I'm going to make a plug for the WNBA Finals. If you aren't reading this shortly after it was posted, you may miss it because the Detroit Shock are up on the Phoenix Mercury at the moment, and the Shock can take the title with a win tonight. It looks a lot better and is a lot more exciting than I remember it. Shooting has definitely improved.
I told my colleagues that I watched Game 3 the other day, and they said "So you were the one!" Hardy har har. I know there were at least two viewers, because I talked about the game with someone else. ESPN2 does some interesting things with it, too, including, as I mentioned in a comment, putting a mic on Bill Laimbeer (I think both coaches have one, but he's complaining the most). That's half the entertainment. They also do in-game, sideline interviews with assistant coaches, which is pretty different.
Plus, if you want drama, you got it. The finals are the finals no matter who's playing, and these girls are out here battling. I've seen at least one black eye and a few elbows and several "get in the face" moments.
On a side note, Karl "the Mailman" Malone's daughter, Cheryl Ford, plays for the Shock, and he's also in attendance tonight. I have never, ever (ever) liked Kountry Karl, but his daughter - she's a star (and All-Star game MVP), and she's alright with me.
I'm a little disappointed by the commercials, though. Why don't they feature the players?
**UPDATE** - The Mercury took game 4, so it's all tied up and the finals are back in Detroit. May the best woman win.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Check Out WNBA Finals . . . No, They Didn't Pay Me to Say That
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7 comments:
Glad you gave the games a shot. The good series is boosting the ratings too.
I watched a bit of it last night. It had some exciting moments but I tuned out and watched WV stomp MD after seeing the horrid shooting. Good Jah, do these women practice shooting? More bricks than most apartment bulidings. I realize that theyre shorter than NBA players but...damn! I guess thats why midget wrestling is entertaining to some.
Thanks, patrick. Boo, anonymous. They posted close to NBA playoffs numbers last night, so be easy. Hilarious that it's dangerously close to the popularity of the NHL. A little more advertising (Swin Cash seems to do the most appearances nationwide of any of them) and I think they might be here to stay.
Keep in mind that the NBA struggled in its early years, too. My dad insists that David Thompson is the best guard ever to play the game, but he was pre-Magic v. Bird. In the ACC, even with Jordan, one could make a strong case for that claim. And had the slam dunk been legal, I think he would be much more well known than he is.
magic/bird made me an nba fan growing up south of boston. you know whose side i was on...though these days magic shows more class than bird.
Really? The NBA struggled? What league didn't. But the NBA wasn't propped up by a global brand name. I love how people bash the NBA when it funnels cash to a league that every year claims to be near breakout and is forgotten 2 hours after its final buzzer is sounded. Now it looks like MLS is going to make the same mistake. Good to know the NFL MLB NHL dont need to.
Right anon, Stern strong armed the owners from the start. Some of the owners said "no thanks" and other were tired of pissing away cash. Bob Johnson said no more and folded his team and Stern said little. He was powerless cause, you don't mess with a brother with a billion dollars. That opened up some other owners eyes and that might start a trend. The NFL dropped the World and Euro Leagues so I could see NBA owners following that model when Stern exits.
The point of the NBA struggled comment was that it took 30+ years for the NBA to get popular, so let's give the WNBA some time. We want to get rich quick just like we want to see results quickly and it doesn't always work like that.
Like Patrick said, the ratings are up on the WNBA, while the NBA continues a steady decline, and the level of play is improving, too. I can't say for sure now, but I'm not willing to write its obituary just yet. With the right marketing, I can see it being a totally different - excuse the pun - ball game.
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