tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post3384803402817673142..comments2023-11-25T05:18:00.968-05:00Comments on Sports, Media & Society: NBC: World's best girls give it their all in the women's downhill<a href="http://comm.psu.edu/about/centers/john-curley-center-for-sports-journalism">The John Curley Center for Sports Journalism</a>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02939720788476724001noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-5317515879997293582010-03-10T14:59:08.223-05:002010-03-10T14:59:08.223-05:00What a great resource!What a great resource!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-49190158090901382672010-03-09T20:45:58.605-05:002010-03-09T20:45:58.605-05:00Hmm that's interessting but frankly i have a ...Hmm that's interessting but frankly i have a hard time understanding it... wonder what others have to say..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-14907032674102064142010-02-28T00:43:52.458-05:002010-02-28T00:43:52.458-05:00Erin, I thoroughly enjoyed your argument and conce...Erin, I thoroughly enjoyed your argument and concern about this topic. It is something that I was unaware was happening until I read this post. It is an issue I can't help but agree with being an ex-college athlete. Women have worked hard in the realm of sports to be even considered "professional" athletes. The fact that this recognition is being stripped of them so easily by calling them girls is outrageous. I have taken notice that female athletes, especially college athletes, are constantly referred to as "girls" in comparison male college athletes who are almost always called "young men," not boys. Frankly male athletes would be highly insulted if they were to be called boys. However, women athletes are called "girls" all the time and it is taken with stride and basically accepted by the public. This is something that has not been addressed by the public or the media, until recently. <br /><br />However, when you state "after all, they're still college 'girls,' which makes their violation of gender norms in a contact sport less egregious than the professional women" you neglect to recognize that many professional athletes, especially in the Vancouver Olympics, are in fact the same age as college athletes. In saying this, calling college athletes "girls" has the same degrading and delegitimizing effect as calling a professional athlete a girl instead of woman. Yes the difference in skills range from professional and college athletes, but that is not why female athletes are usually referred to as girls. They are more likely to be called girls due to their age more than their stature as a pro or college athlete. For example, pro tennis athlete, Anna Kournikova, was younger than most college students at the peak of her career. As well as current women's Olympic skier, Alice McKennis, who is twenty years old which the typical age of a college sophomore or junior. So when making this claim I cannot help but defend the college athletes who you legitimize being called girls when they are of the same age as numerous professional athletes.Lauren Ziererhttp://myportfolio.usc.edu/zierer/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-22647803383203957292010-02-23T16:29:48.634-05:002010-02-23T16:29:48.634-05:00Isn't Christin Cooper a former Olympic skier h...Isn't Christin Cooper a former Olympic skier herself.........jffairnessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-58859703167818472202010-02-22T19:30:25.531-05:002010-02-22T19:30:25.531-05:00Young women in our culture are frequently referred...Young women in our culture are frequently referred to as “girls”, where as young men are rarely referred to as “boys”. Most of the females competing in these games are in their 20’s so I don’t think there is anything to read into this.<br /><br />Furthermore, is there anything wrong with protecting a female athletes femininity? I'm pretty sure most of these women wouldn't mind the media "neutralizing" the more masculine aspects of women in sports. Just cause a woman is an athlete doesn't make her manly, and why should the media invite the comparison?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-48469370756379410842010-02-19T13:16:44.174-05:002010-02-19T13:16:44.174-05:00Nice post Erin! I too noticed the "girls"...Nice post Erin! I too noticed the "girls" language. I wouldn't be as concerned, is we hard similar language that referred to the men/males athletes as "boys"...but then again we'll RARELY hear that I suspect.N.M. LaVoihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15363413748049487665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19133799.post-54655997412836600322010-02-18T21:41:37.061-05:002010-02-18T21:41:37.061-05:00While I object to the use of "girls" I&#...While I object to the use of "girls" I'm often taken by the fact that it is women who use the term to describe themselves...<br /><br />As for your point about the followers of the UConn women -- I'm not sure I buy your premise -being both a UConn fan and a W fan. <br /><br />The reason to follow a college team v. a pro team is very different. College fans are in to following players for four years. Watching them grow, developing a relationship. Not really possible in the pros - especially in a pro league that plays in obscurity and in a compressed time.<br /><br />And, as I'm sure you know, the Huskies receive PLENTY of fan adoration -- legendary, in fact, as is "the Horde" of media that covers them. It's the rest of the world that hasn't caught on - not UConn fans.<br /><br />It's been interesting to watch them develop an interest in the W as more and more of the UConn alum become pros -- and successful pros. They have a connection -- which many other potential fans do not.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07981209097292772171noreply@blogger.com