To earn like the pros, entertain the fans

Bloomington, Ind.: The WNBA seems to have mastered the fine art of shooting itself in the foot. Almost no one could have predicted it. A league that struggled for decades to attract mainstream attention suddenly found itself with soaring television ratings, higher salaries, charter flights and unprecedented public interest. Instead of embracing the moment, too many players have projected petty jealousy, a grievance mentality and, at times, what many fans perceive as racial resentment. The league seems determined to cling to its underdog identity just as it finally has a chance to outgrow it.

The WNBA has never been a profitable enterprise. For nearly three decades, it has survived with financial support from the NBA while losing money year after year. That reality seems to have fostered a sense of entitlement rather than gratitude. What if the league suddenly had to generate enough revenue to pay its own salaries and cover its own expenses? My guess is the players might work a little harder to entertain the fans instead of turning what should have been a showcase event into the embarrassment that was this year’s All-Star Weekend.

Professional sports exist to entertain paying customers. If the WNBA wants to be treated like a major league, it needs to start acting like one.

Belmont, Mass.: It’s not just states in the U.S. eastern and southern flanks that get whacked by stronger hurricanes fueled by global warming. This year, our far west flank is getting whacked as well (“Lala sends drenching rain, high winds across Hawaii,” Aug 17). Also........

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