Ross: One way for women soccer players to get equal pay right now

No sooner had the US women won the World Cup than the chant arose from the stands: “Equal pay.”

And CBS’s Vladimir Duthiers reports the money is clearly there for equal pay between female and male athletes.

“In the past three years, the women’s games have generated nearly $51 million, compared to $49.9 million for the men’s matches,” Duthiers said.

So how do the women get their share?

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Well if I, as a man, may make just an observation — when male athletes find themselves feeling exploited, they hold out. They don’t show up.

In the NBA, some players are now so powerful, they can not only name their price, they can assemble their own teams.

Holding out can be risky, but there’s also a risk in thinking that chants and tweets are going to bring that payday.

So here’s an idea. Under the current contract for the US women, the players get a cut of the merchandising. The money is split equally between the members of the team. So the fans have some clout here. If you believe in equal pay, buy the official swag. And buy the heck out of it!

Buy the official T-shirts, buy the official socks, the official toys, the official bobble heads – no matter the price. That would speak louder than any chant, and you’ll feel good knowing you’ve righted a wrong. You’ll feel especially good with the bobble head because they automatically love everything that you do.

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