After Atalanta

What equality is remains contextual and questionable. I don't know much about economics. And gender continues to present so many interesting issues with which to contend. Hence all the questions in the title of this post. But what I really want to talk about (though I am actually still a little hesitant about talking about it) is the recent news that the organizers of the 2012 London Olympics have priced the tickets for men's and women's events differently. In many cases, tickets for men's events are more expensive--sometimes significantly so. The IOC (though it does not set the ticket prices--the organizers do) is taking most of the flak for this decision. Critics contend that the pricing undervalues women's sports and sends a message that women's sports are just not as good as men's sports. I agree that that message is being sent and that it is not good. But I do not see the pricing differential as entirely bad. First, the difference reinforces prevailing ...

I was just talking to a friend the other day about how roller derby is such a hot topic in sport studies because it's a great venue for examining gender roles, subversion, aggression, alternative sport, sexuality, and a host of other things. And of course the forthcoming (I cannot wait!!) Whip It with Juno star Ellen Paige and directed by Drew Barrymore will draw even more critical and popular attention to the sport. Unfortunately, with the recession, roller derby has been experiencing some problems. Most articles about sport and the recession have focused on keeping fans in the stands, but this one is about keeping players in the rink. Roller derby is not a professional sport--the players do not get paid. They have to finance their own gear, travel expenses, and health coverage. And we all know what kind of a state health care is in these days. And even though some players could skate by (pardon the pun) on multiple part-time gigs, if they are without health care, roller derby i...

Athletic departments, with their non-traditional accounting practices, may have a little more 'splainin to do about where their monies are going. Congress is looking at the tax-exempt status athletic departments, because they are part of educational institutions, receive. Are they really using football and basketball revenues to subsidize non-revenue sports as we so frequently hear yelled from the anti-Title IX rafters? Congress wants to know. 'Cause if they are not being used thusly or in support of an institution's educational mission, well all those millions of tax-free dollars may have to be reconsidered. (Government needs money, in case you hadn't heard.) So the Congressional Budget Office has been looking at things and will issue a report on the matter. They were not too pleased, though, that the data they used had to come from the Indianapolis Star's investigation into the issue earlier. They obtained their data from a Freedom of Information request. In other...

Almost passed over yet another article about the bad economy and the effects on women's sports. You know, the one that invokes almost immediately the folding of the Houston Comets and the shaky pitch the WPS finds itself on. Though much later in the article it is noted that the WPS needed to average 4,000 attendees per game to remain sustainable and in the first weeks of the season is averaging 6,000. It is the LPGA actually that seems to be hit the hardest among women's sports and that is probably because they appeal to a different clientele. The hope among other women's sports is that the low cost of attending a game, tournament, or competition will draw people who are no longer willing to spend well over $100 for a family of 4 to attend a baseball game. The LPGA does not have those same advantages. And professional golf has always relied on high-end sponsorship because it is said to appeal to higher end customers--hence sponsorships by Rolex, Cadillac, etc. But in tough ...

The not-that-old (9 months) Sports Museum of America, home of the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, has closed . The for-profit museum apparently wasn't making much profit and the owners are seeking a buyer--it could be a steal for $10 million, if you're interested. Apparently you would need to come up with a new marketing plan though; the lack of effective marketing is the reason given for the museum's closure.