Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs

Just a tennis match ? Not hardly. It was a landmark victory for "all" women.

    

At first I paid little attention to all the hoopla building over a stupid tennis match. Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs. Riggs had just humiliated Margaret Court in a media pushed event.

Bobby Riggs was an ok tennis player, mostly a trick shot artist, who used tremendous spin, and had mastered ball placement. Billie Jean was the best woman player in the country. She was not a Margaret Court, who let the pressure of the "Man vs Woman," media hype get to her.

 

Then it struck me just how big this event was. It was far more than just a tennis match. This was a chance for women to show they belonged in the competitive field dominated by men. It was a circus. Bobby Riggs was a showman, a slick, fast talking tennis hustler. He was a five to two favorite to beat Billie Jean.

But, across the country were thousands and thousands of female coaches and athletes that understood the magnitude of the outcome of this hyped event.

 

For men , it was just another feeble attempt by women to earn respect in a totally male dominated field...athletics. Men drew the crowds. Men made the money. Women merely copied what men did. If a man dribbled the basketball between his legs, women basketball players started to do the same thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Women athletes were jokes. Many men viewed them as "wanna be's."  Woman had to organize their own leagues. The first officially documented women's college basketball game ended with the final score..2 to 1, proof that women didn't belong.

 

The year was 1973. The event was held in a sold out Houston Astro Dome. Almost every male super star athlete from that era thought that Riggs would win, although many secretly hoped King would win. During this hoopla, all across the country regular house wives marched in the streets for equality.

 

It was also during this time that Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman ever elected to congress made the statement, that although she knew the discrimination as a black person, she felt more discrimination as a woman.

This was not just a tennis match.

 

The electricity that night could have lit a cigarette. Sadly, a defeat for Billie Jean would reinforce the belief that women were second class..not just in sports, but in many other aspects that females were demanding. From the moment the match began, it was obvious that Billie Jean was not going to be a Margaret Court. Her speed and power made the fifty five year old Riggs look defenseless to stop her. She controlled every aspect of the game, winning in straight sets.

 

Her win set in motion a series of crucial advancements for women. It brought about the most important women's achievement in college sports...Chapter Nine. From here on out women would receive equal monies for athletics. It was a disaster for many men's sports that had to be eliminated to make money available for woman's teams. What seemed like a minor thing in 1973 led the way for such great athlete's like Jackie Joyner Kersey and Chris Evert the opportunity to receive the best coaching they could receive. It made it possible for the Tennessee womens Volunteers to sellout every game, and become a well known power house. It also gave the Tennessee track team world domination.

 

And, although men's sports still dominated much of the attention. Billie Jeans victory started a movement amongst women that won them the rights to compete and win in many male dominated arenas, from TV news, reporting on wars from the front line, being legally and morally treated as equals. None of these advancements took place over night.

I write this as a tribute to Billie Jean, and to all the women who had the courage to demand what we, as a country, wrongfully denied them...a chance.

©

© 2007 Rain

Reviews

[Aspiring Angel]

So much information here Ray that I had not thought of in a very long time. I remember this very well and you are so right. It did open the doors for many woman and I commend you for bringing this our attention.

Hugs,
Lesa

[Rylan Batten]

very good, insightful, informative. aside from a little punctuation typos, this is a publishable piece. Thanks for posting

[Valentine]

Exactly right..I do not think women golfers would be on to see once in a while if it had not been for her and other strong willed women..Course my husband says when women got the right to vote..the world was damned...God bless..Valentine