Old Team Tuesday: The Buffalo Breski’s
Old Team Tuesday is a weekly feature taking a look at former teams that have gone by the wayside. This week’s edition magnifies one of the pioneering franchises in women’s sports. ********************************************** The effects of the women’s liberation movement and Title IX on American society are nearly impossible to ignore. What were once considered traditional roles are now continuously challenged and overhauled in the name of equal opportunity. In the 1970s, few women were more synonymous with these efforts than Billie Jean King. After disrupting the pro tennis scene with a torrent of 30 combined Grand Slam victories before her 30th birthday, King defeated Bobby Riggs in the highly-publicized “Battle of the Sexes.” Riggs had managed to beat Margaret Court just a few months prior – the top-ranked female player in the world at the onset of 1973. King’s status – even before her triumph over Riggs – gave her a uniquely powerful voice in sports and beyond. S...