In Five Out, we explain how to be an ethical hater in women's basketball, who is having the more fun Olympic break? Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark? And much more for the week of August 4th, 2024.
Given the bar of hating that I see on the men’s side of sports I felt Swoopes was tame. What I’d rather is she just come out and be a hater. Be fully unencumbered and none of us have to pretend it’s analysis and not hating.
The two truths that can’t be held, IMO, is the idea that supporting all women/growing the game means you have to shield your criticism as shade. I’d rather we let haterdom into the W. It’s just gotta be ethical! 😂
I guess that’s my issue too. It was tame for hating, but nobody’s acknowledging it’s hating. Everyone defending her is saying “she as giving her analysis as a LEGEND,” when nobody giving objective analysis would say the things she said. People seem to be going to Sheryl for objective analysis, which she’s not giving
And then everyone keeps saying CC needs to defend her, but I don’t get why a 22 year old needs to defend a 50 year old woman who keeps hating on her unprompted (if she’s even aware it’s happening which I doubt she is, as I mentioned I wasn’t even aware this was causing discourse and CC is likely less online than me, and she probably doesn’t even kno Sheryl has a podcast)
I’m very surprised people are like “what Sheryl said wasn’t that bad!” I haven’t been on Twitter to see the discourse so I’m sure CC’s fanbase has overreacted, but I listened to the podcast just as I do weekly and she was fully hating. Of course there are things to criticize 22 for, but she didn’t offer a single compliment her way - the closest she came was appearing neutral towards things like breaking the all time single assist record, while undercutting everything else she’s done for the Fever. She might not have explicitly said Katie Lou was better than CC, but she did run through the Fever roster to explain why every player was offering more than CC, and said that them getting KLS in free agency as one of multiple non-CC factors that got them into the playoffs. As always, women’s basketball fans cannot hold two truths. Hating has been done by basketball vets for years (and in all sports, see Simone’s shady caption) but for some reason we’re not allowed to call Sheryl out for it? Being a good player doesn’t mean you can’t also be a hater. But it honestly feels like any other vet WOULD be called out for hating, there’s just so much animosity towards CC within the WBB community that you’re allowed to say things like “she’s not helping her team be better” and everyone’s like omggg let her have an opinion
And to the Olympics point, again I feel WBB fans are unable to hold two truths - yes the rookie season is a grind, but DT and CP win college championships and then went to the Olympics. While CC and AR I’m sure are thankful for the break, I think they’d much prefer to be in the Olympics and sleep when they’re dead!
It’s the last evolution of the women’s game to be honest. Shaq is on Inside the NBA every week and is a massive hater. We should be okay with haters in the W. It creates lively discourse. Conversely, we can’t be so sensitive to a hater either. It’s a dance that I hope we can master as time goes on.
Given the bar of hating that I see on the men’s side of sports I felt Swoopes was tame. What I’d rather is she just come out and be a hater. Be fully unencumbered and none of us have to pretend it’s analysis and not hating.
The two truths that can’t be held, IMO, is the idea that supporting all women/growing the game means you have to shield your criticism as shade. I’d rather we let haterdom into the W. It’s just gotta be ethical! 😂
I guess that’s my issue too. It was tame for hating, but nobody’s acknowledging it’s hating. Everyone defending her is saying “she as giving her analysis as a LEGEND,” when nobody giving objective analysis would say the things she said. People seem to be going to Sheryl for objective analysis, which she’s not giving
And then everyone keeps saying CC needs to defend her, but I don’t get why a 22 year old needs to defend a 50 year old woman who keeps hating on her unprompted (if she’s even aware it’s happening which I doubt she is, as I mentioned I wasn’t even aware this was causing discourse and CC is likely less online than me, and she probably doesn’t even kno Sheryl has a podcast)
I’m very surprised people are like “what Sheryl said wasn’t that bad!” I haven’t been on Twitter to see the discourse so I’m sure CC’s fanbase has overreacted, but I listened to the podcast just as I do weekly and she was fully hating. Of course there are things to criticize 22 for, but she didn’t offer a single compliment her way - the closest she came was appearing neutral towards things like breaking the all time single assist record, while undercutting everything else she’s done for the Fever. She might not have explicitly said Katie Lou was better than CC, but she did run through the Fever roster to explain why every player was offering more than CC, and said that them getting KLS in free agency as one of multiple non-CC factors that got them into the playoffs. As always, women’s basketball fans cannot hold two truths. Hating has been done by basketball vets for years (and in all sports, see Simone’s shady caption) but for some reason we’re not allowed to call Sheryl out for it? Being a good player doesn’t mean you can’t also be a hater. But it honestly feels like any other vet WOULD be called out for hating, there’s just so much animosity towards CC within the WBB community that you’re allowed to say things like “she’s not helping her team be better” and everyone’s like omggg let her have an opinion
And to the Olympics point, again I feel WBB fans are unable to hold two truths - yes the rookie season is a grind, but DT and CP win college championships and then went to the Olympics. While CC and AR I’m sure are thankful for the break, I think they’d much prefer to be in the Olympics and sleep when they’re dead!
It’s the last evolution of the women’s game to be honest. Shaq is on Inside the NBA every week and is a massive hater. We should be okay with haters in the W. It creates lively discourse. Conversely, we can’t be so sensitive to a hater either. It’s a dance that I hope we can master as time goes on.