Women's basketball

Anne Renninger, girls' basketball coach
Sidwell Friends School
Washington Post

On a high-school girl winning a national slam-dunk competition scheduled in conjunction with this year's McDonald's All-American Game in Oklahoma City:

"It's a consistent measuring stick between boys' and girls' basketball. People have always said that girls are better shooters, but can't dunk. . . .As we start to play the game in the air, there is no reason not get excited about it. Bottom line: It's definitely going to draw more people to the game."

Basketball rules

Dale Meggas, columnist
Lakewood (Ohio) Sun Post

"It's been nearly 20 years since college basketball's last major changes, adopting shot clock and the three-point goal. Now it's time to do it again. Let's abolish fouling a player out. Damn the torpedoes and full-speed ahead in permitting a player to finish what's started, no matter what officials find wrong with his or her game.

"Two quick fouls in the first few minutes puts Sam Slamdunk on the bench for much of the first half. Coaches are not going to open themselves to second-guessing by media, alumni and, most importantly, athletics departments higher-ups by allowing Sam to pick up a third foul before the second half even starts.

"What about fans who paid a hard-earned buck or two to see the best college players in what many call the country's premier sporting event? They sure weren't expecting to see Sam ride the pines due to a pair of what may have been questionable calls.

"Instead of banishing Sam after his fifth, treat any more fouls by Sam as 'super bonus' fouls that result in an extra free throw. One-and-one becomes two, two becomes three and, if fouled on a three-pointer, the player shoots four free throws. This way, Sam and his team still pay a price for each of his fouls over five, but he at least gets a stay of execution and the best players continue to determine the outcome.

"You may think it's a bad idea now, but remember that when the star on your favorite team is benched by fouls in a tight game. It's no more radical than having your hopes crushed by a three-pointer at the buzzer."

Athletics funding

Terry Wanless, director of athletics
California State University, Sacramento
Los Angeles Times

Discussing threats posed to intercollegiate athletics programs by California's current fiscal problems:

"Those days of schools with 20, 25 sports could be over. As difficult as that may become on every campus, it becomes a reality."

Sportsmanship

Gary M. Pavela, director of judicial programs
University of Maryland, College Park
Chronicle of Higher Education

Discussing the challenge for university administrators to develop a policy that affects fan behavior or speech -- particularly from students -- during athletics contests:

"It has to sink in with the students at some kind of a voluntary level that they are fouling their own nest. If your dominant image of a particular university is that of a howling, obscene mob, then you are not going to be favorably disposed. ...

"If we frame (possible restrictions) at the outset as a punishment issue, then we will probably lose -- then it's not about the sportsmanship standards involved. We've got to get students to think ... we're not just dealing with the First Amendment rights of speakers, but also with the rights of people in the audience."

Graduation rates

Clifford Adelman, senior research analyst
U.S. Department of Education
Chronicle of Higher Education

Discussing why the current federally mandated graduation-rates methodology in which transfers are not factored into the calculation is a poor way to judge a college's success:

"Love, homesickness, comfort level, change of major, change of interest -- these are some of the major reasons why people change colleges. And this raises the question, Why should institutions be judged for choices, made by students, that are beyond their control? College students are legal adults, after all....

"We've been presented with an image of higher education in which students don't graduate or finish in a reasonable amount of time, and that's not true. When you really start looking at it, students are doing a lot better than we think."