In Ryan's column on enjoying a WNBA game, he wrote:
Building a diverse fanbase -- both male and female -- will take time. It seems to me most fans get "imprinted" early in their life. One of my earliest memories is watching football with my mom and dad. I still love football.... I'm pretty fond of baseball, because in high school I attended a Red Sox game in the Luis Tiant era... Pro basketball? Feh -- never really watched it...
Walking into the Garden in the summer of 1997 "imprinted" me like a smack upside the head... I still get goosebumps.
But, if you don't even know that women's basketball exists, it's hard for that to happen.
It's also hard for that to happen if you've learned that only boy-sports are important. And there's no denying that's still taught -- implicitly and explicity. (And I won't go in to the email exchange I had with Mr. Ryan about the missing qualifier when he wrote about Bobby Knight's victories. But he called me PC and I called him inaccurate...)
But, I'm not giving up on the male wbball fan -- especially when I look to the future and think of all those young kids attending games. They don't know "girls can't play basketball," and no, they wouldn't say that.
Case in point? Yesterday, I'm in a school hallway in NYC. Slouched on a bench outside the main office is a young boy -- maybe 4th grade-ish. Dunno if he's in trouble, but I notice he's got a Titans t-shirt on. (No, not Houston or Tennessee -- this is pro men's laccrosse.) I, of course, have to strike up a conversation...
As I walked off he gave me a wave and a huge grin.
Yup, I have hope.
The blunt truth is that most guys still maintain a vision of basketball that must include lots of dunks and high-flying maneuvers, which means they can't get into the women's game. I'm not sure that's ever going to change, although Cooper says he's seeing a slight improvement.A reminder and a response (or, an experience).
"We are starting to get some single guys in the stands," he insists. I hope he's correct.
Building a diverse fanbase -- both male and female -- will take time. It seems to me most fans get "imprinted" early in their life. One of my earliest memories is watching football with my mom and dad. I still love football.... I'm pretty fond of baseball, because in high school I attended a Red Sox game in the Luis Tiant era... Pro basketball? Feh -- never really watched it...
Walking into the Garden in the summer of 1997 "imprinted" me like a smack upside the head... I still get goosebumps.
But, if you don't even know that women's basketball exists, it's hard for that to happen.
It's also hard for that to happen if you've learned that only boy-sports are important. And there's no denying that's still taught -- implicitly and explicity. (And I won't go in to the email exchange I had with Mr. Ryan about the missing qualifier when he wrote about Bobby Knight's victories. But he called me PC and I called him inaccurate...)
But, I'm not giving up on the male wbball fan -- especially when I look to the future and think of all those young kids attending games. They don't know "girls can't play basketball," and no, they wouldn't say that.
Case in point? Yesterday, I'm in a school hallway in NYC. Slouched on a bench outside the main office is a young boy -- maybe 4th grade-ish. Dunno if he's in trouble, but I notice he's got a Titans t-shirt on. (No, not Houston or Tennessee -- this is pro men's laccrosse.) I, of course, have to strike up a conversation...
Me: Titans, huh? You're a fan?
Young boy: Love'm
Me: Cool -- I'm a fan of the Liberty. You and I are both fans of teams most people don't know exist.
Young boy: I love the Liberty, too.
Me: Rockin'!
Young boy: I thought they were going to lose that game against Minny.
Me: Me too -- but that Wiggins, she's a great player. Gotta get to class. See ya.
As I walked off he gave me a wave and a huge grin.
Yup, I have hope.
posted by Helen at 12:24 PM
