10/24/2019 10:56 AM
Edited Date/Time: 10/24/2019 11:11 AM
Sonofbovril2 wrote:
Maybe making it mandatory isn’t the right way to go, but I think part of the issue is that because the women’s racing isn’t as ...more
Sonofbovril2 wrote:
Maybe making it mandatory isn’t the right way to go, but I think part of the issue is that because the women’s racing isn’t as popular, there is a smaller quota and fewer riders overall, in a male dominated sport, it makes it especially hard for women coming up to get support as the return on investment for sponsors and teams is just not there. So yeah I guess it is a bit of a catch 22 but if we want the women’s side of the sport to grow, something has to be done. I don’t think it would be a bad thing for teams to be required to sponsor or at least support a junior rider as well, it can only help for younger riders to be exposed to a proper support structure from an early age.
There should be zero 'requirement' or quota for a team to sponsor any ratio of genders (or any other factor). The only protocol for sponsorship should be a mutual agreement between each racer and the sponsoring company. The company's perceived value of the rider and the rider's desire to sign a contract with said company should be a mutually voluntary contract and nothing more. This isn't Global Premier Football/Soccer, Processional Golf, or the NBA. There isn't an endless bucket of money for teams to throw around, lucrative TV contracts, or stadiums full of fans. Most teams operate on a shoestring budget with very few exceptions. Even the large factories (Trek, Specialized) look at DH as a loss leader marketing tool rather than a money maker with regards to DH.
In addition, there is a vastly higher number of male riders and fans/viewers buying bikes. True, women rider numbers and fan numbers are slowly growing. However, once they get at least somewhat closer to the male numbers, and the competition gets deeper, women just don't move the needle as much in this particular sport.
Before I get berated into oblivion, I fully recognized all this is a catch 22 for women. To get a more competitive field, they need more competitive riders and that requires more outreach to women. However, to force teams into some type of gender-based affirmative action would only hurt the sport, reduce the total number of teams who can afford it.
I will await my down votes.