#professional golf association

[coochiequeens]

Another case for SheWon

By Reduxx Team January 19, 2024

A trans-identified male has taken home the trophy at a women’s professional golfing tournament in Florida. Hailey Davidson, 30, emerged victorious at the NXXT Women’s Classic at Mission Inn Resort and Club on January 17.

Despite outlining eligibility as being restricted to “female players,” NXXT allowed Davidson to compete. His victory is particularly significant as this year NXXT had partnered with the Epson Tour to award 10 exemptions to their top five players. The exemptions were intended to provide female golfers the ability to compete in the Epson Tour regardless of their specific qualifications, something NXXT boasted would facilitate “unparalleled professional growth opportunities for women golfers.”

Davidson is currently ranked in the top spot to receive two of the ten available exemptions.

Davidson, who is originally from Scotland, last competed as a male in 2015 before declaring a transgender identity. Since then, he has become a vocal advocate for trans-identified males in women’s sports.

Writing for Athlete Ally in 2021, Davidson described himself as the “world’s first transgender woman to win a professional golf tournament, which I have now done multiple times.” He explains that he first began to believe he was a “woman” at age 14, but suppressed his “true self” until he was an adult, at which point he began experiencing severe anger issues.

“I had tried playing golf professionally as male prior to coming out, but I was such a headcase it was not only affecting me but the other players around me,” he writes. “I was at a crossroads at this point since I thought I had to choose between playing golf for a living and hiding who I was forever, or finally be happy as my authentic self and potentially never play golf again … While I did not play nor touch a club at all for over 2 years due to all that came with coming out of the closet, I was finally able to get back into playing when I was lucky to land a job at GolfNow. This got me back into playing for fun, and for once I was playing without anger or this mental time bomb waiting to explode.”

In 2022, Davidson made headlines while attempting to earn a Ladies Professional Golfing Association (LPGA) Tour card. At the time, Judy Murray, an elite tennis coach and mother of Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, blasted Davidson for attempting to join the LPGA Tour.

“No. Not fair at all,” Judy Murray posted to X (formerly Twitter) in heated words that quickly went viral. “Protect women’s sport. Listen to the facts, the scientists and the medics. This is wrong.”

While he was ultimately unsuccessful, Davidson attributed criticism of him playing in women’s sports to transphobia.

“I’ve seen that it’s not about protecting women’s sports or me having an advantage, it’s just that you don’t like trans people,” Davidson said during an interview on the Like It Is podcast. “It’s very sad that that’s what it comes down to. In the last couple of months, that’s what I’ve come to learn.”

On X, Davidson boasted of his victory, writing: “I was finally able to get my 4th professional win after two playoff holes… Also moved me into 1st place in the season rankings for two Epson Tour exemptions!”

The Epson Tour is the qualifying tour for the LPGA, meaning Davidson will not only be taking a major professional opportunity away from a woman, but he may also manage to successfully acquire the LPGA Tour Card he has been fighting to receive. The LPGA Tour removed the “female at birth” requirement in 2010.

Reduxx reached out to NXXT for clarification on their policies, and received a response deferring to the transgender guidance of the Ladies Professional Golfing Association, US Golfing Association, and Epson Tour — all of which have uniform policies allowing males to participate in women’s categories if they meet a certain amount of requirements.

Davidson prior to declaring a transgender status.

“The LPGA has a comprehensive Gender Policy that allows transgender athletes, including those who have transitioned from male to female, to participate in its events. This policy requires transgender athletes to provide a declaration of their gender identity, proof of gender reassignment surgery, and evidence of at least one year of hormonal therapy maintaining testosterone levels at a specified range. It also includes provisions for confidentiality and the recognition of decisions regarding gender verification made by other golf tours or sports authorities,” NXXT Tour Director Bennett Noe wrote.

“This alignment across the NXXT, LPGA, Epson Tour, and USGA ensures a consistent approach towards transgender athletes, emphasizing fair competition and integrity in the sport.”

But speaking to Reduxx on Davidson’s success at the tournament, Marshi Smith of the International Council on Women’s Sports denounced Noe’s response.

“The NXXT tour is claiming just because their policy is uniformly and consistently unjust alongside the Epson Tour, LPGA and USGA that somehow that ensures ‘fairness and integrity in the sport.'” Smith said.

“It is precisely the opposite. The question they must answer is ‘do women deserve access to fair competition?’ If yes, they must adopt simple and clean rules that create a female protected category without exception.”

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"WILLIE LAMB WINS FOURTH CANADIAN GOLF PRO CHAMPIONSHIP," Toronto Globe. August 15, 1933. Page 9. --- Willie Lamb, professional at the Uplands Golf and Country Club, Toronto, won his fourth championship of the Canadian Professional Golfers' Association at the Toronto Golf Club yesterday with scores of 74 and 72. Lamb came to Canada as a Scottish amateur in 1924. and was engaged by the Toronto Golf Club as assistant to George Cumming, although only 19 years of age. He is now regarded as the most consistent of Canadian professionals. The above photographs show: No. 1 - A portion of the gallery standing under the pines on the lawn at the Toronto Club. No. 2 - Spectators at the scorebeard following the progress of the championship. No. 3 - Dick Borthwick, Scarboro' (left, and R. M. Alston, Rivermead. Ottawa, who tied for third place. No. 4 - Lamb, the titleholder. No. 5 - Andrew Kay. Lambton (left), runner-up to Lamb. with George Cumming, veteran professional of the Toronto Club.

[seat-safety-switch]

I gotta be honest with you: when the American Dental Association didn't invite me to speak at this conference, I took it as a personal insult. Me, who has teeth that are "pretty good," according to my dentist, Dr. Scrapegums – hi Doc, I see you back there! I'm here to talk to you today about Porsche ownership.

A lot of you are aware of the stereotype that is the dentist who owns a Boxster. I know it, you know it. Your earnings are impressively expensive, but not expensive enough to drive a "real" Porsche. Got a staff, real estate, all that nitrous you have to pay for. Adds up, precarious times. Better play it safe and get the small convertible. It's still a Porsche. Unlike a lot of those judges you play golf with, I don't judge.

Now, after the police finally kick down that door, you're going to read a lot of shit about me in the press. "Fanatic," they'll say. "Done this before," they'll shriek, agitating for sentencing me as an adult. Dental professionals, you of all people should understand that the news sometimes gives perfectly good folks a bad reputation.

What they don't tell you, and this is really important, is that I love Porsches. My usual hatred for German shitboxes just seems to melt away with one of those loud Teutonic murderous coughdrops. I can't afford 'em, though, unless they come in at a real smoking deal. And so far, a lot of you seem to be trading your old Boxsters in at the dealership, for way too little money, where they become the dealership owner's nephew's property on their way to getting wrapped around a tree outside a Hard Rock Cafe. I want to make a different proposal. Sell your old Boxster to me.

You can tell your significant other that I coerced you, in this very room, to dump the car for real cheap. It'll be believable, with the news. What's in it for you, besides a new car? I don't mind that it's got a bunch of electrical problems and occasionally shits out a coilpack on the interstate. Most of you probably saw, or at least heard, the car I arrived in today. I will take these things in any condition you can provide, and the first of you to step up and offer me your high-mileage mid-engined sports car for under a grand can stop this madness before I start telling you all about how clever the Chrysler A727 Torque-Flite automatic transmission is.

[a-book-of-creatures]

Can you explain why fly fishing is as bad as golfing? Never heard that before and I'm curious

They're different kinds of bad but they have the same root cause that makes me associate them with each other. Namely, they attract rich, entitled upper-class twits.

Disclaimer: I'm sure there are plenty of fine, upstanding golfers and fly fishers out there. Real salt of the earth folks that wouldn't harm a (heh) fly. This doesn't invalidate the fundamental issues that I'm going to talk about here.

You've probably heard about how golf takes perfectly good land that could be used for parks and turns them into sterile, boring, manicured lawns for rich assholes to toss their balls around.

Fly fishing... there's probably a lot you could say about sport angling as a part and why it's bad for fishes and the environment, but I'm focusing on fly fishing, and this book is largely to blame.

Published in 1895, this accumulation of dead trees was what pushed the idea that a good fishing fly should be made of exotic feathers, the more exotic the better.

And with anglers being a superstitious lot (perhaps as superstitious as professional athletes, who we all know are the most superstitious people in existence), it makes it far more likely that those with the means will shell out top dollar for feathers from rare, even extinct birds. They will buy research skins from museum collections for the sole purpose of tearing them to bits and making gaudy simulacra of insects that may bestow a higher chance of a salmon biting them.

This is what led to a guy breaking into the Tring Museum and stealing almost 300 bird skins to sell off on eBay for fishing fly materials. And it's happened elsewhere too. I know this because one of the museums I worked at had a researcher walk in to look at birds, and when they left a number of skins were gone. There are still enough people out there ready and willing to pay for those feathers that the market is there.

[the1920sinpictures]

1924 Professional golfer Cyril Walker at Lakeland Country Club, Lakeland, Florida. Mr. Walker won six Professional Golf Association tournaments. From Vintage America Uncovered, FB.

[cartermagazine]

Today In History

Charlie Sifford was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour and won the Long Beach Open becoming the first African American to win a major professional golf tournament on this date November 10, 1957.

He also won the United Golf Association’s National Negro Open six times, and the PGA Seniors’ Championship in 1975.

In 2004, Sifford became the first African American golfer to break into another exclusive club. Of the 100 previously enshrined at the World Golf Hall of Fame, none were African American.

CARTER™ Magazine

[saulweissberg]

availability / @theodoranowak setting / the local country club golf course; wednesday, july 17th, around six pm.

“ah, there you go! nice swing.” saul complimented after theo cracked the golf ball across the greensward. the sun was still high enough in the sky to give off a sweltering heat, but as two high powered attorneys, neither would be caught dead playing hooky and golfing on a weekday morning. well, at least saul wouldn’t, mostly because his schedule was so busy lately that he barely had time to shave before work, let alone sneak away for a quick early morning golf session. with theo and isabel working as senior associates under him, and with help from micah, his firm had more clients than ever before. he’d hazard to say he was downright successful, but saul knew better than to count his chickens before they hatched. at any rate, he was successful for suburban illinois, but he’d probably never reach the esteem of his former firm, wlrk. that was something he was coming to terms with. the market was smaller, but divorces happened anywhere and everywhere. that was the best part of their specialty: they were pretty much guaranteed job security, and saul was running the show now. having theo as part of his legal team just propelled them into further success.

they still needed to enjoy themselves, though. golf wasn’t his favorite sport—especially since his third ex-wife’s older brother was a professional golfer and hated saul—but he was better at it than tennis, and it was practically required for any blue blooded man to know how to do both. besides, it was the first time he really got to spend some time with his pseudo-cousin since she arrived in blue harbor. after theodora finished her turn, saul set up the tee and positioned himself alongside the ball, holding out his arms stiffly as he lined up the club. with a swift motion, he swung the club and connected it with the golf ball, sending it flying into the air and curving to the right. his hand flew to his forehead, shielding the golden afternoon light from his eyes as he watched the ball land far ahead. turning to theo, he grinned and pumped both fists in the air. “yay!” he gave a light laugh and moved over to their golf cart to find where their respective golf balls had landed.

after a beat of silence, saul raised a brow as he regarded theodora. “so, how are you finding blue harbor?” it was sort of funny how she was the third brunette he knew back in new york that had found her way to the small midwestern town, but this time, she had asked to come work for him. though he had a stable staff with isabel, micah, and his secretary, he would’ve been insane to decline her. not only did she have nepotism on her side—the weissbergs and nowaks had been family friends for generations—but theo had a remarkable record and he wouldn’t turn down the help when his firm was steadily growing. more lawyers, more clients, it was simple math! that, and he had known theodora since she was a baby. he supposed he owed it to her, out of some familial-like obligation, and he could understand cracking under the weight of her family name. she needed an out, and while saul had his misgivings about blue harbor, it was the perfect place for someone to start over, just like he had three years ago. “i’m starting to think the entire island of manhattan is moving here. my first ex-wife, then my second, and then you? micah, too.” he didn’t count thalia, since blue harbor was her hometown. “either that, or you’ve all banded together to destroy me. i wouldn’t count that out for terry, but you and cassie? i’m hurt, teddy. just hurt!” he joked, mirth evident in his smirk and the sparkle in his eyes.

[gaast]

The video game industry is worth more than the film and music industries combined and I swear the only monographs that deal critically with games are those in game studies fields. You're about as likely to see a monograph do a close reading on a film as a book, and yet other narrative media tend to be underrepresented.

This isn't to say that because video games have so much economic value that they therefore must have value to critical theory and attendant discourses, but rather I think it demonstrates the very odd position that video games are in. Frankly, they're still seen as vulgar, and certainly too much so to merit critical treatment. This is a failure of scholarship. Pong, for example, was one of the first commercially successful video games, and it acted as something of a stand-in for table tennis. The arcade cabinet made table tennis more accessible to the public, who would otherwise require enough space, bodily ability, and access to a table (typically requiring wealth) to engage with the sport.

There's a tendency in some critical modalities to view sports and games as reproductions of capitalist imperatives to compete, win, and reign supreme. It's a rather reductive view of play that in many cases puts the cart before the horse. As esports leagues have shown, we played games against each other long before capitalists exploited our joy as labor.

In any case, Pong made more accessible certain physical modes of play that could very easily be impossible for the average American consumer to enjoy in 1971. Indeed, most sport is inaccessible, whether because of space (golf, association football), equipment (gridiron football), or the physical ability necessary to complete the basics of its play (hockey). The joys of playing table tennis were thus democratized in the arcade.

Sports sims developed over time but never lost their popularity. Titles like Tennis, Baseball, Tecmo Bowl, and Duck Hunt eventually gave rise to Punch-Out!!, which, uniquely among these examples, carried the implicit themes that made motion-picture successes like Rocky so indelible: the underdog can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Even a short king from the Bronx can defeat heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson with the right combination of skill, luck, and determination.

Interestingly, Punch-Out!!'s successful application of narrative technique didn't reframe the sports sim as a potential vehicle for narrative. Titles like Street Fighter II became successful less because they featured characters whose stories compelled audiences but rather because the technical achievements available in them hewed closer to the ideal of sport in general. By this I mean that I believe audiences, particularly sportswatching audiences, understand better than television executives that the hope for every game watched is that the game itself will be elegant and beautiful according to the specific sport. You don't have to be a fan of either team to enjoy a well-played Super Bowl because the art created on the field is universally appreciable so long as you can recognize the specific ways that gridiron football creates that beauty.

In this way we can recognize that narrative isn't a requirement of sports sims because, while individual sports seasons are enhanced by the narratives surrounding them, even in a vacuum these games can produce art in and of themselves. As such, it makes sense that licensing agreements would be made with sports leagues for permission to use their teams' and players' names and likenesses for their game products, as it is easier to make a beautiful game out of professionals at the highest, most difficult settings of their sports than it would be for amateur equivalents.

This is not to say that such considerations are necessarily consciously in mind when players purchase a sports sim. Rather, players enter into the basic contract that these games offer: play me, and you will have fun.

I also suggest that having a ludic sandbox available to them can help players engage with their favorite teams in a low-stakes way, thus offering numerous benefits to them perhaps better described in an essay examining sports fandom specifically.

In any case, ignoring the fundamental artform of each sport enables a quite crass view sports fandom in general. I believe that the very belief that sports are not art engenders the nasty comments you often hear of athletes, especially in the MLB. "These guys get paid to stand around for two and a half hours. And they get paid MILLIONS!" Of course, team owners agree. They also believe that players should be paid much less.

While art can sometimes elicit similar comments ("This Jeff Koons sculpture sold for HOW much? It's just a balloon animal!"), the so-called "legitimate" arts don't. A van Gogh of course deserves its price tag. Jaws of course should have cost millions of dollars to film.

Worth noting, of course, is that Jaws is an adaptation of a novel published a year earlier. Considered by critics at the time to feature simplistic characterizations, its suspense worked, and its marketing campaign made it widely-read. Jaws, the film, made enough improvements to the source text that its quality far outpaced the novel's, and it in turn became the archetypal summer blockbuster. This type of film is now generally regarded as being oversaturated and of low quality--and therefore of vulgar character.

Jaws was distributed to theaters in 1975, 4 years after Pong was put in arcades.

While film had to decay from art to trash, games started as trash and never elevated themselves (all of this, of course, in the critical consideration of the masses). And yet both Jaws and Pong represent the simple beauty of sport and competition--framed in different ways, yes, but with heroic underdogs, the uncertainty of victory, the elegance of struggle, sacrifice and strategy, all of this contributing to an experience of basic human cognitive joy, exultation in a play well-executed, a scene well-shot, a button well-pressed.

It's time to recognize such beauty where it is.

[petoskeystones]

well guys in light of recent events i guess i'll tell you about Champions Day, when detroit was so goddamn good at every single major sport in 1935-36 that governor frank fitzgerald said fuck it let's have a day about it. 89 years ago today—

the tigers won their first world series. genuinely an insane lineup with hank greenberg, charlie gehringer, goose goslin, and mickey cochrane as player-manager. known wifeguy schoolboy rowe pitched a great season but he was also a pretty good hitter! anyways we won the world series in game six over the cubs and detroit celebrated until six am. it was the first baseball championship in detroit since 1887 (when the detroit wolverines won the national league pennant).

the red wings won their first stanley cup under the coaching of my worstie jack adams, but we beat the leafs to do it, so yippee! this season for the wings featured future hall of famers ebbie goodfellow, marty barry, herbie lewis, and syd howe (no relation). notably, this was the season that the longest hockey game Ever was played— in the stanley cup semifinals the wings went to SIX OVERTIMES against the montreal maroons, and won when mud bruneteau scored the only goal of the game. they were scoreless from 8:30 pm to 2:30 am. what the hell. anyways yeah we beat the leafs in the best of five series, 3-1.

and the lions won their first nfl championship. that's what they called it in the 1930s, just the nfl championship. the lions won 26-7 over the new york giants. however people simply did Not care about pro football in the 1930s, college football was much more popular and it was the least attended championship game ever (in national peacetime). the weather was miserable and they all got $300 and that's it. glen presnell, the last surviving player from that game, said "it was a way to make a living during the depression" okay!

the nba didn't exist yet. but other sports did! detroit was a majorhub for boat racing, and gar wood wasat the center of it all with his company, garwood industries, which made wooden pleasure or racing boats. he was the first man to travel at 100mph on water, which he did a few years before champions day, but they celebrated it anyways. joe louis was the athlete of the year and the number-one ranked heavyweight boxer in the world (in june of 1936 he would get knocked out for the first time in his career by max schmeling, reportedly because instead of training he got really into golf. i mean he later was pivotal in desegregating the professional golfers' association, and he knocked out max schmeling in 1938, so really it was all fine). and detroiter eddie tolan had won two gold medals in sprinting at the 1932 olympics, which was considered a huge success for the city (he had his own eddie tolan day that year) and for black americans. of the 307 races he competed in during his career, he won 300.

anyways. in the middle of the great depression detroit got to shine for a minute, and to this day is the only city to win the championship for three of the four major american sports in the same year. happy champions day folks!

[coochiequeens]

The PDGA is not financially or logistically in a position to take the lead in multi-state litigation on this topic,” wrote the organization in their statement. “For the first time in recent memory, the PDGA will end the year with a net operating loss, and it is not in the best interest of our members to continue to allocate resources to further litigation.”

There it is. Instead of using funds to create a third category open to anyone who identifies differently than their bio sex TRAs just wore down an organization to let men bully their way into women's sports.

By Reduxx Team December 23, 2023

The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) has been forced to drop their new regulations on men who want to participate in women’s competitions after being sued by a trans-identified male player. The lawsuit was launched earlier this year by Natalie Ryan, who had been dominating women’s competitions prior to the PDGA attempting to rein in male competitors.

Ryan first filed a suit against the PDGA in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California this past February. In his complaint, he argued that a recently-adopted PDGA policy prohibiting trans-identified males from competing with women if they had undergone a “male puberty” violated his civil rights and California laws against discrimination.

“The policy adopted by the PDGA and [Disc Golf Pro Tour] is arbitrary and capricious and in violation of Plaintiff’s right to be free from discrimination based on her gender,” the suit said, arguing that policies restricting widespread male participation in women’s sport “denied [Ryan] and other transgender women, who in the eyes of California law are women, full and equal access to the accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, and/or services of [PDGA] organizations.”

Yesterday, a settlement between Ryan and PDGA was announced. While the full terms are not available for public consumption, part of the agreement included PDGA dropping the policy which banned males from competing with women unless they had begun transitioning prior to puberty. This change means that all males who had undergone at least two years of hormone therapy are able to compete with women once again.

In a statement, PDGA revealed that a lack of funds was part of the reason why they were unable to fight against Ryan’s litigation onslaught, with Ryan having filed suits against them in two separate states.

“The PDGA is not financially or logistically in a position to take the lead in multi-state litigation on this topic,” wrote the organization in their statement. “For the first time in recent memory, the PDGA will end the year with a net operating loss, and it is not in the best interest of our members to continue to allocate resources to further litigation.”

The rule revision is set to go into effect on January 1, 2024, and will be in place through at least the end of the 2025 season.

Following the settlement agreement, Ryan boasted of his victory on Instagram.

“All trans women will be equals at the elite level again. This is my victory. I had to be ruthless to get them to listen. I’m glad I can put that side of myself away,” he said.

Ryan has already signed up for a 2024 Tour Card and intends to play at most Disc Golf Pro Tour and Major events. 

The now-quashed PDGA policy is widely believed to have been proposed in response to Ryan’s performance in the female category, with the male athlete rapidly rising through the ranks and beating out elite female competitors.

In September of 2022 at the Disc Golf Pro Tour, Ryan easily defeated the world’s number 1 ranked female competitor, Kristin Tattar, taking home $9,000 in prize money. Months prior, at the Great Lakes Open in Milford, Michigan, Ryan walked away with $6,000 for a first-place performance, beating out the world’s current number 2 ranked female player.

Despite having only participated in women’s Disc Golf for a short few years, Ryan is currently ranked amongst the best “female” players in the world. Last year, after topping the Disc Golf Pro Tour, Ryan ranked into the top 5. Despite not participating in some major events this year due to his lawsuit, Ryan still ranks in the top 15.

Last year, two anonymous female disc golf players spoke with Quillette‘s Jon Kay and stated that Ryan’s biological sex was undoubtedly bolstering his success in the sport.

“I would say that one of the biggest advantages of the [male-bodied] players is their ability to scramble in tight situations when a disc goes off the fairway, to just stand there and blast a shot through the woods,” one of the women said. “I’ve seen both [trans player] Chloe [Alice] and Natalie [Ryan] do this. They’re just standing still and throw the kind of [forehand shot] that I’ve never seen a female throw even under perfect conditions.”

The other female player added: “What makes it worse is that Ryan’s form isn’t even that good. If it were, [he’d] be out-throwing us by even more. So while the rest of us spend years refining our form, trying to keep up and get more distance, [he’s] been in the sport only—what?—three years or something.”

Another female disc golf player, Jennifer Castro, revealed that she was aware of female athletes refusing to join tournaments where transgender players were enrolled due to the stark performance advantage.

“I personally know of women who refuse to sign up for events if a transgender is playing, not because we hate them but because we feel we have zero chance, so what is the point of wasting our money on registration fees?”

Speaking to Reduxx, Marshi Smith of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) condemned the PDGA and DGPT for buckling under pressure.

“Rest assured the DGPT has not seen their last courtroom. We will fight back on this. Men like Ryan cannot threaten sports bodies with financial ruin so they capitulate to misogynistic entitled demands tossing women aside,” Smith said.

ICONS had previously thrown their support behind protecting women’s disc golf, and the organization had held an emergency press conference following the initial news of Ryan’s lawsuits last year.

A number of female disc golfers participated in the Save Female Disc Golf campaign, slamming a Minnesota court judge who ordered PDGA to allow Ryan to participate in a tournament he had been barred from.

“Organizations must have a backbone and stand on fairness and integrity for their athletes – women included,” Smith added, revealing that ICONS has now launched a fund with the intention of supporting female athletes who wish to challenge male-inclusive policies in court.

“Men like Ryan have the backing of activist pro bono lawyers but we are building our own war chest for female athletes now. We refuse to surrender the hard-earned achievements of women and are prepared to stand firm.”

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“In Border District’s First Major Pro-Amateur Tourney,” Border Cities Star. June 7, 1932. Page 15. ---- FOUR of the principals in the Little River Cup event, first major pro-amateur competition on the 1932 program of the Southern Ontario P G. A , are shown here. Left to right: Jack Prince, Essex; Tommy Ridley and Rob Whittle, Roseland, who won the trophy; and Bill Wyatt, youthful Little River Club star.

[moneeb0930]

Althea Gibson was a black professional tennis player and professional golfer. She was also first Black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis and In 1956 she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title (the French Championships). The following year she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor of the U.S. Open), then won both again in 1958, and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. In all she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments, including six doubles titles, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

In the early 1960s she also became the 1st Black player to compete on the women's professional golf tour. #InternationalWomensDay

[sinsofthefather-kulemi]

MEET: EDNA NAMIKAWA

◈Age: 54

◈Job: Before the time of her hospitalization, this retired nurse was a housewife.

◈Relationship Status: Second and immensely treasured wife of Hiroshi Namikawa. It's been 25 years and she still can't place what she did to deserve such love and affection but she appreciates it anyway. Then, return it 10 fold.

◈Family: Aside from her husband and daughter, Edna has no family living in Japan. Most of her family lives in the states. Before she got sick, Hiro made sure to fly her and Arika out a couple times a year to see her family for as long as she could remember. She almost forgot what being homesick was even like. For what she lacks in Japan, she makes up for it back home. She's the 5th youngest of 21 children- So, to say that she comes from a big family is a bit of an understatement. It may have contributed greatly to why she wasn't initially thrilled when she found out that she was pregnant with Arika all those years ago. It wasn't the sole reason (of course) but remembering her childhood made her petrified of motherhood. She's happy with her decision now though. She wouldn't trade her daughter for anything in the world.

◈Friends: Being the wife of a man like Hiroshi Namikawa comes with a lot of social pressure but Edna navigates it so elegantly that people naturally gravitate toward her with little effort from her end. She's made friends with the wives of Hiroshi's associates. Ironically, she knows that he truly can't stand but she's nothing if not graceful. So, they would never know it. Oh, of course! Hiro would love for the four of us to go to your husband's favorite golf resort. I'll be sure to run it by him but you know that man's schedule. He can never seem to give himself time to unwind! I just give him an earful about it... *playful sigh* But, men. What can we do? Hehe.

◈Hobbies: She's the reason Arika took up sewing to begin with. In fact, she taught her a lot of what she knows. She likes to make new things, she likes to fix old things and she likes mixing the old with the new and seeing what comes out of it. A lot of the cast can point to at least one, minimum, article of clothing that Edna has made for them at some point in time. It's not professional by any means but it's pretty good for someone self-taught. She likes to crochet as well. She's recently, taken up quilting but she only intends to make the one and leave it alone. Edna also has a knack for baking which makes her someone that people can call when they're struggling with homemade desserts. Also, (and this will come up alot) but she thoroughly enjoys singing, too. As a housewife, Edna found it was best to keep herself busy with little hobbies as much as possible.

◈Favorite food: There's no way around it: Red velvet cake. It's not food. It's dessert but still it's the best thing since sliced bread in her eyes. She's got a recipe for red velvet cake that can knock the Lord's socks off- her words, which is saying a lot because she tries to avoid blasphemy (funny). The real secret is in her cream cheese frosting but she'll never tell. Not even Hiro knows and he knows everything.

◈Favorite Item: For her 50th birthday, Hiroshi, Arika and Kenjiro all chipped in to get her this top of the line sewing machine and cabinet that she'd been eyeing for some time. She could have bought it any time but she hated spending large amounts of money on herself. And a person spending large amounts of money on her made her uncomfortable, which was why Hiroshi wasn't allowed to buy it for her. They all rationalized that if they portioned off the price, it wouldn't be as bad and she couldn't say no to all of them. She loved it so much that she cried. She made sure to make use of it as often as she could so that their money didn't go to waste. When she was sad that she had to leave it behind when she was transferred to the Okinawa facility, Hiroshi somehow made sure that thing was in her room before she even touched the ground that morning.

Want to learn a little more about the others?

→ Goro → Hiroshi → Arika → Kenjiro

[alleannaharris]

Today's Black History Month illustration is of Althea Gibson. She became the first Black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis and golf. (She has a TON of records, so here it goes!)

Gibson was born in 1927 on a cotton farm in South Carolina, but her family moved to Harlem in 1930. While growing up in NYC, she played paddle tennis under the supervision of the New York Police Athletic League. She became so good at paddle tennis that by the age of twelve, she won the NYC women’s paddle tennis championship.

In 1940, a group of Gibson’s neighbors put money together to pay for her junior membership at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club in Harlem. A year later, she won her first tournament, the American Tennis Association’s NY State Championship, founded by Black tennis players. She won the ATA national championship in 1944 & 1945. In 1947, she won the ATA’s women’s singles championship, which she continued to win for 10 consecutive years.

Her success drew the attention of Dr. Walter Johnson, a Black physician from Virginia who was also an avid tennis player. He mentored her and helped her enter into competitions with the US Tennis Association (USTA). In 1949, she became the first Black woman and second Black athlete to play in the USTA’s National Indoor Championship. After that, she received a full athletic scholarship at Florida A&M.

In 1950, Gibson became the first Black to compete in the US Open at Forest Hills in Queens, NY. In 1956, she became the first African American to win the French Open. In 1957, she won Wimbledon, and received the trophy personally from Queen Elizabeth. She won the doubles championship as well and when she returned to NYC, she became the second athlete (after Jesse Owens) to receive a ticker tape parade.

In late 1958, after winning 56 national and international singles and doubles titles including 11 Grand Slam championships, she retired from amateur tennis at the age of 31. In 1964, at the age of 37, she became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. Her best tournament finish was a tie for second place at the 1970 Buick Open.

Overall, Althea Gibson is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players in history and paved the way for players like Venus and Serena Williams.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another illustration and story!

[fangirlfindings]

I Dream of Rukia was so much fun and so nostalgic for me - I remember watching reruns of I Dream of Jeannie when I was a kid, late at night.

So I'd love the Director's Cut of that fic 👀

Ahh thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it- I also grew up watching I Dream of Jeannie, so it was a great nostalgia trip to revisit it while thinking of how to adapt it to IchiRuki.

There’s not a whole lot that was ‘cut’ from the fic (I had more ideas for prequel or sequel hijinks) but there were a few things I had in my notes that didn’t quite fit in the fic itself. 

My favorite part is a blink-and-you miss it reference to Rukia dressing as a nun as one of her disguises at Ichigo’s office. It went something like this:

A short figure draped in black and white swept down the office hall. Mayuri watched her pass, continued on his way towards a corner, and then stopped. He called out and rushed in front of her. “Wait! Who are you? What are you doing here?!” The woman under the habit- of a style not seen for a hundred years- gave him an overly sweet, reassuring smile, with enough acting confidence to make Julia Roberts jealous. Then, in an airy tone, reassured him there was no reason to worry, she knew where to go in the building, and that she was helping with an exorcism.  Before Mayuri could respond, she glided out of sight. He rushed to tell Mr. Yamamoto. But as soon as the words escaped his lips, and his boss stared at him incredulously, Mayuri had the overwhelming urge to go lie down. 

Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to mention Hanatarou! He’s a genie friend of Rukia’s, although with a different skill level:

Hanatarou was a genie in the way that the Professional Golf Association included mini-golf. All the tools were technically there, but while one was a respected sport, the other mainly consisted of crying children and empty wallets. Hanatarou never meant to cause harm. He simply had trouble with his powers from time to time. 

Then there’s the ‘Viking friend’ Rukia gave Ichigo one day:

She had met a Viking, once. He was retired for some twenty-three years, having plundered until his heart was no longer in it. It was always a shame when one’s hobbies weren’t enjoyable anymore. The consequence of years gone past, and of growing old. The speeding of time that not even a genie could stop. Not usually, anyway. Although Rukia had never tried.  But Rukia was certain he would be lively company to Ichigo during his dreary, lonely workday.

Finally, when Rukia was looking to spruce up Ichigo’s house, I cut one idea in particular:

Rukia blinked, and a rather bland framed portrait of a countryside was replaced with an oil portrait of a woman. It was an unremarkable painting in every regard, except for the fact that it was the Mona Lisa.  “How’s this any better?” Ichigo squinted at the picture. “You can get cheap prints like this anywhere.” Rukia snorted. “You insult me. You believe I would get a mere copy? I have higher standards than that.” He let out a strangled sound and jerked away from the portrait. “Y-You can’t do that! It’s- won’t someone notice?!” “It is alright,” she said with a pleased smirk. “It is taken care of.” - Continents away, within the halls of the Louvre, a gaggle of tourists crowded around a wall. It was completely blank except for a small note. It read: ‘Will return after dinner’. A poorly drawn rabbit waved from the corner.  - Later in the evening, Yamamoto’s wife peered at the painting closely with a keen eye. “I’ve seen my fair share of art. We collect them, you know.” She squinted. “Not a bad imitation… I’ve seen better, though.” -

Finally, by the time the evening was done, news had spread about the ‘Bunny Bandit’ who stole the Mona Lisa. News Specials were aired. Internet theories began to form. Tourists asked for refunds. Then, the painting appeared back in its rightful place. It was blamed on Banksy. The story slipped quietly into the depths of the internet; with Ichigo and Rukia none the wiser. 

Anyways, I know this isn’t a full ‘Director’s Cut’, but I hope these extra tidbits were enjoyable nonetheless! Thank you for asking! <3

[new-berry]

Wait! Why would Trent be loathed by the younger players?

Okay! So there is some convoluted headcannon! (Not that convoluted. You will not need red string.)

In the last Euro’s Jude was part of the leadership group. He was there to help “bridge the gap between the older and younger players.”

He also made an advert for Predators that made it seem like he was (to borrow a phrase from someone who likely don’t want to be associated with my madness) the antidote to the virus that was Frank Lampard.

And Jude was clearly who the team was built around, and he was front and centre for all the press and he was always the “big” interview that you lead up to. Everyone else got to play golf or do silly competitions and draw pictures but Jude was always the end game. And Trent was often the one beside him.

I will always give Gareth Southgate credit for the harmony and the lack of tribalism he allowed in the team. He was lucky to be a time of professionalism and players brought up through academies and sports psychology as well. However he laid foundations that were important.

So the leadership group is the older dudes Harry Kane - crucially he was clearly injured and not his best.

Walker - not beloved and facing a moral crisis. Stones was injured.

There are the kids, Mainoo, Wharton, Palmer,Gordon. And the kind of hollowed out middle. Rice who has the massive and stated ambition to be England captain. Bowen etc.

Right. No one gets to the England team without having a healthy view of their own abilities. And leadership potential. And right to be a star. Except… Jude Bellingham. Tall broad shouldered champions league, face of advertising, and he’s there to help the “youth” integrate.

One way I would describe that as your parents saying they wished you were more like your cousin Jeff - he’s in finance. You know Jeff is a tool.

Couple this with the team winning but not in a beloved way. Even their last minute winners were kind of dull and then up pops Jude. Saying “who else” and the benched players might have been saying “any one of us and in regulation time if we got to play.” Like Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney? Them.

Personal banana thoughts? Southgate picked his tactics well before the tourney started so didn’t take Grealish or Rashford because there would be more pressure to play them. He already had to show horn Phil Foden in on the left.

Anyway. Harry Kane is on the decline, his authority is being questioned along with with his obvious unstated injury. The old guys stones picks Walker are all mocking trippier. Saka and rice and Bowen are trying to play peacemakers. The families are frustrated by the long camp and the travel package.

Phil Foden feels you can build a team around HIM without Jude constantly getting in his channels.

And hey why aren’t you more like Jude? He’s learning Spanish? Why aren’t you more like Jude? We’re building a team around him. Isn’t Jude great/funny/beloved/ he did a cool celebration. With Trent.

Who is genuinely liked by most. Except. He’s Jude’s constant sideman and shadow. And he can tease Jude. But mr Real Madrid can get picky if others do. He pretends he doesn’t mind a joke. But he pretends badly.

There are some missteps with the clique who played in the under 21’s and he is a bit “thanks for your service” to the players that will be bench warmers. Dunk is heard to say he wishes he had a daughter so he could forbid her from dating Jude.

Eze thinks he is the most uncool person he has ever met. Wharton doesn’t get the buzz. Gordon knows he isn’t playing because Jude and Phil drift left.

But in all of this of course they are still all reacting to Jude. Even when he is being loathed he is STILL the centre of the discourse. Trent is always beside him. But he’s a bit unaware of the currents. Henderson’s not there to talk him through his emotions. Virgil’s off with his own side.

Declan is trying to edge Harry Kane out and has one when the next manger will be. Jude gives a speech in the dressing room. Palmer makes fun of it like it’s the lord of the rings. Jude has a playlist. Maino and (surprisingly Saka) rip it to shreds.

I’m sorry this got to long. TLdr bubbling resentment because the old guard is crumbling away and everyone else is sick of Jude Jude Jude. And Trent as an extension of him? Don’t involve Trent he will tattle to the teachers pet.