. Part of the job must be to filter their initial reactio

Since Day 1 of the Rio games, Olympic fans have been channeling American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, taking the proverbial foil to media outlets for their disappointing coverage of female athletes.Theres been plenty to critique, beginning with NBC commentator Dan Hicks crediting Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszus husband/trainer as the man responsible for her world-record performance on the opening day of competition. That was just the first in an ever-widening pool of sexist remarks from media all over the globe - a pool as troubling as that mysteriously green diving pool.In print and on television, female athletes have been reduced to their relationships to men, whether it be a coach, a husband or a similarly skilled male athlete. Weve seen their athletic accomplishments glossed over in favor of conversations about their hair, makeup, nail polish or love lives. One Olympic star was even asked if shed rather win a medal or be thinner. For real.Youve likely already heard about a lot of these offenses as the pushback from fans, more woke media members and even some male Olympians has been loud and swift. From The Independent to The Guardian to Mashable to HuffPo, reporters have curated media missteps and resulting reactions, revealing a world that struggles to describe the female athlete in terms befitting her achievements.Lindy West wrote a helpful guide to covering female Olympians in the Guardian last week, imploring media members, Dont bring your sex feelings into it. ... There is not currently a vacuum of serious, well-rounded coverage of mens sports. There is not a historic precedent of mens bodies eclipsing their accomplishments, and, in turn, undermining their credibility and hobbling their upward mobility in every major industry. It is OK to have sex feelings. Just watch where youre spraying them.Former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, who joined me and advocate Jess Weiner on my Thats What She Said podcast this week, knows about the challenges of being in the Olympic spotlight all too well.Its frustrating for female athletes, she said. I always tell people that as an athlete, especially a female athlete, we want you to critique us. We want you to continue to nitpick and pull us apart, but do it off of our performances and off of our skills, rather than something that has nothing to do with our sports.?A study recently released by the Cambridge University Press analyzed multibillion word databases of written and spoken English language from a huge range of media sources and found that while male athletes are usually described in sporting terms, language around women in sport focuses disproportionately on the appearance, clothes and personal lives of women, highlighting a greater emphasis on aesthetics over athletics.Intentional misogyny is not always at the root of these offenses. Women have long been valued in society first and foremost for their appearance, and media has long portrayed women across all professions and industries through the male gaze. As a result, whether its female scientists or female athletes, it can become almost instinctual to sexualize, regardless of how inappropriate the context. While we can all agree that Olympians are some of the fittest, most attractive people on the planet, their athletic achievements, not their looks, should be the focus of commentary.The fact that sexualizing women is deeply embedded in our society doesnt excuse reporters. Part of the job must be to filter their initial reactions before putting them into words and sharing them. And more and more, fans are taking media to task for their failing filters. No phone calls or letters to the editor these days, a simple tweet (or several thousand) will do.The tweets add up and have already forced some media members and outlets to issue mea culpas within days -- even hours -- of their remarks. While its disappointing to see how widespread the sexist coverage has been, across all sports and countries, the pushback from viewers is a solid start toward correcting behavior.One of the best parts of the Olympics is seeing female athletes given (nearly) equal air time to their male counterparts. Our nation becomes captivated with the athletic achievements of women who have spent their lives pursuing greatness. And while tone-deaf commentary may sometimes sour those moments, the lasting images, moments and memories are of the dominant athletic performances. Young girls grow up with Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky on the front pages and in their social feeds, replacing, even if oh-so-briefly, Hollywood starlets and reality stars.Theres work to be done to give female athletes the respect theyve earned. But the fact that more and more people seem to be aware of the discrepancy in coverage and expect better from the media is a step in the right direction. Wholesale Custom Coyotes Shirts . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Keith Tkachuk Jersey Large . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. http://www.customcoyotesjersey.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Coyotes Jerseys . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. Cheap Coyotes Jerseys . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia set a school record for forcing turnovers, putting the loss to Temple behind them.Esa Ahmad scored 19 points to lead No. 25 West Virginia to a 108-61 victory Monday night in the final game of the NIT Season Tip-Off.The Mountaineers (5-1) surpassing the school record of 34 by VMI in 2014-15.I thought we did a pretty good job but I think a lot of it was they didnt have a long time to prepare, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said. They came down from beating Detroit in double-overtime. I know that they had a workout yesterday and a shootaround today. I think thats why we should be better the second night although we werent against Temple.The game was a much needed psychological boost after a failed comeback against Temple at Barclays Center on Friday.(We) dont take anyone for granted, Ahmad said. We wanted to come out and go 100 percent right out of the gate and thats what we did.West Virginia started the game on an 8-0 run over the first 3 minutes, then both teams essentially traded baskets through the next 12 minutes. In the final 5 minutes of the half, James Long and Nathan Adrian led a 22-5 scoring run, giving the Mountaineers a 60-27 halftime lead.Adrian had 15 points for West Virginia, while Daxter Miles Jr. added 11 and Long had a career-high 10.Zavier Peart led the Jaspers (2-4) with 111 points.dddddddddddd Manhattan outrebounded the Mountaineers, 41-40.(When) youre playing on the road, at West Virginia, thats tough in itself, then add on their style of play, Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. So, you have three things against you right there.BIG PICTUREManhattan is impressive off the glass, averaging around 40 rebounds per game but also averages 23 turnovers per game.West Virginia averages around 27 forced turnovers per game, but is shooting 63 percent from the free throw line.PARAMOUNT PRESSWest Virginia had only 11 turnovers, as opposed to Manhattans 40. The Mountaineers remain on top of the NCAA in turnover margin at 16.1.BENCHMARK DEPTHHuggins played eight players off the bench for more than 10 minutes. West Virginias reserves scored 62 points, the most this season for the Mountaineers.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Mountaineers win over Manhattan should have virtually no effect on their placement in the AP Top 25 but their game against No. 6 Virginia will likely decide where they will finish next Monday.UP NEXTManhattan hosts Canisius on Friday.West Virginia plays at No. 6 Virginia on Saturday.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '