Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan on Inequality in Sports

OTR: Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan on Inequality in Sports

Updated: 11:45 am EDT, May 5, 2024

WITH CONGRESSMAN LORI TRAHAN. YOU WERE A SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETE IN COLLEGE AND WERE TALKED ABOUT THE UNEQUAL TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN SPORT. LET’S TALK ABOUT CAITLIN CLARK. SHE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. TOP WNBA DRAFT PICK GETS $76,000 NBA INTERNSHIP SALARY. THE BEST CHOICE RECEIVES US$10 MILLION. HOW DO WE GET CLOSER TO EQUAL TREATMENT NOW? BOTH WILL SEE ENDORSEMENTS AND DEALS IN THIS. BUT THIS IS A BIG DISPARATION. YES. IT DOESN’T REFLECT how far women have come in terms of attracting eyeballs and fans. AS YOU KNOW, I WATCHED THE TOURNAMENT WITH MY TWO GIRLS AND IT WAS AMAZING TO ME HOW ENGAGED THEY WERE. I MEAN, NOT FOR A MOMENT DID THEY THINK, LET’S CALL ON THE MEN’S TOURNAMENT. THEY JUST WANTED TO THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DID IT BECAUSE THE STARS ARE IN WOMEN’S CHESS. AND LET’S BE HONEST, EVERYONE IS WATCHING WOMEN’S SPORT AND IT’S AN EXCITING TIME. AND WE SAW, UH, CORNHUSKER STADIUM SOLD OUT FOR A VOLLEYBALL GAME. YES YES. AND JUST REGISTER TO VIEW DURING THIS TOURNAMENT. THE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT. WOMEN’S HOCKEY. WHATEVER YOU SAY. SO IT’S TIME TO ACHIEVE WHAT PEOPLE ARE WANTING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, WHICH IS TO REALLY SEE THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S SPORT. HOW YOU DO IT? SO IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AT NIGHT? AS WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT’S HARD TO WATCH THIS Rookie SALARY GOES TO CAITLIN CLARK, WHICH SEEMS SUCH AN INEQUALITY. BUT WHAT WE REALLY HAVE TO DO IS THEY NEED ADVERTISING BUSINESS. THEY NEED THE PROMOTION. THEY NEED THE MONEY BEHIND FOR THE WNBA TO BE UPGRADED TO THE NBA STAGE. AND CAITLIN CLARK GOT A BIG MEGA MILLION, LIKE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. SHE EARNED $3 MILLION ON NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS IN IOWA AND THE COLORADO QUARTERBACK EARNED $3 MILLION ON NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS APPEARS TO BE A PARALLEL. They seem to be making the same amount of money there. SHOULD PLAYERS GET COLLEGE PLAYERS, GET PAID, MAKE MONEY? ABSOLUTELY. LOOK, WE’VE SEEN NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS REALLY REWARD WOMEN’S MERITS IN COLLEGE SPORTS. AND THESE BUSINESS GOES WHERE THE EYES ARE AND WHERE THE FANDOM IS. AND I THINK YOU SAW THAT WITH CAITLIN CLARK. THIS ALSO NEEDS TO RAISE THE BOATS FOR PROFESSIONAL WOMEN. AND I THINK ONE OF THESE DEALS WILL FOLLOW. CAITLIN BECAUSE SHE HAS SUCH A LOYAL FOLLOWER. AND ALL THE WOMEN THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE DRAFT, I THINK THAT WILL TRANSLATE INTO MORE PEOPLE WATCHING THE WNBA JUST BECAUSE IT’S ON THE HORIZON. IT’S NOT BIG, BUT IT’S ON THE HORIZON. WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IN SPORT? SHOULD THERE BE A POLICY? WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN? YES, I THINK YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SOME OF OUR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL STARTING TO DISCUSS AND WORK ON THIS ISSUE. I’ll tell you what I have a problem with, just because I’m the only woman who played Division I, um, sports in Congress. BUT I ALSO RUN BACK TO EVERY HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND TO WATCH MY TWO DAUGHTERS PLAY. UH, YOU KNOW, ITS SPORTS AND REALLY, WHAT IS THIS, WE NEED THE DISCUSSION TO BE MORE ATTENTIVE. LIKE WHEN I HEAR, UH, MY EXTREME REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES USE THAT AS A POSTAGE. HUM REALLY? WHAT? WHAT IT REALLY DOES IS IT TELLS THE YOUNG TRANSGENDER ATHLETE WHO JUST WANTS TO PLAY WITH FRIENDS ON THE FIELD, FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING, UM, THAT YOU’RE NOT, THAT YOU’RE ISOLATED AND NOT WANTED HERE. AND WHILE WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, I MEAN, SOME OF THESE FAMILIES ARE WORKING HARD JUST TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT LOVE AND SUPPORT AROUND THEIR CHILDREN. THEY DON’T NEED TO HEAR THE POLITICAL AND CHEAP SHOTS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE TAKING. SO LOOK, WE HAVE SPORTS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS. I’m looking forward to being part of that conversation, as are many of the coaches and players I spoke with. CONGRESS, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR BEING THE ONLY DIVISION ONE, FEMALE ATHLETE IN CONGRESS. YES. IT REALLY CHANGED THAT. LET’S GO. OUR THANKS TO CONGRESSMAN LORI TRAHAN. SUNDAY’S ROUND TABLE IS NEXT. THE FOOD FIGHT IN NORTH BOSTON. RESTAURANT OWNERS ARE TURNING UP THE HEAT IN MAYOR WU AS THE BATTLE FOR OUTDOOR DINING, LEAVING EVERYONE