Wie v. Lebron: Fans Just Want to Watch

Mike's post on the different responses to Michelle Wie and Lebron James turning pro (10/20) has produced a number of excellent comments, which I recommend to you. I have also written on this topic before and argue that it has less to do with Michelle versus Lebron and more to do with NBA versus LPGA (7/26).

One possibility is that tennis and golf, the "country club" sports, are seen as more respectable than basketball. Fans may be more willing to tolerate younger players in these "dignified" sports that have well-established rules of etiquette (i.e., quiet for the serve and self-penalization in golf). Tuning into SportsCenter, a fan's view of basketball is dunks, show-boating and tattoos.

Along the same vein, no one has ever done a breakdown of the ages of golfers and tennis players that have been arrested. For the most part, the mug shots of golfers and tennis players do not regularly appear on the nightly news. The better overall image of these sports may cause fans to be more accepting of younger players -- after all, there is far less chance that they will be "corrupted."

For one reason or another, though, the NBA has determined that the league will be more successful if it improves its image. Part of this improvement is the dress code, part is the oft-discussed age limit. Does race play some role in the declining public perception of the NBA? Probably. But other, more important factors, include the fact that many NBA stars, white and black, dress in a manner deemed "thug-like" by a large portion of the NBA fan base. And though high schoolers may not be arrested any more than players that go to college, professional basketball and football players have far more run-ins with the law than their counterparts in tennis, golf and soccer.

Perhaps the most interesting argument, though, is that having younger stars in many sports boosts the popularity of the sport. More people are interested in women's golf because of Wie, and thus, they like the fact that Wie is playing. The same is true for Freddy Adu and soccer or the Williams sisters and tennis. As reader Neel points out, the fans of the NBA do not need such a boost, and thus, they focus more on the problems associated with having younger players and less on the benefits.

Moreover, the popularity of college basketball means that fans of the NBA do not need players to turn pro so that they can watch them play. In fact, many people would have been happier to see Lebron play for Ohio State than for the Cavaliers over the last two years. Sports fans love phenoms, but often prefer to see these players excel in college football or basketball before moving on to the pros.

In contrast, until a phenom in baseball, tennis, or soccer turns pro, it is difficult if not impossible to watch them play. When is the last time you watched a college tennis match? Yes, talented amateurs in tennis and golf (like Wie) will get exemptions and play in some tournaments, but it costs a lot of money to have the best equipment and travel around the country. Amateurs can only afford so much, and thus will be limited in the events that they can play. In other sports, players get no exposure at all until becoming a professional. Thus, fans applaud younger players because they like watching them play.

So in the end, it may be the selfishness of fans that results in a difference of opinion between Wie and Lebron. We want to watch great college basketball, so we hope Lebron goes to college for a few years before turning pro. But we also want to watch Wie, so we support her decision to play as a professional. It is not fair, but it is our right as sports fans. Because after all, being a sports fan is about watching great players do great things.

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