Sunday, December 31, 2006
Follow the link to the 2007 edition of the blog
Please click here to go to man-on-womens-sports2007.blogspot.com where man on women's sports continues his quest into stuff, most of which is really none of his business.
Then, let's try one more for Auld Lang Syne's sake . . . Carolyn Peck's classic coaching at the Classic
The Yahoo! News (AP) caption for this December 29, 2006, photo was "Florida coach Carolyn Peck watches her Gators lose to Nebraska 81-74 during a basketball game in the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla."
Mao Asada wins Japan's national title
Teenage figure skater Asada takes Japan's national title
Gee, I was able to get another picture in. Could my image problem have been my Internet connected workstation that I am even at this minute preparing to reformat and reinstall to initial factory settings (for the uninitiated that means a really, really used computer)? Hmmmm.
Photo source: Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Grigory Dukor at the ISU Gran Prix Final December 16, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
South Korea's Yu-Na Kim takes ISU Grand Prix finals women's figure skating title over front runner defending champion Mao Asada of Japan
ISU Grand Prix Final official results
Channel NewsAsia: Figure Skating: Kim shocks Asada to take ISU Grand Prix title
More US misfortune at the event: Ice dancer Tanith Belbin, and her partner, Ben Agosto, forced to withdraw from finals due to injury to Agosto
But check this: 1-2-3 sweep by US in the event's junior girlsNot improving the situation any, no US women in ISU Grand Prix finals singles event
I've been searching for official information on the points accumulated by each participant in the ISU Grand Prix events, but nothing is to be found.
Also, I have been searching for news articles on the absence of USA participation this past weekend in the finals women's single event (which I'm betting is the first time this has been true in the event's history), but there are no news articles to be found.
Most likely, ABC and ESPN cited these numbers in their broadcasts of the six events, but I am behind on the last two broadcasts. Will update as I uncover more relevant information.
Is another strategy required in women's sports promotion in view of figure skating's broadcast bust?
The included article is an extremely insightful commentary on the downward trend of figure skating from broadcast bananza to broadcast scarcity. To me it appears an industry council needs to be created for those interested in promoting women's sports (of course, only after consulting competent legal counsel on any and all possible antitrust implications of such a council) to address questions like:
- Though it is the broadcasters' right to define "profitability", just what are the implication of these profit models to the perceived "nature" of the women's sport being promoted? (Is that "nature" static or dynamic?)
- What are broadcasters defining as "appeal", and what are the various women's sports promoters perceiving as their sports' "appeal"?
- What are the financial trends within the various women's sports, and how might the "nature" of these trends be contrasted, distinguished and compared among the sports?
- What are the lessons to be learned from the individual sports in terms of successful (and unsuccessful) promotions of the sports?
It is my belief that no promoter of women's sports can view, without a thorough evaluation of all factors involved, any situation in any women's sport as just peculiar to that sport. And understand, I have absolutely no qualms with webcasting. WNBA webcasts are 'da bomb. I wanted to get into (watching) the synchronized team skating sport, and webcasts from the US Nationals were at one time still available; however, today the link to ttp://www.thefigureskatingchannel.com/ is not working. My concern is not about webcasts or not, but about the (shared) wealth model (as I am sure players and performers would prefer to characterize the situation broadcasters view as the "profit model".)
Chicago Tribune: Golden era down the tube: Figure skating may be coming to a Web site near you; Its days of earning big bucks and TV ratings appear over
See also: "Results and Pictures" section here
Also relevant: 2006-07 Figure Skating Broadcast Schedule (Tentative)
'pears I'm out of photo space
Didn't know, had now idea, that the server storage limitation for photos was 300 meg. Of a certainty, without question, that is more than reasonable. I just didn't know about it (though I knew for sure that there had to be something.) Next year, then, I'll run a man-on-women's-sports-2007 (I'll provide a link here in my last post of the year.)
I like the challenge of finishing up the year, though, in text-only.
Nebraska wins NCAA Division I women's vball championship 27-30 30-26 30-28 30-27 over Stanford
Palo Alto Online News: Stanford women lose NCAA volleyball final
In the semifinals it was Stanford 30-12 30-25 30-15 over the University of Washington; Nebraska 23-30 30-28 30-23 30-28 over UCLA.
Official semifinals scoreboard
Official finals scoreboard
 Stanford's Foluke Akinradewo (16), right, v Nebraska's Tracy Stalls (11) and Dani Mancuso (7) |
 Stanford's Kristin Richards (10), left, v Nebraska's Kori Cooper (15) and Sarah Pavan |
 Stanford's Nji Nnamani (5), left, v Nebraska's Kori Cooper and Sarah Pavan again |
 Nebraska's Dani Busboom, center, and her teammates celebrate after winning the championship |
Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/AP/Dave Weaver; Yahoo! News/AP/Nati Harnik; Yahoo! News/AP/Nati Harnik; Yahoo! News/AP/Dave Weaver
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
At the Asian Games in Doha today, Zheng Jie captures women tennis singles gold over Sania Mirza
Moments ago in Doha, China's Zheng Jie defeated India's Sanya Mirza 6-4 1-6 6-1 to win the Asian Games' women singles tennis title. Not to be overlooked, however, is Sania's 6-2 6-2 semifinal win yesterday over Chinese top seed Li Na. Li Na won the bronze medal. Pictured is Zheng Jie.
Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/AFP/Khaled Desouki; Yahoo! News/AP/SAURABH DAS; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Jason Reed; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Jason Reed; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Jason Reed
catching up . . . news stories on UNC's soccer championship
North Carolina cuts down Notre Dame 2-1 to win 18th women's soccer crown
UNC women win NCAA for 18th time
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
catching up . . . in NCAA womens soccer it was UNC
catching up . . . NCAA women's volleyball championship semis set: Nebraska and UCLA, Washington and Stanford
catching up . . . Sanya Richards wins 2006 USATF Jesse Owens Awards
Sanya Richards, in addition to being crowned World Athlete of the Year, has received this year's USA Track & Field's Jesse Owens Award. Sanya maintained an unbeaten record in the 400 meter sprint this year, and is ranked no. 1 in the world in the event. Story Allyson Felix was last year's winner. Photo source here
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Xinhua: Tennis top beauty No. 9: Justine Henin-Hardenne
ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy: It was all Japan in Japan
In Nagano Sunday, from left, silver medalist Fumie Suguri, not disappointing the home crowd gold medalist Mao Asada, and bronze medalist Yukari Nakano. USA's Beatrisa Liang placed fourth. Official results page
