Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 30 March 2017
U.S. women’s hockey agreement could have far-reaching impact

STEPHEN WHYNO ey has taken the first step lengthening careers, which
AP Hockey Writer toward following women’s has already shown to be
Cammi Granato’s biggest soccer, almost 20 years af- the case in soccer and
victory in hockey came 12 ter the World Cup-winning could transfer over to other
years after she retired. team led by Mia Hamm, sports.
When USA Hockey and the Brianna Scurry, Julie Foudy Granato retired in 2005, but
women’s national team and Brandi Chastain in- still felt as if she had “more
agreed to a contract Tues- spired Granato and her to give” and finds it incred-
day night that ended a teammates to challenge ible that players in the cur-
wage dispute, Granato USA Hockey. rent generation won’t have
couldn’t put her happiness Members of the U.S. wom- to hang up their skates as
into words. en’s hockey team will now early as she did.
The Hockey Hall of Fam- make $3,000 to $4,000 a With a deal in place, the
er and her teammates month with the ability to U.S. opens its world cham-
staged a similar fight in earn around $71,000 an- pionship gold-medal de-
2000 without success, and nually and up to $129,000 fense Friday against Can-
she hopes the current in Olympic years when ada.
team’s progress paves the combined with contribu- Players had threatened to
way for the future of wom- tions from the U.S. Olympic boycott the tournament
en’s hockey and even oth- Committee. over the wage dispute,
er sports. That’s still less than what which Pepper Hamilton
“It’s bigger than any vic- women’s soccer players labor and employment
tory that we’ve had in USA bring in, but now players lawyer Matt DelDuca con-
Hockey,” said Granato, won’t have to work second siders the most interesting
who won the gold medal or third jobs — and half did aspect of the case.
in 1998 with the U.S. at the In this April 9, 2005, file photo, U.S. team members, from left, — or retire to start a family “It shows other groups a
first Olympics with wom- Angela Ruggiero, Cammi Granato and Jenny Potter hold the because the new contract path for trying to negoti-
trophy after winning the the Women’s World Ice Hockey Cham-
en’s hockey. “I just think pionship in the Cloetta Center in Linkoping, Sweden. Granato’s guarantees that protection ate and use their leverage
it’s such a positive, positive biggest victory in hockey came 12 years after she retired. along with insurance and to negotiate a deal that’s
day for women’s hockey, Associated Press other improvements. favorable to them or that
women’s sports and wom- Lawyer John Langel of they’re satisfied with,” Del-
en in general.” how it could leverage soli- Ogrean encouraging him Ballard Spahr, who repre- Duca said.
Granato and lawmakers, darity and timing into a to end the dispute. sented soccer players from Within hockey, the agree-
lawyers and experts see multiyear agreement that “We know that it’s not go- 1998-2014 and the hockey ment allows for future ex-
the U.S. national team’s satisfied all parties involved ing to be exactly the same. players in this negotiation, pansion in the professional
agreement as a prece- and pushed gender quality We know the viewership said hockey “shouldn’t and amateur ranks.
dent-setter for other hock- in sports forward. numbers for some of these necessarily take the same “It sets the stage for a ma-
ey teams around the world “I’m hoping it will create a sports, but at least you long journey” depend- jor growth in the game,”
and other men’s and wom- wave across the country of have to try. ing on how many strides Granato said. “I think
en’s athletes in the U.S. more equity in pay,” said When you try and you give are made in professional there’s a potential here to
As the U.S. women’s soccer Minnesota senator Amy them more funding, it’s leagues, programming, take this team and have it
team continues to work out Klobuchar, one of 20 sena- kind of a chicken-and-egg marketing and sponsor- be followed similar to other
a labor contract, the wom- tors to write to USA Hockey problem.” ships. women’s sports and where
en’s hockey team showed executive director Dave In that way, women’s hock- One immediate impact is they’re at right now.”q

Historical marker for tennis

great Tilden rejected again

1950, The Associated Press nates the historical marker Historians have said the
voted him the greatest program, confirmed on state is trying to heal from
player of the first half of the Wednesday that the com- the sexual-abuse scandal
century. mission had again voted involving another sports
A year ago, a Pennsylva- against a Tilden marker figure, former Penn State
nia Historical and Museum on March 22 after it had University assistant foot-
Commission panel that ap- earlier voted 4-1 to reject ball coach Jerry Sandusky.
proves the markers reject- the idea. “While the signifi- Sandusky was convicted of
ed a plan to put a marker cance of this athlete’s ten- molesting several boys but
at Philadelphia’s German- nis career and talent are in- maintains he’s innocent
In this June 1925 file photo, Bill Tilden watches a match during town Cricket Club, citing disputable, his convictions and is appealing.
the National Doubles Tennis matches in Philadelphia. Tilden’s convictions in the for sexual misconduct with Tilden was arrested in Bev-
Associated Press 1940s. Tilden had spent underage boys preclude erly Hills, California, in No-
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A also two arrests for sexual seven months in jail after recognition,” commission vember 1946 after the
state history group has misconduct with teenage police caught him with a spokesman Howard Poll- 14-year-old was caught
again rejected a proposed boys. 14-year-old boy in his car man said. driving the star’s car errati-
marker honoring tennis Tilden became the first and another 10 months at The approval of a historical cally. Officers reported that
ace Bill Tilden, whose com- American to win Wimble- a prison farm for violating marker “may be perceived when the teen exited the
plicated legacy includes don in 1920 and won sev- probation. to dishonor victims of sexu- car, his pants zipper was
three Wimbledon titles but en U.S. championships. In Karen Galle, who coordi- al abuse,” Pollman said. down. q