World Cup: 'Superior Player' versus 'Man of the Match'

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Here’s another example of DEI that contradicts common sense.

Fox Sports’ coverage of the World Cup games displays a message encouraging viewers to vote for the “Superior Player of the Match,” alongside a QR code. What the heck is that? This is the men’s World Cup. All the players are men. It is obvious that the vote should be for the “Man of the Match,” as it has been for decades theretofore.

In fact, it could be argued that women can’t aspire to be proper soccer players — there is a lesser version. The diminutive “soccerettes” generally lack the skill, power, and speed to exhibit the full range of soccer talent. Does that sound harsh? Sorry, then, it's just reality, presuming that still matters. Consider that a bunch of under-15 boys from an FC Dallas Academy team gave the U.S. Women’s National Team a sound thrashing -- 5-2. All youngsters, even prodigies, are still developing their array of talents at that age. No worries — the women are better at cheerleading.

In one lunchtime co-ed league I played in, all the fellas (except for one geriatric interloper) took it easy on the ladies. In fact, if a male player so much as brushed up against a female opponent, he’d be subject to a cascade of boos from the peanut gallery. The problem is that in humoring them, it actually went to their heads. They dared to believe they were our equals.

In Fox Sports’s preposterous DEI efforts to impose gender-neutral language, they’ve come up with a bizarre construct. What does “superior player” even mean? Maybe that describes a physically dominant defender who thwarts some attacks. However, a more skillful little whippersnapper uses his guile and trickery to score the goals that actually win the match. He may not literally be “superior,” but he is the “man of the match.”

My basketball knowledge is sketchy, but here’s an analogy. It could be argued that Victor Wembanyama (nicknamed “Wemby”), of the San Antonio Spurs, was the “superior” player in Game 5 of the Championship Series against the New York Knicks. However, Jalen Brunson had much more impact, leading the Knicks to their first NBA Championship since 1973.

Indeed, the physically imposing “Wemby” did demonstrate one aspect of his “superior” (as in condescending) attitude. He insisted that the Spurs “dominated” the series. He concluded by saying, “See you… never.” I guess he’s French, and, incongruously, they like to think they are “superior.”

The point being that dubbing someone the “superior player’ has negative connotations that don’t capture the simpler “Man of the Match.” Don’t replace gendered language with contrived concoctions that could convey a convoluted meaning.

soccer ball ai illustration

Image: Pixabay