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1

And when John McEnroe is the voice of reason....

Posted by Chris B | February 22, 2007 3:57 PM
2

John McEnroe also said, a few years back, that it was disrespectful of Serena Williams to suggest that top male and female players should be allowed to play each other at the tournament level. This was back when Serena probably could have wiped the courts with the butts of many of the top male players, IMHO.

Tennis has a long way to go. Didn't Tommy Haas bitch about the Wimbledon decision?

Posted by JME | February 22, 2007 4:00 PM
3

Whoa, I had no idea there was no Olympic women's ski jumping, and that antique excuse... wow.

Why the fuck do the Olympic officials care so much about women's reproductive health, most of the summer games' female athletes lack enough body fat to even menstrate anyhow.

Posted by Dougsf | February 22, 2007 4:11 PM
4

juuuuust to play devil's advocate, I will say that in the average man/woman, women tend to be more dependent on their knee ligaments, and men more so on their leg muscles, when it comes to landing from jumps. Therefore, women tend to tear knee ligaments more frequently than men when landing hard on their feet (or playing soccer, or skiing)

That said, an athletic woman would most likely have the leg muscle development so this would not be as much of a problem.

But yeah, jostling ovaries, whatever.

Posted by rubyred | February 22, 2007 4:12 PM
5

You realize that this is the PERFECT sport for transsexual women? We have no ovaries or uterus to injure! :-D And if they let _us_ in, well of course how could they keep out the rest of the women?

Hee hee.

Posted by Sachi | February 22, 2007 4:22 PM
6

They were probably just too PC not come forth with the most obvious objections. Females can't land ski jumps because their tits would fall off. That seems pretty obvious.
It's the same reason women aren't alowed to ride in roller coasters (you wouldn't all those breasts flying off and injuring innocent bystanders).
Drag racing is ok though, because the g-force compresses the breast into the body rather than tearing if off.

Posted by kinaidos | February 22, 2007 4:29 PM
7

So the Olympic committee isn't worried about guys' testicles falling off? Of all the potential damage caused by ski jumping, that seems more probable than damage to internal organs.

Posted by keshmeshi | February 22, 2007 4:38 PM
8

Just so you know, I bust out laughing when I read "seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view." Hello 1955! Ha!

Posted by Original Andrew | February 22, 2007 4:43 PM
9

If landing is really dangerous for women, why do they allow gymnastics?

Posted by ECB | February 22, 2007 4:44 PM
10

Has that Swiss prig Kasper ever seen, oh, I don't know...a goddamned Olympic women's gymnastic competition?

Posted by Courtney | February 22, 2007 4:45 PM
11

Next thing you know Wimbledon will be paying women as much as men ... oh ... well, never mind.

Gymnastics is just to prep you for life-long bulimia and yo-yo dieting ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 22, 2007 4:48 PM
12

maybe it's because gymnasts are really little. tiny even. and their pelvii are smaller. and their menses are arrested.

i just googled and came up with this:

http://www.youcanbefit.com/ACL.html

I had an acl recon, that is why I mentioned it.

Posted by rubyred | February 22, 2007 5:20 PM
13

ecb @ 9--you're right: gymnastics is the worst sport in the world for adolescent girls. it destroys your body, if not initially from traumatic injury, then later from compound damage to joints and decreased bone-density levels, and often the combination of both.

I'm a 46-year-old woman trapped in a body with the damamge and wear of a 70-year-old's. It totally sucks.


I've always discouraged parents from putting their kids in competitive gymnastics. For fun, yes. but it's too damaging at elite levels. Ask any old gymnast. I say put 'em in a swimming pool. Yes, shoulder injuries may result, but if healthy, swimming can be enjoyed as a lifelong sport.

And ski jumping for women seems perfectly delightful. I'd love to be able to try that ... but not in this body.


dear will in seattle @ 11: don't be an idiot. gymnastics doesn't cause bulimia.

Posted by grace | February 22, 2007 5:26 PM
14

no, but bulimia causes gymnastics. IWAJ.

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 22, 2007 5:54 PM
15

#13: Despite the damage the sport of gymnastics does to women and girls, it's still not only in the Olympics, but a major part of the Olympics. It's a huge reason why many people watch, even.

My guess is that the Olympics just doesn't think women's ski jumping will be that appealing to the general public, but they don't want to say that. They get requests for Olympic sports all the time so they probably have stupid reasons for rejecting most of the sports they get asked about.

Their reasoning is non-sensical and sexist so they should just can it. Divers hit the water from a tall angle and no one is kicking them out. (Note: What do gymnastics and diving have in common? Women in tight little outfits. Hmmm...maybe those ski jumpers should wear bikinis..)

Posted by buh | February 22, 2007 7:28 PM
16

@2

Yeah, he said it was disrespectful, but he's actually a realist. Serena Williams probably could have whooped more than a few of the men out there, but the reason is something else entirely.

Men are still chauvinists, and just wouldn't play to their full potential against a woman. It just goes against their masculine self image.. no one wants to beat up on a woman, even if it is only in sports..

Wrong, antiquated, etc etc, it's all these things, but it's still the way many men think.

Posted by Nick W | February 23, 2007 2:04 AM
17

my country - you let lady win -- so then man gets to be on top.

you know doing what.

very Euro trash stuffed.

Posted by sam from Zagreb | February 23, 2007 6:09 AM
18

DougSF @ 3:

lack of body fat is not a problem ski athletes face. the coaches of the women's ski team fight the racers to KEEP the pounds on - the more you weigh, the faster you slide downhill. those ladies have some backsides!

Posted by Max Solomon | February 23, 2007 11:24 AM
19

Max -

Don't think that's true, I took a tour of the Olympic ski jump in Park City, UT and they told us that kids are absolutely the best ski jumpers, not only because they're fearless but because their lightness allows them to fly farther (and that apparently makes up for the fact that they're slower down the ramp because of less weight).

Posted by sam | February 23, 2007 10:10 PM

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