Where have all the Gentlemen gone?

Recently, I read an article on Patrick Patterson, a star basketball player at the University of Kentucky. Of the sports/star-athlete related articles I often read, I don't hear enough about this type of young man.



The article opens with the re-telling of a scene in Rupp Arena, where the University of Kentucky Wildcats play, the arena is empty except for Patterson and a handful of fans. He has stayed behind to sign autographs and take photos. As the arena is closing for the night, Patterson and his fans are told it is time to leave. Seeing disappointment in a young female fans face, Patterson went back to give her the autograph and picture she patiently had waited for.

Another example of Patterson's attributes was the story of helping a mother whose daughter was attending the U of K girls basketball camp. He followed the lady, a total stranger, home to make sure she made it safe. Then, Patterson spoke to the father and son, who happened to be big Wildcat fans. I don't know many people, famous or not, who would go out of their way to help a total stranger.

The biggest and most heart-felt example of the type of man Patrick Patterson is began with a message to his personal Facebook page. The request came from Heather Durham, a 14 year old Wildcat fan with cystic fibrosis. Not expecting anything to come of the message, she was ecstatic when she received a response. Over the next two months she and Patterson held conversations. As great as this is, the story gets even better.

Not long ago Patterson, with the help of a nurse from the hospital, made surprise visit to see Heather. This was not a publicity appearance for Patterson or the university. No one knew he was doing this. Patterson spent time with Heather, talking with her as if they had been long time friends. The two talked about everything from basketball to boys Heather liked.

I'm sure this happens often, these little acts of kindness on behalf of athletes, but not often enough and there is little mention. There are far too many news reports or articles written giving attention to the athletes who are selfish and do little to help of brighten someone else's lives.

Not only is Patrick Patterson a stand up guy, but he is a top basketball player who could have entered the NBA draft last season as a likely top-20 pick but chose to remain in college and earn his degree. He will graduate in only 3 years (personally I haven't heard of many men's basketball players doing this outside of players from Duke). He chose his education over the millions that will still be waiting for him in this years NBA draft.

Patterson is a different bred of star-athlete; he isn't alone but definitely is part of a small class of athletes who give their time selflessly, without personal promotion. He doesn't do these things to get recognition, though he deserves it, he does them because they are the right things to do. He does them because he is in a position to make a difference, to lead by example, to give back to the society that places him on a pedestal. He looks at life as not about getting what he thinks or as been told he deserves, which no doubt he will get, but as a chance to be kind and courteous to others.

Not just in the world of sports but in society young Black men often feel they are owed something and it is quite refreshing to see a talented young man giving back and receiving an education. I have become a fan of Patterson, not just because he is from my home state of West Virginia, but for his selfless nature.

Genetically Speaking...

Remember when we were little; playing games with our friends and on the rare occasion one of our friends happened to beat us (I say rare because we never were suppose to lose, right?)? What usually happened? We accused them of cheating….not playing fair and went home to cry, taking whatever toy we had brought with us.

Well imagine you are an 18-year old, South African female runner who just destroyed your competition by 2.45 seconds in the 800 meter race at the World Championships in Berlin. You have more masculine features…washboard abs any man would be jealous of, chiseled arms, masculine facial features, and a deep voice….but you are female. You have been female your whole 18 years, you just like playing with boys and hate wearing dresses so you wore pants to school. Everyone always thought you were a little boy instead of the little girl you were, even the principal of the school you attended your whole educational life. Because of all this, you have to undergo embarrassing gender testing to prove who and what you are. AND have the whole world know about it.

Gender testing for female athletes was normal prior to the 2000 Olympics. Mainly because European female athletes had manly features and competed at a higher rate than the women they were competing against. The issue there was using testosterone to become better athletes, not genetics. Also, the testing was necessary because the world could not believe females could compete at such high levels, so testing was used to confirm gender.

Welcome to the world of Caster Semenya…and many other female athletes that don’t fit the mold of what a female is suppose to look and act like…



She has always been faster, faster than the other little girls and even faster than the boys. Talent is responsible for some of this, along with hard work, and genetics. Sure she has higher testosterone levels than the average female, but so does any female athlete. Most female athletes have more masculine features or traits than the average female; it is part of being good at athletics that require more strength, endurance, hand eye coordination and so on. Sadly, those are all masculine traits. I have known quite a few female athletes that had more athletic bodies than even some males I knew.


Caster Semenya on the medal stand next to competitor

There are so many genetic anomalies that exist that could have caused her masculine features, just as some are genetically enable more feminine features in males. Do we question a males gender because they can decorate, or cook, or write poetry well? We question his sexuality. So what’s the difference?

Semenya was recently found to possess testes that never dropped as well as a vagina that is basically an empty pocket. In other words she is a intersexed. She was unaware of this, although I am sure she and her family knew there was some unique about her. Because of the testes she produces more testosterone than the average woman. This does give her an unfair advantage, almost like physically taking performance enhancing drugs to produce extra testosterone.


Caster Semenya and a new look

Due to the many variations of the female genetic make up, it is nearly impossible to disqualify a female because she genetically is not a typical female. But what happens to Semenya? I assume, she will no longer be permitted to compete against females but also cannot compete against males.

Does this outcome mean female athletes who excel will again be forced to undergo embarrassing gender testing to prove who and what they are? Since most female athletes are accused of being something other than what they are in the first place, it only makes sense.

Genetics, extra male hormones, medical mistake at birth…none of these are her fault or any female who just so happens to be better than her competitors and many males. Many children are born each year without a clear gender, should they be punished for that?

Why Do This...

Even though my playing days are long over, loooong over, I am an athlete. That was always the easy part, if you can count training, playing through pain, and dealing with loud mouth coaches as easy... Trying to make sense of what happens between the lines, as well as those that happen just outside of the world of sports, including the behavior of athletes, coaches, and the all-knowing governing organizations in control...now that's the hard part.

Following my natural curiosity to analyze almost any and everything and using my background in Sociology; I try to analyze, understand, and develop solutions to the many situations that athletes find themselves in, whether intentional or unintentional. Whether it is the role of coach, psychologist, sociologist, mentor, or mediator I try to be them all in understanding the how's, why's, and what for's.

Everyone has an opinion from local barbershops, to country clubs, to spas as to what the athlete did wrong, why they did it, who is at fault, and how to fix the situation...mostly misguided blame and solutions, if you ask me.

Race, gender, class, geographic region, educational institutions (yes, athletes receive an education...well sometimes.) and so much more play a huge role in how well prepared athletes will be for situations that are faced on the field of play and off. Athletes knowing how to handle themselves, their money, and their personal lives can often keep them on the Sports Page and off the Front Page. My goal is to dig deep into some of the pressing issues athletes are facing today, see why situations arise, how to solve them, and how to keep them from happening again.