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why are you a women's basketball fan?
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Sass



Joined: 22 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 2:09 pm    ::: why are you a women's basketball fan? Reply Reply with quote

I'm going to do some research, and I think a good way to begin it will be to ask this question of you all.

I'm wondering why and what makes each one of you a fan of the women's game, because the populations of women's and men's basketball fans are very different. For one thing, women's hoop fans seem to get more personally and/or emotionally attached to their favorite players. (Not saying this is good or bad - just saying).

"Fans" of anything tend to identify with that person/genre of which they are a fan. What is it about these women, whether in the W or in college, that you identify with? What do you like about them and their game? What keeps you coming back to the game, year after year? What makes you a fan of women's basketball as opposed to, say, ballet?

These are just a few suggestions on how to answer the question. It can be answered in any way. But I'm genuinely interested in what your love of this game is all about. The more detailed and comprehensive the replies, the better, and if you have any links to other forums where answers to this question are provided, please send them to me. Also, if you'd rather not answer in a public forum, you can PM me. All info will be kept confidential.

Women's basketball fans are somewhat of a specialized group - not the biggest in the world, but some of the most interesting. I hope you can all englighten me with your own reasons and stories for your passion and knowledge.



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RedEqualsLuck



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 2:14 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

You're going to get a lot of anecdotal stuff -- which is cool. You might also want to check out the Taylor Groups research for the NCAA
http://www.ncaa.org/bbp/basketball_marketing/research/index.html

A general overview of the findings touched on these main topics:

Overall measures of fan interest in college basketball, both in absolute terms and relative to interest in other sports


Some really interesting stuff...



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HistoryWomensBasketball



Joined: 30 Mar 2006
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 2:45 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I was tired of the big ego of mens sports. So much of it was "ME" related and i gave up on pretty much all of it. When I saw baseball players getting paid for autographs and coming across like they were better than others, off went the tv

Then someone said we should watch a Uconn womens game (November of 1994). It was more how i remember sports when i was a kid. Passing, teamwork, not so much damn showboating. We were hooked.

Then with the ABL and the Blizzard, it just got us more. I remember my son going up to Olympian Carolyn (CJ) Jones for an autograph. When she found out that his name was CJ, she looked at him and said "thats cool, I hope I dont disappoint you". I was so impressed....CJ became a good family friend of ours and would come over our house.

This got me into wondering how did the game get to where it is today. My grandmother played in the 1930s for a Soap Factory. At that point there was so little online. No WBHOF, and I dont think Helen had her site up there either at that point. So I started researching, collecting, networking, doing exhibits.

I am a fan of todays game, but more from an entertainment venue. So many of you know more of all of the players than I do. I enjoy going back into the past, meeting former players, talking to them about their stories and what they think of todays game.

When I hear of the outdoor game. Even if it was the Sun playing, I wouldnt care so much to who won, rather, was it a benefit to the overall WNBA and game itself.

Guess it takes all different types of us fans. I enjoy reading many posts on this site. We are very different, but share a common thread and all want to see it continue to grow.



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jaye



Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 2:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

i was getting disillusioned with the mens' game....due to the influx of young spoiled players with the gangster wannabe mentalities..... and i've always been a supporter of womens' rights or anyone else that suffers from bias....i thought it criminal the way womens' sports were treated as it they were second class....

so when the abl first started....i took to it as a way of showing my support for women and their endeavors in general.....when i started watching the games i saw that ....damn.....these women can play....and the game was pure....they played hard...and they played with emotion....they didn't play with an eye towards their agents and with thier endorsement deals in mind....

i was a pretty good fan...but i'll tell you what made me a fanatic.....it was when lisa leslie elbowed tina thompson..... and little while later on the other end....tina elbowed her back....an elbow that knocked lisa down....where upon tina stepped over her and just ran back down court....i was hooked....

i've been a fanatic ever since....

just in case you're gathering demographics and statistics.....

born in newark nj
raised in newark nj and the bronx ny
58 years old
black
male
divorced
two kids....one living with me
no political affiliation.....

Smile



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Last edited by jaye on 07/18/08 4:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
EC Basketball



Joined: 02 Jul 2007
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:00 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Basketball is Basketball

Womens, Mens, Boys, Girls, Old, Young, High School, College, Pro, International, AAU, etc...

Love the game

There is no difference

It brings us all together


HistoryWomensBasketball



Joined: 30 Mar 2006
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:03 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

P.S.....and probably in a great minority here.

I enjoy the game below the rim.

I realize the dunk is the way things are going and evolving. Its here to stay.

However, when it comes to a couple of great passes to a layup vs a dunk.
I still prefer the prior.



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der alte



Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:03 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

It's the game, not the sex that has me into the WNBA. It's the kind of game that I played in the forties and early fifties. "Dunk!!!"? we did that at the coffee shop and not the gym. It was pass, pass, pass until there was an open player who could make the basket. College basketball was altogether different. The phys Ed teacher was the coach..Today it's someone who signs a contract for several million. Times change, however I still prefer some of the older ways better.


eclair



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:34 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

There's sex in the WNBA? I must be buying tickets to a different section of the arena. Smile



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mabell3368



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:45 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I first got interested in women's basketball when I was in college. I went to a small, NAIA school, and the women's team was relatively more competitive than the men's. I started going to their games and eventually found I enjoyed the game on a more consistent basis as it was team-oriented and not so dependent on the talents of a single individual.

Then, when Tennessee opened their new arena (Thompson-Bowling) I started to pay attention to big time women's division I. The level of excellence and the atmosphere at the arean was infectious. Then in 1996, my wife and I attended our first women's Final Four. The excitment at that venue is unbelievable. We were hooked. We've now been to eight final fours.

My allegiance easily transferred to the professional game. While I have never been able to attend a game live, I still harbor hopes that someone will bring a franchise to Dallas someday. I watch what I can on TV or on-line, and follow the teams here and on WNBA.com.

Lastly, I enjoy the asthetic nature of the game as well. Nothing is so beautiful as a big, athletically fit woman playing her heart out on the court. And contrary to a less complimentary recent thread, I think the women in the league clean up pretty well. I love it that they can be a monster on the court and a babe off it.

And for the record, I enjoy ballet (well modern dance, anyway) too!



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moleman



Joined: 05 Jul 2008
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

LOL Laughing Great question!

I have to admit that i love much more men's basketball than women's basketball...but by two years ago, i appreciate women's basketball too much.
My first contact with this league happened by chance becuase i'm a tipster (worst tipster in the world, probably! Laughing Laughing Laughing ) and i begun to bet on this league becuase in summer there are too few leagues on which we can bet Very Happy
Then, last year i started to see NBA with much more interest and to love basketball. So WNBA shows me some good matches with big intensity, good technic and amazing rally (i don't know if this is the right word to express the situation when a team win after it's been in a big disadvantage).

The only thing that i miss is the fact that women don't dunk. But, as someone has told before, the attention to the entertainment is a good thing that makes more interest above wnba. To permit to watch free some matches throught wnba league pass is a good incentive to see this league. If European Leagues also do this one, i'll see them too

Some sports have some difference between women and men but i think basketball, tennis and softball are as interesting as men. But this is my opinion: someone could have a different idea Wink


TonyL222



Joined: 01 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:56 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

You might want to gather the demographics of respondents. You may see themes or patterns associated with those demographics.

I love WNBA (I also love NBA and men's college ball)
I find women's college BBall mostly painful to watch (kind like the Mystics right now).
The WNBA players and mgt are not as "distant" as the men's game. I know players, family, and team officials personally. That would be a reach for the NBA.

As a hetro male, I gotta admit there's somewhat of a turn on seeing a tall, athletic, sweaty female in shorts. I'm just sayin'...... Laughing



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psheehy



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 3:59 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I am a basketball fan.

My brother went to ODU during the Donovan and Lieberman days, so I had some early exposure, but I didn't become a fan until I went to my first Storm game in 2001. For me, it was the crowd that made the game a blast. I had a blast at Key Arena with all the passionate Storm fans. I was a season ticket holder for the Sonics and they gave me free tickets to a Storm game. I fell for the players and the sport later as my appreciation for the game deepened. Admittedly, it took a few years, but by 2007 the Storm were more important to me on a personal level than the Sonics.

I like the atmosphere of the games. I can bring my kids and not worry about some intoxicated 20 something boy swearing or throwing stuff which happened at Sonics games.

I like the connection between the players and the fans. The NBA has moved, more and more to separate the fans from the game, but the WNBA draws them in closer.

I remember feeling emotional when Gary Payton played his first game at Key Arena in a Laker uniform. I balled like a baby when Simone Edwards retired, though. I felt like I knew her, not just knew of her like I did about GP.



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der alte



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:01 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

eclair wrote:
There's sex in the WNBA? I must be buying tickets to a different section of the arena. Smile


Gee thanks! But when you're my age, when we say "sex" it's not exactly the same as when you say "sex." Come to my section of the arena, and you'll understand most completely.


Kailapea



Joined: 28 Feb 2006
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:02 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

For me basketball something positive to focus on. But my love is not just of the women's game, I love the game. I am partial to women's basketball and college (men & women).

Being a woman, I have always supported the women's game. I think my love of it started when I played in HS and in college. At that point, it became almost an obsession. I played in several park leagues and summer leagues. After a couple of crappy injuries - knee and ankle - I couldn't play so I began officiating and coaching little girls. When I started working full time I gave up the active participation, and became a full time fan.



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Tiffany Jackson=future



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:06 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Well, for me, I'm a guy. Love the NBA. 20 years old, been a Knicks fan all my life. I remember in 97 when I was 9 going on 10, me and my mom was watching NBC I think it was and we saw LA vs NY, the inaugural game. I was hooked since then. Basketball is basketball is basketball for me. And the WNBA and Women's Basketball in general is very pure, the way it should be played. Not relying on athleticism, but rather on set plays to get shots off. It's a beautiful sport, just the way offensive sets are created and all.

Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.



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pilight



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:18 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

This is not directed at sass, but I hate this question. I like lots of different sports; NFL, college football, baseball, tennis, golf, NASCAR, etc. Women's basketball is the only one that I've ever been asked this question about. If I start talking baseball, it's just understood that it has appeal. If I do the same for the WNBA, I'm often forced to justify my fandom. It's an insidious bit of sexism that seems directed entirely at women's team sports.

As for...

Quote:
There's sex in the WNBA? I must be buying tickets to a different section of the arena.


One of the great unspoken truths about the league is that WNBA games are a great place to pick up women. Shocked



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jaye



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:28 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

pilight wrote:
This is not directed at sass, but I hate this question. I like lots of different sports; NFL, college football, baseball, tennis, golf, NASCAR, etc. Women's basketball is the only one that I've ever been asked this question about. If I start talking baseball, it's just understood that it has appeal. If I do the same for the WNBA, I'm often forced to justify my fandom. It's an insidious bit of sexism that seems directed entirely at women's team sports.

As for...

Quote:
There's sex in the WNBA? I must be buying tickets to a different section of the arena.


One of the great unspoken truths about the league is that WNBA games are a great place to pick up women. Shocked


that depends....and i'm not wanting to get into another drawn out argument about my sensitivity.... but it's a conversation killer to some women when you ask them early in the dance...."are you straight".....and at a wnba game it's a question that has to be addressed because there are a large amount of gay women there.....and you can't tell by looking because a huge amount of gay women are drop dead gorgeous.....

i'm a player from way back.... and have no problem expressing myself to women.....but asking a question like that will offend some.....make some laugh.....and give you an answer that you don't want to hear from others..... Confused



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QMcCall3



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:40 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

pilight wrote:
This is not directed at sass, but I hate this question. I like lots of different sports; NFL, college football, baseball, tennis, golf, NASCAR, etc. Women's basketball is the only one that I've ever been asked this question about. If I start talking baseball, it's just understood that it has appeal. If I do the same for the WNBA, I'm often forced to justify my fandom. It's an insidious bit of sexism that seems directed entirely at women's team sports.


I think this would be a good point to research with regard to this question, in terms of framing the warrant for asking it all.

I suppose whether it's fair to ask the question is less important to me than the fact that you're forced to answer it because so many people demean the game and its athletes.

People might just say baseball or NASCAR are boring... but there's a whole lot of other garbage that comes out of people's mouths about women's basketball.

Nevertheless, I agree with both you and Jaye -- I like women's basketball because I love basketball, I like the style of play, and because I do think it's worth supporting because it does represent a challenge to sexist social norms.

I also agree that seeing the increasing physicality of the game has really helped me stick with it.



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"Basketball is like poetry in motion. Just comin' down the court, you got a defender in your way. You take him to the left. You take him back to the right. And he's fallin' back, and you just "J" right in his face. And then you look at him, and then you say, "What?" - Jesus Shuttlesworth Smile
MH122



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:43 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Tiffany Jackson=future wrote:


Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.


co-sign


swoopesbabe



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:44 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The main reason i love woman sports is"LADIES,LADIES,LADIES" Razz Razz Razz Razz who doesn't love seeing gorgous women in an sports uniform with sweat on there hot bodies Razz Razz Razz

1.love {WNBA}
2.LOVE{WTA} Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil


QMcCall3



Joined: 27 Jun 2008
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:47 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

MH122 wrote:
Tiffany Jackson=future wrote:


Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.


co-sign


Well there's always summer league... but that basketball is barely watchable unless you want a preview of a top prospect... and even then... Rolling Eyes

You would think that guys fighting for a job would at least try to play good basketball...



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Become a fan on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/y8a62km

"Basketball is like poetry in motion. Just comin' down the court, you got a defender in your way. You take him to the left. You take him back to the right. And he's fallin' back, and you just "J" right in his face. And then you look at him, and then you say, "What?" - Jesus Shuttlesworth Smile
MH122



Joined: 17 Jun 2008
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Location: Bus Town/ The Hall/Cap City...Whatever they call it these days


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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:51 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

QMcCall3 wrote:
MH122 wrote:
Tiffany Jackson=future wrote:


Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.


co-sign


Well there's always summer league... but that basketball is barely watchable unless you want a preview of a top prospect... and even then... Rolling Eyes

You would think that guys fighting for a job would at least try to play good basketball...


summer league is filled with mostly guys going to the d-league that you'll never hear from again. plus it's not televised


Str8_Butta



Joined: 24 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: 07/18/08 4:57 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

MH122 wrote:
QMcCall3 wrote:
MH122 wrote:
Tiffany Jackson=future wrote:


Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.


co-sign


Well there's always summer league... but that basketball is barely watchable unless you want a preview of a top prospect... and even then... Rolling Eyes

You would think that guys fighting for a job would at least try to play good basketball...


summer league is filled with mostly guys going to the d-league that you'll never hear from again. plus it's not televised


If you have NBA TV it is... I watch it almost every day, just got finished watching the Knicks beat the Suns..



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Str8_Butta



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 5:00 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I'm a Basketball fan, I Love the NBA/WNBA and College Basketball.



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MH122



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PostPosted: 07/18/08 5:00 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Str8_Butta wrote:
MH122 wrote:
QMcCall3 wrote:
MH122 wrote:
Tiffany Jackson=future wrote:


Plus. I need my basketball during the summer when there's no NBA ball.


co-sign


Well there's always summer league... but that basketball is barely watchable unless you want a preview of a top prospect... and even then... Rolling Eyes

You would think that guys fighting for a job would at least try to play good basketball...


summer league is filled with mostly guys going to the d-league that you'll never hear from again. plus it's not televised


If you have NBA TV it is... I watch it almost every day, just got finished watching the Knicks beat the Suns..


nah dont have it...wouldnt pay extra for nba tv, nfl network or any of those


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