21 December 2010
So, Yeah, They Got #89
I've been doing some thinking about the whole UCLA men vs. UConn women streak thing, and I realized something:
Most records are held by men (or men's teams). Like, say, you hear a report about the Boston marathon. They'll tell you who the winner is, and then they'll tell you who the top female runner was. It's "this is the record" and "this is the women's record". And I think that's why some people are freaking out about the UConn streak: Because now the record will be held by a women's team, and the UCLA men's team will get relegated to the afterthought, "And the men's record is held by..."
Women's Hoops Blog posted something similar:
"From Steve Litel at SlamOnline: UConn’s Winning Streak: Another Perspective – It’s not a men’s record. It’s not a women’s record. It’s a NCAA Division I record.
From my perspective: Of COURSE it’s a Division I record. But, when they talk about the men’s records, they never seem to say, “He holds the record for most points scored in Division I basketball, both men AND women’s.” While, they *almost* always say, “Pat Summitt is the winningest coach in both men’s and women’s basketball.”
Heck, remember when … Pitino? took his third team to the Final Four? So many reporters called him the first to do so, when we all know it was CViv.
If we can get reporters and fans to stop presuming, I’ll be happy. Hell, if we can get reporters to use MEN’S basketball as often as they use WOMEN’S basketball, I’ll be happy. Ish."
Most records are held by men (or men's teams). Like, say, you hear a report about the Boston marathon. They'll tell you who the winner is, and then they'll tell you who the top female runner was. It's "this is the record" and "this is the women's record". And I think that's why some people are freaking out about the UConn streak: Because now the record will be held by a women's team, and the UCLA men's team will get relegated to the afterthought, "And the men's record is held by..."
Women's Hoops Blog posted something similar:
"From Steve Litel at SlamOnline: UConn’s Winning Streak: Another Perspective – It’s not a men’s record. It’s not a women’s record. It’s a NCAA Division I record.
From my perspective: Of COURSE it’s a Division I record. But, when they talk about the men’s records, they never seem to say, “He holds the record for most points scored in Division I basketball, both men AND women’s.” While, they *almost* always say, “Pat Summitt is the winningest coach in both men’s and women’s basketball.”
Heck, remember when … Pitino? took his third team to the Final Four? So many reporters called him the first to do so, when we all know it was CViv.
If we can get reporters and fans to stop presuming, I’ll be happy. Hell, if we can get reporters to use MEN’S basketball as often as they use WOMEN’S basketball, I’ll be happy. Ish."
Labels: UConn basketball
# posted by mamurd @ 10:20 PM 
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I've noticed in the past couple of years a tendency for the abbreviation for college men's basketball to change from something like "CBB" (college basketball) to "NCAAM" (NCAA men's basketball), to distinguish from "NCAAW." Odd that they dropped the actual sport, though.
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