It’s interesting how life can give one a second chance just when they least expect it.
If you ask anyone associated with the NBA All Star Game played in our city about how it went, you’ll generally get a rather glowing account of all the activities that transpired in our community from most who were involved coordinating the game.
We all knew the game itself would be a dud, and while Rick Fuson and his staff at Pacers Sports and Entertainment did a phenomenal job serving as hosts, working in concert with the NBA is a rather daunting task, and it’s quite difficult to do everything well as expected.
It’s generally a spectacle reserved for corporate America. After all, they claim to be picking up the tab.
This old scribe was adamant back then about how those who support the league by watching from the rafters during the regular season were not able to afford the coveted accessibility to the proceedings, and there was virtually no response to what many deemed a liberal cry for accommodating the truly underprivileged in our community with some sort of ability to attend the Saturday Night All-Star Celebration, which was held in the cavernous confines of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Yes, l dared to say the whole thing that night should’ve been free with the aforementioned big sponsors picking up the tab for all the entertainment, and l was called crazy, among other things.
Now comes the WNBA announcing their next All-Star tilt will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and while they stated this development was due to a previous host city having to drop out, we all know it’s simply a shift to ride the massive wave of momentum that’s currently being harnessed off the back of one Caitlin Clark, who will be featured that entire weekend, selling more commemorative jerseys than can even be produced and making the entire extravaganza profitable for everyone involved with it.
Before you tell me I’m simply rehashing a rant that was previously offered by yours truly, let me tell you that you’re absolutely correct and that these coveted second chances rarely occur, so why not capitalize on the opportunity to really shine on this event and allow inner-city children to attend a free night in which Clark and her fellow All-Stars will entertain them with a skills contest and three point showdown?
The bottom line is this thing is about money and exposure, and that’s just fine. It’s business as usual and we all know the Caitlin Clark business is really booming.
Corporate America will trip over themselves to get a piece of the action, so let them in, but only after they pony up some of the profits they’ve reaped through huge tax abatements and the generosity of those living in their respective communities that have had to subsidize them accordingly.
It’s an opportunity to attach their name to the financing of an evening many of our neighbors simply can’t afford to attend and are forced to look in from the sanctity of their living rooms huddled around the television. They are the same ones who find a way to scrape up the funds to sit in the nosebleed seats to watch Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates, and they never complain about the crummy sight line they’re stuck with or the fact they had to walk an inordinate distance to get in after settling for a semi- affordable parking spot located far from the arena.
Forget the fact that these hardworking fans can’t afford to visit the souvenir or concession stands, as they have been relegated to the confines of limited access and simply settle for something that’s not even a reasonable facsimile of a trip to the game with their kids.
Holding ourselves accountable for their enjoyment is something we all must do this time around, and the WNBA can set an example by leveraging the popularity of their biggest star and thereby forcing sponsors to finance a free night so every impoverished child has the opportunity to catch just a glimpse of their coveted respective heroes.
The players too now have an obligation to serve these kids and need to be front and center the whole weekend. Ladies, don’t settle for being on equal footing with your NBA counterparts, look to exceed their efforts and sign more autographs and take a ton of pictures with these kids who idolize you.
Develop a template that will be the envy of every professional sports entity in the country by demanding these youngsters get an invitation to the party. Set an example that will make people cringe when they try to emulate it and spend Corporate America’s money just as quickly as they can actually print it to keep pace.
Now l ask you, what corporation wouldn’t want their name associated with paying for kids to have a chance to attend for free?
The avalanche of great publicity derived from their goodwill will obviously fatten their bottom line so wait the heck are they waiting for?
Again, we all have an obligation to serve those less fortunate and a free night at the WNBA All-Star Game is not only good business it’s the right thing morally as well.
So how about it, Indianapolis?
Here’s your second chance to do it right. Light up a kid’s face on this one. Don’t blow it this time.
Danny Bridges, who often wonders how anyone could put a price on something that shouldn’t be for sale, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
