In the run-up to the Paris Olympics, the media was saturated with contentious arguments about Caitlin Clark’s omission from the U.S. women’s basketball team. The debate devolved into a pointless back-and-forth, exploited for cultural warfare.

The debate centered on the paradox of Clark being both highly qualified and overlooked. While arguments were rooted in both basketball performance and external factors, the discussion spiraled into a full-blown media frenzy. That saw the likes of Stephen A. Smith, Colin Cowherd, and Tony Kornheiser vehemently criticize Team USA for passing on such a significant marketing opportunity, let alone talent.

As other sports media figures suggested, NBC could have capitalized on Clark’s popularity by hiring her as an analyst if ratings/marketing were a primary concern. However, other considerations likely influenced the decision, and it might have proved challenging to justify overlooking established WNBA players who have already cut their teeth in professional basketball and with Team USA.

In any event, the discourse ultimately reached its plateau, as Clark’s going to Paris wasn’t in the cards. But that discourse has come back to life, thanks in part to NBC’s Mike Tirico, who asked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, a member of the USWNT selection committee, about her read on Clark being left off the team.

“As a committee member, you’re charged with putting together the best team of players — the best talent,” she said.
“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA; she wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.

“Shooting the ball extremely well; I mean, she is an elite passer. She’s just got a great basketball IQ. And she’s a little more seasoned in the pro game in a couple of months than she was two months ago.”

Dawn Staley, a member of the USWNT selection committee, asked about Caitlin Clark.

“If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.” pic.twitter.com/hMYqTsPWzc

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) July 28, 2024

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It shouldn’t be surprising that Staley handled this situation with grace and offered insightful perspective on Clark’s significant growth since the initial snub. Whether her development is directly linked to the Olympic omission is irrelevant, but Staley’s acknowledgment highlights why she has such a high standing in women’s basketball.

[Scott Agness]

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The 27-year-old Cleveland man charged for allegedly causing a deadly car accident this month will face a judge Saturday morning.

Gerrod White is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault.

At his arraignment Saturday morning in Cleveland Municipal Court, White’s bond was set at $250,000.

White was also arraigned for a domestic charge, and his bond was set at $50,000.

“He has an extensive history of violence… He not only punched his girlfriend in that incident, he stomped her as well. In regards to the aggravated vehicular homicide and assault, he indicated to officers that he wasn’t going to jail because he ‘always gets off’ and he repeated that multiple times after striking the vehicle head-on resulting in the death of the passenger where she was engulfed in flames and died in the vehicle and the driver was ejected,” the prosecutor said as White shook his head in court on video.

White can also be seen wearing a neck brace while on the video call.

White will be back in court on Aug. 6.

Cleveland police said White was speeding eastbound on St. Clair Avenue when he ran a red light at East 110th Street around 5:30 a.m. on July 21.

White’s vehicle crashed into a Ford Explorer, which was traveling on East 110th Street and had the green light.

The impact caused the Explorer to roll over and catch fire.

The driver, Krystal Mathis-Aaron, was ejected and seriously injured, according to the police report.

Mathis-Aaron’s front-seat passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified as Lakeitha Simmons, 50.

Minutes before the deadly crash, White also allegedly passed an ambulance that had its lights and sirens activated.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The newly renovated Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland celebrated its grand opening and expansion on Friday after an 18-month, $49 million project.

The revamped space boasts massive, sun-drenched ballrooms, flexible meeting rooms, and a rooftop terrace with stunning city views.

But the question remains: Can this revitalized venue compete with larger convention centers in cities like Las Vegas and Chicago?

The former Global Center for Health Innovation, once considered a “ghost town,” has been transformed into a modern event space.

A spokesperson for the convention center said the failed Medical Mart project provided an opportunity to “reimagine that space as part of the convention center.”

The county hired a third-party company to assess the best use of the space, ultimately deciding that bigger, more flexible convention space was the key to attracting major events and boosting the local economy.

Mayor Justin Bibb hailed the renovation as “an amazing example of Cleveland’s economic comeback.” The center has already booked 62 future events, showing promising signs of success.

However, Cleveland faces stiff competition. Las Vegas boasts 3 million square feet of exhibit space and hosts over 20,000 conventions annually.

Chicago’s McCormick Place has 2.6 million square feet, and even San Antonio’s convention center offers over half a million square feet.

While the Huntington Convention Center has seen a slight increase in conferences this year, hosting 59 compared to 55 during the same period last year, it remains to be seen whether this makeover is enough to secure Cleveland’s position as a prime convention destination.

19 News will continue to follow this story and assess the impact of this major investment on Cleveland’s economy.

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