Comments on: The Minnesota Lynx: A Case About Media Coverage for Female Athletes

By: Brian Hall

Brian Hall — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:20:08 +0000

Sometimes the women’s sport leagues are their own worst enemies. While the NFL will be spending the month of October promoting breast cancer awareness to reach out to and increase its female fan base, what does the WNBA do? It also promotes breast cancer awareness through its season. In fact I have never seen a promotion to engage male fans. By not reaching out to male fans they are at best limiting their fan base to 1/2 the population and a worst alienating the other 1/2.

By: mcjack

mcjack — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:13:29 +0000

On the plus side, buzz is growing around this historically bad team. They have some bona-fide superstars to go along with hometown favorite Whalen. If they make a deep run into the playoffs, or better yet win the championship and have a parade down Hennepin, interest and conversations will follow.

By: mcjack

mcjack — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:38:26 +0000

Not sure I agree, I live in the TC as well. Lynx games (complete with pre-game show and post game wrap up) are broadcast regularly on FSN and on radio. Local news recaps the scores after every game. Strib print edition writes about every game and has run numerous features this season. They have their own page on the Strib and FSN online. They are getting coverage in the news media.

Now, If you’re talking about the conversations on KFAN, that is completely different. I listen to KFAN all day everyday at work, and true, the Lynx are rarely mentioned. But talk radio plays to the interests of its listeners. It’s one thing to expect news media to cover the team (which it does), it’s quite another to expect talk radio to devote time to a team most of its hosts and listeners aren’t as interested in as, say, the Twins.

I would also suggest that it’s unrealistic to expect equal interest in a 12-year old franchise in comparisson to the other local teams. The Twins and Vikings have been a huge part of the community culture for 50 years. The Wild benefit from hockey being the state sport. And the Wolves?, most of the coverage they get (especially on KFAN) is negative.

By: Lisa Wheeler

Lisa Wheeler — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:16:01 +0000

I totally agree with this. The Lynx are awesome yet they are continually buried on the back page. My daughters play sports and I think it’s sad that they are not justified.

By: Sydni

Sydni — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:14:12 +0000

First of all…….NMLAVOI…hold me!….I am so frustrated and angry at all the news media…too!
GAWD…they anger me!! I LOVED YOUR ARTICLE…AND I KNOW YOU WERE SPEAKING FROM YOUR HEART!!….THIS DISCRIMINATORY CRAP NEEDS TO STOP! I DON’T GET IT!…..BUT, PLEASE CONTINUE ON FIGHTING…THAT GOOD FIGHT. HOPEFULLY ONE DAY IT WILL TURN AROUND!!
LOVE YA,
SYD VISHUS~

By: Jon Carlson

Jon Carlson — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:10:51 +0000

Okay…I’ll take the bait. You are way smarter about this stuff; but I need you to convince me a little more (coffee sometime??). So here goes…what if we looked at this from an asexual, non-gender perspective. 1000 more fans in that place still doesn’t fill the lower bowl. Everyone knows that you buy the cheapest ticket and move down to a good seat, because no one is going to show up. The fact is that if fan interest (attendance) was higher, the Lynx might get front page notice (realistically, below the fold; but…). The last time women’s basketball was front page news was the Gophers. It didn’t start when they got good. It started when they switched from the Pavillion to the Barn and FILLED IT!!! That was a happening; and from that point forward the media cared and both fed each other (media brought more interest, interest brought more media). The media coverage still lingers today for the Gopher women (they have their own beat writer from the StarTrib) even though the program has dropped in success on the court.

Now is the time for \the chicken\ to produce some \eggs\. Lower tickets to $5. Bus people in from…wherever! Actually fill the bowl at Target Center and make people think that maybe they need to open up the 2nd level! Do anything and everything you can to fill that arena! THEN you can start the upward spiral of more media coverage, then more attendance, then MORE media coverage,…

I just deleted a whole paragraph on minor sports (men and women) and the coverage they get or don’t get based on how many show up for their matches, meets,etc…It ended up being too much about me (my failures in this area). Suffice it to say….attendance drives coverage first, not success. THEN they feed each other.

Now chew me up and spit me out. The fact that you’re WAY smarter than me is only one of about 50,000 reasons I’m proud to say I was your coach.