World Cup

[LDAHL]

Outside the sacred precincts of baseball, I don’t follow sports much. Especially soccer, which always seemed kind of metric system foreign, kids-with-money to me. So why are we hearing so abnormally much about the women’s World Cup this year?

From what I understand the American team with superior funding beat a lot of less well heeled teams. Sort of like the Yankees? I don’t like the sound of that.

I’m told they’re suing to get equal compensation to male players. I think they should get the same share of the revenues they generate that the men do. Is that not the case? They certainty seem capable of equal boorishness.

Or are they some kind of political symbol? The whole not going to the White House thing seems a bit cliche at this point, but ok.

[razz]

To me, the Women's World Cup this year generated world-wide attention. Previously, it seemed to be a male-dominated sport with teams from South America, Portugal and Spain dominating the interest. We had the local diaspora flying the flags of their homeland when the games were played. Fun to see this happen and know who each was hoping their team would win.

Kind of good to see the interest in soccer expanding to all individuals. We have a lot of kids playing soccer both indoor and outdoors so youth interest is great around southern Ontario. So many organized sports have become too expensive for families to pay the fees for participation and equipment. Soccer is still affordable for people around the world.

[bae]

If the sport doesn't involved edged weapons, I don't follow it.

[razz]

If the sport doesn't involved edged weapons, I don't follow it.

Just wondering where hockey sticks and skates fit in? What about jousting events?

[oldhat]

It's certainly true that sexism pervaded the coverage--or lack thereof--of the women's World Cup. As I tried to follow the games over the past couple of weeks, I was often struck by how little attention this once-in-four-years event got from the major media outlets, compared with routine stories covering the most trivial aspects of men's sports.

On the other hand, I must say I've been disappointed in the often arrogant, preening posturing of the US team. I'm sure the feminist response would be that male athletes often act worse. This is a variation on the perennial argument that advancing women's rights consists of allowing them to be just as big a bunch of jerks as the men, which I've never found terribly persuasive.

[LDAHL]

If the sport doesn't involved edged weapons, I don't follow it.

So bullfighting then?

[jp1]

I’m told they’re suing to get equal compensation to male players. I think they should get the same share of the revenues they generate that the men do. Is that not the case? They certainty seem capable of equal boorishness.

Currently they are paid a fraction of what the male US team is paid. Considering that their recent Worlds Cup winning match generated the highest number of US households watching a soccer match ever they should certainly be paid as much as the men or perhaps more. Especially considering that the US men's team didn't even qualify for the world cup this year.

[jp1]

On the other hand, I must say I've been disappointed in the often arrogant, preening posturing of the US team. I'm sure the feminist response would be that male athletes often act worse. This is a variation on the perennial argument that advancing women's rights consists of allowing them to be just as big a bunch of jerks as the men, which I've never found terribly persuasive.

But until we start calling men out for that behavior it's really not fair to call out women for it. Imagine what the press would have said if justice Rapey McBeer had been a woman and threw a tantrum like he did at the senate hearing. It would have been something like "Rapey McBeer appeared excessively emotional when being grilled by the senate, calling into question whether she has the temperament to be an effective judge." But because he's a dude his response was called "forceful" and other generally positive words and phrases.

[oldhat]

But until we start calling men out for that behavior it's really not fair to call out women for it. Imagine what the press would have said if justice Rapey McBeer had been a woman and threw a tantrum like he did at the senate hearing. It would have been something like "Rapey McBeer appeared excessively emotional when being grilled by the senate, calling into question whether she has the temperament to be an effective judge." But because he's a dude his response was called "forceful" and other generally positive words and phrases.

Lots of people, including me in this very forum, had exactly that response--that is, that his sputtering anger showed the opposite of what most people would consider a judicial temperament. The only people describing his behavior in positive terms were Fox News commentators.

No, I just thought it would have been nice if the reaction of the women to winning had been modesty and humbleness, precisely the same behavior I admire in male athletes (or anyone, for that matter).

[razz]

No, I just thought it would have been nice if the reaction of the women to winning had been modesty and humbleness, precisely the same behavior I admire in male athletes (or anyone, for that matter).

The noisy actors get the attention to meet the media's need for attracting the masses to see the ads that pay for it all.