Guess who is back in the sports section by no one's request? That’s right, me—Kaitlin Anzalone, opinion editor. The ball is back in my court, so get ready. 

This is what happens when no one writes for the sports section—you get articles written by queer English and creative writing majors about Formula 1 racing: arguably the best sport there is, but definitely not the sports content that SUNY Geneseo yearns for. Needless to say, you have brought this rant upon yourselves. 

For generations, sports have been a breeding ground for toxic masculinity (a perception of masculinity that emphasizes strength and aggression to an extent that harms men and the way that society views them) and hyper-masculine identities. Thus, competition in sports for men and masculine-identifying athletes has become more significant than simply winning or losing; for many athletes, the outcome of a match can signify whether or not their masculinity is verified or rejected by sports journalists, fans, agents, coaches, and all other spectators of masculinity and its relationship to sports.

Picture this: you do a group project, and you get a lower grade than everyone else in your group because your professor doesn’t like you based on your “lack of presentation.” You’re frustrated, because you know that you worked so hard on that project, but no matter how hard you try, you still end up getting penalized. Well, that’s how it feels to be a woman athlete in a world of men’s sports. 

The origin of sports and the Olympics; the birth of art dedicated to the study of the human body; careful, incessant focus on the elegance of male athletes—Ancient Greek contributions to sports have been numerous and foundational to the culture that we associate with sports today. One such athletic element has been so thoroughly integrated into the public conscience that we frequently fail to evaluate the true scope of its impact—the romanticization of the male form.

Another week of pushing The Lamron marks another week in which I scramble to find some topic of moderate relevance to sports to discuss in order to publish anything at all (seriously, please write for the sports section). This is all to say that this week I’ll be forgoing traditional coverage of the world of sports in Geneseo and beyond and will instead craft a comprehensive history of everyone’s favorite sport: the nail-biting, stadium-rattling, jaw-dropping badminton.

On Saturday, Mar. 4, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak displayed a “Z” symbol on his uniform as he stood next to Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun on the podium of a gymnastics World Cup event in Doha, Qatar. The symbol, displayed by Russian military vehicles utilized in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has become widely associated with support for the invasion. Kuliak taped it to his uniform in place of the Russian flag, which was banned by the International Gymnastics Foundation (FIG).

The Ice Knights were coming in hot on Wednesday night (Mar. 2, 2022) to start their SUNYAC Semifinals. Geneseo already has a winning streak against SUNY Brockport this season—this game was going to be a piece of cake.

The Ice Knights have been working hard all season, and it all comes down to this day. Geneseo went up against Oswego back in 2020 and everyone was looking forward to the rematch on Mar. 5, 2022. 

On Mar. 5, 2022, the Russian Federal Customs Service reported that they had detained an American basketball player after finding cartridges of hashish oil—a type of marijuana concentrate containing high THC levels—in their luggage as they traveled to an airport near Moscow. The service soon released video footage of the player going through airport security, and the traveler was quickly identified by Russian news agencies as Brittney Griner, an Olympic player and center for the Phoenix Mercury. Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not dispute these reports, though it has yet to be confirmed whether or not Griner was actually in possession of these cartridges.

After achieving great success at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference on Friday, Mar. 4 and Saturday, Mar. 5, the men’s and women’s track and field team is set to complete in National Collegiate Athletic Associations’ Division III Championships starting Friday, Mar. 11 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The team will send 11 women and men, 22 total players, to the Championships to compete in fifteen different events. The event will occur until Saturday. Mar. 12. 

On Tuesday, Mar. 1, three members of the Geneseo women’s basketball team received several honors at the State University of New York Athletic Conference; the awards went to junior guard Taylor Hansen for Co-Defensive Player of the Year, as well as to junior guard Hannah Stockman and first-year guard Mackenzie Reigle, who earned second and third-team awards. Though this awardship came shortly after a disappointing semifinals loss against SUNY New Paltz (Friday Feb. 25), make no mistake—the team has had an incredibly impressive few months of play. Here’s a brief recap of their 2021-2022 season.

On Feb. 14, 2022, U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson tweeted a post calling out discrepancies in Olympic and anti-doping regulations. The tweet was posted in response after Russian skater Kamila Valieva failed to pass a drug test but was still allowed to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics—a privilege that Richardson, a Black athlete, was not afforded.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations Champions League (UEFA) announced on Monday Feb. 28 that they have banned Russia from FIFA and UEFA games until further notice, and Russian teams will not be participating in the World Cup this year. The UEFA has also moved the 2022 Champions League final from St. Petersburg, Russia to Paris, France. These actions are in response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Russia has yet to appeal the decision.

If you’ve watched any of the National Football League playoff games, you’ve likely seen commercials advertising online sports gambling. Starting on Jan. 8, 2022, New York State legalized online sports betting for the first time, and companies like DraftKings and Caesars have been offering major incentives for first-time bettors. At the beginning of the launch, sites gave hundred-dollar rewards as sign-up bonuses, but even still, there are new benefits to entice individuals to join. Subsequently, New York has become the sports-betting capital in less than two months. 

Regardless of one’s particular interest in sports, the elements and associations of American sports are undoubtedly cultural staples—perhaps even the most uniting factors amid such a culturally complex nation; images of baseball stands full of fans donning hot dogs and popcorn, football stadiums brimming with brightly-painted faces and adolescent pastimes centered around schools’ winning teams will appeal to most Americans. Such palpable images make for natural, instinctual poeticism, a trait harnessed through the unofficial genre of sports poetry.

Tuesday night's hockey game versus the Fredonia Blue Devils was a tough one to watch (as well as odd, seeing as it was a hockey game on a Tuesday). On the bright side, our pep band was back in action! And regardless of what day of the week it is or the outcome of the game, we know that our Geneseo Ice Knights always try their hardest.