sports — News & Notions

Image attribution: http://www.skylinecrossfit.com/

I have wrestled and strained; tossed and tussled; agonized and grappled; even done the unthinkable—asked others what they thought—about how to approach the subject I'm about to cover.

That's right, gentle reader, I'm about to get all feminist and political and antagonistic and argumentative and...well, none of those actually. Okay, not much. I AM pissed, but I've opted for keeping it civil and brief-ish. What has me all riled up this time? It's the damn world of sports and how much inequity there is in when it comes to girls vs boys and women athletes getting paid for being awesome.

Did you know that not one, but two time female world cycling champion, Giorgia Bronzini, was only paid 3’833 euros for her championship title last year? And that the Manx Missile (also voted the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year out of a list that included a total of ZERO women finalists), was paid 7’667 euros, twice as much? [Source: Page thirty-four of the UCI 2011 Competition Guide.] And let's be clear; he's won the title only once. A heinously obvious case of pay inequality in the sport of professional cycling.

Let me go back to the SPOTY issue for a moment. Naturally, there was loud outcry among women who know a thing or two about sports (despite the stereotype that women don't know a football from a tennis racket) at the complete lack of acknowledgment of women's inclusion in the 2011 list of finalists. It's as if the panel of judges for this award are going out of their way to turn a blind eye to women's contributions to sports. Is this because women are less masterful at their chosen sport? Do women just have less “personality” than men?

Photo Credit: Adrian Valenzuela

Let's play devil's advocate for a moment and take a look at one woman-based sport, say, Roller Derby. I mean, of all the sports women play, doesn't Roller Derby exemplify everything that is bland and boring about women athletes? Doesn't it? Er, right. No one with eyesight and half a brain could claim Roller Derby as a sport and the players who do it lack personality. Pffft. Come on SPOTY judges, you really have no excuse for this kind of discrimination. (Especially in a year that saw the first ever Derby World Cup.)

And then, of course, there was the issue of the International Amateur Boxing Association wanting to require women boxers to don more appropriate attire for the sport.

Like skirts.

Yes. Skirts.

And you thought boxing was about agility, strength, and strategy. Silly boxing fans.

All right, so I'm holding back from a grossly expulsive rant here, but I just hafta ask: WTF is it with the sports world? Are women such a threat to the traditionally male realm of physical athleticism that some loosely organized and nefarious consortium of Male Privilege Saviors are doing everything in their power to just make women go away by perpetuating low pay and sponsorships, outright dismissal, and ridiculous rules about attire? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there an entire culture of voyeurism based solely on turning the female body into an object of the male gaze? What could be better than super-fit chicks in spandex?

I don't have the time or stable enough blood pressure to look for similar disparities in other sports, but no doubt they are there. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light uses the ambitions and talents of women athletes as fuel. Just take a look at Rebecca Rusch and all she has achieved, not least of which is the SRAM Gold Rusch tour. And a hearty cheer of respect to SRAM for sponsoring it.

As sports fans, it's up to us to look at the reasons why we watch our sport of choice, and make a conscious decision to put as much energy into and pay as much attention to women's teams as men's. In a perfect world, an athlete would be appreciated for their athleticism, and sports organizations would pay athletes based on their performance, not their gender. But because, like politics, it's all about money, if there's no one watching women, then there's no attention to and thus no profit for the big companies that sponsor athletes, events, and prizes.

Regardless, women athletes will continue using their bodies as playgrounds for the sports they love. Bullshit pay disparities and active disdain from sports organizations are no match for full-on guts, glory, and pain, and women eat that shit like Clif Bars.

Further reading: http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/8520645/riding-pros-vicious-cycle-professional-female-cyclists

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The Boss

Holy Awesome Cycling Race, what a week it’s been! Since last Sunday, Colorado has turned into one of the finest cycling destinations in the world. The new USA Pro Cycling Challenge (aka the Sandwich Race) has drawn two of the finest things about sports to this little mountain state: some of the greatest athletes in the world and even more of the greatest fans in the world. Sure, some people get a little out of control and tend to piss off the riders, but these guys are not without their defenses. Watch this video carefully as Team Radio Shack rider comes over Swan Mountain during Stage 5.

Us simple Rocky Mountain High-ers were favored by the appearance of such greats as this year’s winner of Le Tour de France, Cadel Evans, whose massive jaw was also invited despite the team having to reserve it it’s own seat on the international flight over; second and third place runners up of the Tour, Andy and Fränk Schleck, aka the Wonder Twins, aka Frandy; Jens Voigt, the hardest man in cycling; and of course, Levi Leipheimer, he of the diminutive stature but massive mountain-, time trial-, and overall road-crushing skills. Team Garmin-Cervelo knocked it out of the park with their fantastic team strategy, and many other amazing riders displayed their grit, endurance, and pure ferocity in the blistering heat and altitude that is a Colorado summer.

Needless to say, I had to extend my own deadline for allowed cycle race watching this year just to catch this inaugural event. The race’s details can all be found at any cycling site you choose, but the real highlight--I think anyone who was there can agree--was seeing part of this race in person.

A few pics to commemorate the occasion (mostly taken by Mr. Universally Talented and Prepared, as not only did three of my camera batteries die, but also my iPhone).