We don't need another hero

NATASHA WATLEY: I can remember losing in the gold medal game [to Japan] at the 2008 Olympics, returning home and having everyone say, "You should be proud of your silver medal, not many people get to compete in the Olympics." I get it. What else could they say? But I really wanted to say, "F you! We didn't prepare for endless months to 'win' a silver medal." It's like as a female athlete it's not supposed to be in our nature to be pissed at losing.

LaSHINDA DEMUS: I'm extremely competitive but never show it. I've been constantly told that I need to try to focus on hitting a certain demographic of women, not men. But most of these women I was told to try to reach actually cared nothing about my athletic capabilities because they can't connect with that, according to both male and female public relations specialists that I spoke with.

SHELBURNE: Is it even possible for a female athlete to be real, bold and interesting without being cast in a negative light? Or is going negative still the only way to get attention?

FOUDY: I've heard people say women's sports needs more antiheroes. I couldn't disagree more. We don't need more anti­heroes; we need more women to be the big personalities that live inside them. We need more people promoting those personalities. We don't need more domestic violence incidents, more drunken driving incidents, more negativity. We need women who are willing to be big and bold and show us how being a great teammate/player is indeed newsworthy.

GENO AURIEMMA: Why should female athletes be held to the standard that male athletes have set? In order to be compelling, you have to throw a tantrum, commit assault, carry a weapon or get suspended for drug use? Is Tom Brady not compelling? Tim Duncan? Mike Trout? Why do you think the NFL is cracking down on idiotic behavior? It's because it doesn't sell anymore. Why can't women just be great athletes? Leave it at that.

CAT ZINGANO: I am constantly being told about the lack of "hype" I create, although I am one of the most entertaining female fighters to date. There are educated and die-hard fans who love and support the evolution of the sport for women. But it seems that you must also have a story, sex appeal and the ability to stir up drama to retain fans and be paid [well].

I was recently told to use my "strong points": that I am a single mom, that I have a "story," that I can clean up and have sex appeal. I would rather wear sweatpants and throw my hair in a knot! But in order to further my career, I need to work harder, not at my craft but at promoting myself outside of the Octagon. I just want to work hard at my sport. I want my personal achievement and work ethic to speak for me.

DEMUS: Competing professionally, especially in a sport that gets glamorized every four years, is difficult. You have a few angles to take as a female track athlete to actually make a living from it. You can be the prettiest little thing out there with not so much talent as the next athlete in hopes of getting the attention of sponsorships, or you can be the "Mother Teresa" athlete who is politically correct along with a nearly perfect career. Ever since I was a little girl, my goal was to be the best. That's it. It was not until I became professional that I was told I should focus on my branding and how I appeal to the public.

SHELBURNE: Nuvey, you are so funny; people told me they peed their pants during your banquet speech at a Women's College World Series. Do you ever let that humor rip publicly? Did you have the right forum to do so, before social media was so pervasive? I think if you asked most people who they remember from those U.S. Olympic softball teams, it would be Jennie Finch, who was a great pitcher but also indisputably got attention for her beauty. Do you think that would be the same today?

NUVEMAN DENIZ: Women's team sports, softball in particular, have a pretty clearly defined audience: families. Softball goes after the daddy-daughter market, and as such, the more wholesome and family-friendly the personality, the better. Jennie shined in the spotlight, with style and grace, and I'm proud of how she handled it. Soccer has been the same, historically. The women who were front and center for USA softball and USA soccer during my tenure were phenomenal athletes but also "safe" personalities who embraced being a role model and did little to tarnish that responsibility.

For me personally, I was a Row 2 athlete from a marketing and publicity standpoint: I wasn't front and center, but I wasn't back row either. I didn't have many opportunities to let my humor rip, but when I did, I held back some. I tried to be charming but safe.

WATLEY: It's amazing what people focus on. Although Jennie herself is extremely humble (I adore her!), it was completely out of her control how much attention she got for her beauty when she had so many amazing accolades on the field. I'm with Coach Auriemma: When will women be praised for just being phenomenal athletes?

AURIEMMA: I still contend that we in the women's game should not aspire to "be like the men." We should work really hard to keep pointing out why our behavior is more acceptable and long-term more appealing to the next generation of fans.

SHELBURNE: Speaking of the next generation, if we reconvene this panel in five or 10 years, what will be different?

DEMUS: At times I think things are going backward. Sponsors are showing that less attention is being put into athletic abilities and more into backstories and drama, so women are continuing to find a happy medium between being their true competitive self and who the public wants them to be.