What's the fuss over women's football?
Enough with The Message
I have long wondered just what justified the level of media hysteria over women’s football. Everywhere you look now there is some story about some woman playing football. Why, I ask myself. Why not women’s volleyball or women’s hockey or women’s basketball. Just what is the obsession with women’s football? Then I understood. It is all part of The Message.
So it came as no surprise that Mary Earps, 30, won the BBC Sport’s Personality of the Year last night. She became the second women's footballer in a row to win after England teammate Beth Mead claimed the crown last year. Ms Earps promptly collected the trophy in her underwear, which I also did not understand.
The Daily Mail tells me that, “some fans have questioned why Earps, 30, claimed the top prize ahead of a host of champions in other fields, after she 'didn't win' anything for England.
Viewers claimed that the achievements of other nominees including Stuart Broad, Frankie Dettori, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Katarina Johnson-Thompson 'far outweigh' those of the England Lioness' goalkeeper.”
Other stars have enjoyed strong years too, with O'Sullivan winning his eighth UK Championship snooker title, and jockey Dettori triumphing in a host of races including two Classics - the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean and the Oaks on Soul Sister.
The Mail, “But while she played an influential role in helping the Lionesses reach the final of the Women's World Cup for the first time, some felt the lack of a tangible trophy meant she was a less worthy winner than some of her other nominees.”
Controversial footballer manager Joey Barton weighed in on the debate saying the decision to pick Earps over the 'genius like' O'Sullivan and Dettori was 'madness'.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan also weighed in on the debate, as he wrote: 'Trying to get my head around two of England's women footballers winning BBC SPOTY in successive years… while male sporting superstars with great personalities like Rory McIlroy, Frankie Dettori & Ronnie O'Sullivan have never won it'.
Poor Joey Barton and Piers Morgan. Do they not get it yet? Do they not understand The Message?
Competitions like BBC Sports Personality of The Year are no longer about merit. The clue is in the name, it is about the personality which conveniently gives quite a lot of flexibility as to who wins. The final decision is down to a public vote but when the media have already flooded the airwaves with how brilliant women’s football is, then we are in ‘manufacturing consent’ territory.
As such when it comes to a white man (a white man! can you imagine him winning anything anymore that involved choice, and not outright sporting competition) versus a female footballer it is no contest. Now you are talking Manchester City v Burnley territory (the men’s game.)
Morgan and Barton should understand that women’s football is the perfect vehicle to push point two of The Message, which is women doing masculine things is great. Women doing feminine things, is not so great. Lack of modesty in female fashion is a bonus.
This is why the media are so obsessed with women’s football that it has become embarrassing. Of course, they like women’s rugby too because that is even more masculine (a sport for hooligans) than football, but football does have that universal appeal so it is the perfect vehicle to push the idea that women should very rarely appear feminine or pursue feminine activities, sports or vocations.
Now before you all pile in and say women who play football can absolutely be feminine when not on the field, I understand this. I am not saying they are not. I’m not saying very much about them at all, what I am saying is that the media treatment and promotion of women’s football is ridiculously disproportionate to what it deserves. I don’t begrudge the footballers whatever money they might earn, good luck to them I say, that is not the point.
My point is, that I have had enough of the media and their shameless and obvious promotion of The Message. I am not interested in any of the following: women assassins that always seem to appear in films; female boxers or weightlifters, or indeed women’s rugby and football.
It has nearly come to the point that if you choose not to watch these things, then there is something wrong with you. Like the flipping RTE Late Late Toy show. Which I still hate.
I always thought that rugby was a game played by gentlemen while football was the hooligans’ game of choice.