Is the sports work force a level playing field?
By Sarah J Murray When it comes to visions of equality, Americans are smitten with idealism. Since the socially progressive revolutions of the ’60s and ’70s, we tend to embrace grandiose thoughts of ebony, ivory, equality and above all, meritocracy. Most of us share a warm-fuzzy sense that, generation by generation, women have been edging closer to parity with men in many spheres – including the work force. We believe that anyone with talent and work ethic should be rewarded for their production. To a large extent, this understanding is justified. Women have made substantial progress in the labor markets as a result of technology, social attitudes, laws (such as the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act) and court cases and do often delight in their just rewards. In the $212.5 billion sports industry, which has now grown bigger than the U.S. automobile industry, women’s career opportunities have grown exponentially. Prior to the onset of the second wave of the Women’s Movement, women’
