Hey stupid! You remember not wanting to pick a girl for your
DakotaKeogh
Posts: 693 Member
So, Seattle is a pretty bleak place for sports. In baseball, we won a championship like back the 19-teens. The Sonics brought home the gold for basketball in the 70s. But never after that. Nothing else until the baseball come back season of 1995 when we got the division pennant. But they choked and died in the second week of the playoffs. Same thing in 1997. Then came the 2001 season when they matched the all time most games won record of 116. We had slogans like "2 outs? So what?" I was in the stands when they clenched it. It was a huge moment of victory. But also tempered by the recent tragedy. Manager Lou Piniella came out of the dugout carrying the flag on a pole. The team followed him to the mound, some of them visibly weeping having lost people at the WTC. They choked and died off in the first week of the playoffs. The Seahawks have been to the Superbowl once since then. But that was a disaster. The Sonics left town for Tennessee.
Along the way came the Storm, the women's WNBA team for Seattle. Lauren Jackson - Aussie wunderkind, Sue Bird - the toughest girl in class. In 2004 they brought it home. Even with Sue Bird so battered - nose broken in one game, repaired, rebroken the next night, repaired, warned to not break it again or it would be irreparable. She played with a Terminator face mask to protect it and they went all the way to take the title home to Seattle.
A couple days later I'm sitting on the grass with my daughter's soccer team that I coach. They're all 7 years old. That's the age when we don't count goals. We don't say who wins. Come on. Really? Does anybody actually follow that rule? Is it even humanly possible to not count goals? Isn't that like looking at a STOP sign and not reading? So, I'm talking to the girls and some of them are really passionate about playing. I know they want to win. My own daughter is passionate to the point I routinely pull her out of games for smack talking the opposing players from the goalie spot. And I kind of gloss over, really fast, the Seattle history. And then go on to tell them, if you want a championship, you have to look to the women. The guys can't get it done. They haven't in a century. So now is their time to decide if that's what they like and that's where they want to go.
I may have been right or wrong. But it felt right at the moment.
Today, the women's soccer team got past France to move on to the world cup for the first time in 12 years. Coming on the day after the All Star Break, it was the only sports in town.You know, you look at the video and they have the strength of Olympians, the grace of ballerinas, the determination of General Patton. They simply cannot be ignored.
We need to support them. Cheer them. And, most importantly, as consumers, we need to demand their fair day. They need to be legitimized as athletes, covered by the media equally, paid fairly. We as MFP members are all about fitness, health and the best "us" we can be. Let's throw our collective weight behind successful women athletes and raise them up where they belong.
And, yeah, GO! TEAM USA!
Along the way came the Storm, the women's WNBA team for Seattle. Lauren Jackson - Aussie wunderkind, Sue Bird - the toughest girl in class. In 2004 they brought it home. Even with Sue Bird so battered - nose broken in one game, repaired, rebroken the next night, repaired, warned to not break it again or it would be irreparable. She played with a Terminator face mask to protect it and they went all the way to take the title home to Seattle.
A couple days later I'm sitting on the grass with my daughter's soccer team that I coach. They're all 7 years old. That's the age when we don't count goals. We don't say who wins. Come on. Really? Does anybody actually follow that rule? Is it even humanly possible to not count goals? Isn't that like looking at a STOP sign and not reading? So, I'm talking to the girls and some of them are really passionate about playing. I know they want to win. My own daughter is passionate to the point I routinely pull her out of games for smack talking the opposing players from the goalie spot. And I kind of gloss over, really fast, the Seattle history. And then go on to tell them, if you want a championship, you have to look to the women. The guys can't get it done. They haven't in a century. So now is their time to decide if that's what they like and that's where they want to go.
I may have been right or wrong. But it felt right at the moment.
Today, the women's soccer team got past France to move on to the world cup for the first time in 12 years. Coming on the day after the All Star Break, it was the only sports in town.You know, you look at the video and they have the strength of Olympians, the grace of ballerinas, the determination of General Patton. They simply cannot be ignored.
We need to support them. Cheer them. And, most importantly, as consumers, we need to demand their fair day. They need to be legitimized as athletes, covered by the media equally, paid fairly. We as MFP members are all about fitness, health and the best "us" we can be. Let's throw our collective weight behind successful women athletes and raise them up where they belong.
And, yeah, GO! TEAM USA!
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Replies
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Wonderfully written , intelligently stated , GO GIRLS GO !!! WELL DONE !!!0
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Amen!!!!0
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Well said Brett! GO! TEAM USA!0
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Beautifully written and a refreshing point of view. Girl power!!!! And it's no wonder why I think you are the GREATEST!0
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I've been watching! I love soccer...no matter who is playing...but seeing a womans team kicking some serious *kitten* is wonderful and refreshing.0
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It really is strange that its so unpopular. I will say though that lingerie football league is a huge hit!
In all fairness I agree completely the problem is that it is completely driven by money and if fans dont support it then it wont get the big dollars.0 -
Go Team!!0
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Here, here!! I was actually at the US Women's World Cup Qualifier against Italy. Those women are amazing!0
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Yeah, jacs, I was there too
GO TEAM USA! Those ladies are tremendous athletes, no argument here.
As far as them being legitimized as athletes, I completely 100% agree they should be. I'd like to share something I saw on the Today show this morning as they featured these amazing women. Ann Curry pointed out that she'd rarely seen men be so excited about women's sports before. To which Matt Lauer said, "Unless you're talking about beach volleyball" and followed it up by a little chuckle and a little follow-up jeering when it was Al's turn for the weather. Really, Matt? It's just a fact that some men won't even consider watching unless you can see some cheeks...as sad as that is...and even then, the recongition of those women's abilities doesn't get counted either.
To the OP, you're the kind of man I'm proud to have coaching our young women. Keep it up 0 -
Yeah, jacs, I was there too GO TEAM USA! Those ladies are tremendous athletes, no argument here.
As far as them being legitimized as athletes, I completely 100% agree they should be. I'd like to share something I saw on the Today show this morning as they featured these amazing women. Ann Curry pointed out that she'd rarely seen men be so excited about women's sports before. To which Matt Lauer said, "Unless you're talking about beach volleyball" and followed it up by a little chuckle and a little follow-up jeering when it was Al's turn for the weather. Really, Matt? It's just a fact that some men won't even consider watching unless you can see some cheeks...as sad as that is...and even then, the recongition of those women's abilities doesn't get counted either.
To the OP, you're the kind of man I'm proud to have coaching our young women. Keep it up
Really, you were there?! Did I see you? JK! Great game. Glad we got to experience it.0 -
I totally agree!! I've been cheering the girls on since their first game! Hope Solo is my favorite!
Team USA! 0
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