Is it sexist not to care about women's sports?

[Pappy13]

It would shock the hell out me.  I would be surprised if the women's brazilian national team could beat a division I mens college team.  Division II I would bet on the women. 

Let me pick the Division I team and they could.

I'll pick Manhatten. 0-16 in Division play. I'd love to see that game.

[Spider-Dan]

Here we go on the Spidey-go-round again... I never said that college athletes were better than professional male athletes. I said they are better than women's professional athletes.

And I said that people who claim not to like the WNBA because of the lower quality of play are hypocrites, because collegiate sports have a significantly lower quality of play than the pros.

Now, if you want to claim that there is a specific (arbitrary) threshold for "quality of play" which college sports meet but the WNBA (or another pro women's sport) does not, fine.  But it's inconsistent to bash the WNBA for the sloppy play and then praise the college game.

[Sunstroke]

And I said that people who claim not to like the WNBA because of the lower quality of play are hypocrites, because collegiate sports have a significantly lower quality of play than the pros.

Not hypocritical at all, as the men's college game is still played at a significantly higher level of play than the female professionals.

Now, if you want to claim that there is a specific (arbitrary) threshold for "quality of play" which college sports meet but the WNBA (or another pro women's sport) does not, fine.  But it's inconsistent to bash the WNBA for the sloppy play and then praise the college game.

Two points... First, every sports viewer assigns arbitrary thresholds for that sort of thing based on their own preferences, and second, I never said anything about the females being "sloppy play"...to the contrary, I lauded them for being fundamentally sound. They're just too slow, too weak and too boring for me to watch.

[Guru-In-Vegas]

Well Stroke, you fall within the group I mentioned that just enjoy faster, stronger more athletic competition.  I wouldn't call you a hypocrite but I agree with Spidey somewhat. 

I would call someone a hypocrite if they enjoy lower levels of competition because of heart or because "pros are in it for money" ... yet don't enjoy women's sports for whatever reason.   

[EDGECRUSHER]

Women's sports are just played at an inferior level to men's sports. I have no doubt that a good high school team can defeat a WNBA team. Even our women's soccer team is great and I feel they can be beaten by the worst professional men's team.

It's not really sexist, just genetics. Men are stronger and faster than women as a whole. Individual cases can be made, but on average it isn't even close.

Women's golf and tennis are easier to watch because the inferior level of play isn't as noticeable, unlike basketball where it is obvious the Timberwolves could destroy an All-Star team from the WNBA. I don't mean 5 on 5 either, I am talking about the whole 12 women roster against 5 Wolves.

[Pappy13]

And here's the real question. Why wouldn't he be interested in watching the USWNT beat Brazil for the womens world cup? That just doesn't make any sense to me.

Now that I have watched the USWNT beat Brazil, I don't think I've ever watched a men's soccer game that was more thrilling.

[dolfan13]

^^ it was certainly the most thrilling sports game i have ever seen in a long, long time.

[Tenshot13]

I have zero interest in the USWNT, but there is a larger buzz than I thought surrounding them right now.

[bsmooth]

And I said that people who claim not to like the WNBA because of the lower quality of play are hypocrites, because collegiate sports have a significantly lower quality of play than the pros.

Now, if you want to claim that there is a specific (arbitrary) threshold for "quality of play" which college sports meet but the WNBA (or another pro women's sport) does not, fine.  But it's inconsistent to bash the WNBA for the sloppy play and then praise the college game.

So you are saying that the WNBA teams are across the board better than the same number of top NCAA men's basketball teams?
I would love to have seen Lisa Leslie try and take it to the rim at 6'5 against Alonzo Mourning when he was at Georgetown, or any other great college basketball team go against a much smaller, slower team that has "better fundamentals"

[dolfan13]

just read an article on the low viewership ratings for women's sports...

basically the study says that men watch sports to see ideal, unattainable representations of men. where women turn to magazines, movie stars, etc... to see ideal representations of women.

A major part of the sports audience doesn't really watch sports for the actual sporting competitions.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ Got a link to the article? Sounds like an interesting read, but it also sounds like the type of "study" that was pointed toward achieving a particular result.

[Spider-Dan]

So you are saying that the WNBA teams are across the board better than the same number of top NCAA men's basketball teams?

No, I'm saying both are garbage compared to the NBA, and refusing to watch the WNBA while lusting over March Madness is absurd.

[dolfan13]

^^^ Got a link to the article? Sounds like an interesting read, but it also sounds like the type of "study" that was pointed toward achieving a particular result.

i was trying to find it... it came out just the other day in relation to the press around the women's soccer team, and drop off in viewership since the '99 squad. i'll try to find it again.

[Phishfan]

Was it a study or an opinion piece? I know plenty of male sports fans and I would dare say very few would agree with that position.

[dolfan13]

i was going to say, on the original topic, that at some level yes this is kind of sexist.

men don't watch women's sports because most men don't want their women to be represented like that. strong, tough, fast, insert whatever male performance adjective you want...

i think the same can be said for the reason why there are no open gay athletes in male sports. the male sports viewing public doesn't want to think of gay male athletes that can perform athletically at levels that they can't. the underlying current is definitely sexist in nature...