Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: AZGiantFan on June 10, 2024, 05:23:28 PMI have no dog in this hunt because I don't follow women's basketball and don't plan to.  But I will say that it's bad optics.  No one but the hardest core fans of women's basketball has heard of any of the players on the team, while even the casual sports fans have heard of Clark.  Apparently the women's team has been dominant for 30 years but they've gotten very little attention.  Now they'll get attention but it will be because all the media will want to talk about is Clark not being there, not the players on the team or the team's performances.  It's not about putting butts in the seats in Paris, it's about growing interest in women's basketball, and from that perspective they completely blew it, IMO.

No, the bad optic is putting her on the team over someone more deserving because of the media hype that will come along.  Should she automatically be a starter because people will pay to see her?

Brittney Griner should not be representing this country. Having said that, how do you not put the one player who actually is promoting interest in woman's basketball on the team?? Clark should be on the team

Quote from: coggs on June 11, 2024, 07:33:40 AMNo, the bad optic is putting her on the team over someone more deserving because of the media hype that will come along.  Should she automatically be a starter because people will pay to see her?

I understand that this is the basketball purist view, but I think it is shortsighted.  With all of the difficulty that the WNBA has had in gaining any traction for over 20 years I think they should take every advantage of this burst of attention and popularity that Clark has created.  And I didn't say she should be a starter, but any basketball advantage they might lose between her and whoever's in the 12th roster spot is massively outweighed by the attention she would bring women's basketball.

I think there's an assumption folks are making that the WNBA had any input or impact on the selection process/committee.  Is there any truth to that or did USA Basketball make the call? 

It's one thing if the WNBA turned Clark down (dumb business move), quite another if USA Basketball turned Clark down (smart basketball move).

If anyone thinks that if this woman's team wins a gold medal it will do anything for women's basketball, then they are dead wrong. BUT, put a player like Clark on that team and all of a sudden people will tune in just to see her play. Not having the best thing to happen to the WNBA since its existence, on this team, no matter how the team does, is the most foolish thing that could happen. Who will remember any of the players on this team a day after the Olympics? Not having Clark on this team assures that.
Really stupid, stupid, stupid especially for a league that is struggling for recognition.

Quote from: LennG on June 11, 2024, 07:57:44 PMIf anyone thinks that if this woman's team wins a gold medal it will do anything for women's basketball, then they are dead wrong. BUT, put a player like Clark on that team and all of a sudden people will tune in just to see her play. Not having the best thing to happen to the WNBA since its existence, on this team, no matter how the team does, is the most foolish thing that could happen. Who will remember any of the players on this team a day after the Olympics? Not having Clark on this team assures that.
Really stupid, stupid, stupid especially for a league that is struggling for recognition.

Why do you think people are watching?  What is new demographic now watching the WNBA?

Quote from: PSUBeirut on June 11, 2024, 07:31:56 PMI think there's an assumption folks are making that the WNBA had any input or impact on the selection process/committee.  Is there any truth to that or did USA Basketball make the call? 

It's one thing if the WNBA turned Clark down (dumb business move), quite another if USA Basketball turned Clark down (smart basketball move).

I don't think it matters who did it.  They should both be doing what they can to promote women's basketball,no?  To that end they should be acting cooperatively, IMO.  And considering that the women's national team is 70-3 in Olympic play and hasn't lost an Olympic game in over 30 years it isn't very likely that putting her on the team would cost them the gold - which considerably weakens the basketball purist position.

Quote from: LennG on June 11, 2024, 07:57:44 PMIf anyone thinks that if this woman's team wins a gold medal it will do anything for women's basketball, then they are dead wrong. BUT, put a player like Clark on that team and all of a sudden people will tune in just to see her play. Not having the best thing to happen to the WNBA since its existence, on this team, no matter how the team does, is the most foolish thing that could happen. Who will remember any of the players on this team a day after the Olympics? Not having Clark on this team assures that.
Really stupid, stupid, stupid especially for a league that is struggling for recognition.

Winning the gold in the last 7 Olympics hasn't done much for women's basketball.

Quote from: Philosophers on June 11, 2024, 09:16:40 PMWhy do you think people are watching?  What is new demographic now watching the WNBA?

Casual sports fans that didn't even have women's basketball on their radar screen until Clark came along, IMO. I doubt many of them could name 3 other players on the Olympic roster.

Are people saying that she doesn't deserve to be on the team but she should be put on for the good of the league?  Or, are they saying she should be on the team based on her performance And for the good of the league?

I know nothing about the WNBA and very little about Clark. Just asking

Quote from: AZGiantFan on June 11, 2024, 10:00:07 PMCasual sports fans that didn't even have women's basketball on their radar screen until Clark came along, IMO. I doubt many of them could name 3 other players on the Olympic roster.

What is the demographic?  Black?  White?  Old? Young? Higher Income?  Lower Income?

It's coming from somewhere.

Quote from: Philosophers on June 11, 2024, 09:16:40 PMWhy do you think people are watching?  What is new demographic now watching the WNBA?

Caitlin Clark Sells Out 20,356-seat Capital One Arena in 30 Minutes
https://www.bing.com/search?q=clark+sells+out+arena+in+a+meaningless+basketball+game&form=ANNTH1&refig=e12bde9fd70748f0ae1dac86b48fda55&pc=HCTS

Women's basketball fans simply can't get enough of Caitlin Clark. That's been the case for the past two years. And the former Iowa superstar has continued to smash attendance records all across the WNBA in her rookie campaign. Ahead of the Fever's matchup with the Washington Mystics in Washington, DC, the game was moved to Capital One Arena, which has 16,000 more seats than their normal 4,200 arena.

The game was still sold out and tickets were snapped up in a matter of 30 minutes. Here's a look at the sold-out Capital One Arena on Friday evening.

In another meaningless game between to bottom feeders, but one of them had Clark on their team, and the game was sold out.

Do you think having anyone other than Clark on the Olympic team will ever do that?

If the league wants to succeed, they should insist she be put on the team.

Quote from: LennG on June 12, 2024, 11:22:14 AMCaitlin Clark Sells Out 20,356-seat Capital One Arena in 30 Minutes
https://www.bing.com/search?q=clark+sells+out+arena+in+a+meaningless+basketball+game&form=ANNTH1&refig=e12bde9fd70748f0ae1dac86b48fda55&pc=HCTS

Women's basketball fans simply can't get enough of Caitlin Clark. That's been the case for the past two years. And the former Iowa superstar has continued to smash attendance records all across the WNBA in her rookie campaign. Ahead of the Fever's matchup with the Washington Mystics in Washington, DC, the game was moved to Capital One Arena, which has 16,000 more seats than their normal 4,200 arena.

The game was still sold out and tickets were snapped up in a matter of 30 minutes. Here's a look at the sold-out Capital One Arena on Friday evening.

In another meaningless game between to bottom feeders, but one of them had Clark on their team, and the game was sold out.

Do you think having anyone other than Clark on the Olympic team will ever do that?

If the league wants to succeed, they should insist she be put on the team.

Again who?

Quote from: Philosophers on June 12, 2024, 10:24:17 AMWhat is the demographic?  Black?  White?  Old? Young? Higher Income?  Lower Income?

It's coming from somewhere.

Why don't you just make the point you seem to keep hinting at?

Quote from: Philosophers on June 12, 2024, 10:24:17 AMWhat is the demographic?  Black?  White?  Old? Young? Higher Income?  Lower Income?

It's coming from somewhere.

 I surely do not want to bring race into this, but I just can't help thinking many people, probably mostly white fans, are ecstatic that they have a white superstar in the making. Maybe I am wrong here, but why is it that now a young white very talented lady has taken the country by storm?