THIS IS SPORTSCENTER?
ESPN is desperate.
How else to explain why the premier television sports network would host SportsCenter-the mother of all sports news programs-at the Trego County Fair in Wakeeney, Kansas?
We've been to Wakeeney. And while they make a mean club sandwich at the truck stop diner there, the town is unmistakably wedged in the armpit of America. Which means that a performance by chainsaw artist Jim Clark would not typically constitute a major sporting event, but when it comes to high-profile publicity scrambles we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Or rather we are in Kansas. And the other 49 states to boot. That's because ESPN is embarking on its SportsCenter Across America summer tour featuring 50 shows in 50 states in 50 days.
The tour kicked off July 17 in Boston following a Yankees/Red Sox game in advance of hotspots like the Foosball Spectacular in Staunton, Virginia, the Cardboard Boat Racing Championship in Heber Springs, Arkansas and a pie-eating contest at the Blueberry Festival in Machias, Maine.
"This gives us a chance to get a little closer to our fans," ESPN anchor Chris Berman says in a press release. "It's a small way to say 'Thanks,' because ESPN would not be what it is today without support from all 50 states."
A laundry list of anchors will man the mobile sets, including John Anderson, Linda Cohn, Rece Davis, Kenny Mayne and St. [Dan] Patrick himself. Should be worth a watch just to see how the talent will manage to intersperse their omnipresent catchphrases into a dog-herding competition in Wisconsin.
Betsy the Border Collie is, dare we say, en fuego.
The tour makes its New Mexico stop in Albuquerque on August 30 for…(drum roll)… the World Senior Racquetball Competition. Okay, so it's not the X Games in Los Angeles. But at least it has nothing to do with blueberry pie. (ND)
THE OTHER SIDE:
It's no secret the US military desperately needs forces to continue its occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. But to fill the ranks, peace activists allege, military recruiters have resorted to unscrupulous methods. "The prospect of going to war is never mentioned. Benefits, including college, the reality of how many receive those benefits, is rarely mentioned," Maria Santelli, co-ordinator for the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center, says. Daniel Craig of the Santa Fe Chapter of Veterans for Peace adds, "A lot of times they're told they're not going to be sent to Afghanistan and Iraq." That's where full-disclosure recruiting, locally known as an effort called Another Side, comes into play.
Activists from organizations such as the Alliance for Academic Freedom, the American Friends Service Committee and Veterans for Peace aim to set the record straight about military service by discussing the matters recruiters may gloss over.
Another Side activists feel the primary misconception involves college tuition. Many teens are under the impression that enlisting will give them a full ride to a four-year college. "There's a lot of hoops you have to go through to get this money," Santelli says, citing a study by the Central Committee on Conscientious Objection that indicates two-thirds of all recruits receive no tuition money.
Teens also are often drawn into service by the stipends recruiters say they will receive for enlisting. But to receive such stipends, "You have to qualify for assistance programs, and most people don't qualify," Craig says. "There's all these little caveats."
Some recruits also believe they will only have to serve for 15 months or not be involved in combat if they sign up for certain duties. Because the front lines in Iraq are blurred, however, Craig says that no one in uniform is safe. "This is not a conventional war in the sense that the front lines are [fluid]. A cook, a clerk, a mail handler or an infantryman are in just as much danger as others," he says. As for time served, while members of the Ready Reserve may sign 15-month contracts, they could serve for as long as eight years.
Equally troubling to peace activists is a provision in the No Child Left Behind Act that gives recruiters access to the contact information of students [Cover story, Nov. 24, 2004: "
"]. This provision, along with the presence of recruiters on campus and organizations such as the ROTC, are "evidence of a military career being softly sold to young people," Santelli says.
Last school year Another Side members attempted to gain equal access to students. The group wants to leave materials wherever recruiters leave materials. While the group has made presentations at the Tutorial School, Desert Academy and Santa Fe High and has talked with Santa Fe Schools Supt. Gloria Rendón, they say knowing teachers has been the main way they have entered the classroom. Developing relationships with administrators is their main route to accessing students at this time. However, Craig says he hit a brick wall when going that route. "I tried to meet with the high school principals of Capital High and Santa Fe High, and I couldn't even get them on the phone," he says. Santelli says she has come across the same problem in Albuquerque Public Schools, where administrators have pretty much made it clear the group is not wanted. "We're not trying to cause an insurrection among students," Craig says. Another Side will have a conference free and open to the public July 22 to 24 at UNM. For information, contact the Peace and Justice Center at 268-9557. (NK)
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