Pirate Galaxy » getting the `W, when youre building a team, you have

Katie Ledeckys Olympic Games are off to a flying start: The 19-year-old swimmer took gold in her first individual event Sunday night. And she didnt just win -- she blew her competition out of the water, finishing with a nearly 5-second lead and breaking her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle.By holding world records in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, Ledeckys dominance continues to be astounding. During Sunday nights broadcast, as Ledecky quickly pulled ahead of the pack, NBCs Rowdy Gaines proclaimed: A lot of people say she swims like a man. She doesnt swim like a man -- she swims like Katie Ledecky.Indeed, the tendency to compare women athletes to men seems to arise no matter what, in an attempt to contextualize female athletic achievement in the male terms we understand as default.This girl is doing respectable times for guys, 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte told USA Today. Olympic silver medalist Connor Jaeger took the comparison beyond her impressive times. Her stroke is like a mans stroke, he told the Washington Post. I mean that in a positive way. She swims like a man.Lochte, Jaeger and most people comparing Ledecky to male swimmers are trying to be nothing but praiseworthy. And the idea that she has a mans stroke isnt entirely hyperbolic. As espnWs?Philip Hersh explains, her coach tweaked her mechanics to employ techniques rarely used by female swimmers:And yet, its easy to see why many on social media reacted strongly to the idea of comparing Ledecky to a man in the first place. Ledecky uses a stroke traditionally ascribed to men, but theres nothing about the skills required to employ that stroke that are uniquely male. Strength and timing can be acquired, and history has shown us that both improved training and increased access to sports helps close the gap between men and women athletes.This is demonstrably true in swimming. In 2012, the Atlantics Robinson Meyer found that womens world-record times in the 100 free have improved at a greater pace than the mens times since 1905. Interestingly, he also compared mens and womens world records across events and found that women come closest to men in longer races, particularly the 1500.Thats noteworthy with regard to Ledecky because, while she holds the world record in the 1500 free, she wont have the chance to swim the event in Rio. The womens mile is glaringly absent from the Olympic program, which has featured the mens 1500 since 1908.The reasons are vague and unconvincing -- everything from a lack of global reach to a dearth of public interest. But while the 1500 requires more patience from viewers than shorter races with more immediate excitement, theres no explanation for why that same reasoning isnt applied to the men -- nor why it also doesnt hold true for the 10K open-water swim, which was introduced to the Olympics for both men and women in 2008. As for the global nature of the womens mile, since the 1500 was added to the FINA world championship program in 2001, the event has hailed medalists from 11 different countries.The International Olympic Committee has thus far rejected FINAs attempts to push for the womens 1500 in the Olympics, citing too many events on the schedule. Thats a very real concern, and has led the IOC to foolishly eliminate other essential events in the past. (Welcome back, baseball and softball.)Having men swim a 1500 while the women swim an 800 harkens back to a time of immense resistance to all womens events, particularly those endurance sports thought to be too physically strenuous for delicate female bodies. And while that might not be the intention, its not happening in a vacuum. Its happening in a sports climate that tells women tennis players they cant play five sets, that belittles womens basketball and soccer players for hypothetically not being able to compete with the men, that delegitimizes womens sports entirely when athletes like Serena Williams or the UConn basketball team are deemed too dominant -- dominance for which Ledecky receives praise when its framed in mens terms.Its a vestige of still seeing sports as inherently male space, and of mostly male fans and commentators unable or unwilling to consider female athletes by their merits alone. Forgetting that half of sports fans are women, the narrative takes shape around terms to which the prototypical mens fan can relate. But when women are derided when theyre not as strong or fast as the men, yet simultaneously scorned when they dominate other women, we miss the point of womens sports entirely. We miss the fact that playing like a girl means something entirely different today than it meant 50 years ago.Its important to remember that Ledecky, who is going for a medal Tuesday night in the 200 freestyle, doesnt swim like a man -- she swims like Katie Ledecky. Mone Davis indeed does throw my curveball like Clayton Kershaw and my fastball like Mone Davis. There isnt a ceiling on womens athletic achievement, and strong female athletes will continue to innovate and evolve their events in terms of womens sports, not mens, even if and when that means competing on the same level.Regardless of comparison, womens sports need to be celebrated and enjoyed on their own merits -- by men and women alike. Whether you watched Michael Jordan as a Knicks fan, Mariano Rivera as a Red Sox fan or Nadia Comaneci as an American, you were still watching greatness, even if you were on the other team.So savor the moments you get to watch Ledecky and Williams and Simone Biles. Theyre not redirecting female athletes into a supposedly superior, male space. Theyre reframing womens sports in terms of potential.Nick Young Jersey . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. Al Horford Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. https://www.cheap76ers.com/276e-charles-barkley-jersey-76ers.html . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Joel Embiid Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Clemon Johnson Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma and Baylor have been the heavy favorites to win the Big 12 since the end of last season, and after two wins apiece to begin league play, nothing has changed in that respect.That doesnt mean West Virginia or Kansas State plan to go quietly.The Mountaineers had last week off after their narrow win over the Wildcats, while coach Bill Snyders group is coming off a tough win over Texas Tech . Now, a pair of programs with designs on winning the league race hit the road for what could be a pivotal weekend.West Virginia visits the Red Raiders. The Wildcats head to Oklahoma.Its nice to have a bye week, and there are no more bye weeks. We have eight straight weeks now, Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. Our team is in a good place, theyre healthy, their spirits are good. We spent all last week, 50 percent on developmental stuff and 50 percent on Texas Tech.If they want a blueprint for slowing down the Red Raiders, they might want to reference Kansas States performance on Saturday night. The Wildcats held Pat Mahomes and Co. to less than 50 points for the first time all season, and to just a field goal most of the second half in a 44-38 victory.Not that the Mountaineers (4-0, 1-0) dont know how to handle Texas Tech themselves. Theyve held the Red Raiders (3-2, 1-1) in check in winning the last two games in the series.Were pretty familiar with Texas Tech, Holgorsen said. They play so fast and they score so many points that its challenging, but were pretty familiar with them.Likewise, the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) are intimately familiar with the Sooners (3-2, 2-0). Snyder was one of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops mentors years ago, and the teams have regularly played games that have been crucial to deciding the Big 12 race.Oklahoma annihilated Kansas State last year, but the Wildcats have won two straight in Norman.Ask why theyve had such road success, Snyder replied: Beats the tar out of me.Theyre a good football team aand always have been.dddddddddddd. Better than good, he said. When we have been fortunate to win, I think weve played well. Its year by year, you know? I dont think where we played had too much to do with it. We just played well while were there.As much as Snyder would rather no relive last years 55-0 loss to the Sooners, he acknowledged the need to revisit the way things went down with his team.Last year has nothing to do with this year. Were two completely different teams, Stoops added. We havent played close to what we can play and we need to make sure were playing our best.In other news from Mondays teleconference with Big 12 coaches:- Baylor (5-0, 2-0) tries to remain perfect against lowly Kansas, but the Bears are also cognizant of the fact that the Jayhawks were three missed field goals away from beating TCU last weekend.They had a great, great opportunity to beat TCU and they have to feel good about that, Baylor coach Jim Grobe said. Even though theyre not satisfied with getting the `W, when youre building a team, you have to look at the progress youre making.The Jayhawks have lost 14 consecutive games in Big 12 play.- Speaking of near-misses, Iowa State (1-5, 0-3) has blown late leads in back-to-back losses to the Bears and Oklahoma State. But conference coaches are certainly aware of the progress Cyclones coach Matt Campbell is making in rebuilding his program.Theyre doing a good job, Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. Hes a bright young coach.- Texas coach Charlie Strong was asked about the pressure mounting on him after a 45-40 loss to the Sooners, and whether his increasingly hot seat is starting to get to his players.Its nothing for them to worry about, he replied. They shouldnt concern themselves with it.Indeed, they should probably be worried about Iowa State, which beat Texas 24-0 last year. ' ' '