Sports Gender Paper

Tiffany Galmore
KINE/SOCI- 2050 Sport Sociology
Gender and Sport 1. http://espn.go.com/espnw/commentary/9133361/espnw-no-woman-not-brittney-griner-other-play-nba 2. http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/9127664/mark-cuban-give-brittney-griner-opportunity-dallas-mavericks

“No, a female player can’t compete in today’s NBA. But why should it matter?” Kate Fagan states in her ESPN article titled No Woman, not Even Griner, Could play in the NBA. Over the last past weeks, there has been a huge controversy over Maverick owner Mark Cuban’s decision to give Baylor Women’s star player Brittany Griner a shot to play in the NBA. It seems only fair to give such a talented player this opportunity, but it will not be given to her because she will still have to try out for her position. Cuban expresses that “he will not carry her just to carry her”, but still people insist on arguing their views on if they see it appropriate for Griner to take this role. There has always been a significant amount of critiques, theories, and opinions when it comes to women in sports, some which are still around today. According to Sports in Society, trivialization of women’s sports is factor that is increasingly becoming more relevant and talked about when gender comparisons are questioned. “Women play sports, but they are not as good as men and people want to see the best.” (Coakley, 245) This attitude is shown throughout Fagan’s article as she expresses the importance of Griner and women as a whole, inabilities to compete with males because of their lack of skill and strength. Fagan states, “…someone whose skills wouldn’t be hampered by the overwhelming size and strength of the NBA’s interior players. And even then, she would encounter other hurdles, such as the speed and quickness posses by NBA guards.” This form of trivializing women puts them at a disadvantage because since men has historically gained power in these sports, women are not given a chance to gain respect and prove themselves worthy. These advantages that occur in woman sports are advocates of inequality, which is another factor that has always started conflict between gender and fairness issues in sports. Most cultures nowadays give priority and power to men’s sports and male athletes. Today there exists a concept such as, “male dominated social worlds”, which includes male domination, male identification, and male centered media. (Coakley, 246) Woman’s sports and athletes are not given their proper recognition because society views the world as a “mans world”, one that evolves around masculinity and any all around associations with manhood. “These constant comparisons do little more than reinforce the notion that the women are somehow second-class players, instead of worlds-class in their own right.” Fagan states. With everything centered on males, there is little room for any attention for woman, and when fame rises for woman, negativity, suspicion and bias follows. In Fagen’s article, she argues how Griner will be a “burden of performance”, lack the skills needed for the NBA level, and put herself at risk for embarrassment. Fagen later makes the statement, “Game is game…the difference between the men and woman is something completely out of their control: a threshold for athleticism bestowed upon them at birth.” Female athletes that push past these social barriers, such as Griner, are then looked upon as invaders of male turf. (Coakley, 262)
Overall, Griner is not the first woman to try out for the NBA and she will not be the last. There will always be opinions and criticism of whether a woman is qualified to play a man’s sport, but the only way to get results is to actually give the thought a try. Luckily Mark Cuban is willing to give Griner a chance of a lifetime.

Works Cited
Coakley, Jay J. Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.
Fagan, Kate. "No Woman, Not Even Griner, Could Play in NBA." ESPNW. ESPN, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
MacMahon, Tim. "Mark Cuban May Draft Brittney Griner." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2013.

Cited: Coakley, Jay J. Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Fagan, Kate. "No Woman, Not Even Griner, Could Play in NBA." ESPNW. ESPN, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. MacMahon, Tim. "Mark Cuban May Draft Brittney Griner." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2013.