Steve Gann
Sandra 1Holdsclaw: Freedom, Fun and The Dream
May 17th 2009 00:35
Question: Where do you go after you have won four high school basketball championships, three more in college, won the Sullivan award(best amateur athlete), graced the cover of SLAM magazine, and was considered so good that she could even play with the men in the NBA?
Answer: Down
Chamique Holdsclaw was supposed to be the savior of the WNBA. A giant marketing campaign was built around her as the face of the league. That is a lot to put on a player who never wanted to be the center of attention.
(Aside) It isn't just Holdsclaw who has fallen victim to this intense media and marketing scrutiny. With the attention from the recruiting gurus and draft analysts, who place stars by prospect's names and compare them Hall-Of-Famers before they have even played one game in college or the pros, athletes are increasingly under the microscope early in their careers. These parasites are making millions and raising fan's expectations so high that anything short of a great season is deemed a failure. soapboxoff/
After the death of her grandmother, Holdsclaw retired from the league, Two years later, sporting a Freedom tattoo on her arm, she is excited to be returning to the game that made her a star. At 31 she recently signed a contract to return to the WNBA and play for the Atlanta Dream.
I wish her great success, and above all hope she has loads of fun. After all basketball is a still a game isn't it?
Answer: Down
Chamique Holdsclaw was supposed to be the savior of the WNBA. A giant marketing campaign was built around her as the face of the league. That is a lot to put on a player who never wanted to be the center of attention.
(Aside) It isn't just Holdsclaw who has fallen victim to this intense media and marketing scrutiny. With the attention from the recruiting gurus and draft analysts, who place stars by prospect's names and compare them Hall-Of-Famers before they have even played one game in college or the pros, athletes are increasingly under the microscope early in their careers. These parasites are making millions and raising fan's expectations so high that anything short of a great season is deemed a failure. soapboxoff/
After the death of her grandmother, Holdsclaw retired from the league, Two years later, sporting a Freedom tattoo on her arm, she is excited to be returning to the game that made her a star. At 31 she recently signed a contract to return to the WNBA and play for the Atlanta Dream.
I wish her great success, and above all hope she has loads of fun. After all basketball is a still a game isn't it?
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