Ageism

When is 35 Old?

December 14, 2008—Think since you're only say, in your mid-30's, that you don't need to worry about ageism? Not so, if you happen to be a professional athlete. A couple of months ago, New York Yankees' manager Brian Cashman glibly announced: "For a long time we've been old and everybody knows it."

Cashman effectively put fans on notice that he was going to make his team younger, regardless of the pain it might cause some fans. However, in recent weeks, Cashman has seemed to change his tune, acquiring a 32-year-old and attempting to trade a 24-year old for a 35-year old.

It appears that Cashman, for whatever reasons, is returning to the belief that talent is talent. Says Daily News reporter Filip Bondy: "He has dropped the ageism, stopped counting the rings on the trunks of his athletes."

We last ran across ageism in the professional atheletic arena when Dana Torres, at the age of 41, was competing for a spot of the U.S. Olympic swim team. Not only did Torres make the team, but she went on to win an individual silver medal iin the 50-meter freestyle.

Which just goes to show: when we place arbitrary age limits on our professional athletes, we're only cheating ourselves. Age is just a number, while performance and the experience which comes with being a seasoned pro, are the best measures of what makes for potential greatness in matters athletic.

But that's just our opinion. We'd love to hear what you think! Click in the "Speak Your Mind" box to start or join the conversation.

Keywords: ageism

Comments (0)

Email Story

Print Story

RSS Feed