LMAO DMac you are crazy! Where do you get the stuff you come up with?

Delinda, I do understand — or at least try my best to understand– many of the points you make. The distinction with women athletes efforts to gain recognition is that they almost HAVE to show their body to get attention and recognition. First and foremost, that fact is quite troubling IMHO. So there is a sense of: is Patrick really doing the pictures by some arbitrary personal choice? or is she caving in to the sexist machine? I’m not in her head, so i don’t know. If it is the first one, then that is one thing. If it is the second one, then that is accompanied with disappointment — even if it is quite understandable given what she is up against.

So when i root for Danica to keep her clothes on, I’m rooting for her to PROTEST the current system. Now that is certainly an unfair burden to be put on Danica, but like any social pioneer that unfair burden is part of the equation and you just hope that the person understands the larger scope of their influence. So in Patrick, i would hope that she uses her almost unique position to show an ALTERNATIVE PATH to recognition for woman athletes that does not involve disrobing… so for me it is not about DP personally as much as the bigger picture to advance society.

In either case, we can all agree that the media coverage of women is atrocious — and that pressure should be applied to them to get it right. Here is my two cents on the abomination that is Sports Illustrated’s coverage:
http://www.cosellout.com/?p=257

I think the issue with Danica is that when she first broke the onto the major racing scene, she was against doing such things. I remember an interview where she specifically said that she would rather be known as a racer first, before eye-candy. But over time, as she began to “struggle” and not get that first win as fast as everyone expected of her, she started to do the pictures wearing less and less clothes. Check out the time line. At first all her pictures were of her in the full racing suit , near a car or a track. But as time went on, clothes started to be removed, then last year she did the shower scene for the ESPN commercials.

So in my eyes, she kinda renigged (sp) on the whole, respect me as a driver first. Not saying that she doesn’t deserve respect, but it would have been great for her to stick to her guns for the whole time.

I just hope she doesn’t end up like Anna Kornikova, who is known more for her pictures than being a winner and a tough opponent.

Why do you think that is?

Delinda you and I talk all the time and you know how heated I get when I see a Black athlete exploited and then more heated when people say “What’s the big deal? It’s just a picture.”

IF LeBron knew about the WW1 poster beforehand and Danica doesn’t understand she is being exploited posing all the damn time then they are no different than each other in that regard.

If you are in a club and are scantily clad and a dude calls you a whore–even if you aren’t one–should you really be surprised?

If you dress the part that’s how you are gonna be seen and judged. That’s just the way it is.

Like I’ve also said many times here and in the initial post, I congratulate Danica for winning and advancing her sport. Mad props to her.

Props to Danica for her achievment but if she looked like Billie Jean King and took this long to win something significant the media coverage wouldn’t have been like this and we all know it.

Another thing, I bet straight cash, homie that Patrick’s win is one of the first three things talked about on PTI tomorrow.

You know damn well I’m optimistic about most things and like a fine lovely just as much as the next cat, but I just have a different view of things.

I guess if you don’t have a daughter you see this much differently–that’s not an indictment on you personally.

How is it empowering again?

We can agree to disagree but sorry I would never be cool with my daughter posing so much. I didn’t say anything about her sleeping her way to the top but in my eyes this isn’t much different.

It causes too much bs.

It’s up to my daughter’s mother and I (and our family) to make sure she knows the game so she can distinguish what’s real and what’s not.

I would have to accept it, but again, I wouldn’t be proud of her.

I just want to see her win. That’s it. Nothing else matters. Seriously. There are so many girls out there who are now racing fans just because of this win. What should the message be that they take in?

Sex or triumph?

Of course it’s a caricature, but you get the picture.

That’s just the way it is. Our life experience shapes our opinion. What’s wrong with not wanting Danica to be disrespected? Seriously? So you’d rather be cool with those who are lusting over Danica simply because she’s a woman instead of what she does on the track?

Really now…you can’t be serious Delinda.

I’m not her enemy.