More than 10,000 tickets were sold for the MNBA Capital Hoops Classic, but turnout for the women’s game didn’t reach close to that number. This reflects an unfortunate, backwards mentality in how little we value women’s sports.
To add insult to injury, many arrived towards the end of the women’s game to get a good seat to watch the men. Ironically, the fans who arrived earlier to get good seat for the men’s game were more likely to catch Carleton’s only win of the night—from our women’s team.
A common excuse is that the men’s team dominates its league, but the women’s team also has a strong history of success over the past five to 10 years. This year’s Capital Hoops Classic women’s game saw the top two teams in the OUA North division face off, just as the men. The Ravens women’s team played a fantastic game that too few Carleton students got to see.
This backwards mentality persisted after Capital Hoops Classic ended, when fans expressed disappointment that we “lost” Capital Hoops—when in reality, only one of our teams did.
The women’s basketball team is a skilled and an exciting team to watch play, yet they never receive their due. The scheduling unfairly puts the women’s game first every single year, as if they’re opening for the main event. Carleton could put more effort into equally showcasing both teams by alternating this year to year. This would be a good start towards showing Carleton basketball fans that a good game of basketball isn’t just one played by men. More Carleton sports fans should show a great team the respect they deserve, and make sure they at least show up to see them play.
