This was when Troy Aikman was the Cowboys' star quarterback, and the Dolphins were led by legendary coach Don Shula. Players were falling and fumbling like they were on an ice skating rink. Winds blew sheets of snow and sleet into the Texas Stadium. HAJEK: It was a freezing day in Irving, Texas. It was just one of the worst days of my NFL career. NPR's Daniel Hajek has the story.ĭANIEL HAJEK, BYLINE: The Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett made a big mistake that haunts him 22 years later. Then there was the blunder on Thanksgiving Day in 1993 when the Miami Dolphins played the Dallas Cowboys.

Only someone who expects less of women would miss those glaring credentials.In professional sports, a split-second decision can cost the team a game, Boston's Bill Buckner missing a routine ground ball during the World Series, DeSean Jackson dropping the football a yard before crossing the goal line. Scott and Aluko aren’t there for “diversity”, but because one is a retired professional football player and the other this month signed to play for top-league Italian side Juventus – and both have a compelling screen presence. There’s no “reasonable” way to legitimise misogyny. There is no way of arguing that two women should not be on our screens during the men’s World Cup, without also arguing their gender makes them innately worse at the job. Unfortunately for Kelner, his rhetoric can’t save him here. This isn’t sexism - did you spot that first paragraph about how great Aluko is? This is fair! This is reasonable! The article hides its misogyny behind arguments sold as watertight logic. The worst thing is that the article tries to disguise itself as a reasonable -indeed, at times, feminist - opinion, when it’s just another, tired argument by a man refusing to accept the visibility of an oppressed group. The worst thing is not, however, the logical potholes in Kelner’s piece. If the focus were on getting commentators as similar as possible to those on the pitch, rather than those actually proficient in the role, we’d be pulling attacking midfielders into the studio at half-time to give an out-of-breath, sweaty take on Iceland’s disciplined defence. Diversity on a panel is simply the result of equality of opportunity. Football punditry is not meant to be an exact representation of players on the pitch, but an expert panel discussing and analysing the sport. Kelner also seems to have forgotten the purpose of sports punditry (to be fair, he’s not a football commentator, so how could he know?). Science and Technical Research and Development.Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities.Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives.Information and Communications Technology.HR, Training and Organisational Development.Health - Medical and Nursing Management.Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance.

The numerous caps, extensive World Cup experience, and on-screen charisma of Aluko and Scott mean nothing here. The former Independent editor explains (“nervously”) in a column this week that the two women of colour have been included for diversity purposes, not aptitude. However, according to Simon Kelner in his iNews piece, “Female world cup pundits are a step forward for diversity, but not for the quality of coverage”, they needn’t have bothered.

Both pioneers in their field and experienced football players, Aluko and Scott have had to prove themselves beyond expectations, rewarded only with the patronising surprise of a male colleague, or having their analysis literally repeated back to them by the Phil Neville. The female commentators in this year’s men’s World Cup - Eni Aluko and Alex Scott - have done an outstanding job of navigating the patronising minefield of the punditry box. Your colleagues keep making you donate £3 to a plastic bag of lost hopes in exchange for a sad, paper flag of Morocco.Įven at the highest level, women have their fair share of difficulties. It’s now legitimate to scream “Go on, son!” at random intervals during the day. They’ve got it on the massive TVs at work. Suddenly, a sport that has ritualistically excluded us becomes all-consuming, sneaking its way into every crevice of mainstream culture. It’s never easy to be a woman during the men’s World Cup.

Terrible diving commentator