FIFA president calls for sexier uniforms for women

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
1

Hmm…

By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Sports Writer
January 16, 2004
LONDON (AP) – The president of world soccer suggested that female players wear more revealing uniforms to bring more attention to their sport.

One English player called the suggestion by FIFA president Sepp Blatter ridiculous'' and irresponsible.‘’

Blatter said women’s soccer needed different sponsors from the men’s game and should try to attract fashion and cosmetics companies by featuring ``more feminine uniforms.‘’

Tighter shorts, for example,'' Blatter told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick. In volleyball the women also wear other uniforms than the men. Pretty women are playing football today. Excuse me for saying that.‘’

Brandi Chastain caused a stir at the Women’s World Cup in the United States in 1999 when she removed her shirt in celebration of a title-winning victory over China to reveal a sports bra.

England goalkeeper Pauline Cope called Blatter’s suggestion ``typical of a bloke.‘’

To say we should play football in hot pants is plain ridiculous,'' she said. It’s completely irresponsible for a man in a powerful position to make comments like this.‘’

FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said Friday that Blatter never mentioned the word ``hot pants.‘’

The remarks were by no means meant to be offensive -- not at all,'' Herren said. Whatever he said, it was more a general remark, ‘Let’s take a look at that.’ But it’s not the ultimate recipe to salvage the women’s game because he went on to say women’s football has established itself and it has a future.‘’

Swiss captain Evelyn Zimmermann and Norwegian players Lise Klaveness and Solveig Gulbrandsen also rejected Blatter’s fashion advice.

``You can’t compare us with volleyball players and, apart from everything else, those shorts are uncomfortable,‘’ Zimmermann said.

Klaveness said soccer is about sport, not sex.

``If the crowd only wants to come and watch models then they should go and buy a copy of Playboy,‘’ she said.

Added Gulbrandsen: ``If I wanted to wear a bikini, I would have chosen to play beach volleyball.‘’

Marianne Spacey, manager of the London club Fulham Ladies, said Blatter’s comments should be taken seriously because of his position, but some of her players reacted with laughter.

It does surprise me because people might actually listen because he's such a powerful person in the game of football,'' Spacey said. For people in the women’s game it’s caused uproar and it provided a few chuckles in training, that’s for sure.‘’

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Haha... what a moron!

These things aren't supposed to be said to the media. They are more suited for saying to your friends in a club's lounge while smoking a cigar.

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How incredibly ridiculous!

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i say go for it :k:

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Again, the reaction is reminiscent of double standards. Why do women get so upset on comments such as these? On one hand they ask for all the freedom to be treated as sex objects, and then hue n cry when such sexist remarks are made. I think they should be overwhelmingly pleased with such a suggestion.

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^^ really? I didn't realise women asked for freedom so that they could be treated as sex objects. :D Women have been treated as sex objects throughout history ... since earth was created! It isn't a new phenomenon.

If anything, women get upset cause given the fact that it is the 21st century, some men still have this caveman view of women.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by outlaw: *
...On one hand they ask for all the freedom to be treated as sex objects...

[/QUOTE]

Haaen? Do you mean they ask for freedom to be treated as sex objects or are you implying that with the freedom comes this treatment? The first case makes no sense at all, I don't think women from any part of the world want to be treated as sex objects. The second case is some narrow-minded stuff.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by outlaw: *
On one hand they ask for all the freedom to be treated as sex objects,
[/QUOTE]
Ouch! Now outlaw bhai jaan.. you have left yourself wide open for lynching :-D

Not all women want to be treated as "sex objects". Those who do, probably want to end up in Playboy, anyway. Women who play soccer, are more athletes than "sex objects". Ofcourse, they will be outraged by such crass comments, however well-intentioned the comments may be. :)

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Re: FIFA president calls for sexier uniforms for women

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Munni: *
...
Tighter shorts, for example,'' Blatter told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick.In volleyball the women also wear other uniforms than the men. Pretty women are playing football today. Excuse me for saying that.'' ...
[/quote]

He should head and organize competitions between Hooters restaurants, not FIFA.

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Anyway, playing soccer in tight tops and hot pants simply is not practical. If it were practical, then we should also see men playing soccer in spandex shorts? (Not that I want them to :yukh: )

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then why asking for it? may be they’ll arrange SUMO wrestlers to play soccer for you? :expressionless:

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are the comments from FIFA pres kinda weird, sure they are, but then he is kinda strange anyways.

but the thing to think about is.. is it not true? look at other sports...track and field where half teh time they are pulling wedgies out, or gymnastics..
just for an example

from a purely business point of view, maybe getting different sponsors is a good thing, would a change in uniforms bring in diff sponsors? only if it brings in diff..and more viewers. is this suggestion goignt o bring about thr right set of viewers for the types of sponsors he is looking towards.. I doubt it

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by MehnazQ: *
Anyway, playing soccer in tight tops and hot pants simply is not practical.
[/QUOTE]
Mehnaz... can you elaborate on this point? Look at the uniform worn by female players in Volleyball, and tell us why you feel it is impractical in soccer but practical in volleyball?

I am not supporting FIFA's president in his rather too-frank comment, but just want to understand why you feel the uniform worn by volleyball players is not practical for soccer.

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just chill out ladies..my point is towards the societal discrepancies which exist. Especially, when it comes to dress code. For example, recently in France, pupils were forbidden from wearing religious symbols in publicly run places, and the move was clearly biased towards the Muslim women wearing hijabs. However, there was another issue as well, where the French schoolgirls were actually told to cover, since they were wearing low-waist pants revealing their thong undies. When you have hypocritical levels of comportments applied as to how women should dress, then why such remarks are a cause of backlash. Instead they should be treated with great amusement..

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In soccer, you run around so much. You have watched the sport so I’m sure you know what I mean. Since you are running, the shorts (I’m presuming) will ride up. You need something lose for the sport. Not even the men wear tight shorts cause you need to have flexible legs to move around.

In Volleyball, you aren’t running. Yes, you jump and move around … but it isn’t the same as running across a stadium.

Changez_Like … :rolleyes:

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Ok, so if we take your argument that tennis should be similar, because it involves running a fair bit. So is the uniform worn by female tennis players a good guide?

Right now, it seems female soccer players just took men's uniform and removed the sleeve (in some cases they even wear the short-sleeves) and pretty much retained the whole thing as it is. In all other sports female athletes have a different uniform... tennis, gymnastics, track and field, swimming, what have you... So the point is, why are female tennis players so unimaginative that they can't design a new uniform for their sport and instead just use men's uniform?

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Well what you say is true. They don't need to wear mini skirts to play tennis and the likes of Anna Kournikova have helped boost tennis to a whole new level.

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So, can someone please explain why do women get upset on comments such as these..is it sexist, narrow minded, irresponsible..?

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I think what goras want is to make Beach Volleyball’s uniform (if you call it one :D) the OFFICIAL UNIFORM FOR ALL SPORTS. Including fencing :elmo:

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by the way, sweaty women in sweltering sun, in hot pants and bikinis all roughed up in dirt..hmm..dunno much if it's much of a turn-on..