WNBA discussion thread?

#1,602
#1,602
VolBall09 said:
Manufactured numbers. Nobody is watching. League is tanking at an alarming rate. One year ago everywhere you went games were being played in bars, people were talking about it at Walmart, at the doctor, wearing jerseys.

That’s all stopped. Full stop.
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LMAO.. Again, you are talking about something you know nothing about. Are you near a W city, have you ever been to a W game, have you been in bars prior to a W game in the area? If you haven't experienced any of that then you are just giving lip service. All your info, just as it is with college basketball, comes from opinions of others, and you have no firsthand experience in this matter. The bars are raucous, the fans are raucous, the only problem is the officiating. Fix that, and the league will continue to thrive. New stars from Kaitlin to Paige are invigorating the league, and every year now the rookies are getting better, and the games are getting better. They are not in trouble, but of course you may change your opinion if they end up putting a team in Nashville.
 
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#1,603
#1,603
All I want to add is yes that views are up in WNBA this season but if they lockout over this CBA contract and loss anytime next season you will see the same effects as MLB had in 1994... Be careful, I know the ladies want paid but to what extreme do you sacrifice the fans ,, that the league are just now starting to get ...
 
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#1,604
#1,604
knoxvol52 said:
All I want to add is yes that views are up in WNBA this season but if they lockout over this CBA contract and loss anytime next season you will see the same effects as MLB had in 1994... Be careful, I know the ladies want paid but to what extreme do you sacrifice the fans ,, that the league are just now starting to get ...
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exactly,,,negotiations are better done on a business table,,,not, on a "court"
 
#1,605
#1,605
I'm also worried a lockout would hurt the league, as I suspect even the most rabid fans might secretly be thinking the players may be gettin' a little too big for their britches in making what they also are secretly thinking are unrealistic demands.

I'm not saying that's how *I* feel about any of it, but is the feeling I get through conversations with others. And it's often in what they're saying between the lines. Fair or not, men (in any profession) who demand to be paid what they're worth is seen as smart and strong, but when women do it -- not so much. Women are perceived as being "greedy" and ridiculous in some circles for even bringing it up.
 
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#1,606
#1,606
lvocd said:
I'm also worried a lockout would hurt the league, as I suspect even the most rabid fans might secretly be thinking the players may be gettin' a little too big for their britches in making what they also are secretly thinking are unrealistic demands.

I'm not saying that's how *I* feel about any of it, but is the feeling I get through conversations with others. And it's often in what they're saying between the lines. Fair or not, men (in any profession) who demand to be paid what they're worth is seen as smart and strong, but when women do it -- not so much. Women are perceived as being "greedy" and ridiculous in some circles for even bringing it up.
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I think that is probably the cultural perception but that should not tie the players' hands. In a labor dispute (and pro sports is one of the few work domains where unions still have power), striking is the "workers" most powerful card to play against "management."

Why is it all up to the players/workers to make sacrifices in order to protect the PR gains the league has made when the owners also have a vested interest? We have all been conditioned to take the billionaires side in labor disputes but it is a two way street. Why is "management" against an equitable union contract (i.e., CBA)?
 
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#1,607
#1,607
lvocd said:
I'm also worried a lockout would hurt the league, as I suspect even the most rabid fans might secretly be thinking the players may be gettin' a little too big for their britches in making what they also are secretly thinking are unrealistic demands.

I'm not saying that's how *I* feel about any of it, but is the feeling I get through conversations with others. And it's often in what they're saying between the lines. Fair or not, men (in any profession) who demand to be paid what they're worth is seen as smart and strong, but when women do it -- not so much. Women are perceived as being "greedy" and ridiculous in some circles for even bringing it up.
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There really are some great articles out there. The WNBPA has hired a philanthropic economist. It may have been referenced here. Playing along with the old norms and BS tactics is just tired. Pay them and it will grow. Slaying some of these BS tropes Will help too. As avid fans of college ball even if you don’t watch the W, it’d seem we should be wanting these ladies to have the opportunity to play here professionally. But so many on this board are also conditioned in the apathy. It has amazed me for years, that Tennessee has possibly, according to advanced stats produced the 2 best players in the world ever. Yet so very few here even seem to care, let alone argue against theConnies claims that their players are the best ever.
 
#1,608
#1,608
knoxvol52 said:
All I want to add is yes that views are up in WNBA this season but if they lockout over this CBA contract and loss anytime next season you will see the same effects as MLB had in 1994... Be careful, I know the ladies want paid but to what extreme do you sacrifice the fans ,, that the league are just now starting to get ...
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Flip side is that there is no better time to push for labor equity than when the "owners" also run the risk of losing a growing fan base and projected profits. Essentially, you are saying to auto union workers in 1936, don't strike for collective bargaining rights because car sales are going up and you can't jeopardize consumers who are getting more interested in owning cars.

The 1994 baseball strike is an interesting comparison case. Here is an AI summary:

Fans turned against players during the 1994 MLB strike because they were frustrated with both sides—the players and the wealthy owners—for fighting over money while fans were deprived of the game. The cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years was the ultimate betrayal for fans, who felt abandoned by the sport.

The "millionaires versus billionaires" mentality
  • Perceived greed: Many fans saw the strike as a squabble between millionaires (the players) and billionaires (the owners) over money, leaving them with little sympathy for either side.
  • Disregard for the fans: The public felt both sides saw them as leverage rather than as devoted supporters. This led to a widespread sense that the business of baseball was more important than the fans' passion for the game.
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In the W, the players salaries are far more modest. Average salary is 102K with the ranger being 250K (highest) to 66K (lowest).

It is in the best of interest of everyone for a strike/lockout to be avoided but the owners also bear responsibility in making these fair negotiations.
 
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#1,609
#1,609
madtownvol said:
Flip side is that there is no better time to push for labor equity than when the "owners" also run the risk of losing a growing fan base and projected profits. Essentially, you are saying to auto union workers in 1936, don't strike for collective bargaining rights because car sales are going up and you can't jeopardize consumers who are getting more interested in owning cars.

The 1994 baseball strike is an interesting comparison case. Here is an AI summary:



In the W, the players salaries are far more modest. Average salary is 102K with the ranger being 250K (highest) to 66K (lowest).

It is in the best of interest of everyone for a strike/lockout to be avoided but the owners also bear responsibility in making these fair negotiations.
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Not saying don't strike. I'm saying IF a new CBA isn't in place and agreed upon by both players and Owners and if a substantial part of next season is lost due to lockout, then the newer fans of the League will not go back... It took the Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase for breaking Maris's homerun record for a season to bring the fans the sport lost due to the 1994 strike back to the game..
 
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#1,611
#1,611
madtownvol said:
Napheesa Collier decides that she has no more blankety-blanks to give in regard to the WNBA leadership!! Gutsy as hell and this statement from one of the league's marquee players raises real question about where the current W commissioner should stay in charge.

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shawn-michaels-elbow-drop.gif
 
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#1,620
#1,620
xtpsrh08123 said:
everyone is applauding collier but how does this help negotiations ? Like at all .......
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It very likely was not aimed at the CBA negotiations at all, but at the pisspoor management
of the league, especially regarding lousy referees. If the CBA were to include player representatives on a referee supervisory panel, that would be a nice bonus.
 
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#1,621
#1,621
1reVOLver said:
It very likely was not aimed at the CBA negotiations at all, but at the pisspoor management
of the league, especially regarding lousy referees. If the CBA were to include player representatives on a referee supervisory panel, that would be a nice bonus.
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Do you think the WNBA will now negotiate in fair spirit after these comments or get more stern ? Id assume the ladder , i get Collier doesn't care about a lockout shes a superstar who plays in 2 big American leagues but for the little man and which their are MAJORITY more in the W than not this could hurt alot . If im not apart of unrivaled im pissed off about these comments lol .
 
#1,622
#1,622
xtpsrh08123 said:
Do you think the WNBA will now negotiate in fair spirit after these comments or get more stern ? Id assume the ladder , i get Collier doesn't care about a lockout shes a superstar who plays in 2 big American leagues but for the little man and which their are MAJORITY more in the W than not this could hurt alot . If im not apart of unrivaled im pissed off about these comments lol .
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🪜
 
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#1,623
#1,623
xtpsrh08123 said:
Do you think the WNBA will now negotiate in fair spirit after these comments or get more stern ? Id assume the ladder , i get Collier doesn't care about a lockout shes a superstar who plays in 2 big American leagues but for the little man and which their are MAJORITY more in the W than not this could hurt alot . If im not apart of unrivaled im pissed off about these comments lol .
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I see you are a fan of the "If we just keep quiet and obedient, maybe the people in power will decide to treat us more fairly" school of negotiating. Neville Chamberlain salutes you!!

Collins statement was brilliant and I guarantee carefully planned out. Revealing the commissioner's ludicrous comment about Caitlin Clark ensures that her statement will draw lots of attention and it makes one point abundantly clear-- the problem is not the players but out of touch and clueless management. She also drew an interesting line in the sand, "players and our great fans" versus a league office that does not care about either.

This statement puts pressure on the league to negotiate in good faith instead of their usual duplicity. Sometimes, you gotta climb that "ladder" to get what want in this world, rather that waiting for the crumbs to drop from the table on high.
 
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#1,624
#1,624
xtpsrh08123 said:
Do you think the WNBA will now negotiate in fair spirit after these comments or get more stern ? Id assume the ladder , i get Collier doesn't care about a lockout shes a superstar who plays in 2 big American leagues but for the little man and which their are MAJORITY more in the W than not this could hurt alot . If im not apart of unrivaled im pissed off about these comments lol .
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I think these comments by Ms. Collier will either (1) have no effect on the WNBA negotiation posture, or (2) alert them to the obvious fact that they have a worthy adversary. If the Commish lets it get under her skin, that will not improve her ability to bargain effectively.

Management-labor bargaining in this country is by its very nature adversarial. That one side despises the other really doesn’t have much bearing on the outcome. If the league were to fine
Collier for her statement, that would probably win her more fan support.
 
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