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Stacy Hicklin
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Tonight marks Game 1 of the WNBA finals, featuring the Connecticut Sun and the Sacramento Monarchs. And I know, that just the mere mention of the acronym "WNBA" has already caused the majority of our male readers to roll their eyes and perhaps even stop reading this column.
But let me, for a moment, interrupt the ranting about the worthlessness of the league's existence to try and reason with those of you who harbor intense dislike for the league.
Nine years ago, the league was created and it formed a partnership with the NBA. Eight teams were established and the idea of having professional women's basketball in the country was met with great enthusiasm.
More than 50 million viewers watched games on three different networks that first season.
Fast forward to today.
The WNBA should have blossomed into a powerful league by now with double the fan base and financial support, right?
Wrong. Attendance figures have dropped by nearly 20 percent from those first two seasons and the league has failed to bring new fans on board - despite marketing ploys to draw a fan base of everyone from fathers and daughters to gays and lesbians.
After living in Phoenix last summer and covering or attending nearly 10 Mercury games, I can testify to the fact that straight men without daughters do not attend WNBA games unless they are trying to impress a girl.
This trend is obviously not something that delights league officials or their franchises - rather, it causes their marketing gurus to keep searching for new ideas to diversify their crowds.
The problem, however, is that no matter how much fancy wrapping paper is put around the league, most men just do not care to watch women's basketball.
I have been around sports long enough to know that it's a lost cause trying to convince most men that watching women's basketball is fun.
And don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm saying men are sexist or ignorant or hate women - it's that the style of the women's game is just different and frankly, it's not interesting to a group of fans that love to see high-flying dunks and crazy ballhandling skills.
I don't fault men, or women for that matter - for not finding the game interesting - but where I do fault with folks is for constantly doing their best to berate the league and argue for its disbandment.
It's one thing to ignore the league, but another to try and sink it all together.
Because of its partnership with the NBA, the WNBA takes a lot of heat for being inferior to the NBA. I constantly hear comments about how it will never attract the money or the fans that the NBA or other professional sports league can.
So what? I don't think the WNBA ever set out to replace the NFL or to try and attempt a coup d'etat on Major League Baseball.
League owners surely wouldn't mind seeing its teams create more revenue, but they know they will never reach the same level as men's professional sports. And just because they can't, it doesn't mean the league is a failure.
The point is that right now, every little girl dribbling a basketball in her driveway or having shooting contests with her brother knows that some day, if she becomes good enough, she has the opportunity to play professional basketball in this county - not only overseas.
I will admit that I am not a huge hockey fan. So last year, when the NHL canceled an entire season, my life was not greatly impacted.
However, I have some very good friends who love hockey and missed it terribly.
Just because I don't care about the sport, I would never want to deny someone else their passion in enjoying slap shots and checking.
No one forces sports fans to watch the WNBA or to read about the league. If the WNBA doesn't appeal to you, fine - no big deal.
But for thousands of little girls across the country and for the current fans of the league, it is a big deal.
So, maybe during the next week, as you see highlights of the WNBA Finals or see articles about the game, instead of throwing out a nasty comment - just turn the channel or the page and move on.
There's no need to trample a league that's doing wonderful things for female athletes in this country.
ooo
Sportswriter Stacy Hicklin's column appears on Wednesdays. To contact her, e-mail stacyh@theunion.com or call 477-4244.
But let me, for a moment, interrupt the ranting about the worthlessness of the league's existence to try and reason with those of you who harbor intense dislike for the league.
Nine years ago, the league was created and it formed a partnership with the NBA. Eight teams were established and the idea of having professional women's basketball in the country was met with great enthusiasm.
More than 50 million viewers watched games on three different networks that first season.
Fast forward to today.
The WNBA should have blossomed into a powerful league by now with double the fan base and financial support, right?
Wrong. Attendance figures have dropped by nearly 20 percent from those first two seasons and the league has failed to bring new fans on board - despite marketing ploys to draw a fan base of everyone from fathers and daughters to gays and lesbians.
After living in Phoenix last summer and covering or attending nearly 10 Mercury games, I can testify to the fact that straight men without daughters do not attend WNBA games unless they are trying to impress a girl.
This trend is obviously not something that delights league officials or their franchises - rather, it causes their marketing gurus to keep searching for new ideas to diversify their crowds.
The problem, however, is that no matter how much fancy wrapping paper is put around the league, most men just do not care to watch women's basketball.
I have been around sports long enough to know that it's a lost cause trying to convince most men that watching women's basketball is fun.
And don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm saying men are sexist or ignorant or hate women - it's that the style of the women's game is just different and frankly, it's not interesting to a group of fans that love to see high-flying dunks and crazy ballhandling skills.
I don't fault men, or women for that matter - for not finding the game interesting - but where I do fault with folks is for constantly doing their best to berate the league and argue for its disbandment.
It's one thing to ignore the league, but another to try and sink it all together.
Because of its partnership with the NBA, the WNBA takes a lot of heat for being inferior to the NBA. I constantly hear comments about how it will never attract the money or the fans that the NBA or other professional sports league can.
So what? I don't think the WNBA ever set out to replace the NFL or to try and attempt a coup d'etat on Major League Baseball.
League owners surely wouldn't mind seeing its teams create more revenue, but they know they will never reach the same level as men's professional sports. And just because they can't, it doesn't mean the league is a failure.
The point is that right now, every little girl dribbling a basketball in her driveway or having shooting contests with her brother knows that some day, if she becomes good enough, she has the opportunity to play professional basketball in this county - not only overseas.
I will admit that I am not a huge hockey fan. So last year, when the NHL canceled an entire season, my life was not greatly impacted.
However, I have some very good friends who love hockey and missed it terribly.
Just because I don't care about the sport, I would never want to deny someone else their passion in enjoying slap shots and checking.
No one forces sports fans to watch the WNBA or to read about the league. If the WNBA doesn't appeal to you, fine - no big deal.
But for thousands of little girls across the country and for the current fans of the league, it is a big deal.
So, maybe during the next week, as you see highlights of the WNBA Finals or see articles about the game, instead of throwing out a nasty comment - just turn the channel or the page and move on.
There's no need to trample a league that's doing wonderful things for female athletes in this country.
ooo
Sportswriter Stacy Hicklin's column appears on Wednesdays. To contact her, e-mail stacyh@theunion.com or call 477-4244.
