The Board of Education Monday night backed Superintendent of Schools Michael Testani’s decision to cancel the high school basketball season, citing the public health emergency.
Member Chris Taylor who opposes the cancellation made a motion for a vote on the matter, but no one seconded.
Former school board member John Bagley, a basketball icon out of Harding, shared his thoughts on the decision in advance of Monday’s meeting:
Chairman Weldon and members of the Bridgeport Board of Education:
My name is John E. Bagley and I am a lifelong resident of the City of Bridgeport, and a graduate of our public school system.
I wish to speak to you this evening, not only as an alumnus of Harding High School who spent eleven (11) seasons playing in the National Basketball Association, but as a former member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, who appreciates the volunteer hours you all contribute on behalf of Bridgeport’s public school children.
And it is as a former member of this Board, and as a proud Bridgeport resident, that I respectfully ask you to reconsider the decision to cancel the high school basketball season at Bridgeport’s three (3) high schools.
Although I was a professional athlete, I do not mean to suggest that athletics is more important than providing this generation of Bridgeport’s public school students with the knowledge and academic skills which they must have in order to contribute as a productive citizens in a free republic.
However, the importance of high school sports should not be minimized and we must all realize that education is also about history and tradition.
In Bridgeport, high school basketball is a tradition, and an important part of our City’s history.
Basketball has a special place in Bridgeport’s history and all of us must acknowledge and honor that history.
Don’t let that history and tradition perish because we lack the will to preserve them.
The lesson these student athletes will learn competing in sports will endure, because the discipline, hard work and pride demanded by generations of coaches and administrators cannot be measured in wins and losses.
Times are tough and I know that you, as a Board, are faced with hard decisions
Please find the resources to give our student athletes, that which others sitting where you now sit, provided to me and other student athletes.
Thank you.
Impeach Testani!!!
Let them play ball!
Don’t parents still have to sign a waiver to let their kids play? So if the parents say it’s OK, who is a Testani to say no???
Comrade, the virus, and exposure are real, but it’s bullshit if anyone believes the super and the BOE members who agree to cancel basketball is doing it out of concern for the student-athletes. One person died in that age group, 80 pulse % were over the age of 70 and 90 pulse % of the fatalities were over the age of 60, who had underlining health issues. (I believe).
They can set up precautions that allow the kids to play with little risk to them and others. Like always with things regarding the BOE it never really about the best interest of the students more about funding, considering part of the discussion was for a new budgetary line item for a new committee to market the BBOE. Really, Marketing? To promote the BBOE. (I think), Yeah, that benefits the students and its educational system. (if so) The student-athletes are getting screwed. Where are all those groups like Faith Act, Gen Now? who are always championing for the students, via more funding? JA
It’s so political for the most part. Seattle has been up in flames for 9-months. They abandoned a police station, let part of downtown be occupied and destroyed where people were assaulted, raped, and murdered, yet they called and it a love fest, and who also refused to arrest and prosecute anyone responsible for the 9-month chaos. While Trump (R) was condemned when he sent in Federal agents to try to restore some order after they attacked a federal courthouse.
Now that, Biden, is president Antifa is still at it, yet no real coverage, and the mayor’s reverse policies aimed at arresting and prosecution of those causing destruction and chaos. BLM is nowhere to be found for the most part because a Democrat is now president and racist Trump is out. Just like many racist beating discussions on Facebook that took place all summer until Biden took office, that now fell by the wayside because Biden (D) is in office. Like policing issues magically resolved themselves.
If the (D) Biden doesn’t make an executive order requiring all departments to were body cameras or an act of congress, who the (D’s) control are three branches on a police reform bill. That still has not been taking up, after Floyd, and now BLM and Facebook discussions are radio silent. At least Trump’s exclusive order on tracking police abuse complaints will stand, I do not think Biden’s first day, 17 executive orders reversing Trump’s legacy was one of them. JS
How outrage are you in wanting to change a racist police system when your outspoken outrage is based on political elections and party? JS
https://apnews.com/article/7f06786e118c4ca9d48b44dc224c3862
P.S
I hope blacks don’t support police reform like they supported Juicy Smollet, now Democrat Biden is president. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZXoErL2124
So the COVID-19 rules apply to Danny Pizarro and his guests but, not to sporting activities?
Remember this, Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi.
Take the House Select Committee on Benghazi report, the most recent investigation led by Republicans whose findings were released in late June. After two years of investigation and millions of dollars spent, the report has uncovered no new evidence of wrongdoing by either the Obama administration or Hillary Clinton.
“Ending one of the longest, costliest and most bitterly partisan congressional investigations in history, the House Select Committee on Benghazi issued its final report on Tuesday, finding no new evidence of culpability or wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton in the 2012 attacks in Libya that left four Americans dead,” David Herszenhorn reported in the New York Times after its release.
By Zack Beauchamp