agree that Ponder should at the very least be nominated. Whether or not he should win could possibly be a debate.

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2009/10/27/1098345/what-are-the-davey-obrien-award

A position award is just that- an award for the best player at a given POSITION. It doesn’t speak to the team as a whole. We know FSU’s defense is not good, but the QB is doing his job and then some, putting up some of the best numbers in the country.

Pink Cleat Translation: A movie flops at the box office, but the lead actor gives a stellar performance. Should they not be nominated for an Oscar simply because the movie as a whole wasn’t a success? Individual awards should recognize individual talent.

Forbes Most Powerful Woman In Sports

Hanging With the Good Ol’ Boys

Earlier this month Forbes announced their selection for Forbes Most Powerful Woman in Sports. The honor was granted to Lesa France Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of the International Speedway Corporation, an organization that operates not only on-track racing events, but broadcasting outlets as well. ISC runs NASCAR, the Kansas Speedway, and promotes 100 races annually including the Daytona 500.

Kennedy is in the family business. She is the granddaughter of Bill Frances Sr., NASCAR founder, and daughter to Bill Frances Jr. who ran NASCAR from 1972-2000 and is responsible for taking the sport out of the southern backwoods and into the national spotlight. In fact, in the same week Kennedy won the Forbes title, both Bills were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. However, don’t credit her family for her success nor for the reason she won the award. Forbes omits all candidates that came into their position through outright inheritance or who are just serving as a figurehead and have no decision-making ability.

Forbes strictly looks for individuals “whose decisions affect the largest sports related revenue streams- be they from teams, leagues, or corporate sponsors.” ISC has an annual revenue of $750 million. In Kennedy’s 26 year career with the corporation she has worked her way through the ranks, landing the position of President in 2003 and eventually CEO this past June. The 48-year-old has been involved in industry changing decisions, such as the choice to build new racetracks in Chicago and upstate New York, the acquisition of five tracks from Roger Penske, the push for a gaming facility at the Kansas Speedway, the implementation of a $400 million project called Daytona Live, and a partnership with Speedway MotorSports for a new line of die-cast metal cars.

Also on the Forbes List:

Donna Goldsmith, Chief Executive Officer for the WWE
Heidi Ueberroth, President of International Business Operations for the NBA
Katie Bayne, Chief Marketing Officer for Coca-Cola North America
Virginia McCaskey, Principal Owner of the Chicago Bears
Jamie McCourt, Executive Chief Officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Denise DeBartolo York, Principal Owner of the San Francisco 49ers

Perhaps most surprising is that, with the exception of Coca-Cola’s Bayne, these women have not only cracked into male dominated corporations, but are sitting atop them. They are hanging with the good ol’ boys. Lesa Frances Kennedy most of all.  NASCAR is traditionally a southern sport and operates out of a region that historically favors the good ol’ boy network.

A huge step for women in the sports industry.

On the flip side, there are no women on the Forbes list that are the executives of women’s sport leagues or teams. For example, we don’t see recognition for any female decision makers with the WNBA, Women’s Professional Soccer, or the LPGA. The primary reason for the lack of executives from women’s sports on the Forbes list is that the awards list eliminates all sports, leagues, or teams that do not show sustainable profit.

That speaks to a larger problem in our society. The women that run the WNBA or WPS are just as business savvy and arguably make decisions as important as their peers on the list, but our society does not support those leagues. Why do we not find women’s athletics entertaining? I am guilty of it too and I’m a female. It just doesn’t seem as action packed. But at some point I think we have to start valuing the technique as much as the action, the finesse as much as the hard hits. We have to teach our daughters that women’s athletics can be entertaining and it can be something we sit on the edge of our seats for.

So, big steps for women in athletics, but still progress to be made. Congratulations to the ladies that earned their way onto the Forbes list. I like to see women making a name in the world of men’s sports. I would, however, also like to see women make a name in women’s sports. That is not up to Forbes though. It is up to us as the consumer.

Pink Cleats Translation: Lesa France Kennedy is like Oprah, but in sports- pretty darn powerful. The only difference is that Oprah is a woman recognized for running an empire that caters to women. Kennedy is a woman recognized for running an empire that is dominated by men. Hear me loud and clear- NOTHING is wrong with that. She deserves the recognition. I just want to see some women representing women’s sports on the Forbes list too.

Any Given Saturday

College Football Parity

Two seasons ago the college football world was stunned when we watched an Appalachian State team go into the big house and defeat the mighty Michigan Wolverines. In the same 2007 season, the talk of the Sunshine State was not the bad to the bone Miami Hurricanes or the swagger of the Florida State Seminoles, but rather the University of South Florida Bulls. Was it just a wacky year?

I don’t think so.

Around rolled 2008 season openers and we all sat back our mouths agape as East Carolina not only had one “lucky” win against Virginia Tech, but did it the following week too beating West Virginia. Even this year in week two we witnessed #5 Oklahoma State fall to a then unranked Houston.

Any given Saturday the new kid on the block has the capability of defeating the storied legend. David beating Goliath is no longer a one time miracle, but something we witness every season, and usually once a month. For the sake of the game, it is a great thing. It makes NCAA football more competitive and fans can  no longer take a single game for granted. But for those of us that grew up watching a dynasty program, we miss the days where a win was a sure thing.

How did this shift occur? Like most things blame the media. Or thank them if you enjoy watching underdog victories. Game day viewers used to rely on the three major networks and hope their game was a match up worthy of a television crew. These days you can find football on more channels than Vera Bradley has bag patterns. Not only that, but college football is no longer reserved for Saturdays only. We have Thursday night games, Friday night games, and the occasional Monday or Wednesday game. Some weeks you can watch college football seven nights in a row. All this in an effort to get your school on TV at some point in the week.

So, how does this create more parity in college football? Consider this:

You are a high school Senior. You’ve been recruited by a few major programs and a slew of mid-tier schools. You want to stay in-state, so you have narrowed your choices down to The University of Alabama and UAB. If you choose Bama, you will sit on the bench for at least two years and as an upperclassman will still fight for playtime. If you go to Birmingham you can play as a freshman. Ultimately you have to ask yourself this question, “Which school betters my chances of making it to the NFL?”

Which one do you choose?

In the old days you had to go to Tuscaloosa. Of the two schools it was the only one that would get air time and although you would get less playtime, at least you would be seen. Not so anymore. Now UAB will get their fair share of TV coverage on minor networks and you will have four years of highlight reels to sway NFL scouts.

Do you see what is happening here?

Talent is getting distributed more evenly as an effect of expanded TV coverage. The “little guys” are recruiting some real play-makers. While the best of the best players will always choose top programs, the next class of athletes will heavily consider trading a BCS school for more playtime. We will always see the big names ranked in the AP polls, but don’t be surprised when Texas or Florida is sitting right there next to TCU and Boise State. This isn’t a trend. It’s here to stay and will have you asking, “Who will be the big upset of the week?”

Pink Cleat Translation: Budding fashion designers have always had to work their way up at a big design house such as Dior, Chanel, or Yves Saint Laurent. It took years for a designer to get to the top. However, with the recent popularity of shows like Project Runway the “little” designer can be an overnight success and challenge the business of those we deemed most fashionable, therefore creating more competition on the runway.

Hello world!

Sport is a $213 billion industry* and in the top 20 largest industries in the nation. So, why is it that so many women are disinterested or unconcerned? In an era where women are striving to bridge the gap between male dominated industries and female success, it is a wonder that so many women gripe when their husbands turn the game on. Sit down, watch, learn. Sport is weaved into the fabric of Americana, promoting the ideals of teamwork, perseverance, hard work, and sportsmanship. That is what this blog is all about. To show women that they can not only enjoy sport, but learn from it or even find opportunity in it. So pull out your pink cleats and take a moment to read, laugh, and discover.

*Industry worth varies from source to source depending on what sport sub-categories are included. Some include apparel, some do not. Some include fitness, gaming, or stadium construction, while others don’t. This statistic came from Street & Smith’s Sport Business Journal. Please see their website to see what factions of sport are included.