Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 2:30 pm  |  23 responses

WNBA Weekly Mailbag – 2/17/10

On net losses and a twist on the double standard.

by Ben York

Before I received AJ’s message below, I had five emails with my responses ready to go today. But I felt AJ’s question was far too important (and incredibly timely) not to address first.

As you’ll read, AJ’s question is fair, on point and poignant. My thoughts on the topic are below, and I would love to hear yours as well.

As always, to be featured on the WNBA Weekly Mailbag, send your questions to Ben at bjyork15@gmail.com.

Q: I always hear from WNBA haters that the league can’t “pay its own way.” The logic goes: WNBA is in the red = WNBA is a total failure. Well… The NBA just announced that it expects to lose $400 million THIS YEAR ALONE. The WNBA couldn’t blow through that much cash if it wanted to. Why are the same people not saying we need to fold up the NBA? – AJ, Michigan
A: Fantastic question, AJ. I won’t pretend to have all the answers both from a fiscal or socio-economics perspective, but I do have a few thoughts on the matter. Long story short, I think it has more to do with social acceptance than with dollars and cents.

First, I think it’s important to note that everyone is hurting financially and the sports world is certainly not immune to the economic climate. The vast majority of NBA teams are currently in the midst of looking for ways to shed payroll (see ‘Philadelphia 76ers’) or dump bad contracts (see ‘Washington Wizards’). Instead of recognizing the economic issue is both global and gender-blind, the WNBA naysayers choose to project their frustrations on to the WNBA. After all, human beings (by nature) have habitually sKenny Smith, Becky Hammon & Dirk Nowitzkiought out someone or something to blame when things aren’t going well. This situation is no different — somehow, it’s the WNBA’s fault (or, at the very least, a contributing factor) that NBA teams are, as you mentioned, collectively losing hundreds of millions of dollars. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Individuals who have this false belief are the same ones who think a brief, 30-second commercial about the WNBA that airs during a NBA game is “shoving” the league down their throats.

Second, I believe that WNBA detractors consciously try to seek out reasons that the WNBA is “bad” or justify their belief that it’s draining money from the mothership that is the NBA. They look at the numerous WNBA franchises that have folded and make assumptions that the WNBA is affecting the NBA in a negative way. In reality, the WNBA is far more profitable than the NBA according to NBA Commissioner David Stern.

“The NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA,” he said. “We’re losing a lot of money amongst a large number of teams. We’re budgeting the WNBA to break even this year.” – David Stern, March 12, 2009

Perhaps more than anything, the reason people look to blame the WNBA has more to do with societal acceptance. The NBA is, obviously, accepted and touted across the globe. Conversely, the WNBA is not as revered. They are constantly made fun of, ridiculed, and accused of being a leach to the NBA. And no matter how many times this is continually proved false, people still find a way to blame or accuse the WNBA of not succeeding (*cough*…Bill Simmons…*cough*) and undermine both its significance and worth.

This is a unique twist on the double standard issue that has plagued the WNBA from the start. Detractors say the WNBA isn’t fun to watch, that they aren’t as gifted as the men, and that the league is a waste of time and/or money. I’ve addressed these issues in the past, but the recent admission from the NBA that it’s losing as much money as it is undoubtedly makes this topic much more interesting. As a whole, people will never call for the NBA to disband or to fold; they believe in the league and it has tremendous widespread appeal. And I agree with them, they shouldn’t — just like they shouldn’t call for the WNBA to disband. The WNBA hasn’t reached that same level of acceptance and the belief (no matter how wrong or off-base) is that it continues to be the NBA’s ill-fated stepchild.

It’s also important to note that the NBA is doing everything it can to advance the WNBA; not just because it is more profitable, but because they believe in the product. NBA players and coaches continually commend the WNBA for its talent, value and significance. If the NBA wants it to succeed, and NBA players want it to thrive, then what’s the problem?

The only way this can be fixed or remedied is when the collective audience realizes that basketball is basketball, if I can steal the WNBA’s new tagline for a moment. Until the masses see that the WNBA is an incredible, positive, and beneficial sports league things will never change. I’m hopeful that we will see that paradigm shift soon.

On a positive note, I have seen an enormous amount of progress in the last several years towards reaching that point.

Thank you for your question. — Ben

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  • LCD screen cleaner Posted: Feb.17 at 2:51 pm
    Anyone think having a shorter regular season may be a significant factor with respect to profits between NBA/WNBA?

  • pilight Posted: Feb.17 at 3:40 pm
    People who think the WNBA is to blame for the NBA’s financial problems are just stupid. The player salaries for the entire league cost less than what the Nets are paying Tony Battie. It’s a very small drop in the NBA bucket.

  • Ace Posted: Feb.17 at 4:30 pm
    Some people must not know that you have to be a vet in the WNBA just to hit 6 figures. Lets look at all the players making millions for sitting on the bench b/c of injuries or b/c they just can’t hang.
    @LCD I think it has something to do with it, but the only way the players imo would agree to a longer WNBA is if they got paid more. During the NBA season most of them go overseas to get the big money.

  • Emily Posted: Feb.17 at 4:38 pm
    Great answer to a great question! Sadly the WNBA is a scapegoat for some… Basketball IS basketball!! If only people could realize that… The WNBA is to me a better product than any other pro sports league.. It’s too bad I’m in the minority that believes this…

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 4:43 pm
    @pilight – agree. I think it’s just another conduit people use to bash the league.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 4:44 pm
    @LCD screen – Thanks for your comment. Perhaps, but does it really matter? The WNBA isn’t draining any profit from the NBA so if it’s a long/short season it becomes somewhat of a moot point.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 4:45 pm
    @Ace – Couldn’t agree more.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 4:45 pm
    @Emily – thanks for the kind words.

  • Chris Posted: Feb.17 at 6:20 pm
    Seriously, name five people who are calling for the WNBA to fold. There are tons and tons of basketball fans who have no interest whatsoever in the WNBA, but don’t wish ill will on the WNBA. This “look at me, the little sister who isn’t as popular as my big brother so I’m going to play the victim card!” approach to WNBA fan-dom is disgusting, frankly, and it makes the WNBA look juvenile. I’m a paramedic during the daytime, and Ben, I scoff at your articles like this one like I scoff at the people who call 911 for a paper cut, and it does nothing to advance the WNBA. You commended Stephen Litel’s article, “A New Direction for the WNBA”, and you were good about it for over a month, so why do you come back with another woe-is-me article like this one?

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 6:29 pm
    @Chris – Thanks for the awesome words. It’s no secret that a big knock on the WNBA has been that the NBA has kept it afloat; that it’s supposedly draining money from the NBA. Now, with Stern saying the NBA could lose hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone and stating the WNBA is more profitable, it’s more than fair to bring up these points. While you might not be able to name 5 that want the WNBA to fold, I could name 1,000 who wish ill will on the league and I get emails from them on a daily basis. This article isn’t meant to be woe-is-me, but rather to examine an issue that detractors have been blaming the WNBA for – leaching off the NBA.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.17 at 6:31 pm
    @Chris – and if I might add…WNBA fans who defend the league are in a lose-lose situation. If we defend it, we come off as “juvenile” (as you put it). If we ignore it and don’t address the issues, they keep occurring. So…I choose to at least talk about the issues rather than sit idle. Still, thanks for reading.

  • LCD Screen Cleaner Posted: Feb.17 at 9:34 pm
    I was thinking that having a shorter NBA season would be more cost efficient. Lower salaries, lower costs, and more people-per-game because each is more important. Also, hopefully, less injury probs.

  • Chris Posted: Feb.17 at 10:09 pm
    @ Ben — I really don’t understand why you think there are “issues” to address. If you ignore “what”, then “what” keeps occurring? And if there are issues, addressing them makes the issues seem legit, whereas ignoring them renders the issues moot. Let me give you an example, and I apologize for the crudeness of what will follow, but it’s by far the best example I can think of. Like the WNBA has a reputation for whatever bad things you repeatedly mention, Asian guys have a reputation for having a small you-know-what in the groin area. Most of the times, the stereotype doesn’t come up, but when people do joke with me about it, I go along with it and even laugh at it. I don’t get all defensive, because I know it’s not true. (And I have confirmation of that from my ex-girlfriends who have the experiences to compare with other ethnicities) However, one Asian acquaintance I know always gets defensive and worked up, often responding with false threats to pull down his pants and show everyone. Of course, we all know he wouldn’t actually do that, and because he gets so riled up, people rib him even more. His reaction had made people around him really think his you-know-what is tiny. I feel like you have that type of response when people say anything that can be construed as negative about the WNBA, and because of it, you cause people to rag on the W even more and think the league is that bad. If you ignore them, or even make a joke or two at the expense of the WNBA yourself, it exudes more confidence, shows less insecurity and gives people reason to not doubt the WNBA. So instead of articles like this one, you ought keep writing about how Becky Hammon had a chip on her shoulder growing up because of her (lack of) size, how Lindsay Whalen feels about returning home or how Alana beard starts her day the way Kobe Bryant does his. (All of which were great articles, by the way) That would be a 100x more effective way to adress the so-called “issues”.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.18 at 12:07 am
    @Chris – Fair enough, and I appreciate your (creative) response. Honestly, I just felt this was an interesting topic/email that I received and wanted to talk about it or encourage discussion. I definitely get where you are coming from, and I will have many more of the player/coach feature articles in the coming weeks.

  • Ben York Posted: Feb.18 at 12:08 am
    @LCDscreen – Thanks for your comment. Maybe…but the shorter season doesn’t really have anything to do with the lower salaries. I just think that the WNBA and its franchises are tighter with funds simply because they have to be.

  • jborange Posted: Feb.18 at 6:22 pm
    I have some ideas for how the NBA can save money.
    1)Lower ticket prices.I go to Liberty games every summer,but I have yet to go to a Knicks game.I sit in one of the lower sections where you get a great view of the court,and a Knicks ticket in that section costs about $1000.00.That can buy you an entire Liberty season ticket package.
    2)Lower the NBA salaries and raise the fines.The NBA should only pay the superstars and the veterans seven figures plus.The rest of the players should make no more than six figures.And if they raise the fines,then maybe the NBA players will stop acting like spoiled,arrogant teenagers (although some of them are teens)and exercise more self-control off the court(and in the lockerroom).
    3)Lower the prices of the merchandise.Make the merchandise in the arenas and at the NBA Store more affordable.Also,when there is a sale going on,the discounts should be bigger(50% off,60% off,70% off).

  • jborange Posted: Feb.18 at 9:21 pm
    4)Also,instead of raising the players’ salaries every year,the NBA players should only get a raise every 5 years.

  • The Philosopher Posted: Feb.26 at 2:34 pm
    When the ladies start flying from the line, the Women’s League will trump the men’s league. And just remember, the NBA, as compared to other major leagues, is still young. There is still plenty of evolving left for both leagues. (Men, women) How many more people watch women’s tennis as opposed to men’s tennis?

  • AJ Posted: Mar.3 at 8:24 am
    Here’s the same profit question being asked of women’s college b-ball. http://www.slamonline.com/online/other-ballers/womens/2010/03/trying-for-100/ I’m all for profit, but only two men’s college sports are profitbale (football & basketball). I never hear the profit issue being raised with men’s college hockey or baseball. Those sports have been around alot longer than women’s athletics. Even the NBA is having trouble filling seats. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-Nets-will-do-anything-for-you-to-come-to-the?urn=nba,225353 What is it about women’s sports that turns guys into accountants?

  • jborange Posted: Mar.4 at 2:15 pm
    There is not as much of a financial strain on the NCAA,as there is on pro sports leagues like the NBA though.Each NBA team has their own private jet,all the players,except for the rookies,get paid seven figures plus,and so on.That’s why I think that the league should raise fines and reduce the salaries of the players who are younger and don’t have star status.

  • Robert Jones Posted: Mar.23 at 12:37 am
    This article, and the responses to this article, are perhaps the saddest analysis of a situation I have ever seen. I am not a fan of the WNBA, nor am I a fan of the NBA. I think that the women just do not have the physical talent needed to be professional basketball players. Yes, they work very hard. Yes they are the best talent women at what they do. But they are just physically lesser. As for the NBA, they are a bunch of overpaid, immature brats. Clearly there are some fine gentlemen who play, but the selfishness of most players turned me off the game a long time ago.
    Now, as for your analysis: “In reality, the WNBA is far more profitable than the NBA according to NBA Commissioner David Stern.” This is the worst statement I have ever read in print. Firstly, the commissioner was making the statement regarding one year, this year. Yes this is a lot of money, but the NBA is a cash cow, and the reason it can lose so much money is because it usually makes so much money. Secondly, these are both projections. I don’t doubt that the men will lose that much money, but I do doubt the women will break even; they never have before. Ever. Thirdly, even if the women do break even, they are not “more profitable” than the men, they lost less money. To be more profitable, you must make a profit.
    They last thing to think about. The NBA give the WNBA around 12 million a year. That means that the NBA give the WNBA 20% more money then the WNBA’s entire player payroll (around 10 million). So the NBA pays all of the players of the WNBA in full. Also, most of the teams in the WNBA play in NBA stadiums, so the NBA pays for that as well. And still, in 12 years, the WNBA has never turned a profit.

  • SLAM ONLINE | » WNBA Mailbag: 4/20/10 Posted: Apr.20 at 2:20 pm
    [...] been quite sometime since we had our last WNBA Mailbag here at SLAMonline and I take full responsibility for dropping the ball. I’ve been working [...]

  • bmac Posted: May.16 at 4:51 am
    Hilarious article and comments. Fact: WNBA is not nearly entertainment as the NBA to the general public. Financially, its a disaster. The “success” spoken of for the WNBA is that its budgeted to break even. That is not success. Serious examination would have to include multiple years which would overwhelming indicate its a drain. Majority of people wouldn’t attend a WNBA if you gave them free tickets. Yes, there might be a niche fan base, high school and college girl basketball players, but get real. WNBA will never provide a reasonable return on investment. Sorry but true.

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