Tonight Is A Ball Night: Today kicks off the 28th season of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
And as The Athletic (which I read every morning over tea) is reporting: “Welcome to a new season in the WNBA — and a new era for the league.”
Indeed. Only…I won’t be a part of the proceedings.
The WNBA is like MLB…it’s always there but it doesn’t capture my attention. I can name like 5…baseball players?
About the same for WNBA players. But names are all I got, I don’t know positions or if they’re any good etc.
Caitlin Clark hasn’t shifted my position; I’m sure she’ll be fine but I won’t be watching. She’s tasked with the same hard responsibilities as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan: to grow the game and convert strangers into devoted fans (well: fan$.).
Caitlin Clark’s their tipping point…we don’t get Jordan if Bird and Magic fail to stabilize the league. (The 1982 Finals were the first time all of the games were broadcast live on TV and not on tape delay. That’s in our lifetime…that’s not an obscure 1950s Bill Russell stat.)
I do watch Basketball Africa League games; I’ve seen full BAL games (working from home helps). Never watched a whole WNBA game just highlights here and there. Watched even less of the Canadian Elite Basketball League: go Scarborough Shooting Stars!
It’s not even a stance, it’s just eh…not for me. NBA Playoffs are fun right now…by making one choice it isn’t a commentary on everything else. Pop culture is a menu where everyone gets to choose what they are hungry for; so go with your cravings.
That’s why I compared the WNBA to MLB…if you dig MLB games…have a blast. Enjoy it.
I tried to enjoy an MLB game recently. About a month ago on April 15, 2024…I had a strange experience: for the first time in over 25 years I attended a baseball game!
The Toronto Blue Jays vs the New York Yankees.
I’m an NBA dude: I’ve seen Lakers in LA (Kobe!), plus ball games in Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis…a few other arenas. I’m a round like a basketball.
Still, even with my identity locked in: I’ll step outta my sports comfort zone. I’ve seen an NFL game (in 2022) and 4 March Madness games (in 2017).
(One time actor Michael Rapaport gave me free tickets to Ice Cube’s Big3 and that turned out to be a lot of fun. Thanks, famous guy.)
“If you build it, he will come…” has never applied to me.
Going in I was concerned about sitting through 9 innings. (I lasted about 3 and a half, 4-ish innings then my attention span was entirely finished. In basketball, even if a player bricks a shot the next time they get the ball they could dunk or shoot a deep three. Baseball lacks that action movie anticipation, some games/some days a batter just won’t have it. Which is fine…it’s a long season but in the moment it’s boring.)
Going in I couldn’t name any of the players; I didn’t understand the game within the game…my ignorance was so broad I was only qualified to review the hot dog.
However, there’s one baseball aspect I find appealing: I grew up watching Bruce Lee, an endless concert of ’80s action movies brimming with ruckus.
Baseball is 9 against 1…1 dude shows up with a bat and instantly takes on 9 thick dudes. Oh I relish action movie odds like that. That’s John Wick…that makes total sense to me.
That was it for me though. No more MLB. I’m back to the NBA.
And I’ll check out some NFL games (another game like baseball I don’t fully understand.). It’s a simple yet wonderful sports life.
-28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
