NEW YORK, NY – Happy Wednesday, one and all. I’ve come here today to eat Ellio’s Pizza and talk Women’s Sports. And I’m all out of Ellio’s Pizza. Since virtually the dawn of time, women have been subjected to second-fiddle status to their knuckle-dragging Y-chromosome counterparts—that’s men, to you biology dropouts (like me)—and that just ain’t right. Yessir, the amount of crap women have to put up with on a daily basis in this man-driven world is criminal. But if we’re looking for cracks in the establishment status quo, at least here in the United States, look no further than what women are doing in sports.
Soccer. Let’s get right to it. The US Men’s National Soccer team has been the longest running joke in fútbol for decades now. We’re constantly told how our men are catching up to the rest of the world, and then we don’t even make it out of the Group Stage in the Copa América on our home turf. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is still trying to catch up to the US Women’s National Team. They’re most recent accomplishment, dismantling Germany 4-1 to advance to play Australia in the Olympic Quarterfinals (today!). #LFG, #USWNT!
Basketball. As we segue to basketball, lets’s stick with the Olympics for a sec. The Men’s team always gets the hype and corresponding press, but the Women’s Team just goes about its business with its usual laser-focused precision and determination. And in 2028 they’ll get a fired-up Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to add to the mix. Look out! One quick side note on those two WNBA stars and the WNBA in general: As interest in the league and ticket sales continue to soar, the NBA’s flagship store here on Fifth Avenue in NYC, barely carries any WNBA gear. I mean, almost none. I could understand if there was a separate brick and mortar WNBA Store here, but there isn’t. In the five short minutes I stopped by to see about getting my daughter a t-shirt or something, I heard at least 3 tourists get the same disappointing response to their WNBA queries: “Sorry, this is all we have.” Anyway, someone needs to get fired.
Rugby. Yes, even US Women’s Rugby is superior to their male counterparts. Yesterday, the women’s sevens team rallied to beat Australia to win the Bronze, America’s first medal ever in this Olympic “sport.” Meanwhile the men were getting their teeth kicked in left and right by every country not named Uruguay, and won zippo. Once again, women better than men. And we all know what a rugby-knower I am.
A FINISH YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE! ?
ALEX SEDRICK LEADS TEAM USA TO THE FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC RUGBY SEVENS MEDAL FOR THE UNITED STATES ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME! ? #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1FMu9SWxDo
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
I could go on and on here talking about things like how women’s gymnastics is expected to bring home the gold and does, while the men’s team gets celebrated when some pommel horse nerd brings home the bronze; the first men’s medal in 16 years. And don’t get me started on the state of tennis in this country. Let’s just say that the last American man to win a grand slam title, was Andy Roddick (remember him?) in 2003. The last woman to do it? Coco Gauff, last year. Nuff said.
Look, there’s room enough for us to cheer on all of our athletes, no matter their gender, religion, whatever. But hopefully these strides being made by women in sports start translating into greater opportunities for them elsewhere. If only there were some really important job coming up soon—one normally occupied by a man—that a strong, intelligent, confident woman could fill. Dare to dream.
Come back tomorrow for the newly appointed President of the Jazz Chisholm fan club, Buddy Diaz.
