Women's Soccer: She Shoots, She Scores!!

Soccer is a sport that is unfortunately not given much thought in America today. Despite the promise of David Beckham, shown to the left, coming to play in the MLS to create more excitement for the sport, Americans have just not gravitated to the game the way the rest of the world has. However, one demographic in America that has taken to the game of soccer is young girls. Soccer is the most popular women’s college sport, with about 18,000 women playing at all three levels of the NCAA. Soccer is a sport that I grew up playing and it was through soccer that I really became interested in sports in general. It is because of soccer that I wish to be involved in the sports communication field. So with the Women’s World Cup currently going on in China, and with the U.S. team in the semifinals, I felt it would be an appropriate time to investigate the status of women’s soccer in the United States today, especially since the Cup does not seem to be well-covered by the media. The blog I Want to Be a Sports Agent, contains a post entitled "Have You Heard of ‘Em?", by Samyr Laine, a 2006 Harvard graduate and co-founder of Amaranth Sports and Entertainment. The post discusses the current Women’s World Cup and the American team’s impact on the world of girl’s youth soccer. Likewise, the blog Second Innocence, which focuses on gender identity and women, contains a post by Machtaige Maus, entitled "I Can Tackle, Too! Oh, Wait, I'm Not Allowed." that addresses the issue of equality in women’s sports. The issue of women in sports, especially soccer is something that I feel strongly about, and prompted me to comment on these posts.

A. Comment on "Have Ya Heard of 'Em?" Post

I do agree with the statement that the Women’s World Cup this year has not received as much attention as it has in the past. There are many reasons for that, such as the fact that the United States is not the host country (which we were in 1999). Also, since the games are played in China, they are aired in the U.S. in the mornings, when most potential viewers are either at work or school. I do agree with the Nike commercial statement that the U.S. women’s soccer team is, “the best team you’ve never heard of,” because this team is new and most of the players are different than the famed 1999 Women’s World Cup team. That team was extremely popular, and drew an audience of about 90,000 (I being one of them) to watch them play in the finals against China. Their popularity seemed to stem from the fact that big-name stars like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, shown on the right, were on the team, and that the U.S. was the host for the tournament that year. However, I feel that it is unfair to say that Nike hopes that this Cup and next year’s Beijing Olympics will be a “catalyst for another women’s soccer popularity surge,” because I do not feel that girl’s interest in soccer has waned since 1999. Today, there are more than 1.54 million registered girls playing soccer at various levels in the United States. That is more than the next fourteen countries combined. So to say that Nike and the U.S. needs this women’s team to win the Cup for soccer to become more popular, I think is a falsehood. The sport seems to be doing just fine, and a win would not hurt. In fact, it definitely would lead to more excitement in the future. However, if they did not win, the future popularity of women’s soccer in the United States would not wane.

B. Comment on "I Can Tackle, Too! Oh, Wait, I'm Not Allowed." Post

I grew up playing soccer competitively at the club and varsity level in Southern California, which is a hotbed for soccer. According to the Cal South Website, the governing body for Southern California soccer, 25% of the 2003 Women’s World Cup team grew up playing soccer for Cal South teams. I would like to think that myself and my teammates played soccer at a very high level. It did not seem that as a women’s team, we were treated worse by the league by being placed on inferior fields or only given one referee instead of three, as the league in your post does. By and large we played on the same fields as the boys. I find it terrible that a league would place girl’s games on the worst fields. Soccer is an incredibly popular sport today with young girls. Today, 40% of the children who play AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) Soccer are girls, so they are a segment of the soccer-playing population that should not be left out.

Granted, it is not fair to compare men’s and women’s soccer because the style of play is different, however, when you really get down to it, the fundamentals of the game are the same. The rules of soccer are the same for men and women. For example, a takedown from behind on a breakaway is an automatic red card in the club league that I played in for both men’s and women’s teams. Soccer itself is a universal language and where no matter where you play the rules are always the same. That is one of the reasons why it is such a popular game around the world. The women’s game, although it may not be as fast-paced as the men’s game is still entertaining and fun to watch, as is evidenced by the Women’s World Cup, which is currently going on in China. The games are being televised every morning on ESPN and ESPN2, which shows that the game of soccer and specifically women’s soccer is being exposed to a wide audience. Overall, I feel that the popularity of women’s soccer will continue to grow and develop, and a large part of that could be contributed to the fact that the rules of the game are the same as the men’s game.

Patriots' Scandal: Tampering with a Reputation?

The fate of New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick seemed sealed. With 124 career wins and three Super Bowl victories in four years, he was set to go down as one of the best coaches in NFL history. That was, however, until the Patriots’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 9, when the Patriots were caught using a video camera to spy on Jets' coaches. One of the video assistants for the Patriots had his camera confiscated while on the Jets’ sideline during the game. It was thought that the Patriots were stealing the opponent’s signs. After the game, the Patriots' head coach had little to say about the incident, saying only that he would comment when he had more information about it, and when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came down with a ruling.

There was much speculation about the incident in the following week, because Commissioner Goodell has come down harshly with rulings against different infractions over the past year. For example, he suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones for a year, just for multiple run-ins with the law. Goodell wants to show the NFL players, coaches, and teams that he is not going to tolerate unruly behavior that will bring negative publicity to the NFL. This is his first year as Commissioner, and he has sent the message that breaking NFL infractions will be met with harsh fines and punishment. This was demonstrated last Thursday, September 13, as the Commissioner again displayed his heavy fist and brought down a harsh punishment on Coach Belichick and the Patriots. Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 and a first day draft pick next year. According to a Fox News article, it was the “biggest fine ever for a coach and the first time in NFL history that a first round draft pick has ever been confiscated as a penalty.” As was expected, Coach Belichick was bombarded with questions surrounding the scandal at a Friday morning press conference. However, he did not address the penalties explicitly. Coach said, “It’s over and we are moving on. All my energy and focus and attention is on the San Diego Chargers and that game.” This past Sunday, September 16, the Patriots did focus on the game and beat the San Diego Chargers 38-14, but in today’s world scandals that question a person’s morals are not easily forgotten, especially when it happens to a well-respected coach.

After the penalties came down, and the media was addressed, the issue of Coach Belichick's morals came to light when he did not offer any apologies for the infractions. He dismissed the scandal, by just saying it was in the past, and accepted no wrongdoing; accept for the fact that he may have misunderstood the rules. Now, yes, America is a country founded upon the premise that you are innocent until proven guilty. However, in this case, Commissioner Goodell and his committee investigated the situation, and found the team guilty of videotaping opposing coaches. The rules are clear cut about video recording. NFL rules state, in part: "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." This fact was re-emphasized in a memo sent Sept. 6 to NFL head coaches and general managers in which the league said: "Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game." When the Commissioner announced his decision and penalties, Coach Belichick should have taken full acceptance for all that happened. However, he did not respond in that matter. The only thing he accepted was that he should have understood the rules more clearly. Yet, if you look at the above rules from the NFL, they explicitly stated that no videotaping of any kind is allowed. Now both the NFL and the Patriots came out and said that the camera was taken before the end of the first quarter, and had no affect on the outcome of the game. However, it is the principle of the matter and that he did not take responsibility for his actions. It is a serious occurrence, and something that will always be in the back of peoples’ minds when they discuss the Patriots and the tenure of Bill Belichick. In fact, players, such as Philadelphia Eagle Reno Mahe,pictured to the right, with his NFC Championship ring, are already questioning the Patriots. Mahe was a member of the 2004 Eagles team which lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. He stated, “I think they [The Patriots] should forfeit, man.” The reality is that many people will be skeptical, and unfortunately after this occurrence, the morals of Coach Belichick, and the past winnings of the Patriots will be questioned.