NCAA President Mark Emmert this morning said that the organization "is 'very pleased' with revisions to Indiana's religious objections law," according to Ralph Russo of the AP. Indiana lawmakers "unveiled an amended bill earlier in the morning," though it still needs "approval from the Legislature and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence" (AP, 4/2). FOXSPORTS.com's Stewart Mandel writes Emmert, who was "one of the very first prominent public figures to speak out" against the new law, "should be lauded this week for the role he's played in helping right a much farther-reaching wrong than anything under his own purview." Emmert "seized the opportunity not only to take a strong stance on behalf of his membership in its commitment to inclusiveness, but in fact helped shape the larger national conversation that's followed." Given the bill's "timing and its location," both of which coincide with this weekend's Final Four, Emmert "found himself speaking from an undeniably powerful pulpit." The nation is "transfixed right now by March Madness, thus shining more attention on the NCAA than if the bill had been passed in, say, June." Moreover, were the Final Four "being played in San Antonio this year, maybe the issue wouldn't carry the same urgency there." Several notable college sports figures, including USC AD Pat Haden and UConn men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie, are skipping this weekend's events in protest of the law. While it is possible they "would have taken the same action regardless of Emmert's comments, it seems an unlikely coincidence that so many in the college athletics sphere have taken such bold public stances over an issue in someone else's backyard." Frankly, it is "more decisiveness than the NCAA typically exhibits in response to its own issues" (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/2).
NOT STAYING SILENT: USA TODAY's Brady & Myerberg examine the role sports has played in the reaction to the law and note Indiana Sports Corp. President Ryan Vaughn said that his organization would "have a say" in the revised bill. Vaughn: "We don't typically engage in public policy or legislative matters. We're primarily focused on the execution of premier sports events. But since this so directly impacts our ability to do that and because it is not representative of what our partners believe -- their value systems -- it was important for us to get heavily involved." Outsports.com co-Founder Cyd Zeigler said, "When you have so many sports entities speaking out, I think the weight of that becomes overwhelming. I'm not surprised these organizations and companies are coming to the help of LGBT people, but I am surprised how strongly some of them are doing so." Visit Indy VP/Marketing & Communications Chris Gahl said that it is "unusual for the group to take a position on a political issue but that this one directly affects tourism." Brady & Myerberg note much of Indianapolis' tourism "revolves around hosting sports events, such as the Super Bowl, Big Ten championships, this summer's USA Gymnastics Championships -- and Final Fours." Gahl: "We are a city built on sports tourism. We have hosted 500 national and international sports events here in the last 30 years." Meanwhile, Zeigler said that he thinks the reaction to the law "was amplified by the governor signing the bill so soon before the Final Four." Zeigler: "The timing of this is what catapulted the sports world into the center of it. The country is descending on Indianapolis for these basketball games, in a state where basketball is essentially a religion" (USA TODAY, 4/2).
TIME FOR A CHANGE? In N.Y., Dick Weiss writes it is "time for the NFL, NBA and the WNBA, which all have franchises in Indiana, to raise their voices in unison, condemning this legislation, which needs to be repealed immediately." Sports officials planned an “Indy Welcomes All” campaign before the Final Four, but Pence's "stand on the law will make it hard to hide this attempt at discrimination even if Pence finds a way to amend this legislation before the weekend" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/2). In Akron, George Thomas writes the Final Four "needs to be about play on the court." Thomas: "But the future of other sporting events in Indiana? That is another story" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 4/2). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes many would "prefer that sports and politics never mix, but sports clearly can play a major role in social change." Jones: "Not only does sports have the right to get involved in political topics, I would argue it has an obligation. ... If a few words from an athlete can make a difference or at least make us think, where is the harm in that?" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/2).
