Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at 4:40 pm  |  22 responses

The Media and the WNBA

A Q&A with Jeff Pearlman.

by Ben York / @bjyork

Over the past couple of months, a new article emerges on what seems like a daily basis detailing a perceived negative affect on the NBA’s bottom line by the WNBA.

There’s no denying that the NBA lockout fueled the fire of late, but the pessimistic view of the WNBA has gone on for almost two decades now by much of the mainstream media.

Furthermore, no matter how much is said to the contrary, blame continues to find its way to the WNBA. We’ve seen numerous articles in in local newspapers, national outlets (CBS, ESPN, etc.), blogs, and other random publications virtually calling for the WNBA’s demise and accusing it of being the NBA’s ugly, worthless stepchild.

Why?

Why is it that people want the WNBA to fail? Why is there a biased attempt to bring it down?

I’m genuinely asking, folks.

Enter Jeff Pearlman.

WNBA fans might know him as “the guy who wrote that one article for SI.com bashing the WNBA,” but he’s better known as the author of two New York Times’ best-sellers, Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys Won! as well as the non-New York Times’ best-sellers, Love Me, Hate Me and The Rocket That Fell to Earth. His new book, Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, goes on sale October 4, 2011.

Jeff and I probably started off on the wrong foot. He wrote an article. I responded. He answered back. Twice.

However, since that time, I’ve had the pleasure of exchanging numerous emails with Jeff and getting to know him quite a bit. Heck, we’re even friends on Facebook. He’s a good guy.

(Not that it would matter if he wasn’t.)

I figured he would be the perfect person to turn to with my questions. Obviously, I have a vested interest in wanting the WNBA to thrive. Jeff, on the other, certainly isn’t as close to the situation. I wanted to get his thoughts from the “other” side.

Here’s our Q&A session.

Ben York (BY): About a year ago, you wrote a column that stated the WNBA will never be a popular league. Do you still feel that way today?

Jeff Pearlman (JP): I do. I don’t take any happiness out of that–I just think it’s an impossible task, making the WNBA much more than what it is. But here’s the thing: Why is that so terrible? If we have a women’s basketball league that inspires young girls and gives them hope and courage and positive ambitions … well, who cares if it generates only a handful of total views? That’s probably what was off from that piece I wrote. Do I think the WNBA can grow much more? No. Does it matter? Not really.

BY: Your ended the article with the word “yawn.” Do you believe that’s how the majority of sports media views the WNBA?

JP: Yes, without question. And I’ll be honest–the play of the WNBA is often boring. Put to music in a 2-minute soundbites, a crisp pass looks great, a breakaway is exciting, a blocked shot is riveting. But overall, I don’t find WNBA games to be especially engaging. That said, most NBA games are also pretty dull (if we’re being honest). But a lot of the NBA joy comes with the anticipation of something miraculous–a LeBron 360 dunk; Kevin Love grabbing 30 rebounds. The WNBA’s ceiling of riveting is much lower. It just is.

BY: Is the league relevant? Why or why not?

JP: Well, to its fans, sure. But to the sporting world as a whole? No. Not even half relevant. Not even close to relevant. Put it this way: Take the WNBA’s biggest stars: Bird, Jackson, Catchings, whoever. Place them on a New York City subway car. Do 5 out of 100 people recognize them? No. Why is this the case? Because, mostly, sports fans don’t hunger for women’s sports. I’m not saying it’s fair or righteous, but it’s true. Most sports fans—men and women–believe men deliver the better product … with tennis the most obvious exception. People want speed, power … and, unfortunately, male athletes possess more than female athletes. Not always, but mostly.

BY: There is a difference between hoping and/or wishing the WNBA folds and looking at the situation based on facts. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like you want the WNBA to succeed, but just don’t think it will. Is that accurate?

JP: Yup. Of course I want it to succeed. It’s jobs, it’s hope, it’s an outlet for women athletes and fans. I just don’t see how it lasts.

BY: Many journalists and writers, on the other hand, specifically want the league to fold. Why? Why is there so much, for lack of a better term, hatred toward the league?

JP: I disagree, Ben. I think most writers just don’t give a shit. And that’s the problem.

I will say one thing, in this area: I think many in the media find the WNBA to be a, mmm, insincere product. It’s propped up heavily by the NBA, benefits from NBA hype and NBA dollars. WNBA players are included in NBA All-Star festivities. It just can feel very, very, very forced; almost as if Susan B. Anthony had been propped up by a man behind the stage. It seems like the people screaming SISTERS CAN DO IT! are men in the shadows, mouthing the words. Because, while sisters can certainly do it, without the NBA the WNBA is dead. It doesn’t exist.

BY: I continue to read article after article saying how much the WNBA affects the NBA negatively in terms of their bottom line. No matter how much we state otherwise, it is still ignored. Why is this?

JP: Honestly, I have no idea.

BY: You’re a forward-thinking person in terms of sports. By that, I mean it seems like you root for the “good guys” and the “underdog.” Am I way off base? Why isn’t that same logic applied to the WNBA?

JP: Ben, I want women’s basketball to succeed. I really do.

BY: I’m not saying everyone has to love and/or adore the WNBA. Far from it. But what, in your opinion, is keeping people from giving it an unbiased shot? Machismo?

JP: No, I think people watch the NBA and don’t feel the need for more hoops. I also think people want to watch the best possible product–gender be damned–and the best is the NBA. Also, the WNBA is hard to find. On TV, not on TV, in papers, not in papers. Even if a guy wanted to follow it regularly he’d struggle a bit.

BY: I’m not a huge hockey fan. Yet, I see commercials and marketing materials for the NHL all the time. It doesn’t bother me; I respect what they do. Why do people continue to say the NBA “forces” the WNBA down the public’s throat? Is it really that offensive to show a WNBA commercial or to say “Basketball is Basketball?”

JP: I just don’t trust the NBA’s motives.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section.

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  • pilight Posted: Sep.8 at 7:44 pm
    It’s shocking how many folks base their enjoyment of something on how many other people like it.

  • Khawk71 Posted: Sep.9 at 2:12 am
    I liked the article for the most part, and I’m happy to hear that Pearlman wants the league or women’s basketball to succeed. I don’t agree with many of his responses however, especially regarding the forcing of the league on anyone, nor the statement “I just don’t see how it lasts”…um..15 years is far from and experiment. I believe it’s even fair to say that the league is successful, and has it’s foundational group, with growth potential. I do understand that Pearlman, like many others may just have a gigantic blind spot when it comes to women’s sports, even if he is a good guy.

  • Rob Cooper Posted: Sep.9 at 6:29 am
    The WNBA is the ultimate sexist statement, where women get treated with different standards to men. Let’s face it the basketball on display is absolutely atrocious, and with their history of financial instability any men’s league would have faced severe measures, or been shut down completely. Surely the WNBA should be treated fairly, and made to stand up by itself if it can.

  • Dan Posted: Sep.9 at 10:30 am
    Jeff pretty much sums it up. It’s not about hate or machismo it’s about the product. I’ve watched several games and Jeff is correct…boring basketball.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Sep.9 at 10:59 am
    No, the basketball on display is far from atrocious. I not it’s the best basketball around but at times it’s better than certain college games (last year’s title game for example). You can sit here and claim it’s atrcious when a majority of WNBA players can beat most normal guys in a game of one-on-one.
    Also f*ck Pearlman, not only is the guy against the WNBA, he also claims that most NBA games are “boring”, what? The clown must be watching another league because I wouldn’t shell out 125+ dollars for LP just to watch a boring sport.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Sep.9 at 11:01 am
    *can’t*

  • linwood rose Posted: Sep.9 at 1:11 pm
    I like women’s basketball. I’m a guy. I thought last years women’s NCAA championship game was FAR more exciting than the men’s game. If I come across a WNBA game I watch it. A big problem is that I’m anchored to basketball at a certain time period. WNBA games are played during the summer when the NBA season is over. It’s hard to get behind them because my focus is on other sports then. That being said I think women’s basketball is good basketball. Of course it’s not as exciting as the men’s game because of physical restrictions, but it is good basketball. I equate it to someone like Floyd Mayweather fighting. Most novices think his fights are boring but I love them because of the technh.ical skill and accumen he shows. It’s curious that women’s bball is much better received overseas.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Sep.9 at 3:35 pm
    Me and Jeff Pearlman got beef too.
    He didn’t ask my permission to use my name for his Walter Payton book.
    But since it’s about Walter Payton I’ma let it slide.

  • Dan Posted: Sep.9 at 4:19 pm
    A few of these comments mention the recent NCAA title games as examples of excitement levels. Not a good example when we had the UA-Duke game and the runs VCU and UCONN made. The final was anti climatic. One thing I will take Jeff to task on is Tennis. Watching the men’s field at the US Open is must watch. The setting for the final is electric. Much more exciting than watching Serena spank one of the many ‘ovas.

  • matthew Posted: Sep.9 at 5:20 pm
    Thank god for liveaccess. Im a fan in england. I got into wnba through slams coverage of players in magazine. I am hooked! I cant see why people try to compare with nba? Its a different game, wnba is closer to the european game. The wnba is only 15! its not given the same amount of advertising, support or coverage as the nba. In england we have the same with coverage of the highly hyped rugby union and the badly under covered rugby league. If you make it well known fans will come. Iv found via asking people and researching that in general men jump to pick at womans sports and also fear being teased by others for takeing interest. This article is good and makes good points but i also think it points out the changes needed from advertising to attitude. Long live the wnba as a sport and league in its own right.

  • Brad Posted: Sep.9 at 5:58 pm
    The biggest problem most people have is that the WNBA is not good enough basketball to warrant paid admission. Simple as that. It is very average basketball. If you have played organized ball at least thru high school level you are at least as skilled as any player in that league. I’m sure I will be lambasted,but, the city league I participate in is better basketball. I love watching it, but I wouldn’t pay to watch it and it is better quality product than the WNBA.
    Stop saying it is under advertised. If you have a computer you can get a schedule for anything. That is an excuse for failure. The bottom line is people aren’t interested. It isn’t compelling or entertaining. And it is kept alive at the expense of the mens league. The tickets are marked up to cover this inferior product. I won’t go to an NBA game until they stop the craziness.

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Sep.9 at 8:06 pm
    YO RIGO: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATERS!

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Sep.9 at 9:09 pm
    “If you have played organized ball at least thru high school level you are at least as skilled as any player in that league”, Bullsh*t! Unless you were a top HS recruit or one of the top players in your state, no way in hell are you better than the likes of Taurasi, Parker or Moore. Sorry, I know it’s hard for men to believe that a woman is better than them at anything but when it comes to basketball, there are quite a few women out there who would manhandle all you rec-league warriors.

  • kay Posted: Sep.10 at 12:49 am
    It would help if the competitive games were actually shown on TV. This evening the Seattle Storm were playing the Phoenix Mercury. That’s a matchup that is almost always good. Plus tonight the game decided which of the teams got home field advantage in the playoffs. Was it on TV? Nope. Had to watch it on Live Access. Meanwhile, on NBATV, the Tulsa Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks are playing. Both are also rans. Neither are playing in the playoffs. Who makes these decisions? And probably even more importantly, WHY? I pay extra to have NBATV. Again, WHY? Pearlman was put on the spot, and he tried to make the right sounding answers. Read what he says. He doesn’t give a **** about women’s sports and he doesn’t want to cover them. Plain, flat, and simple. But for some reason he decided that it wasn’t politically correct, or something, to say that when challenged by the author of the article.

  • matthew Posted: Sep.10 at 4:52 am
    JTaylor21, if there was a ‘like’ button, id push it. I do honestly think a big part of the bad attitude towards the league is from men. Brad, i personally only say its under advertised because compared with other sports on tv IT IS! Yeah if you have the net you can find anything BUT you have a have known about it in the first place. Like i say about here in England with rugby league and rugby union. union is hugely supported by the media and league is at times a forgotten sport, rarely advertised or covered by the news or tv and in this case despite sellouts at wembley stadium and old trafford every year. Alot of people dont even know about the sport especially younger people which lets face it, you need young fans of any sport for its survival.
    While serching on the net about the wnba iv found lots of people who dont even know its still going. As for the quality of the game, iv seen nba games drag on. If your after a show and dunks and hype then thats the nba (i love the nba too) but if your after a sport, still early in its history then the wnba and european leagues.

  • Brad Posted: Sep.10 at 6:27 am
    JT21, you need to bench the emotion. The players you mentioned do nothing that a well coached high school player can’t do.(make layups, handle the ball with both hands, hit open jump shots…) nothing compelling or awe inspiring about that. They do not possess stellar jumping ability, strength and power, speed and quickness. The size,strength,and speed are the difference. That gives the well coached high school player the edge and I would not pay to see them unless I had a son on the team.
    You obviously know very little about basketball and cannot differentiate a skill set. Don’t get caught up in the term “professional”. You turn any negative comment into a sexist remark. By your logic,if I refuse to patronize a restaurant where the chefs are all female, but the food served is subpar quality, I’m sexist. Wrong, That just makes me a smart consumer.
    Professional sports are a business. If a business can’t pay it bills it goes under. I own a small business. I would love to have a $12 million dollar annual injection to help pay my bills. The WNBA is a not for profit charity.

  • Rob Burns Posted: Sep.10 at 11:15 am
    I’m not convinced this guy has ever really watched the WNBA if he finds it boring. For those of us who watch it regularly, it certainly is not.

  • Dan Posted: Sep.10 at 7:38 pm
    Well let’s see, I watched a particular game between the Mercury and the Fever. It was the Wnba and…it was pretty boring.

  • matt Posted: Sep.11 at 7:45 am
    Wasnt the same game as me then? lol

  • Rob Cooper Posted: Sep.11 at 6:10 pm
    Guys you are kidding yourselves if you think WNBA is anything more than a hideous attempt at being equal by the NBA. The basketball on display is worse than most high school boys games.

  • matt Posted: Sep.11 at 7:16 pm
    lets face it, wnba is marmite, you or it or hate it. It needs to find other ways of funding, maybe use smaller venues? Please dont cut live-access because for fans like me its the only way i can watch, id pay like with league pass. Also i think its the main way for most fans can watch as tv coverage is poor and advertising is limited. I love the wnba, i also love the nba and understand the differences in the games. The wnba isnt a lesser game.

  • Holli in MDV Posted: Sep.11 at 11:01 pm
    I agree…I don’t trust the NBA motives. I am a BIG sports fan and basketball is my favorite, NBA and WNBA. I think the problem is the comparison. The WNBA and NBA are simply two different products, with different audiences. Once WNBA stop trying to convert NBA fans, then they can focus on their real fan base and the media that caters to that fan base will follow.

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