Sad Reality Of The WNBA and Its Wage Gap

[SVCBeercats]

 

[Biff]

Although this guy did hit on a number of valid metrics and issues regarding the pay issue, his bias and personal attitude caused him to lose credibility and any semblance of objective argument.

"...because all of them say they want equality but don't actually want he responsibility of being a man" Oh my.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Frankly, the public image and attraction of the WNBA is hurt by those who want to constantly pound the drum. It is a downer.

 

[Cuango]

Truth hurts! Call me when they don’t need to be supported by millions of outside dollars!

 

[Wally East]

If you're making a video about women and your first quote is from Bill Simmons, your credibility immediately goes to zero. It drops lower when you then go on to say there's no wage gap in this country.

 

[SVCBeercats]

If you're making a video about women and your first quote is from Bill Simmons, your credibility immediately goes to zero. It drops lower when you then go on to say there's no wage gap in this country.

Not true. Consider the facts he quotes. Perhaps the reader is lacking credibility. Bottom line the WNBA players may play basketball the same as the men but their product has little demand because the don't deliver like men from an entertainment perspective which is what people are all about these days. It is like comparing an Oscar winning movie with a "B" movie.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

This is absolutely disgusting and should be taken down. The numbers are dishonest, deliberately misleading, the quotes out of context and most from years ago. But the worst thing about this video only becomes apparent nearly halfway in: it is a sexist and homophobic diatribe. The sexist language unfolds after the mid-point, and the narrator blames women for not being men. And then there is the anti-Gay hatred that also unfolds near the end.

Disgusting. Take it down.

 

[Wally East]

This is absolutely disgusting and should be taken down. The numbers are dishonest, deliberately misleading, the quotes out of context and most from years ago. But the worst thing about this video only becomes apparent nearly halfway in: it is a sexist and homophobic diatribe. The sexist language unfolds after the mid-point, and the narrator blames women for not being men. And then there is the anti-Gay hatred that also unfolds near the end.

Disgusting. Take it down.

I'm glad I hit stop after just a couple minutes.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Obviously the guy is not a WNBA fan, but outside of the 98% thing it's hard to disagree with the things he was saying and the stats he quoted. Much of the same has been discussed here and in other forums.

However, better to debate the issues raised than to shout it down. There's too much of that going on as it is.

 

[Wally East]

Obviously the guy is not a WNBA fan, but outside of the 98% thing it's hard to disagree with the things he was saying and the stats he quoted. Much of the same has been discussed here and in other forums.

However, better to debate the issues raised than to shout it down. There's too much of that going on as it is.

It's hard to disagree with the fact that there's a gender-based pay gap? REALLY? It's there regardless of how you slice the data, including when comparing men and women in the same occupations.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Sigh. No. Bill Simmons is a turd. Warren Farrell is a turd.
This is a video I would expect to appear on men's rights site, not a site about UConn women's basketball.

Why? You don't want to deal with the reality of WNBA's situation? Women's basketball is a minor sport and after 20 years it probably will remain a minor sport. Why don't more people watch the WNBA? They don't about it or they simply don't care about it? Why pay to see a product that is not as entertaining a watching a couple of very good high school boys teams? Especially when you know either one the boys teams would beat any WNBA team.

 

[Wally East]

Why pay to see a product that is not as entertaining a watching a couple of very good high school boys teams?

You're looking for a sympathetic audience for this opinion on a UConn women's basketball forum. Are you serious?

In any event, the video is dumb and beyond dumb, as Fairfield Fan points out above, and, therefore, is not worth engaging with.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Why? You don't want to deal with the reality of WNBA's situation? Women's basketball is a minor sport and after 20 years it probably will remain a minor sport. Why don't more people watch the WNBA? They don't about it or they simply don't care about it? Why pay to see a product that is not as entertaining a watching a couple of very good high school boys teams? Especially when you know either one the boys teams would beat any WNBA team.

First, the reason this should be taken down is the blatant sexism and homophobia. If you go through this, the guy (the source of this video isn't revealed) goes on at length about the comparative weakness of women compared with men, which to him means that no one should be watching women's sports, and that women are just inferior. And he goes on at length about accusations that over 90% of WNBA athletes are gay and that there is a "culture" of hostility to straight women, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

The smallest objection is that the quotes are from years ago, the "facts" are not facts, but conjecture, and he, like the league, fails or refuses to get the true figures for profitability. The quotes about the subsidizes are from years ago. And not once does this sexist clown bother to compare the profitability of overseas leagues with the WNBA. Doesn't even mention that there are women's leagues overseas.

No, this is all about an attempt to prove that since women aren't as strong as men, that their leagues are inferior and not worth watching. And he goes from that to accusations of a gay "culture" and hostility to straight women.

Again, this is the sort of sexist and homophobic garbage that has no place on this site. It needs to be taken down now.

 

[Vowelguy]

No sane person believes the WNBA should pay the same as NBA, regardless of what a few W players have said. Doing a video suggesting otherwise is a waste of time.

W players have raised a question thought about whether they are being compensated fairly relative to revenue. Because the NBA had kept figures hidden, the answer to that has been unclear. Though there does not seem strong evidence of underpayment.

That said, the W had a great season with great ratings, so there's something to build on and perhaps it has turned a corner?

 

[Wally East]

Why do I believe a really good high school boys team would dominate an WNBA team?

That's not an issue. What is an issue is why you think that matters. Why would anyone watch college sports when pro sports already exist? The worst pro team would easily beat the best pro team in any sport. So, if you only care about watching the world's best athletes in whatever sport, you would never watch college athletics.

 

[CocoHusky]

Try discussing the facts intelligently instead of emotionally. The fact that the WNBA has chosen to be social warriors instead of an entertainment endeavor is a large part of its failure. People just want to watch a basketball game pure and simple. The only hope the WNBA has to survive and have the players receive large paychecks is to emulate the foreign leagues, the PGA, LPGA, ATP, and the WTA (maybe Roller Ball as well). They need to find corporate sponsors to underwrite the league and each team. The WNBA needs owners with seriously deep pockets to underwrite their social charity. There are many liberal business organizations which are loaded with billions in cash. Typically they will be high tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, etc. who are not sexist and homophobic. Even you would agree to this. Liberal billionaires are another source for sponsors. Call George Soros; see if he will cough up the cash. They have more cash than projects for investment. I am sure they would be happy to be charitable to such a worthy cause as the WNBA. Anything else will result in either status quo or failure. The players will be making a big bucks, however, they will still play in front of small audiences and a small viewership. But they won't care because they don't care today when the play in near empty arenas in the foreign countries. There WNBA problem solved! You're welcome!!!

"The WNBA has chosen to be social warriors instead of an entertainment endeavor is a large part of its failure" is not a fact. Neither is much of what follows in your post. Strong opinions no doubt, but far from facts.
Speaking of opinions a couple clarifying questions.
What worthwhile award (reward?) would you give to a HS boys team that can beat an WNBA team?
What would be the point of comparing overseas basketball league profitability to WNBA profitability?
Some keep asking for WNBA books to be made available with the clear implication being that profitability is there. Why are we so sure of this when the attendance and rating numbers tell us the opposite?

 

[SVCBeercats]

***

"The WNBA has chosen to be social warriors instead of an entertainment endeavor is a large part of its failure" is not a fact. How do you know this to be true? Neither is much of what follows in your post. Strong opinions no doubt, but far from facts.
Speaking of opinions a couple clarifying questions.
What worthwhile award (reward?) would you give to a HS boys team that can beat an WNBA team? None, other than the simple satisfaction one gets from winning any sporting competition. Why is this a question? By the way the WNBA players want paid like the NBA players because they do the same job. My point is if you can't beat a high school boys team then you are not doing the job to the same level and don't deserve the same level of income. Now I like team basketball which for the most part is what the WNBA delivers. But the in today's American market fans want flash cadilliac oohhh aaahhh entertainment which is lacking in the WNBA compared to the NBA. There is a reason ESPN is ENTERTAINMENT and Sports Programming Network.
What would be the point of comparing overseas basketball league profitability to WNBA profitability? Only to point out neither is profitable. Both are subsidized but the WNBA is subsidized to a lesser degree. I don't believe the WNBA will ever be profitable. It has failed for 20 years. The NBA treats it like a charity. So accept this and seek "deep pockets" so the women can earn the money they think they deserve.
Some keep asking for WNBA books to be made available with the clear implication being that profitability is there-are why are we so sure of this when the attendance and rating numbers tell us the opposite? Please provide the number for attendance and viewership and how they show the WNBA is profitable. Actually I'll challenge you to do so. If you can't then you must stop saying the WNBA is profitable.​

 

[CocoHusky]

"The WNBA has chosen to be social warriors instead of an entertainment endeavor is a large part of its failure" is not a fact. How do you know this to be true?.
​

The red is neither helpful to my eye sight nor supportive of you making a point.
Question: How do you know this to be true?.
A: Facts are verifiable and or quantifiable. Your statement is neither. For starters you would have to prove that the WNBA (as an entity) chose social activism over entertainment. Individual players in the WNBA are socially active but that is never a decision that the WNBA (as an entity) would or has ever made. Recall that the WNBA initial fined players over the Black lives matter stance and subsequently rescinded the fines. Secondly you would need to quantify the word "large" as you have used it. The we would have to add up all the causes of "failure" of the WNBA. Wait, what I'm saying! The WNBA has not "failed" yet so you would have to also quantify "fail" first.
​

 

[TitleTown]

If you're making a video about women and your first quote is from Bill Simmons, your credibility immediately goes to zero. It drops lower when you then go on to say there's no wage gap in this country.

There isn't.

 

[Wally East]

There isn't.

Thanks for offering a fact-filled post.

Here's a basic explainer, Fortune.

Here's a great graphic showing the breakdown in the 20 most common occupations for women.

Good grief. How do people support a women's basketball team and at the same time not support women? Is it really possible to disassociate the team you're rooting for from the players that make up that team?