"Skirting" the issue in boxing

If proof were ever needed that sports people have too much time on their hands, consider this idea: some international boxing officials want female boxers to compete in short skirts.

I’ve seen female boxing, both live and on TV and the truth is, skirts aren’t going to make the difference.

If you don’t like women boxing in shorts, you won’t like them in skirts.

Poland and Romania are already on board with the skirts. One official reportedly said the skirt look is more “elegant.” I don’t know how they decide that if the fighter is unconscious on the mat.

On one hand, young girls are told to excel on the merits of their athletic skills alone. Then along come things like the Lingerie Football League and boxing in skirts to make it more attractive. Apparently the sport alone isn’t enough.

A good rule of thumb should be to wear what’s comfortable for the sport. Lingerie isn’t comfortable. Skirts aren’t comfortable for boxing — at least not as comfortable as shorts. Even field hockey has moved toward shorts over the years.

Women’s soccer has had some great moments in television. But it wasn’t Brandi Chastain’s 1999 sports bra moment that first drew the audience. It was the soccer. Same thing with this year’s FIFA World Cup championship game between the U.S. and Japan. It was the game, not the “elegance” that mattered.

Imagine that.