The First Lady has arrived in Copenhagen in advance of the 121st International Olympic Committee Session that will determine on Friday whether her hometown hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“I’m so happy to be here, so excited,” the First Lady said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re not taking anything for granted, so I’m going to go talk to some voters.”
She will lead the US delegation in Copenhagen until President Barack Obama arrives on Friday in time for the final presentations before the IOC vote.
But until he does, she and the Chicago 2016 team will be handling our Olympic business.
On Thursday, the First Lady will meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge and attend a luncheon hosted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at the Amalienborg Palace.
She'll be attending the IOC Session Opening Ceremony at the Copenhagen Opera House that night.
The First Lady and the President will both make presentations before the IOC on Friday morning. According to the White House, "They will discuss why Chicago is best to host the 2016 Summer Games, and how the United States is eager to bring the world together to celebrate the ideals of the Olympic movement."
Being a Chicago native, The FLOTUS is definitely the right person to sell the world in bringing the 2016 Games to Chicago. She knows the neighborhoods where the Games venues would be placed, she grew up on the Chicago's South Side and lived just a short walk from the planned Olympic stadium before moving to Washington.
And she's one of the few people on the world stage whose popularity rivals her husband.
The International Olympic Committee meeting to determine who gets the 2016 Summer Olympics will be held on Friday and the Chicago 2016 delegation is hard at work trying to land the bid.
According to Olympic bid watchers it has devolved to a competition between Rio de Janeiro and Chicago, and it's anybody's guess which way the 106 members of the IOC will vote. The only thing anyone can say with certainty is that it will take multiple ballots and it will be close.
With rumors flying a high IOC official stated Chicago won't get the bid unless the prez appears in Copenhagen despite comments from IOC President Jacques Rogge to the contrary, President Obama decided to make the trip.
Chicago 2016 officials were pleased to announce that President Obama would be joining First Lady Michelle Obama, White House senior adviser and former Chicago 2016 vice president Valerie Jarrett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in Copenhagen Friday to help push the Chicago bid to a hopefully successful conclusion.
Chicago 2016 Chair Patrick Ryan stated, "There is no greater expression of the support our bid enjoys, from the highest levels of government and throughout our country, than to have President Obama join us in Copenhagen for the pinnacle moment in our bid. We are honored that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be with us to extend a hand of friendship on behalf of our nation and the city of Chicago as we seek to welcome the world for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games".
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said, "President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama symbolize the hope, opportunity and inspiration that makes Chicago great, and we are honored to have two of our city's most accomplished residents leading our delegation in Copenhagen. Who better to share with members of the International Olympic Committee the commitment and enthusiasm Chicago has for the Olympic and Paralympic Movement than the President and First Lady".
Oprah Winfrey has also announced she would be heading to Copenhagen as well to help push the Chicago Olympic bid, and the leadership is happy to have her along as well.
Valerie Jarrett, who was the vice chair of Chicago 2016 prior to becoming a senior adviser in the Obama administration stated, "Oprah will have a full schedule from the time she hits the ground as well. I think that she is an international icon, widely respected throughout the world and her presence, and her willingness to put her reputation behind Chicago, a city she both calls home and loves and knows so well, I think will have a very significant impact on the IOC."
We'll find out how much of an impact they all had on the IOC on Friday
Today the University of Louisville Cardinals hit I-64 east and travel to Lexington to take on the University of Kentucky Wildcats. They are not only fighting for the Governor's Cup, but state bragging rights, football division.
One of the questions I consistently get asked since I moved here is whether I support U of L or UK.
Many Kentucky natives won't accept my answer that I'm neutral and like both teams. They'll spend whatever time I have in their presence extolling the virtues of the Cats or Cards while dissing the other team with the zeal of missionaries.
When U of L and UK get together to play any sport, people are passionate about it. Friends, families, co-workers and sometimes even spouses divide along Cardinal red or Wildcat blue lines.
No matter what the sport, it's a highly competitive rivalry played by two teams separated by 73 miles of interstate highway and no love lost on either side.
It's so competitive that Kentuckians have already circled Jan 2, 2010 on the calendar.
What's happening that day you ask? It's the date of the annual U of L-UK basketball clash at Rupp Arena.
The trash talking this year for this season's football clash has come mostly from the UK fans. U of L has slipped from its 2006 Big East championship and BCS bowl winning heights and Cardinal Nation is anxious about it.
Cards fans are even more anxiety ridden going into this noon showdown at Commonwealth Stadium. U of L is not only coming off a 5-7 season after going 6-6 the previous year, they have a lot of question marks on both sides of the ball.
They also watched the Cats spank Miami of Ohio 42-0 in their season opener in Cincinnati.
Cardinal Nation also knows the Cats had a bye week to rest and retool for this game.
The Cards briefly trailed 7-3 in their season opening game at 'The Pizzeria' with Indiana State. They had to fight tooth and nail with the Sycamores before eventually pulling away for the 30-10 win.
UK is a football team on the rise and coming off a third straight bowl appearance. They not only want to keep their two year winning streak alive against U of L, they see themselves as a Top 25 program that can compete and win in the tough SEC East Division and as BCS bowl material.
No matter who wins, both teams when this game is over will have tough challenges to overcome the next week. UK will take on Number 1 ranked Florida in Lexington while the Cards will travel to Salt Lake City to take on Utah.
But for those of us who are neutral, it sure is a lot of fun to watch, no matter what the sport.
TransGriot Note: This guest post is courtesy of Tami at What Tami Said.
The facts seem to be thus:
On Saturday, in the U.S. Open semifinals, champion Serena Williams faced an unranked Kim Clijsters, who more than held her own in a taut, close battle.
According to Sports Illustrated online:
With Williams serving at 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve. On the second serve, a line judge called a foot fault, making it a double-fault -- a call rarely, if ever, seen at that stage of any match, let alone the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Read more...
Williams responded to the call with an uncharacteristic level of anger. Again according to Sports Illustrated: "walking toward the line judge, screaming, cursing and shaking a ball in the official's direction, threatening to "shove it down" her throat."
In response, Williams was penalized a point for poor sportswomanship, giving a surprise victory to Clijsters.
On these things, most people agree. And few would celebrate Williams' outburst, which was ugly, unfortunate, graceless, ineffective and WRONG. My concern is that reaction to Williams lapse of judgement is ripe with sexism and racism.
When you consider the legacy of tennis "bad boys" like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase, the hyperventilating over Williams' lapse seems completely out-of-proportion.
McEnroe's outbursts that included marching aggressively up to line judges, cursing and destroying rackets have become part of the tennis legend's mythology. His childish behavior can be compiled into a two-part You Tube greatest hits reel set to cheerful music. And though McEnroe continued to have meltdowns long after his behavior could be deemed youthful folly, we chalk his actions up to the sort of single-minded intensity it takes to be a legendary winner in sport...when you are a man (and preferably a white one). McEnroe is affectionately remembered as a "bad boy."
But when you are a woman, and a black one at that, your wrong is more wrong than the next person's. In contrast to comments on McEnroe You Tube videos, reactions to Williams' tantrum are filled with racist language. Of course, for anyone who has ever spent time on You Tube, it shouldn't surprise to hear the word "animal" tossed around in reference to black women. What does surprise me (or maybe not) is the reaction of more mainstream sources.
Yahoo has been playing the Williams story on its front page for two days with language that would make a reader believe Williams had gone on some sort of bloody rampage.
The New York Times offered a breathless lead in to its coverage:
Serena Williams became unhinged in a shocking display of vitriol and profanity toward a line judge at the most inopportune time Saturday night — right before match point for Kim Clijsters in the semifinals of the United States Open.
The lineswoman involved in Williams' outburst is now said to have felt "threatened."
Several commenters on the generally progressive and feminist Jezebel piled on Williams and failed to note the gender and race biases inherent in their reactions. A commenter named LaComtesse offer this post and photo:
From the article: "I've never been in a fight in my whole life, so I don't know why she would have felt threatened," Williams said with a smile. Ummm....really, Ms. Williams? You don't see how, in certain situations (say, when you threaten to shove a ball down someone's throat), one might be intimidated by you when you're angry?
The poster's implications were rightfully challenged by several others.
Sports columnist Jason Whitlock blasted Williams as "an oversized, underachieving loudmouth..." who got "smacked into reality by a just-out-of-retirement mom." In the same article, Whitlock defends Michael Jordan's pompous, ungracious, "possibly cocktail-inspired" Hall of Fame rant, also delivered this weekend. Whitlock writes:
In graphic detail, he explained the slights — real, exaggerated and imagined — that fueled his competitive fire. He gave us a peek behind the curtain, a look at what drove the greatest competitor in our lifetime. I overlooked his missteps. He's a basketball player, not a motivational speaker. He spoke without a map. His words were not measured or chosen to create the impression he was anything beyond a competitive son of a bitch.
Got that? Jordan, whose ego is legendary, is an awesome "competitive son of a bitch." Williams? Just a "whiner," and an "oversized" one, in case you missed than throw-away sexist language.
Ah, Serena. You can take the girl out of the 'hood but .............
Wonder if McEnroe, Connors and Nastase are from that same 'hood?
The Williams sisters have long been demonized in the tennis world for having the temerity to be, not just winners, but also big (women shouldn't take up too much space), strong (women's bodies should be soft. Not too soft, mind you. Serena's muscular round posterior, preposterously gets called "fat."), confident (women should be shrinking and always self-effacing) and worse, black. They are called manly and unfeminine. Discussions of their playing style are accompanied with words like "brute strength."
Jezebel offered an excellent post about new tennis favorite Michelle Oudin last week that offers a hint at what America wants in its female athletes.
Oudin certainly seems to be a lovable sports star, and her accomplishments are definitely praise-worthy, but there is something off about the way she is being celebrated. She has been called the "darling" of the U.S. Open, America's sweetheart," a "pint-sized, freckled-faced blonde from Georgia," the "tiny little savior of women's tennis," everything it seems, save tennis' "Great White Hope" although given the media coverage of Oudin's win, it would probably be more like the "little, teeny-tiny, super cute White Hope").
Especially problematic was this article from the Daily Beast, which quoted ESPN sportscaster Michelle Beadle comparing Oudin to the Williams sisters. "From Day 1, I've never heard the Williams sisters referred to as sweethearts." Read more...
It is instructive to see how Williams has been cast as a "baddie" in contrast to a talented, but admittedly more-sweetheart-appropriate Clijsters, who went on to. Jezebel notes in a post today:
Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News, who called the incident "very sad," notes that Williams is already being cast as a villain to Clijsters heroine: "There were fascinating elements to this match, though most of them were lost in the chaos. It might have been constructive to debunk the traditional, sexist perceptions about Clijsters and the Williams sisters. We condemn Serena and Venus for juggling business interests, while applauding Clijsters for quitting the game completely to have a baby."
This incident is perhaps the best example of how little leeway women, and black women in particular, have in the public eye. Serena Williams' behavior this weekend should be viewed as an unfortunate misstep by an otherwise admirable athlete, whose life, on an off the court, stands as a model for young women and men. Instead, we're worrying about Williams' future and whether her reputation can recover from this single incident. One incident, and to the masses, Williams has proved that she is not "America's Sweetheart," as if there was ever a question. One incident, and to the masses, Williams has proven their sexist and racist biases correct. One incident, and she is an angry, black woman--threatening, an animal.
Can a woman--a black woman--lose her shit in public and recover without the stain remaining on her reputation forever? Will Serena's wrong be treated in the same way as the wrongs of male athletes? I wish that the answer was yes, but I don't know.
Serena shook off Saturday's semifinal drama, the $10,000 fine it cost her and joined her sister Venus in winning their first US Open doubles title in a decade.
"I'd like to thank the fans for supporting me through everything," she said to applause from a few thousand fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I really, really love you guys and never want to have a bad image for you guys."
The Williams sisters made quick work of the world's number one ranked and tournament number one seeded doubles team in Liezel Huber and Cara Black.
It took Big Sis and Little Sis only 89 minutes to defeat Black and Huber 6-2, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium and claim the $420,000 first prize.
In the process of extending their unbeaten record in Grand Slam doubles finals to 10-0, they captured their third Grand Slam doubles title this year and 10th overall in their careers.
The only Grand Slam doubles title that eluded them was the French Open.
"I have a great partner," Venus said. "I believe in her just as much as I believe in myself."
Patrick McEnroe, whose brother John was notorious for tennis meltdowns during the 80's tried to press the issue during the post match interview.
The crowd started booing until Big Sis stepped in.
"I think what the crowd is saying is, 'Patrick, let's move on,'" Venus said
Yep, let's move on to 2010 and see if the sisters can catch the team of Natasha Zvereva and Gigi Fernandez, who captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and eventually Navratilova and Shriver.
There are two weeks to go until the big International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark on October 2 that will decide which of the final four contenders gets the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The final four cities still in the running in this extremely tight race to secure the 2016 Games are Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.
The trend over the last two IOC Olympic decision meetings is for the current national head of state to personally lobby the IOC decision makers to swing the votes for their candidate city.
Then British Prime Minister Tony Blair traveled to Singapore in 2005 to help London land the 2012 Games. Then Russian President Vladimir Putin flew to Guatemala City in 2007 to push Sochi's winning bid for the 2014 Winter Games.
The Chicago 2016 bid committee hoped to have President Obama's help in Copenhagen in light of the fact that Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already said he'll be there, as will King Juan Carlos of Spain and Japan's group inviting incoming Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Crown Prince Naruhito to attend.
President Obama not only enthusiastically supports the Chicago group's attempt to bring the Summer Olympics back to the United States for the first time since 1996, he has taped four messages in support of the bid. He will probably do another as part of the city's final presentation.
In a message to African Olympic leaders, President Obama stated in a video, "From the beginning I have fully supported Chicago's dream of hosting the 2016 games. "If Chicago is selected for this honor we will ensure that the Olympics and Paralympic Games are a key priority for our nation...."
"You can count on our government to work as a committed partner in Chicago's quest to host a great and historic games and strengthen the Olympic movement worldwide."
But with health care reform at a critical juncture, President Obama personally called IOC President Jacques Rogge and let him know he couldn't be there.
Rogge said in a recent statement that Chicago's chances shouldn't hinge on whether Obama makes a personal appearance in Denmark.
"If they want to come, this is an honor for the IOC," Rogge said. "We'll feel honored by their presence. It would be absolutely legitimate if they go to defend the bid of their country. We are not asking for heads of state to come there.
Fear not Americans, an Obama will be in Copenhagen to charm the world and push our Olympic bid to a hopefully successful conclusion.
The First Lady will travel to Denmark along with White House adviser and former vice chair of Chicago 2016 Valerie Jarrett in advance of the critical October 2 meeting.
"It is with great pride that I will go to Copenhagen to make the case for the United States to host the 2016 Olympics." the First Lady said in a statement. "There is no doubt in my mind that Chicago would offer the world a fantastic setting for these historic games and I hope that the Olympic torch will have the chance to burn brightly in my hometown."
She's probably a better choice. She brings some international star power of her own into this event in addition to being a lifelong Chicago resident.
The proposed Olympic stadium should Chicago's bid be successful will be built on the South Side where she was born and grew up.
"I think she will represent our country extremely well as first lady, she'll represent her husband, her life partner, extremely well, and she'll represent our bid extremely well," Ryan said. "I think it's a great opportunity for us."
Mayor Richard M. Daley agreed. "Michelle's passion for Chicago is contagious," Daley said. "She will be able to share her unique perspective as to why Chicago and its residents are poised to further the Olympic movement across our country and around the world."
Ryan stated that in his travels around the world, IOC members have told him how "very, very impressed" they are with Mrs. Obama and said they hoped she'd come to Copenhagen.
Well, they're getting their wish.
Here's hoping it results in the Olympic torch relay ending with the Olympic flame being lit in a stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan in the summer of 2016.
For the first time in a decade, my favorite tennis playing siblings are in the US Open doubles finals.
Little Sis and Big Sis battled sustained 20 mph winds Thursday and the Russian duo of Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova to prevail in three sets 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
"Good to make the final again. Encouraging and very cool," Serena said.
It put the Williams sisters in their 10th Grand Slam doubles final. A victory in the final would not only give them three of the four Grand Slam doubles titles, but would put them halfway to matching Pam Shriver's and Martina Navratilova's record of 20 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Whoever their opponent is will have to bear in mind the fact that the Williams sisters record in Grand Slam Doubles finals is a sparkling 9-0.
"Hopefully, that's a record that won't end yet," Serena said. "We really want this. I'm sure whoever we play really wants it, too."
Speaking of finals, assuming the weather is clear, Little Sis will take on Kim Clijsters at 8 PM EDT in a semifinal matchup for a spot in the finals.
Little Sis seeks to continue her march to repeat as the US Open women's singles champ and win her 12th Grand Slam singles title.
Here's hoping that this ends up as a very good weekend at Flushing Meadows for the Williams siblings.
Despite all the hype, Michael Jordan isn't the only person getting inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA today.
The Class of 2009 also includes David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and one of my fave women's basketball coaches, C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers.
"To be a part of history and stand there and have your name in the same sentence as all those people who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame is nothing short of earth-shattering to me," Stringer said. "To think about those names and what they've done. They are even greater people than they are athletes if that's possible."
During her 38 year career spanning four decades, Stringer has led three separate teams to the Final Four and is the third winningest coach in women's college basketball.
Her 825-280 career mark puts her behind only Tennessee's Pat Summitt and Jody Conradt of Texas on the career victories list. In addition to being the 11th women's basketball coach inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, she's also a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame;
Her coaching career started in 1973 at Pennsylvania's Cheyney State University. Stringer took over a newly minted program and during her 12 years there guided the school to the Final Four in 1982.
Stringer moved on to Iowa, where she also stayed for 12 seasons. She took the Hawkeyes to the Final Four in 1993 before leaving for her current position at Rutgers.
Sports Illustrated named Stringer in 2003 one of the most 101 Influential Minorities in Sports and she has written an autobiography entitled, "Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph."
Thar tragedy included her daughter Janine contracting spinal meningitis during the year of her 1982 trip to the Final Four with Cheyney State. Her husband Bill died of a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day 1992 at age 47 during the season her Iowa squad made it to the 1993 Final Four.
She's been an inspirational figure for not only the young women she coached, but off the court as well. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in recognition of her remarkable life bestowed an honorary membership on her in 2008.
Her off the court leadership came to the forefront in 2007 in the wake of shock jock Don Imus infamous comments aimed at the team she coached.
She turned it into a teachable moment that captured the nation's attention, jump started a dialogue on the ways that women are disrespected in addition to garnering an apology to the team from Imus.
She'll be introduced at the ceremony by her good friend John Chaney. They met when he was coaching the Cheney State men's program in the late 1970's-early 80's.
"Vivian Stringer is a true gem with exceptional courage who believes success is a marathon and as you climb you should lift others up," said Chaney, "She has been my beacon."
Congratulations, Coach Stringer. Here's hoping you finally get that elusive national championship and continue to be an inspiration to young women everywhere.
I was watching the track and field championships in Berlin last month when Caster Semenya won her 800m gold medal in the fifth fastest time ever run by a woman.
But as I know from my time on planet Earth, if an African descended female athlete excels in spectacular fashion, we get accused of cheating or have ‘that’s a man’ shade hurled at us.
When you combine it with the hypercompetitive world of international sports in which national pride and prestige is on the line, it was inevitable that somebody would try to find a way to knock this talented runner out of international competition, especially with the 2012 London Olympic Games on the horizon.
Gender testing for female athletes exists thanks to the blatant cheating of Nazi Germany in 1936, several former Communist bloc nations sending female athletes into competition with questionable external gender characteristics, and the East Germans feeding their female athletes steroids for more than a decade,
But in 18 year old Caster Semenya’s case, it’s ripping the scab off some old wounds. The ripple effects of this case are reverberating across the African diaspora.
For us African descended people in North America, we see it as the continued centuries old attack on the images of African descended women and our femininity.
It’s even more acute for Black women involved in sports. The Williams sisters have not only dominated the sport of tennis in the 2K’s, but these proud, statuesque ladies are making history off the court as well.
I and many other tennis fans found it quite curious when the 2009 Australian Open website omitted them from their list of the 10 Most Beautiful Women.
It wasn’t surprising that the list was full of Eastern Europeans in addition to fawning commentary about Jelena Jankovich’s ‘Number One body to go with her (then) Number One ranking’.
The old saying is beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Black women have always been seen thanks to racist myths rooted in slavery as ‘unfeminine’ vis a vis the vanilla flavored beauty standard.
If you think I’m off base, here’s a challenge for you.
Go to your favorite bookstore or drug store and head to the magazine rack. See if you can find a beauty magazine aimed at a predominately white female audience that has an African-descended woman on the cover.
And no, Oprah magazine doesn’t count.
Our continental African cousins see this in the context of the European colonial powers seeking to embarrass Africa.
Despite the fact that the current president of the Monaco based IAAF, Lamine Diack is from Senegal, the IAAF leadership since its inception in 1912 has been dominated by Europeans.
Continental Africans still haven’t forgotten how 800m runner and 2000 Olympic champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique was dogged throughout her illustrious decade long career by ‘that’s a man’ accusations despite passing test after test.
The way the Semenya case has been handled by the IAAF has only crystallized that impression on the mother Continent.
It’s probably why officials in South Africa are backing her all the way. Makhenkesi Stofile, South Africa’s sports minister said that Semenya and her family maintain she was gender-tested without her consent and that lawyers were being consulted over possible action.
In addition, Stofile has written to the IAAF demanding an apology and seeking a response to those Australian reports claiming that she’s intersex.
Yes, if he IAAF had questions, they should have quietly done those tests. Somebody leaked the info in Berlin that got this hot mess started. It’s also not a coincidence that another leak in this case results in an Australian newspaper publishing those allegations that Stofile reacted to with “shock and disgust”.
You have to feel for Semenya in this case. It has not only put her personal business out there, but has been done so in the most humiliatingly public way possible
In the meantime, her athletic future rests on the results of the gender test and an IAAF Council meeting set to take place in Monaco November 20-21.
Semenya has also received some advice and support from India’s Santhi Soundajaran, the last woman to be subjected to this type of withering international scrutiny.
“She should not let them take away her medal or allow one test to determine her fate. “She is a woman and that’s it, full stop,” Soundarajan says. “A gender test cannot take away from you who you are.”
Even if the people behind this are determined to take away her 800m world championship.
I've written more than a few posts on this blog about my love of football.
It's the state religion of Texas, and whether it's high school, college or pro, a Texan doesn't care. I was in heaven last week enjoying the smorgasbord of college football games during Labor Day weekend.
It's part of our DNA to love the sport no matter what gender we are and a major piece of Texas culture.
One of the things I do miss about home (besides my favorite creole seasoned chicken) is Texas high school football.
Tonight the NFL season kicks off with a game between the defending NFL champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Traitors (oops, Titans).
Yeah, I have the Houston Texans to root for, but I still have my hate on about Bud's shady move of the Oilers to Nashville.
You have to be an original Cleveland Browns fan to understand why I won't let it go.
I grew up not only watching high school football from the stands (Go JJ Falcons) and the press boxes of the various HISD stadiums, but watching the Texas Southern University Tigers do battle with their SWAC opponents from the Astrodome and Rice Stadium press boxes as well.
The Dome press box buffet had some slamming chicken and roast beef. To me as a kid, bottomless soda cups were the best part of it.
Nah, actually it was watching those high stepping SWAC bands at the TSU games like the Ocean of Soul.
I also remember being envious (and jealous) when the Prairie View Black Foxes majorettes and TSU's Oceanettes sashayed their fine brown frames into the press box for on-air interviews to rep their schools.
I watched my beloved Cougars as a fan and later a UH student repeatedly beat the hell out of the Texas Longhorns during their days in the Southwest Conference.
Those SWC beatdowns are probably why we're not in the Big 12 now. Texas being responsible for UH not getting into the Big 12 is a major reason why I gleefully enjoy every loss for that Austin based burnt orange wearing college football team.
So yeah, I'm ALWAYS ready for some football. I'll be parked in front of my TV with my popcorn watching tonight's game and a few others from now until the BCS Championship Game and Super Bowl Sunday.
And note to the Houston Texans. Can y'all do better than 8-8 and at least make it to the NFL playoffs this year?
The myriad haters of all things Williams sisters are gleefully munching on Hater Tots after 2005 US Open champ Kim Clijsters of Belgium upset third seeded Big Sis 0-6,6-0, 4-6.
It ends Venus' run on the singles side of the 2009 US Open, but she and Little Sis are still alive in their quest to capture their first US Open women's doubles tournament title since 1999.
Meanwhile Williams family honor falls to Little Sis once again.
The defending US Open champ is in the quarterfinal round after beating down Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-0. She took the last 10 games to close out the match.
With Dinara Safina getting beat (again) Serena is now the highest ranked player left on the women's side.
Little Sis is on a roll right now, but she still has some work to do before she can match Big Sis as a repeat US Open champion.
Serena and Venus Williams have been rewriting the tennis history books ever since their breakthrough Gland Slam victory ten years ago at the 1999 US Open.
My favorite tennis playing siblings are marching though the 2009 US Open field in the women's singles and women's doubles ranks seeking to add to the combined 18 Grand Slam titles they've already captured during their careers.
Not being content with making tennis history, last week they did so on another front. Principal owner and Managing General Partner Stephen Ross announced that the Palm Beach Gardens, FL residents have joined Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez in becoming limited ownership partners in the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
The purchase of that ownership stake made the Williams sisters the first African-American women to have an ownership stake in an NFL franchise.
"I am so excited to be part of such a renowned organization," says Serena. "Having spent so much of my childhood in the area, being involved with a staple of Miami culture is a huge honor. We look forward to many championships and much success together with the Miami Dolphins."
Agrees Venus, "I am honored to be a partner in the Miami Dolphins franchise and thankful to owner Stephen Ross for allowing Serena and I to be part of Miami Dolphins history."
Looks like the Williams sisters will definitely be ready for some football when the NFL season kicks off next week.
Serena and Venus Williams continue to kick butt and take names enroute to a potential semifinals matchup at the 2009 US Open.
Big Sis knocked off Magdalena Rybarikov 6-2, 7-5 to advance to her fourth round matchup with 2005 US Open champ Kim Clijsters. Clijsters is back on the tour after a two year maternity leave and looks like she's ready to pick up where she left off. She will provide a formidable test for Big Sis, who is still battling that sore knee.
Little Sis beat Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the fourth round. If the name sounds familiar to you, it's because they were involved in some serious drama the last time they met at the French Open.
During the third round of The French Open, Sanchez's serve and volley game pushed Little Sis to three sets before she prevailed. She was also incensed about a first set no call in which a ball Serena struck hit Sanchez on the arm and cleared the net.
During the post match press conference Little Sis called her opponent a 'cheat' because she didn't say anything when she clearly hit a shot over the net with her arm, in violation of the rules.
Unlike Big Sis, who had problems in her first round match, Little Sis Serena Williams has breezed through her opening round women's singles matches at the 2009 US Open.
The defending champ began her quest to repeat at Flushing Meadows by beating Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-1 in her opening round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Last night she needed only 53 minutes to overwhelm Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-1.
Big Sis did join her in the third round by beating fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. They play their opening round doubles match today versus Julia Goerges and Arantxa Parra Santonja.
They are not only seeking their first US Open doubles title since 1999, they're trying to add this title to the Wimbledon and Australian Open doubles championships they've already claimed this year.
Serena is seeking her 12th Grand Slam tennis title and is trying to become the first US Open repeat winner since Big Sis did so in 2000-2001.
The way she's playing right now, barring a monumental upset or running into her sister Venus in the semifinals, she just might get it.
The 2009 US Open started yesterday in Flushing Meadows, NY and will be running until September 13.
You know I'll be watching as my favorite tennis playing siblings battle the women's tennis world and their haters to capture another major tennis title.
While number 2 seed and defending US Open champ Little Sis opened play by cruising to a straight set 6-4, 6-1 win over Alexa Glatch, Number 3 seeded Big Sis had a rougher time.
She's probably humming Destiny's Child's Survivor after spending 2 hours and 44 minutes outlasting Russia's Vera Dushevina 6-7 (7-5), 7-5, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In their careers, neither Venus or Serena has ever lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament. But Dushevina came extremely close to knocking out Big Sis.
Venus dropped the first set in a 7-5 tiebreaker. She led 5-3 in that tiebreaker until being rattled by a foot fault call that wiped out a great serve that would have given her a 6-3 lead. She also called an 8 minute injury timeout early in the first set at 2-1 to deal with her left knee in addition to struggling with her second serve.
She found herself down 5-4 in the second set just serving to stay in the match and fell behind love-15. The number 47 world ranked Dushevina found herself just three tantalizing points away from pulling off a major upset.
But as Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich once said, "Never underestimate the heart of a champion." Big Sis dug deep and won the next seven games to even the match and take control of the match by building a 4-0 third set lead enroute to winning the match.
If the Williams sisters continue their winning ways, they would unfortunately meet in the semifinals of this tournament. They are on the same side of the 2009 US Open women's singles draw.
The Williams sisters last won the US Open women's doubles championship in 1999, and are seeded fourth in this tournament.
Hopefully Big Sis gets the kinks out of her service game while playing some doubles. She had ten foot faults in that match, and there are concerns about whether her left knee will hold up from the pounding its going to take from the hard court surfaces at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
Stay tuned to find out if Little Sis makes it back to back US Open singles titles, if Big Sis finally wins a major and they capture their first US Open women's doubles championship in a decade.
The new $1.15 billion dollar home of the Arlington Cowchips has every bell and whistle you could want as a fan. Climate controlled comfort, retractable roof, great site lines and those world famous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders shaking what their mamas gave them.
For owner Jerry Jones, the things he likes about the 100,000 seat Cowboys Stadium is that his new football playpen has more seats and luxury boxes than Texas Stadium did. He can also host other revenue producing events like Super Bowls, major concerts such as the upcoming U2 one October 12, Big 12 Championship games and NCAA Final Fours.
But every new stadium when it opens for business (as Yankees fans can tell you) has some glitch or unforseen flaw in it that has to be corrected.
The Jerrydome's flaw is is hanging right over the football field.
The flaw is the 1.2-million pound, four-sided video board hanging from the rafters exactly 90 feet above the field.
It's a 160 foot wide, 90 foot tall $40 million HD video screen that stretches from twenty yard line to twenty yard line.
In their debut game in their new stadium, during the third quarter of the Cowboys 30-10 win, reserve punter A.J. Trapasso hit the gargantuan screen.
Jones doesn't think it's a problem being 90 feet above the field, despite the fact that two years ago, while conducting tests in San Antonio's Alamodome one of his own punters kicked balls more than 100 feet into the air.
The NFL signed off on the board and Jones said he does not plan to alter it.
Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher disagrees. It's worth noting that Fisher was not happy about the board getting in the way of one of his team's punts and he's the co-chair of the NFL's Competition Committee.
Translation, he has the power to do something about it.
He thinks it needs to be raised, and the competition committee could order that to happen.
"It's an issue, yeah. I'm sure the Cowboys or the league will tell you, I shouldn't have to throw a flag out there because [the officiating crew] didn't see the ball hit the scoreboard. Now, it's not necessarily their responsibility. Once a fair catch signal is given, then there are no eyes on the ball anymore. So they don't see it. So something has to get worked out. It can become a problem."
So how will this latest chapter of the ongoing sports soap opera known as the Cowchips turn out? Will Jerry raise the HD board? Will the NFL order him to do it? Will Vegas establish a sports betting line on how many NFL punters hit it this season?
Stay tuned to this latest episode of As The Cowchips Turn.
The First Lady has arrived in Copenhagen in advance of the 121st International Olympic Committee Session that will determine on Friday whether her hometown hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics.
On Thursday, the First Lady will meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge and attend a luncheon hosted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at the Amalienborg Palace. 
Being a Chicago native, The FLOTUS is definitely the right person to sell the world in bringing the 2016 Games to Chicago. She knows the neighborhoods where the Games venues would be placed, she grew up on the Chicago's South Side and lived just a short walk from the planned Olympic stadium before moving to Washington. 
