Over the break, UBC Athletics published an article about the new uniforms that the women’s volleyball team are wearing. The uniforms are made by Mizuno — a brand name which is shoehorned in no less than five times in the under-200-word article, which makes us wonder whether the article was written entirely of UBC's own volition.
The article is also problematic because it sets a double standard. There isn't anything wrong with writing about a sports team’s jerseys, per se — they are important to play. Remember when the NBA introduced jerseys with sleeves? It was a big deal. The problem is that this is the only article UBC Athletics published about new jerseys this year, even though the football team also received new jerseys as well.
We're not arguing that UBC should be writing about men’s team’s new uniforms — UBC should be focusing on the near-superhuman achievements of all their athletes — but they definitely shouldn't be only writing about the women’s teams. Let’s also not forget that women’s volleyball is really great at playing volleyball — they’re 11-1 and second in their league right now.
Gothunderbirds.ca was filled with stories about men's sports over the break, but the only article about women's sports were their jerseys. Obviously, it's important to note that none of the women's teams had games over the break, but to only publish an article about their clothing is an insult to half of the athletes at this school — especially considering that one can write sports articles other than game recaps (athlete profiles, statistical analyses, etc.).