aflalimo

@xheartswornx I used to be a much bigger sports fan but the lack of female representation and celebration of the masculine without including women turns me off more and more the older I become. I was never a diehard team fan. I love the games—basketball, football, volleyball, etc—not a particular team. I am a talented athlete but my “gender” disqualifies me from being taken seriously in this world. It was that way in math, science, politics, philosophy...on and on and on...for women in the past, too, so who knows? Professional sports is trying harder to tap into the commercial demographic of women but sexist attitudes and expectations persist in the mainstream: she must be sexy and cute, soft and feminine as she cheers men on. I love and appreciate the talent of cheerleaders but why must women be ornaments? Eye candy? Talent is second to looks—she better be filled out and hot as hell before her other skills are evaluated. The owners, promoters, coaches, and front office people—not to mention the players—are mostly men. Tell me the positions off the field need to be men, like most positions of power. I’m not saying all men feel this way—and soccer is a sport that seems more female friendly than most—but the majority of men do, whatever the public PR stance might be on it. I was watching an NFL game the other day and it seemed so boring to me. It was all fierceness and physicality without much depth to it. The players put on pedestals were just endowed with more brute strength and physical power. They needed nothing else to be praised as gods. Really? And they are chess pieces being moved around by men in suits that can’t play anymore, never played and who love to rake in the money and sit in box seats feeling mighty and privileged. I see little true human merit in sports—especially professional sports. Capitalism and greed drive the valuable lessons afforded by team sports and development of innate ability out until praiseworthy character and attributes are the buxom, ornamental cheerleaders on the sidelines. My status updates are often skewed and melodramatic purposely for effect. I’m the one telling my friends and family to chill, it’s just a game and we have no real stake in the outcome. I’m not richer or poorer if the Red Sox win. My wife isn’t an executive and none of the men involved are related to me or buds. I was annoyed that the guy assumed we all felt as he did more than anything. Just because I live closer to Dodger stadium than Fenway, please don’t assume I’m bleeding blue.

Yes! Yeah. I do agree about female representation. At least roller derby has about 500+ women's teams and we're closing in on maybe 85 men's? Most of the men's teams include 1-2 women to be more gender free/less gender exclusive despite being called "men's". Women's teams are still exclusive. In general women are better, though, because most have a crazy innate ability to use their hips versus using strength. It's skill, yes, but it's an impressive show of skill over strength. I can take some hits from dudes twice my size, but a girl half my size lightly sweeping me? Damn. I'm more impressed with their crazy athleticism than I am this brute strength garbage. Fuck bravado when there can be legit skill. I do agree, though. Sports tend to have this masculine show of strength BS and... well, what you said. I'm tired and about ready for bed otherwise I'd give a good women's praise commentary. ❤