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4B Swing and a Drive
No Excuses I have decided to postpone the final column in The Murray State Tradition series to discuss a topic of far greater imJonathan portance Ferris this week. Staff writer Over the last several days, an incredibly disturbing and disappointing story has emerged out of the Miami Dolphins’ locker room. Jonathan Martin, a second-year tackle, left the team last week after reports of bullying from fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito. As the days have gone on, more disgusting details have emerged regarding the actions and words of Incognito toward Martin. Martin, an African-American, received voicemails from Incognito with obscenities ranging from blatant racism to sexually derogatory comments about his sister. As a white male who has never been in a locker room for any reason other than to interview athletes, I realize my lens is clouded and my experience limited. Perhaps the most disturbing part for me, however, was the acceptance of Incognito by his teammates. Not a single one condemned Incognito for his actions. Instead they stood up for him. Teammates attributed the actions to typical locker room dialogue – a pathetic justification, if you ask me. In an NFL culture where players are expected to be bold, harsh and strong, the issue of the matter has been lost in criticism of Martin’s character. Shannon Sharpe’s comments from NFL Today get to the heart of the problem. “Ask your parents,” Sharpe said. “Ask your grandparents about the mountain that they climbed so that a black person in America could have respect, could have dignity – and that you allow this in an open locker room to take place is unacceptable.” Simply attributing Incognito’s actions to “everyone is doing it,” is not in any form an acceptable answer. It’s not about whether Martin handled it correctly or not. It’s about the acceptance and fostering of a culture of hate in the Dolphins’ locker room. Thousands of people throughout this country’s history have paid far too great a price for this kind of garbage to be accepted in any workplace setting. NFL locker room or not, this is the environment where these players are making their livings and no workplace should be a place of racism and bigotry. I find this entire incident despicable, and sincerely hope Incognito is severely punished for his racism and hate. More importantly, however, this incident has exposed a much grander flaw in the NFL and sports in general. Locker room cultures such as the one depicted in Miami should not be tolerated anywhere in any sport. This country has come a long way in acceptance and tolerance, but Richie Incognito and the Miami Dolphins have clearly shown how far as a nation we have yet to go. jferris2@murraystate.edu
November 15, 2013
Tournament hope slips away after loss to Peay Taylor Crum || Staff writer tcrum3@murraystate.edu
The chance to play in the OVC tournament slipped away from the volleyball team after a fifth-set loss at Austin Peay Tuesday night. The loss comes after things seemed to be on the upswing for the Racers, who defeated Southeast Missouri State and UT Martin last weekend. The team also reclaimed its lone senior and captain, Katlyn Hudson, after a leave of absence due to a concussion. Head Coach David Schwepker said Hudson’s return made a substantial transformation in the women’s gameplay. “You can tell how much it meant for the team to have her out there again,” Schwepker said. “She’s really made a big difference coming back.” He said with Hudson back on the floor against SEMO on Friday night, the team’s confidence was high, something that helped them pull off a come-frombehind victory. The Racers then turned around to win the next day against UT Martin with another 3-2 match win. Despite the win, Schwepker said the game was not pretty. All the Racers had to do for a tournament bid was earn a win against conference rival Austin Peay. Despite the positive changes the team went through last weekend, Austin Peay
took home the win and put a halt to the Racers’ dream of seeing the OVC tournament this year. Murray State was a set away from winning after gaining a 2-1 lead, but lost both of the final sets. Schwepker said he thinks the women’s nerves got the best of them. “I just think the pressure was too much,” Schwepker said. “We messed up a lot of things that were routine – things that we should not have messed up on.” He said he and the team are both saddened by the loss, but are trying to keep a positive attitude. “I told the girls to remember this heartbreaking experience and remember what it feels like so they will understand why we are going to work so hard in the spring,” Schwepker said. “It’s just a great learning experience for these girls, and it’s only going to make them stronger later on.” With the tournament completely out of the picture, the Racers only have one game left this season against Eastern Kentucky. Schwepker said he does not want the girls to go into the game and blow it off, but to make the best of it since there is no pressure behind the game. The women will travel to Richmond, Ky., to complete their season. They will take the floor at 3 p.m. Saturday against Eastern Kentucky.
Kate Russell/The News
Sophomore setter Sam Bedard passes a ball up during a game against Tennessee State.
Cycling offers variety, g re a t f o r m o f ex e rc i s e Ryan Richardson || Sports Editor mrichardson5@murraystate.edu
Photo courtesy of Christian Madrid, illustration by Ryan Richardson/The News
Senior Michael Agnew rides at the cycling club tent earlier this semester.
“Considering cycling is a lifelong sport, I hope to do it until the day I die.” Michael Agnew, senior from Madisonville, Ky., loves cycling, and he said he hopes to make it a profession. For now, he has to settle for riding for the club team at Murray, but he said that doesn’t make it any less exciting. The club has been around since 2001, but Agnew did not really get into the sport until 2011. He said he enjoys riding for multiple reasons, one of which is the variety of competitions within each discipline of cycling. For example, two disciplines include mountain biking – his favorite form of competition – and cyclocross. Even within mountain biking, the sport can be broken down into areas such as cross country or short track. Regardless of the competition, though, Agnew said cycling is a team sport. “It’s an individual sport as well as a team sport,” he said. “A lot of people think it’s just you on your bike, but there are a lot of team tactics.” He said teams typically try to protect their strongest player, because other teams might try to eliminate him from the race. “Teams hold together and you guard one person, and it’s the person you want to win,” Agnew said. “As you’re riding, you’re always guarding that person. Other people are trying to take him out. Crashes aren’t always accidental.” Cycling is about much more than riding in a race, though. Agnew said after most races, the riders have to break down their bikes for maintenance. Due to the extreme conditions cyclists put the
bikes in, Agnew said they have to have a certain caliber of bike. The club is open to anyone, but it encourages any new members to be serious about riding and have the proper gear. “In order to be competitive, you have to have a certain caliber of bike,” he said. “We’re micro adjusting within millimeters – saddle height, bar width, bar height. Everything is specific. You’re going to be on that back for 6 hours. A lot can happen in that time.” Agnew said training for cycling is just like any other sport. Riders have to put in the effort to be good. They are expected to ride 100-200 miles per week, with occasional days during which they push themselves. The training helps avoid some of the dangers of cycling, which are similar to most other athletic ventures. “If you go past your comfort level and experience level, and you’re in a race maybe you shouldn’t be, you’re probably going to get hurt,” Agnew said. “Knowing your limits – that’s the big part about anything.” Agnew said cycling goes beyond the competition, though, especially for him. “The best thing I like about mountain biking is just being out in nature,” he said. “You’re riding over the trail and all you hear is birds chirping and your tires on the ground. There’s nothing else out there.” Plus, he said, people of all ages ride bikes. Even when he rides with the club, he has ridden beside people ranging in age from 14 to upper 60s, and they come from a variety of backgrounds. “All you have to do is have a bike,” Agnew said. “You can ride with people that are super rich or kind of poor. Everyone rides their bikes and nobody cares.”
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