Is this my way of attempting to smite every troll on the Internet? It's probably an ineffective way, but sure, I'll die trying. S-M-I-T-E (9999)
In a historical night in the world of spelling, the Scripps National Spelling Bee saw not one, not two, but eight children crowned Spelling Bee Champions in Maryland. In a night filled with modesty, classic reactions, gutturals, and bee-themed wardrobe, viewers were stunned, and many preferred to watch these kids light up the stage over watching the opener to the NBA Finals. After half of the finalists were knocked out, the remaining eight continued dueling it out for the remainder of what ended up being a three hour broadcast.
Of course, our current competitive society got the best of us last night, as a lot of people cried foul over the results of the Bee. Many had called it proof of "participation trophy culture" and that "they should have kept going until there was one winner." This may also be a sign that those individuals didn't watch the Bee and thought Scripps just gave up and allowed eight kids to share the trophy. Plus, I didn't know it was acceptable to have kids burn themselves out for our pleasure. They're like, 12, and I mean that quite literally.
Once upon a time in 2001, I jumped into the local Bee scene. I took a part in Philadelphia's regional Spelling Bee while I was in the fifth grade. [Side note: There's a part of me in the deepest, darkest depths of my soul that believes that the Philly accent ruined my chances of advancing to a higher round, because tantalize should be pronounced clearer, but I swear that I'm not bitter nearly 20 years after the fact.] I also took part in an unrelated Spelling Bee in the eighth grade (2003) and won a sweet $30 GameStop gift card and a trophy because of it. I'm not an expert, but I can understand the preparations for it and how there are some that have more of a knack (1928 winning word) for studying and spelling than others.
In realization that the kids that are competing today are half my age (and babies/toddlers when the recession began), and seeing the level at which they're competing, there really is no way to stop them or to find a word that can best them. It's a science, a culture, and a religion all in itself. These are a few things that a lot of "outsiders" may not realize about the National Spelling Bee:
1) The national competition is humongous and takes over four days to contest in nearly all-day competitions. There are also a number of competitions countrywide that lead up to this as well.
If it was anything like it was for me nearly 20 years ago, you can't simply sign up for the National Bee. There are a number of regional competitions, typically hosted by major newspapers) that a speller can take part in that can sponsor you on that trip. Once you get there, you have the preliminary tests. The following two days are competitions that challenge spellers even more. On the final day, if you're one of the final spellers, you could be going on a high level for close to 10, maybe 12 hours. Although this includes breaks, there are a lot of nerves and mental work involved otherwise. Dead serious, I thought Shruthika was going to die onstage on two different occasions last night.
It's a long, long process, and I guess for most, it really is that saying of, "it's not about how you start, it's how you finish."
2) The spelling level and the means of studying words have immensly evolved since 1925.
It isn't going to be hard for you to find a list of the "winning words" of each Spelling Bee. You'll notice that the words actually start off, well, surprisingly easy. Then again, I'm a writer, so it may not prove as difficult. There are a few that can easily trip you up in the 1970's and 80's, but then there's "kamikaze" in 1993, which I have no idea what the competition looked like that year. After all of that though? The real fun begins. The culture of spelling and etymology and pronunciations has really been pushed to its limits, and when you start to realize that the ones who are really delving into this stuff haven't fully hit puberty yet, then your brain starts to melt.
3) If it's any sort of competition, it's a friendly one. Everybody knows how hard this can be.
The 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee, aside from the Asian stereotypes, shows a pretty accurate representation of what the competition is like. The kids, in all of what is left of their innocence, are simply happy to be there and to be competing at that high of a level. There may be luck involved, but there is also the awareness of the crafting of a word, and the nervousness that can creep in when you're running out of time. Being cocky isn't going to get you anywhere in this competition, and the kids know that. The parents know how much hard work went into getting there, and they're not going to sabotage their kids while digging deep into the brain grooves to figure out what suffixes to use on a word with Greek parts brought into French and then into English.
4) It is entirely possible to "run out of words" in a competition, especially when there are more than two spellers involved.
I don't think I need to get into this too much. After all, if you keep going into the well and pulling out words just because they sound hard, you're missing the mark. A lot of the words chosen are based on their structure and their roots. It's also obvious that they weren't expecting the kids to really bring it that hard this year. There have been instances where they've run out of "final round words" to the point where they have two champions, but this is the first time they've had more than that, so... Yeah.
(On a sidenote, I noticed that I really didn't see any kids that were considered homeschooled, and that was pretty shocking to me. Back in the 2000's, it was pretty common to see a speller in the top 5 that was homeschooled. I guess that practice is dying off...?)
--
I've been watching the Scripps' [Howard] National Spelling Bee seriously for the better part of 15 years. There were times in the early 2000's where there would be more than three or four spellers remaining in the later rounds. This year was completely different; it was almost as if the final eight spellers (well, nine or ten with those others letting their confidence get the best of them). If you watched any of it last night, you know that the spellers have two minutes to spell the word, and the pronouncer can no longer give you information after 90 seconds. Most of the kids took less than 45 seconds to spell the word, except in the cases in which they had to calm themselves down from excitement in actually knowing the word right off the bat. (Trust me, I lost my mind too when they used the word "seitan" in the nineteenth round, because I eat that stuff all of the time in vegan cuisine.)
It's safe to say that these kids literally broke the system last night. If you've been paying attention to how James Holzhauer is doing on Jeopardy, it's almost the same exact thing. You can see that his methods have ultimately been keeping him on top over the last two months. All of the winners last night were repeat contestants, and there were a percentage of finalists last night that had hired coaches, tutors, and reading materials that could not only expand their vocabulary, but give them a stronger understanding of roots, pre- and suffixes, etymologies, and pronunciations (like the dreaded schwa). They all had methods that helped them decipher a word, or they had it flat-out memorized from a previous practice session. That, my friends, is dedication and a different kind of intelligence right there.
We currently live a society where we have to have one winner, and a final way of determining such. In hearing about these competitions, not everybody realizes the above points. Not only that, pushing those kids any further than they did would have been borderline torture. It's like pushing a racehorse beyond its limits in the mud despite a strained leg. In my time watching these broadcasts, it was becoming clearer and clearer that no matter how tired the kids were, they knew these words or were able to figure them out without any major issue. It was at that point where I didn't really care how many co-champions there were. I was beyond impressed. That kind of work should be commended, no matter how many of them were a part of the spectacle.
(Notice how this is also a culture that doesn't fully accept soccer as a sport and doesn't understand that a 0-0 tie at full time can stand as a result. 'murica)
Oh, and with the way the broadcast was talking--which, by the way, was painful at times--there was a something something of exploits going on there from the get-go. One made a comment that you could make a "drinking game" out of a given statement, and in the beginning, they were talking about "favorites," like they were prized horses. As sad as this sounds, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if people gambled over something like this. Addictions exist, sure, but it's pretty sad when you're betting at the expense of children. Like, that's wrong and you should feel really wrong over that. A lot of the comments made were rather off-putting, not so much in the sake of staying PC, but because they are children. We're not watching a UFC event.
It isn't going to come as any shock if Scripps happens to change the format of the finals next year. We might see that as only having 10 finalists, or even 8. The time limit may even change, or we could see a reduction of how many times certain information can be given. Whatever it is, they'll likely be more than ready for the next batch of kids to come in next year.
These "elite eight," as they're being called, have set a high bar for the ones to come after. Who will be the next to vault over it?
-- Stephanie
________________________
Post-blog note: Although it may be a topic of interest for some, I have obviously decided against speaking about the race or ethnicity of seven out of the eight winners from last night, or even bring to the attention that many of them who have won over the last fifteen years have been a certain race or ethnicity. In my opinion, that does not matter. The kids are intelligent, and they worked harder than anybody else could to get there. I'm pretty sure that people are erroneously making a bigger deal out of it than they should, because that's what hate teaches.
On a more positive note, I'll direct you to this article from the LA Times, which actually shows the pride that Indian Americans have in the spelling bee circuit.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Greener Pastures? The Future of Marijuana Use in Sports
I seriously feel like Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail when he's blowing on his fingers, about ready to type. I haven't been this ready to type something juicy since I ripped Ann Coulter five years ago. Those were some good writing days. Everything else was garbage.
Disclaimer: This is likely to be the most informal post I've ever written. Then again, I haven't written a whole bunch in this blog in a few years. Oh well. We'll see how this turns out.
Over the weekend, Chris Long, defensive end for the [then] St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots, and more recently the Philadelphia Eagles (winning back-to-back Super Bowl rings with the last two teams he played for), announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. Yesterday, news outlets including Reuters released articles revealing that the now-retired Long had partaken in marijuana use for pain management and stress relief, and was able to pass drug tests otherwise because "players knew when it was." This is amid the NFL and NFLPA looking for new means for the pain management and alternative therapies for players on and off the field. [1]
In today's social climate, a rather high percentage of those who have heard the story are in that frame of mind where they're saying, "he was responsible, and still playing at a high level; marijuana should just be legalized by now." However, there is still a number of people stating, "kids look up to him, so what does that mean for them?" On the other hand, there is a lot to be said when the NFL and their Players' Association are taking strides to curb the standard means of pain management, and look for stronger, more effective ways to not only take care of their players, but increase their quality of life after their careers are over. In an era that is riddled with cases of post-concussion symptoms in athletes, and in a sport with a higher percentage of athletes suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) late in life, protection and pain management is so important. While the game has changed and evolved over the last 40 years, it may be high time (no pun intended) for medical care to evolve the same way.
However, you have others that want other means instead of something that is still seen by a number of people as "bad." This is where that mental blockage happens.
--
Before I deviate into my own thoughts and commentary, checking out Chris Long's Twitter would be a great thing to do in order to hear his ongoing thoughts on the matter. Something tells me people are going to be attempting to rail him for a while, all while he digitally sacks them.
--
I don't know... What's worse, him "being hooked on marijuana," (which, by the way, nobody's ever overdosed on that), or him taking pain meds and/or taking up drinking. With the overall stress levels and physical demands of the game--especially as a defensive end--doing the latter could result in the possibility of getting addicted to them long after the game is over. Of course, people are also pointing fingers that his father is Hall Of Famer Howie Long and they're not going to touch him. It's kind of a weak and bogus argument, when you think about it.
Remember prohibition? While alcohol was banned at the time, people still found way to retrieve it and consume/abuse it. The same applies to cannabis; if the benefits have been seen, there won't be any stopping it unless you sanction heavy criminal charges on it.
On that same token, opioids are legal, and because of their accessibility, it's easy to purchase, consume, and overdose it.
It's no secret that the opioid crisis is at an all-time high in the United States, and we're facing a number of casualties from those who not only dealt with physical pain, but mental and emotional pain as well. In an example not related to sports, Austin Eubanks, a survivor of the shooting at Columbine High School 20 years ago, was found dead earlier this week at his home. According to a statement from his family, it may have been due to his known struggles with opioid addiction. After the incident, he opened up about his addiction and later became a public speaker, helping those fight the very issue that he had firsthand experience with. Long after the physical issues had ceased, opioids were used to take the emotional edge off of the struggles of moving forward and existing. It simply became a way to function. [2]
If Chris Long was this open about this after his retirement, and he played at the level he did, he was obviously responsible, and still had a stellar career not only on the field, but off the field. During the 2017-2018 NFL season, he made headlines by donating that season's salary to a different charity each week. He was also the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this past season for his charity work not only in the city of Philadelphia, but countrywide.
There is still a massive stigma against the use of a substance that was still considered to be taboo up to the turn of the century. Although medical marijuana is becoming more widely accepted, as those versions do not contain THC (the element that creates the "high"), the "street" versions are still seen as a gateway drug, leading to other irresponsibility and mischief. People are more likely to think of Reefer Madness or believe that comedies like the Cheech & Chong films are true-to-life. If all films are actual representations of a product, then Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War should have knocked out half of humanity by now, and even if that half was brought back, those people have probably missed five years of brain cells in the process, which is kind of where the idea of marijuana legalization got lost for most in the logic department.
Marijuana's societal image is in a similar track to how gay marriage and racial inequality are ongoing hot issues. As a kid, you're not going to judge anything unless you see your parents or older family members make a comment about it, because then, it's that mentality that they know best, and disagreeing with them at a young age is a recipe for destruction. When the adults and parents are crying foul over it and completely shutting down the thoughts of benefit, then the "superiors" influence will trickle down to the kids, and the taboo returns. It makes me think of a scene in the film 42 when the father and son attend a ballgame, and when the son sees his father referring to Jackie Robinson as a particular name, the kid thinks it's completely OK to do that because his father is acting that way, so he follows suit. It's painful to watch, but that all happened, and it probably still is...because this is America.
Athletes using marijuana to handle pain and stress is the LEAST of the worries of sports leagues. Back in times' past, there were athletes that not only abused pain medication, but abused alcohol--which, by the way, that's all legal--and the long-term effects of those two substances mentioned are much more damaging than cannabis. (See: A painfully high percentage of professional wrestlers before drug monitoring But hey, opioids are still bringing in revenue to pharmaceutical companies, and cannabis could take that away because it can't be controlled, even if it were taxed.
This is getting ugly now, so this is where I exercise my restraint, because it's all fun and games until somebody reads something, and as soon as they see something they don't agree with--snowflake!
Although many of us are completely aware of the benefits of cannabis, and the benefits of its other forms such as CBD oil and edibles, the "devil's lettuce" is still banned in a lot of regions, and possession could be considered a high criminal offense. One of those regions is Japan. Banned since 1948, you face the possibility of time in prison, regardless of how much is in your possession. The culture and lifestyle difference is a major factor, and their stance probably isn't going to change anytime soon. But then again, they also don't have American football, and they're not undergoing the physical demands that our athletes have to meet year in and year out. Valid logic, I'd say.
We're still trapped in a society where our priorities are still a bit messy. Our health system is still in shambles, and our means of handling addiction--rehabilitation and the subsequent outpatient care--is still seen as something that are only for the worst of cases, not for those who have a growing issue but haven't outright admitted that there's a problem. There are other options, and when done responsibly, you know, the way everything in this life should be done, we're going to see really positive results. Not everybody is going to get that memo, and that's totally normal. Think of it this way: food and exercise are good, but sometimes people can get too much or too little of those, and that can be detrimental to your health if you're not responsible or have an ongoing illness.
The one worry that is possibly going to come from this is whether there are going to be more random drug tests to make sure that players are "keeping clean" from marijuana use after Long had admitted to knowing how to avoid a failed test. However, I don't think it's going to affect anything. Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. It may be a substance that can enhance the body's ability to handle pain and stress, but it doesn't affect overall muscle build/performance, and it doesn't contain the same type of chemical compounds as something like adderall.
Do I feel as though we're making a big deal out of nothing? Yes. We have so much more access to knowledge and case studies, and there's no excuse to ignore how athletes have to adjust to the rigorous careers they have chosen. Let's just be grateful Chris Long is doing as well as he is. The last thing we'd want to see would be more football players becoming casualties because we can't help them out now.
-- Stephanie
___________________
Other articles referenced:
[1] Long admits marijuana use, points to flaws in NFL testing - Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-long-marijuana-idUSKCN1SS2Y0?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5ce5e75272c13d0001ebca69&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
[2] Columbine survivor and public speaker Austin Eubanks, 37, loses his battle with addiction - CNN.com -
Disclaimer: This is likely to be the most informal post I've ever written. Then again, I haven't written a whole bunch in this blog in a few years. Oh well. We'll see how this turns out.
Over the weekend, Chris Long, defensive end for the [then] St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots, and more recently the Philadelphia Eagles (winning back-to-back Super Bowl rings with the last two teams he played for), announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. Yesterday, news outlets including Reuters released articles revealing that the now-retired Long had partaken in marijuana use for pain management and stress relief, and was able to pass drug tests otherwise because "players knew when it was." This is amid the NFL and NFLPA looking for new means for the pain management and alternative therapies for players on and off the field. [1]
In today's social climate, a rather high percentage of those who have heard the story are in that frame of mind where they're saying, "he was responsible, and still playing at a high level; marijuana should just be legalized by now." However, there is still a number of people stating, "kids look up to him, so what does that mean for them?" On the other hand, there is a lot to be said when the NFL and their Players' Association are taking strides to curb the standard means of pain management, and look for stronger, more effective ways to not only take care of their players, but increase their quality of life after their careers are over. In an era that is riddled with cases of post-concussion symptoms in athletes, and in a sport with a higher percentage of athletes suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) late in life, protection and pain management is so important. While the game has changed and evolved over the last 40 years, it may be high time (no pun intended) for medical care to evolve the same way.
However, you have others that want other means instead of something that is still seen by a number of people as "bad." This is where that mental blockage happens.
--
Before I deviate into my own thoughts and commentary, checking out Chris Long's Twitter would be a great thing to do in order to hear his ongoing thoughts on the matter. Something tells me people are going to be attempting to rail him for a while, all while he digitally sacks them.
--
I don't know... What's worse, him "being hooked on marijuana," (which, by the way, nobody's ever overdosed on that), or him taking pain meds and/or taking up drinking. With the overall stress levels and physical demands of the game--especially as a defensive end--doing the latter could result in the possibility of getting addicted to them long after the game is over. Of course, people are also pointing fingers that his father is Hall Of Famer Howie Long and they're not going to touch him. It's kind of a weak and bogus argument, when you think about it.
Remember prohibition? While alcohol was banned at the time, people still found way to retrieve it and consume/abuse it. The same applies to cannabis; if the benefits have been seen, there won't be any stopping it unless you sanction heavy criminal charges on it.
On that same token, opioids are legal, and because of their accessibility, it's easy to purchase, consume, and overdose it.
It's no secret that the opioid crisis is at an all-time high in the United States, and we're facing a number of casualties from those who not only dealt with physical pain, but mental and emotional pain as well. In an example not related to sports, Austin Eubanks, a survivor of the shooting at Columbine High School 20 years ago, was found dead earlier this week at his home. According to a statement from his family, it may have been due to his known struggles with opioid addiction. After the incident, he opened up about his addiction and later became a public speaker, helping those fight the very issue that he had firsthand experience with. Long after the physical issues had ceased, opioids were used to take the emotional edge off of the struggles of moving forward and existing. It simply became a way to function. [2]
If Chris Long was this open about this after his retirement, and he played at the level he did, he was obviously responsible, and still had a stellar career not only on the field, but off the field. During the 2017-2018 NFL season, he made headlines by donating that season's salary to a different charity each week. He was also the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this past season for his charity work not only in the city of Philadelphia, but countrywide.
There is still a massive stigma against the use of a substance that was still considered to be taboo up to the turn of the century. Although medical marijuana is becoming more widely accepted, as those versions do not contain THC (the element that creates the "high"), the "street" versions are still seen as a gateway drug, leading to other irresponsibility and mischief. People are more likely to think of Reefer Madness or believe that comedies like the Cheech & Chong films are true-to-life. If all films are actual representations of a product, then Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War should have knocked out half of humanity by now, and even if that half was brought back, those people have probably missed five years of brain cells in the process, which is kind of where the idea of marijuana legalization got lost for most in the logic department.
Marijuana's societal image is in a similar track to how gay marriage and racial inequality are ongoing hot issues. As a kid, you're not going to judge anything unless you see your parents or older family members make a comment about it, because then, it's that mentality that they know best, and disagreeing with them at a young age is a recipe for destruction. When the adults and parents are crying foul over it and completely shutting down the thoughts of benefit, then the "superiors" influence will trickle down to the kids, and the taboo returns. It makes me think of a scene in the film 42 when the father and son attend a ballgame, and when the son sees his father referring to Jackie Robinson as a particular name, the kid thinks it's completely OK to do that because his father is acting that way, so he follows suit. It's painful to watch, but that all happened, and it probably still is...because this is America.
Athletes using marijuana to handle pain and stress is the LEAST of the worries of sports leagues. Back in times' past, there were athletes that not only abused pain medication, but abused alcohol--which, by the way, that's all legal--and the long-term effects of those two substances mentioned are much more damaging than cannabis. (See: A painfully high percentage of professional wrestlers before drug monitoring But hey, opioids are still bringing in revenue to pharmaceutical companies, and cannabis could take that away because it can't be controlled, even if it were taxed.
This is getting ugly now, so this is where I exercise my restraint, because it's all fun and games until somebody reads something, and as soon as they see something they don't agree with--snowflake!
Although many of us are completely aware of the benefits of cannabis, and the benefits of its other forms such as CBD oil and edibles, the "devil's lettuce" is still banned in a lot of regions, and possession could be considered a high criminal offense. One of those regions is Japan. Banned since 1948, you face the possibility of time in prison, regardless of how much is in your possession. The culture and lifestyle difference is a major factor, and their stance probably isn't going to change anytime soon. But then again, they also don't have American football, and they're not undergoing the physical demands that our athletes have to meet year in and year out. Valid logic, I'd say.
We're still trapped in a society where our priorities are still a bit messy. Our health system is still in shambles, and our means of handling addiction--rehabilitation and the subsequent outpatient care--is still seen as something that are only for the worst of cases, not for those who have a growing issue but haven't outright admitted that there's a problem. There are other options, and when done responsibly, you know, the way everything in this life should be done, we're going to see really positive results. Not everybody is going to get that memo, and that's totally normal. Think of it this way: food and exercise are good, but sometimes people can get too much or too little of those, and that can be detrimental to your health if you're not responsible or have an ongoing illness.
The one worry that is possibly going to come from this is whether there are going to be more random drug tests to make sure that players are "keeping clean" from marijuana use after Long had admitted to knowing how to avoid a failed test. However, I don't think it's going to affect anything. Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. It may be a substance that can enhance the body's ability to handle pain and stress, but it doesn't affect overall muscle build/performance, and it doesn't contain the same type of chemical compounds as something like adderall.
Do I feel as though we're making a big deal out of nothing? Yes. We have so much more access to knowledge and case studies, and there's no excuse to ignore how athletes have to adjust to the rigorous careers they have chosen. Let's just be grateful Chris Long is doing as well as he is. The last thing we'd want to see would be more football players becoming casualties because we can't help them out now.
-- Stephanie
___________________
Other articles referenced:
[1] Long admits marijuana use, points to flaws in NFL testing - Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-long-marijuana-idUSKCN1SS2Y0?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5ce5e75272c13d0001ebca69&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
[2] Columbine survivor and public speaker Austin Eubanks, 37, loses his battle with addiction - CNN.com -
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