A couple of weeks ago you might have read a column titled \Mac's not a misogynist"" by my fellow Daily Cardinal columnist, Jon McNamara. With a title like that you probably wondered what the heck it was about. Upon completion of reading the column, your emotions most likely ranged from anger, disapproval or maybe even agreement with what he had to say. If you did not read the column, you undoubtedly heard about it from a female friend of yours who wanted to castrate Jon after she read it.
I know that column is far in the past and should be laid to rest, but as one of the few female sports writers with any type of voice on this campus, I almost feel like I have an obligation to respond. In Jon's column, he takes a more traditional approach to women and their place in sports as he discussed his discomfort with playing against girls on the playgrounds at the SERF. He used his 500-some words to detail why women should ""stay away from our [meaning men's] court"" because, supposedly, men are secretly not allowed in the fitness classes and cardio room at the SERF.
Jon, I hate to break it to you, but we are no longer in the 19th century. Last I checked, I didn't have a bustier in my wardrobe and there was no such thing as segregated basketball courts. We already have enough problems that come with our anatomy that I'm sure my male audience does not want to hear about, and the last thing we want to be told is that women aren't allowed on the same court as the guys.
Is it really that hard to accept the fact that women do have the capabilities of kicking men's asses on the court? I, for one, would know nothing about this because the extent of my basketball career consists of winning the Desire Award (aka: We-felt-bad-for-your-horrible-skills-so-nice-try award) at a fourth grade basketball camp. I know some men may still be embarrassed when they are upstaged by a member of the opposite sex, but deal with it-we can play just as hard as you can. Women should not have to play on their ""own court with [their] own lighter balls and 8-foot hoops"" as Jon suggested. They can play right alongside the guys and probably teach them a thing or two.
Although Jon's article offended many, I don't think he had the intention to revoke women's voting rights or ban them from any sports participation. In his own way, he was trying to joke about how he would prefer if women did not interfere on his game because a) he probably doesn't have any and b) he's still insecure about trying to defend a female in the post.
Despite his intentions, Jon is now hated by the women's basketball team and ultimate Frisbee team, among others, and has received a plethora of responses most notably from women's basketball coach Lisa Stone and ex-Badger baller, Shawna Nicols. Stone extended Jon an invitation to become a practice player for her team next season so he could overcome this intimidation and see that Madison girls are not poor basketball players.
Nicols had an even better proposition for Jon though. The once Gatorade Player of the Year for Wisconsin challenged him to a little game of one-on-one so he can see first hand that women deserve to play on the same court. Jon is not quite ready to eat his words and has not formally accepted the challenge but has expressed interest.
So now this is where you come in. Since Jon is still acting like a little, um... boy, the more e-mails I receive, the more likely he will face off against Shawna. For his sake I'd say don't e-mail me, but I, for one, would like to see this battle royale. And let's just face it-I'm not that nice.
Think Jon should take on Shawna? E-mail Betsy at eagolomski@wisc.edu.
