Development of Women’s Sports
Development of Women’s Sports
Development of Women’s Sports Leagues
As the media continues its trend to not properly market women’s sports, the public will never be fully aware of what women and their leagues truly have to offer as athletes do to their lack of exposure. Within main stream America sports are widely advertised and widely publicized most of which pertains to men. Most people see women’s sports billboards, ads in the newspapers or commercials on television and do not give their undivided attention to it. Some might argue the reason for this is because the product which they are selling is not a good one, while others might say that the people marketing the product are doing a poor job. Either way women do have professional sports leagues with professional athletes in them, a feat that should not go unnoticed for they deserve their due for being the best at what they do among their competition. Among the leagues which these athletes are participating in are: The WNBA, WUSA, Women’s Tennis and The LPGA, all of which have unique athletes and are able to offer different things to each audience while each additionally confronts its own problems.
Among the newest women’s sports leagues is the WNBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association. This specific league faces an uphill battle towards marketing its league and athletes. Basketball is one of the most main stream and influential sports in American society consisting of a large following and strong fan base. However when the topic of women’s basketball arises this following seems to diminish due to the fact that the speed of the game is slower, there isn’t much dunking and blocks are not nearly as dramatic. All of these reasons are true but those who choose not support a league simply for these reasons are being ignorant for they aren’t viewing the sport for what it truly has to offer. Women’s basketball, pro or college is one the most fundamentally sound played sports there is, these women move the ball quickly and are able to cross and shoot while seeing the floor clearly. While they may not possess the pizzazz of the men they sure do possess the ability and perhaps possess more knowledge of the game, things which a true fan of a sport should be able to appreciate. However without the theatrics which the non basketball playing viewers crave a league such as the WNBA seems doomed, the society which we live in today seems to desire the big plays, the big hits and the big dunks all things which it seems the WNBA will be unable to offer. In order to try and change the perceptions of the viewer the WNBA has attempted to market the sex aspect of the sport putting women wearing less clothing on billboards and in magazines without much of a response from the public. While society craves sex sports fans crave action and no matter which sexy approach next it seems that without the action to accompany it the WNBA’s future looks bleak.
While the WNBA seems to be at the bottom of the heap in terms of potential the women’s sport which seems to be right in the middle of the pack is that of golf represented by the LPGA. While basketball is a game of action and high flying activity making it hard for women to match, golf is more of an art form. Those who follow golf appreciate each shot and the difficulty which each potential swing possesses, something which applies to both men and women. While Tiger Woods is his and the PGA’s media machine, those who were drawn in before Tigermania were able to appreciate the men’s and women’s games alike for they were so similar that the only difference were the distances, not a major factor for a TV viewer. In addition with Tigermania occurring in men’s golf, women’s golf needed its own media machine and was