Subj : WNBA
To   : All
From : Ed Grinnell
Date : Sat Jul 08 2000 06:49 am

* Crossposted in NBA_ECHO
* Crossposted in SPORTS
As we approach the coming of the second WNBA All-Star game, I'm reminded of
the fact that the WNBA said that they were still several years away from
their first one but changed their minds after the ABL folded.

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Attendance is down by over 2,000 per game in the WNBA. There ARE some strong
franchises, however, for the most part, the WNBA is really taking it on the 
chin. Most of the established franchises are down between 2000-3000 and the 
attendance figures are padded a bit by giveaways (Which is something that I 
suspect has been done since the first game was played. The ABL never padded its 
figures; maybe they should have). When the ABL folded, they were drawing 500 
fewer fans per game from the previous year.

                                ****

The WNBA has had a bit of bad luck recently as several players have gone down 
for the season with injuries.

                                ****

I'm REALLY disappointed by the fact that Katie Smith finished so far behind in 
the All-Star voting.

                                ****

The demise of the ABL was looked at with great sorrow by women in the WNBA 
because it meant that they lost a lot of leverage. While the average salary HAS 
risen, it's still not enough to keep these women in the States after the WNBA 
season is left over and represents a lot smaller percentage of gross revenues 
than their males counterparts (Believe it or not, they get less than 25% of the 
gross). When you consider TV money (Here and abroad), playoff money and 
merchandising - you can see how the MEN that run the WNBA are making money hand 
over fist and would see their women leave like rats off of a sinking ship if 
someone ever started another league.

P.S. - You have to wonder what kind of great treatment the players will get 
when the NBA unleases its version of the CBA. Seeing how they can make such 
nice sums of money off of women has probably gotten their wallets to vibrate in 
near orgasmic levels.

--- TrekEd 1.00
 * Origin: Orlando will be no problem - M.J. (1:170/1701)

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