Yes, dear -- Go Giants!
We've got to admit, we're drawn more to the spectacle of pro football (American, not soccer) than ever before. This year we could care less about basketball -- at least until the Super Bowl is behind us in a few weeks, we're glued to the NFL. It seems fixed -- the officiating in the Packers-Giants game last week stunk to high heaven -- but it's still extremely satisfying to watch, despite the mindless brutality.
Why is that? Well, for one thing, we have our charity underdog prediction contest going, and it puts a spin on the proceedings that keeps us paying close attention.
And here's an interesting article with some other reasons, including one really intriguing one:
Women are acquiring more social and economic power. Paradoxically, this is good for football. A quirky 1995 book, "The Stronger Women Get, The More Men Love Football," contended that increasing women's freedom will cause men to retreat into the realm of football, in which macho rules and women's sole role is to look pretty and cheer for the men.The author, Mariah Burton Nelson, a former Stanford basketball player, believed men would contrive to suppress women's athletics, a view that turned out completely wrong. But her larger point has stood the test of time. Nelson supposed that the more assertive and influential women become, moving into what were once all-male preserves, the more men would find solace in the one aspect of society that women can never, ever take over -- football.
Makes sense to us.
| Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
I couldn't agree more. My wife kicks my butt at full-contact chess, every time.
Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | January 19, 2012 11:06 AM
the more assertive and influential women become, moving into what were once all-male preserves, the more men would find solace in the one aspect of society that women can never, ever take over -- football.
Yeah, but the "chickification" of football in recent years through rule changes, etc., can't be ignored either.
Posted by boycat | January 19, 2012 11:55 AM
Maybe Ms. Nelson could also address why Title IX women's sports are such abject failures at drawing an audience.
OH I'm sure there are supporters for the U of P Women's Soccer Team - when they are playing well; and also for most of the top 10 women's basket ball programs. But for most mid-major schools like UNLV, University of Nevadaa and UC Davis; there are more ushers and security people than people in the stands watching the game.
Posted by Dave A. | January 19, 2012 12:16 PM
pssst, hey guys encourage your the women in your life to participate in the underdog pool & watch her develop some pigskin passion. Don't get me wrong, they won't be analyzing the same things you do, but their interest will expand a bit. As to the Title IX debate, in my view anything that encourages participation in sports (physical fitness) is a positive.
Posted by genop | January 19, 2012 1:25 PM
"As to the Title IX debate, in my view anything that encourages participation in sports (physical fitness) is a positive."
The problem is that a lot of schools achieved the parity in sports teams required by Title IX by eliminating men's teams in minor sports.
Posted by Random | January 19, 2012 1:28 PM
And as Joltin' Joe Biden said in San Franciso, "The Giants are goin' to the Super Bowl!"
Posted by Max | January 19, 2012 1:30 PM
I guess Georgia Frontiere proved that, Jack.
Georgia Frontiere, who moved Rams to St. Louis, dies
January 19, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-frontiere19jan19,0,1512206.story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Frontiere
Posted by Mojo | January 19, 2012 3:25 PM
Wow. All this crying about Title 9. I can see some of you long for the days when schools spent nearly zero dollars on women's sports.
Flashback to spring 1972, small high school in rural W. NY state. The boys were getting a new "club" sport (lacrosse) with new unis, new equipment, coach, etc. All on the taxpayers dime in those days.
Meanwhile, the long existing girl's Varsity fast pitch softball team bought their own unis and used beat-up gym class bats, balls, catcher's equipment. The school did provide a coach and bus trips to away games.
I can see why the effects of any equity make some guys cry. The old days were so slanted that why would most of the 49% wanna give it up.
And to be clear, most college football programs do not make money. They take money unless they are highly successful.
For a full legal discourse...
http://www.lexisnexis.com/community/lexishub/blogs/practiceareacommentary/archive/2011/03/25/gender-participation-issues-related-to-sports-title-ix-of-the-education-amendments-of-1972.aspx
And I went to a single sex college so Title 9 which was becoming law in those days did not impact my college sports career (alpine ski racing).
Posted by LucsAdvo | January 19, 2012 6:14 PM
Actually, the one ultimate refuge left is the men's room at home and at work. In my workplace, the men's room is full of magazines and its visitors stay there longer, sometimes through entire break periods. The women's room, on the contrary, is visited briefly and has only cosmetics and hairspray on the common counter.
Posted by NW Portlander | January 20, 2012 2:53 PM
And not to be too contrary but there is currently women's semi-pro football right here in River City - The Portland Shockwave
I've seen one game. The skill level is a bad JV to Varsity level.... but most of these women never played on organized teams before.
And the worst play is at punting, kicking off, and PATs. Strange because there are girls who have those positions on a few HS and college teams.
There are currently 2 women's leagues...
www.iwflsports.com/schedule/master/
www.wfafootball.com/
And there were earlier leagues as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_Professional_Football_
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Women%27s_Football_Association
I figure in a few decades, the level of play will rise quite a bit.
Posted by LucsAdvo | January 20, 2012 4:16 PM
Nice to know that a certain Jerzey boy still loves his roots! GO BLUE!! Dying to do the salsa, jerzey is going crazy here!!!!
Posted by Patricia Petrosino | January 22, 2012 6:57 PM