Rare BMX Big Air Milestone Goes Failingly Unrewarded

Even after the officiating debacle that was Super Bowl XL, feel good fans try not to see sports as being fixed. But this X Games 15 left much to be desired in the way of fair and balanced judging. While most athletic events that require such are not taken as seriously as games of points, runs or box scores, there is still a such thing as cheating in sports where opinions make or break super stars. And in this sad case, it was as glaring as a fixed boxing match.

If knowledgeable sports pundits saw the feat within the epic context of sports history, Anthony Napolitan's Big Air double front flip---performed twice for good measure---would be equivalent to a 63 yd. field goal, a 29 foot long jump or a 31 length Belmont Stakes Triple Crown victory. Trivia masters feel free to attach names that fit the latter, yet Tony suspiciously lacks a vowel at the end of what might be an ethnic surname, clear cut evidence of discriminatory bias.

Fair play in judgment sport is rare since human opinion is too subjective, fickle and easily swayed by incidentals that have little to do with performance to judge the fate of world class athletes. Thus those who spend their lives chasing a brass ring all too often must schmooze officials to secure a rightfully earned acceptance in the spotlight of objective achievement. Someday Napolitan will get his just due, but it'll never make up for the X Games 15 slight.

Other pop showtimes have shortcoming instances of overlooked also-rans who lack the right name or persona to fit in and woo judges. Ethnic thespians in the entertainment world are well known to get nominated many times before they are graced or patronized with a special token award. So this is nothing new to those with voweled surnames. Even a senior Supreme Court judge was snubbed for a chief appointment because he was not a Smith or Jones.

Sociology studies prove the right or wrong name can help or hinder success. X Games 15 will be remembered for Napolitan's circus act and how the judges missed an opportunity to reward a heroic, daredevil, once in a lifetime performance. I myself use an Anglicized pen name for my column to ward off social bias. But Tony N. may want to the reattach the "o" to the end of his surname to protest a snub for what was a modern pioneer feat in BMX history.