Author: Andrew Weiss

Just Let Them Play

By Andrew Weiss

Connecticut sports fans see April 13, 1997, as the day pro sports died in the state. It was the final time the NHL’s Hartford Whalers would play before heading south to North Carolina.

But that perception is wrong, Pro sports are thriving in Connecticut, just not in the way a casual sports fan may see.

Women’s professional and collegiate sports teams have leapt up to fill the gap left behind. From the history of the Raybestos Brakettes to the growth of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team to the expansion of hockey, soccer, and basketball in the state has proven that Connecticut is growing women’s sports.

So how has this passed by some fans? Pro sports evolved as a largely male activity in the United States, with the role of women restricted to sideline activities such as cheering, even though they participated in leagues of their own.

An act of the United States government was the first step in growing sports for women. In 1972, the United States Congress sought to provide steps forward in the battle for civil rights. As part of a larger bill, Title IX was given power to prevent discrimination based on sex. This law was not enacted with sports in mind, but has since grown to assist participation among women in sports.

Per the National Women’s Law Center, “There is no shortage of interest by women and girls in participating in athletics. Since 1972, when Title IX first opened up opportunities for women and girls, female participation in high school athletics has skyrocketed by almost 900%, disproving claims made by opponents of Title IX that the lower numbers of female athletes are due to lack of interest as opposed to lack of opportunities.”

Since the law was passed in 1972, female participation in high school sports has grown an astonishing 1,018 percent, compared with 23 percent for men.


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However, despite the growth, women continue to look for equal footing among the sports world. The NWLC has found that “women in Division I colleges, while representing 53 percent of the student body, receive only 45 percent of the participation opportunities, 34 percent of the total money spent on athletics, 45 percent of the total athletic scholarship dollars, and 32 percent of recruiting dollars.”

That bottom line? Equality in sports is within reach, yet continues to be pushed to the side. The fault, however, is traced among many lines.

Laura Burton, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut, linked growth issues in women’s sports to the very top of the ladder.

“There are very few women in leadership positions in sports organizations across all domains, from interscholastic, intercollegiate, professional or international sport. Women are really underrepresented in leadership,” Burton said. “Half your participant population is women, or girls, (so) why don’t we have an equal number of people at the leadership table?”

Burton believed the connection between sports and masculinity created stereotypes that hold women back from administrative roles.

“We don’t perceive women to be capable of and/or do we want them in leadership positions in general. In sport organizations, because we think it’s a real male domain, we don’t think that women can run a football program or an athletic department. There’s a lot of stereotyping that’s influencing women, both trying to get into those positions and how we evaluate them when they’re in it.”

The presence of women’s sports in the media also plays a role. Per the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, women’s athletics receive only about 4 percent of all sports media coverage.

Amanda Ottaway. a former college basketball player at Davidson and now a journalist, delved into that study. Her work with women’s sports has seen publication in The Washington Post and ESPNW among others. She pinned the issue solely on media portrayal.

“Other studies have put television time as low as 1 percent,” Ottaway said. “Yet, 44 years after the passage of Title IX, women and girls in the United States are playing and following sports in unprecedented numbers.”

The numbers, Ottaway says, backs that thought.

“40 percent of all sports participants are female, according to the Tucker Center, and roughly a third of fans of major sports are women. The evolution of women’s sports over the last four decades has been dramatic; the media coverage, not so much. All these statistics beg the question: Would we have more reporting on women’s sports if more sports reporters and editors were women? And would the quality of that coverage be better?”

Rebecca Carlson, a three-time national champion as the women’s rugby coach at Quinnipiac University, uses a trip to the ice cream parlor to best describe the issue. Picking a sport to watch on television is like picking a flavor, and every sport with men is just another bowl of strawberry ice cream.

“I have two choices for you, and I want you to try them and then you tell me which one you like more,” Carlson said. “Here’s some strawberry ice cream, and then also some strawberry ice cream. If I’m not given anything else, I guess I’ll take the strawberry.”

Carlson explained that data shows viewers prefer to watch men’s sports, but only because they are given more men’s sports than any other option, including the women.

“If you hate it you’re not going to watch it, but there’s going to be people that will be like ‘It’s what’s on, I’ll watch,’ or ‘it’s there, I’ll eat it.’ How do we change that? (Connecticut) gives us a clean slate because the airwaves aren’t cluttered with (mens sports). That opportunity is there… because of our state. What else do they talk about in Connecticut?”

Carlson joins a handful of coaches that face a unique situation in Connecticut. A lack of men’s professional sports, combined with a hungry fan base, has given women’s sports open ground to thrive. Given the state’s history with women’s sports, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

In 1947, before Title IX or most of the half-hearted attempts to grow women’s sports emerged, William Simpson had an idea. The chairman of Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. founded a fast-pitch softball team, sponsored by his factory. The team, named the Raybestos Bracketts to publicize the company’s motor vehicle brake linings, set the standard for women’s sports in Connecticut. Donna Lopiano, a national champion with the Brakettes, joined in 1962 when she was only 16 years old.

“Prior to the 1970s, prior to Title IX, girls sports were relatively nonexistent,” Lopiano said. “If they existed at the high school level, a high school’s idea of a girl’s basketball team might be five or six games in the season. It might not even be head to head competition against another school. It might be four or five schools getting together and having a play date with two kids from every school on each team.”

Lopiano lamented the lack of opportunities for young female athletes.

“There were no scholarships. Postseason play was nonexistent. Those things didn’t exist. As a result, if you were good at something, you had to turn to open amateur sport, or be satisfied with terrible opportunities at the high school or college level.”


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Open amateur sport was the only option for Lopiano, who wanted to prove her skill years after being kicked out of Little League baseball for being a girl.

“Fortunately, the Raybestos Brakettes were a nationally successful women’s softball team,” said Lopiano. “They had the same reputation of being at the top of the game.”

With that history in mind, Lopiano claimed Connecticut was ready for professional women’s sports.

“There was a fertile garden for (women’s sports in Connecticut) to grow, and a lot of it was whether or not there were competing plants. (There are no) weeds that will take over. It’s still true today.”

In the 1970s, the Brakettes went on to form the core of the Connecticut Falcons of the international women’s pro softball league. The Falcons played in Meriden, Connecticut, and drew over 2,000 fans per home game. The team featured one of the greatest athletes of all time in pitcher Joan Joyce, who once faced Ted Williams in an exhibition game in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Falcons were owned by Joyce, Billie Jean King and Jane Blalock, and helped grow recognition of both the sport and the athletes, all women.

The Brakettes prepared the ground for an even more popular team, one that is now considered to be a dynasty in women’s sports.

The rise of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team from obscurity in Storrs, Connecticut, to national prominence stands as an example of how state fans stood ready to rally behind women’s sports. The UConn men’s basketball team was earning its national reputation at the time, but the UConn women had something the men’s team did not have: local television coverage. UConn women’s basketball drew record ratings and would dominate the local market when it played, eventually leading to higher volumes of fans at the games.

“In 1989,  the University  of Connecticut’s  women’s basketball  team played before just  287 fans in the front half of a doubleheader shared with the men. During the 2009-10 season, UConn women set the NCAA record for invincibility by earning a 90-game winning streak, supported by a total of 357,627 fans attending Connecticut’s 39 games,” the NWLC stated.

Amber Cox, the vice president of the Connecticut Sun, has a special name for it. Her Sun play in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and find their home in the Mohegan Sun casino.

“I think what’s interesting about this state— and specifically what I would call the ‘UConn effect’— is that there is less bias when it comes to women playing basketball,” Cox said.

“You don’t get as much resistance when you call somebody up and say ‘Hey, would you like to buy a season ticket to the WNBA, (to) the Connecticut Sun.’ The resistance is never that it’s women playing basketball, and I think it’s accepted in this state, probably more so than other parts of the country.”

Her colleagues with the Sun agree, and the attendance figures support that perspective.

The WNBA attracted a record attendance of 1.5 million in 2017, with teams averaging 7,716 fans per game, the most since 2011, according to Ben York of the Connecticut Sun. The Sun’s attendance grew 15.3 percent, he said. On social media, the WNBA broke records with more than 679 million impressions, a growth of 59 percent, and over 140 million video views, which was a growth of 233 percent.

The reach of the “UConn effect” extends beyond basketball. Connecticut harbors growing amounts of women’s sports teams, at both the collegiate and professional levels. The National Women’s Hockey League features only four teams, including three in major markets such as Buffalo, Newark, and Boston. However, they also found a home for a team in Stamford, with the Connecticut Whale.

Kelly Babstock, a forward for the Whale, set a Quinnipiac record with 203 career points before joining the NWHL.

“Personally, playing professional sports in Connecticut connects with me more because I went to school at Quinnipiac,” Babstock said. “I have had fans that followed me at Quinnipiac who follow the Whale now. I think that is amazing to have their continued support.”

“Connecticut has become my home away from home and I love every minute playing in this state as it provided me with great memories. It was a perfect fit to continue my professional career.”


Babstock is prominently featured on social media with the Whale, including this gif here.

Babstock is prominently featured on social media with the Whale, including this gif here.

Soccer has found a way into the Constitution State as well, with growth at youth levels reaching its way into a team with United Women’s Soccer. The impact of having professional players nearby to serve as role models is not understated to JP DiTommaso, the head coach of the Connecticut Fusion in the UWS.

“This is an opportunity for girls who have worked tirelessly over the years, putting in work to perfect their trade,” DiTommaso said. “(Young female athletes can) go on to play in college and have (soccer as) an outlet in college. After college they can showcase the hard work and dedication they’ve put in (by going pro).

“It’s a great opportunity for these young girls to look up and say ‘Hey, I want to be there some day’ and it would be at this next stage. For the girls, they can say this is possible, this is achievable.”

DiTommaso also serves as a coach with youth soccer for girls, working with a club in Farmington. He sees the UConn effect growing in his backyard.

“You have people of all ages and all backgrounds coming out to support (UConn women’s basketball). I think that’s a tremendous trickle down effect to not only other schools and other programs across Connecticut, but down to all ages. It’s helped to create an environment that can foster growth in women’s athletics.”

Work remains in creating equality for women in sports. At Quinnipiac, Carlson has hurdled through media hoops repeatedly trying to get attention for her team, which has set an example across the nation for how to grow a women’s rugby program.

Like many coaches in women’s sports, she has faced challenges head on. She founded TheFearlessCoach.org after dealing with Title IX issues herself, and lends support to other coaches facing discrimination or lack of administrative support.

Connecticut’s history with women’s pro sports that started with the Raybestos Brakettes in the 1940s will persist as the 21st century deepens, giving the state a unique place in modern sports history as one whose fans love a winner regardless of gender.

“You change (women’s sports) by the next generation being exposed to it where it becomes the norm,” Carlson said. “(Any) little girl has access to watch women on television. That exposure, now you see it.”

“Women’s sports” are on the way to becoming, deservedly, just “sports.” Soon, the casual sports fan will see it, too.

Column: from Florida, with (frozen) love

By Andrew Weiss

I want to give myself a gold star for not slipping on ice today.

My mood Wednesday shifted from “early morning snow day excitement” to “wow, I’m going to make a snowman!” to the final, worn down stage of “today is miserable.”

Snow days are supposed to be fun— at least, that’s what television always told me. As a native Floridian, born and raised in the Sunshine State, I looked at snow with the same mythological aura as something out of The Odyssey. My state rarely experienced the white fluffy stuff, and therefore never knew much, if anything, about the negative side to a snow storm.

We pictured sledding and snowball fights, not shoveling and trees falling. Besides, palm trees only fall in hurricanes where I’m from.


My first snow day, with the Stanley Cup of snow. For winners only, of course.

My first snow day, with the Stanley Cup of snow. For winners only, of course.

How much of a positive is snow in Florida? My junior year in high school, back in Tampa, the weather reached a frigid 27 degrees. For a city that bundled up when the thermometer dipped to the 60s, this was an all-time evil. However, when an army of down jackets and snow boots trudged through the gates of my school, we had to stop and stare at something few of us had ever seen.

Snow? Not even close.

The baseball field, part of our little downtown Tampa campus, was covered in dew. Frozen dew.

A mass of students spent the day trying to make a single snowball out of frozen dew.

When I came up to Quinnipiac, I mentally prepared myself for snow. I pictured warm and rosy thoughts of sledding with friends, skating on frozen ponds, and the typical TV nonsense that gets thrown your way.

My first snow day was exactly that: snowmen were made and subsequently torn asunder, hills were shredded from cafeteria trays and trash can lids, and snowballs were— finally— made.

This is why Florida boys don't sled #WinterRookie

A post shared by Andrew Weiss (@andrewweiss35) on

Since then, snow has lost a bit of luster.

Wednesday, with snow swirling around so heavily that the sun checked out early, snow was miserable.

You’ve got me, Northeastern United States. I officially hate snow.

Major sporting goods stores wade into gun debates


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By Andrew Weiss

Several major sporting goods stores, headlined by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart, announced plans to limit gun sales at their locations. Dick’s announced its plans via social media on Wednesday morning, hitting Twitter and Facebook feeds with their new prerogative revolving around firearms.  

Walmart followed suit that night, adding onto its previous decisions regarding firearm sales.

The announcements come just weeks after the shooting in Parkland, Flordia left 17 dead. The shooter, Nikolas Cruz, used an AR-15 assault-style firearm, also known as a semi-automatic sporting rifle.

However, while the end of assault-style rifles occurs in Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart stores across the country, in Connecticut it is the age restriction that hits hardest. The sale of assault-style weapons has been banned in Connecticut since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. The incident, when 20 children and 26 total people were killed, sparked cries for gun reform that were met with changes to magazine size sales, registration of certain firearms, and background checks for potential buyers.

The increase of age as a restriction is another step in the way for potential Connecticut gun owners. Emilio Zullo, a junior at Quinnipiac, works in the lodge section of Dick’s Sporting Goods. He sells anything from hunting and fishing goods to hiking and camping materials to, yes, firearms. As a gun owner himself, Zullo acknowledged the increase in steps it takes for a gun owner in Connecticut to purchase or own a firearm.

“In Connecticut specifically, there’s an ammo certificate, there’s a pistol and revolver license, and there’s a long gun license,” Zullo said. “You have to apply for different (types of registration) and they’re expensive. You have to take classes.”

According to Zullo, the hurdles associated with obtaining a gun in Connecticut are different in bordering states.

“When you have to pay over $100 just to get a license, it’s a bit ridiculous,” Zullo said. “In New York, I don’t have to pay to get a license, only a pistol permit. If I want to buy a rifle, I have to pay $150 to be certified (after classes) to buy a rifle.”

Zullo could not comment on the Dick’s ruling, stating only that employees were instructed not to speak on the issue.

Some Quinnipiac students were happy to see the change.

“I think it is a good step in the right direction. I am glad that private companies have decided to do what the federal government won’t,” Marc-Yves Regis, a Quinnipiac junior, said.

Owen Kingsley, a senior at Quinnipiac, agreed.

“I love the decision from Dick’s regarding assault rifles,” Kingsley said. “It’s not a huge factor by itself when it comes to the accessibility of assault rifles, but (it is) a possible decision that could trigger larger legislation in that area. I’m hoping it creates pressure on others to act.”

Dick’s stock has dropped since the Parkland shooting on Feb. 14, dropping 1.85 points to a total of 31.80 on Feb. 27 before the announcement. The stock has been growing since then, climbing more than .6 points back up.

Gun owners in Connecticut have been vocal on the decision. For more, Bill Ruocco delved into how gun enthusiasts are responding to these rulings.

Black Panther roars out of the box office

By Andrew Weiss

Like any good movie opening up to the public, “Black Panther” found itself in sold-out theater after sold out theater. During opening night on Thursday, it was more likely to find a four-leaf clover that wasn’t frozen solid than a ticket to a North Haven showing of “Black Panther.” Patrons lined the halls of the Cinemark on Universal Drive, a luxurious 14 screen theater, eagerly awaiting the first showings of the newest Marvel masterpiece.

Much like any great movie, however, the lines continued to find their way back. 

On Friday, showings of “Black Panther” sold out quickly throughout the day as reserved seats online and over the phone were snatched up by eager fans. The only way to walk into Cinemark North Haven and watch the new film was with a neck cramp, as the last available seats belonged to the front two rows.

Drive north a few miles to Wallingford, and you’d find the same dilemma at Holiday Stadium Cinemas, where showings sold out hours before the pre-film advertisements flickered on-screen. The sellouts continued all of the way until Sunday, where the 10 screen cinema updated their “Black Panther: sold out times” sheet by the entrance hourly.

“I would encourage everyone to watch it,” Ayanna Simpson said. “It has a beautiful message that doesn’t overpower the film but can be clearly seen, and I think it’s a breath of fresh air from today’s populated climate.”

Simpson serves as the program coordinator for multicultural education at Quinnipiac University. The African and Caribbean Student Union, along with the Student Programming Board and Department of Cultural Global Engagement at Quinnipiac, put together a “Black Panther” viewing event on Friday.

“Overall I thought it was a remarkable film,” Simpson added. “I loved how each character had a complete and complex story.”

Samantha Nardone, a junior public relations major at Quinnipiac, attended the viewing party with fellow Bobcats.

“It’s really important that they kind of defeated (the) stereotype that everyone in Africa is poor, because there are some wealthy countries in Africa and there are poorer areas,” Nardone said. 

“It’s important to show the pride people can have in black culture. So many movies and TV shows don’t show that at all (and) I think this movie helped to reduce that myth and stereotype. It was just awesome to see all the black power and black culture emphasized and the pride in that in this film.”

The nation’s box offices agreed with Nardone. 

Original projections expected “Black Panther” to claw in about $120million over the four-day opening weekend.

As Thursday turned to Friday, and Friday turned to Saturday, moviegoers shattered those projections. 

The three-day opening brought in an estimated $192 million, ranking fifth most all time. Current expectations project $218 million over the four-day holiday weekend in the United States with $361 million worldwide.

The film also broke the record for the largest opening by a movie with an African-American director. Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece destroyed the previous record of $98 million set by F. Gary Gray’s “The Fate of the Furious” back April 2017 of 2017.

Tiana Duggin of West Haven was happy to add to that total.

“This climate right now, because (of how) a lot of people in the world view what African Americans are, this can teach them what we were in the past, and what we can be in the future,” Duggin said.

The film is available for fans of the film, or anyone interested, in North Haven, New Haven and Wallingford.

Quinnipiac will host a roundtable discussion — A Place at the Table —on “Blackness, Heroism and the American Imagination: Can ‘Black Panther’ Expand the Marvel Universe?” The discussion takes place at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday in Buckman Theater. Professors in media studies, English and journalism will moderate. 

Contributions by Thamar Bailey

The countdown until kick-off: Super Bowl prep in Hamden

By Andrew Weiss

 

As Sunday creeps closer, America steadies itself for an annual Sunday ritual. Super Bowl Sunday stands as an essentially religious holiday for most of the nation, from the most zealous of fans to the newest sheep in the gridiron flock. While the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots prepare for battle in Minneapolis, another sort of preparation is made some 1,052 miles east.

“You could make football pancakes,” Linda White said.

“I could do that,” said James Ford with a hint of curiosity. “I could do that (Sunday morning).”


Hungry yet? (Graphic by Andrew Weiss)

Hungry yet? (Graphic by Andrew Weiss)

White and Ford are a tag team duo behind the Breakfast All Day stand at Quinnipiac University’s Café Q, the main source of on-campus food for students. The two coworkers have different plans for Sunday, as well as different teams.

“I believe Philadelphia is going to win by three,” Ford said.

White delivered a look of disgust.

“The New England Patriots are going to win, and we’re going to beat (Philadelphia) by 14 points,” she said. “That’s my opinion.”

The two aren’t the only ones around campus, or Hamden, readying for Sunday.

The area is split among those rooting for New England, those for Philadelphia, and those that are simply rooting against one team for their own reasons.

“Eagles,” Austin Fraser said. “I don’t like the Patriots.”

“Our one rule,” Patriots fan Pat Pitts said, “is that (my roommates and I) are only watching with people (that support New England). We don’t mind if you don’t like the Patriots, just don’t say it out loud. Keep it to yourself.”

Game day planning for students and Hamden residents alike remain similar: what is the best place to watch the game?

Quinnipiac student Brianna Robinson is looking for a good spot to enjoy the atmosphere. “I heard of a party. I might go and hop around (some) parties.”

“There’s going to be a riot at the Bobcat,” said Lauren Shanley, referring to the statue near the residence halls on Quinnipiac’s main campus. “We’re going to break s— down again. I know of a few parties though.”

Fandoms may be split, but the one thing anyone watching the game Sunday can agree on is that preparation is key. Preparation, of course, meaning party food.

Nachos, chicken wings, pizza. Find it on tables, couches, and laps around Hamden as Sunday evening approaches. Per thedailymeal.com, all three rank in the top five most commonly eaten foods on Super Bowl Sunday.


(Graphic by Andrew Weiss)

(Graphic by Andrew Weiss)

The same ranking has chicken wings reigning supreme among Super Bowl snacks, and the numbers back it up. In the United States this year, more than 1.35 billion chicken wings are expected to be served, hor d’oeuvre’d, and eaten over the course of Sunday’s main event, per the National Chicken Council. That is enough wings to put 625 wings on each seat in every NFL stadium, or enough to circle the Earth three times.

Even with an increased number of wings and food being prepared for the weekend, Ryan Currier of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District is confident Hamden can chow down without concern.

During times like the Super Bowl or around certain holidays, the number of people dining out or ordering take-out increases, and as such, the possibility of illness extends further,” Currier said.

“Interestingly enough, the food-borne illnesses I have seen through the years have largely not been linked to these busy times as one might expect, and have rather been sporadic. This is a credit to the food service establishments, that they are able to continue to operate safely while dealing with the dramatic increase in traffic.”

Most people interviewed for this story recommended the same three restaurants in Side Street, Eli’s and Droogies.

Side Street is commonly referred for its wings, Eli’s for its nachos and Droogies for its pizza and ability to deliver.

Quinnipiac students are more likely to spend their cash instead of their meal plan, despite a food service that tailors the game-day menu.

“Our sales are half of what we usually (get on a Sunday) during the Super Bowl,” said Leann Spalding, the director of dining services at Quinnipiac. “They don’t come to the cafeteria because we’re not set up for (watching the game).”

However, Spalding said there are options in place for students looking for some Super Bowl goodies on campus.

“At the Bobcat Den, from four to five on Super Bowl Sunday, we’ll be giving away free appetizers,” Spalding said. “I know it (will include) wings, among others.”

Side Street will crank out tubs of wings, while Droogies will toss dough more than Tom Brady and Nick Foles will toss footballs. There won’t be a coin toss to see who gets their food first, just a battle for placing orders earlier and earlier. There is no Lombardi Trophy for eating the most food, but come Sunday, America will be consuming.

That is a guaranteed Super Bowl prop bet.

Quinnipiac names Judy D. Olian ninth president

By Andrew Weiss

Quinnipiac University announced Monday afternoon that Judy D. Olian would be named the ninth president in the history of the school.

Olian takes over the role from John Lahey, who served as Quinnipiac’s president since 1978, a 31- year tenure. Lahey officially gives way to Olian on July 1, 2018.

“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be here,” Olian said. “(I am) very excited to be joining you in building this next phase of a very special university.”


Olian takes time out to talk to Hamden mayor Curt B. Lang after her press conference.

Olian takes time out to talk to Hamden mayor Curt B. Lang after her press conference.

Olian has been serving as the dean at the UCLA Anderson School of Management since 2006, and is the first female president in Quinnipiac history.

The school had been reviewing candidates for a new president since Lahey announced his impending retirement in April of 2017. Under Lahey, Quinnipiac has added two campuses and increased enrollment to more than five times as many students per year, as well as a added a polling institute and Division I athletics.

“This is an exciting time for Quinnipiac University,” Lahey said in a statement announcing Olian’s appointment. “We wish Dr. Judy Olian the best of luck as she builds on the success forged by our students, faculty and staff, working with the Quinnipiac community to move our institution to even greater levels of achievement.”