Can't a Journalist Ask about Discrimination in Sport?

6/9/2015 -- after NGA v SWE 

First off, I love the Women's World Cup. Read the following knowing that I have enjoyed everything I've seen so far. 

Eric Wynalda made it clear that he is impressed with Nigeria's manager Edwin Okon. Their 3-3 draw was great fun to watch. 

There is a tendency to praise in the World Cup. The Super Falcons ran like crazy but I there was evidence of a lack of set piece defense training. Asisat Oshoala is so good-- I would need to see more games before I decide Okon is a good manager. Morale and belief can come from players as well. They would have won if they had not been unorganized in set pieces. 

An aside: after Germany's destruction of Ivory Coast (10-0), I and a lot of folks out there really wanted to see an African team put in a good performance. Cameroon's win over Ecuador (not as competitive a team as Sweden) was also exciting. Gaëlle Enganamouit is a star. 

Cameroon's Super-Personality

Here's where I get really concerned. When Okon stresses the team "prays all the time", I can't help but worry about past discrimination. I do not object to prayer on the pitch. It can be very dramatic and striking to see. 

This image is the kind of thing I want to see when it is player initiated. Of course, it would be annoying if the game has to be delayed like NFL games would pause for Tim Tebow. The manager though, cited it as an explanation for their good performance. 

So, here's the question that a journalist needs to ask. What if a player does not want to pray? Not everyone believes and many believers have different prayer styles. Nigeria is religiously diverse. How is that managed? Are there Christian and Muslim prayers? Or is the team all one or the other? 

Right now, Fox has shown us a team that prays together without any friction. It is irresponsible to present that without asking questions. 

Furthermore, Nigeria has had recent problems with explicit religion-based discrimination against lesbian players on the part of Edwin Okon's bosses. 

In 2013, Nigeria's Women's Football league president, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, called for all lesbians to be banned from football. She describes interfering with clubs to root it out. 

“Yeah, we don’t tolerate lesbianism and we always discuss it whenever we meet. We always warn clubs and club chairmen, to please tell their players to desist from it, because any player that we pick for national competitions, and we hear a little story that is involved in that, we disqualify the player.” 

Onyedimma cites the Bible in ways that should be familiar. (Does she cite the Bible when it comes to Muslim or non-religious players?) She should not be considered a side show. She serves on the Nigerian Football Federation's Executive Committee and, incredibly, is Deputy Chair of their Committee on Ethics and Fair Play. 

I have just linked to Jim Buzinski's article in OutSports and Mark Baber's blog Football Rights. But that is just it. Why isn't this part of the mainstream soccer press' discussion of preparation and squad selection? 

Football Rights cites one Nigerian women playing pro football in Sweden, Chichi Igbo, who is a lesbian and has not been called up. Are there others? I know one cannot prove that Igbo is being discriminated against. Asking Onyedinma revealed much. Ask Edwin Okon. Would he give up a Megan Rapinoe and a Abby Wambach? We hear a lot about "morale management". Why not discuss the effect of a sword hanging over the heads of all the players, any of whom can be accused at any moments. Onyedinma says she only needs "to hear a little story." 

The Nigerian FA's explicit policy includes opposition to discrimination based on religion and based on sexual orientation. Onyedinma doesn't seem to care. 

This is the sort of thing FIFA should work on. There is a right to play. But they are asleep at the switch. An explicit anti-lesbian activist sits on the Committee on Fair Play but FIFA is too busy. They are the ones who hired Edwin Okon. 

So, during the press conference, why not ask: 

"The head of Nigeria's women's league and co-chair of the NFF's ethics committee wants all lesbians removed from football. Do you support that?" If he says no. "How do you deal with a national leadership that is so hostile to some of your players?" 

"Not all Nigerians pray and not all Nigerians pray the same way. You've cited prayer as a secret to your good performance. How do you deal with religious diversity?" 

One of the problems with sports journalism is that it is repetitive. These questions can break it up a bit. 

When Fox covers Soccer, it should say something about the hardships faced by women who want to play. I've focused on Nigeria here but these problems pop up everywhere. Italy's women players cancelled its cup final to protest the head of Italy's amateur football association calling them "a bunch of lesbians". Homophobia extends to gay and straight alike one more time. There are fifteen players and two coaches who are out during this World Cup. What would they say to teams that have none? 

This is not only important. It is interesting. Why not interview Chichi Igbo? If Hope Solo's private life is news, why isn't this? Do players in pro leagues talk about this? Shouldn't FIFA let players who have faced discrimination switch to countries where they now live and get to play? 

Does Homophobia Distract Anyone?

I really liked the short bio of Megan Rapinoe Fox Soccer made, which mentioned her coming out as "gay" (her word). I wouldn't change that film. I liked it and want people to see it. She and Solo were the difference between the US and Australia during the opening game. It is nice to see her sporting personality linked to such an expressive spirit. 

Mike Huckabee- Do you really want to prevent more Megan Rapinoes? 

But you have to spend some time showing that being free isn't only about your courage or your attitude. Not that long ago, Rapinoe would have been excluded as a matter of policy. Not that long ago, she would have been accused of distracting the team or whatever when she came out. We benefit when we celebrate diversity and fairness. We are all freer and happier. 

In fact, a very large part of the story of women's soccer would need to acknowledge the role played by lesbian cultural institutions in the US and in Europe. Don't sweep it under the rug. Clubs like Hackney Women's Football Club moved mountains to create good spaces to play. Celebrate it. One reason Norway was so good in the early nineties was that they were drawing players from this culture. When the head of Italy's Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (great phrase) uses the word "lesbian" as an insult, one response is to just show most people don't think so anymore. 

This game is beautiful. It exerts power over the viewer. That power can either be mobilized for exclusion or can serve as an opportunity to generate spaces that are more just and more peaceful than the rest of the world. The game won't do good by accident. It won't do any good without asking questions about how players are treated.