Men Vs. Women??

Men VS. Women??

For many years, I have contended that women’s volleyball is far more exciting to watch then men’s volleyball.  Whenever I share this sentiment with other guys it is generally met with one of two reactions: “It’s the Bikini’s… heh heh” [said in that devious, neanderthalic, one-eye-brow-raised, wisecracking kind of way] or “Are you gay?”.  You see, there is a cultural stigma that goes along with preferring to watch women play the same sport as men.  I am not immune to it.  I would be a liar if I told you I never dipped down into my neanderthalic self for a wisecrack about women’s professional basketball or field hockey, or other sports that I simply don’t find interesting enough to watch.  I am just saying that certain sports are more exciting on the women’s side.  Volleyball is one such sport.

Men’s FIVB World Championships

I was able to watch some of the recent Men’s FIVB World Championships aired on ESPN2.  Thanks to TIVO, I was also able to watch a recently aired re-run of the Mira Costa Vs. Santa Margarita Girls High School Championship (CIF Division I-AA).  I marvel at the national team.  They rival the size and athleticism of any professional basketball team: 6’9”, 6’11”, 6’8”, 6’8”, 6’7”… heck, their Libero is 6’3”!  On the other side of the net; the Italians, Brazilians, Netherlands, insert-giant-contending-team-here…  Unfortunately, if you blink, you miss all that size and athleticism.  The men’s game has rallies (for lack of a better term) that average less than 8 seconds.  It has become a game of serve and serve again.  Each serve is followed by an immediate termination (either a kill by the receiving team or a block by the serving team).  The time between rallies takes longer than the actual point.  It is incredible to see how high they jump and how hard they hit but that wears off after the first 10 minutes and you are left with a very unfulfilling spectacle of brute strength vs. brute strength.  There is little finesse and even less defense.  Duck and cover would be the best description of the men’s game in its current state.  At one point, I counted 10 rallies in a row that terminated off the serve and then my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I wanted to set my hair on fire I was so freakin’ bored.   So I stopped watching.  That’s right; I turned it off!

Mira Costa and Santa Margarita

On the other hand, there was this high school girl’s match.  It was the third time I had watched it and it still had me on the edge of my couch!  Five games of long rallies, incredible diving digs, combination plays and intense back and forth action.  The final game was won in overtime at 23-21 (I won’t spoil it!  look it up if you don’t know who won).  It was incredible to watch two of the best high school teams in the US slug it out.  With names like Fonoimoana and Dodd on the floor (and their famous relatives in the stands), you know this is a breeding ground for the next national team.  My point is; compared to being bored to tears watching the men’s match, I felt like giving a standing ovation in the middle of my living room to the girls of California!

Advice for the Big Boys!

I have some advice for the international men’s game: Raise the net and lengthen the court!  Instead of changing the rules to allow contact with the net and double contacts, add a 2 meter line and a 4 meter line (front row and back row attack lines).  Do something to bring back the finesse and defense that makes volleyball a great sport to watch.  You can agree or disagree.  You can even call me names if you like.  But whatever you do; get a copy of the Mira Costa, Santa Margarita match on tape before you make up your mind.

That’s my take: What’s yours?

Mike from VolleyballNH.com

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