Mick Jagger wants the world painted black.
For one month, I want it painted pink.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as I’m sure you are now aware.
I’m also sure you know the stats: More than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, according to Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s website.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Athletic Department and the LSU soccer team are hosting a pink match for the second time in as many years.
For the soccer team, the match really hits home, as former LSU goalkeeper Robyn DesOrmeaux died of cancer last year.
“Almost all of us know someone who has been touched by breast cancer, so we’re happy to do our part,” said LSU soccer coach Brian Lee. “We want to do as much as possible with it, and we’re very excited because it was a great event last year.”
It’s great to see the teams in pink and all the men, women and children in the stands donning their pink. Remember, real men do wear pink.
These games, meets and matches do more than just raise money (though that is a big part of it). They raise awareness for women to get screenings for early detection, and that’s what makes them so important.
Soccer isn’t the only team that does this, though. Volleyball will have its pink match later this month, softball has one, and gymnastics has the biggest of the four every year with the Etta James Memorial Meet (named in honor of former LSU linebacker Bradie James’ mother).
Daniel Nunes, marketing coordinator for the Athletic Department, said these meets cost little to put on, if anything at all, outside of advertising to get people to attend.
But the thing is, these pink matches LSU hosts are in sports that have fairly low attendance rates, at least in comparison to other sports on campus. The reason for that is they are all hosted by female teams, which are traditionally less attended than their male counterparts.
I’m not trying to be sexist in any way. So stop for a second before you judge.
What I’m pointing out here is that no male sporting team on campus has a pink meet. In fact, Nunes said there has never even been a discussion about a male team hosting one.
I understand part of the reason for that is females are more likely to attend a pink match than males.
The thing is, breast cancer affects men too.
You may be watching NFL games this month and noticing all of the players wearing some sort of pink on or around their uniforms. It’s not a fashion statement. The NFL devotes an entire month to breast cancer awareness.
About 2,000 American men each year are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute’s website.
Although that is only 1 percent of the total number, it’s still a percent, and that’s what matters.
So why don’t any of the major men’s teams around campus host a pink meet?
“We just decided to keep with women’s sports because it gives people an opportunity to come out to these events and gives them a place to come out and support the team and the issue, as well,” Nunes said.
And there is the issue of overkill. You don’t want to overdo the pink because then it may lose its meaning. I get that.
But it would be nice to see football or basketball or baseball get a pink game, and LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri told me he would be open to the idea of having one.
So, Patrick Peterson, you want a marketing ploy to make another statement? Maybe you should wear pink while prancing into the end zone.
Andy Schwehm is a 21-year-old psychology and English senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Aschwehm.
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Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]