Bird Calls Off Spanking Wager

[Guest MrRant]

SEATTLE -- Seattle Storm standout Sue Bird on Monday canceled a wager made earlier this season with a sports radio talk show host, who had proposed to spank her on his program if she lost the bet.

 

Bird, 22, apologized to fans, saying in a team statement that she made the bet "as a good-natured way to draw the radio talent and listeners to Storm games.''

 

After realizing the bet had offended some people, Bird decided to call it off.

 

The wager hinged on whether Bird's assist-to-turnover ratio would turn out higher than 2-1 at the end of the season.

 

As the bet stood, Bird would have had to cry, "Harder, Daddy, harder'' during the spanking if she lost. If Bird won the bet, program host Mitch Levy would have had to buy season tickets to Storm games next year.

 

"She did it in fun and she did it with the best of intentions,'' said Bird's agent, Jimmy Gould. "She's terribly upset about it. She regrets it. She hopes people understand.''

 

Gould said Bird "learned a good lesson'' and wants to take responsibility for her mistake.

 

"She didn't stop to think about the impact she has on younger people and that she's expected to be more clear and thoughtful when making a statement like that, even though it was done in fun,'' he said.

 

Bird was on pace to win the wager: She's the WNBA's top playmaker with 137 assists and 63 turnovers in 20 games.

 

The bet drew criticism, including a comment from state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, who teaches women's studies at the University of Washington.

 

"It helps feed into the images of violence against women and stereotyping,'' Kohl-Welles told Seattle Times sports columnist Steve Kelley. "I don't condemn her. I appreciate that she doesn't have the experience in life that other women have had. But this could be very hurtful. Not just to the WNBA, but to other women and girls.''

 

In the team statement, Bird said: "As genuine as my intentions were, I realize the negative effect that this bet has had and would like to apologize.''

 

Storm vice president Karen Bryant supported Bird's decision.

 

"The Storm is focused on maintaining its role as a positive group of female role models, specifically a team of talented and strong athletes,'' Bryant said.

 

The Storm and other WNBA teams have had difficulty getting men age 18-35 to come to games since the league was founded in 1997. That's the demographic Bird said she was considering when she agreed to the bet.

 

"He (Levy) symbolizes that guy the league is trying to attract,'' Bird told The Times. "He's talking to that guy every morning. I believe that if I can get him in a seat to attend a game, then maybe his opinion will change and he'll talk about it on the air.''

 

Efforts to reach Levy or executives at KJR-AM by telephone were not successful Monday evening.

 

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PIC:

 

 

Doesn't look too bad.

[Guest Choken One]

Bird is HOTNESS.

[Gert T 0]

I guess since the NBA is paying for them to stay afloat, there is no reason to attract attention to WNBA games, so if she wants to be a role model good, but attendance will not rise.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

but...she was winning the bet?

 

this could be just me but I think having the more attractive players drop trou could draw in the male demographic the're going for.

[Guest Choken One]

After Bird...Who else will men be willing to see buff nude

[Gert T 0]

I'd have to see pics of the women, and that's not being sexist, I just don't find women's basketball and less physical skills exciting to watch.

 

But I'm sure there are at least 15-25 hotties in the WNBA.

[Guest Mr. Slim Citrus]

After Bird...Who else will men be willing to see buff nude

Deanna Nolan.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

so, who knows how to call off a bet with a bookie, I had $500 put down that she'd lose the bet, but now how do I get it back from him?

 

Anybody?

 

his last name was Rose.

 

 

(j/k)

[Guest Choken One]

After Bird...Who else will men be willing to see buff nude

Deanna Nolan.

Pic here now.

[Guest Ripper]

There are plenty of hot WNBA players...they just usually are the ones that suck and all you see them doing is swinging a towel as they pan the bench. There are 6-10 that actually get PT and are Hot.

[Guest ant_7000]

The one in the background next on Sue's right with the braids looks decent.

[Guest MrRant]

After Bird...Who else will men be willing to see buff nude

Deanna Nolan.

Pic here now.

 

[Guest ant_7000]

She's decent thou, But I think Nicki McCray is a cutie, and Holdsclaw aint bad looking neither.

[Guest Ripper]

The one in the background next on Sue's right with the braids looks decent.

No doubt just finishing some vigorous towel swingin'. She is cute though.

[Guest shlidgn90]

dawn staley is pretty cute too.

[Guest ant_7000]

I forgot about Staley she's cute and she can ball. Tina Thompson looks attractive when she's not playing.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

She doesn't look attractive, she just has those lips.

[Guest Snappy Nappy Dugout]

Starbrid & Lauran Jackson are also hot.

 

 

And Lisa Leslie.

 

 

 

 

 

What?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

That league is 25 different kinds of dead. The NBA isn't making any money by keeping it around. They SHOULD have their girls doing outragous stuff to get people to watch, cause they're not watching otherwise.

[Guest MaxPower27]

That league is 25 different kinds of dead. The NBA isn't making any money by keeping it around. They SHOULD have their girls doing outragous stuff to get people to watch, cause they're not watching otherwise.

Like playing naked.

 

I'd watch.

 

 

Naked.

[Guest starvenger]

That league is 25 different kinds of dead. The NBA isn't making any money by keeping it around. They SHOULD have their girls doing outragous stuff to get people to watch, cause they're not watching otherwise.

Maybe they should have ALL their teams play inside casinos...