Comments on: The Offside Rules: MLS Radicalises Web Presence

By: Rating Official American Soccer Blogs: #1, MLS Insider | Pitch Invasion

Rating Official American Soccer Blogs: #1, MLS Insider | Pitch Invasion — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:45:26 +0000

[...] was already well-known in American soccer blogging circles for The Offside Rules, a fact that provoked some controversy here at the time, as accusations of misogyny started flying about in the comnents. Others praised MLS for a bold [...]

By: Pitch Invasion Contributors Bring the Goods: Favorites From 2009 | Pitch Invasion

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:52:32 +0000

[...] not heard before. I’ve also found Tom’s pieces on American journalism interesting, especially his piece on MLS hiring Shawn Francis to work on its [...]

By: The Sweeper: MLS is a Suburb of Detroit | Pitch Invasion

The Sweeper: MLS is a Suburb of Detroit | Pitch Invasion — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:53:16 +0000

[...] of the MLS Insider blog in time for MLS Cup. What do you think of the looks of it? We had quite an interesting debate about SF’s blogging on these pages at the time of the announcement, if you’ll [...]

By: Stan

Stan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:02:02 +0000

Wow, what a hypocritical post from anon2. Clearly not as bothered by irrelevant personal attacks as claims to be.

By: anon2

anon2 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:29:30 +0000

First, anon and anon2 are different people. Imagine that. Why anonymous? Because typically when you voice objection to this kind of crap, you’re subjected to vicious irrelevant personal and professional attacks. Which is probably why you’re demanding this info.

Second. It’s not just a gay issue. Not gay, here.

Third, many top US players have grown up with athletic moms, sisters, friends, and girlfriends, often had female trainers at some point, and they don’t share the same misogynist viewpoint. It seems to be the province of the fan and lonely blogger whose primary sexual relationship is with the Internet. And just cause you like to have sex with women doesn’t mean you’re not misogynist. Educate yourself, I can’t be bothered.

Fourth, its new “degrade women” PR policy is just another stupid business decision on the part of MLS, who have made many other stupid decisions in the past (turf?) and will eventually reverse the initial lame decision at great cost. US soccer can’t afford to alienate one-third of its limited fan base and make MLS more of a silly sideshow than it already is.

Bitchy? Not to men who act like men. ; )

By: Jennifer Doyle

Jennifer Doyle — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:21:14 +0000

It’s the way he uses the word lesbian. And the idea that a fat, unattractive woman makes for a good joke. Doesn’t matter how much one likes a sexual joke – fact is, once you see the connection between the acceptance of these things as ordinary and the way that gays and lesbians are policed by these things out of sports, and the way that women’s sports itself is treated as something no one wants to see (unless the athletes are “hot” & in skirts), these stupid jokes just stop being funny.

I do think that most guys, when they understand this, come around, too.

But I don’t expect the MLS to be taking the steps to imagine what a feminist sports culture would look like. I kindof think they are going the other direction, in fact.

By: Chach

Chach — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:06:03 +0000

They should make goal area bigger – more goals, more fun for everyone, except goalkeeper.

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:48:53 +0000

As a lady who reads Kickette (the most sexual soccer blog in creation) daily I don’t think he’s sexist at all and that everyone (including himself) is worth laughing at.

By: Stan

Stan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:11:30 +0000

The first of those examples isn’t sexist at all. Anyone who tells you there isn’t “let’s all make fun of the awkward teen with an embarrassing crush” joke isn’t made about boys is flat lying. If it’s anything -ist it’s age-ist.

The second one I kind of understand, but as sexism goes it’s not the most clear cut nor the most vicious you’ll see. There’s a double standard concerning beauty with regard to gender, but there are “let’s all point and stare at the ugly guy” jokes out there (Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin).

It doesn’t strike me as similar to the link presented above, and I tend to find the “let’s lump it all together” method of debate counterproductive.

By: Jennifer Doyle

Jennifer Doyle — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:10:04 +0000

Oh, and let’s think about this, when it comes to sexism, gender politics and sports:

The MLS wouldn’t go near a blogger who posted racist blog entries – most sports fans in the US especially would never tolerate it.

The SF posts are totally banal in sports blogging – they aren’t that extreme, actually, but they show at the very least a lack of sensitivity to the issue.

Oh, how I wish that made him unique in the world of sports media! But it doesn’t. Excepting Pitch Invasion, The Global Game, and a few other critically-aware sites, you’d have to look pretty far and wide to find fan-bloggers who had never gone down this road.

Sexism & homophobia are completely accepted in popular sports media – especially in blogging. More guys than we would like to admit really want to hold on to their sense of entitlement to the sexist joke.

If you want some food for though, read my blog article “Modern Minstrels”

http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com/2008/10/modern-minstrels-sexist-jokes-about.html

Cheers, Anon – to your sense of outrage,