Not So Wise
It’s an unfortunate fact that the WNBA is often ignored by sportswriters. It’s also an unfortunate fact that when some of them do “mention” the league, it’s often not very flattering.
It’s an unfortunate fact that the WNBA is often ignored by sportswriters. It’s also an unfortunate fact that when some of them do “mention” the league, it’s often not very flattering.
Even so, the BCs were pretty surprised that in the last couple of days at least two sportswriters, including the Washington Post’s own Mike "I am Tiger Woods" Wise, are casting blame on the WNBA for the NBA lockout. (Here and here.) That’s right – according to these two writers, if the NBA hadn’t supported the women’s league and other "bad business ventures" (Mike's words), well then, all would be right in the world of men’s professional basketball.
Really?
The WNBA’s salary cap per team this season is $852,000. That’s the maximum total combined salary for all 11 players on one team. (WNBA salaries are so small by pro sports standards that most players play overseas during the winter to earn their living.) The NBA’s salary cap this past season per team was $58 MILLION. The minimum a team was allowed to pay out in salaries was $43.5 MILLION. The average salary for one single NBA player this past year was a reported $6 MILLION. Kobe Bryant’s 2010-11 NBA salary was a reported $24.8 MILLION. Not to mention (but we will) that WNBA players fly coach, not plush private charters.
Oh, and then there’s the fact that only 6 of the 30 NBA owners also own WNBA teams.
But hey, when it comes to bashing women’s sports, why let the facts get in the way?
Now that two different sports writers have assigned blame to the WNBA for the NBA lockout, the BCs’ inside-the-beltway radar is giving off warning signals loud and clear. You don’t live in a political town like Washington as long as we have without learning to recognize “talking points” when you hear them. We can only guess that Mike’s been played by the NBA players union. Perhaps they told him these labor problems are the fault of the WNBA and he regurgitated that line without so much as a moment of reflection. (Makes us wonder if Mike's back spending too much time with "the fraternity for arrested development" instead of doing a little independent research.)
Really?
The WNBA’s salary cap per team this season is $852,000. That’s the maximum total combined salary for all 11 players on one team. (WNBA salaries are so small by pro sports standards that most players play overseas during the winter to earn their living.) The NBA’s salary cap this past season per team was $58 MILLION. The minimum a team was allowed to pay out in salaries was $43.5 MILLION. The average salary for one single NBA player this past year was a reported $6 MILLION. Kobe Bryant’s 2010-11 NBA salary was a reported $24.8 MILLION. Not to mention (but we will) that WNBA players fly coach, not plush private charters.
Oh, and then there’s the fact that only 6 of the 30 NBA owners also own WNBA teams.
But hey, when it comes to bashing women’s sports, why let the facts get in the way?
Now that two different sports writers have assigned blame to the WNBA for the NBA lockout, the BCs’ inside-the-beltway radar is giving off warning signals loud and clear. You don’t live in a political town like Washington as long as we have without learning to recognize “talking points” when you hear them. We can only guess that Mike’s been played by the NBA players union. Perhaps they told him these labor problems are the fault of the WNBA and he regurgitated that line without so much as a moment of reflection. (Makes us wonder if Mike's back spending too much time with "the fraternity for arrested development" instead of doing a little independent research.)
In any event, whoever came up with this notion (Mike, or the players union, or somebody else), it’s ludicrous . . . and it’s ugly. If highly paid, wealthy-beyond-imagination, and often badly behaved, spoiled male athletes want a raise, let them make the case on the merits why they deserve one. But leave the underpaid, overworked female athletes the hell out of it.
* * * * * *
FYI . . . Tomorrow (Sunday), the modestly-paid-not-locked-out Mystics take on the equally modestly-paid-not-locked-out 2010 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm at 4 PM at the Phone Booth. The game is also being shown locally on Comcast SportsNet.
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