With the advent of Libby Lenton's 51.91 WR in the 100m free. I propose a swim off and battle of the sexes.
Paul "the evil" Smith (45) representing Bobby Riggs
vs.
Libby Lenton (20) as Billie Jean King.
My money rests on the female.
John Smith
They have a version of this argument in the running forums--and guys who run have had cars go by w/ the beer drinking crowd throwing bottles and calling them "***." Maybe any individual pursuit where men and women can enter the same events, train together, etc., can provoke suspicion among the homophobic. Women athletes have had to deal w/ the labels too--to the extent that perhaps for a long time, girls were intimidated fr/ taking part in sports at all. The deeper issue is why should we be so judgmental about someone being gay to begin with? My 50something self doesn't care much if someone says I'm gay--b/c such a person is ignorant if s/he judges me or anyone by a gender orientation. It's harder for kids, especially around adolescence when peers can be cruel. But I think that adults need to model tolerance and help kids become more accepting of diversity, not insulate them from it.
America has deified athletes in the big-time team sports such as football, baseball, and basketball--any participation by women tends to be reduced to a side-show. I'm not so sure I'd want this to happen in either running or swimming.
As for women competing with men--one interesting point: in very long distance running events, often women can outperform men. A woman won the Badwater race outright twice--this is a 135-mile footrace from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney. Women have been in the top five in the 100-mile Western States race. The theory seems to be that women's potential in endurance sports has only just begun to be evident. Yet men still compete and I don't see any sign of their leaving the sport b/c of women joining the events.
They have a version of this argument in the running forums--and guys who run have had cars go by w/ the beer drinking crowd throwing bottles and calling them "***." Maybe any individual pursuit where men and women can enter the same events, train together, etc., can provoke suspicion among the homophobic. Women athletes have had to deal w/ the labels too--to the extent that perhaps for a long time, girls were intimidated fr/ taking part in sports at all. The deeper issue is why should we be so judgmental about someone being gay to begin with? My 50something self doesn't care much if someone says I'm gay--b/c such a person is ignorant if s/he judges me or anyone by a gender orientation. It's harder for kids, especially around adolescence when peers can be cruel. But I think that adults need to model tolerance and help kids become more accepting of diversity, not insulate them from it.
America has deified athletes in the big-time team sports such as football, baseball, and basketball--any participation by women tends to be reduced to a side-show. I'm not so sure I'd want this to happen in either running or swimming.
As for women competing with men--one interesting point: in very long distance running events, often women can outperform men. A woman won the Badwater race outright twice--this is a 135-mile footrace from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney. Women have been in the top five in the 100-mile Western States race. The theory seems to be that women's potential in endurance sports has only just begun to be evident. Yet men still compete and I don't see any sign of their leaving the sport b/c of women joining the events.
