OPINION & EDITORIAL
Herald slights UW women
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by Letters to the Editor
Friday, March 23, 2007
To Whom it May Concern:
This year has been an emotional rollercoaster ride for all badger fans. The men's basketball team won more games than any year past, but lost in the second round of the tournament. Badger football also had a fantastic season, but disappointingly did not receive a BCS game bid at the end of the season. Also, the men's hockey team struggled through their season to fill fans' expectations because they were the defending National Champions. Yes, this year's sports headlines have showcased a wide array of glories and defeats for the UW world of sports, and I, like most of this campus, have read the articles every step of the way.
While each of the three "money maker" teams have had their share of the spotlight, one team at this university has gone completely under acknowledged given their amazing accomplishments this past season. I am, of course, writing about the two-time National Champion Wisconsin women's hockey team.
One might argue that this team, which is stacked with talent and only endured one loss the entire season, has had its fair share of articles in the paper over the past few years, but I would highly disagree. Too many times this year, I picked up the paper expecting to see this team's accomplishments at least mentioned on the cover of the sports section, but to my dismay, I usually only saw how many goals the men's hockey team lost by on that particular weekend.
Last year, when the women won the first National Championship in the program's history, they were overshadowed by the men also winning. This year, I was excited to pick up my own copy of the paper the day after they won their second championship to see coverage of the Frozen Four. After all, the men had brought their season to an end, and obviously, there was nothing good to report on men's basketball, given their poor effort in the tournament.
I was extremely disappointed, however, to find that not only did your newspaper fail to display the National Champions on the cover of the paper, but you had a bigger picture and article on the UNLV basketball team than the women's hockey team on the sports page. Why would I want to see a giant picture of the guy who scored three 3-pointers against us in a matter of seconds when I could see the only team at Wisconsin to win back to back NCAA Championships since the early 1980s? I can almost guarantee that if it was the men who repeated, the paper would be chalk full of pictures and articles about the victory.
Don't get me wrong, I am a badger fan for every athletic event, and I have had season tickets for all three of the major sports. I am not saying that they should go unreported—I know that they are what your readers are interested in, but responsible journalists know that they should always report the best story. I don't care if it's a men's team or a women's team- good hockey is good hockey, and a National Championship is a National Championship. This year, the story was, and still is, the women's hockey team and it is a shame that your newspaper did not give them the credit they deserve.
Kelley Redding Undergraduate
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 8:24am):
No one cares about girl's sports. There a joke.
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 9:01am):
damn right!
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 9:37am):
Women just have to have the best of everything, don't they? This entitlement crap has got to end!
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 10:21am):
"but responsible journalists know that they should always report the best story"
They did report the best story.
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 12:49pm):
You men are just afraid of the women out there who can beat the crap out of you with hockey sticks.
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 1:07pm):
No, women don't want the best of everything, we just have a right to be equal to men. What entitlement crap? The women's hockey team deserves more attention than the men's hockey team this year, the men's team was a JOKE! The Herald did not print the best story, why do we need five recaps about how the men's basketball team did so great but sucked in the end?
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 1:43pm):
I think anonymous 1:07 answered her own question. To most, the story of the men's basketball team doing so great but sucking in the end was a much bigger story. When you have 15 or 17 thousand people filling the Kohl Center compared to 1 or 2 in the regular season, I think you have a pretty good idea of what your readers think is more important. If you want more coverage of the women's hockey team, get more people to fill the seats. Until then, quit whining. Good job Herald sports.
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 4:14pm):
1:07, "have a right to be equal to men" ??? New flash: when it comes to athletics, women are not equal to men. For a variety of reasons, your games just aren't as entertaining to watch. This means that the general population cares more about men's athletics than women's athletics. Therefore, you get less coverage, even if you have a better record, etc. When the general population starts caring about women's athletics, then you will start to see more coverage and funding.
In the mean time, congratulations on the championship. Go Badgers!
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 6:28pm):
I cant decide if it is ignorance or fear that many of these posters are blindly supporting a poor decision not to cover the national championship that our women's hockey team has accomplished. Is it ignorance of the fact that the level of women's athletics have continued to rise over the years or are men just afraid that they may be out performed? It is important to cover these athletes accomplishments, because of the ignorant stereotypes that men's sports are better than women's. Most of the students who attend their 1st women's athletic event RETURN to see more. How can you people call yourselves "badger fans" if you don't care about all the badgers? There have been so many championships won, both big ten and national, since I have been a student here and EVERY one of them make me proud to be a badger!
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 6:55pm):
"Therefore, you get less coverage, even if you have a better record, etc." News flash: The Badger Herald is a STUDENT newspaper and there is no marketing or sales involved, coverage should be given to teams who deserve it. Regardless of the sex, TWO TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS deserve more respect than what this team received.
Anonymous (March 23, 2007 @ 11:34pm):
Look at attendance figures. Men's sports are what brings in the bucks. Win or lose, good or bad, it's the men that people come to watch.
Anonymous (March 24, 2007 @ 4:35am):
Win or lose, good or bad, it is the STUDENT news paper we are talking about. There are no "bucks" attached with that, money doesn't really matter. Students are going to pick up the paper regardless. There should be adequate coverage of ALL teams.
Anonymous (March 24, 2007 @ 12:21pm):
how's everyone's ncaa bracket going?
http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/brackets/viewable_women
(click link for punchline of this comment)
Anonymous (March 24, 2007 @ 5:40pm):
Maybe it would help if more women collegiate athletes got busted and got their names in the paper. You know, like "UW Hockey Women Beat Rapist With Sticks." That would certainly win them a following.
Anonymous (March 25, 2007 @ 8:33am):
I think it's really funny how some of you so quickly defended men's sports and started putting down women's sports. The issue isn't even about women's equality at all. The issue is that the National Champion UW Women's Hockey team has worked just as hard as any other UW team and deserves credit, as athletes, as people, and as part of your student body. Whether it's Women's hockey or Men's Cheerleading, all deserving teams and individuals should have, at the very least, a certain level of respect from their school and its student body. Oh,and this comment: "No one cares about girl's sports. There a joke:" Maybe if the media gave this team the credit and attention they deserve, more people would take an interest in women's sports and less people would continue to thrive on immature, closed-minded, and shallow attitudes about what women can or can't do. Also, you used the wrong "there," so why should I even begin to think that what you think is valid if you can't even spell.
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