The Stronger Women Get, the More Men Love Football: Sexism and the American Culture of Sports

A former professional basketball player with the New Jersey Gems of the Women's Pro Basketball League, Nelson ( Are We Winning Yet? ) has firsthand knowledge of the ways athletics are used to preserve male dominance in our society. Besides their role in reinforcing sexism, she presents the corollary argument that ``manly'' sports, particularly football, set the stage for violence against women. The fear of strong females, Nelson contends, is the chief reason that female athletes are unsettling to men and are discriminated against in every area from college athletic budgets to media coverage of their events. She also makes telling points about so-called male bonding on teams as socially acceptable homoeroticism. In closing, she exhorts women to keep fighting for equal treatment, to continue viewing sports as an extension of personal goals and a source of pleasure, not as a road to dominance of men or other women. Nelson argues forcefully, with a fine sense of humor. Author tour. (June)