Women in the Sports Media

The subject of women and sports has been intriguing and shocking for many centuries. However, today organized female sports are still unpopular in American society. Male organized athletes are receiving the majority of the media attention, popularity, higher endorsements and higher salaries. With the respect to women, women had a long journey to even be allowed to play sports. The true beginning of womens sports occurred between the years 1840 and 1901, during the Victorian era. Due to women having higher educational opportunities, women were holding jobs, technological advancements, urbanization and immigration, women had increasing more opportunities. This wave of change influenced sports participation. In the Victorian era, physiology of a woman was the number one reason society limited her participation in many sports. Physicians agreed with the theory that all women were frail and weak and unable to participate in sports. Despite the health warnings women wanted the freedom to play sports. Some people believed that women who participated in exercise would become unfeminine, muscular and subject to uterine damages. Whereas some people believed that physical exercise could benefit women by helping with child birth. Men have been stereotyped as being in better physical shape than women. During the rise of women athleticism certain sports were deemed suitable for women players. One of the popular sports was croquet. Croquet allowed both men and women to play together, which opened up a new social frontier. Another sport woman adapted well to was golf. Women who were wives or daughters of members of golf courses were allowed to play on all but one of the 1200 golf club courses. Some clubs even established Ladies Day (The beginning of women sports). The most popular sport for women in the Victorian era was tennis. The popularity of tennis once again came from men and women getting to play together, women could play without being perceived as unfeminine. Tennis was thought at first to be only for women because of its slow pace. Women also wore skirts and blouses to make it more feminine.

Womens sports were the true cause from the dress reform in the Victorian era. Women demanded looser shirts for tennis and functional shoes. Women not only changed their participation in sports but what they could wear in society. On June 23, 1972 In the United States Title IX, a federal law granting girls and women in high schools and colleges the right to equal opportunity in sports. Title IX states "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." (Once Upon A time Before Title IX ). I believe this law has helped the participation of female student athletes to increase. Before this law was passed there was not many women who participated in sports. This is due to the reality that schools did not have womens sports. Title IX is effective because in my high school if the boys team got new uniforms so did the girls. The same amount of money was spent on both sexes. The women athletes of today strive for bigger challenges than ever. In todays society, it is acceptable for women to participate in any sport she desires. Women are body builders, power lifters, football players and NASCAR drivers. Women athletes challenge male athletes in almost every sport. Women athletes are empowered by their ability to challenge their bodies with whatever activity they choose. Telling a woman they are weak only makes them stronger. Telling women they are not good enough pushes them harder. Women athletes pay checks do not compare to male paychecks. Jenny Finch an Olympic silver and gold metals, and her 7 world championships with the US National Team in 10 years of international play was only earning a maximum of $10,000 a year. The league operates under a $150,000 salary cap for a 20 player roster. In Finches case she has earned as much as an additional $400,000 in endorsements a year, which wont fade with her retirement because she is seen mianly as the face of the sport. But, other Womens softball players do not have the same opportunities as Finch (Taylor, Dana). Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees 2011 salary is $32,000,00 and the team salary is 196,854,630 per year! Granted Alex Rodriguez is the all American baseball player who broke many records, Rodriguez salary does not compare to Finch salary, when she is all American player for womens softball (New York Yankees). When was the last time you watched a womens sporting event? Women and girls are playing sports in vast numbers, but the fans are not following. Womens games are not drawing the crowd, money and attention. Only a few women sports, golf and tennis have a strong enough popularity throughout the entire season. One reason is that men are generally passionate and loyal sports fans and arent keen on watching womens sports. But even so, women show even less interest in the games women play. Women havent grown into the sorts of sports fans that

can sustain professional leagues or boost womens games into national spotlight (Farhi, Paul). Womens professional sports have a hard time staying in business because they are not getting the attention of fans. Soccer is one the most played sports by girls and teenagers. The WPS, Womens Professional Soccer league is desperately trying to make money so they can keep the league in place. Although its a professional league not all the players are being paid. Only the international players and Veterans of the USA national team are making some income, and even that income is not enough to support themselves with. As a female who played many sports and watches many sports, I find women sports extremely boring. The only time I watch womens sports is when its a championship game, Olympics or if a team/person is going for a title such as Uconn winning its 89th straight game, breaking the mens streak of 88 straight victories from 1971-1974. Women sports are just so difficult to watch. I am very passionate about the New York Jets. I know all the players, where they come from, what position they play and so forth. I just believe womens sports arent as competitive as male sports. Women are being recognized in media and sports because of their sex appeal. Brandi Chastain is a member of the Gold medal U.S.A womens National soccer team in the 1996 Centennial Olympic games. Chastain is a very talented soccer player but she received little to no media attention. In the 1999 World Cup Final USA vs. China Brandi Chastain left footed the ball into the back of the net winning the gold medal for the United States. In celebration Brandi tore off her soccer jersey exposing her muscular physique in just a sports bra as she fell to her knees with her fist held high in the air. The media described Chastains victory celebration as a strip tease (Abramson, Mitch). After the penalty kick celebration Brandi stated It was instantaneous Its so amazing how the media can change everybodys perception of you so quickly literally overnight (Buckheit, Mary). The media made it seem that Brandi actions were not appropriate and stimulated the male gaze. Meanwhile no harm was done when Chastain lifted her shirt. People are exposed to women in their bras all the time, for example Victoria Secretes ads, magazines and commercials. Chastains shirtless picture was posted all around the world in magazines, television news papers and internet. I like how the media gives Chastain sex appeal just by taking off her shirt in front of 90,000 people. Chastain is now labeled as the female athlete who in celebration took off her shit. The media has actually made Chastain more of a star, when the news story died down

Chastain was able to talk about her life as an athlete. With all the new insight on Chastain, little girls started to become fans of hers, and buying her jersey and t-shirts. Little girls looked up to her as talented and well rounded soccer player. It is ironic that men celebrate goals all the time and it s like a norm for them, you score a goal you lift your shirt above your head. In sight of all the controversial views, the United States Soccer Foundation has banded players from taking off their soccer jersey in the middle of a match. If a player is to lift up their soccer jersey that is considered misconduct and the player is shown a yellow card. NASCAR is a real manly sport and women were only at the track to be with the drivers husbands during the National Anthem and prayer before the race. Donica Patrick is an attractive woman who has a career in American auto racing, modeling, adverting spokeswomen and currently competing in the IndtyCar Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Donica Patrick is the most popular indy car driver, where she pulled in 12 million dollars in prize money. In the Nationwide series (the more popular event of auto racing) Patrick has not won any cup races and her average position was 30.5 out of 43 cars that start the race. Patrick is part of the JR motorsports team JR motorsports is co owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr who is a talented driver and won several big races in the past. Patrick s number one sponsor is Go Daddy. Go Daddy is a hosting place for email and websites, However Go Daddy uses women s sexuality in their commercials. Go Daddy and the media has turned Patrick from a racecar driver, to a sexy hot racecar driver. Go Daddy s 2011 super bowl commercial Patrick is represented as one of the hot girls who promote the website. Go Daddy and the media have given Patrick so much attention on her looks and her beautiful body, that men have come to accept her in the Nationwide series. On and off the track, Patrick is an attractive beautiful young women. NASCAR, Go Daddy and the media have given Donica her sex appeal as well as the opportunity take part in a predominate male sport. NASCAR believes that by having a sexy young female, that the men will be attracted to her and women will watch the sport because now feel part of it by having female representation. The

media has turned this tom boyish girl to a sexy model who drives American race cars. Jenny Finch is another beautiful women s softball athlete that the media takes advantage of. Finich stands at 6-foot-1, she has hazel eyes, blond hair and a smile more like a runway model than a runaway Olympic gold candidate. In a recent poll on ESPN s website, Finch was named the world s hottest sports personality ( Horovitz, Bruce). Although Softball gets virtually no media coverage, If any softball player is going to get any media attention it would be Finch. Every time Finch entered a new city her face would be posted in the newspaper the next morning. Finch turned down Playboy s offer for fear not of spooking sponsors but if upsetting fans. Finch said I had a lot more to lose than gain; I m a role model for lots of young girls . While Finch is flattered by the attention she receives for her looks, Finch is frustrated by it too, Finch said when you train six to seven hours a day to be the best in your sport, you don t want that to be overlooked, I don t train for my looks (Horovitz, Bruce ). The media is only looking at this gorgeous girl on the mound and not the fact that she is a very skillful softball player that many young girls look up to. Finch is not trying to portray the image of sexy she wants to be known as the best women s softball player. The media is focusing on the beauty of women rather than her talent in sports. Women are barely represented in the media and when they are the sexuality of women is exposed through the pictures and film that media producers choose to air, write or talk about, Women are doing a good job by not letting all the media publicity get in between the sport they love to play. Women are constantly asking the media to look beyond their beauty and focus on their athletic talents. Women are bringing their skills, determination, heart, sweat and time to the field. Women have proven they can perform just as well as male athletes. The media needs to look past the beauty of female athletes and start looking at what she brings to the sport.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Abramson, Mitch. 1999 World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain gets things off her chest New York Daily News August 22 2009. Retrived June 6,2011 http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-08-22/sports/17930292_1_brandi-chastain-worldcup-women-s-soccer Buckheit, Mary. Brandi Chastain Retrieved on June 6, 2011. <http://espn.go.com/page2/s/questions/chastain010618.html Farhi, Paul. 2010. Whither the female sports fan? The Washington Post. Retrieved March 1,2011. (http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5025540). Horovtiz, Bruce. Softballs Jennie Finch ready to make her pitch USA Today, August 10, 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/2004-08-09-finch_x.htm
New York, Yankees. New York Yankees, Salary and Payroll Information 2011 Retrieved June 6, 2011. <http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/salaries/_/name/nyy/new-yorkyankees Taylor, Dana. Jenny Finch: Evidence of Gender Disproportionate Relationships Retrieved June 2011. http://www.thesportstomato.com/jennie-finch-evidence-of-gender-

disproportionate-relationships/ The beginiong of womenss sports < Retrieved on June 4, 2011> http://you.sportshydrant.com/_The-Beginnings-of-Women39sSport/blog/3301467/57111.html?b= Once Upon A time Before Title IX Retrieved March 1, 2011 (http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Issues-And-Research/Title-IX/History.aspx).

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