It’s time to appreciate women who truly “know ball.”
By now, you’ve probably seen the new Sydney Sweeney ad for Novig, or you’ve probably seen something like it a million times.
The sexualization of women in sports has continued to be a setback for the hard-working, passionate women who viciously fight to have a seat at the male-dominated table in the world of sports.
And it’s not only the men who write these kinds of ads that are harming the potential for female voices in sports; it’s the women who willingly participate, careless of the damage they do for those working to be seen for the right reasons.
Novig is a sports betting app that claims to “challenge norms” and to be “built with integrity,” and that may be true for their traders, but as far as marketing goes, they’ve missed the mark.
Under the collabed post from Sweeney and Novig you’ll see comments such as, “Why is no one understanding how disgusting this is…” and “This is sad at this point.”
Besides online backlash, Sweeney’s ad has been panned by female athletes who prove there is more to “knowing ball” and women in sports than posing naked on a basketball hoop.
Gracie Kramer, a gymnast at UCLA, shot back at the ad with a video of her competing with the caption, “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”
American Paralympic track and field athlete and former Love Island contestant Beatriz Hatz posted a similar video where she laid out her feelings about the Novig ad in the caption.
“Actaully so disgusted and disappointed in her [Sweeney’s] ad,” Hatz said. “Idgaf if she getting hella money for that, she’s setting women back so much.”
Hatz received over 1.3 million likes on this video as well as thousands of comments in support.
“Women in sports do not need to be sexualized,” Hatz continued in her caption. “We deserve to compete at the peak of our ability and be seen as athletes.”
Novig’s ad claims that Sweeney is a woman who knows ball. What they failed to mention is women who do truly know ball and the positive impact they have made on women’s sports.
Lucky for Novig, I can list a few:
- Florence Griffith-Joyner, a track and field star in the 1988 Seoul Olympics who received the gold in both the 100m with a time of 10.49 seconds and the 200m with 21.34 seconds. Both these times set world records that are still unbroken.
- The United States Women’s National Team has won four FIFA Women’s World Cup Titles; that’s four more than the United States Men’s National Team.
- Serena Williams, a tennis icon, holds the most Grand Slams in the Open Era with 23. She also spent 186 consecutive weeks at World No. 1.
- Katie Ledecky, a swimmer, has won 10 Olympic medals and holds 14 world records.
- Simone Biles has won eight Olympic medals and 25 World Championship medals, making her one of the most decorated gymnasts in the sport’s history.
- Mia Hamm, a star on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, scored 158 international goals in her career, a record for female soccer players.
