Serena! 6-1 6-2 over Sharapova

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rick Stevens

Slip by Emily Hughes allows Meissner to squeak into US National gold

Lookee here: Sun-Sentinel: 49 photos of Emily Hughes (please help the poor man out!)

New York Daily News: Hughes spills into second

The Columbus Dispatch: FIGURE SKATING U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS: Meissner wins title after Hughes falls

Fox sports: Meissner wins first national title, Hughes takes tumble

Whittier Daily news: Hughes' fall makes Meissner champion

But Emily Hughes has given notice that Kimmie Meissner is not the force to be overcome on the world stage.

Beautiful! Just beautiful! Australian Open women's singles champion '07

Photo source: Yahoo! News(things are a bit in disarray; can't get back to this January 19th photo at this moment)

Australian Open week 1: Croatia's Jelena Kostanic Tosic

Australian Open women's singles official results (draws): here

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/David Gray; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/David Gray; Yahoo! News/AP/Rick Stevens; Yahoo! News/AP/Rick Stevens

Amelie Mauresmo practices for Australian Open start tomorrow

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Stuart Milligan; Yahoo! News/AP/Vincent Thian

USA's Meghann Shaughnessy and partner defeat USA's Meilen Tu & Co in Sydney doubles's final

Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States (left in the photo at left) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany defeated Meilen Tu of the USA (in the white and black in the photos below) and Marion Bartoli of France 6-3 3-6 7-6 in the women's doubles final at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 12, 2007.

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rob Griffith; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Will Burgess; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rob Griffith

Tangela Smith to play at Minnesota: an outstanding matchup!

Women's basketball, particularly among the sports, has entered a period of self-examination, a catharsis that has defined social progress through conflict for the past at least 60 years. Women must define themselves; history says women will define themselves. But I'm thinking (very scientifically only) that, because it can sometimes be blind and insensitive, it is a situation best viewed while I address my own social (and Spiritual) advocacies, respecting the space required for an effectual resolution of the relevant societal inquiries. So, I've not been out to the WNBA website, have maintained only a cursory interest in the NCAA bball season, since the US National team scored its only 6 points in the third quarter of the semifinals at worlds in October.

But I was much overjoyed to have stumbled over this 2007 Charlotte Sting Dispersal Draft Analysis (I know nothing more of the situation), indicating Tangela Smith may play for the Minnesota Lynx this summer. That's a good fit: Tangela, I believe, will enjoy it, while Minnesota now has all the tools. Charlotte was my most favorite WNBA team; with Tangela, Minnesota unquestionably now is. (I know this is only preliminary: much trading and scrambling is in the offing before season start this May.)

Notwithstanding, Chicago needed Tangela. (I've seen Candice Dupree play but the one time last season the Sky played in Houston, and she seems at least unwilling, if not incapable, of the maturity required to inspire greater achievement in her teammates.) (Tangela would have found Chicago too stressful for the kind of quiet, silky style she has when she is at her best.) Minnesota would not have done bad with Monique Currie. (In my view, Monique's effectual career span is no greater than Tangela's now.) We'll see.

It's got to be: still they are schools, and there is a duty owed the athletes; Body defers decision on male practice players for further study

CBSSportsline.com: NCAA gets tougher on teams failing to meet academic standards

I attended Texas Southern University, whose reputation for teaching public school teachers is unmatched in Texas and neighboring states. But I spent my entire time there advocating one simple principle: then teach these blankity-blank pedagogues to teach! It's not rocket science!

Sania Mirza begins new season with win; the goddess out in round one of Sydney International to so far unstoppable Jelena Jankovic

The Hindu (January 9, 2007): Sania Mirza begins season in style At right, Martina Hingis in the semifinals at Gold Coast, Australia, Friday, Jan. 5, 2007.

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Charlie Knight

True role modeling: The City of Philadelphia: with no WNBA team of its own at the moment, yet beaming at its women's sports achievements

Philadelphia Daily News: On Women's Basketball: Many of the sport's big stories of 2006 had a local link

Kim Yu Na nursing injury

Really kind'a want to think that beautiful, enthralling 16 year old sports phenoms are impervious to sports injury. Alas: Figure skating: S. Korea's Kim could bypass q'fier to make worlds

Another opportunity for women to define themselves in Title IX: move to exclude male practice players

Controversy is at an unprecedented height in recent years as the NCAA moves to eliminate or restrict male practice players in women's sports, particularly in basketball. One side says that the "bigger, stronger" men help prepare the teams for bigger, stronger opponents. NCAA is moving to the view that it limits sports opportunities for women. Surely, something to think about:

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Women's basketball: NCAA rethinks battle of sexes

The Buffalo News: Male practice players help women's teams

Albany Times Union: Siena's women may just lose their men

I'd like to ask coaches in favor of men practice players to weigh in truthfully on the injury situation that arises from the practice, beginning with Houston Comet's coach what's-his-name: Comets fans have seen time and again players benched with injuries because of his practice. And lest we mention that Cynthia Cooper's career ending injury came as a result of just that practice, I do truly believe it was initially admitted, though now everybody and their mamas are going to go into denial.

Cynthia Cooper's Lady Panthers defeat TSU on the hill Saturday

Had the web page opened for Prairie View A&M University's athletic department. Intent on knowing when the women's basketball teams at PV (where Cynthia Cooper coaches) and Texas Southern University (where I did undergrad) tangled. Finally, yesterday I sat down only to find that PV defeated TSU 60-43 Saturday on the hill. Rematch February 3rd at 5:30 pm on the yard. I'll see what I can do to make it.

PVAMU women's basketball 2006-2007 schedule and results here

TSU's women's basketball 2006-2007 schedule and results here

Rice University's women's basketball 2006-2007 schedule and results here

University of Houston's women's basketball 2006-2007 schedule and results here

. . . but outside the world of the AD, is that what it's about: the number of female jocks is equal?

The within article from the San Fransisco Chronicle examines the Title IX situation at Berkeley where women now constitute 54% of undergrads. (I'm trying to visualize a situation changed from '77-'80 when I was there, and, for the life of me, I can't.)

Okay, I'm not up on the reading on the Title IX dialectics, but still I wonder: Is that what "women" "want", its being said that there as many female jocks and as male?

I can better understand now, though, why I encounter so many "women" with that inane "I am the same as you" ineptness rather than with an "I am equal to you" truth or untruth.

UC Berkeley lacks parity in varsity sports

Miki Ando at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating final in St.Petersburg, December 15 and 16, 2006

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Grigory Dukor; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk

Are there long term health considerations here?

Hopefully, this is just tabloid sensationalism; nonetheless, are there long term physical consequences to the decision being made here in psychological (and probably financial) anxiety as well as in whatever is the physical situation for Jelena today? My field is social science, not behavioral science (of the individual), and most assuredly not medicine or psychiatry, but I am convinced that mental outlook can affect (no pun intended) the body, especially in the long run. Still, it bears observing if Jelena is correct in her current assessment.

DailyRecord.co.uk (Scotland): New Boobs Please

(Sorry, the link didn't hold; here's the story:)

TENNIS star Jelena Dokic is planning to boost her career by having her breasts reduced, reports claim.

Serbian-born Dokic, 23, rose in the world rankings to No4 in 2002 - but has slumped to the 500s.

Now, the Serbian newspaper Kurir says she is blaming her curves and is planning drastic action.

Dokic switched coaches recently amid claims from her estranged dad that her new mentor had abducted her.

She did not comment on the breast operation stories yesterday.

2007: emphasis on health

Last year, my emphasis in the blog was my photographic eye. That will continue in 2007, but I hope to be motivated equally this year by a focus on the health side of sports: using 2007 to define a health interest from the Spiritual perspective that pervades my own every breath.

So, here's wishing you and yours a healthy and prosperous New Year!