Cyd's latest column is the best defense I've ever seen for the gay sports fan. I've often used the Kournakova defense myself, but never in such an integrated and thurough manner. It's well reasoned, strongly written and entirely logical. Unfortunately most homophobes are neither well reasoned, of strong intellect or logical in any way. Oh well, I suppose preaching to the converted isn't always an entirely futile practice.

Great column CYD. Well thought out & expressed. Except you could have a picture of a hot shirtless stud as an illustration . (JUST kidding)

really great thoughts cyd. slightly off topic, but to further illustrate your point -- I had an interaction with a co-worker wherein we happened on a book of nude models for artists (it was one of those "DK" books -- they publish on a million different subjects) and he was pointedly uncomfortable with the pictures of the nude men. nevermind that the intention was obstensibly for artists to utilize the models in their work -- he literally cringed when I showed him pictures of the guys. (I did so to guage his reaction.) he went so far as to say he sees women's bodies as works of art, and men's as more utilitarian. wierd.

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: smrobbins65 ]

It's a good article, not only because I have, on occasion, made reference to Anna K. and tennis' willingness to use her sex appeal to market the game when (straight) friends seem put out by the thought that male athletes could be marketed in the same way. In addition to Anna, one could easily point to Gabrielle Reese and the success of women's beach volleyball--a sport few people really follow, but heterosexual males drool over.

~Adam

The column really made me think. I'll admit I had been wishing there wasn't a "skin" aspect to this site. Guys will be guys, I guess. lol

Cyd, great article. Also, hasn't it been proven that men are more stimulated by the visual?

Yes, Cyd, very nicely done and very well written too! BTW, Hooter has to be the most ridiculous place I've ever been in. All it took was once; I ain't goin' back!

let me add my voice to those admiring the latest article about the libido inherent in men, straight and gay. nice job!!

but as far as the hooters comments go.. I love Hooters! (for the food. not for the "hooters")

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: ung ]

In the movie "And the Band Played On'... remember the one about the AIDS epidemic.. Lilly Tomlin's character is in a bathhouse with a straight male researcher, and he cannot understand that two men would just look at each other and hook-up... then Lilly Tomlin says, if you were in the same situation with a beautiful woman, and only towels separated you, and she was willing, you and every straight man would do the same... it is not a stronger sex drive, it is the fact that both halves of the couple (two men) both have the sex drive, no woman to pull back on the reins.

For the record, Anna Kournikova has been past the fourth round of a slam twice, the 1997 Wimbledon semis and the 2001 Australian quarters - then she got hurt and her game hasn't been the same since. She's also won two grand slam titles in doubles.

Bravo Jake! Thank you for defending Anna's credibility as an athlete. I know this isn't an Anna thread, but it inspired me to look up some of her stats. She really was on a roll before she got hurt and still holds several records in tennis.

Here's one of my fav fun facts: In 1998, ranked No. 25 at Miami, she defeated No. 4 Seles, No. 9 Martinez, No. 2 Davenport and No. 8 Sanchez-Vicario in consecutive days to beat four Top 10 players in same tournament (joining Evert-1977, Navratilova- 1978 & 1979, Goolagong Cawley-1980, Pierce-1995, Davenport-1996 and Novotna-1997) before falling to V. Williams in three sests in her first Tour singles final.

She was also only the second woman to make it to the semis of her first Wimbeldon appearance. The first was Evert. She still holds the open era record for longest span of not losing to someone ranked below her.

[quote]Originally posted by curtj:
Bravo Jake! Thank you for defending Anna's credibility as an athlete.

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Nevertheless, her popularity far outweighs her accomplishments.

To a lesser degree, I think the same could have been said of Tiger Woods (1 major in first 3 years) and Michael Jordan (teamwise, at least) before they became demigods in their respective sports. But their initial appeal was based on their feats (Tiger winning Master's so young, MJ scoring/dunking on everyone). Anna's marketers don't market her accomplishments, they market her sex appeal. This point isn't made to bash Anna; it's made to show that straight men like hot chicks in sportswear. Um, duh.

[ June 12, 2002: Message edited by: BballDC ]

How long can Anna go on blaming that injury layoff for her big-time slump? That seems like a million years ago, yet her results have gotten worse, not better. Top players like Seles routinely come back from injury and play their way back into solid form within a couple tourneys. I don't know what's going on with Anna, but it seems strictly mental. I don't doubt her status as a world-class athlete. Kournikova's successful junior career and early results as a pro proves she belongs. But right now she has ZERO confidence (Christina Wheeler?).

To be blunt, if Anna didn't have that sex appeal, she'd be just another Mirjana Lucic.

I was defending Anna (to a degree) a few months ago. Back in February, she was stringing together some decent wins (e.g. Dementieva, Kremer, Garbin), but she hasn't beaten a top 50 opponent since then. Frankly, at this point, she's not playing up to her meager ranking. And yeah, since she was playing better early in the year, it seems absurd to blame last year's injury.

Maybe she needs to look to Patty Schnyder for comeback pointers.

[quote]Originally posted by jordan:
To be blunt, if Anna didn't have that sex appeal, she'd be just another Mirjana Lucic.

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Who?

Well, except for the fact that Lucic has two career titles to her credit (Bol in 1997 & 98) while Anna K doesn't even have that.

On the cover of ESPN the Magazine's latest issue is a teaser:

"Dani H: Better (And Hotter) Than Anna K"

Inside, it says:

"Daniela Hantuchova has everything Anna K has - plus she actually knows what winning feels like."

Daniela's got game. But I'm sorry, Anna mops the floor with her on the runway!

Ok, just to add an anecdote...I was working for ESPN yesterday at a baseball game and in my earpiece I can hear the cameramen talking regularly. At the half-inning breaks when we are off air, they are panning the stands for girls in all stages of dress (mostly un-dress) and are pretty explicit about what they are talking about. At one point one guy focused in on a girl and then her boyfriend (OK I assume he was her boyfriend) came into the picture so they zoomed out...the next time they zoomed back to where she was and it was just the boy there. One of the other cameramen made a very off-color comment about "What the hell was he doing looking around for guys?" and others making pointed references questioning his sexuality.

Granted, it was all just banter and friends joshing with each other. It certainly speaks to the point Cyd was trying to make. Stuff like this happens all the time during all the broadcasts. Also, don't think that sportswriters are never vocal in their support of the dance teams, cheerleaders, etc while they are sitting in press row. This isn't meant to call anyone out, just more background information on what happens behind the scenes with people associated with sporting events.

[quote]Originally posted by Chip:
Ok, just to add an anecdote...I was working for ESPN yesterday at a baseball game ....

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Hey, we need a pic of John Grisham's son, or a link to the Elkton BB team.

[quote]Originally posted by Chip:
At the half-inning breaks when we are off air, they are panning the stands for girls in all stages of dress (mostly un-dress

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Does anyone remember the 70's and early 80's NCAA football telecasts on ABC - it was infuriating when they would cut away from the game to give a five-second shot of some bimbette - more often than not a peroxied, big-boobed sluttina - for no reason other than to show her in all of her bimbo-hood..... I especially hated how they did it - just a quick cut, show the broad, then cut back to the game, nary a word spoken ....

I think it was the producer/director team of Chet Forte and Andy Sidaris (sp?) that used to inflict thses cheesey candid shots on viewers like me who wanted to see the shirtless frat boys instead.....

[quote]Originally posted by Wurm:
Does anyone remember the 70's and early 80's NCAA football telecasts on ABC - it was infuriating when they would cut away from the game to give a five-second shot of some bimbette.

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What makes you think the practice has stopped? At least the Kilgore College cheerleaders seem to have sunk into oblivion.

http://www.kilgore.cc.tx.us/clubs/cheers/cheers.html

How come they all look like Jenna Bush?

[ June 28, 2002: Message edited by: twin58 ]