13 hours ago, The_Omega said:

So the WNBA has a new ad campaign, it's "your" fault that it sucks and no one watches it.  For real, that's the message.  Sports Illustrated has bought in

And if you watched any NBA playoff games this weekend, you saw the Nike ad saying the same thing.  Nothing's worked to get people to watch so far, so why not try smug insults?

Discuss

🙄

1 minute ago, we_gotta_believe said:

I tried to get into the wnba when the shock won almost 20 years ago. Couldn't do it. Just wasn't interesting in any way.

On the other hand, I love watching the women's World Cup. At times, it's more entertaining than men's soccer.

Not a ringing endorsement for me anyways

for me, basketball is all about athleticism & high flying action....the womens' game just doesn't have enough of that, imo. i liked watching sheryl swoopes play back in the day though. 

13 hours ago, The_Omega said:

So the WNBA has a new ad campaign, it's "your" fault that it sucks and no one watches it.  For real, that's the message.  Sports Illustrated has bought in

Did you even read the SI cover story? https://www.si.com/wnba/2021/05/13/wnba-25th-season-daily-cover
I bet you didn't. Because you missed the point.

First, it unpacks all the same clichés everybody says about WNBA:

Quote

I don’t watch because they can’t dunk; I don’t watch because they’re like a good boy’s high school team; I don’t watch because, you know, I could probably beat them one-on-one.

 But the real reason we don't watch is why we watch sports in the first place:

Quote

What drives our interest in sports, generally, are stakes and story lines. The stakes cannot be artificially constructed; they must be culturally agreed upon. Winning this game, this trophy, this tournament matters in some larger sense. An incomplete list of those we’ve agreed have significance: a title in any of the major sports (men’s, of course), an NCAA championship, the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the Olympics, the World Cup. Regardless of the discipline, we’ll passionately watch any Olympic event. We’ll watch curling, and we’ll care, because an Olympic gold medal is at stake and we are patriotic.

There are other events on the "matters” list, but a WNBA title is not yet there. It is for some fans, of course, but it hasn’t so far hit a widespread cultural tipping point.

Quote

People watch sports because of how it makes them feel. Sometimes that is nostalgic or tense or blissful, but more often the feeling is cool.

Super Bowls and World Series matter because our society says so. They're ubiquitous. ESPN spends gobs of time covering them, they're on national news, local news, talk shows... There are references in TV shows and movies. Our family and friends talk about them. Other events like WNBA titles and MLS cups, not so much. When you hear about WNBA, it's the butt of a joke. They each have their super fans, but most people I know don't connect.

The reason I don't watch WNBA? For one, there is no local team. Growing up in south-SE Pennsylvania, I could always find an Eagles game or a Phillies game on TV. I'm not interested in some random NBA game like Suns-Mavs, just like I won't watch Mercury-Wings. So for starters, put a team in Philly. And if I can't watch the game, I can watch a highlight on the news or on Sportscenter, or download a score and highlight package. I haven't watched an entire NBA game in 20 years, but I could tell you how the 76ers are doing because I get casual references to them all the time: when I watch the news or ESPN, or when I listen to the radio and podcasts. I have no idea what is going on in WNBA because I have no reference. Nobody I know talks about them. They're not covered on the news. When I randomly come across a WNBA game on TV, there's no lead-in so I don't even know what I'm watching for.

Just now, toolg said:

Did you even read the SI cover story?

Of course he didn't. Why spend time reading and stuff when headlines tell you everything you need to know!

And here comes Code Pink to take up the WNBA mantle.  Women telling men that they just don't understand what they're doing somehow seems familiar.  

9 minutes ago, toolg said:

Did you even read the SI cover story? https://www.si.com/wnba/2021/05/13/wnba-25th-season-daily-cover
I bet you didn't. Because you missed the point.

First, it unpacks all the same clichés everybody says about WNBA:

 But the real reason we don't watch is why we watch sports in the first place:

Super Bowls and World Series matter because our society says so. They're ubiquitous. ESPN spends gobs of time covering them, they're on national news, local news, talk shows... There are references in TV shows and movies. Our family and friends talk about them. Other events like WNBA titles and MLS cups, not so much. When you hear about WNBA, it's the butt of a joke. They each have their super fans, but most people I know don't connect.

The reason I don't watch WNBA? For one, there is no local team. Growing up in south-SE Pennsylvania, I could always find an Eagles game or a Phillies game on TV. I'm not interested in some random NBA game like Suns-Mavs, just like I won't watch Mercury-Wings. So for starters, put a team in Philly. And if I can't watch the game, I can watch a highlight on the news or on Sportscenter, or download a score and highlight package. I haven't watched an entire NBA game in 20 years, but I could tell you how the 76ers are doing because I get casual references to them all the time: when I watch the news or ESPN, or when I listen to the radio and podcasts. I have no idea what is going on in WNBA because I have no reference. Nobody I know talks about them. They're not covered on the news. When I randomly come across a WNBA game on TV, there's no lead-in so I don't even know what I'm watching for.

Yeah they totally "debunked" all the clichés about people not wanting to watch because of the lack of athleticism and talent... by simply saying "that's not the real reason people don't watch it's becuz society."

Did you ever think the WNBA isn't extensively covered is because people don't like the product? It's kind of a chicken and an egg question, but the WNBA is heavily promoted during NBA games and on ESPN. People just don't like it. End of story. 

The WNBA is unwatchable but why is this a thread?

1 hour ago, Kz! said:

This is what peak athletic performance looks like:

 

Cringe worthy. When I was taking my daughter to women's basketball games at the local university, the tickets were free and there's an understanding that we were watching amateur female athletes. Calling the WNBA product "professional" and charging money for it is pretty much a joke. 

1 minute ago, VanHammersly said:

The WNBA is unwatchable but why is this a thread?

It is unwatchable. It is a thread because a cover on SI hurt wittle Omega's feelings so instead of reading more about it he had to post his faux outrage.

2 minutes ago, VanHammersly said:

The WNBA is unwatchable but why is this a thread?

It makes liberals sad/upset (see @pallidrone, @toolg) and is therefore funny.

1 minute ago, pallidrone said:

It is unwatchable. It is a thread because a cover on SI hurt wittle Omega's feelings so instead of reading more about it he had to post his faux outrage.

Sounds like Zucker's the real victim here.

10 minutes ago, Kz! said:

Yeah they totally "debunked" all the clichés about people not wanting to watch because of the lack of athleticism and talent... by simply saying "that's not the real reason people don't watch it's becuz society."

Did you ever think the WNBA isn't extensively covered is because people don't like the product? It's kind of a chicken and an egg question, but the WNBA is heavily promoted during NBA games and on ESPN. People just don't like it. End of story. 

Sports is entertainment. The argument is make it entertaining, create some storylines, people will follow.

WNBA exists because NBA, but I think it's also part of the problem. People watching NBA are NBA fans first and foremost. WNBA needs to cultivate its own fanbase.  

 

17 minutes ago, toolg said:

Did you even read the SI cover story? https://www.si.com/wnba/2021/05/13/wnba-25th-season-daily-cover
I bet you didn't. Because you missed the point.

First, it unpacks all the same clichés everybody says about WNBA:

 But the real reason we don't watch is why we watch sports in the first place:

Super Bowls and World Series matter because our society says so. They're ubiquitous. ESPN spends gobs of time covering them, they're on national news, local news, talk shows... There are references in TV shows and movies. Our family and friends talk about them. Other events like WNBA titles and MLS cups, not so much. When you hear about WNBA, it's the butt of a joke. They each have their super fans, but most people I know don't connect.

The reason I don't watch WNBA? For one, there is no local team. Growing up in south-SE Pennsylvania, I could always find an Eagles game or a Phillies game on TV. I'm not interested in some random NBA game like Suns-Mavs, just like I won't watch Mercury-Wings. So for starters, put a team in Philly. And if I can't watch the game, I can watch a highlight on the news or on Sportscenter, or download a score and highlight package. I haven't watched an entire NBA game in 20 years, but I could tell you how the 76ers are doing because I get casual references to them all the time: when I watch the news or ESPN, or when I listen to the radio and podcasts. I have no idea what is going on in WNBA because I have no reference. Nobody I know talks about them. They're not covered on the news. When I randomly come across a WNBA game on TV, there's no lead-in so I don't even know what I'm watching for.

Zuker never reads the articles he posts. That's basically a given. However, I did read it. It was bad. Basically saying that you can't hold the WNBA to the same standards as the NBA. However, they kind of do that to themselves. They are charging money for it, and making it out to be a real professional league. And there is a great degree of "shaming" in the writing. We aren't bending over backwards to watch the G league either, and it is a far, far, far (did I say far?) better product than the WNBA. 

Just now, Kz! said:

It makes liberals sad/upset (see @pallidrone, @toolg) and is therefore funny.

I'm a liberal, Kz, and I'm not sad or upset.  Should I be?

1 minute ago, toolg said:

Sports is entertainment. The argument is make it entertaining, create some storylines, people will follow.

WNBA exists because NBA, but I think it's also part of the problem. People watching NBA are NBA fans first and foremost. WNBA needs to cultivate it's own fanbase.  

 

Namely, the blind and/or mentally impaired.

This thread was kinda fun and then we had to get all serious and sheet. People watch what entertains them. If the women's nba entertained people they would be watching.

1 minute ago, VanHammersly said:

I'm a liberal, Kz, and I'm not sad or upset.  Should I be?

Sure you're not, buddy...

3 minutes ago, Kz! said:

It makes liberals sad/upset (see @pallidrone, @toolg) and is therefore funny.

First off - I am neither liberal or conservative and I think both groups are morons.

Secondly - not upset - just pointing out the typical garbage that people like you and Zuker vomit in this forum.

 

Just now, pallidrone said:

First off - I am neither liberal or conservative and I think both groups are morons.

Secondly - not upset - just pointing out the typical garbage that people like you and Zuker vomit in this forum.

 

Yeah, you could have skipped the thread entirely, but you certainly showed Zuker. Good stuff, man. 

1 minute ago, Kz! said:

Yeah, you could have skipped the thread entirely, but you certainly showed Zuker. Good stuff, man. 

I usually do - this time I wanted to read more about that because I found it interesting.

Of course in typical fashion he did not read past the headline before posting his old man rage about it.

the wnba is just as boring as hockey. 

Just now, pallidrone said:

I usually do - this time I wanted to read more about that because I found it interesting.

Of course in typical fashion he did not read past the headline before posting his old man rage about it.

Oh, so you were interested. Well, if you've actually heard any chatter about the subject prior to the one SI article Zuker posted, you'd know he is correct. The WNBA and people promoting it have actually gone with the shaming SJW route in trying to convince people to watch. There have been many women players speaking out about the pay gap. There was a public feud between Draymond Green and Megan Rapinoe over the subject. Here are a few headlines all from this year:

Even the article that you say Zuker didn't read has a similar tone. It's not that the WNBA is a bad product, it argues, it's because of society that no one watches. So yeah, you totally missed the mark here.

9 minutes ago, greend said:

This thread was kinda fun and then we had to get all serious and sheet. People watch what entertains them. If the women's nba entertained people they would be watching.

At least Zuke also got in a dig at trans people

3 minutes ago, mr_hunt said:

the wnba is just as boring as hockey. 

I find hockey to be incredibly boring. Glad I'm not the only one. It used to be my favorite sport when I was a kid because it was so much like pro wrestling with the big personalities, hitting, and fighting. Now its soccer on skates and boring as hell.