This story appears in ESPN The Magazines Oct. 17 Great Debates Issue. Subscribe today!THERE IS MORE than just a debate point here for female athletes; there is a double standard.When Ronda Rousey wouldnt touch gloves with Holly Holm before their fight last November, people absolutely crushed her for it, even though male UFC fighters -- Dominick Cruz, Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor (to name just a few) -- dont always touch gloves. In Rio, Gabby Douglas appeared disappointed (gasp!) that she narrowly missed the chance to defend her gymnastics all-around title. Social media critics came down on her hard for showing her desire to compete, an athletic virtue thats as revered as the Games themselves.With this as a baseline, when someone is as outspoken as Hope Solo -- who was taken to task for her blunt criticisms well before her recent legal trouble -- it stands out.The dilemma female athletes face is that those who stay in the safe, wholesome lane are labeled boring and cited as a reason womens sports arent as popular as mens. So how can a female athlete be compelling without also being viewed as controversial?I emailed a group of phenomenal female athletes -- and one legendary womens coach -- to pose those questions. Here is an edited version of our reply-all thread.ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTSRamona Shelburne ESPN senior writer and former Stanford softball playerGeno Auriemma UConn womens basketball coachLashinda Demus 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdlesStacey Nuveman Deniz Olympic softball playerJulie Foudy U.S. soccer legend and ESPN commentatorNatasha Watley Olympic softball playerCat Zingano UFC bantamweight fighterRAMONA SHELBURNE: Why cant women just own their feelings and be competitive? Why cant we be pissed off or visibly disappointed when we lose or dont see our name in the lineup?JULIE FOUDY: Some of it is the expectation -- That is what a nice girl does -- but I also think we women are still hesitant to own our awesome. It isnt literally wearing an I Am Awesome T-shirt or walking around saying how awesome you are. There is hubris and there is confidence. No one likes, in any gender, overconfident a--holes. We women, present company included, are terrible at owning our awesomeness. I feel like into my 40s I am finally just getting there.STACEY NUVEMAN DENIZ: Im not sure the concept or expectation of successful females -- athletes, politicians or any woman in a public space -- is to be nice. I think the expectation is to be humble. Humility might be the most revered quality of any female with any amount of accomplishment. I think back to the times I was complimented for being humble and the pride I felt for being characterized that way. I was an accomplished athlete, and downplaying my success -- the polar opposite of owning my awesome -- was my greatest attribute.NATASHA WATLEY: I can remember losing in the gold medal game [to Japan] at the 2008 Olympics, returning home and having everyone say, You should be proud of your silver medal, not many people get to compete in the Olympics. I get it. What else could they say? But I really wanted to say, F you! We didnt prepare for endless months to win a silver medal. Its like as a female athlete its not supposed to be in our nature to be pissed at losing.LaSHINDA DEMUS: Im extremely competitive but never show it. Ive been constantly told that I need to try to focus on hitting a certain demographic of women, not men. But most of these women I was told to try to reach actually cared nothing about my athletic capabilities because they cant connect with that, according to both male and female public relations specialists that I spoke with.SHELBURNE: Is it even possible for a female athlete to be real, bold and interesting without being cast in a negative light? Or is going negative still the only way to get attention?FOUDY: Ive heard people say womens sports needs more antiheroes. I couldnt disagree more. We dont need more anti-heroes; we need more women to be the big personalities that live inside them. We need more people promoting those personalities. We dont need more domestic violence incidents, more drunken driving incidents, more negativity. We need women who are willing to be big and bold and show us how being a great teammate/player is indeed newsworthy.GENO AURIEMMA: Why should female athletes be held to the standard that male athletes have set? In order to be compelling, you have to throw a tantrum, commit assault, carry a weapon or get suspended for drug use? Is Tom Brady not compelling? Tim Duncan? Mike Trout? Why do you think the NFL is cracking down on idiotic behavior? Its because it doesnt sell anymore. Why cant women just be great athletes? Leave it at that.CAT ZINGANO: I am constantly being told about the lack of hype I create, although I am one of the most entertaining female fighters to date. There are educated and die-hard fans who love and support the evolution of the sport for women. But it seems that you must also have a story, sex appeal and the ability to stir up drama to retain fans and be paid [well].I was recently told to use my strong points: that I am a single mom, that I have a story, that I can clean up and have sex appeal. I would rather wear sweatpants and throw my hair in a knot! But in order to further my career, I need to work harder, not at my craft but at promoting myself outside of the Octagon. I just want to work hard at my sport. I want my personal achievement and work ethic to speak for me.DEMUS: Competing professionally, especially in a sport that gets glamorized every four years, is difficult. You have a few angles to take as a female track athlete to actually make a living from it. You can be the prettiest little thing out there with not so much talent as the next athlete in hopes of getting the attention of sponsorships, or you can be the Mother Teresa athlete who is politically correct along with a nearly perfect career. Ever since I was a little girl, my goal was to be the best. Thats it. It was not until I became professional that I was told I should focus on my branding and how I appeal to the public.SHELBURNE: Nuvey, you are so funny; people told me they peed their pants during your banquet speech at a Womens College World Series. Do you ever let that humor rip publicly? Did you have the right forum to do so, before social media was so pervasive? I think if you asked most people who they remember from those U.S. Olympic softball teams, it would be Jennie Finch, who was a great pitcher but also indisputably got attention for her beauty. Do you think that would be the same today?NUVEMAN DENIZ: Womens team sports, softball in particular, have a pretty clearly defined audience: families. Softball goes after the daddy-daughter market, and as such, the more wholesome and family-friendly the personality, the better. Jennie shined in the spotlight, with style and grace, and Im proud of how she handled it. Soccer has been the same, historically. The women who were front and center for USA softball and USA soccer during my tenure were phenomenal athletes but also safe personalities who embraced being a role model and did little to tarnish that responsibility.For me personally, I was a Row 2 athlete from a marketing and publicity standpoint: I wasnt front and center, but I wasnt back row either. I didnt have many opportunities to let my humor rip, but when I did, I held back some. I tried to be charming but safe.WATLEY: Its amazing what people focus on. Although Jennie herself is extremely humble (I adore her!), it was completely out of her control how much attention she got for her beauty when she had so many amazing accolades on the field. Im with Coach Auriemma: When will women be praised for just being phenomenal athletes?AURIEMMA: I still contend that we in the womens game should not aspire to be like the men. We should work really hard to keep pointing out why our behavior is more acceptable and long-term more appealing to the next generation of fans.SHELBURNE: Speaking of the next generation, if we reconvene this panel in five or 10 years, what will be different?DEMUS: At times I think things are going backward. Sponsors are showing that less attention is being put into athletic abilities and more into backstories and drama, so women are continuing to find a happy medium between being their true competitive self and who the public wants them to be.I wrote a blog awhile back about when Drake hosted the ESPYS. It was a bit they did with Skylar Diggins and Drake and his love for her being beautiful. Nothing was mentioned about her abilities.Ive seen a glimmer of hope in boxing and mixed martial arts. It seems to be accepted by the masses better, so theyre doing something right over there. One thing that men love and find appealing is aggression. I believe that if women bring that to sports, with women showing their true competitiveness, it will pull in more male viewers.FOUDY: I can tell you what wont be different in five to 10 years time: how much attention is paid to external beauty rather than talent. As much as we find that annoying, its the reality of society, and sadly its not going away. Sure, it also exists on the mens side with a David Beckham or Tom Brady type, but those men dont need looks to be popular, get sponsors and drive page views. It simply enhances the revenue on the mens side, where most women depend on it.What will be different in five to 10 years is the level of support around womens sports from more women being at all levels of media. We need people, women and men, who wake up every single day and their priority every single day is to help grow the womens game. Yes, every single day.NUVEMAN DENIZ: The prospect of a woman in the White House could go a long way to shifting this paradigm. If cultural norms are to be challenged, men and women need to experience females in positions of power and watch them kick ass.The pressures will be tremendous to do it right and do it well for these women, and they will face obstacles and unfair standards and criticisms and resistance, but thats how it goes. Look at any progressive concept in our countrys history and the road map is there for us to see. But the day-to-day, relentless pursuit is how change will happen.ZINGANO: Ronda Rousey was a huge advocate for women in the UFC, and Im grateful to her for many reasons. She makes very good money, but she sacrificed herself to better our opportunities as female fighters trying to capitalize on the highest platform.She also exudes the f--- it, f--- off, f--- them, f--- you, f--- me mentality we all know we think. Yes, some people hate her for it, but its good for women to gauge themselves on, to say, OK, she took that a little far, but she has a point, this taboo topic does need to ?be addressed.I want the freedom to push the limits of whats been achieved in my sport and raise the bar while doing things differently. If I fail while trying to do things differently, oh well. If I succeed at doing things differently?Hell yes. Ron Duguay Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Adidas Rangers Jerseys . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. http://www.cheaprangersjerseyschina.com/james-patrick-jersey/ . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Rod Gilbert Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Jimmy Vesey Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. The league has never been as young and as talented as it is now. Here are eight players who will change the direction of their teams this season and beyond.1. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers: This is a no-brainer. Not only is the 19-year-old forward a generational player, he has the ability to rival the career of No. 99. Yes, I said it. Not that McDavid wants to be compared to Wayne Gretzky, but the second-year NHLer has proven why he has the potential to become the best player in the world. That description is held by the Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby, but if McDavid can remain healthy and productive, this dynamic player in every aspect of the game will revive the Oilers and return the Stanley Cup to Edmonton at some point in his career. Its also impressive hes already wearing the C.2. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: If Matthews, 19, was eligible to be drafted in the same 2015 class as McDavid and Jack Eichel, many scouts believe Matthews would have edged Eichel for the No. 2 spot. Either way, Matthews, last Junes No. 1 overall pick, has been outstanding since he turned pro. He was off the charts during the World Cup of Hockey for Team North America, and his four-goal NHL debut was nothing short of amazing. The rebuilding process for the Maple Leafs continues and Matthews will be one of the reasons winning hockey will become the norm once again in Toronto.3. Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers: The No. 1 overall selection in 2014 is one of the best defensemen in the game. His talent was noticeable during his rookie season, when he impressed with his composure both on and off the ice. Ekblad, 20, was named alternate captain of the Panthers this season and its deserved. The 2015 Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year will no doubt also capture the Norris Trophy one day.4. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Calgary Flames: There are 40 million reasons the 23-year-old forward will have an impact for the Flames. His recent six-year deal worth $6.75 million per season has fans excited that Johnny Hockey will remain in Calgary to excite for the foreseeable future. But its more than just the money for Gaudreau. Generously listed at 5-foot-9, the talented forward plays a lot bigger than his frame. Unlike the three players ahead of him on this list, Gaudreau was a fourth-round pick (No. 104 overall in 2011) and has elevated his game to become one of the best young players in the league.5.?Jack Eichel, C, Buffalo Sabres: Currently sidelined 8-10 weeks with a high-ankle sprain, Eichel is one of the reasons fans are excited about the possibility of a winning team in Buffalo again.dddddddddddd Drafted No. 2 behind McDavid in 2015, Eichel enjoyed a successful rookie season, posting 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points in 81 games. He wasnt at his best for Team North America at the World Cup, but once hes healthy and cleared to return, its expected Eichels game will take the next step. High-ankle sprains are tough injuries to deal with for hockey players, so it will be a challenge for him to deal with for the next two months.6. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Philadelphia Flyers: Of all the young players to play last season, Gostisbehere was the most dynamic to watch. The 23-year-old defenseman registered 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 64 games. His 17 goals set a franchise record for rookie defensemen and his 15-game scoring streak was the longest such streak by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. During the offseason, he had hip and abdominal surgery but showed no ill effects while playing for Team North America in the World Cup. The Flyers arent too far off from becoming a perennial Stanley Cup playoff contender again, and Gostisbehere will be a big reason for Philadelphias success.7. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche: MacKinnon is the most interesting player on this list. The 21-year-old forward and No. 1 overall pick in 2013 needs to elevate his game to a level this season where he can carry the Avalanche. He has the ability to accomplish it. That will be his challenge this season, and he must, in order to be considered an elite player. It was a good sign for the Colorado organization that MacKinnon spent the offseason working out with Crosby in Nova Scotia. By all accounts, it was a successful summer for both of them, especially MacKinnon. Well revisit his status in April.8. Jimmy Vesey, LW, New York Rangers: The 23-year-old forward gained the most interest as a college free agent during the summer. The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner from Harvard entertained offers from seven NHL teams before signing with the Rangers in August. He will be given every opportunity to succeed in New York in every aspect of the game. Veseys addition to the lineup should pay dividends now and in the future for the Rangers. Hes considered a tireless workhorse off the ice, which bodes well for his current and future success. 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