Keeping Score

Spinning in circles

The New York Times profiles professional women skateboarders who are sick of being ignored - in 2005 they threatened to boycott the X Games unless ESPN gave them some coverage. But according to the piece ...

Chris Stiepock, general manager of the X Games, which will be conducted Aug. 3-6 in Los Angeles, said ESPN cannot afford adding more programming for women’s skateboarding without suffering a ratings decline.

“There’s only room for so many sports,” Stiepock said. “Our ultimate responsibility is to our viewer, and our viewer is a male teen.” (NYTimes, 7/26/06)

Hmmm.... I'll just let you chew on that one.

Sneakers and kids

The Boston Globe has a 3-part series on young basketball players (boys) and the amateur basketball recruiters and sneaker companies who woo them.

Remember the days of Mia Hamm?

Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune takes a look at the current status of national women's soccer in this country.

A bit late on writing about WNBA All-Stars

I was at the WNBA All-Star game last week in New York for the book I'm working on about how the media covers women's sports. I've been focusing and following the Sun around this season and it's been great. I've also grown used to the dedicated group of press that cover the Sun, so the All-Star game was a bit of a wake-up call - not that there aren't dedicated media in other WNBA markets but I did get a taste of some of the press hostility to the league, etc. I think the New York Post column that ran the next day (which Women's Hoops Blog pointed out) gives a sense of what I'm talking about. I was also surprised by the focus on dunking - lots of questions about dunking, lots of talking about dunking, and then if you watched the game - the dunking maddness that ended it. And although the league kept stressing that they have a "unique fan base"  - the other message seemed to be "once we dunk than we'll be accepted by you the press, by you men's sports fans, etc."  But that's just my read on it- other than that it  was a lot of fun and of course, I was thrilled for the Sun.

Touchdown!

A long piece in a Madision, WI paper (The Captial Times) on women who play contact sports and how more women are interested in playing football, rugby, etc.

Things done changed but not at Wimbledon

A piece in the International Herald Tribune about how "change is still a long time coming at Wimbledon" in everything from tupdating old building to the tournament's unequal prize winnings.

All-Stars

I'm headed down to the WNBA All-Star game tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting fans, seeing who shows up media-wise, etc. I was at the amazing Sun comeback game on Saturday - lots of fun. Here are some All-Star preview pieces - the West will dominate,
Margo is pysched, Catchings is out,and watch out for the rookies. And here is a great piece on Taj.
 

Jackson Pollack for a day

Saw this on Bitch PhD. Click on image and enjoy.

Random hoops stuff

Catching up after the long holiday weekend. I'm headed to the Sun vs. Sting game tonight and the Sun vs. Phoenix game on Saturday. Still waiting to hear if I have credentials for All-Star game - keeping my fingers crossed.

Women's Hoops Blog has a good review of Seattle Times reporter Jayda Evans new book on the Storm. Evans is the only WNBA beat reporter who travels to almost every away game.

Helen Wheelock, who writes for Women's Basketball Online, wrote on a Christian Science Monitor blog ("We're Just Fans" is title of blog) about women coaches and the WNBA.