We Don't Have to Defend Women's Sports Anymore

Dave Zirin at the Nation got an invitation to go on the radio to talk about the US women's World Cup win. Unfortunately, it wasn't to discuss Carli Lloyd's goals or Abby Wambach's twilight glory or the team's up-and-coming stars—it was an invitation to debate whether people cared about women's sports. Zirin responded with a curt "no" because "I’m done with the media-debate spectacle of 'defending' women’s sports," he writes. The tired argument gets revived whenever a big sporting event is in the news. It's not only insulting to the female athletes, it's out of step with reality.

"While I’m being asked why 'no one cares,' the Women’s World Cup is getting ratings that would make the NBA or Major League Baseball weep with joy," writes Zirin. ESPN may give women's sports little respect, but people are going elsewhere for coverage. Even pro wrestling, a longtime bastion of sexism, is delivering via NXT "a crew of empowering, genius women athletes like (Sasha) Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch." Enough with playing defense on women's sports, writes Zirin. "It’s time to go on offense. It’s time to write more about women’s sports and be part of the grassroots struggle to do what the sports networks and sports-radio talking potatoes won't do"—spread the word about how great these games are. Click for his full column. (More women's sports stories.)