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Saman Shad on the rise of “lingerie football”, in which athletes in lingerie play American football:

And so it comes down to this – what will make men watch. Men, as everyone seems to have decided, are by and large the biggest consumers of sport. Any sport, except women’s – unless, they are good-looking and/or under-dressed. While the men’s soccer league in America can afford to have the likes of David Beckham playing in one of its teams, the women’s soccer league has been cancelled. A protracted legal battle and a lack of interest from sponsors and audiences alike meant the league was struggling. If the women don bikinis or lingerie, perhaps their fortunes may turn around? I for one really hope they never have to resort to that.

Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images