News: some you need, some you don’t

Janet Raloff of Science News reports on the recent findings concerning oral contraceptives and female athletes. To some of you, her account may be more intelligible than the one I referenced last week. If so, it’s worth more space here to direct attention to it. Why? I give three reasons. First, because there are precious few sports where strength training is not at all relevant, both for athletic performance and injury prevention. Second, because the findings present something more nuanced than an either-or dilemma (“should I take the pill or not?”); i.e., some pills, those with low-androgenicity progestins, don’t produce the problem. Third, because there are other considerations beyond those related to athletics. The best possible advice to female athletes: stay informed and consult your doctor.

The free market, much maligned lately for political hay, though to her credit not by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, does something really well: it makes clear the value society places on things. For example, this weekend I learned that a 21-year-old quarterback, unproven in the NFL, is worth $72 million ($41.7 million guaranteed, with incentives as much as $78 million over the next six years). Meanwhile, Serena Williams, the highest paid female athlete ever, has career earnings of $24 million. Says something, doesn’t it?

Oh, well. The IWFL season is under way, which means football played for the love of the game.