A New Era In Sports Is Here: Deal With It

By: Joe Cardoso

If you are like me, after a long day of working and hearing what new horror is happening in the world, you need a hot shower and a strong drink or two. Something else that provides an escape for a lot of us is sports and the entertainment they provide us. Here where I live, you walk into the MGM and hit up the bar to watch the big game and unwind a bit. Sounds like any other normal place in America. Women’s sports are on TV at bars and homes across the country, and men’s sports are being talked about by great commentators and analysts.

People of color are smashing barriers in all aspects of the sports world and inspiring the next generation. I don’t know about you, but to me, this is the NEW normal and the NEW era in sports, and you can make all the slick comments with your burner accounts you want; it is not going away. Something is happening all over, and it’s pretty cool and long overdue. Most times, without asking, women’s sports are on the TV, and conversations over players and teams are happening. I don’t know when it happened or how but over the course of building TEAM NBS, I gained a strong passion for uplifting and supporting women’s sports. To the point that I don’t even notice I am watching women’s soccer or the WNBA, it’s just ball to me, and that’s the way it should be.

It goes without saying that a pretty face will make almost anyone do a double take, but a sick crossover or buzzer-beater will also have me jumping out of my seat just as fast. A woman’s performance in her chosen arena or field, the opportunity to run a front office or coach, and break yet another barrier, is inspiring on so many levels. And seeing people who LOOK like me adds even more sauce.

Every day we see a post about a new hire who is the first to do this or first to do that. The positive energy and buzz it creates is awesome and something the sports world has needed for a long time. See, while you are your buddies scream “diversity hire” or “make my sandwich” from mama’s basement, someone somewhere is using the news as a spark. They are saying they can be the next Malika Andrews or Emily Kaplan, and not just that, but boys are getting exposed to seeing and hearing different voices and faces.

It’s hard to be a hater when you’ve been coached by a woman growing up or reading a column that wasn’t written by an old white guy. This new era is a tidal wave, and we still haven’t seen it reach max height. Women’s sports is having a moment in 2022, and so are people of color in front office positions. Just in the year 2022, we have seen:

• 91,000 people piled into Camp Now to see FC Barcelona women’s Champions League Semifinal
• Mike Grier is named the NHL’s first Black GM after being hired by the San Jose Sharks
• Rachel Balkovec is the 1st woman to manage an MLB-affiliated team
• Just Women’s Sports raises $6 million and has been CRUSHING it with coverage
• The Las Vegas Raiders name Sandra Douglass Morgan Team President
• WNBA and NWSL ratings at all-time highs
• Per Forbes, the top ten highest-paid women in sports earned a combined $167 million
• Malika Andrews is the first woman to host the NBA draft 
• Four women are assistant GMs of NHL teams, and one is behind the bench in the AHL
• Deion Sanders continues to bring the light to all HBCU programs

These are just some of the moves we have seen so far in the world of sports, with a ton more to come, not to mention the sponsors that are opening their wallets to support the wave. If you think this is a phase and will go away soon, let me be the first to tell you: it won’t, and it shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, things are far from perfect, and we have much to improve, but the point is that the moves are being made, albeit slowly, but that is progress.

We won’t see most of these impacts’ effects for years, but the impact is being made and felt worldwide. Little Black and Brown kids are seeing that their dreams are possible, and the same goes for little girls worldwide. The new voices we hear and faces we see are the new era of sports, and their time is NOW. I asked some of my friends, men and women, how they felt about the new era.

Stephen Garner WNBA Writer: “The women are collectively more fundamentally sound, much more team-oriented, and their energy behind the game is agenda-less. It’s all for the love”

Dr. Letisha E.C. Brown Professor University of Cincinnati Dept of Sociology: “I think progress is being made, however, there is still a lot of work to be done. Fifty years post-Title IX and coverage is not much improved, the gender pay gap remains wide in sports like basketball, bodily autonomy being challenged by the attacks on Roe v Wade and anti-trans participation in sports, and WOC remain marginalized. So while there are more faces to an extent, we still have a way to go.”

Keith Richards USWNT Writer: It’s their dedication to their craft. Despite the stigmas, fallacies, and complete lack of respect for women’s sports, they just continue to get better. Their ability to play at the highest levels while juggling the blatant discrimination in pay and recognition is nothing sort of awe-inspiring.”

Jeffrey Newholm WNBA Writer: “First, the ladies can ball as long as they’re not inhibited by namby pamby rules (see the restrictions in women’s Lacrosse). The games are flat-out fun! Second, women get a tiny sliver of coverage in sports. Consider that only 2% of stories on the ESPN.com home page are on women, and that’s from a supposedly progressive company! It’s a win-win: a talented author can stand out much more easily, and the athletes greatly appreciate those who cheer and cover them. And best of all, the ladies are much better sports than the grumpy men; just look at the WNBA players hugging before the opening tip vs. Kyrie Irving’s full flock of birds. The question isn’t why someone enjoys women’s sports. It’s: why is everyone else so late to the party?”

Zachary Draves: “I truly relish in seeing women exhume the ultimate expression of women’s liberation in the field of sport which is to showcase talent and strength on one’s own terms. I also enjoy the authenticity and accessibility that women’s sports provide in which the athletes are approachable, connective, and relatable. For me as a young boy, I grew up admiring women in sports in the Olympics, WNBA, and the US Women’s Soccer Team, and that exposure taught me a valuable lesson which is that athletic excellence has no gender”

Larry Bisagni: “It’s a great time to be alive. Seeing so many other voices getting a legitimate seat at the table changes things for the better, and you have to be open to change. It’s constant, and this is one that’s overdue.”

So crack open that bottle of wine or pour yourself that old fashion and enjoy some sports coached by someone who might not look like you and covered by someone who doesn’t sound or look like you. The new wave is HERE. Get on board or get left behind.