# Here is What Stacey Pressman emailed back to me



## Comets_Always23 (Apr 30, 2003)

Here is what ESPN freelance writer Stacey Pressman wrote me in response to the letter I wrote her about the WNBA not being accepted. I guess we can agree to disagree...

The response:

Obviously, I wrote the article and I am passionate about the way I feel, so I have no problem engaging with you.

I have been to games and have experienced women' basketball. I watch UCONN-Tenn (which I liked alot...however all the rounds leading up to it were miserable!) and as you know, I did go to opening day of the Sun. I have watched women's hoops on TV and I went to college and watched our women's team all the time. I have experienced relatively high events in the Women's Basketball Pantheon.

They say this particular pro game I went to was bad. Although admittedly, I did have a good time, it just wasn't the basketball that made the time fun.

In most of the women's hoops games I view, I see 40 minutes of underhanded lay ups...missed underhanded lay ups at that...At the Sun game I saw opponents diving for the ball and when they fell on each other...instead of having that "competitive spirit"...I watched the girls tickle each other...

I didn't put that in the article cause it was unfair for me to say that happens at all the games but you certainly didn't feel any competitiveness out there. When I watch Diana Tuarasi, she's a different story. She's a baller. I feel bad for her that she even has to enter the WNBA. I wish she could stay at UCONN forever cause rooting for her and the school is fun and exciting. 

I'm sorry you didn't like my article...

You have no idea what it is like to be a woman and work in the sports industry and have to blindly accept the fact that the WNBA and Title IX are the greatest things to ever happen to women. (this view is wildly accepted, and never challenged, by many women who work in sports...or-this so called sports sisterhood)

Certainly they do good things, but if you disagree with any of it, there is this absolute backlash. People make me feel the way your email made me feel and I am not going to sit in fear and accept the fact that I have to like it. For you to insinuate that I am not a strong woman, you are highly mistaken.

Sports, unfortunately, is about entertainment, it's a business... it's not about eliciting moral high ground.

I tried to tackle this in a humorous way as well as make a point that I know many don't like to hear. I was being honest! Keep in mind, I write for Page 2 (condom jokes) not the Atlantic Monthly! 

I went to an all women's college, I have been raised in a house with only girls, I support women's sports. My exception is women's basketball on a pro level. Their game is embarrassing! They can develop it all they want. It will still be embarrassing! As a woman, I want women to succeed not FAIL! This is an aggregate failure. A failure you're giving me a guilt trip about.

I would LOVE it, if instead of women's basketball they started promoting women's volleyball. That's a GREAT sport and it has potential to have a mass audience. Women's Volleyball gets little attention. I would sign up and lead the bandwagon in trying to get that onto the national landscape.

I have no problem with the League existing, I do have a problem with people expecting me to like this sport just because I am a woman. 

I liken women's basketball players to female firefighters...a lofty and noble goal yes...but the bottom line is, I think you would prefer to be carried out of the building by a man and brought to safety, rather than dragged out of the building by your ankles as your head is hitting every step of the way down. Sure you have been brought to safety and you haven't died in the fire, but I think I could guess the method in which you would prefer to be taken out of the building.

Is it sexist of you to prefer the male firefighter? Is it sexist to say men are better at firefighting and rescuing people than women? Clearly there are physical differences that make them better. Basketball is a sport where the physical differences just make men play a more entertaining game. There's a bottom line for each: Basketball is about entertainment. Firefighting is about saving lives. I never said the NBA is the answer, I don't think the word NBA (alone) was written in my article once... I just said the women don't play a form of basketball that is appealing to a wide enough audience. 

This is the only sport where the difference is so large. I am not anti- women. I'm not saying women shouldn't play basketball. Play basketball! You're right, these women are great women, they sign autographs, they are mothers, they are teachers...but I'm not interested in watching a mother of triplets play basketball. I'm interested in seeing an entertaining product.

I made the same point with the Princeton's mens team. Watching teams battle it out to see who can run the best backdoor cut is not going to make for mass audience appeal...

If the WNBA doesn't care about the dunk why do they devote a section on their website to show you Lisa Leslie's dunk?

You should know that I received hundreds and hundreds of emails from women thanking me for having the guts to say what I said. (I can compile them for you and forward them on if you'd like) I support women 100%, but as someone who wants to see women succeed, I will concede our weaknesses. (women's hoops and firefighting are two of them)

We can certainly agree to disagree. I have no problem with that. 

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Best,

Stacey


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## Gym Rat (Dec 30, 2002)

Since I don't want to get on my soap box yet... 

:soapbox:

I will wait a day or so to say what I think. I am trying to enjoy my birthday!!!


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## Comets_Always23 (Apr 30, 2003)

Happy B-day Gymrat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grinning: :laugh:


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## s a b a s 11 (Dec 31, 2002)

Whoops happy bday gr/BO

STuart


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