I had something else in mind for <i>'Inside the Box'</i> this month, but the recent uproar over Monday night’s comments on <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/extratime#downloads'>http://www.mlssoccer.com/extratime#downloads" target="_blank">ExtraTime Radio</a> has certainly piqued my interest.
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/simonborg" target="_blank">Simon Borg</a>, senior editor and on-air analyst for <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com" target="_blank">MLSsoccer.com</a>, managed to ruffle more than a few feathers with his comments on female soccer fans, and his statements regarding a woman’s right to be a 'super fan' but how that might be a ‘turnoff’ for most men.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Here's the summary: (Since the podcast has since been removed from the site, this might be all you get.)
Towards the end of the April 30th ETR podcast, the hosts were reading emails from listeners addressing the effect a love of soccer can have on your love life. The consensus was that, in order for relationship/marital bliss, never get involved with someone who doesn’t love soccer as much as you do.
Now here’s where Borg managed to put his foot firmly into his mouth:
<i>“It’s fine if you want to be a ‘super fan’ and you are a female. That’s fine, that’s your choice. There is something to be said for how appealing that might be to the other sex. Just having a woman that’s such a fan… painting your face… tuning in to every podcast… I just… I don’t know how many males are into that.
It’s cool for women to be into it, but for the guy that wants to be in a serious relationship, do you really want that? If you are such a diehard, there might be a point where that becomes a turnoff.”</i>
But, while some female fans out there are hoping Borg will now choke on that foot of his, there are others who, like me, can’t help but wonder “what’s the big deal?”
As a female sports fan I am used to being the minority, but it appears that I am also in the minority within the female sports fan sector. In the same vein that many of my female friends cannot understand my desire to spend my weekends in pubs and stadiums, or use my vacation time to travel around the USA as part of <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23CapsonTour" target="_blank">#CapsOnTour</a>, there are many men out there who would consider me a poor choice for a girlfriend.
<b>AND THAT’S OKAY.</b>
I don’t want to date a man who doesn’t like sports, just as I don’t want to be the girlfriend of a man who is wearing body paint from head-to-toe. However, when I see couples painted up and screaming at games together, I think to myself, “match made in heaven.”
So if Borg doesn’t want to date a ‘super fan’, or if there are men out there who agree with him, there are also loads of men out there who would relish the opportunity to share their love of the beautiful game with their girlfriend or spouse.
If you take issue with Borg being a spokesperson for the MLS, that I can understand.
Just as any public figure or role model should think before they speak, Borg’s comments were certainly biased and showed more than a little ignorance, but the desire to have Borg’s head on a platter goes a little too far in the opposite direction for my liking.
The <a href="http://www.womenunitedfc.com" target="_blank">Women United Football Club</a>, a growing online community for MLS-loving women (which I am proud to be a member of), is at the forefront of the fight against Borg and has taken their fight to the <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wunitedfc" target="_blank">twitterverse</a> saying, <i>“Simon Borg says a lot of things that are meant to cause controversy. [sic] But this has crossed the line. We won’t ignore it.”</i> They even donned the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23WUFCvsBORG" target="_blank">#WUFCvsBORG</a> and will be appearing on the May 3rd episode of ETR to ensure their opposition to his comments are heard.
Having listened to the podcast in question, and I’m sure glad I did when I had the chance, I did not get the feeling that Borg ever called female football fans “ugly” or “inherently unattractive,” as some of the people on twitter are suggesting. I can’t help but wonder how many of them actually listened to the podcast, or are just jumping at the opportunity to argue about sexism in sports.
If Borg had said that most men found plastic surgery unattractive, would that have upset women? I would imagine that most women would be congratulating him on his progressive view and his maturity. Sadly, that is not the case.
So I suppose what we have learned is that, not only does a relationship depend on finding someone who loves sports as much as you do, it’s also important to find someone who takes Simon Borg’s comments only as seriously as you do too.
I'm dying to know what the men out there are thinking about all of this. Comment below or find me on twitter at @djwendo and share your thoughts.
<p>