Mainstream media show true colors with WUSA demise

[okcomputer]

I'm not one that usually falls into the US media hates soccer crowd, but I must say the piling on by many of these guys the last few days really ticks me off. The Telanders and Lopresti's of the world, who have never once written about the league or gone to a WUSA game, are now all of a sudden writing headline columns about its demise from their expert point of view. Where were these clowns when the league could have used some good publicity? What makes it even worse, is they use the demise of the WUSA as a way to say soccer will never make it here. Instead of saying it is more of a problem with womens sports and poor management. Moreover, the gloating that they are doing shows a true lack of professionalism and character on their part. If anything these women were, what these types of guys are always claiming is missing in sports today, people who play for the love of the game not the paycheck. These clowns are a bunch of hypocrites.

[roarksown1]

A train wreck is more exciting than a train museum.

[Roehl Sybing]

The face of soccer in America continues to be the women's team, and will remain so for a while after the WUSA is gone. Women's soccer equals soccer. Men's soccer is just a happy novelty that occurs once every four years, as if nothing else takes place between World Cups. That's just a reality that people have to contend with for now, a reality that soccer bashing journalists are happy to cling to. There's nothing that can be done about them.

[diablodelsol]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
Men's soccer is just a happy novelty that occurs once every four years, as if nothing else takes place between World Cups. That's just a reality that people have to contend with for now, a reality that soccer bashing journalists are happy to cling to. There's nothing that can be done about them.

This is true for the most part, although this has diminished somewhat. However, your contention that this is not also true for the women is absurd.

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by diablodelsol
This is true for the most part, although this has diminished somewhat. However, your contention that this is not also true for the women is absurd.

The women have been on an extended sucess for years. The men's phenom has only begin to emerge.

The women crashing at the WWC might change things.

[pupusa3000]

I don't even think the women's game has an impact like it once did. Due to the MNT doing it big in Japorea and the MLS, the face of soccer in America is shifting to the men's side where it should be. The potential for the men's team is so great that it can't be denied.

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by DoyleG
The women crashing at the WWC might change things.

Original posted by rahezy
Due to the MNT doing it big in Japorea and the MLS, the face of soccer in America is shifting to the men's side where it should be. The potential for the men's team is so great that it can't be denied

So, if this is the case... what happens if the mens' team crashes at, or fails to qualify for, Germany '06?

[sregis]

Originally posted by rahezy
I don't even think the women's game has an impact like it once did. Due to the MNT doing it big in Japorea and the MLS, the face of soccer in America is shifting to the men's side where it should be. The potential for the men's team is so great that it can't be denied.

...and i'm guessing few tears will be shed over your way. if only we could keep them barefoot and pregnant!

[Roehl Sybing]

Originally posted by rahezy
the face of soccer in America is shifting to the men's side where it should be
"where it should be"? What does that mean?

[bostonsoccermdl]

Originally posted by Dr. Wankler
So, if this is the case... what happens if the mens' team crashes at, or fails to qualify for, Germany '06?

Well, as far as not making '06, the thoughts of continuing any momentum and growing enthusiasm for the MLS and US soccer in the mainstream: we are up shits creek.

Or at least set back another possible decade...

[Bryan Gividen]

Where it should be. Where the rest of the world has their priorities. I'm going to be completely economical about this whole thing.

The vast majority of the people in the world don't care about women's sports. I would say, of the total world population, probably 5% care about women's sports and that's a high estimate. The shift of "where focus should be" is very much reflective of the fact that the rest of the world cares about men's teams. Therefore, logically, we would follow the trend and the focus would be on men's teams.

The quote I love best, "[WUSA] should be run as a business not as a crusade for women's rights." Women's sports as a business model, is not as succesful as men's. The media coverage ought to be given to the more succesful business model.

But, as someone so eloquently put it, train wrecks are more exciting to see than train museums.

[bostonsoccermdl]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
"where it should be"? What does that mean?

I am guessing he means that the American public's attention is swinging more to where the rest of the world place emphasis.

Yeah, we are proud of our womens team, but as far as a continuing our development as a soccer nation, we need our country to continue to move up the ranks as far as a a mens national team and a respected MLS club system..

lets call a spade and spade...

[CyphaPSU]

Originally posted by okcomputer
These clowns are a bunch of hypocrites.

I agree.

BTW, Jim Rome is one of the worst "experts" I've ever seen.

[Real Ray]

Originally posted by okcomputer
If anything these women were, what these types of guys are always claiming is missing in sports today, people who play for the love of the game not the paycheck. These clowns are a bunch of hypocrites.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/20/sports/soccer/20araton.html

Harvey Araton today hints at this today when he writes If not, once again, so be it. It may be a concussive blow to the women's game in the United States, but it is hardly critical to the women's sports movement. Title IX says nothing about a pro career and a Nike contract.

If only those in the news media now lamenting the bad news would have paid half as much attention to the W.U.S.A. as they have, say, to the college athletics scandal du jour. But it is a conundrum for us, as it is for the sports industry as a whole. There is what is wholesome, and there is what sells.

In some ways with Harvey, it closes a circle re: the flap the NYT found themselves in re: Augusta and women members. Yes, I would argue there are merits to the Augusta arguments, but in comparison to a real bread-and-butter issue for women in sport-employment-how silly and petty does their effort look now? How "Entertainment Tonight," does Mr. Raines' "flooding the zone" on that story seem in comparsion to the the folding of a league that provided a wage for some women?

Don't confuse this with me saying the NYT or any outlet should carry water for pro sports leagues-that's not what I'm saying. My point is that is the if "Times" cares about reporting on womens issues, cares about diversity as they say they do, than perhaps they could learn a lesson from this: learn how better to picks your fights; use sounder editorial judgment instead of going for tabloid-like sex and sizzle.

If they had instead spent the energy/resources used in defending Martha Burke on the WUSA and giving it better coverage, would it have saved the league? I would think no-but it wouldn't have hurt-and it would IMO have shown a hell of a lot more class and journalistic integrity.

[okcomputer]

Originally posted by CyphaPSU
I agree.

BTW, Jim Rome is one of the worst "experts" I've ever seen.

Totally. Thats what I stressed when I emailed to them.

[okcomputer]

Originally posted by Real Ray
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/20/sports/soccer/20araton.html

Harvey Araton today hints at this today when he writes



Its nice to see another media member point this hypocrasy out.

[Roehl Sybing]

Originally posted by Bryan Gividen
Where it should be. Where the rest of the world has their priorities.
Ah, I see.

Why do we care about the priorities of the rest of the world again?

[Bonji]

Cnn has a link to a SI Grant Whal article all about how the US WWC team is being overshadowed by the "demise" of their league. The link is right out front on CNN. I have never seen a MLS story linked on the front of CNN.

[sregis]

Originally posted by Bonji
Cnn has a link to a SI Grant Whal article all about how the US WWC team is being overshadowed by the "demise" of their league. The link is right out front on CNN. I have never seen a MLS story linked on the front of CNN.

if mls failed a week before a us-held world cup, you don't think it'd make it on cnn's front page?

[sregis]

Originally posted by bostonsoccermdl
I am guessing he means that the American public's attention is swinging more to where the rest of the world place emphasis.

Yeah, we are proud of our womens team, but as far as a continuing our development as a soccer nation, we need our country to continue to move up the ranks as far as a a mens national team and a respected MLS club system..

lets call a spade and spade...

and this has what to do w/ the development of the men's team? let's call a spade a spade.