tennis women paid double the men

[cornish tigress]

This is quite interesting Bill..an interview with Navratilova and a tennis official
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... aa.01.html

here's a snippet -

MAKGABO: That's the argument that they've been making that they play the five sets, that they are out there for a lot longer, whereas, women play at most three and then subsequently they are entitled to earn more money.

NAVRATILOVA: Well, first of all, if you actually take how long the ball is in play for the women, especially here at Wimbledon, the ball is in play longer during three set matches for women then five set matches for men. But that's not the point. It's not quantity, it's quality. And besides that, the women have offered to play three out of five, but they said, no, no, no, we don't want you to do that.

So you do not get paid by how long you're on stage, you get paid by who you are on stage. Whether it's Elton John or Diana Ross, they get paid because they are big stars. And then you get some second rate performers, not necessarily that I'm not saying the men are, but you get a warm-up act and they don't get paid the same as the main act. So you know women are just as much the main act as the men are here, therefore, they should get paid the same.

I can ony quote "heresay" as in 2nd source rather than 1st source because I can't actually get access to Venus and Martina! It could be made up, but then so could your sources. What do you do?

Good point made I think, it is the quality and entertainment, not how many songs a band plays or how many points are on the scoreboard, that merits pay.

I am a stickler for fairness. I am always beefing on about how I hate ladies golf tees and think we should all play off the same, etc. I need no head start, and don't want one. It's condescending. If I was a women tennis player I would want to play the same as the men. Though I would be tempted to lessen their game to 3 sets as it can be a bit tedious, and lengthen the womens to 5!

[Nabuk]

It's simple if they want the same money as the men, play dest of 5 sets.

[dailywaffle]

show me quotes where women tennis players have offered to play 5 sets at all majors? they havent

Written by Venus Williams before Wimbledon 2006:

I feel so strongly that Wimbledon’s stance devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have put into becoming professional tennis players.

I believe that athletes — especially female athletes in the world’s leading sport for women — should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message....

Wimbledon has argued that women’s tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money.

This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments....
Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men’s and women’s games have the same value.

Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men’s....

Wimbledon has justified treating women as second class because we do more for the tournament. The argument goes that the top women — who are more likely also to play doubles matches than their male peers — earn more than the top men if you count singles, doubles and mixed doubles prize money. So the more we support the tournament, the more unequally we should be treated! But doubles and mixed doubles are separate events from the singles competition. Is Wimbledon suggesting that, if the top women withdrew from the doubles events, that then we would deserve equal prize money in singles? And how then does the All England Club explain why the pot of women’s doubles prize money is nearly £130,000 smaller than the men’s doubles prize money?

I intend to keep doing everything I can until Billie Jean's original dream of equality is made real. It’s a shame that the name of the greatest tournament in tennis, an event that should be a positive symbol for the sport, is tarnished.

[Hairy Egg]

BBM You seem quite keen on people providing proof for their arguments - please show me where women's tenneis brings in 'over 300% less than men's tennis'.

Go on I dare you :roll:

[Sim]

Its not fair at all. if it were the other way round there would be uproar, but no its ok to pay women more, thats positive discrimination and so of course its acceptable.

To be honest i don't understnad why women don't play the full 5 sets. And before we get the old rubbish about women not having the stamina or whatever the defece is. Its a load of rubbish. Look at sportsmen and sportswomen around the world they are on a par in many things, and in my opinion if you can't handle 5 sets its because you are not fit enough, simple as!

[Dave Angel]

Burly Bill, you are still refusing to answer my questions and comment on the examples I have offered to you as comparatives.


Is this because you realise that your argument carries no water & you are fighting a losing battle in the face of these examples & the transcripts/articles that other people have posted (at your own request) that debunk your claims? :roll:

[Ollie smith rules]

Its not fair at all. if it were the other way round there would be uproar, but no its ok to pay women more, thats positive discrimination and so of course its acceptable.

To be honest i don't understnad why women don't play the full 5 sets. And before we get the old rubbish about women not having the stamina or whatever the defece is. Its a load of rubbish. Look at sportsmen and sportswomen around the world they are on a par in many things, and in my opinion if you can't handle 5 sets its because you are not fit enough, simple as!

Totally agree. Why should women get paid the same when the playing field isn't level - it should be the same for both if thats how they want it. Either both play 5 sets and have the same number of rounds before the final and so get the same money. If not like it is at the moment, Wonen should get paid less.

Also whats with the new laws people are trying to get into effect about having golf competition open up to everyone? Does that mean all women comps will be open to men as well. Also then should all ladies play off the white tees in comps and have handicaps in line with men otherwise women must be getting an unfair advantage playing off further forward tees, and often the par of the course for them is more shots than the men.

See the same thing between groups of people - can have signs up saying e.g. Happy Divali in the UK (a Christian country) but then cna't have up Happy Christmas as it may offend people.

The whole thing is crazy - So called making it fairer but infact end up discriminating against the other party.

[Kinoulton]

It's simple if they want the same money as the men, play dest of 5 sets.

By the same logic, Beckham should work the same hours as a junior doctor and get paid about 30 grand a year for it.

Not going to happen is it?

[Sim]

Thats different though. Unfortunantly there is stupid amounts of money in football and it'll probably always be like that. With tennis they don't play the same game. The womens game is totally different to the mens. Women: the max. that they play is 3 sets, but men play a minimum of 3 sets!

[cornish tigress]

But Sim - as you will have seen from previous threads - women have offered to play 5 sets and have been turned down. Why is that? Women's tennis matches often actually LAST for longer than the mens, so if we are paying by the hour as BBMcC suggests, it wouldn't necessarily mean men would be paid more. The womens game is generally regarded as more entertaining nowadays with the big serves of the men obliterating the rally in many cases. If we are paying by entertainment value, I would suggest women should be paid more.

But they should be fined for the grunting...have I mentioned that enough yet?

[Iain]

My two penn'orth is sports stars earn a fair proportion of the money they generate. Even footballers. Likewise so do performing artists. The length of the matches or performances are irrelevant.

Interesting nobody had an answer to Dave Angel's question of if you were to apply the same logic would you pay female footballers the same amount as men?

[Kinoulton]

Well I'll answer the question. If you applied the same logic then OF COURSE you would pay women footballers the same amount as male footballers.

So it's bl**dy bad logic.

[burly bill mclaren]

cornish you are simply lying
womens matches on average last much much less than mens
federer was on court for twice as long as mauresmo when he won wimbledon


the bottom line is until they play the same number of sets this is totally and completely unfair and illegal
anyone with a sense of justice would say the same

I have never seen such a blatant and obvious form of discrimination as this in UK sports.

[Gate]

Illegal, eh? Now you're talking. Let's be having chapter and verse. Statutory provision or rule of law, please?

[Dave W]

BBM, have you just got the hump because the mrs earns more money than you?? ;o)