Dr. Lynn Lashbrook

I have to say, it seems by nearly every measure our SMWW conference at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles was a success. More significantly, there were 10 hockey draft hopefuls from the State of California, which is a huge barometer for the potential growth of the sport of hockey in all parts of the world.

The challenge for hockey is the cost of equipment and the price of ice time. Growing the sport comes with dollar signs attached to it at the amateur level. But that being said there are so many passionate people in hockey who want to see the sport grow, it seems to have a real chance, especially after NHL appears to be finally climbing out from the effects of the 2004-05 work stoppage.

The success of the growth of soccer in the United States should serve as an inspiration to those in hockey. As a side note, one panelist at our SMWW conference reminded us how global warming has melted some ice on ponds in Canada and more and more kids are choosing soccer because of the low cost to entry and the availability of fields. What does this all mean for SMWW? We love all sports all over the world and we are well equipped to provide the leadership for globalization of sports!

Nike has put the Sole of the shoe around the world and SMWW is providing the Soul!

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Don’t laugh. Really. I get why soccer can’t introduce instant replay. I get that even the best referees and umpires in the world of sport will miss calls on occasion. But when it comes to soccer (or futbol to be technically correct) why can’t officials introduce a review of game film to determine if a player displayed a flagrant form of diving/flopping/kissing the ground?

In the NFL they review film the day after and determine if any fines should be handed down on violent hits, umpires in MLB, and referees in the NBA review film, as well. I feel diving (the “flop”) is getting worse in soccer. FIFA should consider issuing a Blue Card for flagrant and obvious dive. In issuing the Blur Card it would allow for penalty of a Red Card or at least a half of the next match. Like I said, don’t laugh! A little technology can go a long way to protect the integrity of the game. At this point, diving will continue to be an unwanted part of the game. Add in the penalty for the action, and I can assure you that flopping will become nil,

I love the game; I hate the flopping.

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I’ve got the FIFA World Cup fever, and you should too. For a guy who grew up with baseball and did not want his son play soccer I must admit I am hooked on the most popular sport worldwide. Yes, like baseball I want to see instant replay in the sport, but more importantly, I wish MLB would allow players to shake hands with the opposing team after the game. How come kids always line-up and say, “Good game” in Little League, but in the big leagues, the players act like Little Leaguers?

As for exchanging jerseys with opponents, such as they do in futbol, that might be a serious problem for many baseball players, particularly on HDTV (thank goodness David Wells has retired)!  After all, ratings are important in any sport and every sport should strive for the same level of popularity of soccer around the world without giving their shirt off their back.

If you’re not watching the World Cup, you’re missing something special. Soccer has some of the best athletes in the world. Why the U.S. doesn’t see this is a mystery to me.

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Recently I wrote a blog post about How the NCAA needs to get in line with online education (see NCAA Needs To Get In Line For Online If They Want To Improve Graduation Rates of Student Athletes).

Since writing that article I have attended two conventions, one being the North American Society of Sport Management (nassm.org). And while I share with my colleagues the SMWW Curriculum online, I found most traditional professors, in general, were not enthusiastic about the evolution of online education.  Since I have been a professor for over 40 years I definitely related to their anxiety, but only to a point.

The following week, I attended the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (nfoura.org) convention. I have a close relationship with the organization as I served as its President in 1985.  During the convention the hot topic was the discussion around Conference realignment in colligate sports. Most of my colleagues were concerned about the student- athlete and those schools in the Midwest who would be relegated to a lesser status.  But when I suggested the potential of online education as a solution to any potential  expanded conference travel, and the pressures to improve the status academic progress record (APR) by the NCAA or lose scholarship, there was a tremendous reception to the topic.

Since I have worn both hats (academic advisor and professor) it was refreshing to see academic advisors so dedicated to solutions where big time sports does not mean low graduation rates.  I admit online education is not the be-all-end-all for improved graduation rates, but I will tell you the further the student travels the more important the access to information online via the computer. It is, and no pun intended, “virtually” a no brainer!

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Major League Baseball has a long and illustrious history. Fans can tell you stats dating back over a hundred years. Yes, baseball is steeped in history.

When I grew up as a kid in Kansas City I attended many an Athletics game before they relocated to Oakland. Taking in the games from Municipal Stadium I remember so many controversial calls before when the word “instant replay” meant going to a game after a rain out!

The recent blown call by umpire Jim Joyce that derailed Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga marks the need for change.

All these years later, I think instant replay would be great for the business of baseball. The technology is already in place through MLB Advanced Media, is being used for “boundary plays” – whether a ball is a home run, or not – and it would provide more commercial breaks as compared to watching a manager do the typical 5 minute tirade that hasn’t shown much originality since the George Brett Pine Tar Incident! B

Being the only league in the entire world that forbids opponents to do a post-game handshake, I believe it will be hard to change without new leadership. Bud Selig won’t be commissioner forever, and MLB is in need a progressive thinking.

My credentials on this matter? I’m not only an educator, but a fan! I caught 13 foul balls as a kid and I named my son Brett after George Brett. Come on MLB, “Play Ball!”

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In two weeks I will be attending the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) Conference to visit with my colleagues about our SMWW online courses for college credit. As a past president of the N4A in 1985, I have a close and vested relationship with the organization.

Thirty years ago when I was the Academic Advisor at the University of Missouri, I was known by my peers as an advocate of mandatory class attendance for student athletes. I called it, “Never Miss! Never Fail!”

Thirty years later my philosophy has changed completely with the advent and availability of the Internet. Online college credit courses are a solution to the demands of being a student athlete. It took one student athlete at Northeastern University to initiate how online can better serve a university and athletic department (see Northeastern uses technology to address missed classes for athletes). As the story highlights, the athletics department at Northeastern teamed with the university’s deans and professors to offer lecture capture technology, which allows student-athletes to watch lectures they miss.

This direction is a win-win; a powerful seismic shift to strengthen the student athlete concept and produce future graduation rates never recorded in college athletics across the board.

Before one starts ripping this idea because of some potential pitfalls with online education, after being a college professor for over 40 years I see firsthand that the acceptance of online education has come slowly to traditional campuses. I understand the skepticism. When I started SMWW ten years ago I faced the same challenges, but as technology allows the classroom to go wherever the student is, no matter the time of day, I now hope to be known by my peers as “Never Miss With Online!”

The bottom line for educators should be granting tools to all those that wish to be educated. As time marches on, it seems clear that online education is here to stay, and it can co-exist, augment, and enhance brick and mortar college institutions.

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