Image from usabasketball.com
Everyone knows the men’s sports are more fun to watch than the women’s sports. Right? Men are better, faster and stronger.
That seems to be the train of thought of the overwhelming majority in the USA, but after watching the London 2012 Olympics, I beg to differ.
Image from lifeandtimes.com
The ladies dominated the USA gold medal count, and broke records in the process. In other words, they forced me to watch.
The USA women’s basketball team hasn’t lost an Olympic game since 1992—think about that for a second. That’s 20 years of perfection. And this year they easily cruised to a five-peat gold medal.
I know it’s not exactly comparable to the men, since the women’s basketball competition isn’t as fierce. The other countries simply aren’t catching up fast enough.
The same could be said for USA women’s soccer which one their third consecutive gold medal, while the men’s team didn’t qualify.
However, I think comparing the women to the men is missing the point completely. You have to look at the US women in their own Leagues—something I failed to do before.
To be honest, I have never really followed the WNBA at all, though I know practically every player in the NBA. I haven’t been to a WNBA game since Lisa Leslie dunked for the first time, and I went to a Laker game earlier this year.
Image from slate.com
But in these Olympics I was glued to the TV watching the US team slaughter everyone else. Diana Taurasi led them with confidence, as Candace Parker came up big in the gold medal match with 21 points and 11 rebounds. They basically ran a clinic.
Then in women’s soccer I was entranced as Alex Morgan, Abby Wamback and Carli Lloyd carried the team to victory—each win more exciting than the last.
Women’s basketball and women’s soccer are only two of the many sports the USA earned gold medals in, yet it made me hunger for more.
Growing up playing basketball, I’m more into watching team sports, and I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on the WNBA and Women’s Professional Soccer League.
I feel privileged to live in the USA where the competition within women’s sports is so high, though I know for a fact most people still don’t feel the same.
The NBA YouTube Channel posted a video supporting the WNBA’s gold medalists, and the hate comments rolled in, predictably so, with the dislikes also greatly outweighing the likes on the short spot.
The US culture is and has always been male dominant, and I’m hoping that the incredible number of women who worked hard for medals this year will be too impressive to ignore.
To all the haters remember this: LeBron James might be able to beat Candace Parker in a game of one-on-one, but I guarantee you Parker could most likely whoop the best male player at your local basketball court.
Just ask the Mayor of Phoenix who got his nose broken in two places at a WNBA practice scrimmage. He thought his “prior rec-league experience” was enough for him to hang with the Phoenix Mercury, according to TMZ.
To him and to everyone, I say think again.
