Had Lambert been male, her conduct would have been seen as natural athletic aggression, examples of which can be seen every night in ESPN “Sports Center” highlights, say the two faculty members–John Barnes and Todd Seidler.

Lambert elbowed one player in the back after getting an elbow to the ribs by that player, then later yanked another player to the ground by her pony tail. An Associated Press video clip (below) was repeatedly shown in the news,  and UNM suspended her for the conduct.

As Barnes and Seidler write:

From a sociological perspective, this incident has illustrated how Americans perceive the role of women in athletics. Had this involved male soccer players, many would have lauded the actions of Elizabeth Lambert as aggressive play that is part of the nature of a highly competitive sport. …  While not condoning actions that may cause harm to others, some in the soccer community have noted that Ms. Lambert’s play would be considered fairly ordinary in a men’s game.

Read the entire opinion piece here.