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LPGA bans ‘transgender’ male players after hundreds of female golfers speak out

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From LifeSiteNews

By Calvin Freiburger

The Ladies Professional Golf Association released an updated policy limiting participation to actual biological ladies after calls by hundreds of female golfers to keep confused men such as ‘Hailey’ Davidson out of the game.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has released an updated policy limiting participation to actual biological ladies after calls by hundreds of female golfers to keep confused men out of the game.

Two hundred seventy-five female golfers signed an August 19 letter calling on the LPGA to remove self-professed “transgender” golfer “Hailey” Davidson, to “repeal all policies and rules that allow male golfers to participate in women’s golf events,” and to “establish and enforce the right of female professional golfers to participate in women’s golf based on sex-eligibility (which) must be limited to members of the female sex.”

“The male advantage in driving the ball is estimated around a 30% performance advantage; this is an enormous difference in the context of sport,” the letter argued. “Anatomical differences between males and females affect clubhead speed and regulating consistency at ball contact. Females have higher mean heart rates and encounter greater physiological demands while playing, especially at high altitudes. The anatomical differences are not removed with male testosterone suppression.”

On December 4, the LPGA announced an updated Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility, which was “informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law,” and will take effect starting in 2025, effectively disqualifying Davidson.

“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization confirmed. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”

“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Davidson complained on social media. “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.”

Mandatory inclusion of gender-confused individuals in opposite-sex sports is promoted as a matter of “inclusivity,” but critics note that indulging “transgender” athletes undermines the original rational basis for having sex-specific athletics in the first place, thereby depriving female athletes of recognition and professional or academic opportunities, as well as undermining female players’ basic safety and privacy rights by forcing them to share showers and changing areas with members of the opposite sex.

There have been numerous high-profile examples in recent years of men winning women’s competitions, and research affirms that physiology gives males distinct athletic advantages that cannot be fully negated by hormone suppression.

In a 2019 paper published by the Journal of Medical Ethics, New Zealand researchers found that “healthy young men (do) not lose significant muscle mass (or power) when their circulating testosterone levels were reduced to (below International Olympic Committee guidelines) for 20 weeks,” and “indirect effects of testosterone” on factors such as bone structure, lung volume, and heart size “will not be altered by hormone therapy;” therefore, “the advantage to transwomen (biological men) afforded by the (International Olympic Committee) guidelines is an intolerable unfairness.”

Alberta

Edmonton and Red Deer to Host 2027 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship

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 News release from the Red Deer Rebels and Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), has announced that the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship will be played in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, from Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027.

The successful bid represents a partnership between OEG Sports & Entertainment, the Red Deer Rebels, Hockey Alberta, the Cities of Edmonton and Red Deer, and the Province of Alberta, which made an $11 million commitment in February 2024 to host events in communities throughout the province.

“We are excited to bring the IIHF World Junior Championship back to Edmonton and Red Deer, and to give hockey fans in Alberta and across the country the opportunity to watch the top under-20 players compete for a gold medal right here in Canada,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact with Hockey Canada. “Both cities have been successful hosts of IIHF and other high-profile international events, and we know our partners in Edmonton and Red Deer will host a world-class event for players, teams, fans and volunteers alike.”

The 18,500-seat Rogers Place, home of the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers and Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings, will serve as the primary competition venue and host 17 games, including both semifinals and the medal games. The additional 14 games are set for the 7,050-seat Marchant Crane Centrium, home of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels.

“Alberta is ready to welcome visitors from around the world for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship,” said Andrew Boitchenko, minister of tourism and sport for Alberta. “This event celebrates the spirit of international competition and our province’s passion for hockey, while showcasing Alberta as a world-class destination for sporting events.”

“Edmonton is thrilled to co-host the IIHF World Junior Championship. This tournament is a fantastic opportunity to watch the world’s best junior hockey players right here in our community, showcasing emerging talent and inspiring a new generation of athletes,” said Andrew Knack, mayor of Edmonton. “Hosting world-calibre events like this also injects vital tourism dollars into our local economy, boosts our city’s vibrancy, and solidifies Edmonton’s reputation as a premiere sports tourism destination.”

Edmonton last hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship in August 2022, which was rescheduled from its traditional winter slot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gold medal game at the 2022 event was an instant classic, with Mason McTavish making a game-saving play in overtime and Kent Johnson netting the game-winner just over a minute later to give Canada its 19th World Juniors gold medal. The city also hosted in 2021 without fans, and was a co-host with Calgary for the 2012 edition of the event. Red Deer was a co-host for the cancelled 2022 World Juniors, and first hosted the annual under-20 tournament in 1995.

“We are proud to welcome the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship back to our region,” said Jesse Smith, chief executive officer of Tourism Red Deer. “Red Deer’s love for the game and our hospitality will ensure an unforgettable experience for every athlete and fan.”

“The World Juniors give Edmonton an extraordinary opportunity to showcase our city on the world stage,” said Arlindo Gomes, vice-president of business development and venues management with Explore Edmonton. “This event strengthens our global reputation as a premier international sport destination while delivering more than $90 million in total economic impact to our community and inspiring the next generation of hockey players and fans. Edmonton loves hockey and we cannot wait to welcome global athletes and fans.”

Pre-tournament games for the 2027 World Juniors are expected to take place throughout Alberta, allowing fans across the province to watch the best junior hockey players from 10 countries before the puck officially drops in Edmonton and Red Deer on Boxing Day.

With demand for tickets expected to exceed availability, more information about a priority ticket draw and tournament ticket packages will be announced in the coming months. Fans looking to receive updates about the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship as soon as they become available can sign up to become a Hockey Canada Insider today.

“On behalf of all of us at OEG Sports & Entertainment, we are proud to once again be hosting the IIHF World Junior Championship and the best young stars on the planet,” said Stu Ballantyne, president and chief operating officer of Rogers Place and ICE District. “The World Juniors is one of the most celebrated tournaments in hockey, and bringing it back to Edmonton is an honour for our city, our fans and our entire organization. ICE District and Rogers Place were built to facilitate and showcase the very best in sport and entertainment, and we look forward to working closely with Hockey Canada and other partners to deliver an unforgettable experience for the athletes, fans and the global hockey community.”

“We are beyond excited for our fans, partners and community to once again welcome the hockey world to Red Deer,” said Merrick Sutter, senior vice-president of the Red Deer Rebels. “This is a community that loves events, and we know their passion will be on full display once again next December.”

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on FacebookXInstagram and TikTok.

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Bruce Dowbiggin

Maintenance Mania: Since When Did Pro Athletes Get So Fragile?

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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 7 win in the World Series over the Toronto Blue Jays averaged a combined 27.3 million viewers. By comparison, the 2025 NBA Finals’ Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers averaged 16.4 million viewers on ABC.

Granted, the MLB had the L.A. market as backstop while the NBA featured two small-market teams. But there was no second U.S. home market in the numbers, because Toronto doesn’t count in U.S. ratings. BTW: Canadian ratings were spectacular with over 18.5 million viewers watching some or all of Game 7.

For those who thought baseball was dead as a TV property, 2025 was a golden throwback to another age. Likewise, the NBA Final— with its Canadian MVP—was a flashback to the days when pro basketball played second fiddle to college basketball.

What’s wrong with pro basketball? Many think tying itself so closely with the DEI network ESPN has put off many. The obsession with the L.A. Lakers is off-putting, too. Betting scandals don’t help. But more than anything the NBA is tainted by its stars taking “maintenance days” off for R&R in the middle of the season.

Fans who purchase tickets when the schedule is announced to see LeBron James or Zion Williamson have no recourse months later when the coach sits a player on those maintenance nights. TV schedulers also see their feature primetime games blown up. According to surveys, 65 percent of fans express disappointment when they attend a game without the expected stars.

The trend really caught wind when Kawhi Leonard, with the Toronto Raptors over a barrel, took frequent maintenance days on his way to the 2019 NBA title. Leonard supporters might say that the Raptors beat a battered Golden State Warriors team missing numerous starters like Kevin Durant and Draymond Green whose injuries sidelined them for the Final.

Maybe. (Leonard continues his maintenance routine with the L.A. Clippers.) But the wholesale use of maintenance days during the season has fans asking, Are today’s players more vulnerable to the stresses of a long season or were the players of the Michael Jordan era just mentally tougher?

Just look at Jordan’s record from 1985 to 2003. In an era where there were no private jets, no personal chefs, no advanced sports medicine, Air Jordan flew all 82 games/missions nine times in his career. In fact, outside the two years he played baseball or there was a labour disruption, he played 78 or fewer games just once. This with the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys hammering him.

In defence of today’s stars, the more compact schedule has resulted in an almost 25 percent increase in injuries. The bar for athletic achievement— height, speed, recovery— has gone a lot higher.  And the players have to protect the phenomenal salaries they now draw versus Jordan’s day.

Still. There is caution and then there is indulgence. Coaches in danger of losing their job are subject to taking a knee when their stars tap out for a game. The NBA knows its fans were not onboard with the practice, as the TV ratings show.

What about maintenance in other sports? It was a big issue throughout the baseball season— in particular the playoffs. Managers and pitching coaches doing strategy by pitch count. In the ALCS and World Series, a cautious Blue Jays manger John Schneider yanked starters Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Max Scherzer with seemingly more pitches in their arm to bring in mediocre bullpen pitchers.

Schneider blew Game 5 of the Series with some wonky pitch-count decisions. But, in the end, it worked out for Schneider as he finally threw caution to the wind in the final games versus the Dodgers, using his starters from the bullpen and allowing more elevated pitch counts.

Not so much success for Detroit manager A.J. Hinch who yanked his ace Tarik Skubal, up 2-1, after 99 pitches in the final ALDS game against Seattle. His bullpen then blew the game in 15 torturous innings. Surely Hinch could get more from Skubal. In his day Nolan Ryan would throw 125-140 pitches in games. But Hinch was protecting the arm of his ace, who might just be traded or sign with another team in the next 12 months.

This protection racket has introduced a news strategy of running up pitch counts in at-bats against excellent pitchers early in a game so the hitters can get to the bullpens when the starters hit the magic pitch count. Managers are now having to bring in their stoppers in the sixth or seventh inning if the lead is getting away from them.

Fans, meanwhile, are confused why today’s pampered stars still tear up their arms, needing Tommy John elbow surgery despite the lowered innings. counts. Meanwhile everyday players never get tired?

So don’t be surprised when your fans turn off the TV because they see stars prioritizing their salaries over win/ loss.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster, his new book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His 2004 book Money Players was voted sixth best on the same list, and is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca.

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