^That's their bread and butter. They aren't really known for dominating (or even consistently medalling in) any other sport, so athletes in the other disciplines are just for show :P

Pretty good article. It helped create awareness that these female athletes can't go on forever regardless how good, because they can't make money playing the sport.

And I feel bad for the women, not just Noora Raty, but all of them who have the talent to play competitively (among women), but there's just no money in an all-female competitive hockey scenario. There's issue with them being in the NHL, issues with being in a lower co-ed league, and issues with creating revenue in an all-female league.

The part that I have a problem with in the article is where the writer thinks females can simply get into the NHL with some exposure and opportunity. Female talent is underrated, but also very overrated if being in the NHL is the goal. (Note that Noora Raty never said this herself.) I don't watch anything other than NHL (any Olympic hockey), so I don't have the statistics, but based on the comments following the article, seems like top caliber Women National teams were on par with Men's college teams... :pokerface:

Because of the different body structure and size difference between the two genders, a co-ed league would be way too physically demanding for females. Too small to take hits as a skater, too small to cover the net as a goalie. The females would need to be 2 tiers better than their male counterparts just to keep up. Really just a dumb idea all around. And lower leagues don't generate much money anyway.

For an all-female league, I'm not sure who would really follow that. Maybe some young girls who dream of becoming in "X" female league can now have a hockey player to look up to, but I don't think any guys would care about it. Not when it's lower level hockey compared to NHL. And just because it's female hockey, it won't necessarily mean females will flock to watch it. People generally still want to watch the highest level of competitive sport, hence the NHL. So a female league will still have trouble getting support regardless of how much exposure they have.

It really sucks that at the end of the day, these talented female players have no where to go... but that's just the way it is... generally, people don't want to pay to watch lower level sports.

What about as coached or support players?
While the female may not have the physical ability to keep up with their male counterparts, they could understand the game well enough to be effective coaches, trainers, general managers etc.
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For fitness training, I see no problem with that. There's a good trainer for goalies named Maria Mountain that posts her videos on YouTube.

But as a coach, I would not expect a woman, who's highest level of hockey exposure was from a woman's league, to understand the NHL game. While there are coaches that didn't even play in NHL, or had many games under their belt, it was still men's hockey they played, with hitting and much more physical aspect to it. Completely different from a women's type of game.

But aside from all this, I think the original problem is still there, which is that the women don't get to play due to lack of financial support. They are basically being forced to retire, and doing the "admin" work to stick around the game is a weak alternative from their desire to be the athlete.

^We're barely over having women as Forbes-list CEOs. Good luck having women in a men's professional team setting. I'd like to think that teams like the Canucks are progressive enough to accept it (Hamhuis and Booth is already being coached by a woman for his skating). But I doubt most teams in the US would listen to a woman about hockey.

Let's not forget the sexism that women reporters still get. Remember the fallout from Duncan Keith disparaging Karen Thomson of the Team1040 earlier this season (I believe) when she asked about his apparently beef with D. Sedin?

It won't happen for a long time. Professional athletes already have trouble listening to men coaches. It'll be even harder for said athletes to take women coaches in their sport seriously.

Speed skating to the Dutch is like hockey to Canada
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This, we all saw what happened over the weekend when the first female football player played with men. She just got destroyed and rocked, to her credit though, she got up, but she was just not effective.

» Video: First Female Professional Football Running Back Makes History, Gets Obliterated Barstool Sports: Philly

I think everyone can agree that female leagues don't work as frankly no one gives a shit, leading to low revenues, sponsorship support,etc... they'll just have to stick to the Olympics, which in my opinion is a bit of farce anyways because they reward losing in the form of silver and bronze medals and include "sports" whos outcomes are the result of subjective judging. I know I'm in the minority feeling that way about the Olympics, oh well. To me Olympics stopped being about the Olympic spirit a long time ago as professionals are allowed to compete in various sports in the Olympics, when you are a pro, the only result that should be rewarded is gold and winning, yup my view is pretty harsh.

Yuna Kim tomorrow I think!! Can't wait

Dude said it best. She was born without the Y chromozone. As a goalie, if she is indeed that good, she may make it in the NHL.

Let's face it, it is still a man's world. A woman has to overcome a lot of obstacles. Is it fair? No. But that's the way the cookie crumbles.

I look at my mom, my sister, my daughter, and my wife and life for them is not fair.

Not much more can be said on the topic that hasn't been said before. So sad this athlete has to face that reality.

I love that Visa commercial where they quote Amelia Earhart, then chick says, "Now we get to fly." something like that.............

It's sad, really - some of the best hockey I've ever seen at Rogers (or GM Place, at the time) was when the All-Star Game was here and we went to the US and Canadian women's game. Man, shit was getting VICIOUS out there - fighting wasn't allowed, but there were plenty of times, you know they REALLY wanted to go.

Tina Maze

Yum
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You can thank Patrick Chan for starting it all..

Not if you're looking at previous Olympics. If you take his particular sport, for example, you can name the source as being Browning and Stojko, both of which were multiple world-champions at the time of their respective Olympic games.

It wasn't until 2010 where Canada really shed the choking image in a big way. And even then, you could throw Del Bosco and Hollingsworth and the meltdown in curling belonging to Cheryl Bernard. We should've had 17 gold medals!

Choking in the olympics runs in our country. We just need to embrace it :toot:

It has gone on forever. Even in Vancouver, even tho we did so well with the Golds, in the first week of the games, it seemed like every event the Canadians who were the favorites were "soo close except for that missed step" and ended up 4th or 5th.

Canadians all over the last two winter Olympics have been the favorites and world cup champions leading into the games, and fallen short once in the games. and not just being beat, but actually losing it themselves. Look at the skiers, and charles hamelin for example. And ya, look at Patrick Chan, that was hard to watch.


Now, that being said. Full props and support to all the Canadian athletes. Simply making it to the olympics is absolutely fantastic

I think it happens a lot with other Countries too. It is the nature of the Olympics at such a high level and all the stress that comes at that stage. I just like to make fun of Patrick Chan because of all the commercials that make him like a god lol.

Erik Guay. 5th in downhill.
Erik Guay. 5th in super G

Pierre Leuders. 5th in 2 man bobsled
Pierre Leuders. 5th in 4 man bobsled

4 athletes finished either 4th or 5th in Moguls or Aerials

3 athletes finished 4th to 6th in Ski Cross

Patrick Chan finished 5th in Figure Skating

Olivier Jean, Charles Hamelin, and Francois Hamelin, had 3 4th or 5th finishes between them

Melissa Hollingsworth finished 4th in Skeleton

Jeremy Wotherspoon absolutely imploded in speed skating

The 3 Canadian speed skaters who won medals, also had 4 4th-6th finishes


That is about 20 'almosts' for athletes who were supposed to make the podium but couldn't get it done at the olympics. It's one thing to rise up, put on the run of your life, and finish 5th when you weren't supposed to finish that strong, but this is athletes not living up to where they should have been

To be fair to Patrick- he is portrayed that way because he is in fact delivering at the world stage in World Championships. As one of the favourites coming into Sochi, he was (not to take anything away from the awesome Joannie Rochette tweet) given the gold medal to take, but alas he pulled a Browning/Stojko/pick your choking Canadian athlete of the day.

To be fair to Stojko, one of his two silvers were with a torn groin.. and I guess you can't really prepare for your opponents having the performances of their lives.. minus that Japanese kid who fell twice and still won gold lol

Time to get back to the hotties!

Bruised And Bloody 'Sochie Selfie' Shows Painful Side Of Competing In The Olympics (PHOTO)

http://easycaptures.com/fs/uploaded/649/8868397807.jpg
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I clicked on link, read the story, then saw pic of American ice dance girl below........ didn't close window fast enough........... someone please upload another hottie from Olympics to erase what I just saw.



There's Integra Girl, now there's Ice Dance Girl.............

Miss this song...

^real catchy tune........... now it's stuck in my mind. Thanks a lot.

Silver in 3000m short track relay. Would have been bronze if the Chinese were not dq'd
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Jennifer Jones is killing it in the semi's right now. She is playing against Brittan's main hope for a gold. don't look like it's going to happen.