If you thought we were condescending toward women watching football in America, feast your eyes on comedienne Clare Challoner's attempt to promote women and football in England. Apparently, this is what passes for support of England's women's team, which faces the USA in the FIFA Women's World Cup on Saturday. And if Goal made me suffer this, you must suffer, too.
Maybe I just have a different view of this sort of thing, being from a country where Mia Hamm's Q score is still much higher than Clint Dempsey's. On the other hand, England's reaction to women in football may still be slightly more enlightened than what you might get in, say, Saudi Arabia or Egypt.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-21-2007 @ 1:59PM
Grim said...
I am English and we are generally very proud of the Women's international team, and most footie fans have at least a passing interest in how they are doing. However most 'men' have little desire to watch it (either on TV or in person) and the reality is that when we have copious tv coverage of the top-level of the sport it leaves Women's soccer fairly redundant.
I have watched two of England's group games, including the draw against the tournament favourites Germany. and the lack of athleticism, vision and skill in comparison with it's equivalent male counterpart is substantial. There is no shortage of desire and commitment, but it isn't a particularly good game. It may be condescending, but I truly believe that were I to form a team of friends and have us train for two to four weeks we would be able to compete with the women and the only place they would have a true advantage is at the set-piece. I imagine the difference between the Men's Premiership and the majority of the women's game is a similar gulf to that of the NFL and Div-1AAA Football.
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9-23-2007 @ 2:10AM
Roy Lesher said...
Home country support really improves the performance of a national team - men or ladies. That's why England went home today and the U.S. prevailed. Someone might beat the U.S. ladies team, but it won't because the U.S. didn't give it 120%. The final two matches will be tough, bloody and may the best team win.
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9-25-2007 @ 6:55PM
pete hammond said...
i think you are wrong about this video.it is a tongue in cheek reference to the general attitude about women playing this game by men.it is not condescending at all.The male character is saying what most male football fans think when it comes to women loving football and the female throws it back into his face.you need to listen more to the lyrics.The chorus is just a fun 'big up for the girls'.more women watch and follow football than ever before and certainly more than most men will admit to.we need more of this attitude.
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