With the NHL and NBA seasons in full swing, and the MLB season just around the corner, I think it's an appropriate time to address the way that female sports fan are talked to. Here's a list of ten things that I, as a female sports fan, am sick of hearing (and you probably are too.)
1. "Name ten players off of the roster."
While this is something I can do because I enjoy knowing way too much information about the players I am watching, is this really an accurate gauge of ones liking of a sport- no, especially because you and I both know you wouldn't be asking a male fan this same question for no reason. And even if all of the above was false, you couldn't come up with a better question to ask?
2. "Name the hottest player on the team."
I mean I can if you'd like. There's this crazy concept of me still being a female and still being able to find males attractive. BUT, oddly enough I can do that while still being a good judge of their athletic abilities.
3. "You're only watching to get attention from guys."
My response to this one is simple... I can easily name about twenty-one other, far easier ways that I could get a guys' attention that doesn't involve me learning the in and outs of a sport, so no, that's not why I watch.
4. "Why are you wearing a male jersey?"
Not only do I enjoy being comfortable, but because I enjoy representing my team in the same way that the players for the team do. More often than not, women's jerseys are either more form fitting that draws away from the look of the actual jersey, or they're pink to signify the gender that should be wearing it, and I'm not down with that.
5. "I bet you don't know [insert player's name], he played in the 90s."
Here's an idea, it's 2018, I have internet access too, the same reason you know who he is.
6. "Who got you into the sport, your dad or your boyfriend?
My dad, actually, but someone had to, my 4-year-old self wasn't turning the TV on to VERSUS by myself, and I guarantee yours wasn't either. So again, stop trying to judge my ability to like a sport by the person that introduced me to it.
7. "You don't seem like the type of girl to like sports."
What exactly does that mean? What makes a girl the "type" of girl to watch sports, I'm not sure, so instead I'm just going to take it as a compliment.
8. "Have you even ever been to a game"
I genuinely hope nobody ever tries to gauge my following of a team based on if I've gone to a game or not. While I have been to a game, many at that, my social life, work and school sometimes get in the way of my ability to go see my team play. Thank god for TVs, am I right?
9. "[Insert star player's name], of course, he's your favorite player"
I'm not a bandwagon fan just because I like my team's star athlete. God forbid my favorite player is actually good at the sport he plays.
10. "Do you want me to explain to you the play that just happened?"
No, No I do not need you to explain anything to me. I know just as much as you do about the play that just happened. Why it is so hard for males to believe that woman can follow sports just as well as they can still blows my mind. How about I explain the play to YOU?
11. "You know a lot, for a girl."
I am genuinely done trying to explain to males that females can know just as much about sports as they do, so my only response to that is thank you, thank you very much.
