The Bogosity Forum

The Show => Future Episodes => Topic started by: FSBlueApocalypse on June 02, 2010, 11:13:32 PM

Title: Title IX
Post by: FSBlueApocalypse on June 02, 2010, 11:13:32 PM
Really? I'm surprised this one hasn't come up yet.

If you're unsure of what Title IX is, in short, it was a government mandate that said schools that received federal funding have to provide equal opportunities for men's and women's sports. In a classic case of "The Road to Hell is paved with the best of intentions" it was the government trying to force supply where there clearly wasn't as high of a demand. Worse yet, Football counts towards the number of "Men's opportunities" for sports. That's a 60-70 person overhead men's sports has before we even get into things like basketball, baseball/softball, etc.  The current number of men's programs that have been cut so schools can be in compliance with Title IX lies somewhere between 400-500. Sports like Lacrosse and men's gymnastics are all but extinct.
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: Virgil0211 on June 08, 2010, 08:53:56 PM
Quote from: FSBlueApocalypse on June 02, 2010, 11:13:32 PM
Really? I'm surprised this one hasn't come up yet.

If you're unsure of what Title IX is, in short, it was a government mandate that said schools that received federal funding have to provide equal opportunities for men's and women's sports. In a classic case of "The Road to Hell is paved with the best of intentions" it was the government trying to force supply where there clearly wasn't as high of a demand. Worse yet, Football counts towards the number of "Men's opportunities" for sports. That's a 60-70 person overhead men's sports has before we even get into things like basketball, baseball/softball, etc.  The current number of men's programs that have been cut so schools can be in compliance with Title IX lies somewhere between 400-500. Sports like Lacrosse and men's gymnastics are all but extinct.

Huh. You know, I always wondered why there didn't seem to be too many men's gymnastics programs around. That would explain alot.
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: AHPMB on June 14, 2010, 10:57:53 AM
Title IX is especially ridiculous when you consider that women outnumber men in both college attendance and retention.  Colleges have been suggesting alternatives to Title IX for decades, to no success.  The straw man the government always throws up is that, well if we get rid of our arbitrary system and replace it with some kind of useful metric, schools will only fund the programs that make money like men's football and basketball, and women will suffer for it.  That's complete and utter bullshit.  Consider how many men's teams most University's fund that do not garner tons of cash or international attention.  For instance, the school where I got my Master's, Miami University, regularly sees more attendance and ticket sales to their football games, and yet their men's hockey team came within one game of taking a national championship last year.  Miami's women's team regularly place in the national finals.  Why would the school cut programs that bring in trophies, titles and bragging rights?  Having a wide variety of sports is part of the prestige of larger Universities, it's what attracts the most money, because it attracts the most students.  Simple common sense tells us that Universities will not act against their own best interest.  With every University seeing a majority female student body, who in their right mind would cut women's sports out?  It's a ridiculous argument based on an imagined reality that didn't even exist 30 years ago.
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: Virgil0211 on June 14, 2010, 11:03:02 AM
Quote from: AHPMB on June 14, 2010, 10:57:53 AM
Title IX is especially ridiculous when you consider that women outnumber men in both college attendance and retention.  Colleges have been suggesting alternatives to Title IX for decades, to no success.  The straw man the government always throws up is that, well if we get rid of our arbitrary system and replace it with some kind of useful metric, schools will only fund the programs that make money like men's football and basketball, and women will suffer for it.  That's complete and utter bullshit.  Consider how many men's teams most University's fund that do not garner tons of cash or international attention.  For instance, the school where I got my Master's, Miami University, regularly sees more attendance and ticket sales to their football games, and yet their men's hockey team came within one game of taking a national championship last year.  Miami's women's team regularly place in the national finals.  Why would the school cut programs that bring in trophies, titles and bragging rights?  Having a wide variety of sports is part of the prestige of larger Universities, it's what attracts the most money, because it attracts the most students.  Simple common sense tells us that Universities will not act against their own best interest.  With every University seeing a majority female student body, who in their right mind would cut women's sports out?  It's a ridiculous argument based on an imagined reality that didn't even exist 30 years ago.

Well, one thing I really wish I'd had access to when I was younger was men's gymnastics and some kind of martial arts training. The exercises and strengths you develop from those are easiest to pick up/develop when you're younger.
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: MrBogosity on June 14, 2010, 11:19:28 AM
The first episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! this season covers Title IX and how it's made cheerleading so dangerous.
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: Virgil0211 on June 14, 2010, 11:23:34 AM
Quote from: MrBogosity on June 14, 2010, 11:19:28 AM
The first episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! this season covers Title IX and how it's made cheerleading so dangerous.

It's times like these that I wish you could stream the first season of Bullshit on Netflix. Then that episode would be a simple button press of the x-box controller away.

By the way, are we allowed to suggest bogosity episode topics that may have been previously covered by Bullshit! or some other skeptic show?
Title: Re: Title IX
Post by: MrBogosity on June 14, 2010, 11:52:56 AM
Quote from: Virgil0211 on June 14, 2010, 11:23:34 AM
By the way, are we allowed to suggest bogosity episode topics that may have been previously covered by Bullshit! or some other skeptic show?

Sure, but I'm probably less likely to do them unless I can find a unique angle.