Women know sports too
As a lively discussion about the NFL emerged on Facebook between myself and a friend, another party jumped into the conversation. I was quick to continue the point I was making which elicited the following response:
Wow a female that knows sports rare ❤️😍🌹😊
Sigh. I pointed out that not only do I know football but I actually work for the NFL. A job I acquired partially for my knowledge of the NFL. My friend was quick to vouch for me and the guy was quick to take his word for my football acumen. The fact that my friend had to vouch for me at all is still very frustrating to me.
I have been following the NFL all of my life. Some of my first memories are of watching football on tv. I have been blogging about the NFL since 2009. My college degree is in sports journalism. And as I previously stated, I work for the NFL. Football is not just something I casually observe it is a passion.
Despise my extensive knowledge and background, I am constantly having to prove myself as a legitimate source of information. There are men who believe I only watch football or work for the NFL to see the men. When I can rattle off statistics and history most are taken aback. I have been interrogated extensively just to see how much I really know. I try to be patient while internally I am stewing that I have to play this game again (and again and again).
Yes, there are women who KNOW sports. Football, basketball, baseball, etc on par with their male counterparts. Women who legitimately love the sport and watch it study it master it purely for the love of the game. We aren't watching the men in uniforms anymore than male viewers do. We are taking in the game we thoroughly enjoy and respect. We are bloggers, journalist, reporters, but above all we are fans.
To assume a woman cannot know a sport as well as a man is insulting. As a woman I can't just know the sport, I have to know it better than my male colleagues. Even my job interview went on for 45 minutes where my male co-workers advised me there's were only 15. I have gotten used to this over the years, but it isn't something women should have to get used to or accept as part of the job. We work at our craft everyday. Whether that's reading articles, speaking with players, watching games (or game film) and learning all we can about every player and every prospect. It is our job to know and so we do.
Worse above the naysayers and doubters are those who hurl insults at me for the sin of being a woman covering a man's sport. The attacks are not on my knowledge, but on me personally. Cruel, mean spirited, derogatory comments attacking my looks, my intelligence and my gender all for speaking on a subject I have studied for years. If I were talking about gymnastics (a subject I know nothing about) would that be more acceptable? Would I be questioned less about how much of this topic I really know?
I once thought about changing my name to an ambiguous gender neutral one just to avoid the constant doubts, questions and attacks. It is something I still consider, but dammit it's the 21st century and I shouldn't have to hide who I am or change the sport I cover to fit into someone's normative beliefs about what a woman in sports should cover. I worked my butt off to get where I am and I'll continue to work my butt off to get to the next level. Love it or hate it, women will continue to cover sports and do a damn good job at it. Catch up to us.
Wow a female that knows sports rare ❤️😍🌹😊
Sigh. I pointed out that not only do I know football but I actually work for the NFL. A job I acquired partially for my knowledge of the NFL. My friend was quick to vouch for me and the guy was quick to take his word for my football acumen. The fact that my friend had to vouch for me at all is still very frustrating to me.
I have been following the NFL all of my life. Some of my first memories are of watching football on tv. I have been blogging about the NFL since 2009. My college degree is in sports journalism. And as I previously stated, I work for the NFL. Football is not just something I casually observe it is a passion.
Despise my extensive knowledge and background, I am constantly having to prove myself as a legitimate source of information. There are men who believe I only watch football or work for the NFL to see the men. When I can rattle off statistics and history most are taken aback. I have been interrogated extensively just to see how much I really know. I try to be patient while internally I am stewing that I have to play this game again (and again and again).
Yes, there are women who KNOW sports. Football, basketball, baseball, etc on par with their male counterparts. Women who legitimately love the sport and watch it study it master it purely for the love of the game. We aren't watching the men in uniforms anymore than male viewers do. We are taking in the game we thoroughly enjoy and respect. We are bloggers, journalist, reporters, but above all we are fans.
To assume a woman cannot know a sport as well as a man is insulting. As a woman I can't just know the sport, I have to know it better than my male colleagues. Even my job interview went on for 45 minutes where my male co-workers advised me there's were only 15. I have gotten used to this over the years, but it isn't something women should have to get used to or accept as part of the job. We work at our craft everyday. Whether that's reading articles, speaking with players, watching games (or game film) and learning all we can about every player and every prospect. It is our job to know and so we do.
Worse above the naysayers and doubters are those who hurl insults at me for the sin of being a woman covering a man's sport. The attacks are not on my knowledge, but on me personally. Cruel, mean spirited, derogatory comments attacking my looks, my intelligence and my gender all for speaking on a subject I have studied for years. If I were talking about gymnastics (a subject I know nothing about) would that be more acceptable? Would I be questioned less about how much of this topic I really know?
I once thought about changing my name to an ambiguous gender neutral one just to avoid the constant doubts, questions and attacks. It is something I still consider, but dammit it's the 21st century and I shouldn't have to hide who I am or change the sport I cover to fit into someone's normative beliefs about what a woman in sports should cover. I worked my butt off to get where I am and I'll continue to work my butt off to get to the next level. Love it or hate it, women will continue to cover sports and do a damn good job at it. Catch up to us.
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