I was left rather disappointed yesterday.
I was talking to my friends about football jerseys and how if I had the means to, I would get Alex Morganās jersey and wear it.
Thatās her. Sheās a forward for the US Womenās National Team and plays at club level as well. Sheās 26 years old and has scored 53 goals in 92 international appearances.
The reaction that I received from my friends was one of disgust. They said that they could never wear a female football playerās jersey. They carried on further by saying that women should stay away from football, and that they never want female football to get as big as the menās game.
The kicker is that they said that they were probably sexist but they didnāt care.
Frankly, I was left shocked and disgusted by their reaction.Ā
This, after we talked about how impressive it was that MMA brand UFC would have 2 womenās matches co-main-eventing a 75,000 stadium venue in Australia and would be counting on them to sell out the seats and break attendance records.
Apparently, female empowerment is alright, just as long as itās not in their ābackyardā.Ā
āFootball is a menās game, and women should stay away.ā
āWe watch football to escape from women.ā
Look, Iāll put my cards out on the table. Is Alex Morgan attractive? Iām a hetero man, so Iāll say yes. Iād be lying otherwise. But psychologically, I am programmed to be attracted to good-looking women in any field.
But I think itās important that I have respect for her and her prowess as an athlete. I want the womenās game to grow and I want to enjoy good football games, regardless of the gender playing.
The womenās game is its own game. It will always be separate from the menās game. I would even accept and agree that itās not as good as the top levelĀ menās game.Ā But all that means is that it can develop at its own pace, develop its own stories and create its own legends. It is different. But it deserves to be respected in its own right and most definitely not get mocked, Ā and not be wished that it stays away from mainstream recognition. There is space for both in the world of sport.
I know people are all allowed to have their own thoughts and opinions.
Iām just disappointed to find such repressive thinking from people that I am close to.