LFL is hard to take seriously
Published 11/4/2011
Comments (0)Sexy women stripped down to their unmentionables.
Running, sweating, hitting and tackling each other for a full 34 minutes.
This is the illusion of what some may call the perfect woman.She is a fit athlete that plays football.
Yes, football.
But not the typical “Monday Night” football that’s normally four 15-minute quarters and includes the option to kick field goals after scoring touchdowns, or the ability to punt the ball when unable to convert on fourth down.
It is just the Lingerie Football League.
Two 17-minute halves of half-naked girls running around playing seven-on-seven, full-fledged football – with the exceptions of not being able to kick field goals after scoring a touchdown, not being allowed to punt the football and conversions after touchdowns are either worth one point from the two yard line or two points from the four yard line.
The Lingerie Football League, created in 2009, is considered one of the fastest growing women’s sports, according to NBC Sports.
These women work out the same way any ordinary female athlete would. They put their hard efforts into every minute and every play of every game just like any other athlete, but they may not be getting the same respect of other female athletes who are in other fully clothed sports.
When society looks at a female athlete, they consider many aspects ranging from skill level, whether she is even good enough to play the sport, whether she is strong enough to take the physical damage or image aspects like what is her body like.Is it too muscular, or not enough? Does she look attractive when she plays, and what does she act like off the field?
The Lingerie Football League brings questions about physical image to the forefront.Women who are thin, fit and willing to play and expose their bodies for the audience aren’t going to be respected as true athletes.
Senior communication major Kristyona Rosin said that the LFL is degrading to women.
“I think that if they really wanted to play football like any other player would, then they would get in the full pads and uniform; covering the whole body,” Rosin said. “Why can’t they just play like other women football leagues that have to wear full gear and uniforms?You don’t see male players in the NFL running around in speedos, do you?”
While the women playing on one of the respective 12 teams may have skill and may truly love and want to play the game of football with all their hearts, they will not be able to get respect with their trademark.
Dressing in what could seem to be inappropriate clothing for television in most American households is not going to take them to the top.
