SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Is it too late to jump on the Storm bandwagon?

Sep 12, 2018, 3:14 PM | Updated: 4:55 pm

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Sue Bird, left, high-five's Jordin Canada (21) as they celebrate with teammates after beating the Washington Mystics in Game 2 of the WNBA basketball finals Sunday in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The Seattle Storm are on the verge of winning the WNBA Championship Wednesday night. I asked myself why I’m not more interested in the team? I have never been to a game or even watched one on TV.

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Do I have some kind of hidden bias against women’s basketball? Is it the lack of TV coverage for the regular season? Maybe it’s the sports media’s fault? Let’s discuss.

I grew up a sports fan and follow most of the action in the major sports. I’m not an obsessive, but I give it some time each week. Especially during the postseason. I will watch postseason baseball and basketball even when I don’t necessarily have a rooting interest.

Watching the Cubs win a few years back was such a fun ride. And I think I watched at least part of every game of the NBA Finals last season.

So why do I have zero desire to jump on the Storm bandwagon?

Let’s look at bias first.

If you asked me if I support women’s athletics, I would answer, yes, in theory. But in practice, I do not. It’s one of those things I say I believe in, but haven’t given it much energy, time or money. Now it would be easy for me to just move on except that I will watch with great interest LeBron James battle Steph Curry for a championship. So what’s that all about? Intellectually, I would tell you that it’s not a quality of play issue. Obviously, men’s basketball has more dunking and they are larger human beings, but it’s the same game. Emotionally though, I don’t have the buy-in with the women’s teams.

So maybe I do have a bias against the WNBA. Subconsciously, I guess I really do want the size and the athleticism of the men’s game.

Next up in my theories: lack of TV. I don’t know if I’m off the hook here either. I thought for a minute that the games might not even be on TV, or that they are on some obscure channel. The postseason games have been on ESPN 2; I just haven’t made it a priority to check in.

Finally, could it be the sports media’s fault? I’m going to blame shift for a minute here. I get interested in the games in part because of the stories of the players. I hear those stories when I see them on a website or TV show. But with the Seattle Storm, I really don’t know many players. Sue Bird is all I have. I’ve seen Breanna Stewart’s name, but if I’m honest, I couldn’t pick her out of a lineup.

So in conclusion, it’s probably me. I most likely do have bias. My lack of interest has just snowballed over the years and I under-appreciate the accomplishment of this squad.

Winning a World Championship in any sport is a huge deal.

What could be the final game of the season is on Wednesday night. Is it too late to tune in and squeeze onto the bandwagon?

“What Are We Talking About Here” can be heard every weekday at 4:50 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. on the Ron & Don Show on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.

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Is it too late to jump on the Storm bandwagon?