Until The Lion Has Her Own Story: Reflections From BNP Paribas Open.
Victoria Azarenka poses with the Belarus Flag and the Baccarat Trophy in Indian Wells, California Sunday, March 20, 2016. (Photo by Billie Weiss/BNP Paribas Open)
“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.” ~West African Proverb
The stories from Sunday’s BNP Paribas final should read, “Azarenka Wins at Indian Wells, Beats Williams in 4th Title Match” or “Azarenka Cracks Top Ten Ranking with Victory over Williams; Sets Sights Higher”. The supporters of women’s tennis should have heard Victoria Azarenka discuss her victory, as well as her complimentary remarks towards her opponent, Serena Williams. Instead, the women competing in the final were continually asked about the sexist remarks of Raymond Moore, CEO of the Indian Wells tournament*. Moore’s comments can be viewed here.
While I found Moore’s comments offensive and sexist, I am more disappointed about the coverage surrounding the BNP Paribas Open final. For, he is a distraction from the true issue; allowing those who do not truly appreciate and respect women’s sports to be the voice of women’s sports. How can a man responsible for the promotion and sponsorship of a women’s tennis tournament, be so dismissive of female tennis players?
“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.”
I could write multiple stories about Moore’s comments, as well as men’s champion Novak Djokovic’s statement that us women “have to go through a lot of different things that we [men] don't have to go through … you know, the hormones and different stuff, we don't need to go into details." However, all of these conversations are symptomatic of the lack of storytelling in women’s sports.
There were so many great storylines going into yesterday’s final, such as Serena’s return to Indian Wells last year after a 14 year boycott, or the return of Vika after battling injuries for the past several years. Equally noteworthy were the emotions that both players exhibited after the final, and the humility and grace each showed to their competitor. Very few media outlets provided a platform for the sportsmanship on display by these two women and the WTA.
Serena Williams shows her range, tracks down a shot by Victoria Azarenka in Women's Singles Final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (Photo by Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)
After the match, an emotional Williams addressed the crowd, “Thank you guys for the support … it was really hard; the last moment I had here wasn’t the greatest moment, so thank you so much [crowd cheers] thank you so much for the cheers, I can’t tell you how much it means to me, I can’t even begin to tell you, so thank you [crowd cheers]. Many congratulations to Vika. Congrats on such a great win and a great tournament, and I’m just so happy to be able to stand here again, so thank you so much.”
“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.”
At MyWSports, we firmly believe that all women’s sports deserve a place to be celebrated, a place where men and women alike can continue to grow women’s professional and collegiate athletics. We strive to warmly and accurately give voice to women’s leagues, teams, individual athletes and fans in the hopes that female athletes can get the sponsorships that are long overdue.
Now, many will counter our mission with what inevitably becomes a chicken-egg conversation regarding equal pay, sponsorship, and attendance. However, what most are unwilling to throw into the mix is the reality that sexism by, and exclusion from mainstream media greatly impacts the ability of women’s sports to survive, let alone thrive.
Less than 2% of sports media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. For example, despite record viewership for the 2014 Sochi Women’s Ice Hockey gold medal match, fans of women’s hockey were unable to watch most of the inaugural National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) season**, the first ever Outdoor Women’s Classic or the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four on television.
Similarly, the US Women’s Soccer team broke viewership records last summer as they claimed the 2015 FIFA World Cup title, yet the US Soccer Federation sponsored #SheBelieves Cup, that featured what many consider the most premiere federations in all of women’s soccer (Germany, France, England and the United States), was sparsely broadcast. The final and deciding game of the tournament, a 2-1 win by the United States over Germany, was only available online via ESPN3.
“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.”
There has surely been progress, and we at MyWSports intend to celebrate the victories over the years, such as tennis being the only sport to award equal prize money for men and women for most (not all) major tournaments. This is a feat viciously fought for by many, but most recently Venus Williams. We intend to celebrate 20 season of the WNBA this summer, and we will cover the unprecedented 4th season of a domestic soccer league (the NWSL).
However, any athlete will tell you, if you are celebrating yesterday’s victory, you are essentially planning for tomorrow’s defeat. We can celebrate achievements while also striving for continued equity. The two are certainly not mutually exclusive, despite the rhetoric often spouted to dissuade activism on behalf of female athletics.
“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.”
Howard Stevenson, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, reflected on the aforementioned West African proverb, stating, “How does a lion learn to tell a story that isn’t filtered through the distorted stereotypes about lions or the subtle heroic supremacy of the hunter? Why do the hunters get the press coverage and the lions live in zoos?” The original proverb and Professor Stevenson’s analysis are an accurate summary of the coverage offered after the BNP Paribas Open Final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, as well as the current state of women’s athletics.
Victoria Azarenka gets pumped during the 2016 BNP Paribas Open Women’s Singles Final. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)
Yes, denouncing Moore’s comments is an important step in the storytelling. So is the unity that has been shown among those within the sports community. The WNBA put out a statement in support of the WTA, ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe commented on how hard the sport of tennis has worked to achieve gender equity, and still others have reported on the disgrace of Moore’s comments. However, let us remember that the coverage of women’s sports cannot, and must not begin nor end with the likes of Moore.
Of all the amazing NCAA hockey and basketball on display over the weekend, with one new league closing its first chapter (NWHL) and another one set to begin (United Lacrosse League), there was so much that should have gotten the attention of sports media. Yet, even in her own sport, Victoria Azakenka is overshadowed by a man. It is truly a shame, because Vika had a wonderful tournament and a wonderful story of her own. I will close this article with the words of the BNP Paribas Open champion:
“Um, good afternoon everybody, um [sighs] where do I start, um I’m a little bit nervous but I wanted to first address a personal “thank you” to Serena. I know how emotional it was for you to be back here and you truly inspired so many people out there to see the type of commitment you have to the game and it’s truly inspiring. Thank you for that from the bottom of my heart, you are an amazing competitor, you changed our game, and honestly if it wasn’t for you, how hard you work and seeing you play so well, I wouldn’t be as motivated to come back and work so hard. So I wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart for the sport [applause].”
Vika went on to thank the sponsors of the BNP Paribas Open, the tournament volunteers and staff. The champion closed her remarks by saying to the crowd, “fans, I know you were supporting Serena and I would too if I was in the stands, but thank you so much [crowd cheers; Vika laughs] and of course, last but not least, thank you to my team for believing in me, for never doubting … my abilities and pushing me hard to improve, to rise, to grow. I appreciate you so much.”
Notes:
*Raymond Moore stepped down as CEO & Tournament Director of BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (link)
**NESN broadcast eight games of The Boston Pride, inaugural NWHL Champions. Additionally, ESPN3 aired a select number of NWHL, also home games of The Boston Pride. On Tuesday, March 22nd, USA Hockey announced that all U.S games at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship will be aired on the NHL Network, only two of the games will be aired live.
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