Okay, maybe the headline was a stretch. Women don’t run the entirety of the sports world. But we, women, certainly deserve our credit. And shame on you, Mr. Raymond Moore, for thinking otherwise.
Raymond Moore, the former tennis tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open in California, resigned Monday evening after making the audacious comment about women tennis stars who “ride on the coattails of men.”
For those of you catching up, his entire comments were as follows:
In my next life, I want to be someone in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), because they ride on the coattails of men. They don’t make any decisions and they are lucky. If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they carried the sport.
Really, Ray, really? Have you not heard of Serena Williams?
If not, allow this excerpt from Time magazine to illuminate things:
In 2015, the U.S. Open women’s tournament, which featured a nail-biting showdown between Serena and Venus Williams, sold out more quickly than the men’s tournament. In 2013 and 2014, the women’s U.S. Open final garnered higher TV ratings than the men’s final. In 2005, the Wimbledon final between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport drew 1 million more viewers than the showdown between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.
And even if the powerhouse female tennis star didn’t have these showings to back her legacy in the game, we all know very well many of us (male and female, white and black, young and old) would not have ever watched a tennis match in the last decade if it weren’t for Ms. Williams and her sister. And Williams, admits as much herself in a recent press conference, regarding Moore’s remarks.
I don’t think any woman should be down on their knees thanking anybody like that… I think Venus, myself, a number of players—if I could tell you every day how many people say they don’t watch tennis unless they’re watching myself or my sister — I couldn’t even bring up that number.
But I’d also like to point Mr. Moore to the ongoings in this year’s NCAA basketball tournaments. Yes, each March Madness season, we hear “bracket talk” about Duke, Kentucky (sorry, boys), UNC, Indiana, Kansas, etc. Sure. But on the women’s side, let’s give due credit to the dominance of UConn. The women’s University of Connecticut team is embarking on the quest for their 11th team championship, which if achieved, will equal the men’s UCLA team for the most NCAA titles. Also, how about UConn player Breanna Stewart? Stewart is currently in the race for the Naismith Trophy (announced April 4th), which if won will make her the only player (male or female) to ever win four Naismith Trophies.
And while we’re on the subject of dominance, let’s not overlook the USA women’s soccer team. With three World Cup titles and four Olympic golds, the women’s national team is the most successful women’s soccer team in the world. Since Mr. Moore is a fan of comparisons, the men’s national team comes up with zero in both competitions. If you Google USA soccer news, the headlines will resoundingly come up with stories of the women’s team. Should the men’s team pray on their knees, grateful for the success of their counterparts? I think not?
We could go on for days, but I believe Mr. Moore and others like him will finally get the drift. Yes, fame and attention come in degrees, no athlete—male or female—can control that. But your success is your own doing. You can thank God, your coach, your talent and your dedication. But you can’t get to the top of your game, riding someone else’s coattails. And to say any female athlete should solely owe her success to anyone else is absolutely absurd.
BMWK, who do you think female sports get adequate attention in the media? Do you want to see more or less coverage?