We Are About To Get Another Example of NFL Neanderthalism Regarding The Place Of Women

Today was supposed to be a historic day in American sports.

Today was the day that Sarah Thomas, an eight-year veteran of Conference USA, became the first woman hired as a full official for the National Football League.  (According to Deadspin, there was, in fact, a female replacement referee during the referee lockout.)

So, in a league where domestic violence, rape, and impossibly long cheerleading lines are cheered, one can imagine the reaction:

Kevin Kiley, a Cleveland sports-radio host (via Deadspin):

"The objection I have to this is why would you put a woman in that position? To be abused. Now I’m not talking about physical abuse obviously, but I’m talking about—we have comments on Twitter here about when an offensive lineman or somebody unloads profanity on this woman—I don’t want women I care about in that position. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand why you’d put a woman in that position, where she’s going to be criticized and under a microscope, and have to deal with things that no woman should have to deal with.

          [...]

You’re in a strictly man’s world. In a thing that calls for a lot of “man traits,” if you will, not that they’re better or worse than female traits, it’s just not the right place. It’s the wrong place to put a woman. It’s unfair to the woman."

Of course, he's not the only one:  "Titty Boi" on Twitter, and I'm not making this one up, questions:

"Why would a woman want to be an NFL referee?  Lmao."