by ROB JENKINS
Sports Editor

I’m not really a fan of women’s sports.

I’m not opposed to women’s sports, it’s just that I was raised watching men’s sports, so that’s what I enjoy watching.

So before you start sending me a bunch of letters about how I am a chauvinist, let me make it clear: I think women’s sports are important.

And I know collegiate female athletes are far more athletic than I am.

And I know they would beat me at most sports, except for competitive beer drinking: I’m pretty sure I could hold my own with a lot of people in that.

Now that I got that disclaimer out of the way, on with the column.

I feel pretty safe in saying the majority of the public is like me in that they don’t follow women’s sports as much as they do men’s sports.

It usually takes something really important or newsworthy before people start paying attention to women’s athletics.

Take for instance the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

Even though the U.S. women’s soccer team won the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991, not many people cared until 1999 when the tournament was held in the United States.

The women won the 1999 tournament by beating China in front of a world record crowd for a women’s sporting event, and for a while everyone seemed to have women’s soccer fever.

But I wonder if people took notice because they like women’s soccer, or because Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt and exposed her sports bra to the world after scoring the winning penalty kick.

People only start to talk about women’s sports when something apparently shocking happens.

I’m sure many of you have seen the video from last week of New Mexico women’s soccer player Elizabeth Lambert going to crazy town on BYU during a semifinal match in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Let me first say if you were shocked by this video, you don’t know much about sports. While Lambert’s actions, particularly when she nearly ripped off Kassidy Shumway’s head, were unusually egregious, stuff like that happens all the time in sports.

But on to my real point: Elizabeth Lambert, I want to congratulate you. 

You clearly knew it had been a while since people cared a lot about women’s sports.

You knew something had to be done to get people talking again.

So you did the only thing you could do; you pretended to go into a psychotic rage on the pitch with the cameras rolling.

You knew that would make it on SportsCenter. You knew people would start talking about the sport you have worked so hard for your whole life.

Genius. Pure genius.

Ms. Lambert, you are awesome and I want to offer you my sincerest praise.

I also want you to marry me.

I have something of a history of attraction to strong-willed women who know how to get things done.

You are clearly the strongest-willed woman in the history of the universe.

I will even grow my hair long so you can throw me down by my ponytail anytime you want.

Marry me, Elizabeth.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments