Belém GP Results

[MJD]

Check out this headline today:

"Asafa, Smith head nominees"


http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/h ... MINEES.asp

[lonewolf49]

Re: Belém GP Results

>>>>>>why is it that so many people in the sport seem compelled to use first names for women and last names for men? <<<<

Amen. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. In a long officiating career, I have always addressed
athletes, beyond elementary school, as Mr. or Ms.
or, when brevity dictates, by last name only. I think it just sounds a little more professional and objective.... and they seem to respond accordingly..
I am speaking about in competition.. I dont think it matters what we call them on a message board for ease of identifying the athlete..

[BisonHurdler]

Re: Belém GP Results

>>*dunes runner revives a thread over a year old*





YIKES.

[dunes runner]

Re: Belém GP Results

>A less formal designation for women is not disrespectful, in my view, though perhaps some mean it that way (though I doubt it). I think it's mostly affectionate in an appreciative way.

Yikes.

[Randy]

Re: Belém GP Results

The first name issue for officials came up about 10 years ago, and special sessions were set up to discuss it with officials. It was explained that to many women, calling them by their first name when it isn't done for the men is considered---
well, not sexist, but "fatherly" in a condescending way, as if the women need to be protected somehow. THESE ARE ADULTS, but for some officials, especially the old timers, habits die hard.
Salutations like "Mr". in front of the men's names also cause problems if you try to carry it over to the women- "Miss versus Mrs. versus Mizzzzz", so it's best just to drop it for everybody since it is totally non-value-added anyway.
It's easiest just to think like a military drill sergeant calling roll- you just go down the last names and TREAT EVERYBODY EXACTLY EQUAL- no matter how much of a celebrity they are. An Official can NOT show preference just because somebody is known in the press better as "Marion" than "M. Jones". Too bad, that's life.

By the way Gary, "in the hole" got banned in officialdom (at least in procedure, if not practice) about 15 years ago. Nobody thought twice about it until the women competed more, and then somebody pointed out that it could have a certain negative connotation, if you know what I mean.
It was replaced by "on hold". The whole procedure "on deck" and so on is a baseball careover, with "in the hole" meaning down the steps inside the dugout- which doesn't carry over really to track anyway, so why NOT change it?
Surprisingly this change got adapted by most officials a lot easier than the first name / last name dichotomy. I'm not sure why it was easier for most people.

But again, as long as officials treat everybody equal, they seldom have problems. If the official clerk of the course entry sheet says Jones, M. in lane 3 and Devers, G. in lane 5, then that's what it is.
A good official should not CARE whether it's Marion Jones or Marsha Jones, or Gail Devers or Gabriela Devers. Makes no difference.

If an athlete can't "listen up" and respond to their own last name, then they have problems. (I'm patient with figuring out family names on Asian athletes of course).

[Jon]

Re: Belém GP Results

>I think that one of the requirements to refer to someone on a first name basis
>is a bit of a unique name. In this case, it is unusual enough that it got its
>own post:

"At the T&FN banquet today, Felicien was one of the guest, and
>she related how she go the name Perdita: her mother is a monster fan of "The
>Price Is Right" and whilst pregnant saw a contest with that name and said,
>"That's what I'll call my baby."

She then said she was going to take her
>$60K and buy her mother a trip to LA to see "TPIR" in person.

Sorry about
>that, Chief Illiniwick!"


No one would have known what I was talking about
>if I would have said Perdita vs Dick in my Butkus post by the way-not even on a
>football board.





I completely agree. It's nothing to do with respect. It's more to do with what people are most familiar with. For example, if someone mentioned "Marion", you'd automatically know that they were talking about Marion Jones. If I just said "Jones", then people wouldn't be all that sure (as there have been several great athletes with that surname).

Conversely, if I just said "Angela", would people know whom I am talking about? It could be Daigle, Whyte, Issajenko, Chalmers, Williams, etc etc. However, if I said "Daigle" or "Issajenko" then people would automatically know who I am talking about.

Michael Johnson is a weird one - if I said "Michael was a great athlete", would people know who I mean? Same if I said "Johnson was a great athlete", it still might not be obvious who I am talking about. Even if I said "MJ was a great athlete", I could be talking about either Marion or Michael Johnson. I think, when it comes to Michael Johnson, I usually say his full name, or just 'MJ'....

Like I say, it's nothing at all to do with respect - more with familiarity. The more unusual the name (be it a surname or first name), the more likely it is that people will know who you're tlaking about.

[tafnut]

Re: Belém GP Results

speaking of banning someone.

[shaggy]

Re: Belém GP Results

Good job, Sandra........Are you kidding, wan't she one of the ones taken modafinil which is the cover up for THG. I think so. Ban her along with the others.

[tafnut]

Re: Belém GP Results

'Perdita vs Dick"

um . . .uh . . .oh, never mind.

[MJD]

Re: Belém GP Results

I think that one of the requirements to refer to someone on a first name basis is a bit of a unique name. In this case, it is unusual enough that it got its own post:

"At the T&FN banquet today, Felicien was one of the guest, and she related how she go the name Perdita: her mother is a monster fan of "The Price Is Right" and whilst pregnant saw a contest with that name and said, "That's what I'll call my baby."

She then said she was going to take her $60K and buy her mother a trip to LA to see "TPIR" in person.

Sorry about that, Chief Illiniwick!"


No one would have known what I was talking about if I would have said Perdita vs Dick in my Butkus post by the way-not even on a football board.

[EPelle04]

Re: Belém GP Results

First-name basis, it is!

Both of you link to athlete journals where the links are as such at the bottom of the pages:

>>Breaux's Journal Main Page
>>Perditia's Journal Main Page

By providing me with their first names, and referring to them as such, I take it that the journals are personal, and you want me to have a personal look at the person. By us referring to them on a first-name basis on a message board, I think we are just stating what our personal opinions are.

[gh]

Re: Belém GP Results

see also

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/di ... jsp?id=181

equal treatment

[MJD]

Re: Belém GP Results

>You're all missing my point. I cited "Marion" as a perfectly acceptable
>usage. And I agree on Tiger and Lance and Michael and all the other
>superstars.


I understand your point completely and I don't think it applies to me. We are on the board for the bible of the sport and here is exhibit A on the matter:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/di ... .jsp?id=55

Q.E.D.

[MJD]

Re: Belém GP Results

>I pointed out that Perdita vs. Butkus got unequal treatment,

My excuse is pretty boring. I can't remember how to spell Fel.... without looking it up.

[EPelle04]

Re: Belém GP Results

GH: remember what world we are living in! No one else seems to know we exist (according to some of the Joneses here)! Referring to Allyson (Felix) on a first-name basis in a thread - is not the same as if one were discussing her in person...I am sure many would refer to her as either Allyson Felix or Felix. I see and agree with your point, however.