Modeling the Latest in Empowerment Wear
Posted on February 29, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 42 Comments
Athena, showing off the t-shirt sent by a friend who also happens to be insanely nuts about WNBA basketball. When she opened the package and saw the shirt, she said “And I’m not a cheerleader! It’s like they know me!” Well, yes. And as a bonus, she just started in a 3rd/4th grade YMCA basketball league this week, so good timing all around. Athena’s got good shot skills (it’s all that time kicking my ass in games of “HORSE”), so that’s good too. It’s nice when it all comes together.
Good for her. Go, girl power.
Cheerleading is athletic too.
I want a shirt that says that. I really like it. I don’t think the shirt is knocking cheerleading per se. Just maybe some of the attitude that comes with it.
That’s made of awesome!
She sounds just like my neice. She’s a basketball player, too. Hope Athena enjoys it.
Frank:
It’s a hell of a lot more athletic now than it was when I was in high school, that’s for sure. That said, I think it became more athletic because it was criticized for being secondary to actual participatory sports; basketball, et al, did not need to be retro-fitted into an athletic event.
My high school didn’t have cheerleaders, and no one seemed to miss them much. There were cheerleaders at the University of Chicago, but I recall the general reaction to them being one of confusion; i.e., why anyone would want to do such a thing, especially at a university where no one knew anyone who ever went to spectate at the sports events. Play, yes. Spectate, not so much.
Let’s not forget that our current president so was a cheerleader. I think we need to know about McCain’s, Obama’s and Clinton’s past cheerleader status.
Excuse me? “Insanely nuts about WNBA basketball”? A love of women’s basketball and of the New York Liberty in particular is completely rational.
Well, there’s a rational love, and then there’s what you have, Justine. Which I applaud; WNBA needs as many insane nuts as it can get.
Me want. My kid would dig that!
Yes! Go, Athena!
You really ought to take her to the Big East Women’s Tourney in Hartford.
Well, you know. That’s 800 miles away.
There’s a knowing in her eyes. The lass is a aware in a way most kids her age are not. Athena is awake.
You’re doomed John, run while you still can.
Not to get too intellectual here (I think the T-shirt is great and my wife would love it), but cheerleading has changed primarily because of Title IX, which essentially killed a lot of gymnastics programs, so cheerleading is more about gymnastics than it used to be. Sometimes schools have pom-pom squads or dance teams which seem more like what cheerleaders were back in the ’70s and ’80s (1970s and 1980s, thank you very much).
On the other hand, who cares? Great T-shirt.
Ah, but the Big Ten Women’s Tourney is in Indianapolis…which is where you’d end up if you missed your exit while trying to have breakfast at Bob Evans in Cincinnati anyway, so you’re practically there.
Basketball is good. I have played the sport for about 30 years now. I am also coaching this year. I like watching the WNBA but I still prefer college basketball (both womens and mens).
You go GIRL! And, my kids beat me in HORSE too. Dang.
be well,
Dawn
Love, love, LOVE the shirt. And Athena is a perfect empowerment spokesmodel.
Know whatelse I love? Seeing what Krissy’s expressions look like on your face. Isn’t IDIC a wonderful thing?
Bravo!
Does the WNBA have cheerleaders?
I want a shirt like that also!
o.O
closer to home, UD women are doing VERY well this year. They beat Xavier, which is something that the UD men haven’t managed to do…and you can get tickets to the women’s games and they are played at a decent time…go Women Flyers….What a bunch of good role models.
I make shirts and action photographs at youth sporting events.
Being one who makes a better living off of cheerleaders than any other sport, I must say that they seem to take a lot more pride in what they do.
“Athletes lift weights – cheerleaders lift athletes.”
It’s kind of funny at my school. I go to a private school that has an incredible athletic program. We win many state championships. You’re required to do one sport. (I do JV track. It’s easy. I’m a theatre kid really.) So, it’s much cooler for a girl to be good at a sport than it is for a girl to be a cheerleader. The system amuses me.
My daughter did both cheerleading and basketball all through middle school. High school forced her to choose, as the schedules would be incompatible. She chose cheerleading & is now doing it on scholarship in college. She has no regrets. And she is much more functionally athletic than your typical basketbal player.
Keep kicking dad’s ass Athena; he’ll proudly get used to it.
My niece was this age when she started hockey goaltender. Now at 14 she plays with the senior girls(17-19) since she did far too well playing with the guy teams and has caught the eye of the scouts; also manages to remain an honours student as well. Yes her dad is very proud of being soundly beaten every time by his little girl.
Careful John,
She has her mothers look that says”You will pay for that” with a baseball bat in her hands.
Love the shirt, have a granddaughter that plays tackle football (First girl) at the JV level with the boys and then becomes a cheerleader for the basketball team, that just ended and now she has signed up for long distance running for track.
She tires me out just taking her to her events and watching her.
Athena, keep on beating the “old” man….
oh gag. yuppies with their empowering women crap. ruined half of the NCAA men’s teams. And any women who is breathing and bothers showing up can get a division one letter sweater. What a fucking joke.
TCO, try not to troll on an entry about my daughter. I don’t take kindly to it.
Oh, I know about six girls who would love that shirt. Where did your friend find it?
I think your daughter is cute as a button. I think your trite liberalism is…trite. And don’t hide behind kids with little gaggy NPR expressions. If you want a rough and tumble blog.
Why doesn’t the WNBA draw? No one cares! Ding, ding ding!
Live in the real world.
Oh…and I didn’t say shit about your daughter. I said shit about your comment. Capisce?
TCO:
You’re not nearly the clear communicator you think you are. And once again you’re edging closer to being plunked into the being moderated queue. Attempt to not be an asshole when you post here. Lots of other people of all sorts of politics manage to do it; you should try it too.
If you need to boot me, I understand. I actually deserve it more in other threadz. And you are using the kid to make a PC point.
Well, what I’m doing is showing off a shirt a friend sent my daughter, which she likes, and which is appropriate to what she’s doing in her life at the moment.
I’d rather not boot you, TCO; I just want you not to set your posts to the “maximum flamage” setting. It gets tiring to read and deal with.
It’s good for you?
Yeah, not so much.
Ok…I’ll take it easy on you and just bang Burt a little.
Here’s some content: http://www.google.com/search?q=cheerleading+popularity&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1
So, no fusion-powered laser pom-poms in her hands in the future? Even if she could have sooo much fun with them?
Can you tell me where you got this shirt? My daughter plays any sport with a ball and she and teammates would love this shirt….
I believe you can get it at any WNBA game, or through the leagues online store.