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Did this really happen?

doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,526 ✭✭✭✭✭

I was reading through some sports articles online and came across a story about a tennis match between Billie Jean king and Bobby Riggs, and she not only beat him, but embarrassed him? Is this for real?

Comments

  • hammer1hammer1 Posts: 3,874 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Oh yeah!

    She shut his pie hole up.

  • paulb71paulb71 Posts: 272 ✭✭✭✭

    There is a movie about this called battle of the sexes, came out in 2017

  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,526 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I told my wife about this and she laughed. It amuses her that we lost to woman. What kind of a sick person am I married to?

  • DarinDarin Posts: 6,247 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 8, 2021 5:50PM

    .

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  • thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There is a lot of back story to this, and a lot to the story itself.

    Just like the best college team cannot beat the worst pro team, ...

  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,526 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Darin said:
    You must be pretty young DD, this was big news back then.
    Of course the men didn't get represented very well, if she had played Borg or Connors
    or any decent male player she would have gotten beat soundly.

    Yes, born in 1980, so I wasn't even alive when this happened. I wouldn't hatch from my dragon egg until 7 years after this match.

  • TabeTabe Posts: 5,920 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes, they did play. Yes, the score showed that Billie Jean got a big victory. However, there are very strong rumors that Riggs threw the match to pay off a gambling debt. He absolutely obliterated Margaret Court - who was the clear #1 in the world at the time - a few months earlier. His performance being so much worse against King has raised more than a few eyebrows over the years.

    Having said that, I never understood the hype over this or the celebration of King's win as some big victory. You're at the top of your profession and you're happy because you beat a guy 25 years older that had been retired for 14 years?

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    interesting tabe. i didnt know that backstory. makes sense though. I never got the whole celebration thing either. guy was a 55 year old has been. big deal. very similar to d1 womens college teams practicing against former high school boys players to try and get better.

    there was a similar rumor back in the early 2000s when jennie finch was "striking out" all the mlb players. apparently those mlb players were in on the whole thing which was really just a big advertisement for us women softball.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 7, 2021 7:06PM

    The elephant in the room is that the top female cannot beat a much lower ranked male.

    Edit to add: And there's nothing wrong with that. That's how God made us.

  • BrickBrick Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Time for a rematch. The greatest HOF women's player over 50 vs. the #1 male as of now.

    Collecting 1960 Topps Baseball in PSA 8
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    Ralph

  • 2dueces2dueces Posts: 6,231 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes. It was greatly hyped. I don’t know the exact ages but Riggs was a hustler and over 50. King was in her prime. It was the billed as the battle of the sexes but really was Riggs hustling America. The 171st ranked men’s tennis player would blank the top women’s players every time.

    W.C.Fields
    "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,349 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Tabe said:
    Yes, they did play. Yes, the score showed that Billie Jean got a big victory. However, there are very strong rumors that Riggs threw the match to pay off a gambling debt. He absolutely obliterated Margaret Court - who was the clear #1 in the world at the time - a few months earlier. His performance being so much worse against King has raised more than a few eyebrows over the years.

    Having said that, I never understood the hype over this or the celebration of King's win as some big victory. You're at the top of your profession and you're happy because you beat a guy 25 years older that had been retired for 14 years?

    Very interesting, nice quick dissertation 👍

  • GoldenageGoldenage Posts: 3,278 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 8, 2021 4:05AM

    And for those who care, before the USA woman's world cup winning squad won their trophy, they lost 5-2 to
    a FC Dallas squad full of just 15 year old boys. A bunch of sophomore's in high school.

    https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/

  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,349 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Goldenage said:
    And for those who care, before the USA woman's world cup winning squad won their trophy, they lost 5-2 to
    a FC Dallas squad full of just 15 year old boys. A bunch of sophomore's in high school.

    https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/

    Another interesting tidbit

  • thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @perkdog said:

    @Goldenage said:
    And for those who care, before the USA woman's world cup winning squad won their trophy, they lost 5-2 to
    a FC Dallas squad full of just 15 year old boys. A bunch of sophomore's in high school.

    https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/

    Another interesting tidbit

    I've heard similar stories about basketball. Like rec teams of guys easily beating the best college women's teams.

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thisistheshow said:

    @perkdog said:

    @Goldenage said:
    And for those who care, before the USA woman's world cup winning squad won their trophy, they lost 5-2 to
    a FC Dallas squad full of just 15 year old boys. A bunch of sophomore's in high school.

    https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/

    Another interesting tidbit

    I've heard similar stories about basketball. Like rec teams of guys easily beating the best college women's teams.

    I think It was UCONN who would bring in college guys with only high school basketball experience to scrimmage against the NCAA champion Huskys. the high school guys were better if i recall.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Goldenage said:
    And for those who care, before the USA woman's world cup winning squad won their trophy, they lost 5-2 to
    a FC Dallas squad full of just 15 year old boys. A bunch of sophomore's in high school.

    https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/

    I never heard this one. I wonder what Rapinoes take on this would be?

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It really is no knock against women that they cannot beat men at sports that require great physicality. it is just biology that they are not as large or muscular as a man. I see no reason why a woman couldn't beat a man at billiards, bowling or any other sport that does not require muscular strength and endurance.

    I believe women shooters can routinely beat their male counterparts in marksmanship competitions.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • stevekstevek Posts: 27,576 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I recall a lot of media hype leading up to the match...and then the match itself was a snoozefest.

    Frankly, i didn't know a single person who actually cared about it.

  • 2dueces2dueces Posts: 6,231 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:
    It really is no knock against women that they cannot beat men at sports that require great physicality. it is just biology that they are not as large or muscular as a man. I see no reason why a woman couldn't beat a man at billiards, bowling or any other sport that does not require muscular strength and endurance.

    I believe women shooters can routinely beat their male counterparts in marksmanship competitions.

    Women are usually better tig welders than men. Something about finer touch. Seen some women that can really put on a show with tig.

    W.C.Fields
    "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    that is interesting. i had never heard that. i don't know much about welding.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

  • jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,508 ✭✭✭✭

    DD
    That match was on the same level as the 1969 Super Bowl with Namath guaranteeing a win.
    There was all kinds of TV commercials leading up to it.

    OK without looking it up. no cheating DD

    Who was the major league baseball player who was BJK's brother?

    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,526 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jay0791 said:
    DD
    That match was on the same level as the 1969 Super Bowl with Namath guaranteeing a win.
    There was all kinds of TV commercials leading up to it.

    OK without looking it up. no cheating DD

    Who was the major league baseball player who was BJK's brother?

    I've heard who it was in the past, but I can't remember.

  • Alfonz24Alfonz24 Posts: 3,020 ✭✭✭✭✭

    moffit?

    #LetsGoSwitzerlandThe Man Who Does Not Read Has No Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read. The biggest obstacle to progress is a habit of “buying what we want and begging for what we need.”You get the Freedom you fight for and get the Oppression you deserve.
  • TabeTabe Posts: 5,920 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:

    I think It was UCONN who would bring in college guys with only high school basketball experience to scrimmage against the NCAA champion Huskys. the high school guys were better if i recall.

    Tennessee under Pat Summitt. She would bring in guys who played in high school to play against her teams. I'm sure she's not the only one though.

  • jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,508 ✭✭✭✭

    Chris Speir

    SS san fran

    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
  • craig44craig44 Posts: 10,393 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Tabe said:

    @craig44 said:

    I think It was UCONN who would bring in college guys with only high school basketball experience to scrimmage against the NCAA champion Huskys. the high school guys were better if i recall.

    Tennessee under Pat Summitt. She would bring in guys who played in high school to play against her teams. I'm sure she's not the only one though.

    yes, you are absolutely correct.

    George Brett, Bobby Orr and Terry Bradshaw.

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