Comments on: Danica Patrick Becomes 1st Woman to Win Indy Car Race

By: danica patrick car

danica patrick car — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:17:22 +0000

[...] Danica Patrick Becomes 1st Woman to Win Indy Car Race [...]

By: HarveyDent

HarveyDent — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:48:27 +0000

DingDingDingDingDing…I was halfway right about my PTI prediction because even though Kornheiser and Wilbon mentioned Patrick’s win in the intro it was the fourth thing on their list of topics for the day. Kornheiser did talk about how it was good Patrick had won because she was starting to become known more for her photo spreads instead of her racing results. Of course, Wilbon leapt to her defense by saying she’s never been ‘naked’ in a photo shoot but then it was mentioned, tongue in cheek I hope, that he knew that fact because he had all her spreads in a drawer at his home. ShakesMyHead…come back, Brutha Wilbon, because you trying too damned hard to be liked nowadays.

By: Women Power: Who’s Next to Break Sports Illustrated’s Bikini Line? | Sports On My Mind

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:15:05 +0000

[...] doing a whole lot more than cheerleading. Patrick became the first woman to win a major race when she took the Japan 300. Lorena Ochoa became the first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win four tournaments in consecutive [...]

By: mizzo

mizzo — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:14:10 +0000

“I mean everyone likes red bones.”

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

By: DavidMac

DavidMac — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:11:49 +0000

MODI – You know I’m right, don’t you think its time to admit it? If Danica Patrick wasn’t taking her clothes off, no one would care about her racing, it isn’t like racing is really a sport, but this gives her fame for her sporting achievement. Kudos to the marketplace at work. If Candace Parker would take Danica as an example, just think of where she could be in America, in terms of popularity. I mean everyone likes red bones.

By: MODI

MODI — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:55:51 +0000

mizzo, thanks for posting this… very important…

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

By: danica patrick indycar

danica patrick indycar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:15:26 +0000

[...] Danica Patrick Becomes 1st Woman to Win Indy Car Race [...]

By: Co Co

Co Co — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:28:55 +0000

I happen to agree with the a few things on here. I’m glad she finally won because for a long time there’s been more style than substance to her. Its empowering for women when a woman can compete against men at a high level, but once they’ve let you in their little boys club you have to prove you belong there or it just sets women back a little. She was on the verge of becoming Michelle Wie and that’s not a good look. I’m happy she won because it validates all the exposure she’s gotten. Up until now there was no reason for her to be as highly regarded as she has been.

By: michelle

michelle — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:47:12 +0000

Congrats to Danica she scored one for the LADIES!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:21:49 +0000

Mizzo,
“Just for the sake of the discussion, who gets more respect Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys?”
Now I know you know better….Mariah? A more appropriate comparison for the sake of THIS discussion, would be who gets more respect, Beyonce or Alicia Keys? And I dare anybody to get flip and ask “how do we define respect”.

By: DavidMac

DavidMac — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:41:26 +0000

Its about time Danica won one, I don’t think she will ever win a season, but hey she is doing good right now.

By: CEvidence

CEvidence — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:11:44 +0000

Women can be sexy and win…I’ll look at Serena for the model of that idea.

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.

By: mizzo

mizzo — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:52:18 +0000

Just for the sake of the discussion, who gets more respect Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys?

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.

By: delinda

delinda — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:04:14 +0000

“No, the empowerment stops when women actively participate in their own objectification and reduce themselves to only T&A.”
Again- WHY cant woman be sexy and win? Danica didnt reduce herself to T&A- you (general public) did. I understand what you guys are saying, but seems to me that the real issue is that Danica used her sex appeal to promote herself-and once again I would say so what! She wasnt spread eagle in a mag…dear god, they were bathing suit shots…she didnt dress any part of nothing…

By: mizzo

mizzo — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:36:55 +0000

It’s like this Delinda and take rape (when women are violated physically just by what they are wearing is what I mean here) out of this because that’s just sick..OK?

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.