The NCAA and ACC have both sent a strong message to North Carolina, pulling championship games from the state because of HB2, the controversial law that blocks transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in government buildings, schools and universities. North Carolinas GOP responded in turn with a statement thats as tone-deaf as it is offensive and desperate.This is so absurd its almost comical, North Carolina Republican Party spokeswoman Kami Mueller said in a statement Monday. I genuinely look forward to the NCAA merging all mens and womens teams together as singular, unified, unisex teams. Under the NCAAs logic, colleges should make cheerleaders and football players share bathrooms, showers and hotel rooms. This decision is an assault to female athletes across the nation. If you are unwilling to have womens bathrooms and locker rooms, how do you have a womens team?This is truly the hottest take Ive ever seen on the slippery slope argument long used to deny LGBT rights -- how, exactly, do you get from unisex bathrooms to unisex teams? But thats not even the most cynical part of the North Carolina GOPs response: I wish the NCAA was this concerned about the women who were raped at Baylor, Mueller continued.The NCAA deserves criticism for failing to protect sexual assault victims across the country. Violence against women is rampant on college campuses, particularly in sports, and victims have long been silenced as their athlete attackers continue to thrive under the protective netting of college sports. (The NCAA pointed to the resources it provides student-athletes on preventing sexual assault and violence, and the North Carolina GOP didnt respond to a request for comment).But its extremely problematic to use the sexual assault cases?at Baylor as a singular barometer for moral comparison. First of all, the NCAA is a wide-ranging organization that can and should have the ability to address more than one issue at once. It doesnt need to choose between preventing violence and fighting discrimination.Moreover, playing the Baylor card effectively gives a pass to any lesser offenses. There are plenty of issues that dont reach the level of problems?at Baylor. Just because the system failed in Waco, Texas, doesnt mean we should stop trying to make it work elsewhere.I, and countless other sexual assault survivors, would implore the North Carolina GOP not to co-opt our movement for victims rights in order to deny the rights of transgender citizens, many of whom are victims of violence as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the LGBT community experiences sexual violence at rates higher than heterosexuals. Human Rights Campaign estimates that nearly half of transgender people will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.In addition to ignoring the plight of sexual assault in the transgender community, the North Carolina GOPs statement is blatantly disingenuous, given the partys history of denying legal protections for assault victims. In 2012, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr was one of 31 Republicans who voted against the Violence Against Women Act. In 2013, seven representatives from North Carolina voted against a watered-down version of the bill: Renee Ellmers, Walter Jones, Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Robert Pittenger, Mark Meadows and George Holding. And to take it a step further, Jones was one of nine Republican congressmen who voted against a resolution to allow the House to consider any version of the bill at all.North Carolina Republicans are invoking sexual assault victims in order to further an agenda of sexual discrimination. For as loud as its statement against the NCAA sounded, the party has been noticeably silent on sexual assault cases involving players in its home state, most recently the allegations against UNC linebacker Allen Artis.Violence against women is not an appropriate political device, especially when the politicians involved have voting records that clearly reflect an utter disregard for the issue and its victims. The sports world is continually struggling to get it right on sexual violence. 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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen is light years ahead of most of his F1 rivals and thinks most of the criticism aimed at him this year comes from fear among the reigning establishment.Verstappen enjoyed a breakthrough 2016, winning his first race for Red Bull after being promoted from Toro Rosso ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The teenager, who is already rewriting Formula Ones record books, was handed his debut in 2015 aged just 17 despite criticism that he was too young to step up to the pinnacle of motorsport.Marko says Verstappens successful season has vindicated every decision Red Bull has made about the teenager.When asked by the official F1 website what the Dutchmans incredible performance in Brazil told him, he replied: That we were right to sign him and put him into Formula One at an age where everybody called us mad. And that he has proved ever since that he is something special.Verstappens drive in Brazil has already been compared alongside some of F1s greatest wet-weather performances, with an awe-struck Toto Wolff saying the teenager was redefining the laws of physics. Marko thinks Brazil, and not his maiden F1 win in Spain, proved the 19-year-olds massive potential.Hes shown on many occasions that he is light years away from your common Formula Onne driver by winning his first race sitting in a Red Bull.dddddddddddd Yes, the two Mercedes drivers took each other out so this win probably fell in our laps, but Brazil showed that he is not only above average but that he will be a great one.The season has not been without controversy for Verstappen, who was criticised on a number of occasions this season for moving in the braking zone when defending positions. Those criticisms led to a clampdown of that move, which has now become known as the Verstappen Rule.However, Marko scoffs at those criticisms and believes Verstappen is a target because he is like nothing Formula One has ever seen before.What I see is that he brings a completely new approach to the reigning establishment! He shows them again how racing should be - how it was in the past. I remember when guys like Senna and Schumacher came, they also had a different approach and were a shock awakening for the establishment of their time.They also were criticised massively. Now we have a young, hungry, sexy young driver, with a devil-may-care attitude about the spoils of former champions - whether they have won once, twice, three times or even four times. ' ' '