Thoughts on Women's Basketball - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

member 122194 · 03-20-2007, 02:02 PM

Women's college basketball is being shoved down our throats in the name of gender equality. Nothing new there, this has been happening for years. But the question is why?

Why basketball? Is it because, of all the non-revenue sports, it is the only one where a few of the elite programs are actually able to break even? More likely it's because TV ratings are edging up as a result of all the promotion and the force-fed idea that this is something on par with the men's event.

Thousands and thousands of empty seats at home games and they have to fly across the country to play at neutral venues? Crazy.

I'm all for the ladies getting attention when they play. In fairness, I think ESPN is more or less doing the same thing with softball that it has done with hoops.

I personally think gymnastics, soccer and volleyball are a lot more deserving of attention among the sports girls play than basketball is.

Soccer, in particular, is the women's sport of the future. It's what the best female athletes are getting into, both in the U.S. and all over the world. Will it ever get any kind of a TV following? Probably not, because it doesn't have a men's equivalent it can piggyback on in this country.

The_Jazz · 03-20-2007, 03:41 PM

See, now I absolutely disagree. And I'm from Tennessee too, arguably the epicenter of women's basketball.

Women's basketball is not being shoved down anyone's throat, IMO. There's a big fan base for the game, at least on the college level. Until very recently, the UT women consistently outdrew the men. The year after I graduated from college (not UT, BTW), some friends and I went to a men's game and were the only ones in our section in the lower level. We went to a women's game (albeit against Louisiana - Monroe who was still sort of a powerhouse) and it was almost sold out.

You mentioned the NCAA's - I was at the opening round on Friday in Chicago, which is the 3rd or 4th largest city in the US, depending on how you measure. Wisconsin played in the second game, but for the first one (UNLV vs. GT) the United Center only had a few thousand people there. It was pathetic. They made it look better on TV, but my guess is that there were only 4,000 people in the stands. How is that any different than what you're saying about the women?

College sports, more than any other sport in the country, is all about team loyalties. If you are a Tennessee fan, you stay a Tennessee fan, even if you move to Gainesville or Athens. The same isn't true of professional sports.

There's also the fact that a lot of basketball fans don't like what's happened to the men's game. Most programs (Texas, Ohio State) "rent" a player for a year so that they can be eligible for the NBA. The rare stars that do stay for four years (Orlando Tucker) are so few and far between as to not worth discussion. The men's college game has, in the past few years, become more and more like the NBA in terms of the egos and possessiveness, which has alienated a lot of my friends here in Chicago. I've heard more than one OSU fan say that they hope for a title this year because next year they (the fan) won't really care because they'll suck so much with Oden gone.

And women's soccer?! Please, the men's game can barely hang on and it doesn't have the stigma that athletes with vaginas have to overcome to make an impression.

Halx · 03-21-2007, 08:10 PM

I could really care less about women's basketball. The best thing to ever happen to the sport was that WNBS dunk a few years ago, but nothing has happened since. There is just nothing going on with the sport that I want to watch.

Astrocloud · 03-21-2007, 10:01 PM

I hate to admit it but about 10 years ago I was masturbating and didn't have the internet...

I jacked off while watching women's basketball.

Bacon Symphony · 03-21-2007, 10:11 PM

Back in high school, I used to score keep for the women's basketball team. It was really interesting to watch, and was the main reason I even got into basketball. Now, I can only watch the Spurs play... women's basketball basically bores me.

Eweser · 03-22-2007, 07:02 AM

Granted I quit watching the men's basketball tournament after a few games of the first round, so maybe I'm just not seeing the commercials or maybe I live in the wrong state (even though the OU Lady Sooners are still doing good), but I don't see that the women are getting any more attention than the men's games are. I can't seem to find a Yahoo! Pick 'Em bracket for women's basketball. As a woman, I'm glad to see that women's sports are finally getting some attention. Having a younger sister and nieces, I'm encouraged to find that, if they want, they could enjoy the same benefits my nephew might.

I most certainly don't want to start a war or anything, but I just want to say that the opening sentence immediately gave me a knee jerk reaction. Maybe being a woman, I automatically (and incorrectly) sense from that sentence that women's sports shouldn't be treated the same as men. I would rather like to think that the reason women's basketball is getting a lot of attention is because it has been shown to make money for television and all involved with the spurt of popularity it has found in the past few years.

SSJTWIZTA · 04-02-2007, 01:11 AM

I think Women's b-ball kicks the shit out of mens, for some reason its funner to watch...i wonder why

im kind of disapointed that the lady tar-heels lost the game tonight, oh well.

Nimetic · 04-07-2007, 03:23 PM

Here in Aust, they show womens netball.

There's not really a male equivalent to netball.

I guess that the audience is mostly female. Thing is though - the netballers have a much nicer costume than (female) basketballers. They have a little skirt. It's much more sexy than shorts or the lycra suits that Aust woman basketballers wear.

I could watch netball for the legs. After a few moments though I'll start figuring the scores, players and strategies out somewhat. I think it's got some potential. In either case - they don't need guys to watch. If enough women showed an interest, that'd be an audience worth having advertising-wise.

03-20-2007, 02:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
member 122194 Upright Location: Franklin, TN, USA	Thoughts on Women's Basketball Women's college basketball is being shoved down our throats in the name of gender equality. Nothing new there, this has been happening for years. But the question is why? Why basketball? Is it because, of all the non-revenue sports, it is the only one where a few of the elite programs are actually able to break even? More likely it's because TV ratings are edging up as a result of all the promotion and the force-fed idea that this is something on par with the men's event. Thousands and thousands of empty seats at home games and they have to fly across the country to play at neutral venues? Crazy. I'm all for the ladies getting attention when they play. In fairness, I think ESPN is more or less doing the same thing with softball that it has done with hoops. I personally think gymnastics, soccer and volleyball are a lot more deserving of attention among the sports girls play than basketball is. Soccer, in particular, is the women's sport of the future. It's what the best female athletes are getting into, both in the U.S. and all over the world. Will it ever get any kind of a TV following? Probably not, because it doesn't have a men's equivalent it can piggyback on in this country.

03-20-2007, 03:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	See, now I absolutely disagree. And I'm from Tennessee too, arguably the epicenter of women's basketball. Women's basketball is not being shoved down anyone's throat, IMO. There's a big fan base for the game, at least on the college level. Until very recently, the UT women consistently outdrew the men. The year after I graduated from college (not UT, BTW), some friends and I went to a men's game and were the only ones in our section in the lower level. We went to a women's game (albeit against Louisiana - Monroe who was still sort of a powerhouse) and it was almost sold out. You mentioned the NCAA's - I was at the opening round on Friday in Chicago, which is the 3rd or 4th largest city in the US, depending on how you measure. Wisconsin played in the second game, but for the first one (UNLV vs. GT) the United Center only had a few thousand people there. It was pathetic. They made it look better on TV, but my guess is that there were only 4,000 people in the stands. How is that any different than what you're saying about the women? College sports, more than any other sport in the country, is all about team loyalties. If you are a Tennessee fan, you stay a Tennessee fan, even if you move to Gainesville or Athens. The same isn't true of professional sports. There's also the fact that a lot of basketball fans don't like what's happened to the men's game. Most programs (Texas, Ohio State) "rent" a player for a year so that they can be eligible for the NBA. The rare stars that do stay for four years (Orlando Tucker) are so few and far between as to not worth discussion. The men's college game has, in the past few years, become more and more like the NBA in terms of the egos and possessiveness, which has alienated a lot of my friends here in Chicago. I've heard more than one OSU fan say that they hope for a title this year because next year they (the fan) won't really care because they'll suck so much with Oden gone. And women's soccer?! Please, the men's game can barely hang on and it doesn't have the stigma that athletes with vaginas have to overcome to make an impression. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

03-21-2007, 08:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I could really care less about women's basketball. The best thing to ever happen to the sport was that WNBS dunk a few years ago, but nothing has happened since. There is just nothing going on with the sport that I want to watch. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

03-21-2007, 10:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bacon Symphony Upright Location: California	Back in high school, I used to score keep for the women's basketball team. It was really interesting to watch, and was the main reason I even got into basketball. Now, I can only watch the Spurs play... women's basketball basically bores me. __________________ I molested myself last night. I said 'no,' but I knew I wanted it.

03-22-2007, 07:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
Eweser Psycho Location: O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A	Granted I quit watching the men's basketball tournament after a few games of the first round, so maybe I'm just not seeing the commercials or maybe I live in the wrong state (even though the OU Lady Sooners are still doing good), but I don't see that the women are getting any more attention than the men's games are. I can't seem to find a Yahoo! Pick 'Em bracket for women's basketball. As a woman, I'm glad to see that women's sports are finally getting some attention. Having a younger sister and nieces, I'm encouraged to find that, if they want, they could enjoy the same benefits my nephew might. I most certainly don't want to start a war or anything, but I just want to say that the opening sentence immediately gave me a knee jerk reaction. Maybe being a woman, I automatically (and incorrectly) sense from that sentence that women's sports shouldn't be treated the same as men. I would rather like to think that the reason women's basketball is getting a lot of attention is because it has been shown to make money for television and all involved with the spurt of popularity it has found in the past few years. __________________ "Whoever wrote this episode should die!"

03-21-2007, 10:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
Astrocloud Apocalypse Nerd	I hate to admit it but about 10 years ago I was masturbating and didn't have the internet... I jacked off while watching women's basketball.

04-02-2007, 01:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
SSJTWIZTA Master Thief. Master Criminal. Masturbator. Location: Windiwana	I think Women's b-ball kicks the shit out of mens, for some reason its funner to watch...i wonder why im kind of disapointed that the lady tar-heels lost the game tonight, oh well. __________________ First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me. -Pastor Martin Niemoller

04-07-2007, 03:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	Here in Aust, they show womens netball. There's not really a male equivalent to netball. I guess that the audience is mostly female. Thing is though - the netballers have a much nicer costume than (female) basketballers. They have a little skirt. It's much more sexy than shorts or the lycra suits that Aust woman basketballers wear. I could watch netball for the legs. After a few moments though I'll start figuring the scores, players and strategies out somewhat. I think it's got some potential. In either case - they don't need guys to watch. If enough women showed an interest, that'd be an audience worth having advertising-wise.