RebKell's Junkie Boards

[TigerVol]

[FrozenLVFan]

[myrtle]

[josephkramer44]

Players won't get rich, but they won't have to spend half the year in Timbuktu, and their pay will be tied to performance and revenue, as it should be.[/quote]

Having spent serious time in this region of the world I am skeptical of the future of women's basketball in Northern Mali/Niger. The region has been awash in weaponry since the fall of Gaddafi and the Tuareg rebellion has only been put on the back burner and none of the underlying reasons for the rebellion have been properly addressed. Not to mention most of the most important historical sites in Timbuktu were destroyed in the past few years during the fighting.

[ClayK]

I think -- and I mean that and make no further claim -- that "quality of play" isn't as much the issue as "style of play."

For example, I can barely watch men's college basketball. It's grindingly slow, in part because of the longer shot clock, and the way coaches dominate play frustrates me. I love the NBA, which many people cannot stand, because of the way it's played.

Am I right and the others wrong? Of course not. I like vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and can't stand mint chip ... same concept at work.

Now when we come to gender roles and attitudes, no doubt that has a major impact on the perception and popularity of women's sports -- but among potential viewers who are not driven away (or driven toward) women's sports because of that, there are still those who will prefer a different style of play.

But changing gender roles and attitudes is a different task than negotiating a CBA -- and a far more important one, obviously -- but the CBA is a business proposition that has to do with the brute facts of economics.

Sure, the owners are cooking the books (they always do), but in this case, the players' threat to strike is pretty empty, as it would likely kill the league.

So yes, the players deserve more (maybe $20,000? but who knows) but they are unlikely to get it because of their weak negotiating position. Which leads to the obvious conclusion that the players need to improve their negotiating position, but I'm not sure I see how that can be done.

Thoughts?

_________________
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[Silky Johnson]

[NYSports56]

Using lower level of play as a reason not to be interested in the WNBA is most definitely a valid excuse.

As you may have guessed from my screen name, I'm from the New York City area. New York is a solidly pro-sports town. That isn't to say that there are no college fans, but there aren't enough to genuinely support a team at a level the teams elsewhere in the country enjoy.

The New York metropolitan area fields at least two professional sports teams in every major men's sport, including soccer. Pro sports are a very big deal here.

Who's NY's college football team? Rutgers? Don't mean to disrespect my alma mater, but c'mon--you pretty much have to subscribe to Big 10 Network to watch them play in anything but a bowl game or against a Top 25 team. They also play pretty far away from the city now that they no longer play games in the Meadowlands.

Even if Rutgers somehow became competitive, they would still receive very little attention. The Giants and Jets rule in New York. The headlines would read something like "Odell Beckham starts gluten-free diet," and then, in the bottom right hand of the page, a tiny caption: "Rutgers wins NCAA Championship."

Basketball is a little better, with teams like St. John's and Seton Hall, but again, the Knicks and Nets rule the town. It's not even close.

I have a few circles of friends who are sports fans, and they nearly all conform to this way of thinking. Ask one of them why he prefers the pro game, and he will most likely respond with something like "I like watching the game being played at the highest level possible by the best players."

I fall right in line with that way of thinking. I used to watch a little more college sports, but last year, I watched the NCAA football championship game, and about 30 minutes game time of the Rutgers football season. I do not believe I watched a minute of college sports besides that. I watch nearly every minute of my favorite pro sports teams, on the other hand, and follow the entire NFL with an insatiable appetite.

The same argument my friends and I use to explain our lack of interest in college sports is also used to explain their lack of interest in the WNBA. And in the past, I used the same argument. I hang out with a bunch of people who are extremely progressive on equality issues, so that's not in play here at all.

I have no idea why I broke out of this mold and became a Liberty fan. It doesn't fit in with anything else about me as a sports fan. But I just happened to tune in early in the season a few years ago and admired how the Liberty played. Hard nosed defense, the incredibly well-rounded game of Tina Charles (I love power forwards), and promising rookie Kiah Stokes to make the defense even better and make the future look bright. In short, they gave me everything the Knicks hadn't given me for several years, at a time where there was nothing else going on sports-wise but baseball (which is not a knock on baseball, but a little variety is nice).

I found the Liberty really likeable, and developed a rooting interest that has grown stronger each year. Love the team, love the players. Not that this has made the slightest difference with my friends. They look at me like I have two heads any time I talk about the Liberty, generally turning my own words about liking to watch the best players against me. And you know what? I have nothing to say. I totally understand the sentiment, because I felt that way myself for a whole bunch of years (and still generally feel that way; my interest college sports has not increased).

So no, not all people who use lower level of play as a reason not to watch the WNBA are full of crap, as one poster suggested. My friends aren't. And I wasn't.

[NYSports56]

[YlwJckt999]

I still maintain that if the G-league (similar attendance/ratings with higher pay) is just a cost of doing business for NBA then the same investment should be put into the W. G-league greater pay, greater game coverage, better presentation.. greater product.

What is also interesting is that the Big3 has better game coverage and higher pay for 2nd rate/non-stars/role players/bench rider retirees. The popularity can't be attributed to high flying above the rim athletic play. The games are filled with layups, air balls, hacks and misses. This type of game is more popular than women players in their prime?


Don't get me started on the TBT.


For what it's worth-I'll be happy if the W would upgrade their website and fix the inconsistencies with of the LeaguePass app.

[Davis4632]

[craigmont]

Even NBA players recognize the elite skill level of most WNBA players. It's not worse, it's just a different style because of physical size. When I go to watch the Storm, I know I am watching the best in the world at what they do.

Just because the floor is not full of 6' 10" freaks who can jump over the backboard doesn't mean it's not top-level basketball.

[CamrnCrz1974]

[WNBA 09]

The smart thing for this league right now is to either pay the refs more or pay more attention to the hiring process to officiate. Something has to change on this topic as well.

_________________
3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol

[Hoopsmom]

I totally prefer watching college basketball over professional for the men. For the women, it is really hard to find either on TV, so I watch what I can. We will be on the road a lot this year following my daughter’s team, so it will be harder to see other games.

The problem with the WNBA, as I see it, is that it is on in the summer. Here in Minnesota, our summers are look forward to for eight months and then appreciated when they are here. It is hard to justify taking time from the absolutely gorgeous weather to watch an indoor basketball game. I have League Pass on my phone, but the inconsistent quality of the app is frustrating. Having to reload and “re-purchase” it every single time I want to watch a game makes me want to pull my hair out. And then when I finally get it up, it tells me the game is blacked out in my area, even if it is being played in New York....

The NBA should treat the WNBA as a loss leader to get women fans. Yes, it could also increase men’s fans a little bit too. After I took my 22 yr old son to a couple Lynx games, he is now very interested in the W, and when I talk about them now and will sit down and watch a game with me. He used to put the women’s sports down, saying they are not as good as the men’s. Now he appreciates their skill a little more (especially his sisters’ team...)

[Shades]

[WNBA 09]

League pass has been awesome for me , I purchased a google chromecast so i can play from my phone to my 60 inch . Great product !

_________________
3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol

[Hoopsmom]

Every time I try to watch a game on league Pass, it tells me that I have not purchased a subscription yet and then it take me to the purchase screen. It goes through all the steps and tells me that I have to repurchase it but the price is zero. A few times, I have also had to delete the app and reinstall it. Three times so far this season.

[Richyyy]

[tfan]