Dave Barry
My columnist was Dave Barry. Dave Barry is an interesting columnist and a fun one to study. He is different then most columnists in the way he writes. His isn’t afraid to state his opinion but you can never tell how serious he is about that opinion because he writes with a sarcastic tone. He makes little jokes throughout his columns that lighten the mood. In one of Barry’s columns “Why Sports Drag”, Barry talks about how much more serious men are about sports as opposed to women. “Notice that Howard and I both use the term ‘mankind’. Womankind really isn’t in to sports the same way.” That quote just shows how Barry thought about this topic when he wrote this column.
Given that this column was written years ago and times have most likely changed, do you agree with Barry? Are men more serious about sports than women? If not, how have times changed?
I think times have definitely changed. For professional athletes, their sport is their life, and they’re going to be very serious about it no matter male or female. I think women will train just as hard as men to reach their goals in sports. Male and females want to be the best they can be at their sports. For example during the Olympics, women have to spend several years of training just to qualify, and they need to dedicate time almost every day if they want to be successful. Seriousness is something that is required if you want to be successful, and both men and women show it.
I agree and disagree with Barry. Without a doubt, men are much more serious about watching sports than women. When it comes to playing sports, women are just as serious about it as men. If you are playing sports at a high level, you have to be serious about it, whether it is because you have a passion for the game or because you see your sport as a job and must continue to put in quality work to maintain your pay. I don’t think times have changed because women have always been serious about the sports they play. Like Creighty said, women have trained for years just to participate in the Olympics, sometimes even if there is little chance that they will win a medal.
I definitely agree with Barry, in the fact that men are more serious about sports than women. I think it comes to this because it is easier to relate to and become a devoted fan of. Men watch men playing and enjoy the sport along with watch as avid fans. Most women do not entirely understand the sports and cannot fully take in the experience and become serious about it. Playing sports is a different story however. Anyone playing a sport will be serious about it, regardless of gender. Dave Barry seems like a great writer to read about and he seems like he knows what he is talking about. Thanks for sharing!
No, I do not necessarily agree with Barry. When thinking about whether it is men or woman whom are more serious in watching sports you have to consider age and the location of where they live. There are a lot of boys who follow sports right off the bat simply because that’s how they were brought up; but there are also a lot of boys who reach a certain age and realize they aren’t even really that into them. I don’t think that for the majority young girls are very serious about sports. Once girls reach a certain age though, I do feel that more and more become seriously interested. Where you live is also a factor because if sports are really big there, both male and female will most likely be involved if sports are everywhere you look. If you live in a location where sports aren’t huge and you have to go out of your way to watch them, I think there will be more males seriously involved. When it comes to playing sports men and women are definitely equally dedicated. They both have to be passionate for what they want and if anything, women have to work harder than men do to become successful in sports.
I do not agree with Barry when he says that women are less serious about playing sports than men but I do think that they are a little bit more serious when it comes to watching them. times have changed a significant amount and now both genders are definitely serious about their sport. All athletes are passionate about their sport and it doesn’t make a difference whether it is a man or woman. Times have change in a way that it used to be more common for men to be involved in sports so it may seem that they were more serious, but even back then they were equally dedicated. When it comes to watching sports it seems that young boys and men like to follow the sport closely and pay more attention to whats going on. I know that I enjoy watching football games but I don’t always follow the teams and know exactly what happened in every game. I am obviously not saying that this is the case for all girls and women, some women follow it just as much as men, but its seems that the majority of people that follow sports religiously are men. In that case it seems that men follow it more and are more serious about watching sports but when it comes to playing, all athletes are equally as serious.
I don’t agree with Barry that women are less serious about playing sports than men. But i agree with Zach and I believe that men are more serious about watching sports. Women are very serious about playing their sports. I mean if you just look at the Olympics alone there are hundreds of women who are out doing the same sports as guys and spending the same amount of time and energy on them. However, it isn’t very common to see girls and women following sports teams as it is to see guys following sports teams. Men tend to get more excited during big games i.e.. the Super Bowl. While times have changed with women playing sports, I don’t think there has been a change watching them.
I believe that “times have most likely changed” is a very key phrase added in there because just this upcoming little league world series, there is a 12 year old girl participating on one of the little league teams. This shows how times have changed over the past few years. She is very passionate for the game of baseball and has so much support following her, not to mention she throws gas, but that’s beside the point. I do not agree with Dave because this little leaguer is only ONE example of all the women around the world showing guys that they can compete as well as men, but also have the drive and seriousness to do better just the same as men do.
I feel that times have not changed and women care just as much about their sports as men do about theirs. I feel that, both women and men, have a great deal of passion for what they do and both undoubtedly pour their hearts into it. Women work just as hard as men do for what they want and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Both genders have the same goals which is to be the best at what they do and will both train and play as hard as they can.
I can’t say I disagree with Barry, but I can’t say I agree with him. In general, there are more men that are into sports than women. Men are usually said to be the ones who become obsessed with sports and always try to support whatever team they support in whatever way they can, whether they paint the team’s logo on their chest or they simply just watch all of their games. There are not as many women who make sports a huge part of their life. However, for the women who do, the passion they have for their favorite sports is without a doubt as intense as men’s, even if they don’t show their support in the same way as men. Women can be just as serious as men, but there are fewer women than men who are serious about sports.
I do believe men are more serious about sports, and the sports world revolves mainly around the men. Times have changed, and while women’s sports are getting more popular, men’s sports are still dominant over women’s. Most people only watch men’s sports, like football, hockey, and baseball. While women do have professional leagues, the players are rarely known and make much smaller incomes compared to men. I believe this is due to the fact that men are just genetically stronger and faster which makes men’s sports more entertaining and competitive, which leads to more seriousness.
I believe that men’s sports are viewed more often than women’s because men’s sports are allowed to be more physical and men are thought of as more athletic in most cases. Professional football is a men’s only sport, in lacrosse men are allowed to check where women are not. Men are genetically built to be bigger and stronger. In the sports world that means quite a bit. However there are some sports where being light and nimble are more important. Such as gymnastics and in some cases soccer. Men’s sports are viewed more, however I do believe that women’s sports have become more serious and prevalent in today’s society.
I definitely believe that the times have changed when you look at the sports world today. The seriousness an athlete puts into their sport is not a matter of gender. Every athlete is different in the way that they prepare and how serious and hard that they work, and this has nothing to do with gender. When you look at sports, there are many more women’s sports appearing on national television now a days, such as women’s basketball. They take pride in their sports and I believe that women are working hard to bring up the popularity of their sports, and I do not believe that gender changes how serious a person is in sports. I think that depends on the person.