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No Females League

» Giving Lloyd a chance is sexist

Eric Wilkins
Contributor

 

here’s an audible “thud” as a precise

strike sends the ball sailing before
touching down half-a-field away. There’s
no feminist scream of equality when Carli
Lloyd’s latest lands though—just the
whisper of a small pro crowd watching the
players warm up. After moonlighting as
a kicker in practice for the Philadelphia
Eagles, Lloyd has resumed her usual paces
for the NWSL’s Sky Blue FC; and, as often
is the case when it comes to women’s
soccer outside of the USWNT, no one really
cares. Sky Blue FC has one of the worst
attendance records in the league; they
usually manage about 2,000 fans at their
park that can house about 5,000.

The end of August was rife with talk of
how Lloyd could become the first woman
to play in the NFL thanks to her ability
to knock a ball halfway across a pitch—
something her own supporters can see for
pennies on the dollar every weekend. She
reportedly received interest from several
NFL squads soon after her video went
viral. What a moment for women. What a
moment for equality. What a moment for
the world.

But it’s not.

Ina continent constantly complaining
of the infinite sexism of men, how are we
able to let such complete double-standards
pass without a whimper? Why is Lloyd
getting a free pass for an opportunity to
compete with the elite of the elite in one of
the world’s most difficult leagues to hang
in? Is it because she can kick field goals?
Or is it because she can kick field goals and
she’s a woman. The latter is the pick.

Before continuing, I need to preface
that it’s absolutely fantastic that she can
kick a 55-yard field goal in practice—
if entirely unsurprising. She is an
accomplished professional soccer player
after all. If she couldn’t hit a 55-yarder
it would be shocking. In the context of
normal people though, it’s no small feat.
The difficulty arises when you compare
her to the men. There are more technical
points to address, but it’s important to take
on the sexism first.

Lloyd has all of part of an afternoon
kicking a football, yet she’s had more
tryout offers than guys who have played
their whole lives. There are players who
have kicked since high school, through
college, and still not gotten a chance to
star in the NFL. Not even a tryout. They
can kick it just as far. They can kick it
just as accurately. They know the proper
technique. They have timing down with
their centre and long-snapper. They know
the clearance required to get over the
blockers. They know how to kick into the
wind. They can handle kickoff duties as
well as field goals. They are prepared for
the “icing” from the other coach. They can
kick in a helmet and pads. They can hit a
squib kick. They know how to hit onside
kicks. They can kick calmly when there’s 1
monstrous men trying simultaneously to
knock the living stuffing out of ‘em. There’s
a million more points, but it should be
obvious by now: She’s not as qualified as
her male counterparts.

Now, this isn’t to say she can’t be
as good as male kickers, but if you had
two people walk in and ask for a job—
regardless of gender—and one of them has
a lifetime of experience and the other has a

 

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M opinions@theotherpress.ca

related skillset but no
real experience, who
are you hiring?

Is this really
the representation
we want? A woman
playing the weakest
position on the
field? On a team of
men, the scrawniest
person being a
woman? The woman
being the only one
who doesnt hit, in the ultra-physical
sport of football? One can debate that it’s
good just to have a woman in the sport—
regardless of where she plays—but is it
really? If we're talking about equality and
the ability of both sexes to compete at one
level, have we proved anything by inserting
a woman into the one spot that people
already make fun of? If awoman can
compete at any other position, sure, give
her a shot. But giving her a tryout at kicker
is a lot like a fine-dining restaurant letting
a kid wash dishes for them so he can claim
he’s worked at a top kitchen; it’s tokenism.

There are over 329 million people
in the United States. There are 1,696
players in the NFL. NFL athletes comprise
0.00051468% of the USA. Biologically
men are stronger than women; it’s a fact.
The Olympics are my favourite example
to display the biological inequality among
the strongest of each sex. Even at the
highest level, there is a decidedly tangible
difference that would prevent any woman
from competing in the men’s events.
Taking this into consideration, to think
that Lloyd is a better athlete than any of
the NFL is insane. It hasn’t happened in

Try all of your friends’ hobbies

» It’s an easy way to bond

Janis McMath
Assistant Editor

 

fter finally getting into football after a

ifetime of swearing that I would never
get into sports, I realize how important it is
to be open-minded to new experiences—
especially your friends’ hobbies. Don’t
let biases of “T probably won't be aligned
with that” hinder you from potentially
connecting with your friends in a whole new
way.

Now this is not to say that you will
enjoy doing everything your friends do. I, for
example, cannot get into roleplaying games.
I get impatient having to stay in character
and desperately want to change the topic. It
just isn’t what I’m good at or enjoy, but I only
know that because I had the opportunity
to enjoy a murder mystery game with my
friends. Even though I now know that
roleplaying is not for me, I still enjoyed

 

rey ey teh Ces eae eee ed

* Douglas College Soapbox
¢ Driving and live streaming is dangerous
e ‘it’s a good thing you're pretty’

..and more

 

thousands of years of the Olympics and it
certainly isn’t now. And if you truly believe
in equality, she shouldn't be offered any
breaks; she should be just as good or not in
it at all.

“But it’s important for women to
know what they can achieve!” But is it
achievement if the bar gets lowered?

Are you happy about benching a few
hundred pounds when the weight was
actually dramatically less? When will we
stop pretending women can compete in
professional men’s sports? More than 99%
of men in the USA aren't good enough

to play in the NFL—and that’s with the
biological advantage of typically being
physically stronger than women. Using that
last fact for perspective, is it really sexist
that we don’t have women in men’s sports?

Carli Lloyd could kick in the NFL,
but if society is half as uppity about true
equality and fair treatment for both sexes
as it claims to be, she should never get a
chance over all of those who have worked
far longer and harder at their craft than she
has. Lloyd also deserves better than that.
She’s a two-time FIFA Player of the Year
and shouldn't be reduced to a token.

seeing my friends partake in something they
are so naturally talented at and invested in.
People get much more animated when
they speak about what they are passionate
about and that is a huge reason to put some
time into your friend’s interests. If you are
just getting to know someone, it can be an
easy way to start conversations and show
that you are interested in being friends.
If you do happen to get into a hobby your
friend introduces you to, that can also create
a great bond strengthened by more frequent
hangouts. | often find that I never feel like I
see my friends enough, and sharing a hobby
is a great way to get rid of that feeling and
keep consistency in seeing each other.
Considering all of the similarities you
already have with your friends; you probably
are bound to click with more interests than
the ones you are already aware of. Try out
your friends’ hobbies and be surprised by
all the fun times you would've otherwise
missed out on!