GUEST COLUMNIST: Being fair to Penn athletes in print

While both the volleyball team and the women's soccer team have lost a combined total of nine Ivy matches in the last three weeks, these losses do not give the DP the right to disparage the hard work and talent of these athletes. For example, in the first paragraph about the volleyball team on Oct. 12, the author writes that "there are few explanations for the Penn volleyball team's average and sometimes lethargic performance.? Maybe it was that Brown's uniforms were completely black and the Quakers were just playing around and waiting for a team wearing brown shirts to show up." The writer's inappropriate and completely irrelevant remarks seem to be questioning the intelligence of our volleyball players. In the women's soccer article, a picture with a caption that reads, "A missed clearance out of the back by Penn defender Jackie Flood resulted in an own goal against Penn in the 66th minute of the Quakers' 3-0 loss to Dartmouth" exhibits not only the most disappointing aspect of the Dartmouth match, but also appears to be showing the exact moment when the "own goal" occurred. Yet this of course is impossible since the photograph shown was taken a few weeks ago, at a home game. The blatant photo choice is clearly mocking the player and the team as a whole. In the last paragraph of the women's soccer article, the writer also states, "The zero also symbolizes the probability of the Quakers climbing into the Ivy title race or gaining an NCAA berth." These comments, while unnecessary and inappropriate for a supposedly unbiased sports article, convey to the soccer team and the entire Penn community that their season is over, no matter what happens. The most infuriating of these recent articles was the column by Callahan. Upon learning that he had to write an article about women's soccer, a team he knew little about, Callahan arranged a brief meeting with coach Patrick Baker. With limited knowledge about the women's team, he proceeded to write an article stating that the team's record of 6-1-1 was not impressive because they hadn't played anyone of significance. He also stated that even though the score was 2-1 against Harvard and Penn had a number of chances to win, that Harvard completely dominated them. He concluded by saying that the arrogant women's team needed to put their "feet" where their mouths were. Callahan's remarks suggested that the women's soccer team was a joke and had little of which to be proud in regards to their season. It appears that our DP sports writers enjoy being negative and unsupportive with regard to our athletic teams. Why did a writer fail to mention in his article that the volleyball team's loss may have been a result of a team still getting used to a new coach and a new system of play? It is the DP's responsibility to report the facts of each game, not to write opinionated articles which demean and belittle players. DP writers should not use the sports section to instigate a controversy, or prove their literary whit. It is fair to state that a team did not execute well or had mental lapses, but to question their intelligence is another matter. It is fair to say that a team's loss will hurt their chances for an Ivy title, but to say that a tournament bid is unattainable for a team with a record of 7-2-1 and a ranking of sixth in their region is ridiculous. And although Callahan's article was a column, based on opinion, he should take a bit more time to learn about the subject he is going to form an opinion on. So DP sports writers, try to treat us athletes with a little respect, especially since it is our efforts day in and day out that give you this little resume-builder you call a job.