policy with pop

Tim Tebow: From the Football Field to the Political Arena

Tim Tebow seems a likeable guy. When Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks belittled the Heisman winner, he responded in a classy and humble way, earning my respect. Since then, he’s won another national championship, cried, and recently won the Sugar Bowl. But, the quarterback may be making a controversial play by participating in a Focus on the Family ad promoting a pro-life chance.

Liberal organizations, especially pro-choice groups, are criticizing CBS and Tim Tebow for the upcoming Super Bowl ad. The ad will reportedly feature Tim’s mother describing her decision to give birth to him. Obviously, that decision resulted in producing the Heisman-winning quarterback, which implies that every pregnant woman should not choose abortion.

CBS had previously rejected other political ads, stating that its policy was to reframe from such ads. Some feel like CBS has backtracked on this policy by allowing this ad, produced by right-wing religious group Focus on the Family. The group describes itself as a global Christian ministry. Focus on the Family has been described by some liberals as a hateful, anti-gay and anti-women group. Obviously, Focus on the Family is a controversial group.

Women’s organizations are not the only ones hoping to pass interfere with the ad. Some football enthusiasts say a political/religious ad is inappropriate for a day to tailgate, drink, and watch football.

Tim Tebow, like any high profile football player, is either loved or hated by football fans, depending on which college football team they are rooting for. However, Tim has always made his faith known to the public. Besides stories about his missionary trip and his vow to remain a virgin until marriage, he also puts Bible verses on his eye markings. But, I don’t recall him using his public microphone to preach advocate his political positions. This ad would be his first.

Defending himself from criticism over the Super Bowl ad, he argues that he’s just standing up for what he believes in. Sarah Palin also blocked the quarterback’s scramble, by criticizing women’s groups for their criticism of Tim and pro-lifers.

Does the ad’s affiliation with a ultra-conservative group matter?

Is the Tebow ad an attack on pro-choice group and laws?

Is it wise or noble for the quarterback to run into the political thicket of the abortion debate? Or should he concentrate on improving his football techniques?

Should CBS play the political ad? Or is it sacrilegious for the network to mix football with a political/religious debate? 

BCS: Bowl Congressional Series?

College football is one of the most thrilling sports to watch. Take a look at one of the most exciting games of this year:

Heading into the game, Norte Dame was predicted to win against the Michigan Wolverines. But, the Victors prevailed despite the chatter.

With that in mind, in recent years the University of Southern California football team is annually hyped as the contender for the national title. Yet, nearly every year USC kills its chances to play in the national championship game by losing to a lower tier PAC-10 school. Then USC fans decry the unfairness of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system, claiming that USC is best team in the country. Remember when USC convinced coaches to award it a #1 ranking in the AP/Coach’s Poll and then proclaimed itself to be the national champions? Take that, BCS!

The BCS system selects two teams to play for the national championship based on rankings, determined by… the AP Poll, Coaches’ Poll and computer average? Does anyone really know how the BCS works? Anyway, proponents of this system argue that this system reduces the amount of the physically-intensive games student-athletes go through while properly selecting bowl match-ups.  BCS supporters believe that a play-off system would prolong an already long season and take an unnecessary toll on the college kids.

USC fans are not the only BCS-haters, Members of Congress are getting into the mix and in a bi-partisan way too! Busy congressmen found time in between debating healthcare reform and troop levels in Afghanistan to create a political, fundraising group, the “Play-off PAC.” The money raised from this PAC will go to politicians who support getting rid of the BCS system and replace it with… a play-off system, which they argue would be fairer and generate millions of dollars by adding extra games.

Who is part of this group? Money will go to such politicians like Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who saw his Utah Utes  go undefeated last season yet be shut out of the national game, and Democratic Congressman Neil Abercrombie, who co-sponsored the Championship Fairness Act of 2009. This is an important issue to these lawmakers. Rep. Abercrombie slammed the BCS system as an exclusive country club… that apparently excludes USC…

Do you think college football should get rid of the BCS system in favor of play-offs? Or are USC and certain congressmen just bitter? Is there another system?

And what is your reaction to the congressional intervention of college football? Is it necessary or just a ploy to raise money?

Bad Michael Phelps or Perfectly Okay Michael Phelps?

Say it ain’t so, Michael Phelps! Say it ain’t so…

As you can see, the Olympic champion was photographed smoking a bong. At first I tried to defend him by saying that the photo was really of a skinny Jason Wahler.  But at last, Phelps admitted and apologized for the picture and smoking marijuana.

His statement: “I engaged in behavior which is regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have some to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

Unfortunately, this is not Phelp’s first drug-related incident. After the 2002 Olympics, Phelps, then 19, was caught drinking (alcohol) and driving. He received 18 months probation. Phelps was also ordered to speak to youths about the dangers of alcohol and attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victims’ impact panel.

Phelps’ pot picture will probably not result in such punishment, if any. Marijuana is not a prohibited sports enhancing drugs. Thus, the US Olympic Committee probably will not sanction him. This incident will probably cost Phelps’ wallet as it could cost him some of his sponsorships.

But, many don’t view Phelp’s weedy behavior negatively. There are many groups calling for the legalization of marijuana. They believe marijuana is not as dangerous as it’s made out to be. These groups say that alcohol and cigarettes, which are legal, are more life-threatening. Moreover, marijuana can be used in a medicinal manner. Thus, these groups see no reason to ban it.

But, smoking weed is illegal. The supporters of pot’s illegal status justify it a few ways. There’s the unhealthy aspect. There’s the notion that marijuana is a “gateway” drug – a drug that causes users to use other illicit drugs. There’s also the whole moral aspect. Some believe that the government should ban weed on moral grounds – that government should not endorse the use of pot by making it legally acceptable.

What do you think? Should marijuana be legalized or remain illegal?

And what do you think of Phelps after the bong picture? Is he still the golden boy? Or is his legacy clouded in scandal?

Michael Phelps: New Breakfast of Champions GRRR-EIGHT!?!

Continuing our Olympic coverage:

Michael Phelps… What can I say? If you don’t know who he is, something's wrong. Very wrong. Alright, for the one person who doesn’t know, Michael recently won an unprecedented 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

Now he’s temporarily replacing Tony the Tiger. That’s right Michael Phelps has signed an endorsement deal with the Kellogg Company to be on the cover of Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes. What!?! I thought the breakfast of champions was Wheaties… Well, that’s going to piss off some people.

Actually, it has. Nutritionists are criticizing Michael for promoting the kid-marketed Frosted Flakes, which has three times the amount of sugar that Wheaties has and a third-less fiber.  They worry that children will heed his picture, eat the cereal and become unhealthy and obese.

For his part, Michael reportedly eats 12,000 calories a day and burns it off swimming in the pool, so he probably doesn’t think about the health effects it has on us ordinary people.

But is Michael Phelps morally responsible for making sure his cereal endorsement is healthy, especially since it’s targeted towards kids?

Assuming that Michael actually eats and enjoys Frosted Flakes, is it better that he endorses it rather than promoting a healthier cereal that he rarely eats or even likes?

Coming of Age: China's women gymnastics

In a showdown in the final round of the women’s team gymnastics competition at 2008 Olympics:

But throughout the competition eyebrows were raised at how young the Chinese gymnasts looked. The Chinese squad looked a little too young… young enough to be ineligible. Compared to the American team, the Chinese were on average 3.5 inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter.

In order to compete at these Olympics in gymnastics, each athlete must be 16. This age restriction is meant to protect kids and their bodies from the enormous stress of elite competition. The age restriction is also found in other sports, such as figure skating.

Opponents of age restrictions in sports argue that it may prevent the best athlete from competing and thus put the results in doubt. Plus, they say age restrictions may not deter athletes and sports federations from pushing younger athletes to the max.

Are age restrictions in sports like gymnastics appropriate? Or should they be eliminated?

To satisfy the current age rules, the Chinese government supplied its athlete’s passports as evidence of eligibility before the Games. International Gymnastics Federation officials have accepted these passports as valid and accurate.

Skeptics doubt the accuracy of these passports as they believe the Chinese government has doctored its athletes’ date of births as it has in the past (double bronze medalist at the Sydney Games, Yang Yun admitted that she was really 14, not 16 as listed, at the time) . They also cite online Chinese documents and newspapers which give a different age (14) and date of birth for two of China’s team.

Still the Chinese government and athletes still assert that all members of the current gold-winning squad are 16 or older.

Has the issue about age and eligibility been raised because Team USA earned the silver medal instead of gold? Or is this age-ineligibility issue a valid concern?

Do the Chinese athletes look younger than they are because they are Asian? Or do you think they are underage? And if in fact Chinese women’s gymnastics team members are underage, what would the appropriate recourse be?

UPDATE: The International Olympic Committee has ordered a probe on Chinese double gold medalist He Kexin after new evidence arose. He won team gold and a gold in asymmetric bars.

Spain Eyes Olympic Offense

The Olympics: the global venue that allows athletes to show the world their abilities. Sometimes they shine and inspire the world. (I'm talking about you, Michael Phelps.) Sometimes they give heartbreaking performances. (No need to name names, US women's gymnastics.) But sometimes, Olympic athletes gain international attention for their antics outside of competition. Case and point: Spain's basketball team.

Spain's Olympic basketball team riled the world by taking this picture before coming to Beijing:

As you can see, the players used their index fingers to stretch their eyes to make Asian "slant eyes." They are getting heat for the picture as critics are calling their pose offensive, disrespectful, divisive and racist.

How did Team Spain respond? It criticized the media for blowing this picture out of proportion and defended the picture pose. The team said it was just following the instructions of their sponsor Seur, a Spanish courier company, for an ad. They thought that the pose would honor China, the host of these Olympics Games.

When taking the pose, player Jose Calderson thought the picture "was going to be something nice, something with no problem." He went on to call the picture "an affectionate gesture" on his blog. Head coach Aito Garcia Reneses compared it to taking a picture on you on tips of your toes to honor tall opponents. He didn't consider that nor the "slant eyes" pose offensive.

Another player, Pau Gasol, admitted he was uncomfortable with the picture but not because he thought there were racial undertones but because he thought slanting his eyes was "clownish." Although he went on to apologize to anyone offended, saying that was not the intent.

Do you think the "slant eyes" are offensive and an unworthy pose for Olympic athletes to make? Or do you think the PC police and the media are creating unnecessary drama?

What do you think of Spain's response to this controversy? How would you handle? And what, if any, repercussions should Spain's basketball team face?

Phelps Going to Beijing Olympics; Should Bush?

Michael Phelps, arguably the most dominant swimmer in the world, heads to Beijing after securing the right to swim in eight Olympic races at the U.S. Olympic trials. In Beijing, he will focus on breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals won at one Olympic Games. Take a look at how he’s approaching this Herculean task:

As Phelps focuses on capturing eight Olympic gold medals, there is worldwide protest over Beijing's selection as the site of the 2008 Olympic Games. Critics say that China’s record on human rights, treatment of Tibet, its monetary support of Sudan leaders (who have allowed Darfur genocide to continue) and other reasons should disqualify China as the host country. Some have advocated boycotting the Olympics but that isn’t likely. Instead, many are calling on world leaders to boycott the opening ceremonies to convey their concerns and put pressure on the Chinese government.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders have said they will not attend the opening ceremonies; however, U.S. President George Bush indicated today that he will go, stating that his absence will be “an affront to the Chinese people” and hinder future negotiations with the Chinese government. Furthermore, supporters of having the Olympics in Beijing argue that the Olympics are suppose to be non-political. To them, having world leaders boycotting the opening ceremonies goes against Olympics spirit, which is to unite the world in good, fun athletic competition.

Do you think President Bush and other political leaders should skip the opening ceremonies? Or would that do more harm than good?

Bonus: Do you think Michael Phelps will break Mark Spitz’s record by winning eight Olympic gold medals?

Be Like Michelle Kwan: A Citizen Diplomat

If you want tips on your triple lutz, this isn’t your blog post. Sorry. But this post can help you be like Michelle Kwan the Diplomat.

Kwan became the first US Public Diplomacy Envoy on November 9, 2006. Her duties include traveling to other countries on behalf of the State Department to build goodwill. Kwan accomplishes this by being a positive role model and sharing her American story.

And, boy, does she have a story to tell. Sure, she is generally known as a figure skating legend who has won five world titles, nine US national championships and two Olympic medals. But it is her upbringing that is inspiring and made her into the respected champion she is today.

Born in the United States to Chinese immigrants, Kwan had a humble, working-class beginning. With a strong belief in their daughter, Kwan’s parents took second jobs and even sold their home to pay for the high cost of elite figure skating. When that was not enough, Kwan was fortunate enough to have support from the L.A. skating community, which provided her with a scholarship. The sacrifices and the commitment made by Kwan and her family, as well as support of the community, paid off as Kwan went on to become the most decorated skater in US history.

While her victories are impressive, it is the grace she showed in defeat that has captured the hearts of so many. Remember when she helped a confused Olympic champion Sarah Hughes reach the top of the podium in 2002?

It is no wonder that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tapped Kwan as the first Public Diplomacy Envoy.

But you don’t have to be Michelle Kwan to help build goodwill between America and other countries. While you probably will not be sponsored by the State Department to be an official US representative, you can participate in citizen diplomacy. Citizen diplomacy is the belief that everyone has a responsibility to shape their respective country’s international image and relations with other nations. Anyone can be a citizen diplomat, and it can be as formal or informal as you like. Just connect with other citizens of the world and build positive relationships that dispel negative American stereotypes.

Here are some good resources to learn more about how to be a citizen diplomat:
Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy
U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy

So are you ready to change America’s global image? And which celebrities do you think the State Department should select to officially represent America abroad?

(Thanks to Leah Adams for providing the Kwan picture)