Women in sports is only best to see when they are wearing tight clothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Makes it easy to watch!!!!!!!!!!

I think the better way to put this article would have been saying that while professional sports has done wonders for female participation in sports, they will never, ever approach the popularity and influence of their male counterparts. Title IX has served to increase woman’s participation in sports some 900%, and women should be allowed to play sports. Again, I agree with your idea, and I myself could do without the WNBA, etc, but when was the last time a Sky game was on tv? Besides those last few seconds on Sports Center, I’ve never seen woman’s sports on tv other than the Olympics. There’s really not that much coverage of the stuff, so what’s the real complaint?

I think Womans Mud Wrestling is OK – but its not on ESPN. If even women don’t cheer on their sports teams whats the use. If by their attendance they can’t even pay the power bill for the use of the facility – then bye – its been “fun” – failed experiment.

Rock,
You are right on the money here! Womens sports are B R U T A L …SLOW AND UNCOORDINATED.
Let the Tenn Womens b-ball team play Louisville and see what happens…
Enough already…

I’m looking forward to the Chicago Red Stars season. I plan to go a handful of games. I’m a Chicago Fire fan and I love soccer. The Red Stars have Brazilian Cristiane who put a sick move on the US team in the World Cup and I want to see that kind of action up close at Toyota Park.

The phrase is PIQUE your interest, not PEAK your interest. Learn how to write before you shoot your big mouth off.

Rock –
The reason why women’s sports struggle in this country is because of ignorant baboons like you.

Who looks up to an WNBA player (or any other professional female athlete)? Well, no, not people like you. However, there are thousands of young girls across the country who look up to them. Heck, I’m older than most of the players and I look up them. What’s inspiring about female pro athletes is that they ARE living paycheck to paycheck. They are playing for a love of the sport and aren’t constantly screaming, “Show me the money.”

It’s unfair to compare Women’s Professional Soccer (or any other womens league) to the NBA, NFL or MLB. They aren’t trying to make the comparison, so why are you?

WPS, who by the way, is being covered every week by Fox Soccer Channel, knows they’ll never bring in 20,000 people for a regular season game. Realistically, they look to bring in an average of 5,000 players a game. Again, it may seem insignificant to you, but to those 5,000 fans who show up to every game, its not. They have 7 teams across the country right now — thats 35,000+ people who are showing up to see these highly skilled professionals do their thing. (Not to mention those across the country who will be tuning in hoping a WPS team gets put in their town)

As for superstars, all the women’s leagues have them. Ever heard of a player named Mia Hamm? I’d say she was a pretty big superstar. There are 4 US Women’s National Soccer Team players on the Chicago Red Stars alone. Just because they aren’t your version of a star, doesn’t mean they aren’t to someone else.

Oh, and speaking of superstars, would you consider two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash a superstar? I ask because that superstar believed in Women’s Professional Soccer so much that he is part owner of the league! Hmmm…..

You talk about the business of sport and the idea that no women’s league can be a success, but the reality is women’s leagues create a unique market for corporate sponsors. For the right business, a women’s league is the perfect choice when allocating marketing dollars — especially because those sponsorships are affordable and offer a good return.

Women’s sports may be different from men’s, but they are far from insignificant.

When you grow up and have a daughter and she comes up to you saying she wants to be a professional soccer player when she grows up, tell me how it goes when you tell her that her dreams are “insignificant.”

After reading the first paragraph or so of your article, I saw that there was no reason to go on wasting my time…
So, I stopped reading your misogynistic rant, and decided that your co-workers are also homophobic and racist in the bargain.

You are apparently paid for this…and therefor a “professional”, if only by the strictest definition of the word…
So, let me ask your opinion… Is that alliteration or syllogism?

If you can’t even read between the lines of your own damn post, you definitely aren’t worth the time for anyone who knows the difference to be listening to in the first place.

You forgot a few teams that outdraw the WNBA.

The Chicago Fire with 17k a game and the Galaxy with 27k a game.

Sigh. This kind of writing reeks of a sad, scared boy afraid of his own place in the world. As they say, I think he doth protest to much — ’cause either you’re a closet fan of women’s sports or you’re so despised by your alleged “buds” (looking at the “personalities” I can only imagine your “issues”) that the only way you can impress them is by spewing some kind of unoriginal small minded ignorance.

Fortunately strong women, and smart, self-confident men, have had a history of ignoring dinosaurs like you.

Remember that college football once outdrew professional football ten times over. What if the NFL had just said “oh well, we’ll never get that popular, lets just quit”? Women’s sports leagues have every right to attempt to thrive in America, just like any other business. As for the gist of the article, people have their opinion, so be it. If the WNBA or WPSL can survive without his money, they will. If not, then they won’t.

ps- last I checked Chicago Rush aren’t outdrawing anybody since their league has FOLDED.

I realize you’re just being outrageous to get attention, so I won’t waste much time on you. You’re an ignorant fool, and the only party here who should STOP is you. There are many, many things in this world that you;re either not interested in or unable to appreciate (in addition to women’s sports, I suspect the list includes: reading above the 3rd grade level, thinking, and breathing with your mouth closed), but that doesn’t mean they should stop.

You said sports is a business, and it runs on profit. Too true. If women’s sports can’t succeed financially, then don’t worry, they’ll go away plenty fast enough on their own, without “help” from a sexist jerk like you.

I’m a soccer fan, and I’m looking forward to the games of the WPS. I wish them success!

What an ignorant and misogynistic post. Just because the rest of the world might be like you does not mean there is no value to women’s sports. Think about how much better a role model a Red Stars player is for a little girl than someone like Paris Hilton. Think about the message you’re sending out to all of us women–that we’re only valuable if we put on something skimpy and play on our *** appeal. You’re definitely part of the problem here.

Maybe this kind of “women’s sport” would be more to your liking:

http://www.lingeriebowl.com/chicagobliss/index.html

Now please crawl back in the cave from whence you came, and let the women and girls in your life know that we pity them. I plan to attend plenty of Red Stars games this year–and my husband and son are coming with me. And we’re gonna have a great time.

Are you still mad that my little sister beat you at horse? Dude, get over it already!

You wrote about women’ssports being slow and clumsy. Well, have you ever seen a linebacker run?
I mean seriously.

Rock, thanks for showing us the true moron that you are.

Odale Rock….. I agree homes…. How can you operate a team without green esse’? ODALE!!!

Hey Momo! Long time no see. Remember how we used to call you Momo the Homo? Great times!

Yo yo Momo! I heard you was on here. Wassup pop-tart? You still got that fruity Hanson poster hanging over your bed?

You are a ******* **** bag. Just because you don’t watch it (one lonely pathetic **** bag guy with a blog who thins he’s a writer) don’t watch women’s sports desn’t mean they should go away. Just because the amazing women of the WNBA have never inspired YOU, doesn’t mean they are not incredible athletes that deserve to be watched. Go to hell you ******* douchebag *******. I hope someone takes a **** on your face, as well as the other posters who think women don’t deserve to play sports.

I don’t know who this Rock person is (hmmm, maybe he should just “stop” since I have never heard of him), but his idiocy is mind-boggling.

Dude, maybe YOU don’t look up to WNBA players, but it doesn’t follow from that that no one else would ever admire a female athlete. Your point of view isn’t the decisive factor here.

I think a large part of why women’s professional sports aren’t as popular as they could be is that it is so fashionable for writers and columnists to ridicule them or relegate them to the end of the broadcast. Personally, I find women’s sports MORE interesting to watch than men’s sports because I can identify with the players more and imagine myself aspiring to their heights of achievement.

Wahhhhhhhhhhh, you ******* child.

Thanks Feministing.com for the heads up

I love that disclaimer at the top. You’re a real dumbass if you really don’t think that this post is sexist or discriminatory.

To claim that passionate, courageous women sports figures are unimportant and insignificant because they are less “popular” when compared to their male counterparts is so unbelievably lame. What should these women do instead? Work in nail salons? Pop out babies? Have dinner on the table by five? Their dedication to the game–not to mention their teams, their fans, and their communities–doesn’t just stem from some passive interest in what they do, but rather a DRIVE to be the absolute best they can be in their league, no matter how many viewers they pull in on the rating chart.

Nobody reads your ****** little blog, maybe that means you should stop writing it.

To all concerned:

Just to be clear Rock debated long and hard on this subject. And before you continue to rack my husband over the coals and accuse him of things, I can personally assure you are not true. You may care to know that I (me his wife, yeah, wife, who is not an extreme feminist by any means but is willing to go an extra mile to protect my rights as a women) started the topic with him while cooking dinner one night. Personally I have 3 younger sisters whom I have raised due to the early death of my mother. So please if you’re going to accuse me of being a chauvinist know that I have taken great pride in raising my siblings and they are all three upstanding, independent women, who will or are making their own ripple in our large pond of life.

I encouraged him to write the blog. There is a vast difference between women’s Olympic sports (which most would agree are vastly popular when the time comes) and women’s general professional sports (Basketball, softball, soccer, ice hockey.) Of these soccer seems to be the most popular, however it seems from a numbers game women’s professional sports still pale in comparison to their male counterparts. Thus, again from a numbers pov, less lucrative.

I do agree that men’s professional sports have become about the all mighty dollar. Thus loosing sight of the values and goals for the greater good. However, it wasn’t until I was much older that I even knew women’s sports existed outside of Golf and Tennis. I thought that most women participated in sports on the grander scale of the Olympics thus putting them above and beyond any male sport. I imagined they trained harder and longer and better for ONE specific event then working for the big payday. The gold medal was all that mattered.

Women’s professional sports may eventually come round. However with teams completely folding…not moving or being absorbed by another team…folding. It makes it difficult, in the states, for women’s sports to be in the sport light.

There is a large fan base with international women’s soccer. If there is a women’s sport I would expect to see a huge pull from global soccer would be it. BTW Mia Hamm became widely known after a becoming a WORLD CLASS SUPERSTAR when she scored the most international goals of BOTH men’s and women’s soccer. She not only was a huge success in the soccer world she was married to an American baseball player. And in light of the “American” attachment to gossip doesn’t hurt.

So in closing, if you think his pov is wrong…that’s your choice. My suggestion would be to start buying season tickets to all women’s professional sports and promoting these sports like none other. Otherwise all your complaining about one person’s view is not going to change anything. And in the end the only thing you’ve done is complain. Take your sons and daughters to a women’s game. Make a girls day out of it. And stop working on your bracket. The only way to make women’s sports go is to be seen. And to be seen in the US is TV. So again I implore you to hurry to the box office and get your women’s game tickets now!

All the best!
Mrs. Rock Mamola

P.S.

On the subject of role models. In the grand scheme of things shouldn’t your children look up to you their parent. By conceiving a child and birthing that child doesn’t that mean on some scale or that in some way you have agreed to install your child with a set of morals and values that you deem worthy.
Why would you want someone else doing that? Unless you feel that you personal set of morals and values are less than that of professional sports player.
Sports to teach our children morals and values. They teach them team work, healthy competition, cooperation, coordination, healthy standards, listening, trust, working toward ONE goal; but that is only if they are involved and not just watching a game on the boob tube.

X’s and O’s Ladies and Gents

Mrs. RM

You’re right! I’d much rather watch a bunch of braindead, overpaid, woman-hating, abusive child-men run around a court or field, beating the **** out of each other, fueled by coke and steroids.
I also want to see more homoerotic ***-patting! I want slow-motion replays of heavily muscled men colliding into one another, one man’s face pressed into the other man’s ***, arms around the other’s waist in a lover’s grip. I want intensive post-game interviews in a steamy locker room, with the tiniest towels covering the most vital parts of these young, muscled hunks for the minimum decency.
I want my tastes dictated to me by Nike and I NEED six hours of loud, obnoxious advertising barraging me every time the channel is on ESPN.
Thanks for manning up and telling women exactly what you think of them. I’m sure you now know where to take your misogynistic, creepy, barely-literate self. And take your ridiculous clip art with you.
I’m not usually interested in sports, but you’ve inspired me to go out to the university in my town and give my all in supporting the brave, intelligent and strong women who dedicate their lives to pure sport (and not the commercialized wrestlemania of modern men’s “sport”).

Apparently I’ve sparked a debate.

I want to clear something up. In the entire post I in no way insulted any of the athletes who participate in these games. In fact I admire them for working hard and striving to play a game they truly believe in and enjoy playing. We should all be so lucky to do something we love for our career.

The whole point of the post however was to show the women’s professional sports doesn’t sell with the American public and in my opinion shouldn’t saturate the sports landscape any longer. That doesn’t mean that they should be in a kitchen bare foot and pregnant cooking dinner for their men.

Maybe I was misunderstood…..go to the following address and look at the broadcast schedule for your Chicago Sky.
http://www.wnba.com/sky/schedule/
ok…that’s the sky….how about the LA Sparks
http://www.wnba.com/sparks/schedule/
how about those Chicago Red Stars
http://www.womensprosoccer.com/soccer_ektid8590.aspx?team=chicago

Of those 3 teams…..88 regular season games total….11 are nationally televised and none are locally televised.

That’s the point of the blog. There is no interest. There are no superstars. Therefore, I think there should be no leagues.

It’s just an opinion.

However if you do indeed spend your hard earned money going to these event….good for you. But in big business if a product doesn’t sell….it goes away. Sports, whether it be men or women, is big business.

So to those who wanna call me names or say “no one reads this blog”……

Thanks for reading and contributing to the conversation.

-RoCk

1. “The media as a whole doesn’t even cover professional women’s sports. The four letter network covers the WNBA only because they have a contract with the league. Where do you find WNBA highlights on SC?? AT THE END OF THE BROADCAST ONCE EVERYONE HAS ALREADY TUNED OUT.”

Has it never occurred to you that this might in part be the reason for, not the consequence of, no one watching women’s professional sports? I’m sure that at the dawn of TV sports coverage, people did not tune in from one day to the other in huge numbers all over the country to watch men’s sports. It’s a gradual process, and people get drawn into watching and eventually becoming fans by happening on a well-covered game with good commentators during primetime. If there’s no coverage, no one can watch.

2. There is (semi) professional sports which, unlike football, baseball and basketball, never had huge coverage for either men or women, for example polo or horse racing. There’s sports that are huge in other countries but barely watched here, e.g. cricket, hockey, soccer or handball (incidentally also much better covered for women for example in Germany). Should all those “go away” only because US sports fans don’t watch them as much? Or because you don’t watch them?

3. As a European, I think all of American football – and baseball, wrestling, and possibly ice hockey and lacrosse, too – should really just go away already. No one would even notice! They are either brutal or too complicated, it’s really no fun to watch. Oh, but I don’t mean in any way to discriminate or make anti-American statements here.

I think columnists like you should go away. If you are qualifying yourself with “I’m not sexist, but…” YOU ARE! Replace “sexist” with racist, homophobic, etc., make an outrageous statement and then defend the article in that light.

I’ve reached a point in my life where I watch women’s basketball more than men’s – I’m a Maryland grad, and I love women’s basketball (check out tournament game 2 this Saturday against Vanderbilt). Unfortunately, I have to wait for tournament time to watch it because NOBODY IS SHOWING IT ON TV! I have never been able to watch a WNBA game because the sports channels are always playing something like fly-fishing and world’s strongest man competitions. The WNBA season is also at a bizarre time, so it’s really hard to figure out when they are playing.
I’m a women’s ice hockey player and I can’t stand watching men’s hockey – but I never get to watch really good women’s hockey except during the olympics – can you imagine if a football season only came around every 4 years?
If you look back to the All-American Girls Baseball League, you’ll see that there was always a place for professional women’s sports. They may not be as popular as men’s. But they are there, and I say, as long as they aren’t hurting you personally, you have no right to show women the door. Maybe they’ll pick up – maybe they won’t. For now, as long as men have no interest in women’s sports, and as long as men believe that women don’t want to watch men’s sports, women’s sports will continue to stay down.
Furthermore, a lot of people watch sports because they’re on. If they play more women’s sports, a lot more people will watch them. Ask yourself how many people really want to watch half the garbage that is on the sports networks, and maybe you’ll realize that women’s sports aren’t the worst of what’s out there.

Has anyone ever stopped to think about why women’s sports aren’t as successful?
Could it be because of thoughts like this? That people go into expecting less? You see what you want to see. Along with different rules for the games that tame them down?
That women’s sports are just beginning – try comparing women’s basketball to early men’s basketball. That really, we shouldn’t be comparing the two because men and women are not/should not be the same.
Equity not equality

P.S. If old white men are the critics, the sponsors, the TV execs, etc etc – you can’t look at the differences in the sports as if there is no bias and as if there is no effect on how the different sports are treated to how the different sports are played and watched.
You have to take into consideration the context within which these leagues and games take place.

Rock,

In your comment, trying to justify his blog post, you say: “The whole point of the post however was to show the women’s professional sports doesn’t sell with the American public and in my opinion shouldn’t SATURATE the sports landscape any longer.” (My emphasis).

So now the issue is that women athletes are unjustifiably SATURATING the sports landscape!

Which is kind of funny since your whole argument in the post is that women athletes should give up because “[t]he media as a whole doesn’t even cover professional women’s sports.”

So which is it? Or is it just that you have an irrational hostility towards women’s sports?

I would also like to address the comments of Rock’s wife, Mrs. Mamola, who claims that she encouraged Rock to write this post. First, the fact that a woman may have encouraged this post doesn’t make it okay.

But more importantly, Rock’s post is a far cry from the views Mrs. M expressed in her comment. I agree with pretty much everything Mrs. M said: (1) women’s Olympic sports are more popular than women’s professional sports; (2) men’s professional sports are perhaps overly focused on profit at the expense of other values; (3) women’s professional and teams and leagues are folding; and (4) the best way to save women’s professional sports is to get the butts in the seats.

That’s totally different from saying: Just give it up!!! Stop!!! Women’s sports are totally lame and women athletes shouldn’t even bother trying!!! Which was basically the idea and the tone of Rock’s post.

I think women’s sports will always do badly in the market until we get over this cultural belief that women’s sports are STOOPID and to be endlessly mocked, especially when they look too much like men’s sports (as opposed to, say, popular women’s Olympic sports like gymnastics and figure skating). So the solution is not to just give up, but to support women’s sports and criticize folks like Rock who say otherwise.

Thank you for letting me know that sports is 100% about money and profit-making. I guess I’ve been wasting my time watching it and getting excited over my teams winning.

As broadcast journalism student (and a young woman), I’m frustrated with the way you’ve written your post. If you were seriously debating about whether or not to bring this topic up in a public forum, then you really should have spent more time carefully crafting your words.

How could you honestly believe that your post isn’t sexist? And by insulting the sports, you’ve insulted the athletes and their viewers – all three go hand-in-hand and there is no way you can deny that (Even though you tried in your reply).

“Here’s the door GET OUT!”

Seriously, turn those words over in your head and think about how others are going to perceive that. Do you realize what you have said? How could you have more effectively communicated your idea? I can think of so many! If you ever need advice about how to more diplomatically explain your opinions, I can send you my e-mail address. Don’t worry my peers have always praised me for my proofreading abilities.

And Mrs. Mamola, while I respect you for standing beside your husband, I’m offended when you say “wife, who is not an extreme feminist by any means.”

There is no such thing as “extreme feminism.” Either you’re for or against women’s rights – there are no varying degrees. And by saying “not an extreme feminist” you’re unknowingly admitting that you have a stereotypical view of what a “feminist” is.

Here is an amazing site that may help you more clearly define “feminism.”

http://www.feministing.com/

In addition, as children we don’t chose our parents. So while, in a perfect world, in would be nice to have parents that we could look up to, not many of us do.

Okay, look you guys.

I’m totally not a sexist. I have no problem with women and I am in no way discriminatory towards them. You might get offended at some of the things I have to say but just make sure you understand that these are only some thoughts I have in my brain inside of my head, but I myself am not a sexist, so try to take this all in context.

All I’m saying is, women need to stop trying to do man jobs.

You know, things like politics and business and driving and math and science and medicine and talking and thinking.

I mean, women are awesome at some things — like laundry! And having kids? Man, I wouldn’t even WANT to try that. Women are so great at it, I would just fail miserably.

But that other stuff? I mean, come on. How many female CEOs can you name? And how many female presidents? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Seriously, no one wants to see women doing that stuff. Just stop trying already, ladies. Stick with what you’re awesome at, like having boobs and being hot and skinny and making me food and cleaning my clothes for me.

And look, even though the things you do hardly make any money, it’s not because they’re undervalued by society. It’s just because no one wants to pay women the same money they pay men. That’s not sexist, that’s just the marketplace. You can’t argue with the marketplace.

But look, I like women, I like them a LOT, okay, so I am not sexist. Got that? Don’t try to tell me I’m sexist because I have already definitively proved you wrong by pointing out that I am NOT SEXIST. Don’t try to prove otherwise using logic, because that’s a man job. Just accept the fact that I am NOT SEXIST, because I have already told you I’m not sexist and I’m not discriminatory, so everything I have said is not at all sexist because I said so.

Now go make me a sammich.

Hope everybody has (or had) a nice holiday.

In this politically correct world, b.s. rules with an iron fist. What is with some of you people on this board? Most women’s sports are down right terrible aside from tennis, volleyball, and golf. Not surprisingly, those sports have decent ratings.

But lets get real. Men’s tennis, volleyball, and golf are better and as a result have higher ratings. The WNBA which is downright horrendous ( there are some teams with more turnovers than assists) does not deserve high ratings. The NBA is a superior product and is a money making machine. Women should play sports and participate in athletic endeavors. Since they are not as athletic or strong as male athletes, it is unreasonable to expect women athletes to make the same money and garner the same ratings as their male counterparts. Most female athletes are not near the level of male athletes and people want to watch the best so sexism is not the reason why women sports do not get the same ink as men sports.

Hmmm….not sure I am following this Score’s Blog – A Message To Women’s Professional Sports….. thread very well.

I don’t buy what you just said.

I don’t follow what was just posted.

How in the world did I miss that?

Mamola Samoron
Mar 21, 2009 21:29
The phrase is PIQUE your interest, not PEAK your interest. Learn how to write before you shoot your big mouth off.
Pique (noun)
1 ) tightly woven fabric with raised cords
2 ) sudden outburst of anger
verb
1 ) cause to feel resentment
peak (noun )
1) the most extreme possible amount or value
verb
1) to reach the highest point ;attain maximum intensity

Rock can we keep women’s volleyball ?

How about roller derby, now that’s a sport for the Gals…

lol i wouldnt put it that way

poor rock, getting hammered by these posters, the only reason he’s getting hammered is because the men who eat, live & breath 670 the score tell ladies that they know, (mom, girlfriend, etc.), that this post is on here, and then it gets to that ladie’s lady friends and it spreads, then some girl who thinks rock is wrong comes and blasts him. i know i’m going to get hammered for saying this, but women’s sports has no place in the world, women have slowly have gained power in this country, and there’s nothing wrong with that, i respect women’s opinions in this ever changing society, now the sad thing is, women have used the power that they have gained to invade the thing that men hold near & dear them, sports, as i read this post rock wrote, i think that’s his main point here, and i agree with him, nobody cares about women’s sports, anybody that does is a female, i don’t need to see women’s sports, it’s the same as men’s sports, except for the fact it’s women trying to play a sport they are BAD at it. sports is for men, the only reason why we have little “hooray for women!” leagues such as the WNBA, is because women aren’t designed physically the way men are, that’s why they can’t play in MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, the real leagues, because men are better at sports, and women would get killed if they played against men, now over a period of time, feminists, yes they do come into play, complained to court systems that women are being left out, so then they established sports for women to play by themselves in their own leagues, so they get together the best group of women they can find, and let them play, but guess what, they’re all STILL BAD AT IT! and that’s why nobody except for girls and the occasional man who has sadly taken the side of the girls arguement that likes sports played by women, so i totally agree with rock. other than sports, i have no problem with women in society, in fact we need women’s prospective, but when women go and get to do their own little sports leagues, i hate it, because it’s dumb! women are not as good as men at sports, they get the feminists to go to the courts and rule they can have their own little sports leagues, that’s the only reason women’s sports exists, and because most men don’t care about women’s sports, and that doesn’t make those men sexist! if a man doesn’t want women in authority, to have jobs, etc., then that’s a sexist person.

god, my mind is spinning in circles from all of this fustration, i’m going to stop making the same point over & over again, i think my opinion has been made clear, that i side with rock. i say let women have their own sports, because i’m not going to watch it! nobody cares except women, so if you girls come on this post and bash rock and people like me who agree with him, and remember that we are not sexist… then you’re a feminist, have your fun with your women’s sports, because the real world doesn’t care about them, & that’s why me, rock & millions of people want to get rid of women’s sports, because of all the “look at the girl showing she can play with the boys” talk & stuff like those lies is being shoved down our throats, keep your women’s sports to yourselves lady’s, nobody cares but them.