Standing up for women and sport
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I was choking on my breakfast this morning, listening to the controversy unfold and hearing the ramblings of the deluded and ignorant Raymond Moore, Indian Wells tournament CEO, who thinks that female tennis athletes should be “down on their knees” counting their lucky stars, while they ride on the coat-tails of men. Tennis’ number one, Novak Djokovic, waded in with his sentiments that male tennis players should earn more money than their female counterparts because more people watch them play.
Would these ‘people’ perhaps be men?
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“Well, of course they are,” I shouted at the television. For my extensive empirical research, watching every man in my life from my father to my brother, my husband to male colleagues, I can tell you that more men are watching the tennis, the golf, the darts, the boxing, the Olympics, the swimming, the athletics, the rugby, the football, north and south of the border, and beach volley-ball.
If they throw it, kick it, or chase it, they will come and they will watch it. And they’re not only watching it. They’re playing it, they’re
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commentating on it, they’re researching it, on the field and off the field, it’s on a 24-hour newscycle, and they’re leading the field.
Meanwhile, the little men in their lives, their sons, are being taxied to football parties and back again, as that’s my job; Not sport, the social calendar.
Because he has fives, he couldn’t miss that, of course. People are watching and relying on them being there. Of course, they are. Fives. Where two teams of five men chase after a small ball in a cage and get sweaty. I have yet to hear the
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words.
Can you take the children tonight as I have fives? It’s fives tonight, enough said. I’ll be an hour late as I have to nip to the gym. These words never leave the mouths of the men in my study. Would you mind staying in with the children as I am watching the big game? Instead, they are statements. The Game is on. It’s the big match. It’s the quarter final, followed by the semi-final, and the big one, the final. It’s the play-offs. All of these are enjoyed through the medium of television and contributing to the viewing figures, which
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(Djokovic) you are possibly referring to.
In the name of equality, I’m calling time on watching you as I wouldn’t want to score an own goal against my own sex.
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Felicity Fox - 21 Mar 16
I was choking on my breakfast this morning, listening to the controversy unfold and hearing the ramblings of the deluded and ignorant Raymond Moore, Indian Wells tournament CEO, who thinks that female tennis athletes should be “down on their knees” counting their lucky stars, while they ride on the coat-tails of men. Tennis’ number one, Novak Djokovic, waded in with his sentiments that male tennis players should earn more money than their female counterparts because more people watch them play.
Would these ‘people’ perhaps be men?
“Well, of course they are,” I shouted at the television. For my extensive empirical research, watching every man in my life from my father to my brother, my husband to male colleagues, I can tell you that more men are watching the tennis, the golf, the darts, the boxing, the Olympics, the swimming, the athletics, the rugby, the football, north and south of the border, and beach volley-ball.
If they throw it, kick it, or chase it, they will come and they will watch it. And they’re not only watching it. They’re playing it, they’re commentating on it, they’re researching it, on the field and off the field, it’s on a 24-hour newscycle, and they’re leading the field.
Meanwhile, the little men in their lives, their sons, are being taxied to football parties and back again, as that’s my job; Not sport, the social calendar.
Because he has fives, he couldn’t miss that, of course. People are watching and relying on them being there. Of course, they are. Fives. Where two teams of five men chase after a small ball in a cage and get sweaty. I have yet to hear the words.
Can you take the children tonight as I have fives? It’s fives tonight, enough said. I’ll be an hour late as I have to nip to the gym. These words never leave the mouths of the men in my study. Would you mind staying in with the children as I am watching the big game? Instead, they are statements. The Game is on. It’s the big match. It’s the quarter final, followed by the semi-final, and the big one, the final. It’s the play-offs. All of these are enjoyed through the medium of television and contributing to the viewing figures, which (Djokovic) you are possibly referring to.
In the name of equality, I’m calling time on watching you as I wouldn’t want to score an own goal against my own sex.
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Hello, I'm Felicity Fox and I'm writing my own happily ever after…
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