Babe Didrikson

[GMDino]

Lucy's refrence to her got me thinking:

She would be consider, by folks who agree with Lucy, as a "proper" woman.

In fact she would be the exact kind of woman those of a certain mindset would rail against for destroying the idea of what a woman "should" be.

Quote:The first to prove a girl could be a stud athlete, Babe Didrikson began as a muscular phenom who mastered many sports and ended as a brilliant golfer. An exuberant tomboy whose life was athletics, she was accomplished in just about every sport - basketball, track, golf, baseball, tennis, swimming, diving, boxing, volleyball, handball, bowling, billiards, skating and cycling. When asked if there was anything she didn't play, she said, "Yeah, dolls."


As a teenager she knew her life's ambition. "My goal was to be the greatest athlete who ever lived," she said.

While others dispute her story, Didrikson said that she was nicknamed Babe early in her teens by boys awed at her long-distance homers. As she grew older, there seemed to be more Ty Cobb than Ruth in her, a dark rage that made losing intolerable. Like for Cobb, animosity seemed to be the fuel that stoked Babe's competitive fire.


 
Less than two years after seeing her first track meet, Babe Didrikson qualified in five events for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

---

The Associated Press voted her the Greatest Female Athlete of the first half of the 20th century. The wire service also voted her Female Athlete of the Year six times - once for her track dominance and five times for her golfing prowess.

Babe performed at a time when female athletes were considered freakish at best, downright unacceptable at worst. For most of her life she was the antithesis of femininity; not until her later years did she dress and act less manly. "She was not a feminist, not a militant, not a strategist launching campaigns against sexual liberation," wrote William Johnson and Nancy Williamson in Whatta-Gal!: The Babe Didrikson Story. "She was an athlete and her body was her most valuable possession."

Some writers condemned her for not being feminine. "It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring," Joe Williams wrote in the New York World-Telegram.

Others were enthralled by the 5-foot-5 Babe, who was muscular but never heavy. "She is beyond all belief until you see her perform," famed sportswriter Grantland Rice wrote. "Then you finally understand that you are looking at the most flawless section of muscle harmony, of complete mental and physical coordination, the world of sport has ever seen."

While she excelled in competition, she often alienated teammates and competitors. She frequently acted like a self-centered prima donna, a boastful person who constantly sought attention. Although she became somewhat less arrogant over the years, she still remained flamboyant and cocky - and often overbearing.

Babe didn't seem to have much interest in men until she was swept off her feet when she was paired with George Zaharis at the 1938 Los Angeles Open. Zaharis was a gregarious man, a 235-pound wrestler who as a stock villain was making a fortune as the Weeping Greek from Cripple Creek. They married 11 months later and Babe would change her name to Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

He would become her manager and advisor, but in the later years of their marriage, problems arose as Zaharias lost influence with his wife. Babe spent more time with good friend Betty Dodd, a young golfer who was a natural athlete and had no interest in looking feminine. She often stayed at the Zaharis' home in Tampa.

She competed against boys, boxed, didn't care for men and lived out her life with a younger female "friend".

The kind of person who would and should be lauded for her abilities would still be shunned and shamed by some folks because she wasn't "feminine" enough.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias.aspx

Quote:Gender Backlash


Despite her success, or because of it, a backlash against her swelled up in the press and in popular opinion, fueled by her refusal to fit typical stereotypes of womanhood. According to William O. Johnson and Nancy P. Williamson in Whatta Gal: The Babe Didrikson Story, she was "seen by many reporters and members of the public as a freak … an aberration … a living put-down to all things feminine." Zaharias herself expressed scorn for traditionally "feminine" clothing and mannerisms, and according to a writer in Gay and Lesbian Biography, once told a reporter that "she did not wear girdles, bras, and the like because she was no 'sissy.'"

The common male response to her was summed up by Joe Williams, a contemporary reporter for the New York World-Telegram. According to Larry Schwartz in ESPN.com, Williams commented, "It would be much better if she and all her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring."

Schwartz also noted that contemporary sportswriter Paul Gallico, who lost a golf match to Zaharias and Grantland Rice in 1932, called Zaharias a "muscle moll" in one Vanity Fair article, and commented in another Vanity Fair article that she was neither male nor female, and wrote dismissively that she was a lesbian. And according to Cayleff, it was not unusual for her to be accosted in the locker room by other female athletes who demanded to know whether she was a man or a woman.

In addition to her androgynous personal style, Zaharias defied gender stereotypes of women's need to be financially dependent on men by remaining single, supporting herself, and earning a great deal of money through endorsements, stunts, and appearances. Her Employer's Casualty contract alone paid her three times as much as the average American man of her time made, and six times as much as the average American woman earned.

I find it humorous that she would be used as an example of how women would be against transgender or men playing in their sports.

[StLucieBengal]

(06-07-2016, 05:00 PM)GMDino Wrote: Lucy's refrence to her got me thinking:

She would be consider, by folks who agree with Lucy, as a "proper" woman.

In fact she would be the exact kind of woman those of a certain mindset would rail against for destroying the idea of what a woman "should" be.



She competed against boys, boxed, didn't care for men and lived out her life with a younger female "friend".

The kind of person who would and should be lauded for her abilities would still be shunned and shamed by some folks because she wasn't "feminine" enough.

She was the reason girls sports were even given a chance.   I just find it funny that you guys now want to dismantle girls sports now.    A woman competing against men is stepping up her level of competition.   A man competing against women is just taking the easy route.    

She was a generational talent which could not be matched today.  

[GMDino]

(06-07-2016, 05:06 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: She was the reason girls sports were even given a chance.   I just find it funny that you guys now want to dismantle girls sports now.    A woman competing against men is stepping up her level of competition.   A man competing against women is just taking the easy route.    

She was a generational talent which could not be matched today.  

You said girls should not play sports with boys.

YOU said it.

She did everything you would criticize today.

But then you also have the typical male chauvinist attitude that women CAN'T compete with men.  That men are just superior athletes.  So it's no surprise.

The surprise is that you would PRAISE a woman who did.

[StLucieBengal]

(06-07-2016, 05:12 PM)GMDino Wrote: You said girls should not play sports with boys.

YOU said it.

She did everything you would criticize today.

But then you also have the typical male chauvinist attitude that women CAN'T compete with men.  That men are just superior athletes.  So it's no surprise.

The surprise is that you would PRAISE a woman who did.

So you are saying that we should just have sports teams no boys or girls.   No quotas.   Just best players play.  


Babe competed against men because no one took her serious beating girls. This is a big difference to today's world. Babe was the reason womens sports get even the modest attention.

[Rotobeast]

(06-07-2016, 05:12 PM)GMDino Wrote: You said girls should not play sports with boys.

YOU said it.

She did everything you would criticize today.

But then you also have the typical male chauvinist attitude that women CAN'T compete with men.  That men are just superior athletes.  So it's no surprise.

The surprise is that you would PRAISE a woman who did.

Why not praise him for the perceived growth then ?

[GMDino]

(06-07-2016, 11:14 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Why not praise him for the perceived growth then ?

Because we all know he didn't grow...he reached for the one female athlete he could think of.

[Griever]

again, he could have said the williams sisters...but they are black

[Rotobeast]

(06-08-2016, 09:53 AM)Griever Wrote: again, he could have said the williams sisters...but they are black

Meh.... not even close in athleticism.
I don't think we have anyone (that I can think of) of that caliber, male or female.
Feel free to make more suggestions though.
I'd like to believe we have someone that amazing competing, that I'm unaware of.

[StLucieBengal]

(06-08-2016, 08:47 AM)GMDino Wrote: Because we all know he didn't grow...he reached for the one female athlete he could think of.

A reach?  Please just stop.   The fact you didn't know who she was and had to look her up is bad enough. 

[StLucieBengal]

(06-08-2016, 09:53 AM)Griever Wrote: again, he could have said the williams sisters...but they are black

Why would I mention them?   They aren't even close to BD.   Please do some research on her she was amazing.   And the reason we have female organized sports today.  

(06-08-2016, 12:00 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Meh.... not even close in athleticism.
I don't think we have anyone  (that I can think of) of that caliber, male or female.
Feel free to make more suggestions though.
I'd like to believe we have someone that amazing competing, that I'm unaware of.

There is not one athlete like her.    Today is tougher given all the specialization we have today vs back then.   

[*bfine32*]

(06-08-2016, 01:06 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Why would I mention them?   They aren't even close to BD.   Please do some research on her she was amazing.  

Because that is the only way he could introduce the fact that he thinks you're a racist into a conversation where it has no place.

[GMDino]

(06-08-2016, 01:06 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Why would I mention them?   They aren't even close to BD.   Please do some research on her she was amazing.   And the reason we have female organized sports today.  


There is not one athlete like her.    Today is tougher given all the specialization we have today vs back then.   

She was amazing.

And everything you claim to hate about "proper" women.

But here are some others from within our lifetime.

http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/greatest-all-time/women-si100.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/greatest-female-athletes-of-all-time/

Babe is definitely great...just an old example.

[StLucieBengal]

(06-08-2016, 01:24 PM)GMDino Wrote: She was amazing.

And everything you claim to hate about "proper" women.

But here are some others from within our lifetime.

http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/greatest-all-time/women-si100.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/greatest-female-athletes-of-all-time/

Babe is definitely great...just an old example.

I don't need to be told how great she was lol.  You guys obviously had no idea who she was....    Especially since you talking about the william sisters hahaha 

And I don't even need to open those links to know none of them could touch BD.   

Edit: opened them and you should delete them. Talk about recency bias lol

[GMDino]

(06-08-2016, 01:27 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I don't need to be told how great she was lol.  You guys obviously had no idea who she was....    Especially since you talking about the william sisters hahaha 

And I don't even need to open those links to know none of them could touch BD.   

I knew who she was.  

Sorry, I was trying to teach you something...I forgot you know it all.

My bad.

[StLucieBengal]

(06-08-2016, 01:29 PM)GMDino Wrote: I knew who she was.  

Sorry, I was trying to teach you something...I forgot you know it all.

My bad.

So you made a thread about BD to teach me?   What about?   Seems you just tried to make this to try and make me out to be anti women's sports.    Or was it to call me a racist .... Wait that was your mate that tried that ... 

If you want to teach me something about BD you will have to come with more info.    

[GMDino]

(06-08-2016, 01:40 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: So you made a thread about BD to teach me?   What about?   Seems you just tried to make this to try and make me out to be anti women's sports.    Or was it to call me a racist .... Wait that was your mate that tried that ... 

If you want to teach me something about BD you will have to come with more info.    

...sigh...

I made the thread because I found it amusing that you used Babe as an example of how women would get run out of women's sports by transgenders while she was an example of a woman who COULD compete with (and defeat) men.

Also she is an example of one of those "improper" women you've gone on about in other threads.

The teaching moment came when I provided examples of great female athletes who lived in the last 60+ years.

Do try and keep up.

[Griever]

he wouldnt want her using the same restroom as his wife and daughters

shes not that fem looking

[StLucieBengal]

(06-08-2016, 01:48 PM)Griever Wrote: he wouldnt want her using the same restroom as his wife and daughters

shes not that fem looking

BD never denied being a woman. 

[Griever]

(06-08-2016, 01:57 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: BD never denied being a woman. 

but from the way she looks, according to you, she doesnt fit your ideal of a woman

so you would probably look twice to make sure instead of letting her pee

[GMDino]

(06-08-2016, 01:57 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: BD never denied being a woman. 

But she didn't "act" like one.