Debbie Schlussel: Strangest Sports Stories of the Day
A couple of strange sports stories today:
* Dumbest new idea for a themed high school since the gay high school: ESPN and the New York City Department of Education are teaming of to create a new high school focusing on the business side of sports.
No word on when the New York City Department of Education will team up with someone to create a new high school focusing on reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and basic core knowledge.
Is it just me, or are you tired of themed high schools, especially for something--sports business--in which there are very few jobs and in which the salaries are artificially much lower than market rates in an already terrible economy. Having a high school to train for jobs in sports business is like having a high school to train for the New York Knicks starting center jobs. The jobs are almost as scarce.
Why do high schools need a theme? What ever happened to basic learning and education? Am I wrong, or isn't that what high school was supposed to be for? Just asking.
Oh, and one last thing: Each of the students at BOSS--the Business of Sports School--will provide free labor for ESPN, as they'll each be required to work at one of ESPN's companies. Hmmm . . . sounds like national "voluntary" service--only not for the country, but for ESPN. Gee, why didn't Chrysler think of this?
* St. John (Kansas) High School boys basketball coach Clint Kinnamon was told to stop hypnotizing his basketball team.
I just love this story. Two years ago, this team won the state championship and, last year, finished second. And parents didn't seem to think there was a problem with their kids being regularly hypnotized by a professional hypnotist the coach hired to do this.
But, all of the sudden, this year--now that the team isn't doing so hot (just 7-6 through last week)--parents are worried that their kids might get hooked on hypnosis. Not sure what "hooked on hypnosis" means--like they're gonna ask this guy, "Please hypnotize me. I need another fix of mindlessness."
But seriously, parents put up with a coach having their kids regularly hypnotized for two years? Oy vey.
Parents actually signed permission slips for this. Incredible.
Posted by Debbie on February 5, 2009 08:22 PM to Debbie Schlussel