Keep it up girls!

The other day I attended a basketball game up here in Downtown Phoenix. It was perfect since I got done at school at 6:30 and the game started at 7, so I could just walk up to America West Arena with my friends. I got there a little early and looked around for a bit, and started to comment about how everyone must be late. Most of the seats in the arena were totally empty. Where were all the fans? I mean, this team was nearly undefeated last season, won their division and had 3 or 4 players on the Olympics team, so why was the arena empty? Poor Mercury, where is the love?? There was a baseball game that night and I knew it would be full, but here there were times that baskets were made and it was relatively quiet. So what gives?

It's a well known fact that women's sports are under watched and underrepresented in our country. The time in the sun for these girls was playing softball while the men were at war, and as soon as they were home the league was over. I've heard lots of people comment on the WNBA and say things like,"it's not real basketball," or "women don't know how to really play." I have to tell you, these women know how to take a foul, shoot the ball, pass, and dribble just like any NBA player. What is it with our country? Can you even name some of the female athletes of the top of your head? How about this for starters: Venus and Serena Williams, Misty May, Gabrielle Reese both Olympic gold medalists in beach volleyball, Jenny Finch who is arguably one of the greatest female softball players we've had, and speaking of greats how about Mia Hamm or her entire soccer team,Mary Lou Rhetton, or Nadia Comanici who is the only person in history to score a perfect 10 in gymnastics. These are just a few of the big names from the present and past, but we can see there are some real super star athletes in our country who are female. Please don't even try to tell me that any of these women are some how lesser just simply because of their gender. I would challenge you to stand on the other side of the net from Venus and see if you still think that after your match, or try to dig a Gabrielle Reese spike and see if you are willing to stand in the way of that. My guess is that you would see my point very easily, that it is silly that women's sports is downplayed in the media, in conversation, or in any one's minds. I would like to point out that in NASCAR right now there is a woman competing currently WITH the men, and has pulled out a win. Even with crazy rule changes that make things harder for her and challenge her more than others, she still finishes at the top. That squashes the whole "well if a women competed against a man, they wouldn't look so good" argument.

We are a country aching for entertainment, so lets get out there and get entertained! The media doesn't spend much time on the women's sports, but you can simply check out the AZ Central website and it will give you all the details you would need. And to the women reading this, Keep it up girls! Less than 10 years ago we were only getting paid .51 cents to the man's dollar, and now we have increased that to .78 on the dollar. We're making progress! We'll show them that we are not meant for the kitchen only, but for the boardroom and the arenas!