Coed Sports

First things first, I have to say a few words about my poor husband. Poor Jeff has been sick and suffering for the last two weeks. He's been coughing, wheezing, and in pain. What started as a cold has been getting worse and worse. This morning we finally decided that he should go to the doctor's office. And not surprisingly he came home with a diagnosis of bronchitis. I've had bronchitis enough times in my life to know exactly how miserable it is. The constant coughing, the chest pain, the shortness of breath. So I have to say, considering all of this, he's been a real trooper. Hopefully the meds he got will help. Until then at least they will help him breathe.

Because of his illness, we decided to take last night easy and stay home. I caught up on some writing, helped him with a paper, did my exercises, and watched the women's basketball final. For those of you who missed it, UConn won, not surprisingly. Although early in the game that was a bit in doubt. Halfway through the game Jeff said something that got me thinking. He wondered how UConn (the women's winning team) would do against Duke's men's team. How would the best women's team in the country do against the best men's team? It's a game I would happily watch for no other reason than to see what happens. I know that men and women tend to play different styles of basketball but I would be interested what would happen. How would the scoring go? I would bet that many others in the country would be willing to watch a game like that as well (Hint, hint NCAA!!).

That question got me thinking about a conversation that Jeff and I have occasionally: Why are some sports or activities still sex segregated? Particularly sports where strength doesn't matter. Like bowling. Or darts. Or archery. I know that physiologically there is a strength difference between men and women. But I think that many women have become just as strong if not stronger than some men. A Sport Science episode compared the hit rating for a male and female boxer. The punches were identical in terms of force. But even for sports where strength isn't involved as much, there is little competition between the sexes. We are finally starting to see a more coed approach to racing (auto racing that is) but even that is unusual. I would love to see how some of the women golfers would do against the men golfers. So I'm asking, is it just that it would be hard for a man to be beaten by a woman? Is it still the old mistaken stereotype that women can't compete with men? What do you think?

The Ashes

I'm one of those odd Americans who not only enjoys cricket but understands it as well. When Jeff started playing a couple years ago I went to every game and learned a ton about the sport. I still "watch" regularly. I put the watch in quotes because there are simply no television channels that broadcast cricket. So instead, I fire up the computer, head to Cricinfo and listen to the play by play. I can't see the game but I can imagine it. Cricinfo has some of my favorite commentators with Will Luke being my hands-down favorite. He has been covering this week's event since it's in England, and I'm in heaven.

And there is no greater time for me to watch cricket then now, during the Ashes. The Ashes is one of the greatest rivalries in the sport, between England and Australia. The national teams from both countries play a full test cricket series (5 matches, 2 innings per match) for the right to hold the Ashes. The event will last all week. The competition has been held every other year since 1882. Australia won two years ago but I have my hopes up that England can pull it off this time. I make it no big secret that I'm a huge Anglophile. So as much as I loved Australia when I was there, I'm an England fan.

The name is in reference to a comment made back in 1882 after a particularly brutal match between the two countries. At the end of the matches one of the commentators said that English cricket was dead, would be cremated, and the ashes taken to Australia. Supposedly one of the fans decided to create an urn, burned a set of bails, (the pieces of wood placed on top of the wickets) and presented them as a trophy. After that year, the competition has been for the right to hold the ashes.

Imagine if the US battled against Canada every two years in hockey. Imagine that these are the best players in the sport playing for a national title. Now imagine that it had happened every other year for 120 years. You can imagine the rivalry that would build up. The excitement and the patriotism. This is what the Ashes represent. So today, as I go about my work, I'll keep a close eye on the innings and wickets taken. And I'll cheer my team on. Here's to great rivalries and an English victory.