Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better


Wednesday, June 15, 2005

From Gumption72 on the ESPN board:

"I have been diligently writing e-mails and personally handwritten letters to sponsors of radio and televised games for the last two years... for the Lynx, Gophers and the Olympics. I also tell NBAtv, Oxygen, ESPN2 and any other channels that offered women's basketball games. I just made up a few basic letters and change[d] the the company information.... It is time consuming and I don't have endless time, but I get instant and almost 95% acknowledging and thankful responses from them. Some companies send me coupons and call me, but that isn't why I do it. I want them to KNOW that they make a difference in my life by offering an opportunity for me to see or hear a game. I think They DO appreciate knowing we recognize their advertising as support of the game/show. I can't think of anything else I can actually do as one person other than keep spreading the word amongst friends and coworkers to go and see games for themselves. It is slow and tedious, but well worth it. Remember, the WNBA is ultimately a business."

Sponsorships mean money, both for the league as a whole and for individual teams, even Charlotte. And feedback matters to sponsors, even to giant faceless corporations (otherwise they wouldn't hire people to respond). If you've got a few minutes any time this summer, consider doing as Gumption does.