Latest news with #sportsdebate
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Moment trans netball player flattens opponent before being banned from league as rival teams threaten to boycott matches
THIS is the moment a transgender netball player sent a rival crashing to the court - just days before being banned from competing as teams threatened to boycott matches. Footage shows Manawa Aranui, a former elite men's player, crashing into an opponent during a hard but legal play in Australia. 4 4 4 4 The rival Romsey player hits the deck as Aranui — towering over her — immediately offers a hand to help her up. The clash on Sunday's match has since sparked outrage across the Victorian netball community with. On Wednesday, the Riddell District Netball Football League (RDFNL) announced that Aranui and another transgender player from Melton Central have now been banned for the rest of the 2025 season. The bombshell move came after Melton South Netball Club threatened to boycott all games involving the pair over safety fears. The league said: 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL Netball Competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant.' That section of the law allows sporting bodies to exclude players if "strength, stamina, or physique" could create an unfair advantage or risk. Aranui — who previously starred in men's netball — has become a lightning rod in Australia's growing trans-in-sport debate. She was named best on ground in a Division 1 grand final for Melton Central, fuelling calls for a ban. Melton South netball coordinator Melissa Dawson said: 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous. Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' B Grade player Erin added: 'I went up for the ball and just got pushed and dropped. They're so much stronger, and I'm genuinely scared I'll get hurt.' Trans women are NOT women, Supreme Court rules in win for anti-woke campaigners after battle over female-only spaces She said she would sit out any future games against Melton Central if the players remained in the lineup. Another player added: 'It deters women from playing the sport they love. We've worked hard to keep girls in the game.' Women's rights campaigner Sall Grover also weighed in, demanding Aranui's immediate removal from female competitions. 'There are many mixed-sex netball competitions at the recreational level,' she said. 'Everyone on those teams is making a choice to participate in a mixed-sex competition.' Grover, founder of women-only social app Giggle for Girls, warned: 'Males on female teams put the females in danger, while taking away the limited opportunities there are for sportswomen.' She continued: 'There are protections in the Sex Discrimination Act for female-only sport — look them up. 'It's about women having the right to play sport without fear of injury or losing opportunity.' Despite being ruled ineligible by the Ballarat Football Netball League in April, Aranui was still playing for Melton Central until the RDFNL stepped in this week. Melton Central president Paul Sinclair previously confirmed both transgender players would continue taking the court while the club awaited direction from Netball Victoria. Now, that direction appears to be coming into sharper focus. Netball Victoria has launched a formal investigation, engaging an independent expert to assess concerns raised by multiple clubs and players. A spokesperson said: 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds. That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' Netball Victoria's 2018 policy — developed with Proud 2 Play and based on national guidelines — allows players to compete based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. But the fierce backlash has put pressure on officials to review how those policies are applied when safety and fairness are raised. Equality Australia argues against blanket bans, insisting 'community-level sport should focus on inclusion and participation.' But critics say the current system fails to protect female athletes.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Canucks Fans Should Focus On Cap Percentage Rather Than AAV When Discussing Elias Pettersson
The 2025 off-season has been tense for Vancouver Canucks fans. After a disappointing season from center Elias Pettersson, there have been plenty of debates online about whether the organization should keep or trade the former Calder Trophy winner. At this point, it is fair to say that these conversations will continue until the start of the 2025-26 season, even though Pettersson does have a no-move clause that kicks in on July 1, 2025.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Around the Horn' was too perfect to survive a broken, messed up world
It's difficult to accept that it's going to be gone. After 23 years and almost 5,000 episodes, Around the Horn, ESPN's daily studio debate show will be no more, signing off for the final time on Friday evening after being cancelled by the network. The show's 'Final Face Time' on Wednesday was a testament to everything the show has meant to not only its panelists, but all of us. Advertisement Around the Horn was more than just talking heads screaming hot takes at each other. It was more than a show you'd put on to unwind after a rough day, or casually glance while at the gym. It was groundbreaking programming that turned the regional into the national, pulling sports writers from around the country away from their desks and giving them a spotlight. It helped define blending entertainment with statistics, a place charismatic analytics nerds could shine — all while channeling our inner debate team to imagine what we'd say on that set when posed with some of sport's biggest questions. It also made careers. The above clip highlighted a beautiful message from Harry Lyles, a man I was lucky enough to call a coworker and friend for years here at SB Nation before he took an opportunity at ESPN. We all knew Harry was destined for greatness. His sports knowledge was matched only by his effortless charisma — he just needed a vehicle for the world to see it. Around the Horn was that place. It served as that place for dozens and dozens of writers. Not only did Around the Horn launch careers, but it broke down barriers. From its inception it allowed for the utter brilliance of Jackie MacMullan to shine beyond her reach in Boston to a nationwide audience. At a time where not nearly enough women were represented in sports broadcasting, MacMullan broke rhetorical ankles on a nightly basis, tying opposing debaters in knots with her knowledge. The show allowed MacMullan to show a generation of women that not only did they deserve to be on that stage, but they could absolutely dominate. The list of staggering Around the Horn alumni is second to none. From OGs like Woody Paige, Tim Cowlishaw , and Bill Plaschke, to the new generation of Pablo S. Torre, Michael Smith, Sarah Spain, and Mina Kimes. All absolutely brilliant writers, analysts, and ball-knowers — all of whom could have been easily overlooked if not for the show. Advertisement Then there was Tony Reali, one of the hardest working men in the business, who innately understood the timing of keeping the show moving and remaining entertaining — while also adjudicating the debates, ensuring they were always fun. There was true artistry behind orchestrating that, and he was the master conductor. We truly did not deserve the embarrassment of riches Around the Horn gave us in the form of knowledge. It was the only place in the infancy of the internet that a sportswriter from Indiana could articulate the brilliance of the Pacers, which you'd then regurgitate at the office water cooler to seem like a genius. It made all of us smarter. It's also why it couldn't survive, not today, not in 2025. It's tough not to see the cancelling of Around the Horn as a canary in a coal mine. Indicative of horrors to come. Resources being further routed from intelligent, considered debate — and into the industry's carnival barkers who value being loud with their hot takes over being nuanced or considered. A rubber stamp that instead of getting intelligent sports analysis from people who have honed their craft for years, why not give air time to an ex-player with no media experience? After all, it's cheaper to just trade on their name. I'll remember Around the Horn for inspiring a sports-mad 23-year-old who was stuck in a dead-end cubicle job to not just passively watch the show as an end of day escape, but to get onto forums, and eventually the comment section of an SB Nation blog to debate out the things I cared about in sports. Around the Horn meant so much to so many of us, and I can't believe it's gone. So thank you to every guest, every panelist, to the producers, and everyone behind the scenes. You gave us something wonderful — and we're sad to see it end like this.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Confessions of ESPN's worst ‘Around the Horn' participant of all time
I own the distinction of being the least successful panelist to ever appear on 'Around the Horn,' ESPN's longtime roundtable debate show. There have been 60 'Around the Horn' panelists. Of the group, 53 won an episode at least once, including my The Athletic colleague Dianna Russini, Mark Cuban and Lil Wayne. Advertisement Seven of us were winless. But no one ever appeared more times without a win than I did. For those unfamiliar with 'Around the Horn,' its format is a group discussion of the day's top sports news, featuring a host — for the last 21 years, Tony Reali — and four sports pundit panelists. Reali awards points for good arguments, and the top point-earner of each episode earns that day's win. When 'Around the Horn' completes its final show Friday, after 23 years and 4,953 episodes, my legacy of futility will be secure. Confession: My unmatched winless record is a point of enormous pride. When new panelists appear on the show for the first time, they inevitably win (a fun tradition that I still managed to botch). I feel like the 1972 Dolphins when the last unbeaten team during the NFL season finally loses. I have a few other confessions to make about my erstwhile 'Around the Horn' career. The roundtable's original premise was to feature top newspaper sports columnists from different regions of the country. When it launched in November 2002, I was about to start a daily column for old 'Page 2' section, and I naively vowed to find my way onto the show. There was one glaring hurdle: I had zero on-air TV experience. When original host Max Kellerman (who left after a few years, making way for Reali) emailed me, a year or so into the show's run, to say that the production team had read and enjoyed my column, he also relayed the most loaded question I had ever received: 'Are you any good on TV?' My honest answer would have been, 'No, but I have always imagined I would be!' I didn't lie — I would say I more elided that truth in favor of an entirely honest enthusiasm to participate, hoping they wouldn't ask that question again. After a few fits and starts, I was scheduled to appear on June 14, 2003. During the lead-up to my first appearance, I tried to simulate on-air TV work to make up for the lack of actual on-air reps. I watched the show every day, transcribing all the topics and running through how I would have responded to them. I used a video camera and taped myself giving glib answers to the lens, rather than staring at notes or looking off to the side, which would instantly reveal that I was a TV noob. Advertisement When the week of the show arrived, my train ride down from NYC to D.C. for the taping triggered a thousand anxious words in a journal. And arriving at the studio the next day to tape the show was terrifying, largely manifesting as flop sweat. Having no experience doing TV means, of course, you have no experience doing TV. 'Fake it till you make it' can be terrible career advice. To this day, I wonder if the producers were in the control room going: 'Oh, god, what have we done?' This was not anything like sitting around the lunch table with my college buddies, debating sports. The content mattered, but there was the complication of creating a TV product: following guidance from producers and directors in your earpiece, not blanking on my overly rehearsed talking points, looking at the camera lens and not, say, compulsively off to the side. (Oops.) But then came the payoff: Being on the show was incredible. At least one self-congratulatory moment of 'I can't believe I pulled this off'; at least one cynical moment of 'Now I can say I have TV experience.' Tons of people emailed or called to say they'd seen me. I envisioned a future as a famous sports TV pundit. It would take nearly a year to get back on the show. If you strolled near Union Square in the spring of 2004, you might have seen a nebbishy 31-year-old fumbling with a cigarette, coughing, possibly muttering to himself. That was me. When I returned to the show in late May 2004, panelist Woody Paige made a joke on-air comparing me to 'Topo Gigio.' Admittedly, it was an impressive pull: Topo Gigio was a popular character in 1960s pop culture — a mouse puppet who appeared on the old 'Ed Sullivan Show.' And Topo Gigio had a very distinctive voice, high and reedy. So did I. ('Still do!' he trilled.) Being a lifelong 'high-talker,' it's not like I didn't know this was how I sounded. I took the gibe in stride — a little friendly hazing of the new kid. Advertisement But I also immediately committed to giving my TV voice more of an edge. And I decided the fastest path was to start smoking cigarettes. You know, rough up the windpipe a little bit, hopefully drop a half-octave or so. It was a deeply flawed idea. I looked like a poser. I felt like a moron. Who starts smoking to advance their barely existent TV punditry career? I would have been better off shouting myself hoarse. My effort lasted maybe a week. Then I abandoned my nascent Camel Light habit and resigned myself to chirping on-air. The GOAT of 'Around the Horn'? Undisputed: It's Woody Paige. From meticulous stats maintained by ESPN's Caroline Willett of the 'Around the Horn' production team, Paige made 2,965 appearances (first all-time by 850 shows), with 689 wins (first all-time by nearly 140). I have a recollection that is part true, part hazy memory, part projection I would very much like to believe is accurate: Shortly after the debut of ESPN's happy-go-lucky morning show, 'Cold Pizza,' the network was figuring out how to bring a more contentious sports debate vibe into the show. The idea was to pair Paige with someone else to debate the big topics of the day in a special segment. Past the haze of two decades, I remember one of the 'Around the Horn' producers telling me — and he might have been idly gassing me up, it's all fossilized in my memory — that he either floated, or wanted to float, my name to ESPN's then-honcho of programming, Mark Shapiro, as a candidate to be Paige's partner. In my naivete, I saw the vision. This was it! Right around that time, Paige and I went to the old ESPN Zone restaurant in New York City for a meal together — obviously, no hard feelings about the 'Topo Gigio incident' — and I would like to think he was determining if we had any chemistry. On the other hand, he might have just been being nice to a younger colleague. My most vivid memory of that meal was that he was approached probably a half-dozen times by fans, and was warm and friendly to all of them, a true mensch. Advertisement This part is entirely speculative, but I like to imagine that Shapiro gave me about 1.7 seconds of consideration for the 'Cold Pizza' role before dismissing the idea. (More likely, it was a Don Draper-esque 'I don't think about you at all.') Fast-forward a few months: Shapiro went with Skip Bayless to pair with Woody, the 'Embrace Debate' era began, 'Cold Pizza' begat 'First Take,' Stephen A. Smith came on board, and I will take no responsibility for the era of sports discourse that emerged from there. My career lasted five episodes — not quite Moonlight Graham, but also not exactly Mina Kimes (304 appearances, 88 wins). After my appearance in August 2004, the panelist slots became harder to get. There were more promising on-air talents to put on air, and I finally realized that my window was shut. Mortifying side confession: For years after that, I couldn't watch the show. It was too painful a reminder of what I had and lost. I have all my episodes on VHS. (VHS!) I have thought about digitizing them, about editing some sort of humorous highlight reel of wrongness (2004 NBA Finals, to a national audience: 'Lakers over Pistons in 4!'), about showing my teenagers that, yes, your dorky dad was once on ESPN. The reality is entirely the opposite: I cannot bring myself to watch those old tapes, let alone share them with my kids or the internet. There is a lingering feeling that I wasn't good enough, a nagging validation of the original imposter syndrome. I like to tell myself that I was simply too early; a few years after my appearances, the original rotation of newspaper-based panelists made room for more ESPN-centric talent — less experienced, internet native. Over 23 years, 'Around the Horn' morphed from a lucrative, gate-kept career benefit for tenured newspaper sports columnists to what I would argue is the most impressive incubator of on-air talent in sports media history. Advertisement Alumni include Kimes of 'NFL Live,' Michael Smith and Jemele Hill of 'His And Hers' (then 'SportsCenter'), Bomani Jones of 'Highly Questionable,' Pablo Torre of 'Pardon the Interruption' (then paired with Jones on 'High Noon'), Kevin Clark of 'This Is Football,' Sarah Spain and Clinton Yates of ESPN Radio, Kate Fagan of 'E:60' and even Adam Schefter, from his pre-ESPN days at The Denver Post (five appearances, two wins). I would like to believe that I'm part of the show's unique legacy of platforming a massive range of voices. The original 'regional' model made way for a vastly more interesting variety of perspectives. Last confession: I snuck over to NYC's South Street Seaport on Tuesday to watch a taping of the show during its final week. They produce it out of D.C., but Reali hosts out of a New York studio, and I wanted to thank Reali, the soul of the show, in person. I found the closure of one last trip to the 'Around the Horn' set appealing. Despite it being 21 years since I last saw him, Reali greeted me like an old friend, and sitting in the studio watching him deftly host the show felt comfortable, not anxious. My 30-something's flop sweat was replaced with a 50-something's fond feelings. It was always my dream to be a national TV pundit. I got to do that. Instead of saying I 'only' got to do that a couple times, I finally learned to say 'at least' I got to do that a couple times. It's a memory I get to savor, and an alumni association I get to belong to as a losing contestant's parting gift. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
As ‘Around the Horn' ends, Tony Reali debates what went wrong
NEW YORK — In a Manhattan studio one recent morning, Tony Reali, the host of ESPN's afternoon debate show 'Around the Horn,' was staring at the faces of four journalists on that day's panel, preparing to discuss, what else, the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that, though, Reali introduced the panel to a guest in the studio, pointing to each on a wall-sized video screen.
