In 1973 Billie Jean King defeated the former Wimbledon men’s champion Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes at the Houston Astrodome. It was the most watched televised sport event at the time and sparked debate that exceeded the sport arena and entered the homes of many Americans. Excerpts from the sports commentators, Howard Cosell and Rosie Casals, exemplify the spirit of the match:

HC: There’s the velocity that Billie Jean can put on the ball and walking back she’s walking more like a male than a female.

RC: I just wonder whether Bobby would look better in a tennis dress . . . better than the shorts maybe.

HC: Billie Jean of course won the first set, to the absolute delight of all of the women in the arena. They actually stood and gave her an ovation and I suspect many in their living rooms did the same thing.

Special thanks to Rosie Casals; the Women’s Sport Foundation, Billie Jean King’s charitable organization; Justin Parson, Sport Essentials; Gertrud Wilhelm, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club; the New York Junior Tennis League; and Leidy Churchman (as ballboy/sylist), Lara Comstock (script editor and press), Dean Daderko (as Gladys Heldman), Michael O’Neill (music designer and press), Josh Thorson (press), and Eli Robinson (as ballboy) for their support.