Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports. When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, field hockey and diving. People do not recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a man can play, with equal skill, if not better. Right now in some part of America, there is a women who aspires to play hockey for the New York Rangers, but what she does not realize is that the media will not give a positive backing to her effort. This negative coverage will shatter her dream within a matter of seconds. Women today have found the intensity that drives people to play sports. One of the most recent electrifying events that shows women expressing their love for the game, regardless of which game, is when Brandi Chastain tore her jersey off after the United States women's soccer team won the Women's World Cup final. After this incredible display of victory, the media put Ms. Chastain's face all over the world. She was a feature on Sportscenter on ESPN and she was on every news broadcasts for a solid week. But this was not the biggest accomplishment, Brandi made the cover for Sports Illustrated the following month. For winning the World Cup the women each received a sum of $12,500, whereas if the men won they would have each received a s um $388,000. This event also influenced sitcoms. In a March 2000 episode of the television sitcom, Third Rock From the Sun, on of the characters makes a direct quote in relation to the extravagant display of triumph. The character was quoted to say, "She is about one goal away from ripping her shirt off."" Since the World Cup, taking your shirt off is something that people relate with women soccer and its players.
