Briana Scurry...deafening silence....

It's not hard to figure, and no one wants to talk about it.

Let's see, what do Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and Kristine Lilly have in common that excludes Brianna Scurry?

A ponytail?

 

Cool. I sense controversey.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but I'm interpretting your off handed remark as suggesting that Scurry has been ignored because a) she's not as feminine as the ones you mentioned (read she's a lesbian) or b) because she's black (which also seperates her from the other chicks).


I know I risk sounding like an ass for my assumptions but that's what I get for taking the bait. I don't care. Bring it. Good natured dialogue never hurt anyone...

Can't wait to hear what the answer is to your puzzle.

 

Maybe part of it is that she's a goalie. As little more than a casual viewer of the MLS, I can't name a single goalie playing today, unless Tony Meola is out there in a walker. Sure, goalies prevent goals, but the rest of the team scores goals, and that's what usually puts you on the highlight reels.

 

She apparently wasn't on the 1991 roster, which means I blew it in my column this week - I thought she was Mary Harvey's backup.

So, this wasn't particularly her farewell party, although she's older than God's grandmother.

 

I am not sure how to respond to this question, but isn't the coach a lesbian as well? It is hard to say, I am sure there are many factors at work here. I think the fab 5 have been marketed or presented to the general public as something that Briana was not. Maybe not being picked for the Sidney Olympics as the starting goalie. I do think you would have to say that Briana, arguably, had a better Olympic 2004 than at the least 3/5th of that fab 5.

 

Not the team, just the five mentioned (Fouds, Lilly, Chastain, Hamm and Fawcett) who, I think it's safe to presumme are hetero.

It's safe to say that Scurry doesn't quite embody that Norman Rockwell girl-next-door-image that the others do.

 

I deleted most of what I composed, on the theory that brevity is always a good idea. Now I'll stick it back in!

The U.S. Women have been marketed a certain way: nice, wholesome, ponytailed, straight, white. Most of us, me included, don't know the women personally, so we have no way of knowing who is or isn't nice, wholesome, or straight. And if you aren't straight, you can always go to the closet. But if you aren't white, there's nowhere to hide.

I seriously doubt the ponytails are the reason the Fab Five isn't a Splendid Six. And I am not attacking the women themselves here. But someone is in charge of marketing the women this way. And the media has been a lot more comfortable with Mia Hamm and her girl-next-door looks than I suspect they are with Brianna Scurry. What the heck, as magnificent as Mia has been, and count me as one of her greatest admirers, I'm not convinced she's been better than Michelle Akers, but Akers didn't have the look that's been marketed. Scurry doesn't stand a chance in this environment. She isn't as good a player as Hamm (or Akers), but she's been as good as Chastain, to use one example (not a knock on Brandi).

IMO and all that, of course.

 

Wait! I almost got what you were saying and then you lost me. So, are you saying it's a color thing? If you are, that's cool. I think that assertion merits reasonable discussion (I think a valid case could be made supporting that argument).

Or are you saying it's a "looks" thing? That Bri's been ignored because she's not as cute or hot as the five you mentioned?

Or is it both? Are you saying she's ignored because she Black and unattractive.

I'm trying to hone in on the point of your question so I can blather on about you are saying and hopefully provoke a dialogue.

Thanks.

 

Wait! I almost got what you were saying and then you lost me. So, are you saying it's a color thing? If you are, that's cool. I think that assertion merits reasonable discussion (I think a valid case could be made supporting that argument).

Or are you saying it's a "looks" thing? That Bri's been ignored because she's not as cute or hot as the five you mentioned?

Or is it both? Are you saying she's ignored because she is Black and unattractive?

I'm trying to hone in on the point of your question/hypothesis so I can blather on about you are saying and hopefully provoke a dialogue.

Thanks.

 

Being cute apparently isn't working, so I'll quit.

Brianna Scurry gets less attention than the others because she is black.

Happy now?

 

One other possibility is that she has not always been the #1 keeper over the time period. Not only did she not play in 1991, she also was beaten out for a period and did not play in all of the major tourneys.

I don't dispute your point that she does not fit the marketing image, but just wanted to add this consideration.

 

d-c, Chastain wasn't in Sweden in '95, yet that hasn't diminished the hype.

 

Thanks for the correction. Chastain is an interesting case, since she has said she will continue playing, if given the opportunity. I don't think you can exclude her from all of this hype, though, since she is arguably the second-best-known female player in the US. I have non-soccer friends who know Mia Hamm and that "chick who took off her shirt." If Mia Hamm has been the "face" of women's soccer, Chastain has been the "chest."

On a similar tangent, wasn't it Scurry who made a little news for streaking in Atlanta after the team won gold?

 

What makes you think Bri is a lesbian? Because she has short hair and not striking good looks?

 

I'm not terribly good at researching newspaper articles, but I can neither find nor remember a thing about any such incident. It's very possible that it happened, I just can't support it.

Same thing with her being a lesbian...anyone have links/articles/something to back this up?

 

It is because:

she was not a 91'er
she lost her starting job for quite a while
she's black
she's not attractive
she does not fit the marketing niche of the fab 5

That said, she had an outstanding Olympics.

 

Ah. After the game. See, for some reason I'd assumed that it was like what Chastain did in '99, but more nude. My mistake.

 

YES!!! That's the kind of direct statement that gets warranted attention and really gets the ball rolling on (hopefully) a serious discussion. Plus, when simple minded little folks like me don't havt to think so much then I can spend that energy trying to think of something insightfult to offer.

Thanks for being opinionated and to the point. Hopefully this prompts some sort of reaction.

 

Hm. But don't you think that maybe being one of the only (and sometimes the only) black women on the squad would warrant her more attention?

 

Brianna once described herself as "the fly in the glass of milk."

 

I don't think Scurry is a lesbian. I was simply listing that as a possible interpretation of what (Masoo) was trying to suggest. I'm sorry that what I wrote was misinterpreted.

I do find it interesting that of the those who have responded to the this thread, a majority appear to agree that her Race has played a factor in the amount of attention she's garnered over the years and espcialy at these Olympics. I thought for sure there would be those saying the race card was being played by a paranoid few. Nevertheless, I think Galperin summarized the contributing factors best.

So, what are anyone's thoughts? Does Scurry's exclusion from the Fab 5 reek of racism (albeit subtle) on the part of consumers, marketing experts or the media?

Thanks for the great topic.

 

Good Lord. You've got to be kidding. There can be many other reasons she isn't as recognized - she hasn't always been the starter, in many games we could have put a 2 year old in goal without a concern, she is not a good public speaker, or, maybe, she doesn't even want the spotlight.

But, you can easily conclude that the reason is because she is black. That for you is the sole reason? Nothing else plays a role in her lack of inclusion?

I think you may be jumping to a conclusion without any basis whatsoever.

 

A shirt that's the same color as the rest of their teammates? I mean, Scurry can't even dress in the right color.



Sachin