Lez Keep It Real

I can’t take credit for this one. I have to give a shout out to “Mel” for bringing this article to my attention. On my last Pokey update, Mel commented on how she is still “searching for answers” because she loves Pokey and was horrified when she abruptly departed ways with LSU.

Thanks to Mel, we have an update from AfterEllen.com:

I grew up believing that Russia was a huge, red monster. Of course, I also believed that I’d survive “the bomb” by crouching under my school desk with my hands clasped over my head. Still, I have a hard time thinking of moving to Moscow as a fresh start. But that’s exactly what it is for Pokey Chatman.

Chatman, who resigned as head coach of Louisiana State University earlier this year under a cloud of sexual innuendo, has accepted an associate head-coaching position with Spartak Moscow Region professional basketball team.

This is no Russian exile. Last year, WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Thompson and Lauren Jackson played for Spartak during the off-season, and Spartak won the 2007 EuroLeague Women championship.

Spartak owner Shabtai von Kalmanovic is known for his generosity with players. How generous? Bird and Taurasi lived in a rent-free, six-bedroom villa with an indoor pool and sauna. They had a cook, an interpreter, a driver and plane tickets between Moscow and the United States. Plus salaries around $400,000 for the six-month season. Chatman’s perks are similar, with a salary rumored to be $500,000. Needless to say, she’s excited about it. READ MORE

Maybe, as time goes by, Pokey will feel comfortable enough to address what happened. Or maybe she is content to just move on. Either way, it’s good to see her get back to basketball.

Speaking of basketball. You remember that little post I did last week about “the whispers” in women’s college basketball recruiting? Well the video segment I included in the post can no longer be found on ESPN’s Outside the Lines.

Why?

Because they removed it.

I’m beyond disappointed in ESPN. I thought it was so courageous, not to mention completely necessary, for them to talk about an issue that is prevalent but that everyone pretends it doesn’t exist. And what to they do? They talk about and do what everyone else has done — sweep in under the rug as if they never even aired the segment.

What the C. Vivian Stringer is going on here? Why open up Pandora’s box if you are just going to close it anyway?

I wonder if ESPN received far too many complaints about the piece and ultimately decided to take down the video and remove the story from their website as a result.  Seriously though, think about this — they must have had a multitude of negative responses to numerous news stories in the past as well, and most likely didn’t act in the same fashion. So why now? Why this story?

The answer?

It’s the same reason as always. The rest of the country isn’t ready to accept the fact that lesbian athletes exist, even on a sacred and celebrated place as a basketball court.

pokey chatman, lsu, the whispers, espn, espn outside the lines, lesbians in women’s college basketball