Andrea Shaw Gallery #1

 

Sarah Fuller Is Retiring From Football

 

Sarah Fuller made sports news as the first woman to score in a Power 5 college football game. It has been reported that she is now retiring from football. Fuller is going back to her main sport of soccer. She will enroll in North Texas to play. The unfortunate part about this news is that the Vanderbilt-Georgia game was cancelled due to concerns about COVID-19. Fuller's football career was playing as a kicker for the Commodores. There is no indication that she will return to football, because soccer is her passion. Fuller's football first generated much conversation in the sports world. The more conservative leaning commentators called this a social justice warrior stunt. The liberal faction praised it as being heroic. This was just a woman playing football, not another front in American culture wars. As for it being monumentally historic, it should not be forgotten other women were pioneers in football. Katie Hnida and April Goss were playing on football teams longer than Fuller. Maybe the media just need a feel good story in light of constant crisis and political corruption. Before these 21st century pioneers in football there was Patricia Palinkas. Hopefully society can advance enough to a point whenever a woman accomplishes something it is not a historic feat, rather just normal business. The positive aspect is that some girls have a role model in a sport largely male dominated. 

Desiree Ellis (2004)

 

The Ms. Olympia Set For December 17,2020

 

The Ms. Olympia has been rescheduled. Originally, it was going  take place in September. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sporting events had to be adjusted to ensure  athlete and fan safety. Other IFBB and NPC contests have taken place with little incident. As long as basic public health measures are taken, the Ms. Olympia will be fine. This will be an interesting competition. Iris Kyle seeks another win, which would be a possible 11th. The Ms. Olympia has been absent since 2014 and hardcore female bodybuilding fans anxiously await seeing familiar faces and new competitors. Yaxeni Oriquen  also intends to return to stage, after a brief hiatus starting in 2017. Alina Popa will not be on stage, due to promotional work for the sport. It would not be a surprise if she returns next year. Critics claimed that female bodybuilding was dead, yet there is a revival. The internet and social media has allowed greater exposure enabling a growing fan base. While the sport may never be mainstream, it has enough fans for it to sustain itself. The efforts of Jake Wood and the Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix kept the sport going between 2014 to 2020. It appears that the Ms. Olympia will be here to stay and it should have never been discontinued. There is a bright future for the sport and what could be happening now is a type of renaissance. The competitors that qualify for competition include Margie Martin, Irene Anderson,  Monique Jones, Andrea Shaw, Helle Trevino, LaDawn McDay, Mayla Ash, and Nicki Chartrand, 

Lenda Murray Gallery # 1

The Washington Redskins May Change Their Name

The Washington Redskins may be changing their name. For years a number of Native American organizations have been protesting the name. With racial tensions getting worse in America, it seems that renaming the football team could happen. It will take some time to change signs and merchandise. The fans will most likely be divided over the name change. The term has racist connotations. Redskin was a word used to dehumanize the American Indian. The United States has a long history of Indian removal, genocide, and confinement to reservations. When the Indian Wars drew to a close, there was an effort to eliminate Native American history and culture. This involved sending children to boarding schools as a means of "civilizing" them. Injustices still continue with high levels of poverty on reservations and discrimination. The Redskins have a history of being resistant to integrating African American players into their team. George Preston Marshall the founder of the Redskins refused to have the football team accept African American players. Only when pressured in 1962 by the federal government did he sign on an African American athlete. The football team was founded in 1932 and originally called the Boston Braves. This would not be the first time the name has changed. The name should be changed to overcome the legacy of racism, however that should not be the only reform. 

COVID-19 Infection Rate Has Increased In The US

When states reopened the infection rate increased. The trend seems to be occurring in the south and mid-west. The reason for this has to do with limited social distancing and refusal to wear masks. There is a political motivation. The pandemic response has become so polarized that the government cannot develop a coherent response. Anti-lockdown protests were done not in response to economic strain, rather instigated by right-wing political organizations. The conservative rejection of science has put public health in a state of crisis. The failure of the Republican and Democratic Party to establish a system of universal basic income to halt the economic consequences has only caused more hardship on the American citizen. There are fears of second wave emerging and if nothing is done it could be more devastating than the first wave of cases. An estimated 100,000 Americans have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deaths could have been prevented if enough masks and ventilators were available. The healthcare system of the United States is on the verge of possible collapse and the pandemic exposed its vulnerabilities. If there are too many hospitalizations, the system will be overwhelmed. The Trump administration's refusal to take the pandemic seriously put the public at risk. The media also assisted in downplaying the dangers of COVID-19. Fox News insisted that it was nothing more than nervous panic in the first months of 2020. States may now have to think about closing again seeing as the proper measures were not taken before reopening.  What people must understand is just because the economy is reopening it does not mean the pandemic is over. The basic rules for safety still apply. Stay home if you are sick, wash your hands, wear a mask, and practice social distancing.