Fanfare: Monarchs fans have few kind words for Breton

[VF21]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13623264p-14465632c.html

Fanfare: Monarchs fans have few kind words for Breton
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, September 25, 2005

Editor's note: Few sports opinions in Sacramento have drawn more attention from readers than Marcos Bretón's Sept. 17 column ("In reality, few fans watching the WNBA") and Ailene Voisin's Sept. 18 column ("WNBA is a product well worth watching"). Here is a sampling of the nearly 200 letters The Bee received on the subject:

To Marcos Bretón: This is not intended to slam you. It is intended to make you or someone else think about your article, but let me start by saying I'll call you a pig if I feel you are one.

I read your entire article with an open mind and some hope that somewhere along the line you would make a better and more positive point, but I was left unsatisfied. If I understand your point, it is that the WNBA doesn't make the money that other professional sports do, so they are not a worthy group to support.

Your point would indicate that men are more deserving because of the money they generate. Do you also think they have worked harder for what they get? I bet you couldn't defend it if you did think that. Do you think it is more exciting to go to a game and watch these players?

I don't know if you have been to any WNBA games, but I have. I think they are exciting. If you could appreciate the fact that they work just as hard, have better attitudes, get less respect and make less money after college for all of their efforts than some people selling drugs on the corner, maybe you would think differently.

The Monarchs work hard to do well, and you just slammed them and their supporters for no other reason than your own personal "insensitive," "knuckle-dragging Neanderthal" selfish opinions. I hope they never let you write about anything other than sports.

Pig.

- Jeniffer Wertz, Sacramento

Filling a niche

What do women's pro football, women's pro basketball, monster truck rallies, tractor pulls and - one could argue in this area - professional drag racing share?

They are niche sports. Not for everyone, but they have their fans. The Sacramento Sirens won their third title in women's football. No one but their fans noticed.

My response to the article: who cares? As long as they have their fans and aren't draining any pockets except for those who want to support them, let it be.

- Eric Fisher, Sacramento

Ebenezer Bretón?

Who knew Ebenezer Scrooge worked at The Bee? That is how it felt when I opened my Saturday paper, eager to read about the Monarchs and their next game in the quest for the WNBA championship.

First there was the front-page article blasting attendance and threatening the demise of the WNBA. That was unsettling enough, but then I turn to the sports section when, what to my wandering eyes should appear, but Bretón's drivel.

What a bunch of bah humbug.

- Martha Mapp, Sacramento

More Monarchs, less Marcos

Finally, The Bee is covering the Monarchs. The articles have been great, except Bretón's article in (the Sept. 17) Bee.

He's entitled to his opinion, but I think it's shortsighted and typical of the male mentality.

I am an avid sports fan and supporter of women's sports. I love seeing the men supporting the Monarchs with their purple wigs cheering as loud as they can. The Monarchs are fun to watch, and the Kings could learn how to play defense if they came and watched these ladies.

- Pam Katros, Fair Oaks

Mr. Negativity

Mr. Bretón's opinion was the most negative I have ever read about a hometown winning team.

Where in the nation would a home team editor criticize a winning team? Nowhere.

I think Mr. Bretón should find another outlet to express his sourpuss attitude other than venting them on the general public and loyal subscribers.

I seriously question the decision-making by the editor to publish such a scathing and injurious article.

- Mary Doyle, Sacramento

Get on board, Marcos

In response to Bretón's closed-minded tirade over the undeserved coverage of the WNBA, I want to praise The Bee for increasing its Monarchs coverage.

I, for one, do not even look at the sports section unless there are articles on the Monarchs or other WNBA teams.

And there are many more fans out there than Mr. Bretón believes.

Today, after attending the amazing Monarchs game, I went to the grocery store wearing my Monarchs jersey. Within 10 minutes, five strangers stopped to talk to me about the game and the team.

News flash: Just because Mr. Bretón does not have the good sense or good taste to be interested in the WNBA does not mean that the rest of the world isn't. Thank you for continuing to cover these talented athletes.

- Keltie Jones, Davis

On the other hand ...

Ailene Voisin's obvious retort to Bretón's views on the WNBA was both predictable and laughable.

First, she tries to demean men by calling them boys. Oh, ouch!

Then, she somehow implies that the WNBA has something to do with women's rights. Women have a right to a professional basketball league?

She quotes Nancy Lieberman in her article in regard to comparing the WNBA to the NBA. But the column conveniently omits that the NBA started without any subsidy help such as the NBA gives the WNBA.

If not for the NBA, the WNBA would have run out of money and gone away a long time ago.

Bretón is right - the WNBA Finals are the "who cares" finals.

Politically incorrect? Yes. But, the truth often is.

- Dennis Johnson​

 

[VF21]

^^Poor Mr. Dennis Johnson. It actually sounds to me as though he feels his "manhood" is threatened by the existence of the WNBA.

 

[hoopsfan]

I remember hearing that the NBA was supported by the NHL for years before it was able to survive on it's own.

 

[luvinyo]

Support?

But the column conveniently omits that the NBA started without any subsidy help such as the NBA gives the WNBA.
If not for the NBA, the WNBA would have run out of money and gone away a long time ago.
Bretón is right - the WNBA Finals are the "who cares" finals.
Politically incorrect? Yes. But, the truth often is.

- Dennis Johnson​

It is true that initially the WNBA was paired with a NBA team and were sponsored in part by the WNBA. But as of last year or the year before, all teams are now independently owned. Look at Conn. Sun: no NBA Big Brother.
Here in Sacramneto we just happen to be owned by the same family that owns a NBA team: the Kings.
If you are going to complain Mr. Jonhson, at least get your facts straight.

 

[VF21]

I'm willing to be he won't let facts get in the way, luvinyo...

Besides, what difference does it make if the NBA helped the WNBA?

Here's a key point:

Women have a right to a professional basketball league?

Boy - er, man - I sure hate to be the one to have to break it to you, Mr. Johnson, but YES, the women have as much "right" to a professional basketball league as men - or gerbils, if they could find enough of them able to reach the basket.

I honestly cannot understand the mindset of some men who seem so threatened or disgusted - or somewhere in between - by the idea of women actually having the nerve to step on a sacred court and play a "MAN'S GAME" that they have to not only dismiss but disparage the whole effort.

Mr. Johnson, you and your fellow Neanderthals need to take a look around. Women are - brace yourself - flying commerical airliners, steering major international corporations, and (get ready to grab your heart on this one) are actually doing those things at the same level of expertise as their male counterparts.

Quite frankly, I'm just as glad men like Mr. Johnson DON'T attend the WNBA games. I'm reasonably sure they wouldn't get it - and would actually be the ones most likely to throw beers, get in fights, etc.

 

[GeorgeofSacramento]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13623264p-14465632c.html

On the other hand ...

Ailene Voisin's obvious retort to Bretón's views on the WNBA was both predictable and laughable.

First, she tries to demean men by calling them boys. Oh, ouch!

Then, she somehow implies that the WNBA has something to do with women's rights. Women have a right to a professional basketball league?

She quotes Nancy Lieberman in her article in regard to comparing the WNBA to the NBA. But the column conveniently omits that the NBA started without any subsidy help such as the NBA gives the WNBA.

If not for the NBA, the WNBA would have run out of money and gone away a long time ago.

Bretón is right - the WNBA Finals are the "who cares" finals.

Politically incorrect? Yes. But, the truth often is.

- Dennis Johnson​

Sherman, let's get Mr. Johnson into the Wayback Machine.....
"Hmm, professional basketball is a white man's sport. Tell Mrs. Jordan her son better hang up his shorts. There's no room for his kind here."

The WNBA Finals are the "who cares" finals? The same argument could be made for the World Cup. Shall we do a survey of Professional Hockey fans in Sacramento? Oh, I suppose it's a "niche" sport.

Personally, I would define the truth as that which is right, not that which is convenient. I also chose not to call such writers pigs - I like pigs.

 

[kennadog]

I honestly cannot understand the mindset of some men who seem so threatened or disgusted - or somewhere in between - by the idea of women actually having the nerve to step on a sacred court and play a "MAN'S GAME" that they have to not only dismiss but disparage the whole effort.

Its because the women who play in the WNBA could wipe the court with the majority of men. They just hate that fact. Women keep taking away things that men feel they can do better in. Some women actually won't let them win, poor things.

 

[RosevilleBill]

I'm responding to this quotation:
'Poor Mr. Dennis Johnson. It actually sounds to me as though he feels his "manhood" is threatened by the existence of the WNBA.'

I got myself so worked up, waiting for someone to set these guys straight, that I actually registered here, just to yell, uh, "reply" to this thread.

The WNBA is composed of talented women, many of whom are so dedicated to their sport that they go overseas to play in other leagues, so they can earn enough money to come home and be underappreciated by those who either haven't seen a minute of WNBA action or, having seen it, feel really threatened, deep down in their manhood. These strong, well-trained women play tough, good basketball, and they don't ever cry about it, as so many of the top NBA player-primadonnas do.
The NBA is on thin ice, right now, in spite of or because of showcasing those lighter-than-air disciplinary actions, imposed after the Indiana/Detroit riot.
It is clear that the NBA's tolerance of Artest's and the other thugs' violence influences the criminal courts, when you observe that he and some of his fellow thugs just got probation for their crimes, instead of stiffer penalties that might actually reduce the tendency toward more and more injuries, more and more altercations. When one of these players can't win with talent or training, he cheats. Cheats, I say. He isn't raising his level of intensity - he's cheating, because he knows he can't win by playing by the rules. Flagrant fouling, scowling threateningly at opponents, and arguing incessantly with officials are all marks of underachieving, immature, cheating thugs. Not athletes, not professionals, but thugs.
This isn't intensity or talent or skill. This is bad for professional sports in general and men's basketball, specifically.
The WNBA's critics, like Bobby Riggs for women's tennis and Vijay Singh for women's golf, really are afraid for their own (perceived) manhood's sake.

Is it "fair" that women are paid so much less? Maybe not. I don't know. But, the lower ticket prices are much more in line with the economic capacity of a vast, wide, pool of potential fans. WNBA fans, men and women, are just as faithful and spirited as NBA fans - and far less violent. WNBA games can be afforded by most average folks, while the prices of many NBA games are squeezing out everyone but the faithless, fair-weather-fan, yuppie types. My own home team NBA fans are now occasionally booing their own players (!), and I'm asserting that the price of the ticket has changed the general type of fan who's able, now, to attend. We sure didn't boo the home team a few years ago. I love my WNBA team, and I challenge anyone to show me a more dedicated, team-oriented league, than the WNBA. I started by watching NBA basketball, but I'm with the WNBA, now, having just finished using up my first set of season tickets.
Dude, I watched 'em, and nothing bad ever happened to me!
So, if you want intensity, teamwork and grit, check out a WNBA game. If, on the other hand, you want show biz types and princelings of ego, or you're afraid the WNBA won't be seen as "cool", maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't bother with women's professional basketball, but should check out the NBA or Wrestlemania.
Otherwise, c'mon, guys, check out these ladies. What's not to love? I'm sure they'll play well and hard, and I'm sure their games will matter to you.
Go WNBA!

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Welcome to KingsFans, RosevilleBill. I agree with your sentiment, if not necessarily your argument: as a fan of both the NBA and the WNBA, I don't understand why people feel the need to demean and belittle one league in order to extoll the virtues of the other? Some have complained about how WNBA haters behave this way, but it's become clear that WNBA fans are not above this sort of behavior.

How has the NBA shown tolerance of Artest's behavior? They gave him the longest suspension in NBA history (longer than Latrell Sprewell got for choking his coach, longer than Kermit Washington got for literally breaking a guy's face). He might not gone to prison, but what he did amounts to aggravated assault and, when last I checked, you don't usually go to jail for that.

 

[RosevilleBill]

Okay, let's restrict this to NBA-bashing, then.

These guys are overpaid. They are thugs. Without the NBA to guard them, they'd be in jail. Over and over, season after season, thugs hurt players, appealing to the lowest in us. Malone's gone, Stockton's gone, and no more
players will be hurt by them. That's a good thing. Artest should be gone from the NBA, too - period. Just because those berserkers aren't in jail doesn't mean that their crimes shouldn't have put them there. These guys did the crime, and then tried to minimize it, rather than being penitent. We all saw the tape, over and over and over, again (I'll bet the ratings were high, high, high), so there's no doubt that crimes were committed. Appealing to our violent, prurient interests will get the government involved, as it has had to be in the case of steroids. Baseball and other sports were so greedy and so lacking in courage that, now, we have Senators nosing around the locker rooms. Either we police ourselves, or we'll have police in the locker room. That's what it'll come to, if we don't start yelling at them to stop with the violence-loving, greed-driven policy-making (check out all those hyphens!).
When your actions put you way outside of society, you gotta make nice, not excuses.
Watch Artest now, and learn. Someone's gonna get hurt - again.
How much thuggery will you tolerate, if it's not already bad enough for you? The fan(s) who attacked the players in the Indiana/Detroit riot are animals and the players, ostensibly professionals, shouldn't be judged any less harshly.
I do love the game, and I love the NBA for its fabulously gifted players, but league management is going to get someone killed with this selfish, laissez-faire attitude that serves only the immediate bottom line. When did we start needing more than good basketball? Why do we need violence?
We don't need it, so let's stop it - now.
There's so much more to be done to improve the NBA, like adopting instant replays, cutting the number of games played per year and setting age limits, that it's a shame to be stuck on a no-brainer like the one we're here blabbing about. Now, we have to wait for the next horror, and do this all over again, maybe looking at tapes of someone dying, next time. Ratings will go through the roof, eh?
Or, we can just do happy talk and pat each other on the back until the NBA's gone and professional wrestling's all that remains.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Uhm, I wasn't complaining about bashing one to build up the other in order to give you the green light to shift full-time NBA bash mode, but whatever...

Grant Hill's a thug? Michael Redd's a thug? Mike Bibby's a thug? Peja Stojakovic's a thug? Steve Nash is a thug? Troy Murphy's a thug? Joe Johnson's a thug? Ray Allen's a thug? Yao Ming's a thug? Tim Duncan's a thug? I could go on, but I think you get my point; please don't make blanket statements...

I'm really not that concerned about government intervention, due to fighting: the "gub'mint" didn't step in when Jerry Sloan went into the stands to confront a fan... they didn't step in when the Knicks and Heat squared off in the Garden (anybody remember Jeff Van Gundy was clinging to Mourning's leg?), and I don't think that they're going to step in because of what happened last year in Detroit.

And, by the way, as a wrestling fan for the better part of thirty years, you aren't going to score any points by making fun of that, either...

 

[RosevilleBill]

Dude, I'm learning the ropes, and I somehow sent an incomplete response.
I meant to say thanks for the welcome and I acknowledged the generosity of NBA players in responding to major disasters and other times of great need.
Thanks, again.

 

[RoyalDiva]

Getting this back on topic on the WNBA....about five years ago I did some free-lance journalism for an online sports site where all the articles were written by fans. While I got great support from my editor, I had to put up with hate mail from men who didn't appreciate my writing about the WNBA. I succintly remember one guy complained that more and more today, women were becoming more powerful, and what a bad thing that was. While I did get more positive mail, being exposed for the first time to bigotry like that was a real wake-up call.