Letters from NYC

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

And the US wins the game! The US women’s soccer team in double overtime, manages to narrowly defeat Brazil 2-1, to attain the gold medal in Women's soccer. Congrats to O'Reilly for her Olympic performance and goal. To Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly, I say thanks for the incredible memories these past 13 years. I was elated to the point of intoxication, knowing that you were going out in a blaze of glory!

But I also cried bittersweet tears knowing I would possibly not see the best members of our women's dream team anymore.

I was also very angry at NBC for not broadcasting such an incredibly hard fought and exciting game in prime time. Instead we were treated to the qualifying heats of platform diving where the only US athlete ranked 18th and didn't have a shot in hell to go on to the next round.

I was so angry I wanted to kick the tv set. Yes, that's how passionate I am about futbol! And that's how angry about how awful NBC has been about covering women's sports.

As for socer, I have loved soccer since I was barely able to speak, but was able to watch the greatness of Pele and Beckenbauer on the field. I've been following the US Woman's soccer team since early 1990 when we put a team together to compete in the Woman's World Cup.

As the US team advanced in the rankings and qualified I posted articles and scores outside my dorm room door. I couldn't get the scores for Real Madrid or AC Milan, so that was the closest I could come. I remembered being put on probation when the night they won the world cup, for accidently forgetting where I was and screaming so loud that I woke everybody on my floor and the floor above, woke up security in our building and at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital which was across the street from us.

That was such a happy memory, yet a solitary one, as women's soccer had not yet caught on in the US. Today, we have a women's league and I support my local team when I can. Of course I support the men’s teams too, but only when they play international matches. The women's matches are just so much more exciting. Don't you agree?

Update: I'm receiving a number of emails from women who feel as I do. Not only did NBC not cover the US Women's soccer team gold medal match. It did not cover the Women's Softball Dream Team which breazed to their Gold Medal. the US Women's Basketball Team are 6-0 and have a chance for a gold medal win on Saturday. Have we seen any of their games? The US women's Water Polo Team also medalled, but I didnt see any of their matches? Nooooooooo.

Well, I'm fed up and I'm not going to take it anymore. I say we hit NBC where it hurts, in their pocket books for being sexist pigs. Jim McKay, where are you? The Olympics need you!

Posted by Michele at August 27, 2004 02:01 AM