Re: Magic the Cat's snooker post
It is fair to say that women are less capable than men when it comes to physical sports. A comparison of say, the times in athletics/swimming or how far a javelin can be thrown shows this.

But I cannot see why, in non-physical sports, that women and men do not play against each other rather than seperate leagues. Sports such as snooker, darts, crown-green bowling, target sports etc.

Any theories?
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 29 Dec 2009, 15:40, 5 replies)

Chess
Men and women play each other regularly.
(Medical_Male Say aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Tue 29 Dec 2009, 17:07, closed)

Ooh,
I didn't know that, thanks! Any others? I have always wondered why there aren't more.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 29 Dec 2009, 17:12, closed)

My guess...
Is that everyone is kept separated *just because* in many sports, because that is what is done in the big physical sports like football and olympic competition, so at some point they would have to decide where the point lies where a sport stops being physical and starts being mental - does the strength of a typical man impart any benefit in a sport like shooting for example, or is shooting an entirely equal sport? How about motor racing? Or Curling? All sports that are primarily skill/mental based, but to some degree the body of the user will have some small effect in having more mass or strength to hold a rifle steady or hold a steering wheel true when barrelling round corners on a rough rally stage in a car.

I am up for opening up sports in general to women, I figure the lack of promotion or interest in any female leagues (we all know what is happening in the premier league, but who can say they have watched a womens league football match?) means only a very few would miss the lack of a dedicated female league, and I am up for seeing how females could compete in sports like football and motor racing given a level playing field.
(442, Tue 29 Dec 2009, 22:34, closed)

Because if I got beat by a girl
I would cry like a baby, and all(most) of you guys would too. That's why.
(CactusZack Shaved his coin purse on, Tue 29 Dec 2009, 23:39, closed)

My guess is because...
...by splitting the competition in two, they can bulk up entrance profits, attendance profits, television revenue, advertising revenue, plus any sidelines such as selling drinks and snacks to the viewing punters. OK, so its not going to double it but it increases it substantially.

And how else would you go about arbitrarily dividing a competition in two? Gender is kinda the obvious factor.
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Wed 30 Dec 2009, 15:06, closed)