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Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
Notes On A Scandal: The Future Of Intersexuality & Caster Semenya
Too Little, Too Late: Semenya's Gender Test Results Won't Be Made Public
Match/Point
To The Matterhorn
Female Soccer Player's Bad Behavior Makes Headlines
Front Row Seats
The Spring Of Queens
Is White House Sports Culture Detrimental To Women's Advancement?

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BytheSea
11/25/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
A lot of male athletes are portrayed in this 'glam' light. I think the article is mixing issues. If you want women's sports to exist at the level of men's, then a glam photo shoot in understated dresses with a limo is certainly indicative of a sport that the school is investing money in. BTW, that shot up there, in a bronze dress with braided hair and tatoos showing, is 'power glam,' very appropriate for female athletes. It's Angelina Jolie c. 1996, not Cinderella.

The 'no lesbians' thing is another issue entirely. (Coz the girl in the pic? Could pass for a hot butch, imo.) It's SOP in sports that athletes be a clean, all-American bunch. There's no gay people in baseball!
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Apollonia
11/24/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
This site is for recruiting. It looks like the team is trying to present the idea that they're all friends, support each other and have a great time while doing it. Even the coach confirms this for me by saying "We wanted to have a product that would stand out to the people we are trying to reach." Who is the coach concerned with reaching out to through a web site? Future players, first and foremost, and keeping up morale among current and past players. Reaching fans is the SID's job and considering this site is NOT on the school's official athletics site, I'm guessing the SID doesn't run it.

That's what I got from my investigating. I got zero vibes of "let's look straight!" or "let's look hot and attract male fans!" This is entirely my opinion, but I think this is being made into something that it's not, and that's frustrating and annoying as someone who's a diehard sports fan and sometimes (not very good) athlete.

Also, it took a lot for me to defend anything having to do with the Seminoles, so this is an opinion I definitely stand behind.
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DexterHaven
11/24/09

@Apollonia: The problem is that these things don't exist in a vacuum: it's about enforcing strict societal and cultural rules regarding femininity and the acceptable forms it can take. As the article above notes: what has beauty got to do with it? and what happens to those women who are kick-ass sportswomen but physically unattractive? At the very least they could try challenging ideas regarding acceptable femininity, rather than reinforcing them.
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Apollonia
11/24/09

@DexterHaven: I think they just wanted to convey the image of wanting to get dressed up and laughing together. I don't think it should be necessary for them to have to stop and think "are we reinforcing acceptable ideas of femininity instead of combatting unfair stereotypes of what women should embody?" And besides, some women find strength and empowerment in dressing up glam and taking photos. There's nothing wrong with that at all, as long as it's their choice.

And who's the judge of physically unattractive? I personally think if someone's a kick ass sportswoman, that alone makes them attractive, glam clothing and makeup or not.
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DexterHaven
11/25/09

@Apollonia: Good for you, but sadly you are very very far from being representative. It's called the patriarchal double bind: look into it. As I said, we would love to think gender images exist in a vacuum: they don't.
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Apollonia
11/25/09

@DexterHaven: There's no need to be snarky.
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DexterHaven
11/25/09

@Apollonia: Sorry, I didn't mean to be snarky. I just find this argument quite frustrating.
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makeminemanda
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
As someone who watched Red Sox fans tip over cars with NY plates after the Yankees won in 2004... yeah, I'd say sports disappointment causes abuse.
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merlesray
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
I would like to say this is a sweeping generalization, however, my mother left my father and started divorce proceedings following superbowl weekend in 1997. Dad was/is a drunk and tried to break her arms and terrorized us (his children) because he was disappointed in the outcome of the game, mom/us, and his life. To this day drunks on game day unnerve me to the point I don't enjoy games anymore and I have to suppress panic attacks.

Since the days of gladiators it seems when there is an excuse for violent/irrational/reckless people to get disorderly they tend to, add alcohol and you have a ticking time bomb. Unfortunatley sporting events feeds that lowest common denominator in people more than other entertainment venues.

Now, I know my father didn't act this way solely because his team lost, I know he didn't do it just because he was trashed, but it doesn't matter that he wouldn't have done it sober/rational. He did, and I, former sports nut, have to deal with the aftermath for the rest of my life.
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fulanita
11/24/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
They are trying to sell tickets, promote the program. The men's team isn't hurting for spectators, but that isn't the case for the women (see also: NBA/WNBA). There is a regular "official" site that is just like the men's site. This one you have on here is really just a marketing ploy.

And do male athletes get used in the same way? David Beckham...Rafa Nadal...Federer...Cristiano Ronaldo...Tom Brady...Mark Sanchez. You've never seen their appearances used to appeal to female spectators/fans?

Even at FSU, they're not exactly hiding Christian Ponder.
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DexterHaven
11/24/09

@fulanita: Yeah, but in mens' sports physical attractiveness is allowed to be one part of an overall package without compromising their status, and even relatively unattractive males can be rendered hot by their sporting prowess. The rules are different for women.
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fulanita
11/24/09

@DexterHaven: No one's status in any sport is compromised by being attractive. If anything, as is the case here, said attractiveness will be used to sell tickets. In the case of this website, they aren't denigrating these women's athletic abilities, they are just using physical attractiveness to promote their program.

There's no question it helps. David Beckham is not now and never has been the best soccer player out there, but his presence is a boon for any team he plays on. There are kids in Korea wearing LA Galaxy shirts, not because of his ability but rather because of his image. Anna Kournikova made millions for herself and every tournament she played in for the same reason. How is Beckham's exploiting of his image any different than hers?
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DexterHaven
11/25/09

@fulanita: Even David Beckham doesn't pose for AC Milan photos in a tux or topless. Even he retains the look of professionalism when it is connected with this playing image. Glamour for men and for women has incredibly different connotations: you might not like that, but it's true.
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PIKITIS!!
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
My friend and I went to a sports bar last night, kind of on acciddent - a local pizza place had been renovated into a pizza parlour/bar and there were all these men shouting. We were hiding in the corner with our beers, and the drunker we got, the funnier it became how intense these people were getting. Needless to say, we were not hit on. I think it was my high heel ankle boots and black sweater and she had on a cute little dress and red flats. We did not fit in.

I could definitely see how the anger at 'your' team losing could sparks an argument and possibly violence. Some of those men were scary angry when the team lost, and some of them seemed to be looking for someone to take it out on (luckily they were trying to fight each other, although I am scared as to what happened when they got home).

Btw, got into an argument with the bartender when he called it 'my team' and I told him he wasn't playing on it - I don't recommend this strategy unless it is last call because he didn't serve us much the rest of the night.
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Tippi Hedren
11/24/09

@PIKITIS!!: Last year we had people over to watch a big rivalry game and one of our guests lunged at the TV! If that fucker would have broken my TV over some goddamn football game we would have had a PROBLEM. Causes violence, indeed.
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formergr
11/24/09

@PIKITIS!!: @Danielle Kouyoumdjian: Or you weren't hit on because you sound a bit smug and superior in re: to how your boots and your friend's dress didn't "fit in" with the rest of the crowd. Generally not the most approachable attitude...
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whynotshesaid
11/24/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
I'm not surprised by these images. I don't call them indicators of homophobia as much as I see them as attempts at reinforcing strict gender identity rules. It's sort of like this unspoken quid pro quo - the woman gets to play sports and do "boy things" as long as she is willing to work extra hard at "being a girl" in all other ways. Homophobia is certainly a part of it, but it is just a small part of a much bigger issue, in which the gender identities of women who venture into traditionally male-dominated territory are subject to an extra-heavy dose of policing.

It's an ongoing issue in the field of women's athletics, and one I could talk about for hours and hours. Title IX may have paved the way for women to take to the fields and the courts, but the rest of our society has a fuck load of catching up to do.
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Edited by whynotshesaid at 11/24/09 2:29 PM whynotshesaid was starred whynotshesaid was unstarred

sarahmick.86 summer
11/24/09

@whynotshesaid: I agree, I don't think it's specifically hetero vs. homosexual, I think it's overemphasizing the feminine in order to make it "okay". I definitely know how hard it is to get support for women's sports. People blatantly dislike women's basketball because it 'ruins the game' or some sort of bull like that. They don't deny it, they're proud of it. So while I understand the school wanting to attract views and sell tickets, this is hardly the way to do it.
This is definitely not the first time it's been done tho, it happens all the time. on the rare occasion that a woman graces the pages of sports illustrated, it's much more likely that you'll see her off the court/field/water/etc, and instead sitting naked outside of the arena with strategically placed equipmen. While showing female athletes in outside their sport is fine, it shouldn't be the only way they are appearing in a SPORTS magazine. and most of the time, it is.
But among college athletes at least, i've seen that when there is a reputation or rumor or homosexuality, a lot of the women feel they must combat it with a strong showing of heteronormative behavior. a few of my teammates actually gained reputations in the other direction (called sluts) because of the way they reacted to the pressures to be 'feminine' or hetero.
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whynotshesaid
11/24/09

@sarahmick.86 summer: Exactly. I agree with everything you said. and also, I am sorry to hear that happened with your teammates. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, huh?

As much as we as a society talk a good game about women and girls who play sports, the fact is people still find it transgressive. Hence all the pressure for female athletes to be pretty and ladylike and polite and wear dresses and pose in string bikinis. They can be competitive but not too competitive, aggressive but not that aggressive. Otherwise they are being unfeminine, and we can't have that, not at all.
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LeCauchemar
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
I worked at a domestic violence/sexual assault center and it was a well known, if anecdotal fact that intake numbers would be up the day after the local football team lost.
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boxspelunker promoted this comment Edited by LeCauchemar at 11/24/09 2:31 PM LeCauchemar was starred LeCauchemar was unstarred

Flackette Goes Retro
11/24/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
I don't see this as homophobic, just hard-core marketing - and that is my problem with Division 1 college athletics; student athletes are marketed as a "product." I find this example particularly nefarious, though, because male student athletes tend to be marketed as fierce competitors, whereas FSU seems to have just thrown in the towel and decided to market their women's team as "pretty" rather than "awesome basketball players." If individual players like getting dolled up on their own time, that's awesome - but I object to the school forcing them into an image that has nothing to do with their athletic ability. Women's athletics already struggle for parity with men's programs (even with title IX, even at major schools, women's teams consistently get the second-best facilities, equipment and budgets). This isn't really helping their cause.
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Edited by Flackette Goes Retro at 11/24/09 2:13 PM

Flackette Goes Retro
11/24/09

@Flackette Goes Retro: Okay, I take some of that back just because of this awesome formal gown + chuck taylors look
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Edited by Flackette Goes Retro at 11/24/09 2:19 PM

girl_talk
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
No, I assault the leftover cake/beer/spinach dip when the Steelers lose.
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rah29
11/24/09

@girl_talk: I cry into my pint. In between sobs I furiously explain to anyone in the vicinity exactly why we were outclassed and can't keep making schoolboy errors and this loss is really ALL OUR FAULT because if we stopped acting surprised to be in the big leagues we might actually perform like we belonged there.

Yes. I am Drunken Armchair Coach. It's not pretty.
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AndPreciousLittleofThat
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
Here's a great way to make sure you're not overly invested in your team's success:

Start following a Chicago sports team. It doesn't really matter which one. You'll quickly realize there's more to life than winning and losing, and losing, and losing, and losing.
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curiousgeorgiana
11/24/09

@AndPreciousLittleofThat: Dad?
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Jorie Slodki
11/24/09

@AndPreciousLittleofThat: My great-aunt is turning 100 next month and she has never seen the Cubs win the World Series.
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morninggloria promoted this comment Edited by Jorie Slodki at 11/24/09 2:21 PM Jorie Slodki was starred Jorie Slodki was unstarred

gracie1117
11/24/09

@AndPreciousLittleofThat: HA HA! As a Chicagoan who is a fan of the Cubs and the Bears this could not be more right!

I feel like the city has become numb to the consistent losing we are notorious for.

When we do win, all you hear is "Wow!" and everyone just hugs and loves because we know it is only a moment in time before we get our butts handed back to us by some of the worst teams in league.
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morninggloria
11/24/09

@Jorie Slodki: That's because the fans reward them for sucking. All Cubs games would sell out whether the team was in first place or in last place. What's the incentive for the team to actually be good?

I am not a Cubs fan.
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MediasBlue
11/24/09

@AndPreciousLittleofThat: Is my husband over there yammering about the Cubs again???
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hfree
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
I'm just glad my dad takes out his frustrations on the couch. Man Saturday was rough.
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bluebears
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
My preferred way of dealing with a crushing loss is silently weeping in the shower ala Tobias Funke.
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FrabjousDay
11/24/09

@bluebears: Do you wear cut-offs?
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bluebears
11/24/09

@FrabjousDay: yes, and I'm not ashamed. There are dozens of us!!!!!!

#tips
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FrabjousDay
11/24/09

@bluebears: *gasp* You're a....a never nude!!!! I didn't see you at the convention!

#tips
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asthenia1
11/24/09

@bluebears: Let me know if you need a good analraping session. I am certified!

Hearted.
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bluebears
11/24/09

@asthenia1: those cards were a mistake
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redqueenmeg
11/24/09

In reply to Dangerous Games: Football Losses Linked To Domestic Violence
Woo, Big Ten generalizations!

-Northwestern alumna
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morninggloria
11/24/09

@redqueenmeg: Quiet, outlier.
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bluebears
11/24/09

@redqueenmeg: I have 2 big 10 degrees. I guess we can't compete with "serious" universities like (fill in appropriate over priced private university).
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formergr
11/24/09

@bluebears: I'm in the same boat-- Big Ten represent!!
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History Major
11/24/09

In reply to Hot Shots: Basketball Team Photos Raise Questions Of Homophobia
Hmm someone has brought this link to my attention:

[www.seminoles.com]

Apparently the women have an athletic centered page as well?
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