A Race to the Finish

I was on Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts when the whole Kobe rape thing happened. I can remember following the story on the news for a couple of nights until I became bored of the whole thing. One of my lasting images of the whole debacle was Kobe sitting with his wife and speaking softly. I'll also remember my friend saying, "He should use an O.J. Move. 'If the dick don't fit, you must acquit'." I remember laughing very hard at the time, as I was young and didn't quite realize just how racist that joke was.

I don't have a problem with the article by Mr. Leonard, what I have a problem with is that people see these things and get ideas. There are people crazy enough to accuse someone of rape, just so they can get their name out there and get some of the millions of dollars these guys spend. It's a terrible thing to do to someone, but that's not to say these sorts of things don't actually happen (think Ben Rapelisberger.. or was it Roethlisberger?).

The second article I 'read' was the Kian one. You don't see a lot of legitimate female reporters, but that's only because, at least to me, Title IX is just starting to blossom.

10 years ago I never would have thought there would be any women in a class like this one. And while the class is predominantly male, the numbers of women are steadily increasing. We're used to old white dudes reporting on sports. It's time for a refresher.

One of the things that stands out to me is when a drunk Joe Namath tells Suzy Kolber he wants to kiss her. While it was a hilarious part in the football game, it reminds me of the idea that 'sex sells'. Men don't see women as competition or as a threat or really as on the same level as them because all they think about it sex. Non stop. Just ask Joe Namath.

Once the stigma is lifted that women can't host a major sports show (think Erin Andrew this summer), I think we will start to see an even bigger increase in women and minorities in sports than we have now.

Also, just as kind of an aside. I had planned to write at the end of this, "Just as long as I have a job!" And that got me thinking about how true that is. I would love to see women and other "misrepresented" people in sports journalism. The only problem I have with that is that I'm trying to do this as a living, and more of you means less opportunities for me. And if quotas become a major thing, I may just be screwed out of a job. Just something to think about I guess.