Why I get just as excited about women’s sports as I do men’s.
It’s the stories and the moments they make, not the bodies that play. An overtime goal or buzzer beating basket is not diminished in it’s ability to shock and amaze because of the gender of the athlete. Everything the sports fan loves exists in professional women’s athletics and I happily watch.
The stories of high performing female athletes in team and individual sports are every bit as compelling as their male counterparts. The struggles, dedication, and triumphs are often identical. The only consistent difference is that men are stronger, faster, and can jump higher and further. But all sports fans know that simple male physical prowess is not enough to win at any competitive sport save weightlifting and even in that sport so dominated by strength you will still find technique, endless practice, sacrifice, dedication, and all of the other elements that go into making players and plays into stars and memories. The possibility of moments of memorable brilliance is just as high in women’s sports as it is in men’s. The shocking upset, hard fought victories, and deep playoff runs all happen equally in both sports.
The growing interest in professional female sports isn’t going to suddenly reverse itself. New leagues, and franchises are starting frequently and the athletes themselves are increasingly featured in advertising, talk shows, and many other types of media. In fact the only thing missing and the one thing that must change is the day in, day out coverage from sports networks and shows. The sports departments of almost all media do not believe that men want to see and read about women’s sports. Despite quite a bit of evidence to the contrary.
In an age where Beyoncé is as popular a performer as there is on the planet and Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States the mega superstar female athlete can not be far away. And I mean an Ali/Jordan level star. The media organizations that get on to her potential early will create a windfall of profit and popularity for themselves. We’re in one of those times in human history where the old rules and established order are no longer simply being challenged, they’re being erased for good. There is a short window now for the sports media to catch up, or be left behind.
