Jackson Free Press

The WNBA, the useless U.S. women's pro basketball league, is in business solely because NBA commish David Stern wants it that way. In a sign of the league's increasing desperation, the Phoenix Mercury will wear jerseys that don't mention the team's city or mascot. Instead, they will bear the name of a corporate sponsor. The team should now be referred to as the Phoenix Corporate Shills. [Deadspin]

This has been standard practice in Europe for years, which is not a good reason to do anything. In the U.S., the practice of wearing a sponsor's name on a team jersey is usually confined to youth and rec sports teams. Or the MLS, which is sort of the same thing. It's doubtful this will be a major trend in U.S. pro sports. The WNBA and MLS aren't exactly main stream. (Although Doctor S would watch 24 hours of MLS rather than 24 seconds of WNBA.)

Previous Commentsshow

Dude - I know you're not the brightest bulb in the box, but did you forget NASCAR.... And dude, if you say you'd rather watch the MLS because the W threatens you, why are you spending time dissing the league. As the Bard said, methinks the lady doeth protest too much. Enjoy your day, dude. Me, I've got a season to prepare for.

NYWNBAfan

Jun 1 2009

First, Doctor S didn't forget NASCAR. He was only talking about team sports, dim bulb. Methinks the WNBA fan should save the psychoanalysis for the other 12 people who follow the league. The WNBA isn't threatening, it's boring.

Doctor S

Jun 1 2009

Dawg-fight on the sports blog. My money's on the Doc!

DonnaLadd

Jun 2 2009

LOL - the dude said "Team Jersey" - guess you don't watch NASCAR dude. And, I guess you've missed those cute little swooshes on shirts and sneakers. DOH! Hey, enjoy watching those sweaty men playing man to man defense (Oh, I forgot, they don't know anything about defense). Enjoy watching them grind against each other -- it's not like there's anything wrong with it. It's just bor-ing. As for threatening - uh huh. you're not threatened. that's why your reading and dissing. 'cause you know Diana and Candace would eat your lunch every which way but Sunday. Dude.

NYWNBAfan

Jun 2 2009

I hear you Doctor. I have some neices who played basketball in college so I usually tune in to the WNBA because of them and to see who is fine and who isn't. Sorry. I mean I tune in to see who can play and who can't.

Walt

Jun 2 2009

WNBA fan, you shouldn't bake and post. You "responded" by repeating the jibberish in your first post. Only this time, it was less coherent. Apparently, you're threatened by the sight of world-class athletes who can actually score points and also know how to play defense (contrary to your no-nothing crack). I fear that watching an NFL game might send you to the mental hospital. Are you on NBA boss David Stern's paid roster of WNBA apologists? Tell the Commish that Doctor S doesn't hate the WNBA, he's just indifferent. Game over. Dude.

Doctor S

Jun 3 2009

Dude Doctor - You claim you're indifferent and yet you spend the time to spout -- yah, indifferent. right. Check the stats Dude Doc, then check the NBA's bottom line and talk about who's losing more money... Stern knows. Love bug -- I love me some NFL. But if you're telling me that you truly believe that the entire NBA roster is rife with "world class athletes who score points" you're clearly ignoring a hunk of the over-expanded diluted pool that is call the NBA. World class? Yah - what happened in Athens... Sure, the game is over, Dude. Just don't forget to look in the mirror and ponder why on earth your indifferent persona needs to spout.... Enjoy the off season.

NYWNBAfan

Jun 3 2009

NYWNBAfan, do you watch the NBA? Defense in the NBA is better now than it ever has been. Look at the average scoring. Look at the different rules they've made to make it harder to play D as well. No handchecking, 3 second rules, et. There's a reason the top international squads are led by NBA players. And there's a reason the U.S. squad usually rolls over the international competition. That reason is because it's full of NBA players. To show a stretch of 2 or 3 years(Athens) as indicative of the whole shows your bias. If you take the best player on the worst team in the NBA, he starts on any international squad outside of the ours. Now, obviously the number 8 player on said team wouldn't make the cut, but then again, you take the number 8 player on most international teams, and they probably would have a tough time in the NBAD-league. To the OP, your lack of knowledge of finances is amusing, and your clear need to bash something is pathetic. No one is asking you to watch the WNBA(I for one don't), but there are some that enjoy it, and if the league needs to do something outside the lines to survive, then so be it. And to your comment of "This has been standard practice in Europe for years, which is not a good reason to do anything," well, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing either. Pursuing all options before abandoning an idea is the mark of a successful person. You may want to realize that before showing your ignorance in a blog.

jrog

Jun 11 2009