Caitlin Clark …. Seriously

[Underdog 28231]

Currently getting her lunch money taken by my girl Carrington of the Sun. 

[Pancho 43020]

2 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Not a "Stephen A" fan, but valid reasons why Caitlin should have been on "Team USA" 

7:00min mark

 

Matches a lot of what @immamac has posted.

 

There are also others…

 

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

This is why you add her. 
 

 

[Kermit 3099]

2 hours ago, Pancho said:

Well and she didn’t go to the tryout which is where the team is chosen. sure, there’s always exceptions to the rule…

But to blame it on veterans getting mad at not getting the attention Clark would get just as a benchwarmer isn’t what Brennan was saying. 

When were the tryouts? I can’t find any info on when they were held. I know that there were qualifiers played when she was at Iowa.

[d2o 1602]

4 minutes ago, Kermit said:

When were the tryouts? I can’t find any info on when they were held. I know that there were qualifiers played when she was at Iowa.

During the final 4

[YGIFS 19445]

as somebody said above, which I didn't know...the youngest member of the roster is 26 for Paris.  Median age is ~33-34.  Meaning half this roster won't play in L.A in 4+ years.  

Not talking taking gold in France, I think that sounds like a lock.  I'm talking about 2028.  With so few known quantities on the squad after Paris, fundraising and sponsorships won't be nearly as robust.  The program has a chance to make 2028 Los Angeles the biggest showcase of women's basketball in history with the right amount of funding and corporate partnerships.  People can play mopup duty, others can get their feelings hurt, but this is just leaving tens and tens of millions of dollars on the table before Los Angeles.  The difference in marketing "Former and Future Olympian XYZ" and just "Probably playing in the L.A. Games in 3 years) is night and day.  It can literally be measured in the 8-figure range for the program.  Sorry to look at it through that lens, but apparently sometimes sports is about money, or so every fucking WNBA player has said 9000 times. 

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

2 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

as somebody said above, which I didn't know...the youngest member of the roster is 26 for Paris.  Median age is ~33-34.  Meaning half this roster won't play in L.A in 4+ years.  

Not talking taking gold in France, I think that sounds like a lock.  I'm talking about 2028.  With so few known quantities on the squad after Paris, fundraising and sponsorships won't be nearly as robust.  The program has a chance to make 2028 Los Angeles the biggest showcase of women's basketball in history with the right amount of funding and corporate partnerships.  People can play mopup duty, others can get their feelings hurt, but this is just leaving tens and tens of millions of dollars on the table before Los Angeles.  The difference in marketing "Former and Future Olympian XYZ" and just "Probably playing in the L.A. Games in 3 years) is night and day.  It can literally be measured in the 8-figure range for the program.  Sorry to look at it through that lens, but apparently sometimes sports is about money, or so every fucking WNBA player has said 9000 times. 

1992 is the last time the US women didn't win a gold medal.

[LTtxfan 48727]

@YGIFS there are younger players on 3x3 team

"Brink, Burdick, Howard, Van Lith make U.S. Olympic women’s 3x3 basketball team for Paris"

https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/hailey-van-lith-cameron-brink-rhyne-howard-cierra-burdick-olympic-3x3-basketball-team-paris-2024#:~:text=Van Lith%2C 22%2C is set to become the,the Olympics during their NCAA career since 1988.

[LTtxfan 48727]

Clark/Fever got their butts kicked... 89-72

 

"Interestingly, the in-arena replay showed the foul, but the replay team elected to cut the video off rather than show Carrington's mocking gesture. "

[Derka 5659]

 

[WelfareBuysMyWeed 5321]

Clark was just held to 10 points in a game and people want her to be on an olympic squad over actual champions??

[LTtxfan 48727]

CB:  "Total Swing & a Miss" by USA Basketball

 

USA Today’s Christine Brennan Talks Caitlin Clark Olympics Snub with Rich Eisen | Full Interview 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10009]

29 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

Clark was just held to 10 points in a game and people want her to be on an olympic squad over actual champions??

If you are a top 5 player on the Olympic team, would you rather have hundreds of thousands or tens of millions watch your games? (Numbers arbitrary) She can ride the bench at the 12 spot "resting"

[WelfareBuysMyWeed 5321]

2 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

If you are a top 5 player on the Olympic team, would you rather have hundreds of thousands or tens of millions watch your games? (Numbers arbitrary) She can ride the bench at the 12 spot "resting"

If I was an olympic champion, I wouldn't give a fuck about viewer numbers, because I'd be a fucking olympian, and my craft would consume all of my fucking time.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10009]

3 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

If I was an olympic champion, I wouldn't give a fuck about viewer numbers, because I'd be a fucking olympian, and my craft would consume all of my fucking time.

More meaningful to the players, Olympic champion or WNBA champion?

[TonyTexas 10433]

Maybe they should just put Taylor Swift on the team. She’d bring the eyeballs of the targeted demographic. 

[Deej 76219]

14 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

More meaningful to the players, Olympic champion or WNBA champion?

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

[LTtxfan 48727]

More from Christine Brennan interview:

CB found it interesting that Caitlin is often covered all 94ft of the court by a defender, brings 20k fans to a WNBA game in DC, is receiving a ton worldwide press coverage -- but she isn't considered important enough for a 12th roster spot on Team USA. 

Attention, marketing dollars, and global publicity will suffer without Caitlin Clark on the women's Team USA basketball.  It's a huge economic opportunity lost for women's basketball globally.

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

1 hour ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

Clark was just held to 10 points in a game and people want her to be on an olympic squad over actual champions??

When millions in revenue is available to be made for women's basketball, it's a no brainer yes. When the average age of the team is over 30 years old they should have 100% included more rookies. They've only lost 1 game in 8 years and have won gold medals every Olympics since 1992 games where they lost. Brink, Reese, and Clark should have all been part of this team, point blank. That is best for womens basketball and best for the womens national team moving forward.  But all you see is the older players/coaches gatekeeping them. 

 

Men's teams do a great job of mixing new talent with old talent for their teams and it's best for business. 

Edited June 11 by BurntOrange&White

[Pato del Muerto 52117]

2 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Men's teams do a great job of mixing new talent with old talent for their teams and it's best for business

I just looked at the men’s roster. Bunch of 30+, I think 2 are under 26- Halliburton and Edwards- and both of them have been in the nba for 4 seasons. 
 

Seems to mimic the womens roster pretty well. 

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

6 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I just looked at the men’s roster. Bunch of 30+, I think 2 are under 26- Halliburton and Edwards- and both of them have been in the nba for 4 seasons. 
 

Seems to mimic the womens roster pretty well. 

The closest thing you can get to current women's roster/league is most likely 2004 Olympic team for men's because of Lebron/Mellow at the time and their huge popularity and following. Current NBA isn't a good measure because basically half or more of the top 10-12 players are foreign born coupled with the fact most superstars opt out of the Olympics for men. And like I said, the average age of the women's Olympic roster as set is like 33, right? 

 

It's downright a dumb business decision by women's USA basketball to not include any of the rookies who are arguably the most popular players in their league as bottom of the roster selections. 

 

Edited June 11 by BurntOrange&White

[Deej 76219]

12 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

When millions in revenue is available to be made for women's basketball, it's a no brainer yes. When the average age of the team is over 30 years old they should have 100% included more rookies. They've only lost 1 game in 8 years and have won gold medals every Olympics since 1992 games where they lost. Brink, Reese, and Clark should have all been part of this team, point blank. That is best for womens basketball and best for the womens national team moving forward.  But all you see is the older players/coaches gatekeeping them. 

 

Men's teams do a great job of mixing new talent with old talent for their teams and it's best for business. 

Seems just like the US women's soccer team. What could they possibly have in common? Hmmm...

[ChickenSandwich 9769]

Silver needs to step in and discreetly force them to add CC to the roster. 
 

The NBA has lost over a quarter of a Billion dollars investing in the WNBA, they have every right to want to see their investment maximized. 
 

Favoring individual feelings/jealousy over the good of the sport and league (worldwide) should be a fireable offense. 

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

1 minute ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Silver needs to step in and discreetly force them to add CC to the roster. 
 

The NBA has lost over a quarter of a Billion dollars investing in the WNBA, they have every right to want to see their investment maximized. 
 

Favoring individual feelings/jealousy over the good of the sport and league (worldwide) should be a fireable offense. 

IMO it's not just CC that needs to be added. You need to add Brink and Reese as well. Those 3 along with Paige Bueckers are the future face of your league for the next 10 years. 

Edited June 11 by BurntOrange&White

[statsman 5355]

52 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

If I was an olympic champion, I wouldn't give a fuck about viewer numbers, because I'd be a fucking olympian, and my craft would consume all of my fucking time.

…and that’s how we think about the WNBA stars, just a bunch of basketball junkies diligently working their craft and giving no thought to acclaim or recognition 

[ChickenSandwich 9769]

1 minute ago, BurntOrange&White said:

IMO it's not just CC that needs to be added. You need to add Brink and Reese as well. Those 3 along with Paige Bueckers are the future face of your league for the next 10 years. 

They wouldn't have to play a minute to be some of the most viewed female athletes on social media at the Olympics. 
 

The Vets should embrace them and be introduced to their already larger followings. 
 

Go make your money ladies. 

[conVINCEd 21468]

I’m a little surprised Nike hasn’t made them add Clark.

[d2o 1602]

An ignored point in this is everyone is looking at it from an American perspective.   Is CC known/followed outside of the US like that?   All of the other players have played overseas in leagues with bigger more rabid following than the W has here.   Tarausi is a 6 time Euro league champ.  She, Griner, Stewie, and others all have very large fanbases outside of the US.   The international stage is not where the game needs to be "grown" honestly.

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

20 minutes ago, d2o said:

An ignored point in this is everyone is looking at it from an American perspective.   Is CC known/followed outside of the US like that?   All of the other players have played overseas in leagues with bigger more rabid following than the W has here.   Tarausi is a 6 time Euro league champ.  She, Griner, Stewie, and others all have very large fanbases outside of the US.   The international stage is not where the game needs to be "grown" honestly.

 

 

They have a chance to pull in millions of views AND DOLLARS by adding the likes of Clark, Brink, and Reese to the team but they're forgoing that opportunity. Shouldn't the purpose of US Women's basketball be to grow the brand in the US to the level of that around the world? Them not putting the 3 most popular players in the US on the team(judging from social media engagements/etc) is counterproductive to growth of fandom in the US. 

 

Basically the US Women's Basketball needs to focus on brand growth in the US before they focus on world growth. These fucking players make more money playing in Europe and Russia than they do in the US. Giving the 3 mentioned above the platform to help it grow is so imperative but they're literally gatekeeping that. They're key to flipping the pay and women's basketball narrative in the US and helping build the WNBA into a worldwide brand but choosing not to is definitely a stupid fucking choice....especially at a time when WNBA is at the height of popularity because of those 3.

Edited June 11 by BurntOrange&White

[Pam Cummings 9424]

12 minutes ago, d2o said:

An ignored point in this is everyone is looking at it from an American perspective.   Is CC known/followed outside of the US like that?   All of the other players have played overseas in leagues with bigger more rabid following than the W has here.   Tarausi is a 6 time Euro league champ.  She, Griner, Stewie, and others all have very large fanbases outside of the US.   The international stage is not where the game needs to be "grown" honestly.

You can try to justify "deserving it" all you want but everyone knows it doesn't work that way. They are going to win gold with or without Clark. They should want Clark for eyeballs plain and simple. I am not a fan of the gatekeeping that is going on here.

Edited June 11 by Pam Cummings

[Pato del Muerto 52117]

Apparently there is a 3 on 3 product as well and brink is on that. But who really cares about brink?  

[MNLonghornFUKM 8789]

Clark was just held to 10 points in a game and people want her to be on an olympic squad over actual champions??

Most, if not all wnba bench players could win the gold medal

[Pato del Muerto 52117]

3 minutes ago, BeardIP said:

Just wait. I think it will happen, but in a way that allows all to save face.

How about CC being so gracious and sportsmanlike about all of this, since she started day 1? 

Taking the Obama's "When they go low, we go high" to heart and making America proud to not stoop to the level of the haters.

Holy shit some people are canonizing her for some reason. 

[DixonHur 10862]

59 minutes ago, d2o said:

An ignored point in this is everyone is looking at it from an American perspective.   Is CC known/followed outside of the US like that?   All of the other players have played overseas in leagues with bigger more rabid following than the W has here.   Tarausi is a 6 time Euro league champ.  She, Griner, Stewie, and others all have very large fanbases outside of the US.   The international stage is not where the game needs to be "grown" honestly.

This don't make no sense.

Each country/region has its own broadcast of the Olympics, and the fans root for their home nations.  The Olympics are 100% about national pride, so the only people the US should be trying to cater too are the people who want to see the US win gold, in whatever sport.

Personally, I don't think Caitlin deserves to be on the squad from a talent perspective.  Not that she won't be ready in 4 years, but based on her performance so far in the WNBA, she's not ready.

['stache 21591]

I'm fine with a rookie not making the team, but seeing the average age as over 30 seems really weird. I also agree that if you add Clark primarily for attention, add the other two popular rookies too. Make them play nice and stop catfighting on the internet.

[Pato del Muerto 52117]

1 minute ago, 'stache said:

I'm fine with a rookie not making the team, but seeing the average age as over 30 seems really weird. I also agree that if you add Clark primarily for attention, add the other two popular rookies too. Make them play nice and stop catfighting on the internet.

[d2o 1602]

8 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

This don't make no sense.

Each country/region has its own broadcast of the Olympics, and the fans root for their home nations.  The Olympics are 100% about national pride, so the only people the US should be trying to cater too are the people who want to see the US win gold, in whatever sport.

Personally, I don't think Caitlin deserves to be on the squad from a talent perspective.  Not that she won't be ready in 4 years, but based on her performance so far in the WNBA, she's not ready.

Cmon man, plenty of fans from other countries root for and want to see their favorite American players.   Been that way since at least the first Dream Team.   They want their country to win sure but they definitely look forward to see their favorite US players.

Edited June 11 by d2o

[Derka 5659]

assuming CC doesn’t end up on the team, it will be hilarious when multiple indiana fever 20-point losses have more usa tv viewers than the women’s gold medal game. in fact it would be hilarious to have a fever game going up against the gold medal game on tv. the ratings disaster and ensuing controversy would serve the rest of the women right.

Edited June 11 by definitely not derka

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

35 minutes ago, d2o said:

Cmon man, plenty of fans from other countries root for and want to see their favorite American players.   Been that way since at least the first Dream Team.   They want their country to win sure but they definitely look forward to see their favorite US players.

What good does that do the US WOMEN when the game they play in the US is no where near as popular as it is in other countries? You're trying to put a world wide view on this when reality is they should be trying to improve their standing in their own country. You know how you do that? Including the 3 most popular rookies WITH world wide fan favorites. Any other thinking of how it should be done is idiotic and counterintuitive to growth of the WNBA in the US.

[d2o 1602]

Some of yall just say shit just to say shit.

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

 

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

Just now, d2o said:

Some of yall just say shit just to say shit.

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

 

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

Are those American viewers only? Or is that world wide views?

[DixonHur 10862]

23 minutes ago, d2o said:

Cmon man, plenty of fans from other countries root for and want to see their favorite American players.   Been that way since at least the first Dream Team.   They want their country to win sure but they definitely look forward to see their favorite US players.

The Dream Team was the first time professionals were allowed to participate in the Olympics, and there were only a handful of international players in the NBA at the time, so that's a bad comp.  

Secondly, women's basketball is only "popular" in the US... and it isn't particularly popular here.  In other words, few people in the international community give a fuck.  I bet if you asked 100 random people in any other country in the world to name an American female basketball player you'd get a lot of blank stares.  Those who did would likely either name Griner, because of her Russian detainment, or Caitlin because of pop culture.

When I lived in Europe, you were infinitely more likely to see handball, darts or snooker broadcast than you would women's basketball.

[Js1 83685]

3 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I just looked at the men’s roster. Bunch of 30+, I think 2 are under 26- Halliburton and Edwards- and both of them have been in the nba for 4 seasons. 
 

Seems to mimic the womens roster pretty well. 

Reminds me of USA Softball that basically was snubbing the younger talent for the retreads for the Olympic team, which led to USA not even winning gold in 2008 or 2020.  2020 team featured mid-to-late 30s Abbott and Osterman instead of some of the younger pitchers.  There was a huge pissing match for a while between NPF and Team USA. 

Edited June 11 by Js1

[DixonHur 10862]

2 minutes ago, d2o said:

Some of yall just say shit just to say shit.

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

 

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

What do 5 of the 6 games listed have in common?

[Derka 5659]

4 minutes ago, d2o said:

Some of yall just say shit just to say shit.

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

 

https://sportsnaut.com/wnba-tv-ratings/

american viewers, not the global audience. 

[Pato del Muerto 52117]

1 minute ago, DixonHur said:

What do 5 of the 6 games listed have in common?

They weren’t on ion?

[d2o 1602]

1 minute ago, DixonHur said:

What do 5 of the 6 games listed have in common?

They all have ratings less than half of the Olympic games that you all are saying a CC W game would outdraw

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

2 minutes ago, d2o said:

They all have ratings less than half of the Olympic games that you all are saying a CC W game would outdraw

 

 

Edited June 11 by BurntOrange&White

[DixonHur 10862]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Reminds me of USA Softball that basically was snubbing the younger talent for the retreads for the Olympic team, which led to USA not even winning gold in 2008 or 2020.  2020 team featured mid-to-late 30s Abbott and Osterman.  There was a huge pissing match for a while between NPF and Team USA. 

As someone who carried around his own linoleum back in the day, I'm just hoping the US dominates the breakdancing in 2024

Team USA | Breaking

[BurntOrange&White 38890]

I couldn't imagine trying to make the argument that Brink, Clark, and Reese wouldn't pump viewership numbers.