Is the End of the Detroit Shock Really a Bad Thing?
by Seth Pollack on Oct 19, 2009 12:45 PM EDT
in WNBA
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PrintWith word coming today that the Shock will reportedly move to Tulsa, I am hard pressed to shed a tear.
Obviously, it is better for the league to be expanding and not contracting. Obviously, this is horrible news for loyal Shock fans in the Motor City. And obviously, this a more food for the haters.
But as a new fan of the WNBA without the perspective of history and nostalgia I am only seeing the bright side of this news.
Lets assume that the Shock indeed move to Tulsa and become the Tulsa Cowgirls (or hopefully a much better name) then the league will stay at 13 teams. In the long run the league will need to expand but it would be a serious mistake to expand faster than the talent level can support.
As this great analysis shows, the WNBA is reaching new heights in performance levels and I believe that a big reason why is the contraction that occurred after the 2008 season. If Tulsa had entered the league as a new team, the inevitable expansion draft would have weakened the league at exactly the wrong time.
The best thing for the WNBA right now is to consolidate the gains it made in 2009 and come back with another strong year in 2010. Expansion should only occur when there's enough talent to support it. While it might be hard to turn down opportunities to grow, in the long run it would be a prudent move.
Focus on getting better and expanding coverage and access before diluting the product.
The other positive to come out of this is the destruction of the Detroit Bad Girls. Apologies to any Shock fans out there, but there are very few observers of the WNBA who consider Detroit as a model team when it comes to either style of play or fan friendly culture.
Moving the team to Tulsa and replacing Rick Mahorn and the Bad Boy legacy will only help the overall reputation and entertainment value of the league. This isn't about style of play as much as attitude and culture. The Fever were are great defensive team and they were a very enjoyable team to follow.
The physical style of hit 'em in the mouth play is waning in the NBA and exercising the Shock from the WNBA will only hasten the process here.
Now, all of this goes out the window if the Atlanta Dream end up folding. That would be a real travesty.
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"Oh No He Di'nt!"
Moving the team to Tulsa and replacing Rick Mahorn and the Bad Boy legacy will only help the overall reputation and entertainment value of the league. This isn’t about style of play as much as attitude and culture.
Oooo, Phoenix Stan went there! Some fans loved that legacy; I’d have someone else start your car for a few weeks.
Is it good for the league? As long as franchises don’t fold, it’s good for the league, or at least not bad for it. Franchises can move around as much as they need or want to. I’m getting the impression that Tulsa is pleasantly neutral to the idea of having a WNBA franchise; it might be a good fit for the Shock. But it has to be a very, very sad and miserable day for Detroit fans.
And if the Dream folds? Yes, the WNBA’s “good news” goes right out the window. You can never let franchises fold and be a stable league.
Good thing
I drive a Toyota isn’t it…and I that I don’t use my real name online :)
I get it. Fans and passionate and loyal to their team and that’s GREAT.
But looking at it as an outsider, that style of play is only hurting the league. And the league knows it.
I will keep my source anonymous, but a league official I spoke with during the finals was very pleased that Indiana and not Detroit made it out of the East. This person basically called Detroit the only team that is hard to root for b/c of how they play and their attitude in general. Basically, the opinion was that the Shock was a drag on the W.
That’s only one person’s opinion of course but I happen to agree with it.
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
There's no question that the Shock in the Finals would have been bad for the league.
And I think the Fever staying put in Indiana is a better result than the Shock staying put in Detroit as well. The Fever I think have a chance to be viable. They’re in a basketball crazy state that has two strong women’s college programs that have won national championships and some history with women’s basketball. And they have a downtown arena.
Detroit Shock move to Tulsa
The Shock have liong been my least favorite WNBA franchise. Despite adding quality characters like Taj, Katie Smith, and Teasley, I still hated that team. I am glad to see them go away.
good/bad
It’s not good for the league, but its not necessarily bad either. The previous W teams that have moved both wound up in much better situations than they had been previously.
Bill Laimbeer added a level of professionalism to the WNBA that had been sadly lacking before he took over the Shock. The first step in the evolution that you’re praising was taken by Evil Bill, and all W fans owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
Winning 2 titles in 3 years and having attendance drop off 20%?
The City of Detriot and the mgmt of the Detriot Pistons ought to be ashamed.
Better they go to Tulsa and be appreciated. Better the hospitality of a beggar than the indifference of a millionaire.
Is Detriot the meanest sports town in the country? Where else does a chip mean wholesale burning and looting?
Wondering what to drink to during suns games...
Pistons
Why should the Pistons be ashamed, exactly? The Pistons supported the Shock for 10 years: they kept promoting this team like crazy during Pistons games; in every single Pistons’ community event the Shock and its players were invited and they went out there with the Pistons players; they gave Pistons season ticket holders the chance to buy Shock tickets; they even changed the Palace of Auburn Hills’ address from 3 Championship Drive (the number of Pistons’ titles) into 6 Championship Drive (by adding the Shock’s 3 titles). Not to mention that back in 2002 the Shock were this close to move to San Antonio, but the Pistons ownership decided to keep them around. But it didn’t work. At the end of the day the Palace was mostly empty during Shock games, no matter how hard the Pistons tried to promote this team. Not to mention that the economy is terrible right now, especially in Michigan. So what were the Pistons supposed to do? They did more than enough.
From the Free Press:
“"We told them we were out of ideas," Wilson said, "and in this economy it’s going to be how long before things turn around? We have our own challenges with the Pistons, as all the sports teams are having right now with ticket sales and advertising. We needed to concentrate on the bigger projects that we have and not take our focus off that”.
by Hoopedia0000 on Oct 20, 2009 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
There's something about Detroit
that I don’t really get. I mean, the Pistons beat the LAKERS on their way to a championship, and yet I didn’t hear anything great come right out of it. Now that Chauncey Billups isn’t there anymore, I find little else to cheer for (besides Rip Hamilton). Then the Shock win three, one less than the legendary Comets, and they’re shipped off after making the playoffs for how many years in a row? Crazy.
(Championship teams. I don’t understand what’s going on.)
That someone’s willing to take in the Shock is a good thing for the league. It shows that franchises have value, and there are people who want to obtain said franchise value. I don’t live in America, but how close are the Thunder playing to where the Shock will move?
Tulsa and OKC
are about 100 miles / 160 km apart.
It will be interesting to see how a WNBA team does in such a small conservative market. Tulsa is pretty rural and small. In fact, off the top of my head I can’t think of a smaller more conservative home for any pro team above the minor league level.
Anyone?
I have sort of thought that I noticed a trend in San Antonio towards a team with a lot of Christian players and certainly more white players than other teams.
I wonder if the Tulsa ownership will “shape” the franchise to fit the local cultural values and just how that will play out.
That is total off the cuff speculation of course. I haven’t been to Tulsa since about 1989 and I don’t know anything about the new ownership group and what their politics are. But having been in Phoenix forever, I’ve seen the impact that Jerry Colangelo’s politics and conservative views have had on the Suns and Diamondbacks over the years so I know that it does happen.
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
by Seth Pollack on Oct 20, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I wondered about. But, the ownership is reportedly bringing in former Arkansas coach
Nolan Richardson as coach, which isn’t exactly a non-controversial choice when it comes to race.
or style
I ran into Corey Gaines today and he talked alot about Richardson’s style as a coach and propensity to use the press. Corey seemed to be almost licking his lips to go after that.
I asked if he thought Richardson might adjust to the league and he basically laughed at me. So, from a basketball stand point it sounds like we are in for some interesting times as well.
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
by Seth Pollack on Oct 20, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
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