It’s sad that it takes me to sign up and attend a sociology course focusing on sports in our society in order to realize the problems in our world today and to write this article. But atlas, here it is. After reading and discussing and utilizing the easy access to millions of articles and images on the internet, I ask, when it comes to women in sports, is this really all the respect we get? Is the sex testing to make sure we say we are the gender or sex that we are, fair? Is the only opportunity to play the “manly” sports as women the lingerie leagues that exist across the country? Is it right that as athletes we sometimes are only referred to as _____’s wife/daughter/sister? Is it ethical that women do not receive as much funding, as much popularity, or as many positions of power in the realm of sports? You’re entitled to your own opinion, but I’m here to say that my opinion is NO, none of this is fair, right, or ethical. I want to make it clear that I am not judging and solely placing the blame on men. But I am also not saying that it is our fault as women, that this is the situation we are in. I think our society as a whole has accepted and settled on the idea that women do not deserve the same respect, especially when it comes to sports.
Have you ever thought about the notion that when someone refers to The World Cup, you automatically know it’s men teams competing? But when the women participate, their event is titled The Women’s World Cup.
Have you ever thought about the fact that even after legislation known as Title IX was passed in 1972, women still do not receive the same amount of funding, opportunities, and respect they deserve? Yet, we turn our backs on this and allow it happen.
Have you ever thought about the fact that women’s sports teams have to work three times as hard to get noticed or broadcasted? Or that they don’t get nearly as much prize money when they win?
I encourage you all to go ahead and google the images that are associated with Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn, whom are both Olympic skiers. If you don’t want to do the hard work, I’ll sum up what you’ll find. You will see that when you google Bode Miller, images of him professionally skiing show up. Normal; what you’d expect most likely. However, when you search Lindsey Vonn, sexual images of her in bikinis or in sports illustrated seem to be the only ones that pop up. When I just did the exercise again myself, it took thirty-four images for a picture of her actually skiing to show up. You might be thinking, well maybe Bode isn’t as attractive or has never had a photo shoot like that himself. Wrong—he has, but that’s not what media reveals to us when we google his name.
I could go on and on about the injustices that exist when it comes to gender in sports, but I will leave you with the information presented. You may do whatever you desire with it. But I beg you, man or woman, to stop and think and ask yourself, when it comes to women in sports, is this really all the respect we get?
