When you think of sports you don't immediately think of the WNBA, or LPGA. Women's sports have always taken a backseat to men's. This could be because men sports are more entertaining or the fact that women don't get the respect they deserve in the sports world. Leagues like the WNBA struggle to stay alive due to a low source of income. For example the Detroit Shock had to move because of low attendance and no money. This is a shame because the Shock were a powerhouse within the WNBA had won multiple titles over recent year. Women's sports are also the source of many jokes and punchlines. MTV covers a national women's football league called the
LFL (Lingerie Football League). This is degrading for women's sports and doesn't give them the credit they deserve. The gender stereotype has made so men's athletics are better and a higher level of play then women's. There are women all over the world that play sports whether it soccer, golf, tennis or basketball. When is the last time you have been to a women's sporting event?
I do agree that womens sports are looked under men sports and they dont get the recognition in return. The last time I went to a womens sporting event was a Detroit Shock WNBA game. The shock were very good and had one multiple titles in the previous years. Every shock game i went to they won and its disapointing to know that their not in Detroit anymore because of lack of fans.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this lack of popularity in women's sports, primarily professional women's sports, ignites the certain stereotypes people have that sports are for boys and "dolls" are for girls. As a child and even now in the later half of my teenage years I idolize professional male athletes and dream about playing in the NBA. Because male professional sports are so popular it allowed me as a kid to become greatly attached to them. Girls don't get to develop this same kind of interest in sports because women's professional sports are hardly talked about or covered by the media. The stereotype sports are for boys and dolls are for girls is supported by the difference in male professional sports and female professional sports.
ReplyDeleteThe last women's sporting event I've gone to was a Detroit Shock game because I was given free tickets. I agree that women's sports do not get the respect mens sports do. The NFL is the most popular men's professional league of the big four sports, while women only have a league televised on MTV2. Not only does is seem like a joke because it's televised on MTV2 but the women are dressed in lingerie hence the name Lingerie Football League. In order for them to have any type of fan base they need women in skimpy uniforms. To me this means that women are seen as more sex figures than legitimate competitors. How many times has a womens basketball or softball tournament been on ESPN and the only reason you watch is to pass time? For many people that's the case and after 15 minutes they go do something else. Until women's sports create more hype they will always under men's sports.
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