Thoughts on Brittney Griner and Mark Cuban's Offer

I posted this yesterday but I'll leave it here for folks to consider. Mark Cuban was a gracious businessman/promoter in offering Brittney Griner a chance to play in the NBA Summer League. But instead of that, perhaps he should look for other ways to directly impact women's basketball than try to compare them to men, which could be a flawed endeavor.

I also made an analogy to the Negro Leagues and what founder Rube Foster wanted. He wanted his teams to be on equal footing with the major leagues, not just be a farm system for poachers. I'm not saying Cuban is a shark by any means, but that energy could be spent on promoting the women's game on its own merit, not a publicity stunt for a player who doesn't deserve it.

In 2013, women don't need to compete against men to prove how great they are if they already do it in their own leagues.

An Open Letter to Brittney Griner: The Most Dominant Player in College Hoops

Dear Brittney,

After watching you work last night in your final home game at Baylor to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, I only have one thing to say. I'm sorry I doubted you four years ago coming out of high school and I'm glad that I've come around to appreciating your growth as a senior.

See back then, I saw footage of you dunking. A tall girl with long arms that folks had high praise. Having been used to seeing Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi and other great players, I was amazed at your height but I wondered about your strength. I didn't think you'd get the chance to develop into more than just a young lady who could dunk.

Forgive me for my bias though. I've seen tall kids dominate in high school only to see them struggle in college because height can only go so far. So I was skeptical. But you began to prove me wrong as a freshman.

You set the single-season record for blocks in a season that year. Nobody had an answer for you and it was clear you'd be a defensive stalwart while your offensive game came around. Sadly, most folks remember you throwing a punch that broke Jordan Barncastle's nose and they denigrated you as a thug or a wild player. Nevermind that it was a great teaching moment that you grew from thanks to your excellent coach Kim Mulkey.