Are Mean Soccer Girls Unacceptable or are We All Just Overreacting?
by SarahAs soon as I saw the Elizabeth Lambert video I knew that I would be writing about her this week. Elizabeth is the "mean girl" soccer player that was suspended for rough play this week. She is the girl who was caught on video punching another player in the back and pulling hair.
If you watch this video it looks terrible.
A lot of people were shocked and offended when they saw this clip.
But this video looks different to me.
I am not saying that this excuses her behavior. I do not think that anyone (perhaps anyone outside of WWE wresting anyway) should be pulling other people to the ground using their hair.
What I am saying is that while Elizabeth Lambert certainly overreacted and was clearly unsportmanlike, her competitors were elbowing her too. Why isn't anyone upset about that?
And have none of us ever watched a soccer game before?
Soccer can be a tough game and it appears that’s especially true in the Mountain West Conference. Footage of the conference semifinal game in Provo, Utah – where BYU beat New Mexico 1-0 – has been making the rounds and not for any of the right reasons.
Why is it that the only time women’s sports make the nightly news is when the players cross the line? Last summer, an on-court brawl between the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks was front page news. Now, game footage of the BYU – New Mexico match is being rerun on ESPN and major network news shows.
The two teams in question combined for what would seem like a stunning 25 fouls, however according to The Sporting Blog, that’s actually not a huge number:
"In the three games of last year’s Women’s Final Four, there were 23, 24, and 33 fouls. The shocker is that only one yellow card came out in this game, which seems wildly out of proportion to the amount of brutality in the above video."
See? I don't want you to think that I approve of Lambert's actions, but soccer is a violent sport. It is like the only things anyone knows about women's soccer is Brandi Chastain in a sports bra and this Elizabeth Lambert debacle.
It is a fantastic image, but did anyone actually watch the game? Would anyone be freaking out if this was a men's soccer game? I doubt it.
As usual, Laurie White says it best:
...I think a lot of times more force than necessary is used on athletic fields, but I’ve never been out there so I don’t know what it’s like. I do know that winning is a huge expectation in high stakes games and pressure drives people to crazy behavior. I’m not sure that’s always a good idea. And whereas I do believe strongly in accountability I think it’s sad that of all the things a highly competitive, talented female athlete can be known for in her collegiate career, it boils down to headlines with words like “dirty” and “violent,” and stupid, videotaped, aggressive behavior. I’m sure she can do way better. Let’s hope she does from now on, no matter who’s watching.
Elizabeth Lambert has been indefinitely suspended from The University of New Mexico's athletics department and she has issued an apology.
I still think the issue is that the violence was done by a woman. This type of brutality is not at all uncommon in men's soccer.
Soccer Hooligans are famous for rioting. I guess Americans just aren't used to seeing this kind of thing from the ladies in their colleges. I think Elizabeth Lambert deserved to be suspended. I think she acted inappropriately, but I also think the outrage is coming from people who don't watch soccer.
Contributing Editor Sarah also blogs at Sarah and the Goon Squad and MamaPop.
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Comments
Two different issues
People don't pay much attentions to women's sports, full stop. Well, except maybe figure skating and gymnastics. And even then, if I say "Women's Figure Skating", I'd bet my triple lutz that the first name 9 out of 10 people would mention would be Tonya Harding.
The front page is rarely good news, so it's not a big surprise when bad news of any kind makes the headlines. I've bveen introduced to more dark corners of the universe by hearing about the bad stuff happening there than the good stuff, so this is no exception.
Speaking of this situation, yes, soccer is a contact sport, but hair pulling, elbowing, and shoves are not included even in the wildest or widest definition of Good Sportmasnhip. Keep it to the roller derby rink, ladies.
Halushki.com
Where...
did you see that the BYU player grabbed Lambert's crotch?
When the BYU player reaches back and grabs her shorts, Lambert already has hands on her.
We can't hear the trash talking that's obviously going on, but PUNCHING someone in the spine is not anywhere in the official FIFA rules for soccer.
It's the BYU players' JOB to get in front of her. It's then HER job to get open for the play. That does not include hair pulling, shoving, or punching. If she had an issue with the elbowing, there's her coach and the ref to talk to.
I played soccer on city leagues, a AAA high school team and a junior college team before I started working. I watch a lot of professional soccer, I coach and ref youth soccer. I've yet to see a man pull another player's hair. Another difference is that the girl who was pulled to the ground didn't get up and punch Lambert right in the face, which would not have been a surprising move, in men's soccer.
HANDS are for the goalie, nobody else. At no point should anyone's hands be on another player. Here's the rub for me personally, this attitude of might makes right starts with the little kids. I have a no tolerance policy for the 6 year olds, the 12 year olds, or the 20 year olds. Male, female or otherwise. The real issue? Why were the coaches and ref allowing this behavior to go on at all? It's gotta make national news to get a girl in trouble?
Soccer IS a contact sport, accidents DO happen. But assault is assault, and we can't condone it for women just because there's a history of it with men. How about holding ourselves to a higher standard? That's why it's such a big deal to the media, usually we DO behave better than our Y chromosome counter parts.
Not appropriate
I am an avid football fan, former player and overall sports enthusiast. I was outraged to see the various incidents on the pitch leading to this young woman's suspension. Yes, football is a "contact" sport but at no point in time does this sort of aggression have any place in the game (women's or men's). I have seen a few instances of this in the men's game and it is not tolerated at a professional level. In fact, what bothers me even more than the violence perpetrated is the seeming lack of referee intervention. Red card anyone?
I do think it a sad commentary that this is what the media chooses to highlight and give a voice to - women's football is hardly valued to the extent that it should be although this can be said about any sport in which women participate with the exception of say tennis which is a mainly individual game.
Mean Girl Behavior is What Got Her Suspended
I spent my Sunday watching the Manchester United vs. Chelsea game. Yes, there was physical contact and plenty of boos and wankers and get up you bastards! called at players whose aggressive behavior (fake or real) was too much. And there were yellow cards handed out equally. Physical contact is NOT what soccer is about. Lambert's behavior is what got her suspended not her sex. And the hooligans are fans not players; it's not fair to insinuate that American fans just don't get it. I sat in a bar with plenty of foreign soccer lovers and NONE of them would excuse Lambert's behavior. Is it great that it's a girl? Is it cat fight material? Absolutely. But Lambert deserves her suspension.
No Question
The is absolutely no question that Lambert deserves her suspension. I agree with that. What she did was wrong. I just question the level of outrage. Crazy things like this happen in men's soccer/football on a weekly basis and they never get this much media coverage.
BlogHer Contributing Editor, Sports and Fitness Sarah and the Goon Squad Draft Day Suit
Over reaction for sure
"Good" is so subjective. Isn't sportsmanship more about how much air time you get off the field these days than on? I think we're all guilty here...
http://mothershaffer.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/what-good-sportsmanship-re...
Soccer world
I was raised in a soccer-crazy part of the world: soccer is a contact sport, not a violent sport, at least not any more violent than American football or boxing. This kind of behavior will attract attention in the men's sporting arena as well -- remember Zanadine Zidane's infamous head butt in the 2006 World Cup?
However, it is quite possible, as you say, that this caught the attention of a not-so-soccer-crazy American media because it had what we call the "cat fight" element to it. And women's soccer for the most part is still a curiousity and not as widely watched or followed as men's soccer.