Michael Eric Dyson: Brittney Griner’s sentencing was so severe because she’s queer and Black

[Superbadbrutha]

She plays in the WNBA. Very few people (relatively speaking) care about the WNBA and that fact alone made Griner not very well known.

The average casual sports fan knows the names of 10-12 current NBA players off the top of their head. They have some opinion on who’s the best currently and all time. Those same people probably can’t list 5 WNBA team names let alone players. BG is far more famous now than she ever was or would have been because of her play on the court. That has zero to do with her skin color or who she’s sleeping with. It’s because womens basketball is an inferior product to men‘s so if Im a basketball fan why would I watch the inferior league? An average D3 mens basketball team would wipe the floor with the WNBA all star team.

Folks have known about Brittany since her college days, it is very rare to see a 7' woman.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

it is very rare to see a 7' woman.

Who pees standing up.

 

[Superbadbrutha]

She broke Russian law... it's as simple as that

Amazing how folks were singing a different tune when Michael Fay was going to receive 30 lashes, when he was caught in Singapore spray painting cars.

 

[Superbadbrutha]

Who pees standing up.

Damn I didn't know you watching BG pee.

 

[Couchpotato]

Folks have known about Brittany since her college days, it is very rare to see a 7' woman.

Most people were not. Even if they had heard her name before most people wouldn't have been able to tell you who she was. And she's not 7 feet tall.

 

[Couchpotato]

Amazing how folks were singing a different tune when Michael Fay was going to receive 30 lashes, when he was caught in Singapore spray painting cars.

It was 6, and he ultimately received 4 I think. People were upset. People weren't upset that BG was imprisoned? There were plenty of people who took the "he's an idiot who broke the law in a foreign country and should have to deal with those consequences" tack then as well if I recall correctly.

MICHAEL FAY GOT WHAT HE DESERVED

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

She plays in the WNBA. Very few people (relatively speaking) care about the WNBA and that fact alone made Griner not very well known.

The average casual sports fan knows the names of 10-12 current NBA players off the top of their head. They have some opinion on who’s the best currently and all time. Those same people probably can’t list 5 WNBA team names let alone players. BG is far more famous now than she ever was or would have been because of her play on the court. That has zero to do with her skin color or who she’s sleeping with. It’s because womens basketball is an inferior product to men‘s so if Im a basketball fan why would I watch the inferior league? An average D3 mens basketball team would wipe the floor with the WNBA all star team.

For argument’s sake, you must consider women’s tennis, college basketball and football, various sub-levels of sports that are highly successful. So, it really comes down to marketing.

 

[Couchpotato]

For argument’s sake, you must consider women’s tennis, college basketball and football, various sub-levels of sports that are highly successful. So, it really comes down to marketing.

People find women's tennis compelling, they dont with women's basketball that's it. That could be for any number of reasons.

Not sure where you going with the college sports? There aren't droves of people following D2 basketball, but a D2 men's basketball team would absolutely wreck a WNBA team. Most people dont really pay attention to most D1 basketball teams only the top tier programs have any real draw.

The WNBA is a losing proposition. Has been since it conception. Were it not for the NBA charity it gets each year it would have ceased to exist a decade ago.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

People find women's tennis compelling, they dont with women's basketball that's it. That could be for any number of reasons.

Not sure where you going with the college sports? There aren't droves of people following D2 basketball, but a D2 men's basketball team would absolutely wreck a WNBA team. Most people dont really pay attention to most D1 basketball teams only the top tier programs have any real draw.

The WNBA is a losing proposition. Has been since it conception. Were it not for the NBA charity it gets each year it would have ceased to exist a decade ago.

College sports are a sub-pro level of sports but they sell nearly as well and sometimes better than pro sports.

 

[Couchpotato]

College sports are a sub-pro level of sports but they sell nearly as well and sometimes better than pro sports.

Yes, but those sports are at a much higher level than pro women's basketball. Have you ever actually watched a WNBA game? It's terrible. They just aren't very good. If you are used to watching high level men's basketball, the drop in athleticism, speed, shooting, etc is tremendous from the mens to the womens game. Seriously, an average D2-D3 mens team would mop the floor with a WNBA team. It wouldnt be close. How many people are tuning in to see D2-3 basketball teams play? None that's how many.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Yes, but those sports are at a much higher level than pro women's basketball. Have you ever actually watched a WNBA game? It's terrible. They just aren't very good. If you are used to watching high level men's basketball, the drop in athleticism, speed, shooting, etc is tremendous from the mens to the womens game. Seriously, an average D2-D3 mens team would mop the floor with a WNBA team. It wouldnt be close. How many people are tuning in to see D2-3 basketball teams play? None that's how many.

I’m not arguing any of that. My point is that it is possible to market a product that is not top level. It all comes down to packaging.

 

[Couchpotato]

I’m not arguing any of that. My point is that it is possible to market a product that is not top level. It all comes down to packaging.

I guess. But the poorer the quality of the product the harder it is to market it. I dont think it's lack of promotion that's lead to the WNBA being unpopular though. They have the NBA behind them pushing it. Not sure what more a league could ask for in that regard. The NBA is wildly popular, has huge influence, and has a vested interest in the WNBA being successful.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

I guess. But the poorer the quality of the product the harder it is to market it. I dont think it's lack of promotion that's lead to the WNBA being unpopular though. They have the NBA behind them pushing it. Not sure what more a league could ask for in that regard. The NBA is wildly popular, has huge influence, and has a vested interest in the WNBA being successful.

NBA used to be a near failure. Marketing revived them.
Hockey failed on network TV for years.
WNBA could use those as examples for attaining success.
Personally, I don’t give a shit. Unless I had a specific interest as a coach or relative I wouldn’t care.

 

[Couchpotato]

NBA used to be a near failure. Marketing revived them.
Hockey failed on network TV for years.
WNBA could use those as examples for attaining success.
Personally, I don’t give a shit. Unless I had a specific interest as a coach or relative I wouldn’t care.

The NBA and NHL didn't have another wildly popular league with bottomless pockets propping them up though. The WNBA if it were a good product it had a built in fan base (the NBA fan base) to support it. They play the WNBA season when there is no other basketball being played, pro or college, as most of their season is during the summer. Still no one is watching/going to games (or at least not enough are). Sorry, but if the WNBA were going to be successful it would have been already. It will continue to exist because the NBA wont let it die, but in the end it's popularity will continue to be such that it either runs in the red or barely breaks even. Comparing the NBA in it's infancy to the WNBA and making comparisons is silly. The US/World didn't care about basketball when the NBA/ABA started, that cant be said for when the WNBA started. By the time the NBA was 26, we had Wilt, and Oscar, Jerry West, and Kareem. The NBA was well on it's way without help. It's popularity was purely based on the "product" the players and coaches put on the floor. People watched because those guys could ball. The WNBA is 26. Without looking it up name anyone in the WNBA who even approaches those guys. You cant because those individuals dont exist. Cheryl Swoops has to be the most famous WNBA player, she isnt the logo, she isnt Wilt.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

The NBA and NHL didn't have another wildly popular league with bottomless pockets propping them up though. The WNBA if it were a good product it had a built in fan base (the NBA fan base) to support it. They play the WNBA season when there is no other basketball being played, pro or college, as most of their season is during the summer. Still no one is watching/going to games (or at least not enough are). Sorry, but if the WNBA were going to be successful it would have been already. It will continue to exist because the NBA wont let it die, but in the end it's popularity will continue to be such that it either runs in the red or barely breaks even. Comparing the NBA in it's infancy to the WNBA and making comparisons is silly. The US/World didn't care about basketball when the NBA/ABA started, that cant be said for when the WNBA started. By the time the NBA was 26, we had Wilt, and Oscar, Jerry West, and Kareem. The NBA was well on it's way without help. It's popularity was purely based on the "product" the players and coaches put on the floor. People watched because those guys could ball. The WNBA is 26. Without looking it up name anyone in the WNBA who even approaches those guys. You cant because those individuals dont exist. Cheryl Swoops has to be the most famous WNBA player, she isnt the logo, she isnt Wilt.

The NBA was still a second-rate product behind baseball, football and college basketball even when those players you mentioned were playing (Kareem was Alcindor and was better known as UCLA’s center). They were known individually but the league and its version of the sport was not successful. It was (and still is, IMO) boring.

 

[Couchpotato]

The NBA was still a second-rate product behind baseball, football and college basketball even when those players you mentioned

So? I never claimed pro basketball was the most popular sport in the US.

were playing (Kareem was Alcindor and was better known as UCLA’s center). They were known individually but the league and its version of the sport was not successful. It was (and still is, IMO) boring.

Kareem was rookie of the year in 69-70 and won back to back MVPs the next 2 years. Pretty sure he was known for his play in the NBA by then.

The NBA started in 46. Turned a profit for the first time in 49. No it wasnt as popular in 72 as it is in 2023 but it wasnt a league that ran in the red for 26 straight years. That’s the point. No one expects the WNBA to be as successful as the NBA but acting like it ps not an abject failure is fantasy

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

So? I never claimed pro basketball was the most popular sport in the US.


Kareem was rookie of the year in 69-70 and won back to back MVPs the next 2 years. Pretty sure he was known for his play in the NBA by then.

The NBA started in 46. Turned a profit for the first time in 49. No it wasnt as popular in 72 as it is in 2023 but it wasnt a league that ran in the red for 26 straight years. That’s the point. No one expects the WNBA to be as successful as the NBA but acting like it ps not an abject failure is fantasy

It all comes down to marketing.

 

[Couchpotato]

It all comes down to marketing.

What marketing do you think the WNBA should be doing that it isn't? Seriously, this isn't an issue of people not knowing the WNBA exists, its an issue of them not liking the product being put on the floor by the WNBA.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

What marketing do you think the WNBA should be doing that it isn't? Seriously, this isn't an issue of people not knowing the WNBA exists, its an issue of them not liking the product being put on the floor by the WNBA.

They should take advantage of the college level rivalries and transfer that to their league much the way the NBA did with the Larry Bird/AIDS Johnson thing. The NBA revived itself at that point. Again, I don’t care for either the NBA or the WNBA. I’m just looking at how they can become successful.
NCAA basketball lost me as well with their 0:30 clock, trash rules (he’s backing him down!) and when they rendered 90% of the season irrelevant.

 

[Couchpotato]

They should take advantage of the college level rivalries and transfer that to their league much the way the NBA did with the Larry Bird/AIDS Johnson thing. The NBA revived itself at that point. Again, I don’t care for either the NBA or the WNBA. I’m just looking at how they can become successful.
NCAA basketball lost me as well with their 0:30 clock, trash rules (he’s backing him down!) and when they rendered 90% of the season irrelevant.

No one cares about women's college basketball either. The women's championship games get a 2 rating if they are doing well. By comparison the men's finals get a 14-16 typically. It's just bad basketball that no one wants to watch. That's it. It's really not any more complicated than that. How popular do you think average to above HS varsity basketball games would be on TV? That's the level of women's pro basketball.