Even with the World Series happening between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals, Mo’ne Davis of Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons remains one of the most-buzzed-about pitchers in baseball.
The 13-year-old Little League player captured the awe of the country this past summer when she became the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series and the first Little Leaguer to nab a Sports Illustrated cover. Her 70-mph fastball quickly became the stuff of legends, and her fame renewed interest in an organization that didn’t even allow girls to play until 1974.
In Game 1 of the Major League World Series, Davis starred in a minute-long, documentary-style commercial directed by Spike Lee that chronicled her whirlwind accomplishments. Reading a letter to the United States of America, she begins, “I am 13 years old. This summer was the best summer of my young life.”
She goes on to say:
I have a passion for sports. Every day of the week, I’m playing soccer, basketball or baseball. I stand for girls who want to play sports with the boys and to be a role model for people, young and old. I throw 70 miles per hour. That’s throwing like a girl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0y9V7mr9A
For the curious, the ad won’t void her amateur status for NCAA eligibility should she decide to pursue college sports. Davis has spoken openly about wanting to play basketball for the University of Connecticut and has already garnered the attention of UConn’s women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
The spot was sponsored by Chevrolet, making it the latest in a string of girl-power ads that have included Under Armour, Pantene, Verizon, CoverGirl and Dove. Though there has been skepticism on whether this trend of “commercialized empowerment” is a genuine show of support from these corporations or just an effort for them to associate themselves with what’s popular, at least they’re aligning with an anti-gender-stereotyping, pro- “you go, girl!” agenda.
We hope young girls watching this tearjerker commercial put aside the Chevy hype (girls, you’re still too young to drive, anyway!) and are just inspired to be as relentless as Davis in their pursuit of excellence, whether in athletics or any other endeavor. And we fully expect that Davis’ impeccable wind-up and delivery—plus her unbridled passion—will continue to take her wherever she wants to go.
Screenshot taken from the Chevrolet ad
