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THE LEN LESSER REPORT  

THE LEN LESSER REPORT

 

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LET’S TAKE SEXUAL STEREOTYPING OUT OF SPORTS

In Canada we have a very good track record for all people to try and achieve at their very highest level. It matters not where you came from, the colour of your skin or your religion. If you make the grade you can be and do anything you want. Careers in Law, Medicine, Technology and Business are open to all.

Professional sports is the one playing field that stacks the deck in favor of men. Being created female makes you not eligible to compete with the premier athletes and make a good living from sports.

Think about it there is not one women stick handling her way in the National Hockey League. The CFL/ NFL football players/coaches are all males. The National Basketball League players are all young men. Check out the Toronto Blue Jays roster and you will find there is not one female on the team. The London Knight’s Junior "A" Hockey Team coaches have never had a female player cross the Blue line to be able to try out and compete with their male counterparts. It is okay if they pay the same price of admission to the games as the males spectators but are denied the chance to play because of their sexual orientation.

If we look back in history (1927) the greatest team in baseball were the New York Yankees. Who could forget the likes Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat and Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig ,looking down at the pitchers daring them to pitch to them.

There was a seventeen year old pitcher, "Mitchell", who took on the best of the "Murders Row" with a wicked dropping curve ball. The ‘Babe’ was caught looking at a strike three. Lou Gehrig followed along and swung and hitting nothing but air- struck out. The Chattanooga Lookout’s coach pulled Mitchell who received a standing ovation from the fans.

I nearly forgot to tell you that Mitchell’s first name just happened to be Jackie. She was a very talented female player who faced the best in baseball. The star athlete returned to college and was never heard from again.

Recently we have had the biggest baseball story in the US of a 13 year old girl, Mo’ne Davis of Philadelphia, one of only 18 girls to ever play in the Little League World Series to win a game as pitcher when her team defeated a team of boys from Tennessee 4-0. She made the cover of Sports Illustrated and got people speculating on the prospect of women playing professional sports.

Less then a week after he was chosen as the new Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred was being asked whether a women might make it someday in the major leagues.

"Fifty years ago, people would have a list of things that a women could not do that was as long as your arm, and they’re doing every single one of them today" he said. "So I am not betting against the female gender."

Neither is Greg Popovich, the coach of the San Antonio Spurs, who this year hired a new assistant coach, Becky Hammon, who just retired as one of the best players in the Women’s National Basketball Association.

I know I have opened a pandora’s box with the idea that women play alongside their male counterparts. What’s wrong with promoting the best player be they female or male to compete on a level playing field.

I am in favour of eliminating the sexual designation from sports. What’s your opinion?

Len Lesser

Len Lesser posts a report every week

You can email Len at lenlesser@hotmail.com