RebKell's Junkie Boards

[thesixthwoman]

aw crap. this is really unfortunate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/sports/ncaabasketball/05rutgers.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin
The story of how she became her high school’s first black cheerleader has become a popular narrative in C. Vivian Stringer’s life story ever since she recounted the anecdote at a news conference last April that followed derogatory comments made by the radio host Don Imus about her Rutgers women’s basketball team...

[Rids]

Why is it unfortunate? It's only unfortunate if Stringer knew the truth but went with the story in that form anyway.

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http://www.JessicaRidley.com

[thesixthwoman]

[dukemayo]

It's a tempest in a teapot to me, but the woman who won't accept Stringer's explanation and apology comes across as unreasonable. It seems Stringer entered that high school after the older woman had graduated, and she believed what adults, in all sincerity, had always told her. I don't blame the woman for setting the record straight, but she's made herself look extremely ungracious by not accepting Stringer's explanation and, in effect, calling Stringer a deliberate liar. Trying to be charitable toward her, maybe she has some sort of medical condition.

[cthskzfn]

finally, the first crack in the facade...

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Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.

[CourtsideTix]

It is compeletely conceivable that CVS did not know the facts at the time. It's not exactly like high schools were keeping record books for "first African American cheerleader." And even if she were "only" the second, her story of dealing with the racial issues is no less real.

[CalwbbFan]

much ado about nothing......

[HistoryWomensBasketball]

Anyone read "Shattering the Glass" by Pamela Gundy and Susan Shackleford?

There was a part in it on CVS. It talked about her high school days and being left off the cheerleading team when she was clearly one of the best. I don't remember if she said first black cheerleader. I do remember she was discriminated against and as a teenager fought against it and got on the team.

She corrected it. May hurt sales, who knows, but she still did something and stood up for what she believed in as a teenager.

It doesn't change my opinion of this woman one bit!!

I maybe a UConn fan, but if I was ever offered the opportunity to have lunch with her and talk the history of the game, I would be on a train in minutes.

I always thought she was so darn strong on the court for years as I watched her coach. Then in 2006, I got to meet her when I did an exhibit at the Women's Final Four in Boston

She took time from being with a lot of other coaches and players to come over specifically to my exhibit because she had heard I wanted to met her.

What I saw was a person with such deep passion for the game, the history and all who played it. When I showed her a picture of my grandmother on a basketball team in the 1930s and how she inspired me to help preserve the History of Women's Basketball, Coach Stringers eyes got glassey and she gave me a big hug and said thanks for helping preserve our heritage.

I saw a whole different side from what I saw on the court.

She is tops in my book and I look forward to reading hers.

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Author of: "Barnstorming America, Stories from the Pioneers of Women's Basketball"

www.barnstormingamerica.net

[BobScoutingReport]

I agree that the "first" issue here has been blown out of proportion. The matter of African-American girls trying to make cheerleading squads is a valid topic in the integration of American society and Stringer certainly has the right to talk about it.

Early in my days (the 1980's) of scouting in Florida, I remember being at a game, nothing out of the ordinary. Team was black with one white player and white female coach. They gave out a pamphlet with team pictures. The men's team was black. Then came the picture of the varsity cheerleaders. (I'm not sure the cheerleaders regularly worked the girls game at this school in those days.) The cheerleaders were just about all white girls. After seeing this, I started to watch to see if this pattern was the case as a general rule. In fact it was, except in inner-city school with very small white enrollment.

Although things have changed over the years to be more inclusive of Afican-Americans, cheerleading remains de facto somewhat segregated at lest in part due to the cost of participation (outside competitions, summer camps) which squad members must pay for via fundraising or parent support.

[SueBirdFan]

She's going to be on Oprah today.

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Go Sue!

Go Storm!

"Go smack yourself in the face and see what happens."

[bballjunkee212]

I dunno. A gaffe of this magnitude sank Tom Collen once. Maybe RU should fire CVS, and a few days later she'll be at some school that is really crying out for a coach-- back the Big Ten, maybe. In the meantime, RU can hire a Paul Westhead disciple, and we can watch them lose the Elite Eight game 128-126.

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~Bill