Full parity with the men's game

Caitlin Clark

Have trouble going "cold turkey" from basketball this time of year? I mean, after the area high school teams are all done? Have trouble floating back down to earth, to the real world of the usual mundane stuff? Time seems to move slower, doesn't it. 

There's no real need for the "cold turkey" experience. Fans can cling to the hoops sport thanks to the collegians. For many years we have largely paid lip service to the women's game, as we sought to demonstrate that it was on par with the men's. The admiring comments might have seemed condescending. The men's game still attracted the more serious attention. 

A fascinating op-ed appeared in the days since University of Iowa notched its latest NCAA tournament win. Commentary about officiating. Nothing unusual about such a dust-up. The point being made, though, was that the protests over the Iowa game were issued with the same level of seriousness and emotion as for a comparable men's game. 

The writer asserted this as good news, signaling that at long last the women's game had arrived. The writer used the same word as I just did - condescending - to reflect on how an officiating matter might be broached in the past. Well, the women's game was merely complementary to the men's game, right? We wouldn't admit that. But it was rather the status quo for a long time. 

Caitlin Clark is just the catalyst for what is going on. A superior talent, most obviously. But college women's basketball has been established all over for a very long time. The op-ed writer noted that the present phenomenon of Clark and Iowa is like a turning point. And it made an impression on me because I could certainly sense the truth.

A part of us is charmed by Iowa because it has no big league sports. A complementary state to Minnesota? Do Iowans cheer for Minnesota teams in large numbers? I have never known the answer to that. 

Iowa most certainly has its Hawkeyes. Their women's basketball team blew our Gophers right off the court. Should fans rise up and demand remedial action for our U of MN women's program? Wasn't Lindsay Whalen shown the door not that long ago? Silly rabbit, former stars do not necessarily make great coaches. The truism gets ignored so often. Ahem, it has even been ignored at our Morris High School. 

The MACA boys team gave us a pretty exciting ride this past season. The girls? Not really. They lost to begin the tournament. Fans are entitled to their opinions: mine is that the Tigers should have gone further. Kaylee Harstad is sometimes my weekend server at DeToy's. Addison Cihak is my neighbor. 

And now the excitement of Iowa women's basketball makes us realize how truly captivating the women's game can be. Not at all "complementary" to the men's/boys game. Of course that should have been realized all along. 

Now that the college women's game has 100 percent "arrived," we can expect officiating controversies to arise with the same level of seriousness as in the men's game. This is now clearly demonstrated in the days since Iowa defeated West Virginia. 

I don't care so much about details of the controversy. Favoritism toward Clark? Is that it? Let others hash that over, as I am simply enthralled by the Clark-led Hawkeyes. Clark is the complete package and that includes how she carries herself off the court. Not to be minimized here, in my mind, is that she has no tattoos. I am simply annoyed by tattoos, find them totally unnecessary and lacking taste. Are tattoos a way for people to compensate for a lack of positive self-image? I'm just asking the question. 

Clark is definitely heterosexual. While I may embrace all people, I do have some inclinations on this. So, Clark complements her other-worldly talents with traits that I find quite appealing. And I am prepared for her to lose. While Iowa may have blown away our U of M Gophers - ugh - they did not have a cakewalk through their first two tournament games. It took them time to get going in game 1 vs. Holy Cross. They did look pretty in command by the end.  But beatable too, and in round 2 the beatable aspect was most evident. Clark definitely showed her talents. But a blow-out this was not, versus West Virginia. 

 

Clark scored 32 points and added eight rebounds and three assists as her Iowa team defeated West Virginia 64-54. Now it's on to Albany NY for the Hawkeyes, there to face the Colorado Buffaloes. Yours truly just put up a post on my companion blog, "Morris of Course," with the headline "Easter approaches and we cheer for Hawkeyes." You may click to read. Thanks.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/03/easter-approaches-and-we-cheer-for.html

 

So now it's on to face Colorado in the "Sweet 16." It's an Easter weekend game. I'll be searching for livestream, will probably have to settle for audio-only. For the West Virginia game I found a dude doing a live video podcast. An African-American young man, lively and fun-loving and with his emotions invested some. Perfect. So at one point he described Iowa on offense when Clark let fly with a long one. Instead of saying "she made it" or "good," he uttered an impulsive profanity - "J.C." - in the context of him just being amazed at what he just saw! So I was not offended. 

This is the kind of reaction that Clark inspires. Some people might criticize me for being so late in finding true excitement and entertainment in the women's game. Well I'm sorry, a mea culpa from yours truly. But I am finding it, accomplishing this while not taking our Lord's name in vain. Especially leading up to Easter. 

How do y'all feel about Easter this year? I mean, with Donald Trump hinting that he is to be likened to Christ, and with his big "Bible sales" of this week? 

So Christianity is truly on a plane with MAGA now. Do you buy that? My concern is that this equivalency of Christianity with MAGA will seriously begin to erode the foundation of Christianity in America. Don't say I did not warn you. 

I'll stick it out and go to church this year. I'll go to a church in the ELCA which has kept its distance from Trump and everything he represents. Our "liberalism" has hurt us. Is it really "liberalism?" Or is it just good sense? Rhetorical question. But my, my church of First Lutheran once had three services on Easter Sunday. And now it's down to just one. How the mighty have fallen. 

But actually I'm planning to attend Faith Lutheran in Morris for their 7 a.m. service, and then to have breakfast there afterwards. Faith has two services planned for Sunday. At present it is the stronger of the two ELCA churches in Morris. 

I think you can count on Good Shepherd Church just outside of town being quite supportive of Trump, no matter what he does.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com