" Where have you gone, Martha Burk?"
/The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi manages to turn some mildly oblivious responses from Annika and Nancy Lopez into a hysterical (in more ways than one) rant about the lack of photo-opportunistic feminist leadership in sports.
Brace yourselves...
Her response -- correction: her non-response -- is both shocking and disappointing.
Here's the exchange between Annika Sorenstam and me Wednesday during her pre-tournament news conference for the LPGA Ginn Open:
"Annika, some derogatory comments were made about the Rutgers women's basketball team the other day; obviously, you've heard about them . . ."
Before I can finish, Annika stops me cold with her response.
"No, I haven't."
You haven't?
"No," she says, shaking her head.
Uncomfortable pause.
All I can think of to say at this point is, "Never mind."
All she can think of to say is, "Sorry."
Yeah, I'm sorry, too.
Sorry because herein lies the colossal problem facing female athletes in their ongoing battle against sexism in the sports arena: Nobody cares enough to speak up or stand up for them.
Where have you gone, Martha Burk?
A gender turns its lonely eyes to you.
Oy.