Ex-NFL Star Cites 'Battle of the Sexes' in Trans Sports Debate

Former NFL kicker Jay Feely has pointed to the famous 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match as proof that men have a physical advantage in sports. He made the comments in a social media post on Sunday. Feely argued the match, where Bobby Riggs lost to Billie Jean King, actually supports keeping men out of women's athletic competitions. He told his followers not to listen to what he called "ignorant liberals" on the issue. The "Battle of the Sexes" is often cited as a symbol of gender equality. Feely's interpretation uses it to oppose the inclusion of transgender women, who were assigned male at birth, in women's sports. The topic remains a deeply divisive issue in American sports and politics.