Running off at the typewriter. …
I was reminded recently that we don’t just watch men’s and women’s sports differently; we judge them differently.
And not always in the way people think.
More than two decades ago, when I first got to Orlando, the city still had a WNBA team called the Orlando Miracle. I covered one of their losses during a disappointing season in 2001. There were a zillion turnovers, defensive breakdowns, blown opportunities; the kind of performance that, in most men’s sports cities, would have triggered boos raining down from the rafters.
But that didn’t happen.
Instead, as the Miracle left the court, the fans stood and applauded.
Not polite clapping. A full-on standing ovation.
No catcalls. No “fire the coach.” No angry sports talk radio fodder waiting to explode the next morning. Just appreciation.
“Boo our own team?” one fan asked incredulously. “Why would we want to do that?”
At the time, I wrote about how strange — and frankly refreshing — it was. These fans weren’t cynical. They weren’t entitled. They weren’t treating the team like a product that failed to meet expectations. They were loyal, supportive, almost … protective.
But over the years, I’ve started to wonder:
Is that really a compliment?
Or is it a different kind of double standard?
In men’s sports, fandom comes with much more of an edge. If you play poorly, you hear about it. Loudly. Fans boo because they care. They demand excellence because they expect it. It’s harsh, yes, and sometimes unfair, but it’s rooted in the idea that these athletes are competing at the highest level and should be held accountable.
In women’s sports, the tone is often different. More respectful. More supportive. Less critical.
Again, that sounds like a good thing.
Until you realize it can also come with lower expectations.
We don’t boo, because maybe — subconsciously — we’re not demanding the same level of performance.
We don’t criticize as harshly, because maybe we’re still treating women’s sports as something to be nurtured rather than fully scrutinized.
And that brings me to the legendary UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
When UConn was upset by South Carolina in the Final Four, Auriemma had a heated postgame exchange with Dawn Staley. It wasn’t a great look. He admitted that himself — twice. Two apologies in four days, saying he “lost himself” and that “women’s basketball deserved better.”
Fair enough.
But here’s the question: If that exact same moment happened in a men’s Final Four game, how would we react?
Would we demand multiple apologies? Would we frame it as a stain on the sport? Would we call the coach a bully or a tyrant?
Or would we just shrug and say: “Those guys are COMPETITORS!”
Because we’ve seen it before. Men’s coaches yelling, jawing, getting in each other’s faces. And the reaction is usually some version of admiration: passion, fire, will to win.
In the women’s game, the same behavior is deemed unacceptable.
Why?
Do we expect women’s sports to be more civil? More respectful? More composed?
And if so, isn’t that its own form of inequality?
We say we want women’s sports to be taken as seriously as men’s sports. But seriousness comes with scrutiny, criticism, uncomfortable moments and emotional outbursts.
And, yes — Miracle of miracles — it even comes with boos. …
SHORT STUFF: Did you see where mad scientist Bryson DeChambeau is once again going outside the box at this year’s Masters by playing with a 5-iron that he fabricated himself with a 3D printer? If something goes wrong, DeChambeau won’t consult his swing coach; he’ll call IT support. … Great point from Sentinel colleague Scott Maxwell, who noted earlier this week that the NFL is not backing down amid Florida attorney general James Uthmeier’s threats to challenge the Rooney Rule — the NFL’s longstanding effort to ensure minority candidates get interviewed for head-coaching jobs. Uthmeier — a former campaign manager for Ron DeSantis whom the governor promoted and appointed as the state’s attorney general — is threatening legal action against the league. Maxwell rightfully points out that Uthmeier got his job via political connections, but he now is somehow worried about other hirings that might not be based on “merit.” …
The Orlando Magic survived a scare Wednesday night when Franz Wagner, who has already missed 48 games due to a left high ankle sprain, went down during a game against Minnesota and immediately grabbed his left knee. Because of the Magic’s injury history, everybody expected the worst, but, thankfully, Franz was able to walk off the court on his own power and returned to action late in the third quarter. Hey, in Orlando, walking it off and reentering the game is reason enough for a standing ovation. … Orlando City has been outscored 23-5 this season. I’m not saying the Lions have a bad defense, but their goalkeepers are starting to request hazard pay. … Prosecutors are seeking Tiger Woods ‘ prescription drug records from a pharmacy, after his vehicle crashed in Florida on March 27 and he pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence. During Masters week, it used to be Tiger’s golf clubs in the spotlight, but now it’s his medicine cabinet. …
A moment of silence, please. Buddy, the largest alligator in Gatorland’s history, has gone to That Big All-You-Can-Eat Swamp in the Sky. Buddy, who measured about 13 feet, 8 inches long and weighed nearly half a ton, was about 70 when he took his last breath. In other words, Buddy was so old he had to put in his dentures before eating his lunch of pre-chewed chicken and applesauce. … The Chicago Bulls fired their entire front office two days ago and now say the new head of basketball operations has one major requirement — retaining Billy Donovan as head coach. Who would have ever thought Billy D would go from college basketball legend to NBA last man standing? … Did you see where Colin Kaepernick is writing his memoirs? Working title: “Still Waiting By the Phone.” … Less than 12 hours after college basketball’s transfer portal opened up earlier this week, more than 1,000 players were already in it. Translation: College basketball is no longer a sport; it’s an Airbnbs. …
LAST WORD: A happy belated National Beer Day to everyone out there, and let us never forget the wise words attributed to the great hophead himself Ben Franklin: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen