The Secret Saturday 'Times': "Girls Straddling Boys"
The secret, barely-read Saturday Times is all girls, girls, girls. America's Lycra-wearing teenage daughters enjoy being pinned to the ground! Also, there is some concern about their cervixes. Sure, there's a paltry 350 right-column words on some nonbinding House resolution, and 290 left-column ones on the CIA operatives indicted in Italy, but all that pales to the glorious, glorious middle. Yes, people are fighting over whether to HPV-vaccinate sixth-grade girls, but more than that, said girls are now—wait for it—wrestling with boys!
As intrepid reporter Tamar Lewin puts it:
Wrestling may be the ultimate contact sport, and it can be a startling sight, teenage boys grabbing girls' thighs, girls straddling boys, boys riding girls' backs and trying to flip them onto their backs. For the most part, girls who want to wrestle—and they are slowly moving into the mainstream—must practice with, and compete against, boys.
Luckily there are willing Jackie Robinsons:
Jessica Bennett, Montville High School's 103-pound wrestler, waited until Rich Wood went down to try to grab her leg, then launched herself onto his back, and got him down to his knees. After a brief stalemate later in the match, Jessica, 15, lifted him off the ground and took him back to the mat, for more points.
But keep our eyes on the prize, folks, because there's a long way to go.
Even her coach, Josue Herrera, has his doubts about coed wrestling. "I think it's better if it's girl and girl," he said.