Is the Lingerie Football League sexist? Or a legitimate sport?

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   Stevennix2001posted 13 years ago

   Okay, after reading some of the comments on yahoo about this.  It seems there's been a lot of publicity over this new quarterback playing in the Lingerie Football League.  Here's a link for more details:
   
   http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo … nfl-wp9432
   
   Anyway, most of the comments are blantantly sexist, as you have some guys saying they'd make her a "wide receiver"...wink wink.  Or say things like "I wouldn't mind getting penalized for groping the passer if it was co-ed."  Granted, these people are morons, so they're opinions mean little to me.  However, there were some comments that seemed in favor of the women's football league, and saying they'd become followers of it.  While some women went on record as to call the league sexist.  Personally, I don't have an opinion of this either way.  Although, I will say that I'm highly impressed with the fact that the girl in the article isn't even getting paid to play this full contact sport.  I don't care how sexist a league is, but if you're willing to put your body on the line in that much pain with little to no compensation for it, then you definitely earned my respects.  Of course, that's just me. What are your thoughts though?

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      Daffy Duckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's total crap.  They're even making a lingerie basketball league.  Besides rapists who would watch it?
      
      If they would take it seriously and give them padding like the NFL does then I would consider looking at it.

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         Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I don't know if I'd go as far as to say that this league would only appeal to rapists, as lets face it, you and I both know people will watch programming with scantly clad girls even if the premise of the game/show/whatever sucks.  You recall a couple of shows like "Baywatch" and "V.I.P.?"  Those shows freaking sucked, but people mainly watched them for sex appeal.  Hell, we can go to youtube and look at the comments on those videos showing episodes from those very same shows, and a lot of them either come from young college student or teenage to preteen kids that make a lot of dirty jokes about how they'd...well you get the idea.  The point is I don't know if you can stereotype the audience by calling them all rapists.  However, I think the term chauvinastic would probably be a better word to describe the audience that's more than likely to watch this sport.
         
         
         Don't get me wrong, I agree with everyone's opinion that it is demeaning to women, and the women themselves are equally as guilty for putting themselves in this predicament.  However, as I also said though, you have to respect them at least.  If you look past they're uniform attire, they're playing a full contact sport, even with the proper equipment and uniform, that has been known to cause a lot of injuries over the years.  Yet, they're competing for FREE.  no money.  No compensation.  no endorsement deals whatsoever.  No, all the proceeds go to the owners, so what are they competing for?  The love of the game?  Isn't that what we always criticize pro athletes for not playing for?  Don't most sport fans b**ch about how athletes always whine over money, even though they make millions of dollars, or complain when an athlete decides not to play as hard when he's not getting what he wants?  Yet, here we see a league where the athletes are competing for no other reason than the joy of the game.  Granted, I'm not endorsing this league in any way, but you have to at least respect them for playing the game for no other reason than for the pure joy of it. Isn't that what most sport fans want from our athletes?  Food for thought.

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            Daffy Duckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I think that the only reason why they're not getting endorsements is because no one would pay them to endorse a product.  Let's face it the sport just isn't popular.  And I use the term "sport" loosely here.
            
            I know that rapists aren't the only ones who would watch it, but there aren't many others who would just because of how the game is portrayed.  Practically no padding in a game where hitting someone to knock them down happens every few seconds.  How many people actually take it seriously?  It's almost like whoever created this "sport" doesn't take it seriously themselves.

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      shop online fastposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      i've seen the girls playing football on tv, and quite frankly it's beautiful.  God has blessed these lady with sexy bodies, and they are fit.  don't stop them. let them play.

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   optimus grimlockposted 13 years ago

   I  did make one of those comments and proudly! In all honesty its not a bad sport and any woman could play. It will be watched at 1st for the wrong reasons then people will look past the obvious and see it for what it could be. I think it would get better ratings then hockey (not hard). In the 70's they had a womans tackle league and in florida the past 20 years they had the lady buccaneers in tampa thatstill play tackle here and there around the country.

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well you're an exception because you make me laugh, and i know you were just joking.  However, I think you're genuinely right about that. I think the league could potentially work if it's promoted properly.  After all, most female tennis players are famous because of their combined athletic accomplishments and sex appeal, so I think this league could work.
      
      Granted, I'm not for the exploitation of women in general, but I can see this working if it's marketed correctly.

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         optimus grimlockposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I like how u added "in general" lol

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3. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 13 years ago

   My daughter loves football. I don't think I want this league to be her inspiration.

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   optimus grimlockposted 13 years ago

   but thats why your her dad to help her see better uses for her inspiration!

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   Greenhousewifeposted 13 years ago

   No one is making these women play football in their lingerie. I think it's wonderful that these women have enough of a positive view of their bodies that they are confident enough to do this. I think women who can express themselves in this way should be upheld as role models in a way. Enough of models and movie stars who starve themselves and do drugs. Let's have some women that are confident and are able to play a sport that is often only played by men.

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      Disturbiaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You can't be serious.  These "confident" women you are talking about are all models in their 20s and are chosen for this debacle specifically for their looks, so sorry, no confidence needed, they already know they are attractive. I think if anything, it does just the opposite of what you say, and reinforces the steryotype that a woman is only as valuable as her apperance.  As for no one "making" these women play football in their lingerie, excuse me but it's not called the lingerie bowl because they are wearing proper football uniforms. It's just another way for men to denegrate, oggle, and continue to make sex objects out of women.  Why isn't there a jock strap bowl where football players come out on the field and play against each other in nothing but there jocks?  There is no reason a woman can't play football, but why is it necessary for her to do so in her undergarments?

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         Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         hmm...well you do bring up a lot of valid points.  Of course, what concerns me more about this league though is that none of these women get paid to play this sport at all.  If anything they get penalized if they even try to go out for individual endorsements for themselves, as all the proceeds go back to the owners of this sport. 
         
         I just can't help but wonder what's motivating these girls to compete in a league that makes them play in their underwear, while playing a full contact sport that's known to cause a lot of injuries (even with proper padding and uniforms), for no compensation other than..."they love the game."  That takes a lot of dedication, but it's insane if you ask me.  Admirable, yes, but crazy too.

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         wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         While I agree that there is no reason women can't play football in a decently protective uniform, why is it the men that are denigrating them and turning them into sex objects?  I would say the woman herself is doing that by running around in lingerie in a public sport!
         
         The men may oggle, but she has turned herself into a sex object of her own free will.

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            Disturbiaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You're probably not a woman.  We are all brainwashed from infancy to want to be beautiful and admired for our beauty.  Women with low self-esteem often "take it off" for anybody who will give them a look and make them feel they have value.  We all want to be thought of as hot and sexy, etc. we want to be loved and admired and some of us even want to be envied, which is why the plastic surgery business is booming.  Unfortunately, the vultures out there in the world feed on that desire and exploite it.

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               wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               And men are conditioned to exhibit strength and be stoic while ignoring pain.  That's why we look up to football players that spend their lives working out, ruining the health with steroids and playing games with broken bones.
               
               Just how are the two different again?
               
               Either way it is a choice.  No one forces the football hero to play half a game with broken ribs or wrist and no one forces the football lady to run around half naked.  The biggest difference, as has been pointed out, is that the male player supports his family that way while the female is apparently doing it for fun.

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         kerrygposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         "Why isn't there a jock strap bowl where football players come out on the field and play against each other in nothing but there jocks?"
         
         Wondering the same thing. Most football players are too burly for my taste, but hell yeah I'd watch a bunch of soccer players running around in their underwear!
         
         
         
         That said, I agree with Stacie L. It's kind of cool that they're playing full contact (I'd imagine it takes a lot more guts to do that in your underwear than in all that ridiculous padding male football players run around in) but I'd take them more seriously if they wore something more practical. Beach volleyball players have a reason to run around in next to nothing, football players don't.

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         Daffy Duckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               That's funny as hell Disturbia................and quite true.They need to have pads (besides what they buy in a store that is).

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   Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

   Sorry to disagree but I see them as using their bodies to get attention. if they used uniforms then i would take them more seriously.

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well I can certainly see where you're coming from with this, as it is rather impractical for this league to force girls to play football in their underwear; just like how impractical it was for women's baseball to have their players wear skirts instead of a real uniform as well back in the day. 
      
      However, if you look beyond the uniform for a minute, Angela, the quarterback they mentioned in the article, they said she's NOT even getting paid to play this sport at all.  Which begs me to ask, doesn't that earn some recognition though? I mean, we always talk how sick we are of athletes only out for the money or glory. Yet this girl isn't even getting paid, and she's playing a full contact sport for no other reason than the love of the game.  Isn't that worth some admiration?  Granted, as I said before, I'm NOT usually for the sexual exploitation of women, and I can see where both you and Paul are coming from here, but all I'm saying is that you can't knock these girls for putting their bodies on the line for little to no compensation.  that's all im getting at.

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7. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 13 years ago

   I'm all for confidence.  I think if there are two great things as parents we can do for our daughters is to provide them opportunity and encourage healthy self confidence. 
   
   Using sex to sell to adults, I'm fine with, but to young women it's dangerous.  I've been close to women that have struggled with body image.  I'm not a psychologist, but common sense says to me that what is beautiful, sexy, perfect is projected by the media and absorbed by young minds.  Not all is bad, but the overtly objectifying and hyper sexualized is too much to be blast into the minds of young women under the disguise of sport.

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      Disturbiaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree with you.

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   Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

   say what you want, but you gotta love their slogan...
   
   

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      

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   Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

   my locale teams haven't won a championship since 1993...so I don't care what the sport....
   
   just win ladies!!!!
   
   

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    Stevennix2001posted 13 years ago

    Anyone else have anything to add?

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    TamCorposted 13 years ago

    Well...I love to watch football, but I'll pass on this.
    
    Personally, I think it's wrong for men to exploit the women, but I also think the women are demeaning themselves, too, by dressing like that.
    
    I think if the women want to be taken seriously, they should dress like "real" football players do.
    
    Anyway, for what it's worth, that's my opinion!

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    Stevennix2001posted 13 years ago

    Oh crap, i just found out that Mike Ditka owns one of the teams in this league, when I researched this on youtube.    Here's the video for proof of what  former chicago bears coach, and now chicago bliss owner has to say in this video:
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9nUddW-aa8

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    Richieb799posted 13 years ago

    I think there are worse things women shouldn't part-take in, such as porn.
    If anyone wants to complain about women being exploited for their physical appearance then complain about that.
    
    These women are profiting from there appearance without resorting to going all the way, other women shouldn't be jealous about this.

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    psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

    Football is a sport, lingerie football is a gimmick. I would never take it seriously.

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       Daffy Duckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Absolutely, but I wouldn't mind having them over for a bachelor party. 

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    optimus grimlockposted 13 years ago

    atleast they didnt call it period ball

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       Daffy Duckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          

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    thelyricwriterposted 13 years ago

    How can it be sexest? These chicks throw bricks. I wouldn't even mess with them. They bound to knock a fellow out.

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