The Basketball Article
In 1974, Bernadette Mayer and Anne Waldman came up with the idea of writing an artistic, conceptual piece of sports writing. In doing so, they brought a unique, often silenced perspective on sports: the woman’s perspective. In The Basketball Article, Mayer and Waldman threw down their gauntlet in the traditionally male sphere of basketball. The article records their experiences attending basketball games, talking with players and playing basketball in parks around New York City.
The article was confusing to publishers: a non-technical article about basketball, written by women. The article challenges the stereotypes of what a sports article should look like. While Mayer and Waldman mention statistics, they don’t obsess over them. Highlight reel plays are glossed over and forgotten. Mayer and Waldman even make an effort to be confusing and to stand out.
“We always sit next to the opposing team. We distract them. We enter their consciousness. We carry a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets with us. We wear lipstick. We cheer for both teams.”​
Professional sports is intrinsically objectifying. Fans care about the performance of the athletes on the field or court, not their personal lives and feelings. Players are treated like pawns by team owners and general managers, shipped around the country and traded in search of excess value. Professional sport is also sexualizing by nature. Men at the peak of their athleticism are scrutinized for the physics attributes and abilities. However, this sexualization and objectification is taboo. Men are afraid of this sexualization due to homophobia and the fear of appearing homosexual. Mayer and Waldman do not shy away from this sexual and non-sexual objectification. They take this sexual objectification head-on, repeatedly noting physical attributes of players’ bodies. Despite this, they also dive deeper into the personalities of the players than any “normal” sports article would. When they talk with Oscar Robertson and Dave DeBusschere, they don’t discuss statistics and accomplishments, but everything from hope and dreams to fears and family.
