Sports Center and WNBA Championships

As an avid sports fan I watch Sports Center on ESPN every night. It has gotten to the point where the only channel that will be on my TV for weeks at a time will be ESPN, and I often find myself watching SC 3, 4, sometimes 5 times in the same day. I pride myself, among other things, on my sports knowledge and in a crazy world the world of sports is often a great escape for me.

I decided to take this course because of my great love for sports and figured a class on sports, and the many amazing women in sports could not be half bad. Early in the semester I was relieved that, not unlike my predictions, this class is always interesting and very often thought provoking.

One of the reoccurring thoughts that have crossed my mind since being in this class is how little female sports are shown on ESPN and Sports Center. To be honest, it is pretty obvious why this happens. There are a couple reasons I can see. The main one being ESPN is mainly marketed toward men; just like different channels such as The Hallmark Channel and Oxygen are marketed toward women. Another being that greater demand is to see highlights from the main US sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA) than women’s sports leagues (WNBA) or even lesser supported men’s leagues (NHL, MLS).

This all being said, the point of this blog is to give big ups to ESPN and Sports Center for spending a good amount of time highlighting the struggling WNBA during the Playoffs, and mainly the Championship Series which ended Friday. I felt that Sports Center really got involved in giving the WNBA its due respect with a proper amount of time highlighting each game, the players, the coaches, the fans, and the league in general. Finally, they decided to try and get the average SC watching sports fan involved in women’s sport. It was well overdue and they did a great job with it.

Danny Welsh

Kin 338I S06

Sport Outburts

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/09/serena-williams-outburst-video-.html
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/tar_wars_EVDlCu3Z8vWdRv5xn8mMCP

Serena William’s outburst at the U.S. Open Semifinals cost her the game, and a fine of $10,500. A foot-fault call by a lineswoman that gave her a double fault and put her a point away from losing the match caused Serena to yell obscenities and verbally attack the lineswoman. In this article by Kurt Streeter, his opinion is that she should have been suspended and not play for the rest of the season. The fine of $10,500 was a little too minimal for Streeter.
It’s a little funny though, that this is the end result of her outburst, because when you compare George Brett’s Pine Tar Incident outburst back in 1984 while he played for the Kansas City Royals, Serena’s fine seems so much more strict. George Brett hit a two run home run but there was a problem that arose for him having too much tar on his baseball bat. From the dugout, he told his teammates that if he were to get called out for the tar, that he would “run out there and kill one of those sons of bitches.” He in fact did get called out and enraged, he charged out onto the field from the dugout to yell at the umpire. He did get ejected but there was no suspension, no fine, and in the end, his home runs were reviewed and counted, allowing the Royals to win the game.
Doesn’t make sense for Serena to lose the game, pay a fine, and possibly face suspension…Does it?

Marie Y. Kin 338i Tu/Th 9:30-10:45

Title IX Today

I had never heard of Title IX until this class. I knew that schools could not discriminate in sport on the basis of sex, however I never learned much about it. I learned an abundant by reading about this and through our discussions in class. Last class, we discussed how some colleges are blaming Title IX and using it as an excuse to cut some of the men's programs that do not accumulate much interest and revenue for their school. I found an article that discusses a lot of the same things that we went over in class:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/27/60minutes/main560723.shtml

The article demonstrates how men are now being discriminated against with Title IX being used as an excuse for cutting their teams. In the class discussion and the article, I actually learned that money management was the cause of getting rid of the men's programs. Schools often put too much money in a sport that is more popular (such as basketball and football) and get rid of other sports to save money. The schools claim they are cutting those programs to meet the requirements of Title IX, however they are just using that to cover up their mismanagement.

It was interesting to see and hear the views of some of the men in our class as well. Some were really amazed that the football teams spent so much money on hotel rooms for away and home games. Others were justifying those expenses. I thought that it was unnecessary for schools to pay up to $40,000 just to have their players stay in hotels the night before a home game. These extra expenses could go to saving the programs being cut or towards creating new teams for men and women. It is unfair to offer and supply one sport with so much and not give to the other sports.

Women have come so far with Title IX. It is not right for the schools to be using Title IX as an excuse for cutting other teams. These teams being cut are legally fighting to get what they deserve, which is good. However, some women believe that the men will again get what they want, and everyone will forget to include the women in this battle. Women have worked so hard to get where they are today, and it would be devastating to them if what they worked for in Title IX got taken away.

About 85% of colleges do not meet the requirements of Title IX today. Some claim that they cannot generate a high amount of interest among women in sport. They question if women are truly interested in sport as much as men are. This goes back to discrimination that women have long been fighting for. The article compares this to the idea of women not being interested in voting or not being interested in owning property. Why are women's interests questioned and men's not?

We have come a long way for equality in sport, however the fight is still going on.

Shari Russell
Kin 338i
Sec. 3023

Gym Class Woes

The article, Unbearable Lessons: Contesting Fat Phobia, really addresses an issue that almost every child uncomfortable with their bodies has felt. Whether they are fat, skinny, or just average sized, gym class is awkward enough as is, and on top of that, they also have to go out and try new sports they've never tried before. At a time where most girls' bodies are changing physically, they now have to be publicly weighed in front of the opposite sex and demonstrate their physical prowess, or lack thereof.
I attended public school my whole life and experienced all of this, as did many. Just the pure mention of P.E class made me shudder to think of the slew of embarrassing activities we were all forced to do. More education and sensitivity has to be put into how P.E classes are run. Students should be taught how to better themselves in sports instead of just being tossed blindly into an activity where many fail and few flourish. The usual procedure surrounding sports in P.E is choosing a sport of the day and letting the students learn how to play it on their own. Some know how to play; other stand timidly on the outskirts of the field hoping that no one comes their way. Teachers should also listen to the woes and the concerns of the students instead of following the standard procedures. If middle school and high school P.E teachers gave out the same critique sheet college students get at the end of their courses, they could hear how awkward and troubled some students feel and figure out a way to change that. Even just the little things like making weigh-ins and physical fitness tests less public would make the students feel less humiliated. If P.E classes were tailored just right, it could become a meaningful class for students instead of just being an alternative to academic classes. It could teach students healthy eating habits, how to exercise correctly and understand that bodies come in all different sizes. They could then take this advice and use it when they are encountering those moments of self-consciousness.

Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T & Th 9:30-10:45

Obstacles for ALL Women in Sports

“All My Hopes and Dreams” was the title of a recent article that we read in class. I found that article to be interesting, but by reading it and looking back to all that I have learned about women’s sports, I also realized that women of all races struggle for their dreams and hopes in sports. I never had the opportunity to engage into any sports, but I always admired the girls and women that played different sports. I always thought that they were strong not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. As a woman, I always thought, “Wow, playing sports must be hard because it’s just adding another activity to one’s already busy life!” As women, we are always striving for a better education while performing other duties at home or defined roles that society expects us to perform. In this article, we learned that Latinas’ softball talents often became part of the family resource for a higher education. It was not only about getting a better education, though, it was also because they loved to play softball and it was part of their life. Many did not have the resources to become professionals and the lack of information or advice held them back from becoming better. Obstacles like these are what keep women from becoming better athletes or being recognized for their athletic talents. I think that there have always been all kinds of obstacles that keep women from achieving their goals.
African American women have also faced obstacles. By focusing on race and gender rather than athletic talent, the white and black press constructed public identities for Althea Gibson and Alice Coachmen that marginalized them as athletes. They both loved what they did and they wanted to be recognized as talented women athletes, but instead the media overshadowed their talents. White women, like the pedestriennes in the 19th century, desired moral respectability. Instead of being recognized as strong women and having athletic talent, they were seen as frail, weak, & dependent. The media always failed to recognize them and all they did was create false identities of them and profit from it. We also have the Japanese-American women who played softball because they enjoyed it and because they felt that softball was an activity of the larger American society to which they belonged. They were put into internment camps and even though they played softball in there, it was not the same. Once they left the camps, softball was not a priority or an activity that they could engage into since they were busy putting their lives back together.
Whether it is resources, economic status, social status, government intervention or the media, there are always obstacles for women to be recognized for their athletic talent. I think that women athletes face challenges everyday just to prove that they are good at what they do. It is so hard for them to have equal rights and to be given the same opportunities that male athletes have, but I am sure that one day they will reach that goal. They will be recognized and they will be given equal rights and opportunities to become and show that they can be great athletes.

Miriam Mendez
KIN 338I-1
T/Th 9:30-10:45

A story of courage and sacrifice

As a birthday present this past summer I received a small book titled "Amazing Athletes, Amazing Moments", and I just finished reading the story of Kerri Strug. And even as I sit here typing this I am still in awe at what she accomplished. Her story touched me so much I wanted to share it with you all:

It was the 1996 Olympic Games. Team USA had never won the gold in the Women's Team Gymnastics, but their chance to beat the leading Russians came as Kerri Strug prepared to do her part on the vault. As she completed her first attempt, she landed awkardly, directly onto her ankle. Crack.
Obviously her score was not enough to overtake the Russians. So she had to make a choice; she could either sit out the next jump and ready herself for the individual gymnastics competitions the following week - giving up any chance Team USA had at the gold, OR she could risk further injury, risk not being able to compete in the individual competition, rise above the pain and do that last vault for Team USA.
And she chose her team over her chances for individual glory. She nailed the second landing on one foot, then collapsed in pain. She received a 9.90 score, resulting in Team USA winning the gold for the first time in Olympic history.
She had two torn ligaments in her ankle, and so she could not compete in the individual competition. But her sacrifice gave Team USA their first ever gold medal in Women's Team Gymnastics.

The level of selflessness Kerri Strug has is unparalleled. The courage to try again against all odds, risking not only severe injury but also giving up all her personal dreams must have been the toughest decision of her life. I have had plenty of experience with ankle problems, and the very thought of trying to jump off a hurt ankle is enough to make me cringe. I also used to do gymnastics, and the immense difficulty of landing properly on two feet makes me even more amazed at how she accomplished the landing on just one foot.

I hope that this story has amazed and inspired you just as it amazed and inspired me.

Gerene G
KIN338I Section 3023
Tu/Th 2-3:15pm

Do Individual Women Athletes Represent Their Entire Sport?

After watching the video featuring Tim Wise earlier this week in class, I was struck by his contention that individual minorities often struggle with the idea that their actions represent their entire race. For example, black students might feel anxious and stressed that one of their actions may negatively reflect upon their entire race, even affecting others of their race in the future. Since women sports has yet to attain the same level of equality as men sports, I was wondering if women athletes feel that they have a burden of representing other women athletes. When playing a WNBA game, did Lisa Leslie feel that she had to exceed expectations to represent women athletics in a positive light? Did she feel that her performance reflected upon women athletes and the WNBA?

Women athletes have many negative perceptions that they must overcome, and it must be incredibly difficult for them to have to deal with the ignorant and wrongminded perceptions regarding women sports. If a woman basketball player makes a mistake, does she worry that she is reaffirming someone's ideas that women are somehow inferior than men and can not compete? It's unfair for these women to have to deal with such worries, in addition to the constant stresses that the sport produces in the first place. While such issues can not be solved instantly, society would benefit by taking a closer look at women athletics and thinking about the hardships and demands that these women athletes face and overcome. I think people will be less likely to dismiss and ignore women athletic programs. Before this class, I really ignored women athletics and their respective organizations, like the WNBA, for I felt that they were unimportant and were not to be taken seriously. After learning about the history of women and women sports, I really understand how far women athletes have come and how hard they have fought to overcome negative stereotypes and perceptions, like the ones I held not long ago. While women athletics has come a long way, such athletes and programs have much progress to make still. By changing the wrongminded perceptions that many individuals may hold, I believe women sports will be propeled in a better direction.

Eric Harnden
Kin 338i, Section 6
T/R 2:00-3:15 PM