Am I being offensive?

I like keeping tabs on the "goings on" of my sweet home Chicago.

This week, there was some controversy over an ad the Chicago Tribune put on for the last nights hockey game.

You can see the picture here with someone who is upset by it here by Christine Brennan.

I saw a debate on this last night on Fox 9 in the twin cities between a U of M person (not sure what her capacity was) and "The Common Man". Common made the analogy of when people are playing a poor round of golf, they get comments like "you are playing like the Common Man". I know it is not the same, it was a joke.

Halfway through this interview, I thought "Oh, crap..... I am going to have all sorts of feminists after me for the "getting chicked ale" I made. I would upload the picture, but blogger says it is corrupt. Figures... the guy who made it is also corrupt :)

So, if you find the Blackhawks add offensive, you should find the term "getting chicked" offensive. Right?

Without opening a huge can of worms, let me say this first.

* I first hear the actual term in reference to Christine Crawford constantly kicking all of the guy's asses in Wisconsin. In fact, SHE may have come up with the term. Although, I think it has been around for a long time.

* I get beat by a lot women, so it is nothing I really worry about. AND, it is not something that even factors into hurting my ego.

* I look at our fast female MN ultra runners, and consider myself having a good race if I come close to any of them. Helen, Kim (Martin and Holak), Eve, Valeria, and many more. I am pretty sure they are not offended by the term, but maybe I am wrong.

* Too many people in our world today can't take a joke. I know it is hard to take a joke when it hits too close to home, so I will be open to the fact that I (we) are being offensive by using this term. But.... in my experience, any woman who braves the trail/ultra community can hold her own. They are tough women, women I admire. I think it takes a lot more than silly hyperbole to get mad. But maybe I am wrong.

* If men and women are truly equal, then why do golf courses still have womens tees? And why does this not offend the likes of Christine Brennan?
The Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in 2002, 2003, and 2004 used the "equalizer" format which gave a head start to the elite women against the elite men. The idea was to equalize the men and women, hoping for a race to the finish between a man or woman. Is this not sexist? The term "equalizer" itself should make some mad. I know women who would WANT to start with the men, AND BEAT THEM.

* In college, I was a part of the basketball pep band. We played at all of the Men's home games. It was a party. It was a blast.
A group of women on campus got together and protested us for being sexist. They said we should be playing at all of the womens games. The university caved, the group compromised, and we ended up playing some of the games with some of the band. Nobody in the band (men or women) wanted to, but we were forced to. Every womens basketball game I played at had more players in the band then spectators watching the game.
I can understand the desire to be equal, but where was the crowd who wanted to watch those games? Their answer was "you have to give it a chance". One person actually said it was because the band was not at the games. Seriously.

So back to the topic.

Are we being bad by using this term?

Is it offensive if I wear a skirt to run the Afton 50K?

Or is this just a vocal minority trying to get their way?

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For the record, I have never beaten Helen.

The only time I beat Christine was when she broke her hip and dropped out (I think she still made it like 50 miles). Never beaten Kim H.