Spring Break
Letters to the Editor: Inequalities in basketball coverage anger readers
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Commentary
When the UConn men's basketball team lost to Michigan State University in the Final Four, Storrs was a place full of dismay and silence. The Huskies were so disappointed that they updated their disheartened feelings on their Facebook status or tweeted them on Twitter.
The world was truly a sad and cold place with no chance for reparation toward happiness. However, redemption came a few days later, on April 7, the UConn women's basketball team secured its sixth NCAA title and re-declared dominance over the basketball world with a perfect season. The victory for the women's basketball team garnered UConn the respect and mental stability that the men's team lost in their lackadaisical showing in the Final Four game against MSU.
Despite a historic season, in which the women's team beat opposing foes by double-digit margins in every game and totally annihilated opposing defenses, Storrs was still full of silence, if not dismay. Throughout the season, the UConn's men's team garnered more attention than the UConn's women's team. The media and UConn students themselves were more hyped for the men's games than they were or ever would be for the women's games.
Such a trend is evident in the many years since the media coverage of women's sports. People argue that women's sports is not as grinding, rough, and entertaining as men's sports. That can be blamed upon the media coverage of sports as it is biased toward the more scintillating and action-oriented activities, games, and sports. For example, NFL games are the most enthralling and most commercialized, relatively speaking, in all of American sports. Millions tune in to watch the overload of excitement and cheer for their respective teams. No individual can deny that NFL games are exciting and a fun experience, but the media covers them at a rate that overshadows many other sports.
The culture of women's sports is tarnished by the abundance of support generations have shown men's sports, but hold back when it comes to women's sports.
The world was truly a sad and cold place with no chance for reparation toward happiness. However, redemption came a few days later, on April 7, the UConn women's basketball team secured its sixth NCAA title and re-declared dominance over the basketball world with a perfect season. The victory for the women's basketball team garnered UConn the respect and mental stability that the men's team lost in their lackadaisical showing in the Final Four game against MSU.
Despite a historic season, in which the women's team beat opposing foes by double-digit margins in every game and totally annihilated opposing defenses, Storrs was still full of silence, if not dismay. Throughout the season, the UConn's men's team garnered more attention than the UConn's women's team. The media and UConn students themselves were more hyped for the men's games than they were or ever would be for the women's games.
Such a trend is evident in the many years since the media coverage of women's sports. People argue that women's sports is not as grinding, rough, and entertaining as men's sports. That can be blamed upon the media coverage of sports as it is biased toward the more scintillating and action-oriented activities, games, and sports. For example, NFL games are the most enthralling and most commercialized, relatively speaking, in all of American sports. Millions tune in to watch the overload of excitement and cheer for their respective teams. No individual can deny that NFL games are exciting and a fun experience, but the media covers them at a rate that overshadows many other sports.
The culture of women's sports is tarnished by the abundance of support generations have shown men's sports, but hold back when it comes to women's sports.
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