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BY craig boreth
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WEB RESOURCES
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Text of Title IX
ABL Home Court: Includes the latest stats and standings.
SI on Women
Feminist Majority Foundation: Women & Girls in Sports
WWW Women's Sports Page: Comprehensive guide to women's sports on the Web.
The WNBA
Go, Girl!: Web site dedicated to getting women and girls involved in sports.
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RELATED PODS
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Women's Issues
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Extreme Sports
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New England Blizzard player Carolyn Jones, the ABL's leading scorer.
Did you see the "Seinfeld" where Kramer gets court-side seats to the Knicks-Pacers game, and starts a brawl with Spike Lee and Reggie Miller? After he recounts the tale to Elaine and Jerry (it ends happily, with Kramer, Spike and Reggie going to a strip joint after the game), Elaine responds in earnest, "I didn't even know Cheryl Miller's brother played basketball." How is it that Elaine, who knows nothing about basketball (i.e., men's basketball), knows something about women's basketball? Check out the American Basketball League, and you may find your answer.
The ABL, which crowned the Columbus Quest its first champions this month, is the latest and most successful embodiment of an idea which began in 1979 with the Women's Professional Basketball League, and took off with Olympic gold in 1996. After three more pro leagues (including the beleaguered Liberty Basketball Association, whose players wore Lycra unitards) tried and failed to attract a substantial and dedicated following, women's basketball is finally secure and popular enough to exist on its own terms.
The ABL's slogan, "It's a Whole New Ballgame," speaks volumes about the league's appeal and its popularity, both on and off the court. Basketball purists, young and old, are enjoying the disciplined and team-oriented style of the women's game. The individual nature of the NBA game does not fit as well here; the game's excitement is generated from the team as a whole. Players move without the ball, set textbook plays and return to the fundamental essence of the game. Of course, there are still plenty of fast-breaks and buzzer-beating three-pointers. And a little NBA-style star power, from the likes of track and field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Teresa Edwards, and league-scoring-leader Carolyn Jones (above), certainly ignites the crowds.
Off the court, the ABL is again a whole new ballgame. At a recent New England Blizzard/Richmond Rage game, the crowd was filled with young (and loud) kids, mostly girls. It feels like a high school game, with the same personal association with the players. Audience members were encouraged to come down to the court at halftime to dance with the team mascot, a rather flirtatious polar bear whom the referees often need to scoot off the court after time outs. The cheerleaders (from a local high school) look left and right to check their steps, and stand dangerously close to one another to squeeze away the butterflies (above). One parent beams: "They have a great time out here, and every day they get to see and talk to their heroes." I caught myself glancing over and smiling at their proud, if not perfect, routines. Take that boundless spirit and add it to the caliber of game being played on the court, and you'll begin to understand the roots of the women's basketball phenomenon.
A telling statistic helps further that understanding: The New England Blizzard, who won their final five games of the season but still finished at the bottom of their division, had the highest attendance in the league. While not thrilled with her team's record, Coach Cliffa Foster (above) is obviously proud of her team. "The ABL has tried to make this a family experience, and it says a lot about the experience when you're not one of the teams with a winning record, and you're still leading in attendance."
Two other factors contribute to the success of the ABL. First is the successful placement of teams in medium-sized markets, which can support a women's team without burying them under an NBA franchise. This placement is particularly effective when the market, like that of the Blizzard, sits in the back yard of perennial women's basketball powerhouse UConn. "That's a perfect example of the planning, marketing, and media exposure that have really helped us out this year," says Foster.
There is also the impact of the recent implementation of Title IX. Title IX, passed in 1972, requires that equal resources be distributed for women's and men's college athletics. Though its effectiveness has been questioned, the popularity of women's sports — and basketball in particular — is strong evidence that it has worked. "The level of quality and intensity has definitely risen," Foster notes. "It's a real positive thing that has come about as a result of people recognizing that women deserve the opportunity to play as well as the men." Proof of that can be seen this summer when a second women's league, the WNBA, opens its two-month season. Whether both leagues survive remains to be seen; the WNBA, backed by its men's counterpart, does have a financial and P.R. advantage over the ABL. But with such resounding success in its inaugural season, it's clear that the ABL, breaking into medium-sized markets and building community with great athletics, is in fast-break mode. One can only assume that they'll take it strong to the hoop in the coming years.
If you missed them this season, I can say with a degree of certainty that women's basketball has never before inspired: they will be back next year. And remember, it's only a matter of time before those cheerleaders pick up a basketball and show us what they've got.
Craig Boreth is a freelance travel, cooking, and ephemera writer living in Somerville, Mass.
© 1997 Tripod, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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