You play like a girl

I remember several years ago when the Celtics lost to the Lakers. Larry Bird criticized his team. He said they played "like a bunch of women." John Gruden told his Tampa Bay Bucs once that they were, "playing like a bunch of broads."
One of the better, good, old boy football coach expressions is saying a kid, "looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane."
Hearing this sort of talk begs the question. Do men really think so little of females?
I don't want to be overly politically correct. I mean, this isn't a life-or-death issue. It's not earth shattering and, as far as I know, it might not bother women at all.
I just find it interesting that telling a girl she plays like a boy is a compliment. But, the best way to insult a male athlete is to tell him he resembles a female athlete.
For instance, no boy wants to be compared to Diana Taurasi or Candace Parker, even though Taurasi and Parker can beat most boys on the basketball court. Go find the average high school male tennis player and tell him he plays like Serena Williams. He'd be ready to fight even though Serena has a faster serve than about half the men on the professional tour. Most boys only wish they could hit a golf ball as far as Michelle Wie but don't tell them they play golf like her unless you want a 5-iron wrapped around your skull.
Yeah, telling any guy he plays like a girl is fighting words. The question is, should it be? Candace Parker can dunk a basketball. I can't. I always wished I could so, I suppose I do wish I could play like Candace Parker, who is definitely a girl.
If I could hit a serve like Serena, I'd be playing tennis right now. If I could drive like Danica, I'd be racing cars.
Females have come a long way as athletes. Maybe it's time to come up with another way to insult guys or push them to do better. How about we say, you play like an old man? Wait, forgot about Brett Favre and Michael Jordan. I guess that doesn't apply either.

Reed makes a splash

Congratulations to El Dorado's Taylor Reed, who made his college football debut tonight with Memphis. Reed came off the bench for the Tigers when starting quarterback Andy Summerlin left the game with a knee injury in the first half of a 59-14 loss to Mississippi State at the Liberty Bowl.
Reed entered the game with 13:59 left in the second quarter and completed 23-of-35 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His total might've been higher except for about three dropped passes.
Reed's first collegiate pass was a 10-yard completion for a first down. He lofted an 11-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Rucker in the back of the end zone with 11:40 to go in the fourth quarter.
I don't know if Reed won the starting job but the guys broadcasting the game seemed to be quite impressed.
The Tigers play Auburn next week. While Reed looked good, especially as a true freshman, the rest of his teammates are suspect. Memphis looked like a mediocre high school team with some of the mistakes they made.
The starting quarterback had to burn a timeout because the play clock was winding down. This was the first play after his team entered the field on a change of possession.
The defense would later use a timeout because it had 12 men on the field. This was also the first play of a possession.
That's just bad.
Hopefully, the Tigers will get better. Reed is a proven leader. But, I don't think he should be thrust into such a strong leadership position so early.
I guess we'll see.