The Texas Charge folded

[sluggers]

Starting another pro sport at this time is not a good idea. Ratings are down for all the major sports. So, its hard to imagine any new pro sport becoming extremely popular. Mens pro soccer struggles is the US, so it is hard to imagine some other sports gaining traction.

Also, baseball/softball is a strange game. Unlike other sports, a person can't sit in the stands and figure out what is going on in 15 minutes,

Also, active young adults are as likely to mountain bike as they are to play softball/basketball/flag football.

 

[chardrok]

Starting another pro sport at this time is not a good idea. Ratings are down for all the major sports. So, its hard to imagine any new pro sport becoming extremely popular.

And remember, most of the "established" sports became popular when there were a lot fewer choices for entertainment. Now they have seen that popularity slip.
They still have the capital to maintain their relevance, but I wonder how popular they would be if they had to start from scratch now. No upstart football league has been able to pull that off.
NASCAR is the only upstart I can think of that's been successful in the modern era, but it started off as quite regional, and to some degree is still a south eastern "sport."

To that end I think that professional softball should be regional with a single overall governing rules body, and a big tourney at the end between regional winners, almost like the college conference system. Hopefully, they could find a little money in the secondary sports channels market, but they need to make the games accessible to streaming (live and prerecorded) as well. Produce a good product, put it in the hands of the people, and suffer through the lean years. After 40 or 50 years, who knows, it may reach NHL or golf recognition.

 

[Eric F]

Just to be clear- the rooted in sexism comment wasn't about the failure or success of the NPF, it was society's lack of support, enthusiasm and respect for female athletes.

Dismissed



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I understand where you were coming from. However, I think that there are more factors than just sexism that contribute to the attendance/attention differences between women's and men's sports. Some of those aren't likely to be overcome.

 

[Bob516]

there are more factors than just sexism that contribute to the attendance/attention differences between women's and men's sports.

What do you think those other factors are?

 

[Eric F]

What do you think those other factors are?

As mentioned before...

"Rooted in sexism" is a bit extreme. It discounts factors such as product quality, accessibility, and tradition, which are pretty significant parts of the equation. I'm not saying sexism isn't a factor, but it's not the only thing involved. (IMO, YMMV)

 

[Bob516]

As mentioned before...product quality, accessibility, and tradition

I understand the tradition issue. Would you agree that the tradition issue is rooted in sexism? I know for fastpitch, compared to baseball, the venues differences are dramatic, that no comparison can be made. Forgive my ignorance about soccer and basketball, but do the men's and women's teams play in essentially equivalent venues? Is the product quality that much different between the women's and men's games? Granted this is to some degree an opinion question.

 

[sluggers]

Forgive my ignorance about soccer and basketball, but do the men's and women's teams play in essentially equivalent venues?

Yes.

Is the product quality that much different between the women's and men's games? Granted this is to some degree an opinion question.

"Product quality" for sports is hard to define.

Women cannot throw a ball as far, jump as high, or run as fast as men. (Simply look at the Olympic records for weight lifting, high jump, and track events to see the difference.) As a result, the games are played differently.

If a person goes to games to watch extreme examples of pure athletic ability, then the women's games fall short. E.g., in women's basketball, there are much fewer dunks and the 3 point shooting isn't as accurate. Women's pro soccer isn't as fast paced as men's soccer...it is more methodical.

Basically, it is the same as women's tennis. There is more strategy and finesse in women's tennis than men's, but the serves and the shots are not as fast

 

[Bob516]

If a person goes to games to watch extreme examples of pure athletic ability, then the women's games fall short. E.g., in women's basketball, there are much fewer dunks and the 3 point shooting isn't as accurate. Women's pro soccer isn't as fast paced as men's soccer...it is more methodical.

Basically, it is the same as women's tennis. There is more strategy and finesse in women's tennis than men's, but the serves and the shots are not as fast.

Maybe that is why I do not understand this as much as I might. Extreme athleticism doesn't get me as much as strategy and the complexity of a play. In a baseball game I would rather see a one great play at the plate then a bunch of home runs. The home run is fun, but that is all it is, the ball is going over the fence. Watching an outfielder making a pinpoint throw to home, the catcher receiving the ball and making a great tag is so much exciting and involved than a swing of a bat and the ball taking off. I do love watching an outfielder robbing a batter of a home run. I guess I find it more exciting when more than one player is involved in the play happening. In football, a great catch by a wide receiver is nice, but when the the wide receiver catches the ball with one or two defenders almost deflecting the ball away from him, that is the best.

 

[Eric F]

I understand the tradition issue. Would you agree that the tradition issue is rooted in sexism? I know for fastpitch, compared to baseball, the venues differences are dramatic, that no comparison can be made. Forgive my ignorance about soccer and basketball, but do the men's and women's teams play in essentially equivalent venues? Is the product quality that much different between the women's and men's games? Granted this is to some degree an opinion question.

From earlier, related to product quality...

Men's sports are faster and more dynamic than the women's side of the same sport (basketball is a good example). This is just the nature of the difference in physical size and power of the athletes. Related to that, fans are attracted to seeing sports played at the highest level (fastest, highest scoring, etc.), which is the men's game.

It certainly can be argued that there are instances where the women play a "better" game than the men. I've seen quite a few comments in that vein related to the current condition of US soccer - lol. However, things like speed and power tend to be very difficult for women to match, purely from a physical size aspect.

How do you see tradition - a family, generation after generation, cheering for one team - rooted in sexism? I'm not following you on that one.

 

[Bob516]

How do you see tradition - a family, generation after generation, cheering for one team - rooted in sexism? I'm not following you on that one.

Sexism created a system that would not allow women to compete seriously as men's professional sports developed over the last century. If men's and women's professional sports had been allowed to develop equally for the last 100 years, there now might a long tradition of families watching women's professional sports.