It’s a Woman’s Game Too

A sports fan since age 5, Paula Duffy watched history being made during the first Super Bowl, saw Roger Maris break Babe Ruth’s home-run record and witnessed the Knicks finally win a championship. A New Jersey native who now is a Long Beach resident, Duffy left a successful corporate law practice last year to share her life’s passion with women who are ready to learn the game. Her company, Incidental Contact, offers seminars to sports-challenged L.A. gals on how to talk the talk about football, basketball and baseball. We chatted with the head coach, who has no qualms about stopping by her favorite sports bar to “talk to the screen.”

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What kinds of women take your seminars?

It’s really across the board. I’ve had 22-year-olds to women in their 50s. I have women who are dating high school coaches. I’ve had young women say the bar scene is so awful in L.A. and I need to stand out in the crowd. I have women who genuinely want to know what the game is about. There also is the rise of the single-mom household, and they have to be able to connect with their children and families. Maybe their children are playing basketball or softball. I actually have soccer moms who come to the seminars.

Why have women traditionally been illiterate about sports?

I’m a child of the ‘60s, and it pains me to say that traditional roles still remain. If you look at stadiums during a Saturday college game, they’re half-filled with women. Half of the audience at March Madness games are girls. But they graduate and go out into the world and they go back into their more traditional roles.

You say sports is permeating our culture. Is a critical mass being reached?

It just seems that sports has taken over television. There are six channels of ESPN 24 hours a day, and ESPN2 has created its own show called “ESPN Hollywood.” Sports stars are now celebrities. They make the kind of money in a year that Tom Cruise gets for a movie. They’re on red carpets. All of a sudden people are talking about LeBron James, wanting to know where he came from. Entertainers are investing in sports teams. The NBA has marketed itself to the hip-hop generation in the last five to seven years. Usher owns part of an NBA team.

Which sport is easiest to teach, and which is hardest?

I think basketball is the easiest. There are fewer players on the court at one time. They don’t change or go on or off en masse the way football players do. Football is hard for women to understand. The lingo is somewhat complex compared to baseball and basketball. The concept of downs and kicks is the most difficult to get. [But] they come away after a couple of hours saying, “Well, this is easier than I thought.”

Does sports knowledge help women in other areas of their life?

Sports-speak is an icebreaker. Sports is a way for women to meet men in a real atmosphere. If you’re interested in learning about sports, men at a sports bar are the friendliest guys in the world. In business, particularly in a male-dominated profession, they will be talking about sports. Because I’m a lawyer, I’ve found that it’s a great way to explain things to male clients. I find it to be the safest topic to discuss in America today. You can’t talk about much anymore, which is a shame. In Europe you can talk religion and politics. I find sports a way to connect peacefully.

Isn’t this concept a lot like the ‘50s dating manuals advising gals to cater to “his” interests?

I’m of the opinion that this isn’t catering; this is stop complaining that you don’t have a date on Saturday night. Stop complaining that you can’t find a nice guy. The club scene is all about how you look. You don’t need Manolos and an Armani bag to go to a sports bar.

What do you mean by “Talk to the Screen” and “Talk to the Shirt”?

“Talk to the Shirt” teaches women that if they know what sports apparel is displayed on a gentleman, a conversation icebreaker can happen. If you see a fan and recognize the team logo, nine times out of 10 the gentleman wearing that paraphernalia wants you to know that he’s a fan and that he would love to talk about it. “Talk to the Screen” is being able to comment on the action on the screen--and people generally answer.

How much of this newfound sports knowledge gets used watching women’s teams play?

That’s hard to tell. I haven’t done a ton of follow-up. I do mention that there is a WNBA and I write about the women’s NCAA in basketball. I grew up in the pre-Title 9 days when there was no money for women’s college teams. I’m not a jock. I think there’s a distinction between women who participate and women who follow. I think there’s a difference between watching, following and playing.

What’s your favorite sport?

Baseball. I think it’s poetry. Most younger people consider it too slow to be popular, but each year attendance rises. The Angels had 3.4 million in attendance this year. It’s an easy game to understand. It’s the way someone throws, hits and runs. Then there’s running and knowing when not to run. A step or a touch of a glove. It’s a childhood memory of my dad bringing me to Yankee Stadium. I’m a New York Yankee fan even though I’ve lived in L.A. for 15 years. L.A. is where I believe the blending of sports and entertainment as a juggernaut began. When Magic Johnson and Pat Riley were together, a Laker fan was born.

What’s your most passionate interest after sports?

It’s actually practicing law. I like being a lawyer, unlike many who don’t. I’m a business lawyer, and I negotiate deals for people to bring them good things. I use the same competitive feelings I have about sports.

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For seminars and information, go to www.incidentalcontact.com.