"Our" Sports Movement

There is a rather major exception to this - the Grand Slam tennis championships. The U.S. Open, which is unfolding as I write this, has offered equal prize money to the women's and men's winners for years. This year, each champion will earn $1.4 million. If Roger Federer wins the men's title, he can earn an additional $1 million as the winner of the U.S. Open Series, which includes a circuit of pre-championship tournaments. Maria Sharapova, the reigning Open champion, was eligible for the same payoff, but was upset in the third round.

With Wimbledon joining the fold this summer, all four Grand Slam tennis championships offer equal payoffs. Some would say this is enlightened; I would say it is right.

I also say this is cause for support. As we continue in the "movement" stage, we should resist discerning between "my" sports and consider them all "our" sports.

Last week, I had a chance to fulfill a longtime goal of attending the U.S. Open, which is in Flushing Meadows in Queens, N.Y. It is a spectacular event, this year smashing attendance records. With its multiple, shiny facilities, vendor booths, food courts, restaurants and lounges and exhibitions, the Open is akin to attending a festival or concert.

Moreover, for a fan of "our" women's sports, the Open is, athletically, as good as it gets. One night, I saw Serena Williams, her brassy physicality and 120 mph serve; the next, I saw Sharapova, her leveraged ground strokes and steely competitiveness. It should be noted that the women are, in many ways, more entertaining to watch because they are the more outwardly expressive and competitive.

There also are many examples of elegant athleticism - the world's No. 1, Justine Hennin, being just one example. By the way, the championship between Hennin and Svetlana Kuznetsova is tonight (Saturday) at 8 p.m., Eastern. It will be televised live by CBS. You may not recognize the names, just as you may not recognize the name of Abby Wombach (soccer) or Gabby Reece (volleyball). But, in our movement, in "our" sports, they all deserve our support.