It won’t be hard to find them.
They’ll be wearing T-shirts bearing the name of their team, and for those who can afford it, the jersey of their favorite player. Most of them will be with their parents and friends, and many of them will be sporting the same expensive apparel in a display of both solidarity and high fashion.
Yes, the WNBA All-Star game will visit Indianapolis this weekend, and the enthusiasm amongst the coveted adolescent demographic will be absolutely incredible.
That’s right, the very ones who are largely responsible for a ton of revenue via merchandise sales will be heading to Gainbridge Fieldhouse looking for just a glimpse of their heroes.
Typically, at an All-Star event, you have virtually no access to your favorite star, and that’ll likely be the case this weekend.
Sure, everyone will put the onus on Caitlin Clark, who I feel signs autographs as often as possible, but the reality is these types of events generally cater to the rich and those closely connected to the key sponsors of the game.
Just as the NBA does, there will be plenty of photo opportunities with the obligatory visits to some nonprofit organizations. Generally, they’ll donate some computers or athletic equipment to a local community center before they leave town.
All those types of actions are noble and appreciated, but they fall short of the pure joy of a youngster getting an autograph and maybe five seconds of face time with their favorite player.
I have often asked myself why professional sports leagues and teams fail to realize the importance of such a simple gesture and don’t mandate autograph sessions, ones that can build even more enthusiasm and support within their massive fan bases. Obviously, there’s no money in the goodwill it would project, or we’d see it happening quite regularly.
Can you imagine the turnout for an organized autograph party where a 9-year-old girl gets a signature and a quick selfie of the player whom she worships?
That would mean the world to that child who generally sits high in the rafters and is basically limited to watching the game on a giant video board, one that continuously runs ads from the various sponsors who could bankroll these types of events and showcase their wares simultaneously in the process.
The approach I’m proposing is far from rocket science. I struggle with the fact that the organizations involved with the upcoming weekend don’t understand the difference between public relations and good business.
Perhaps it doesn’t meet today’s corporate profile, or it would be too much of an inconvenience for the players, who will indeed be pampered all weekend, to be asked to sit in a comfortable setting with a box of Sharpies and a stack of high-resolution photos for just a couple of hours and, in the process, make a child’s face light up in a spectacular fashion.
Then again, that would be too logical, and perhaps there within lies the disconnect itself.
Danny Bridges, who would be happy to coordinate the autograph session for free in exchange for the hundreds of smiles the children would provide, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
