Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Sports Illustrated champions women's ski jumping

It's a little late, of course and one has to wonder where all the sympathy from the mainstream, American-based media was when these women were in the midst of their battle with the IOC and, by default, VANOC. The righteous indignation is nice but just two weeks before the start of the games, it's a little less righteous and indignatious.
But the SI column does do a good job noting the male-dominated make up of the IOC, the lip service Rogge has played to gender equity, how softball was cut on his watch and continually and problematically compared to baseball, and the admittance of other sports ahead of women's ski jumping.
It also makes a good point about the limited growth of a sport that is not in the Olympics (one of the reasons behind the decision was that there was not enough depth) and, I would argue, not an intercollegiate sport. With very limited funding for a national team that is not an Olympic sport, many women have or will quit jumping.

1 comment:

anonymous said...

Did you see Lindsey Vonn on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

S.I. is reprehensible in so many ways. The Vonn shot is a precursor to the ridiculous swimsuit issue that will come out soon.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-blodget/people-whining-about-spor_b_451017.html