Women’s college hoops has totally arrived on the big stage, and some are surprised it’s not a soft-focus, Dove soap ad.
The cries of sexism and the chronic need to racialize sports have given rise to the ugly sideshow of identity politics.
This week, an article in the LA Times caused an uproar after a writer used the term “dirty debutantes” to describe the LSU women’s team ahead of a game against UCLA.
Author Ben Bolch writes: Milk and cookies or Louisiana hot sauce. ”
If I could describe it that way, it would always be LSU. UCLA seems to be taking a nap.
Borch issued an apology, saying he had “tried to act smart” by using alliteration, but that he had no knowledge of the negative connotation, which could be considered a form of pornography. I had no idea either, but I’ve also seen people challenge the whole “good vs. evil” narrative.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who was recently featured in the Washington Post, was probably happy to have another media outlet as a distraction. She said it was sexist. LSU guard Haley Van Lith called it racist.
I could understand director Borch’s intention to treat this match like a blockbuster movie. Her 99-cent DVD won’t be left in the Walgreens trash can, as it has been with Women’s Hoops in the past.
Indeed, Borch may have missed the alliteration.
But at the root of this outcry is a certain segment of women’s sports, the queens of journalism, who believe that female athletes should only be presented as Cleopatra on a golden couch.
All sharp opinions are mixed up with bigotry and thrown into the bucket of “isms.”
Good and evil, villains, heroes and heels are familiar tropes in men’s sports.
In 1988, there was a “Catholic vs. Convict” matchup between Notre Dame and Miami. Or look at Duke, who is always portrayed as a dark force in college circles. They created “30 for 30” called “I Hate Christian Laetner.”
Perhaps, just maybe, these astute views simply treat women the same way as their male counterparts, knowing that there is a dark underside to this visualization. Tom Brady, LeBron James, the list goes on. They are as accustomed to promoting humanitarian attacks as legitimate criticism.
As thrilling as the current spotlight on women’s sports is, it inherently brings more heat, more drama, and more hate. And yes, more love, more cacola after NIL. But nothing is free.
Improved visibility and a larger stage eliminate the need for kid gloves. Because it’s also about equality.
Female athletes should not be abused or targeted in the same way as male athletes. But there’s no need to indulge.
Mulkey’s profile in the Washington Post, which she attacked before it was published, was heavily criticized by: Nancy Armour, USA Todayargued that a male coach would never have faced such a level of personal scrutiny.
A timeless presence in the game, Malky parades around in costume on the sidelines and acts like the villain from “Jewels of Justice.”
She is a lightning rod for bringing attention, excitement and controversy to the sport. Bobby Knight in sequins. There were no limits to creating a more complete portrait of a complex person.
However, on the one hand, there are calls for racism and sexism, and on the other hand, there is a chronic habit of paranoid racism in this sport.
Three weeks ago, Lindsey Schnell of USA Today (who happens to be white) wrote a column about how the face of the game should be black.
She wrote the following regressive request: “In a game built by Black women, it’s important that the faces of the future look like the faces of the past.”
By that standard, women cannot cover sports because the faces in the press box in the past were men. So give your press pass to Bob there. thank you.
Later, Jemele Hill complained that Caitlin Clarke, a generational talent, was getting so much press because she was white.
In a recent article in The Atlantic, Hill said Clark’s fans are missing something “about how so many Black female athletes have been marginalized in this sport, despite their valuable contributions.” “We need a broader discussion.”
Caitlin Clark is transcendent. She packed up her house and was drawing a surprisingly large TV audience, but she dropped 41 points last night.
We don’t need to strip these women of their individuality, their grit, their sharpness and reduce them to just their unchanging characteristics.
Women’s hoops is currently at an exciting point and crossroads. But we have to decide how this sport and athletes are treated. As a gladiator putting on an unforgettable show on the court, or as a demure woman in need of bubble wrap.
