Well it's about time: March Madness added to Women's Tourney

[FEGunner]

A small step but one in the right direction.


NCAA to use 'March Madness' to help market Division I women's basketball tournament (espn.com)

 

[hoopsfan22]

Why was women's basketball not considered a part of March madness? It ran concurrently with the men's tournament with a similar format.

 

[augustaTC]

Because the NCAA is full of dolts. Particularly their president.

 

[DefenseBB]

I found this to be anti-climatic anyway. The term “March Madness” entered the eminent domain of NCAA basketball for both Men and Women a while ago. So the embarrassing fact that the NCAA was exposed that they only coined and associated it with Men was utterly idiotic and so vague in its application that the public rightly applied it to the women as well.

 

[DefenseBB]

While the abhorrent listing of the disparities between the MCBB and WCBB was apparent on this forum, so too is the huge disparity of WCBB and virtually every other NCAA sport save Football. Swag bags, exercise facilities, hotel accommodations, travel are all significantly less for all these other sports. Plus now the pay WCBB Coaches make that can’t be justified by revenue vs the other sports also is ludicrous. Save for a very few programs of which is a group of 1, UCONN, no school can justify $200k or more salaries for any staff member. But hey, it’s about title IX for just WCBB, oh wait…it isn’t it’s about all students and sports…doh!

 

[Centerstream]

I am probably wrong about this but waaaaay back, when I actually watched men's basketball, I thought that CBS coined the tournament phrase and all the tournament games were on CBS.

 

[clbabson]

While the abhorrent listing of the disparities between the MCBB and WCBB was apparent on this forum, so too is the huge disparity of WCBB and virtually every other NCAA sport save Football. Swag bags, exercise facilities, hotel accommodations, travel are all significantly less for all these other sports. Plus now the pay WCBB Coaches make that can’t be justified by revenue vs the other sports also is ludicrous. Save for a very few programs of which is a group of 1, UCONN, no school can justify $200k or more salaries for any staff member. But hey, it’s about title IX for just WCBB, oh wait…it isn’t it’s about all students and sports…doh!

I find your narrative dismissive and honestly, overly dramatic about what seems to be a gripe with Title IX? First, the comparison to other sports is irrelevant. The argument is not between sports, it's between treatment of genders. I don't think the golf team expects the same investment as the basketball team. I'm not sure anyone is arguing about the overall investment between sports (regardless of gender) needing to be equal.

Your comment about what women's basketball coaches just feels angry. Those coaches EARN those salaries based on the value they provide to their school, as well as their experience, success, etc., not revenue they directly generate. Success creates visibility, interest, and direct or indirect revenue in some cases. This is common throughout business too - there are some functions that don't directly generate revenue but provide other value and guess what, people get paid well in those functions too. I'm not sure what your gripe about what they get paid has anything to do with Title IX.

 

[Centerstream]

I am probably wrong about this but waaaaay back, when I actually watched men's basketball, I thought that CBS coined the tournament phrase and all the tournament games were on CBS.

Waited to long to edit this... I thought that Brent Musburger started using the phrase during his CBS broadcasts of the Men's Tournament in the early 80s. Eventually the NCAA was able to trademark it, but it was years after Musburger had been using it.

 

[the Q]

Waited to long to edit this... I thought that Brent Musburger started using the phrase during his CBS broadcasts of the Men's Tournament in the early 80s. Eventually the NCAA was able to trademark it, but it was years after Musburger had been using it.

Which of course makes the self righteous tone of those thread laughable.

It was coined and built off a specific event.

The women should want their own phrase not stealing someone else’s

 

[oldude]

I just hope the women get a decent weight room this year….

 

[Centerstream]

Which of course makes the self righteous tone of those thread laughable.

It was coined and built off a specific event.

The women should want their own phrase not stealing someone else’s

Just so be clear, my posts were about my recollection of the original use of the term as it related to NCAA basketball. I have no opinion about whether it’s a men's basketball vs women's basketball thing.

 

[Vowelguy]

Which of course makes the self righteous tone of those thread laughable.

It was coined and built off a specific event.

The women should want their own phrase not stealing someone else’s

Absolutely the women should have a separate phrase! Then they’ll be equal.

separate but equal is a great idea.

ohhh.

 

[EdSaid]

Call it what ever you want. I want to still be playing in April.

 

[Monte]

Call it what ever you want. I want to still be playing in April.

You're right! That's all that matters.

 

[JordyG]

Which of course makes the self righteous tone of those thread laughable.

It was coined and built off a specific event.

The women should want their own phrase not stealing someone else’s

The term "March Madness" has so become ingrained in our culture that any other phrase used for the NCAA championships would always seem a sad knock off and ripe for ridicule. Why try to fix something that isn't broke? Besides, the women aren't "stealing" something that isn't theirs but gaining entry into a club and a brand that has clearly been exclusively male while embracing a phrase already used by the very championships they are participating. It should have been theirs all along.

Absolutely the women should have a separate phrase! Then they’ll be equal.

separate but equal is a great idea.

ohhh.

In a nutshell.

 

[CL82]

Absolutely the women should have a separate phrase

April Ascendancy?

 

[McFly]

Stick with March Madness. Anything else would seem contrived.

 

[Skeets]

Stick with March Madness. Anything else would seem contrived.

Maybe, but I think hockey's "Frozen Four" is clever. I would go with something clever and unique to WCBB, something that would bring a smile to your face. Just not sure what that would be...

 

[Stymie]

The embarrassingly substandard “facility” represented as the woman’s basketball workout room at last years NCAA tournament tells you all you need to know about this governing (?) body.
Shill, fraud, despicable, self serving come immediately to mind- to name a few.
Board decorum prevents more concise depictions.

 

[oldude]

The embarrassingly substandard “facility” represented as the woman’s basketball workout room at last years NCAA tournament tells you all you need to know about this governing (?) body.
Shill, fraud, despicable, self serving come immediately to mind- to name a few.
Board decorum prevents more concise depictions.

I would describe the problem of a bunch of primarily old guys who run the NCAA as being “tone deaf.” When they were growing up few women & girls competed in sports, let alone lifted weights.

If any of them ever had the opportunity to watch someone like Christyn Williams go through her squat & deadlift workout in the weight room, it might have occurred to them that a small dumbbell rack was insufficient.

The good news is that the outcry over the inequitable treatment of women athletes has, at least in part, educated the old guys, hopefully resulting in some meaningful change.

 

[tomcat]

The term "March Madness" has so become ingrained in our culture that any other phrase used for the NCAA championships would always seem a sad knock off and ripe for ridicule. Why try to fix something that isn't broke? Besides, the women aren't "stealing" something that isn't theirs but gaining entry into a club and a brand that has clearly been exclusively male while embracing a phrase already used by the very championships they are participating. It should have been theirs all along.

In a nutshell.

Thank you. It's great to read something by someone who understands marketing.

 

[JordyG]

Thank you. It's great to read something by someone who understands marketing.

Indeed. Tough to market the same item under different names. It undercuts your sales.

 

[CL82]

The embarrassingly substandard “facility” represented as the woman’s basketball workout room at last years NCAA tournament tells you all you need to know about this governing (?) body.
Shill, fraud, despicable, self serving come immediately to mind- to name a few.
Board decorum prevents more concise depictions.

Keep in mind that that was only the warm-up room at the game site and not the gym provided for the women. Don’t get me wrong, it still was lacking, but it’s not as bad as it’s been portrayed. Regardless, there’s no reason in the world why facilities shouldn’t be equal.

 

[Stymie]

To me, “March Madness” refers to either tournament in March where it is one and done.
I consider both tournaments pretty much the epitome of athletic competition.
Always major surprises.
I always sense a level of desperation and pushing ‘till participants are gassed.
May be no tomorrows.
Huge emotional investment by players.
Pulling off senior stars on teams that come up short for one more ovation at careers end.
I would bet that for many participants, the next loss represents the last time they will be playing organized basketball.
My favorite sporting event of the year by far, followed by the conference tourneys.
Also greatly enjoy Stanley Cup semis and finals,and Lacrosse semis and finals.
Super Bowl?
Wake me up, tell me who won and what the best commercials were.
World Series?
Snoooze....
NBA championship
ZERO.