While I haven't spent a lot of time watching the WNBA at all, until the Lynx played in the finals, it's hard to ignore the conversation around the league this year.
They had the best year ever, they made more money, sold more tickets, and things were generally looking up. Some of that can be traced to Caitlin Clark, who spent the season getting crap from other players. But, shockingly the league still lost a lot of money. That's right, they couldn't even break even for the year with all the extra cash. So, what do the players do? They do the only rational thing for employees of a money losing business to do, they opted out of their contract and essentially went on strike for more money. Are they stupid? Are they unaware of how businesses work? Do they think the money magically appears for them? Are they incredibly short sighted?
I'd answer yes to all of the above. They actually had the chance to build their league into something self sustaining, and they chose selfishness.
I get it, they don't get paid as much as other pro athletes, probably because they don't generate as much revenue as other pro athletes. Strangely enough, many of them get paid more to play overseas. Yet they continue to play here for less. Sounds like they're making a choice to me.
In a detached way, I'd like to see the WNBA succeed. I'll probably never be a huge fan, but I think that a successful women's BBall league is a good thing as long as it's self sustaining.
4 comments:
Yeah...I suppose that I would prefer they succeed as profit making entity. It's just not likely until such time as they're able to attract viewers. They can't afford to indulge in petty crap, because they don't have the patronage to begin with. It's as if a woman wants a man to be attracted to her while acting badly. Not likely to succeed.
The NBA, on the other hand, provides that which attracts viewership to such an extent that they maintain enough that despite also acting badly. They were established for all the right reasons, long before woke crap encroached on that world. Now, too many of us are hooked and weather the lefty nonsense and the LeBron dramas. It's wearing thin, though, and more than with the NFL, I tend to watch only my hapless Chicago Bulls.
There's so much to dislike of both leagues. But the WNBA hasn't the following to perpetuate that which they can control if they cared themselves for it's widespread acceptance and support.
Art,
That's kind of the point. After 25 years they finally had increased viewership and interest in the league which resulted in increased revenue. Instead of using that revenue to build the league to increase this trajectory, the players got greedy and want more for themselves regardless of the profitability. They've been indulging in petty crap all year with how Clark has been treated, fortunately Clark has enough class not to respond in kind. I suspect that the black lesbian players are pissed that a straight white women has done what they couldn't. Adding Buekers next year could be helpful as well.
The NBA has been around and successful enough for a long enough time that it can withstand some stupidity on the part of the players and owners. The W hasn't. It's really simple economics.
The W players grew up in a world where instant gratification was the norm for them, and with NIL it's probably going to get worse. They could choose to sacrifice personal gain for the good or the league, but they're not.
I'm not a NBA fan, don't regularly watch games, have never bought a ticket to one, and likely never will. I do find the NBA off season shenanigans more interesting than the game.
I've always loved basketball (I love all of the big four major sports of which soccer isn't one). I would truly be a lost soul if I was into college level sports as well. Just watching Chicago teams is enough of an interruption in being productive.
I enjoy football, baseball and non NBA basketball. I'll go to MLS games and have a good time, I'll even follow how SKC is doing, but I'm not a fan. At some point I'll probably go to a KC Current game for the experience and to check out the stadium, likewise I could see going to a Lynx game to watch Clark and experience the atmosphere. But again, will likely never be a fan.
I enjoy sports as entertainment and a distraction, but I've tried to dial back how the importance.
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