The WNBA made headlines when it scored an 'A' on its Racial and Gender Report Card issued by UCF's Institute for Diversity and Ethics. The grade earned the league the distinction of being professional sports' leader in gender and racial diversity.
The league made headlines again when Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment TV, became part owner of the group that purchased the Washington Mystics. Johnson, who holds a 5- 10 percent stake in Lincoln Holdings LLC, will hold the Mystics titles team president and managing partner, and represent the team at board of governors meetings. The WNBA's website leads the story with a picture of Johnson being welcomed by President Donna Orender and NBA commissioner David Stern under a headline that reads, 'History in Washington'.
Greg Wyshynski of SportsFan Magazine is not impressed. In his editorial titled 'The Jester’s Quart: WNBA Action? Affirmative' , Wyshynski writes 'Sheila Johnson is as qualified as anyone to join the Millionaires Social Club that is professional sports ownership. But it’s absolutely laughable that her taking over the Mystics is seen as some sort of historical benchmark for minorities in sports...
'Coaches and players can cry racism and sexism because their jobs are in the hands of people who might dick them over because of their race or their sex. But owners? Are you telling me that if a black woman knocked on Gary Bettman’s door and offered $100 million for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, he’d turn her down..? Are you telling me that if Oprah wanted to buy the Chicago Bears, the NFL is telling her to go read a book instead? Money talks, and these leagues are willing to listen to anyone that has it.'
'Was there ever an outcry that the WNBA’s ownership simply wasn’t diverse enough?' he continues. 'I don’t recall that crisis ever rising to the level of, say, having one (female) African-American head coach in a 14-team women’s basketball league. But then again, that doesn’t appear to be a crisis either.'
Sound familiar? Not too long ago Kevin Brown set the table for Wyshynski in a Full Court Press story called 'Is Race a Factor for WNBA coaches?' 'As it stands now', Brown concluded, 'the WNBA's track record on the hiring and retention of black coaches is bordering on the unacceptable. It will be better if the league can make some subtle changes now rather than having to make drastic ones later.'
The league made headlines again when Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment TV, became part owner of the group that purchased the Washington Mystics. Johnson, who holds a 5- 10 percent stake in Lincoln Holdings LLC, will hold the Mystics titles team president and managing partner, and represent the team at board of governors meetings. The WNBA's website leads the story with a picture of Johnson being welcomed by President Donna Orender and NBA commissioner David Stern under a headline that reads, 'History in Washington'.
Greg Wyshynski of SportsFan Magazine is not impressed. In his editorial titled 'The Jester’s Quart: WNBA Action? Affirmative' , Wyshynski writes 'Sheila Johnson is as qualified as anyone to join the Millionaires Social Club that is professional sports ownership. But it’s absolutely laughable that her taking over the Mystics is seen as some sort of historical benchmark for minorities in sports...
'Coaches and players can cry racism and sexism because their jobs are in the hands of people who might dick them over because of their race or their sex. But owners? Are you telling me that if a black woman knocked on Gary Bettman’s door and offered $100 million for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, he’d turn her down..? Are you telling me that if Oprah wanted to buy the Chicago Bears, the NFL is telling her to go read a book instead? Money talks, and these leagues are willing to listen to anyone that has it.'
'Was there ever an outcry that the WNBA’s ownership simply wasn’t diverse enough?' he continues. 'I don’t recall that crisis ever rising to the level of, say, having one (female) African-American head coach in a 14-team women’s basketball league. But then again, that doesn’t appear to be a crisis either.'
Sound familiar? Not too long ago Kevin Brown set the table for Wyshynski in a Full Court Press story called 'Is Race a Factor for WNBA coaches?' 'As it stands now', Brown concluded, 'the WNBA's track record on the hiring and retention of black coaches is bordering on the unacceptable. It will be better if the league can make some subtle changes now rather than having to make drastic ones later.'
posted by Jo at 1:48 PM
