Title IX: A Touchy Topic

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Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby PV2020 » Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:19 pm

It is the 40th anniversary of Title IX and I honestly think it is the best law that is the most abused or misinterpreted law of all time.

I recently saw some quotes about how women still have a ways to go to catch up to men in sports, and why men still have the advantage:

At the most competitive level, Division I-FBS schools, women make up 51% of students, yet they have only 45% of the opportunities to play intercollegiate sports. Female athletes at these schools receive 42% of the total athletic scholarship dollars, 31% of the dollars spent to recruit new athletes, and just 28% of the total money spent on athletics.


HOWEVER: I believe these people making stats know nothing about sports and just look at numbers. This above is the most argued thing I see. But the way I look at it. For instance the school I go to has 60% women and 40% men. So according to the above comment (and most interpretations of Title IX I have heard), that means that at our university 60% of the athletes should be women and 40% should be men. But Title IX fans and number crunches do not pay attention to the details. The percent of male vs. women has nothing to do with the athletes, athletes make up a very small percent of the student population. And since the athletes are not picked from the student population, that has little to do with anything. It is great that my university has 18,000 women and 12,000 men.. huge fan of that ratio.. however, the coaches are not recruiting from within the university, they are using the given 18 scholarships the NCAA allows and getting as many girls as they can for that amount of money from all around the country, the same way schools that are 40% women, 60% men are. So this interpretation hurts institutions that have more males than females. We have a 40 man roster while some of the military academies have over 70 guys!

Female athletes receive 28% of the money: Track and field has no ground to stand on because there is probably not a male track and field team that comes close to covering their own cost. However men's teams do pay for college sports. No one can argue that football and basketball do not bring in 90% or more of the money for the entire athletic department! People argue that even football and basketball do not even make a profit at most universities and that is probably true. However the money from advertising, television contracts, and donations are what cover the cost for 90% of the entire athletic department. The vast majority of boosters donating millions of dollars at a time are doing it for the big three sports (football, basketball, and baseball). If the school did not have those three sports they would not have enough money to cover any other men or women sports at a highly competitive level.

How this affects male sports: People group all male sports into one category and all female athletes into another category. But this is not fair due to the fact that one sport (football) has 120 men on the roster and takes up the equivalent of about 5 female sports in money and roster spots. But for any male that did not grow up playing football they are pretty much out of luck when it comes to their equal opportunity. Not only do males that do not play football have less sports available, on those sports they have even less scholarships.

What needs to happen: People have to stop comparing any female sports to football. You are never going to get what they get and due to the fact that everything is about money, and unless you can fill a 80,000 person stadium to watch a volleyball game, you are not going to come close. The same way most male track and field athletes have generally accepted that we are not football players, we do not get first priority in the weight room, we do not get photo shoots, autograph signings, 85 full scholarships, or fly to every event we go to. If you do not bring in the cash you don't get it all.

Less bluntly: Throw football out of the equation. It is one sport, and there is no equivalent for females that will have nearly as many roster spots. It pays the bills, let it just be the business side. Then switch over to all the other sports that have male and female counterparts. If you have baseball, have softball, if you have men's basketball have women's basketball... ext. There is no reason that because someone create a sport that is allowed 120 roster spots that makes a lot of money that you should ahve to get rid of other male sports to be fair to women. Title IX was created so that there was equal opportunity in sports like basketball where places would not have women's teams, and where people did not give scholarships for female athletes.


And finally...

Why does no one talk about it: No one is willing to discuss the problems created by a law that was created to help women without being called a sexist.

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Re: Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:14 pm

PV2020 wrote:Why does no one talk about it: No one is willing to discuss the problems created by a law that was created to help women without being called a sexist.


I dunno, I see plenty of people talking about it, but maybe I am biased because between undergrad and grad school, I've heard a ridiculous amount of discussion on the topic.

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Re: Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby PV2020 » Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:41 pm

rainbowgirl28 wrote:
PV2020 wrote:Why does no one talk about it: No one is willing to discuss the problems created by a law that was created to help women without being called a sexist.


I dunno, I see plenty of people talking about it, but maybe I am biased because between undergrad and grad school, I've heard a ridiculous amount of discussion on the topic.



Better worded... who has tried to do something about it? I hear coaches and athletes complain about it and use it as the reason why 5 girls get on the try out but no guys do, but I have never heard of anyone taking action.

If a girl does not make a team as a kicker in college it is national attention but when a Men's track team is cut or a guy that can score on a college team does not make the team because of a male roster cap due to Title IX i do not hear anyone trying to take that to court for inequality. At least the girl is allowed to try out for football, my school does not have male volleyball, but there is no way I would be able to try out for the girls team.

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Re: Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby dj » Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:32 am

hye

Unfortunately you will never beat the "sexist" or prejudice card and again unfortunately you have to choose your "battles" and spend time on being as good as you can be.

"We were all created equal " is the precursor of our American society, but we all know that is not true. What we have, in reality, at birth is the opportunity to life, liberty and freedom of choice/opportunity.

The problems we have and have continued to create in our society, have come from the "literal" interpretation of "freedom of choice". When I say "literal" I mean "we" as citizens/human beings think that because of the "all created equal", we do and should have the "no holds barred" ability to "choose" anything .

Our "freedom of choice" ONLY goes as far as the other mans nose. If your "choice" brings harm or lack of opportunity to any other "free citizen/human being" you have no right to move forward and make that choice.

This one elements is "steering" , first and foremost our schools and our society into disharmony. I say schools because this is where the "literal" interpretation is forced on our children and is perpetuated. Point; eighty percent of education funding, other than teachers' salaries, goes to 20% of the students. Why?? Because we are trying to "make" everyone "equal" instead of providing opportunity.

Title IX was about opportunity and like most "opportunities" that we try to "legally" create has become "give me" for a large portion of people instead of an 'earned" opportunity.

I'm about "earning" and not "give me..give me.. give me".. I'm about "equal opportunity" as long as it does not take away the freedoms and opportunities of others.

We are not created equal but we were created "equal" in the "opportunities' we should have to pursue our own talents and positive productive lives… as long as "making you free to choose" does not in slave or inhibit the ones that are there to enjoy the sports and activities you are there to enjoy.

dj

PS unfortunately this is a "battle", I feel, you will never win… in the schools or sports fields… the crying baby gets the attention 80 plus percent of the time.

Every student athlete should have some if not all their school paid for.. as long as they keep their academics to an acceptable level.

The school should not make money from the individual that is contributing to the "value" of the school. Tuition should always be waved and not even be taken from a sports budget. The same rules should apply to "athlete recruits" that is applied to the "Einstein" or the Beethoven recruit.

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Re: Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby PV2020 » Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:33 pm

I still just can not get past the interpretation of equal opportunity automatically equals forced equality. The truth behind the numbers is not always that the same amount of men and same amount of women want to do sports at a certain institution. This is evident with how if a university has try outs there are in some cases double if not triple the amount of guys that show up to try out.

But if you want to go for forced equality why is it a one way filter? Everyone talks about equality but how come when a university is 60% women 40% men you do not see anyone complaining that the men are not getting the same opportunity. If one thing has to be forced to equality why not all of them? Honestly I do not believe in that, I think when registering for class you should not put gender or race, but others think otherwise. But apparently women are not in sports because because they are being held back by society, but men are not going to college because it is 100% their fault or they just do not want to go. Regardless of all the women only scholarships and associations available compared to that of males. Not trying to be a bigot here or anything.. just saying if your going to be equal, be equal to everyone.

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Re: Title IX: A Touchy Topic

Unread postby CowtownPV » Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:17 pm

The original post is very well written and one I agree with. I have always belived that the girls track team should get everything the boys track team gets, softball and baseball, both basketball teams etc. Football with 22 starting positions plus special teams has no womens equal and it really messes with the stats. Cutting mens track and adding womens equestrian team is not what the law intended.
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