Baffoe: This Week In The NFL Being Stupid With Women
By Tim Baffoe--
(CBS) We almost got through a full week, football fans. Clap it up — that's good hustle there. Now someone go flip the sign that says "NFL: ____ days without undermining female fans."
Fans as a whole are constantly having their intelligences insulted by the league — Tom Brady vs. Roger Goodell is the latest wet willy the league blanketly stuck in our collective ears. But, dang, if the league can't help itself from specifically alienating its many smart female fans who really want to enjoy its product.
July wrapped up with fans of the most racist pro sports team warmly embracing a new player who was arrested in January on accusations of domestic violence. Junior Galette was signed by the Washington football team after being released by the New Orleans Saints following, among other factors, the emergence of a video of him whipping a woman with a belt in public.
Then August was off to a beating-and-rape-free start, and that was super cool. But it's not just a lack of respect for the female body that the NFL pretends it doesn't have issues with by pushing an anti-domestic violence campaign that isn't sincere and profiting off of breast cancer. Nah, the NFL needs to violate the entire person that is the female fan, body, mind and all.
Enter the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pick up the slack there. On Thursday, they launched "RED -- a brand new women's movement that will re-invent the female fan experience." OK, that sounds awkward as "sports stuff for lady brains" can be, but it could possibly be harmless and even productive. The Baltimore Ravens have "Purple," which seems to be done right and is about creating a community of fans rather than explain down football to chicks. So what's RED entail?
"RED is a groundbreaking women's movement designed to recognize and celebrate our female fan base," Glazer Family Foundation co-president Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said. "Through exclusive offerings and experiences, our female fans will have the opportunity to not only add to their knowledge of the game they love, but also to help create a community through RED and own the way they enjoy football."
That idea of "owning" one's enjoyment rings hollow when you're constructing a big ol' how-to on enjoying football. But this could be worse.
"…RED will re-invent the female fan experience by providing insight into topics such as: what goes on behind the scenes on gamedays at Raymond James Stadium; how to maximize their gameday experience; how to blend personal Buccaneer pride with the latest NFL fashions; as well as tips on sharing their experiences and ideas via social media platforms such as Pinterest."
Oh, so it is worse. Besides "latest NFL fashions" not being a publicly dictated trend so much as a mandate by the NFL Shop, not much more could stereotype women more than assuming their fanship has to be connected to clothes. Other than maybe cooking and arts and crafts.
"RED members will also have access to exclusive networking events throughout the year designed to encourage interaction while providing practical advice on how to express their love for the Bucs into original design projects, fashion-forward team apparel and creative culinary creations."
And that just the team's introductory official post on dumbing down a game by making it frilly. In a culture rife with misogyny, no less. Realize that the Bucs have already had to scramble to diffuse as much as possible the blowback they knew they would receive in drafting quarterback Jameis Winston, he the likely beneficiary of a severely toxic college campus sexual assault culture involving athletes or not. Take it from the following really smart PFWA member who knows a football franchise needs defending against people who respect women:
The stupid continues inside the RED page on the Bucs website. "Add to their knowledge of the game they love" is what Glazer Kassewitz said of the "movement." Yet Thursday morning, RED posted an explainer piece on what the freaking play clock is in what looks to be a series called "RED term of the week." Perhaps entry will be on why hashmarks don't involve the # symbol.
The post listed before the play clock garbage is about the Bucs cheerleaders unveiling their new calendar. Because body image issues is how to get "the women of Tampa Bay, alongside the Buccaneers, to become innovators and leaders in changing the way football is enjoyed by women" like the introductory post says. Especially when those cheerleaders are so often treated like garbage by their employers in the first place. Yay women!
Then the RED site has two "RED Profile" player interviews with running back Doug Martin and linebacker Lavonte David, both of whom do their best to not talk down to the assumed audience. But they both have the feel of players being put in the unfortunate position of having to answer bad questions to cater to presumed idiots.
Nothing offered on RED deals with women in positions of success in the league. None of it mentions anything about the league's poor approach to domestic violence and sexual assault. No part of the RED site is productive and if anything is largely reductive.
And now we wait for a forthcoming informative Winston "RED Profile."
Tim Baffoe is a columnist for CBSChicago.com. Follow Tim on Twitter @TimBaffoe. The views expressed on this page are those of the author, not CBS Local Chicago or our affiliated television and radio stations.
