Women's Sports

It's amazing when you think about it. In less than 20 years South Africa has gone from racist regime to one of our planet's most enlightened countries. It's questionable how many other countries would have embraced and defended Caster Semenya the way the people and government of South Africa have. Would she have received such a welcome in, say, the US or much of Europe?

Seldom have I seen a rejoinder as plain-spoken and incisive as the ANC's to accusations that women's 800-meter world champion Caster Semenya is not a woman. I could not find or conjure up a better title for this post.

Caster Semenya earned a gold medal in Berlin yesterday by winning the 800-meter final rather handily. But, in timeworn fashion, there had to be controversy. Whenever a female athlete performs above expectations, especially if she has a muscular (often rendered artlessly as "masculine") build, you can bet there will be questions. Other recent victims of this include Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Dara Torres.

This sort of thing is nothing new, however, as Erik Siwak correctly points out. And "gender verification testing," which Semenya is now being subjected to, has its own long, sordid history: a realm where science begins to look rather like the dog chasing his tail.

Female athletes shouldn't have to contend with such nonsense. To my mind, the thinking that animates this holds back female athletes more than anything else. They sometimes curb their training, fearing ridicule or censure for a look that is too muscular. Worse yet, often these are the more talented athletes. How much better would they be if they weren't held back by outmoded nonsense?

The Semenya "controversy" can fairly be said to evince sexism, racism, and homophobia; but perhaps most of all, lunacy.

The consensus for some time has been that Sanya Richards is the world's fastest woman in the 400 meters. Still, she had never been able to prove as much in a big race. That proviso was finally put to rest in Berlin yesterday.

Congratulations, Sanya!

Some fear that Saturday night's fight marked an apogee to which women's MMA shall not return; the humbling of the sport's first star, witnessed by millions, a deathblow to the fledgling sport. I don't see it that way, however. My thinking is like that of E. Spencer Kyte: this is only the beginning.

Who will face the seemingly invincible champion next? Speculation has already begun. And although they may not be household names (at least not yet), two talented veteran fighters are quite eager for a shot at Cyborg: the already mentioned Erin Toughill and Marloes Coenen.

Here I must add a slight correction to yesterday's post: though both women were on call, so to speak, Coenen was actually at the event as a potential stand-in. An interview with Coenen shortly after the fight:

Though she fought bravely and capably, Gina Carano was overmatched in her bout last night with Cris "Cyborg" Santos. The strength difference was evident early, and quite telling; Cyborg was pretty much able to control Carano at will. When the referee stopped the fight, at 4:59 of the first round, Carano was on the ground, covered up and taking punches from Cyborg without returning fire. Nearly coincident with the bell to end the round, the referee's decision was slightly controversial—but only slightly.

So now that women's MMA has a new face, how will people react? Cyborg will not likely become the media darling that Carano was, but one has to believe that she has earned considerable respect for herself and for the sport she represents.

Barring a rematch, and there isn't reason now to think there will be one, Cyborg's next opponent will probably be Erin Toughill, the reserve fighter who would have fought last night if either Carano or Cyborg could not fight. A big, strong woman with plenty of MMA experience, Toughill (another former Gladiator) will test the new champ.

This blog covers many sports, ideally any sport that women participate in. But the lion's share of attention goes to combat and strength sports. Nothing so much forces us to rethink timeworn notions about gender as seeing women throwing and taking punches, flexing bulging muscles, or folding frying pans like they were newspapers. These women are the archfeminists of the 21st century; I marvel at their strength and thrill at the brazenness of their deeds.

Here we are hours away from the weigh-in for a women's MMA title fight that will be the main event on a televised fight card also featuring men. A decisive moment in women's sport, to put it mildly. If all goes well Saturday night, and the fight meets or exceeds expectations, everything about women and sport will be recast in an altogether new light.

So may the fight be an exciting one, and may the best woman win.

Perhaps you are like me. You don't watch enough television to justify a subscription to one or more of the premium channels. (My satellite bill has only one extra on it, a sports package that allows me to get most televised women's sporting events.) Given that, we have a problem: How best to affordably watch the Carano-Cyborg fight Saturday night? Always thinking of my loyal readers (both of you), and of course myself, I have researched the matter and can provide the following suggestions:

DISH Network: If you are a DISH Network subscriber and act soon enough, you might be able to watch the fight free.

DirecTV: Here again it might be possible to watch free.

All television services: Showtime has a $25 Cash Back promotion for new subscribers.

Online: $24.95 gets you what may be the best seat in the house: you can choose camera angles during the event. Notice too another freebie: watch tomorrow night's weigh-in free at strikeforce.sho.com.

Finally, don't delay. Your chances of getting a deal will be better if you don't wait until the last minute.

Not all traditions are bad. But some—born of an antediluvian thirst to subjugate others—are rather evil. An article at NYTimes.com brings this to mind. The female athletes it calls attention to deserve admiration, simply for doing what they want to do, wrestle, in the face of such barbarity: "One tribesman has said they should be 'slaughtered' if they continue."

It's disgusting enough that someone would think this, but for him to feel unabashed about saying it is something else again. (Alas, our "Christian" West isn't irreproachable; we too have troglodytes in our midst.)

Gina Carano has taken on a rather menacing sparring partner to help her prepare for Cris Cyborg next Saturday—Satan: