WNBA women's basketball player Lisa Leslie and President Obama have their picture taken in the East Room of the White House after the president signed an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls.
(RON EDMONDS/AP)Photos (1 of 1)
NCAA snub: Obama doesn’t pick women’s basketball teams
By Jimmy Orr | 03.27.09
The problem with the president? He doesn’t spend enough time thinking about basketball.
When President Obama appeared on ESPN last week to fill out his brackets in the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, he received some criticism from people who don’t think that presidents can have a hobby or a passion that doesn’t involve politics.
He also received a lighthearted jab from a basketball coach who was miffed because the president didn’t pick his team to make it into the Final Four. By the way, that basketball coach? His team got clobbered last night.
Upset
Now the president is under fire because he didn’t pick enough basketball teams. As in he picked teams in the men’s tournament but not the women’s tournament.
USA Today columnist Christine Brennan is taking him to task saying that he “absolutely should have acknowledged” the women’s tourney.
“As the father of two athletic daughters, President Obama should know all about the importance of sports for women and girls,” she writes. “Which is why he should have filled out not only a men’s NCAA tournament bracket but also a women’s tournament bracket in his well-publicized appearance on ESPN last week.”
On the air
She also appeared on NPR this morning to discuss the snub.
“Even if one [tournament] completely overshadows the other, wouldn’t it be nice if the president showed some interest in the one that’s a bit smaller?” she asked
“And for those little girls playing basketball in the driveway, maybe say to them I care about your tournament too,” she said.
Adjectives
She’s got one more gripe with him. He didn’t specify that he was filling out the brackets for the “men’s” tournament.
“Those who don’t use that pesky little adjective — and you know who you are — are acting as if there’s no women’s tournament at all, or it’s so beneath them, it’s not worth mentioning. This is rather silly. It is 2009, after all.”
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Hey, we’ll never forget adjectives. And if we do, you can follow us on Twitter and tell us about it.
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2. Jim Carlstead | 03.27.09
The women’s tournament just isn’t that exciting. You can’t sugar coat it. People are drawn to what is exciting to watch and follow and in this case its because mens basketball is great to watch and women’s is not.
3. Bipp | 03.27.09
I highly doubt any little girls on playing on the driveway care whether Obama picked teams for the women’s tournament or not.
This is like Chinese-Americans attacking the president for saying he likes tacos, but failing to mention he likes chicken fried rice.
5. Jamie | 03.27.09
My Girlfriend plays womens College ball and she even admits unless she is playing she can’t watch womens ball. It is not interesting or fasted paced.
6. Nee | 03.27.09
Oh, come on, give him a break. Do you really think he did that intentionally? I bet she did not vote for him either.
7. F. McSqueege | 03.27.09
I only realized this year that there was a NCAA-women’s bracket. Obviously, they need to up their advertisment if they ever want to get the same amount of attention as March Madness (for men).
What next, is every sport is going to want B.O. to fill out a bracket so that they feel special? A bracket for the regional wheelchair basketball league championship? Don’t forget, he’s still got a country to run.
8. John | 03.27.09
Christine Brennan is doing a fine job bringing attention to her column. I’m sure her bosses are thrilled.
No one’s upset that Obama didn’t tell them who to draft for their next fantasy team? He’s shouldn’t discriminate - if he did one sport he should do them all.
The President didn’t pick what we should eat for dinner, either. And he better not pick pork, because then he obviously is snubbing beef. And what does it say about him if he picks a white meat, too?
The President should also have to apologize for not telling Christine Brennan how pretty she is, but I’m sure he complimented his wife. What a snub!
9. Lou Gagliardi | 03.27.09
To say that he didn’t pick the women’s tournament brackets is like saying he picked the teams that are filled with African-Americans. Was he biased towards one or the other? No. He just simply felt that the team (or tourney) was good enough to get his national attention.
I sat and watched both an NCAA and NIT Women’s basketball tourney game the other night..one was Pitt vs someone, and the other one was..well..I forget. I had more fun looking at my remote than watching the game. Does that mean I don’t care that women get their fair share? Heck no, it just meant it didn’t appeal to me.
11. Sane | 03.27.09
It seems Christine Brennan is a useful idiot to those relentless forces of unlimited resources who are determined to bring down a popular president, one who will be criticized for even picking men’s brackets. OK Brennan, you had your attention now drift back to your ignominous anonymity.
What’s next, criticism because he hasn’t an opinion on which pre-school in Botswana will win their soccor tourney?
12. Doneen Mills | 03.27.09
To Mr. Carlstead and Company,
Not that exciting? Really? I welcome freedom of choice, and I think it is a bit silly to slam the President for not filling out a bracket for the Women’s tourney. However, you clearly haven’t watched teams like the Vols (and the incomparable coaching of Pat Summitt) and U-Conn, and so many others. Just because the women do not receive the attention, not to mention the funding, that men’s sports have traditionally gotten, does not make them any less worth watching. No, the President should not be required to have a Women’s bracket. The leader of our country, and the father of two daughters, SHOULD however give recognition to the many women who are competing for a national title. We need to encourage America’s girls to participate in and support athletics. The president can play a powerful part in that.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Doneen Mills (mother of four young athletes - 2 boys and 2 girls!)
Newnan, GA
13. Agent420 | 03.27.09
Did it ever occur to anyone that perhaps Obama does not like women’s basketball? It, like men’s basketball is boring.
14. Jules | 03.27.09
I agree, it would have been thoughtful of Obama to at least mention the women’s tournament. The women may not have the fans and sponsorship that the men have, but they are just as important. Money and fame shouldn’t define what and who is important.
15. Genghis John | 03.27.09
There’s no point in picking a women’s bracket anyway. UConn’s going to run the table. It’d be pointless.
16. David | 03.27.09
I am so tired of “special interests” getting all over others, in this case, President Obama, for not being politically correct. Get over yourselves. I hope the day never comes that these Title 9ers are going to force me to watch these mind-numbing games for the sake of being “PC”!
17. Tom | 03.27.09
Women’s Basketball isn’t fun to watch. If it was the WNBA would probably have more than the 10 viewers it currently does and one of its teams wouldn’t have folded.
19. c’moooooon | 03.27.09
You have got to be kidding! Womens and Mens basketball are practicaly two different sports. This guy just. Can’t. Get. A break. Last week it was special olympics which was actually about how bad he is at bowling. There is a reason they are called special olympics. It serves no one to pretend otherwise, least of all the people with special needs.
And now, it’s about basketball. I seem to remember all the headlines about his practice shots during the election and his years playing for his school. He is not exactly a drive by basketball fan. If you asked any pro basketball player, even the ones married to women basketball players what they thought about women’s basketball, you would probably get a blank stare. Now, why is the president held to different standards?
20. LA | 03.27.09
” I didn’t even know a women’s bracket existed.”
“Women’s Basketball isn’t fun to watch.”
“I am so tired of “special interests” getting all over others”
These three comments, especially the first one, pretty well cover why the President should have also picked a Women’s BB slate. It takes him 10 minutes to fill one in and the resulting information, interest, and acknowledgment are priceless, and not just for American college women. It’s not a big deal that he didn’t do a girls’ bracket, just a missed opportunity.
That is why he has to have a “council on women and girls” — because little actions like these deny us all the opportunities we deserve.
21. Robert Therrien | 03.27.09
If you don’t watch womans basketball, How then can you make an informed choice? why do you have to pick? Do these people really have nothing better to do than to whine about everything our President does or does not do that isn’t connected with the current crisis?
If they don’t, I am certain that their community could use volunteers to help out with the many projects being done like every communtiy is doing these days. Of coarse whining about what is being done is not on the list of jobs needed to be filled. Please remember what your mother taught you, IF YOU DON”T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT OTHERS, DON”T SAY ANYTHING.
22. Claude | 03.27.09
This has been brewing for a while, at least since Diane Pucin of the Los Angeles Times first mentioned it on March 17. The fact that March is Women’s History Month (as promoted on the White House website) escaped Ms. Brennan (we also mentioned it). Also, in most ordinary households, women do the women’s bracket, and men do the men’s bracket. Actually, truth be told, for some reason, no one does a women’s bracket. Maybe that’s because doing brackets of any kind is more of a male thing. I don’t know. But in any case, in my personal opinion, I think that the responsibility for handling the women’s bracket should be placed on Michelle Obama. That’s pretty obvious and I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned.
23. JulieTurner | 03.27.09
I’m so sick of the media and the let’s-point-out-another-thing-the-president-isn’t-doing and make it news. This isn’t news or even entertaining. Eventually people will catch on and stop reading your worthless drivel. Thanks.
24. Mark | 03.27.09
Opps he did it again,…. President BO squandered another opportunity to forward equal rights to women. As someone whom has benefited from the civil rights and equal opportunity movement it is appaling that he didnt at least take the time to fill in a womens bracket too (not to mention a father of 2 girls and supposed basketball fan). I sure hope he at least continues the tradition of inviting the womens championship team to the White House…. Maybe UCONN will snub him back!!!
25. Fairness | 03.27.09
I’m tired of this tit for tat sense of fairness. Sometimes you don’t get included. Being willing to not be in the spotlight is part of being an adult.
26. Nate | 03.27.09
Oh my god, he didn’t fill out the Iowa High School Boys Basketball Tournament Bracket either. How insensitive… High schoolers will drop out by the thousands. (riddled with sarcasm)
Why don’t you find something news worthy to report!?! Instead of creating controversy out of thin air.
27. Teh Ako | 03.27.09
This is stupid. He’s a fan of NCAA, no adjectives included. He shouldn’t have to include every other version of the sport just to be inclusive.
Jimmy, get better news sources, so your obvious Republican bias doesn’t come across when writing.
28. Dot | 03.27.09
I’m a woman who has worn the striped shirt as scorebook-keeper for both women’s and men’s teams at my university. Those who say the woman’s game is boring have likely never been to a real live one! Yes, it’s a different game–our women are not tall enough to dunk the ball, but they play hard-nosed, aggressive defense and most years hit more 3s and FTs than our guys do. Both are way fun to watch! The writer was expressing an opinion; that’s what writers do. Agree or disagree, but she is perfectly within her scope to say what she thinks.
29. JackP | 03.27.09
Not only did he not fill in the women’s bracket sheet but he failed to complete one on the Polish Athletic Club Tournament. This is quite upsetting to realize that our President discriminates against women and Polish Americans. When will this type of conduct stop? Isn’t he supposed to be the President for all the people?
30. swrtyhi365 | 03.27.09
Thank you for sharing this. I thought I was the only one who was upset. What the President does sends an important symbolic message to the country and to the atheletes. There are plenty of followers of women’s basketball (like me, go UCSB Gauchos!)It was a very simple thing he could do to help highlight the important contributions of women NCAA atheletes. Meanwhile, I’m heading to Cal to watch the women’s sweet 16.
31. butch | 03.27.09
i immediately thought that he should also fill out a women’s, even if he didn’t know much, just because of his position as president, and it irked me. and i’m not even a woman. i did both and i hadn’t watched one game of either men’s or women’s before doing so. but all you have to do is go to espn and see they have the tournament challenge [ie men’s] and then the women’s tournament challenge. our society is still geared toward men. still, it’s getting more equal.
32. William | 03.27.09
My neice is just now falling in love with basketball…playing it, that is. And she could give a lick who watches or who doesn’t, she’s gonna play.
I dig that about her.
I think the gal at US Today has an attention problem, as in, she and her daughters don’t get enough attention.
I think most people would find men’s basketball more entertaining than women’s…and if someone has a problem with that, well, maybe you ought to get mad at the genetic make up and differences between the sexes, ‘cos I’m not sure what else is to blame.
33. Robby | 03.27.09
Who cares about the women’s bracket?
He didn’t do one because it isn’t worth picking or discussing
ESPN didn’t want it because it is boring
34. jbjd | 03.27.09
If he cared about women and girls, he would not have given then U.S. Senator Clinton, the former First Lady, the finger just because she appeared more Presidential during a televised primary appearance than he did.
The second I became a parent, I thought, ‘Now, everything counts.’ As the father of two girls, Mr. Obama might have acted more Presidential picking NCAA match-ups had he kept this in mind.
35. Mad Jayhawk | 03.28.09
This is one of the problems of being a member of the Uber Politically Correct political party - you know, the one that allocates its convention delegates by every conceivable measure of ethnicity, nationality, gender, hair color, shoe size, weight, and number of cylinders in their cars. So the next BIG story will be that in all the liberal households little girls are quitting basketball because some insensitive Chicago politician and his non-tax paying advisors overlooked their sport for 3.5 seconds. Oh, the pain, Oh, the agony. How could have Barry and all of his non-taxpaying buddies let us down? Politically correctness now. Politically correctness forever. Did anyone check to see if his picks favored teams with more white players than black players if there is such a thing?
36. Steff | 03.29.09
Women’s basketball gets no respect from anyone. Your readers, the press, no one. So why is it a surprise that Obama, who has proved many times that he is misogynistic, doesn’t even know who he is watching? I am appalled at your readers comments. But there again, why should I be surprised? Disrespecting women is the only “hate” that you can do publically these days.
38. Will in Austin | 04.01.09
Robby:
ESPN does have a womens bracket challenge and it is far from boring.
39. Eleanor | 04.20.09
First off, Cristine Brennan doesn’t have daughters or even sons for that matter. Second off, Obama does know something about women’s basketball and has met the Maryland women’s basketball team and even offered to play a pick up game with them. Third, a team made up of people as skilled as Obama would lose to A LOT of women’s basketball teams. If you haven’t ever watched a women’s basketball game, how would you know that it is boring? Maybe if you turned on a Big Monday game you would find that it actually is a fast paced exciting game. After you watch a game, then you can write that women’s basketball is boring. Until then you have absolutely no basis for your opinion.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Brad | 03.27.09
Really? Really? He didn’t fill out a women’s bracket? Really? I didn’t even know a women’s bracket existed. And that’s not a slight towards women, thats just saying I don’t pay attention to women’s basketball. There’s nothing wront with it, it just doesn’t interest me. Apparently it doesn’t interest President Obama either. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t respect them or acknowledge them, it just means he doesn’t care enough to fill out a bracket, or even know enough about women’s basketball. Who is this woman to say that everyone who fills out a men’s bracket should fill out a women’s bracket. What is this affirmitive action for sports gambling? Women’s basketball can stand on it’s own it doesnt need YOU standing up for it. So sit down, Christine Brennan, no one is listening.