tims@mako.UUCP (Tim Stoehr) (03/08/84)
On the news last night I heard some women stating that there should be 5,000 and 10,000 (?) meter running events for women as there currently are for men. This got me to thinking about the issue of women's athletics issues, specifically the following issues, which have been complained about bitterly. 1.) Women being excluded from certain events/sports. 2.) Women being excluded from participating on men's teams, and vice versa. 3.) Women being accused of being athletically inferior to men. 4.) Women being paid less for professional athletic activities. 5.) Women's high school and college sports programs obtaining less support. 6.) Women's athletics in general being taken less seriously. In this day of supposed equal rights and sexual equality, the current separation of men and women in athletics seems archaic. So, why not eliminate the concept of men's vs. women's athletics in public institutions, the olympics, and the professional domain. Under such a system women would be allowed into every area men are and would fall under the same funding and/or wage determining factors, and vice versa. There would be no women's or men's tennis, just tennis. No women's or men's basketball, just basketball. If a woman came along who could quarterback an NFL team, her talents would be sought after the same way a man's would. The above six points would be for the most part taken care of. That is, those best qualified to participate, based on athletic talent, not on sex, will participate. Isn't this the way it should be? Comments, responses, flames welcome. Tim Stoehr Tektronix, Wilsonville, Oregon