I’ve wanted to work in sports for as long as I can remember. I’ve also been told I’m not going to make it in sports for as long as I can remember.
The industry is competitive and grueling for men to enter, and it’s somehow even harder for women to get someone to listen to them and their dreams.
For women in sports, it seems that the curveballs thrown at us are never-ending. It’s tough to find a place in the industry, and when we do, we’re constantly criticized. That’s why, with everything happening in the last few weeks, I’ve found it exceptionally hard to stay silent.
If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve seen the Sydney Sweeney sports betting ad. It’s hard to avoid it — even kids are being subjected to the campaign. The video is inappropriate in so many ways, but it frustrates me that the concept even made it past the writers’ room.
Not only does the ad portray women in sports in a bad light, but it also portrays women in general in a bad light. Women should be viewed as strong and capable in sports, but this ad shows generations of viewers that the industry portrays us as weak, vulnerable and nothing more than a body.
However, the biggest problem here is that this wasn’t just a one-off situation. In a golf ad released a few weeks ago, a man was shown pushing a woman to the ground. That’s not a funny skit; that’s a serious situation.
And how did that make it past the writers’ room, either? That’s beyond me.
At this point, it’s clear that the industry is trying its hardest to push the conservative agenda, and it’s working. We’re not only seeing ourselves in this light in the media, but also in the real world. Men are shown as strong and capable, and women are weak and pure.
Out of everything happening, the event that frustrated me the most had to be what occurred in the Ohio State vs. Texas game on Saturday, Sept. 12. After Texas came out on top, head coach Steve Sarkisian brushed off ESPN reporter Holly Rowe’s postgame interview request.
If you don’t know Rowe, she is one of the most respected reporters in all of sports. Rowe has worked in countless sports since she joined ESPN in 1998.
After Sarkisian blew off Rowe’s interview, AI-generated edits of him slapping her to the ground started to go viral. Users on X came to Sarkisian’s defense, calling Rowe a crybaby and saying she deserved to be ignored.
This situation was amplified when Texas quarterback Arch Manning laughed during a press conference about this video, and a Texas reporter called Manning’s response “gold.”
To speak about women in this manner is honestly appalling to me. Not only are you disrespecting one of the best in the game, but you’re also disrespecting women in general.
Women have the ability to be anything they want to be. They can be reporters, athletes and role models. The success of leagues like the PWHL, WPBL and WNBA isn’t a coincidence: it’s showing that women have the ability to compete on a big stage and be successful.
As women, we have to uplift other women. It’s an endless fight for those of us who want to work in sports, but I’m willing to fight for it.
We’re strong, powerful and capable.
It’s an honor to play like a girl. It’s an honor to fight like a girl. Most importantly, it’s an honor and a privilege to be a girl.