On Feb. 7, future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl which sparked a massive uproar on social media about whether or not he was the greatest athlete to ever walk the Earth.

Of course, comparisons to other sports greats like Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky came about as well. However, in these comparisons to great athletes, there’s one thing that’s painfully obvious: it’s completely devoid of women.

although the Super Bowl has passed over a month ago, it’s incredibly important that we talk about the inequality that exists in sports, especially since it is Women’s History Month. female athletes are often thought of as an afterthought whenever it comes to a discussion in regards to who the best athletes in the world are. 

It is imperative that we as a people break this cycle of discrimination, and finally, give these hardworking women the credit they deserve. when you continue to gloss over female athletes you are only adding to the problem, by not giving them space to shine.

This magnifies the major theme of sexism in sports and among sports fans. Women like Allyson Felix and Serena Williams are always left out of conversations about being the best athlete in the world despite their decorated careers.

Compared to Tom Brady, who has 56 career awards, Serena Williams has 96 career singles and doubles titles, and she is still ranked seventh in the world. Admittedly, tennis does have a longer season and they have the ability to play more matches, therefore these sports could be incomparable in terms of overall achievement, so I will give Brady credit where credit is due. Considering he has amassed a considerable amount of awards in a shorter season. 

However, for a better comparison, Allyson Felix should also be included in the GOAT conversation as well because the length of a track season is comparable to that of a football season. Felix also has 65 career achievements and titles compared to Brady’s 56.

Using just two women who are undeniable sports legends, I believe that it would be easy to see that there are numerous female greats around us. Why do we only focus on male-dominated sports? 

Ultimately, I believe it’s a societal problem. People were raised up to believe that men are better athletes than women for decades, but in the 21st century, one would think that we as a society would be able to appreciate these women for their work. Alas, it seems the world has not made enough progress in those regards.

It’s still inexcusable that greats like Williams and Felix are not mentioned in GOAT conversations despite their unmistakable achievements across the board. Women deserve representation and they also deserve respect just like their male counterparts, especially if they are holding similar positions. In the end, there is nothing wrong with celebrating and discussing male athletes, but female athletes deserve their respect when it’s due as well.