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gumption72
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 260
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 Posted: 10/27/05 7:06 pm ::: |
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| OU#1 wrote: |
| Boy, what an impact this last 48hrs. could have. I have thought of the words "guts", "honesty", "privacy" since it made the airways. But the word for this topic, "backlash" is what has overshadowed the others IMHO. As one who played in the mid-80's, worked at Div.1 level in the 90's, and then finally got to do my first love, coaching, in the late 90's till last year, I greatly fear one thing. The backlash. It won't impact Swoopes - as has been stated earlier, she is arguably one of the best of all time. But instead it is those of us on the periphery. If you are single, in your late 30's-40's and love the game and want to coach it - get ready for the paranoia. In this homophobic country one is seen as "guilty" until proven "innocent". If you think it doesn't come into play in the hiring of coaches you're wrong. From the accounts of Portland's former players and subsequent great article by Voepel and others, to the article a couple yrs. ago re: negative recruiting and Stanford, to the "outing" of the WNBA's best who many hadn't a clue about and has consequently broken the steroetypical mold, there will be parents and administrators who will create a backlash from their ignorance. My fear is this, if you thought there were too few women coaches in AAU, hs, etc. - it could get even worse. |
OU#1, I think you hit the nail on the head. In my opinion, the true backlash may just lie in the recruitment of high school and college girls/women. Good or bad, like it or not, there are parents out there who are hearing this and just not liking it. There is just no getting around it. It is confirming their 'worst' fears about women's sports. One of the highest profile women's players is gay by her own admission. I would like to say that all or at least the majority of parents are open minded and think this is either neutral or great, but that is not true. Maybe we will find that it is near the majority, though.
I found it interesting I couldn't find the story in our local TV news on any of the three stations at all, even in the sports segment (and I surfed like a mad woman!) Does this mean anything? Is it just not news or are they scared to even mention it? They made fun of it on different radio sports news segments. 
I wonder about the sample pool of people who answered the ESPN poll... just a bunch of net/sports junkies or maybe made up of the real people who are going to be sending off their daughters to school for sports?
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 21046
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| Posted: 10/27/05 7:13 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| vanyogan wrote: |
| This story is a non-story. |
It's already off the front page of ESPN.com. |
No offense to anyone but I don't know really if some of you know what a story or a non-story is so let me clear that up for you.
This IS a story.
This is how a writer in Seattle put it.
"Many people said Sheryl Swoopes' announcement that she is gay was a non-story -- either because her sexuality shouldn't matter or because she is far from a household name. But the Houston Comets star, perhaps the best woman to ever work the hardwoods, is in a public club of one. And that has made her revelation a landmark."
WNBA star becomes only openly gay player active in pro team sports
Here is just an incredible picture from the LA Times. This picture alone should illustrate the failure that is WNBA marketing. Why this woman wasn't the face of the WNBA and a household name based on basketball and league marketing alone is beyond explanation.
 _________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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womens_hoops
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 2831
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| Posted: 10/27/05 7:42 pm ::: |
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someone on a blog today called her "the most famous black lesbian ever."
i don't know enough to really know whether that's true... but that's a pretty big deal in itself.
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icey23
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 5723
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: 10/27/05 7:43 pm ::: |
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| Whats the big deal over Swoopes being Gay?
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bluewolfvii
Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 5007
Location: The Happening
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| Posted: 10/27/05 8:42 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| vanyogan wrote: |
| This story is a non-story. |
It's already off the front page of ESPN.com. |
I guess, then, that was a non-story I just watched a 60-minute Quite Frankly devoted to on ESPN2.
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dearly
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 1
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| Posted: 10/27/05 8:58 pm ::: |
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Comments to various posts:
the bible speaks against all sex so most of the population, straight or gay, would be damned to hell if the bible were the law of the land.
I'm gay and I follow the CT Sun and I think Katie Douglas is great- and the fans in CT like to know the players and what's going on with their lives. I'd sure like to know more about Nykesha Sales!
I think Sheryl is courageous. Bible thumpers should think about how hard life can be if you have to hide a big part of your life. Frankly, I don't think most women care about the lesbian thing.
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CKent
Joined: 21 Oct 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Smallville, Kansas
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VandyWhit
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 897
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| Posted: 10/27/05 9:40 pm ::: |
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| Quote: |
This picture alone should illustrate the failure that is WNBA marketing. Why this woman wasn't the face of the WNBA and a household name based on basketball and league marketing alone is beyond explanation.
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Beg your pardon? From day one wasn't she one of the most visible faces of the WNBA, along with Rebecca Lobo and Lisa Leslie?
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ddubdawg
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 1905
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: 10/28/05 5:13 am ::: |
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| To hooper1, sorry I wasn't more clear about why I wanted a big "backlash." Here are my thoughts about that. I believe that if people, whomever and wherever they are, start speaking out against Swoopes and her decision to go public, I think that it will just open up the general debate of "morality" even further. The arguments that I hear from the close-minded folks are rediculous and if they try to beat her up too much, they will lose the debate. I believe this could do so much to help people who are not bigoted, but hadn't really formed opinions, to see that a war is being waged on Gay Americans by the current administration and others and might be able to turn the tide and get our country back to the original beliefs of the Constitution; Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.
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