OTHER

Washington set to rename NFL team: reports

“It’s cliche that it’s so much bigger than sports for me personally,” Sky Blue GM Alyse LaHue told the News in April. “Yes, selling tickets and increasing the fan base is important, but there’s a bigger picture.

“I want to show young women and girls that you can be a general manager and that should be a career choice and you should have the opportunity to do that. … We have to do better. I take a keen responsibility in making sure other women, other girls know that this is something you can aspire to.”

And for every role model out there, and every new one made, there’s another awakening. Another child, tween, teen and beyond will know the world is better when it’s not run by the patriarchy. That girls and boys are exposed to different, equally qualified and quantified faces.

The fact these leagues can sell merchandise — Sky Blue sold more than $30,000 in merchandise last month on the first day the team’s new jersey went on sale — or pay their own players a more equitable amount — WNBA’s average salary hit six figures in the latest CBA deal struck in January — speaks volumes.

Engelbert, named WNBA commissioner in 2019, was hired in large part for her ability to improve the league’s financial footing. The former CEO of Deloitte helped secure new corporate sponsors for the league, including AT&T and Nike. It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity. “Only 1% of all global corporate sponsorship dollars are directed toward women’s sports,” Engelbert said six months ago.

YES, THERE ARE FANS. THERE WILL BE MORE

For all the naysayers declaring no one cares about women’s sports, in 2017 the WNBA had its highest regular-season attendance and in 2018 it had its most-watched season in four years, according to data provided by the league. In 2019, the popular NBA 2K video game was released and included WNBA rosters for the first time.

This year, the WNBA became the first major league to hold an all virtual draft and saw its second-biggest television audience. Over social media, the W’s content was consumed 125% more on draft day than last year.

NWSL teams saw increases in attendance to the end of the 2019 season. Sky Blue went from having 2,000 fans for games at Rutgers University to having 9,415 fill the lower bowl of Red Bull Arena by the end of 2019 and being able to make the move to the soccer-specific stadium permanent.

The NWSL’s opening game of the Challenge Cup last month drew a league-record audience on CBS (average audience of 527,000 viewers). In comparison, the MLS is Back tournament opener earlier this week drew an average audience of 464,000 on ESPN.

The league still has plenty of work to do as only one more game is scheduled for network TV, while the rest of the games are relegated to CBS All Access.

“You can’t inherit sports fandom if there was nothing to inherit prior,” Berri said. “If you don’t have any experience with the league, you don’t have any attachment. We are impatient because we expect fans to come instantly.”

Creating a fan base takes time. In the 1920s people laughed at the idea of having a professional football league. But much like it took decades for the NFL to gain traction — also remember NBA playoffs weren’t always broadcast live until the mid ’80s.

There’s also the people who are just plain sexist and want to watch the world burn.

“There’s always going to be a level of disrespect until society changes the way they view women, which hopefully will be sooner than later,” Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Liberty in April’s draft, said.

The very existence of women’s leagues is a movement in its own right, not just a moment in time. Sexism, racism, a pandemic, you name it, they’ll face it. Coronavirus isn’t going to destroy any of the momentum women’s sports has built. If history has anything to show for the success of major pro sports leagues like the WNBA or NWSL, it’s that their story is just beginning.

According to multiple reports Sunday night, Washington’s NFL franchise will officially retire its controversial nickname today. Efforts to change the name, which have gone on for years, stepped up in recent weeks due to increased awareness of racial insensitivity.

Most recently, FedEx sent a letter to the team in early July, threatening to pull its signage from the stadium, FedEx Field, unless the name was changed. Team owner Daniel Snyder has long resisted changing the name, which has been in use since 1933.

USA today reports that “Warriors,” “Red Wolves” and “Redtails” ranked among the most popular names on social media.

MORIKAWA COMES THROUGH IN PLAYOFF

Collin Morikawa never looked like a winner at the Workday Charity Open until he tapped in for par on the third playoff hole, capping off a wild finish Sunday at Muirfield Village.

Morikawa trailed Justin Thomas by three shots with three holes to play and managed to get into a playoff with a 6-under 66. Then, after watching Thomas hole a 50-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole, he had to make a 25-footer just to stay alive.

It finally ended when Thomas had to lay up from behind a tree and made bogey, and Morikawa took two putts from just inside 10 feet for his second career victory, and first against a strong PGA Tour field.

NASCAR ROOKIE CUSTER ROLLS

Cole Custer became the first rookie winner in the NASCAR Cup Series in nearly four years, surging to the lead in a four-wide, final-lap scramble Sunday at Kentucky Speedway.

Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. were dueling for the lead on the lap 265 final restart when Custer — with a push from Matt DiBenedetto in the backstretch — made his move. As the leaders bunched in Turn 1, Custer slid ahead and outlasted Truex.