Alright, don't call me
sexist, but this is something that I feel really ticked off about.
Mia Hamm. Received national attention in America for her goal-scoring prowess in the last few years. A star in the Women's World Cup soccer team. IMHO, pretty cute too. Idolized by little soccer girls all over the country. Endorsed most prominently by Nike and Gatorade. Pretty shy for a star, compared to the woman who performed the famous "shirt-ripping" incident when the US won the Women's World Cup. OK that's a pretty good overview of this admirable athlete.
Nothing against her, but I got angry at the way the media talked about her. Haven't men and women always been separated in sports, at least in the statistics records anyways? Why do I always hear drivel spouted on ESPN and the news hailing this woman as "the most prolific goal-scorer in international soccer history"? While this claim is technically correct, I think this is a cheap patriotic ploy aimed to cover up the horrible losses of the US men's team, which, as I recall, finished dead last in the World Cup 1998 in France.
It would have been OK if they said "the most prolific female goal-scorer". But no, they ostensibly ignored that little fact. While Pele has been praised as "the most prolific male goal-scorer in soccer history", Mia Hamm is placed above this guy by the US sports reporters, because, well, she scored more goals. And any person who knows soccer will realize how different womens' soccer is from mens'. And no, it's not sexist. It's a proven fact. Go out and watch a couple matches for yourself.
Alright, fine, they overlooked this. Big deal. But then, right after they bestow the honor onto Mia Hamm, they always spout a derisive little remark regarding Pele, who I think is the greatest player whose ever lived, having scored "only less than one hundred international goals" in his measly (Ha!) career, so this is obviously inferior to Mia Hamm's, what, over 110, at last count? Hogwash.
OK, if you have to be US-centric, fine. But don't start dissing other countries' national heroes in your patriotic fervor. These sports reporters are already bending the facts with their claims, but when they start talking trash about Pele, that really annoyed me. Please, don't try to cover up the American men's horrible international soccer performance by bashing other people.