Yesterday was the first full Saturday of the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2023 season. Five matches were played, ten teams were in action.
A rematch of the 2022 championshop match between the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current was deemed significant enough by CBS to air in the first live sports window on the day they were to carry March Madness. The other four matches aired live on Paramount+. Portland, let by a hat trick from Sophia Smith, scored their second win in as many weeks, beating the defending champion current 3-2.
In New Jersey, the OL Reign of the Pacific Northwest shut out the homestanding Gotham 2-0 for their first win.
If I were reading either the New York Times or the New York Post, with a combined daily circulation of nearly half a million (per Statista), do you know exactly how many column inches of space–even agate type–was devoted to this result.
Hello again, Senator Blutarsky. Zero point zero. Not even an agate listing of results, standings and upcoming matches.
Today in Orlando, where Megacon will be ending their most successful-ever show and some pretty amazingly attractive fans could be in attendance, Angel City FC will be visiting the Pride in the Orlando home opener, also available on Paramount+. Both teams are seeking their first win of the young season.
Wanna know exactly how many column inches of space was devoted in today’s LA Times to this?
Right again, Senator Blutarsky. So much for your old pal Dean Wormer’s sage advice. Yah, I know you remember it:
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Now, if the actual audience for any of these NWSL matches was what Senator Blutarsky’s grades were in Dean Wormer’s class, then one could indulge the editorial choices of the New York and Los Angeles papers. If this wasn’t a year for the Women’s Worls Cup on top of it, you could almost understand. And, yes, I get it. I’m a relative Luddite when it comes to print newspapers. And I’m sure not the NWSL’s target audience.
But when you do devote column inches and space to the results and standings of the MLS teams–even the winless Galaxy–well, then, call me an idealist, but that kind of choice is, to me, inexcusable.
There IS interest and appeal in women’s soccer. I strongly suspect it will grow concurrent with this summer’s World Cup Many of the USWNT players are playing for Angel City FC and Gotham FC. So, too, are international stars who will compete with them.
Do you think that the gosh-darn Post and both Times might have found all this newsworthy enough to even print the damn standings?!?!?
So unexpected kudos need to be given to the Los Angeles Daily News and their parent company, Digital First Media, for actually being able to offer this little agate feature this morning:
Right in there with the IndyCar results and the race card at Santa Anita. Two more niche sports. For their massive circulation that doesn’t even qualify as being large enough for Statista measurement, but Wikipedia estimates at around 56,000.
It’s something. Not much. But it’s NOT zero point zero.
I will be watching–well, listening, as I’ll likely be driving. I’m trying to make enough to join my friend’s charity event and tailgate party at Angel City’s May 7 home match against the champion Current. There’s food and fun attached, plus, frankly, I’m dying to see BMO Park from the inside. If you’re interested in supporting his charity, message me for details. I assure you, it’s worth it. Plus, I may lose my fantasy baseball season opener to him so, honestly, I kinda want him to feel guilty enough to give me a doggie bag from the tailagte leftovers.
I get there are priorities and column space is precious.
But zero point zero in all but one of my many Sunday papers? Those trees did get cut down. It’s a shame they didn’t make enough of a noise to be worthy of inclusion in more popular newspapers.
C’mon, allegedly unbiased sports media. If the NWSL is popular enough for Paramount+ and some truly beautiful and special friends, you can at least find some space somewhere to cover it.
You never know what future senator you might piss off in the process of ignoring it. Blutarsky won’t last forever in the Senate, you know.
Courage….