A lot of space available at the Cherry Blossoms if
you want to go down there this morning and
just put down a chair and park yourself there to
look.
I know it's not the best day for it,
but you know what? If you want to take advantage
of today,
I'm telling you, that person with the umbrella just
fighting for your life. Fighting.
Yeah, she's like fighting with the umbrella.
But there are people watching,
Going, You know what? This is my day.
I'm going to avoid the rush.
I'm going to avoid the crowds,
and I'm going to get my IGS.
I'm going to filter it up.
I'm going to make it look like a sunny day.
And there you go. Bob's your uncle.
You're welcome. You want us skip through the cherry waffles.
I know you too. You're you're welcome.
BT viewer. We appreciate you.
Welcome back. Three wide on the couch.
Devo on assignment. Great to see it's a rainy Wednesday.
If it's hump day. We're nearing the weekend.
A lot of talk recently and we've talked about her
on this show because she's a massive story.
Caitlin Clark Caitlin Clark is already having not played a
single minute of action in the WNBA.
Might be one of the greatest
women's basketball players in the history of the sport.
She managed more points than anyone in the history of
Division 1A women's college hoops at the University of Iowa.
Went to back-to-back championship game.
She didn't win either but made incredible runs.
And on Monday night she was drafted first overall by
Indiana in the WNBA draft in New York.
This made headlines in New York,
around North America and really around the world.
She was in Saturday Night Live Saturday night.
She is the IT athlete right now.
With that said, people are now noticing what her rookie
salary over four years is going to be in the
WNBA as a first round pick
compared to her counterparts in the NBA.
So the numbers look like this.
Now they these do not include whatever sponsorships or endorsements
are coming her way and there will be numerous.
But the reality for Caitlin Clark is as big a
star as she is.
For four years she's making
$338,000. The comparison in the NBA,
the last first round pick was Victor Webunyama.
He will be He will make in his rookie contract
$55 million
the NBA minimum salary. You heard me right.
Victor Webunyama makes 55 million in his first year,
not including endorsements. NBA minimum salary is
1.1. Average NBA salary, 9 point seven.
The other thing that people do need to realize about
the business of the NBA and the WNBA
per year, the WNBA in TV money from the networks,
they make $60 million. That's not nothing.
That's pretty good. The NBA right now and they're going
to renegotiate this deal,
so it's going to increase.
The NBA per year makes $2.6 billion.
The finances of these specific businesses are not the same.
That's the reality of it.
Still though when you see a star like Caitlin Clark
who is becoming about as mainstream as any athlete right
now,
it is kind of wild to see Tim,
what what are your thoughts looking at that?
So my, my, I actually had this question yesterday.
I was talking to Otis about this and and asking
about when you are drafted,
do all first round draft picks get a
the same base salary? Because I would think for Caitlin
Clark,
because of the fact that she's coming in with all
of these records,
that any team could really snatch her up for a
a certain amount of money if they were to offer
it,
right? But fine, you hear that she has
300,000. I just don't understand how the first round draft
pick in the NBA can get a salary of
55,000,000. So clearly there is not a base salary for
all first round draft picks.
You know, whether it's the NBA or the WNBA and
regardless of the TV money that it brings.
I just think that discrepancy
is horrible. But the wild thing,
though is that NBA base salary,
the 55,000,000 for Victor Wimenyama,
that is base. That is.
And it's also for one contract.
That's one contract. And 3:38 for her.
Yeah, the entire is over four years.
So if you bring that down yearly,
it's even less. Yeah. I mean,
excuse me. What I find so,
so sort of interesting and almost wonderful about this is
there are so many
salaries that are not disclosed in life
generally. But I really think sports and this is an
opportunity to really see it.
I get the businesses are different,
but to really see those discrepancies show up on the
bottom line because we don't we we maybe hear about
this discrepancy between men and women and how people are
paid, but we don't necessarily see it because some people
don't talk about their salaries and a lot of things
are protected.
But for sports, it's all laid out there.
We know what people make
and so all the celebration that happened yesterday
wow. This is a reality check for today
it is and and but the one,
the one positive on this now I have,
I have to say for the NHL it's the same
deal.
First year players basically have no rights and make no
money in comparison,
Major League Baseball players when they're young,
forget about it. They've been
they've been sacrificing every negotiation between the league and the
players for decades.
The NFL is different. The NFL like you'll you'll see
first year players sign like a $40 million
signing bonus like that in the
NFLNFL is a different beast.
But This is why I I always find it interesting
why NBA players.
Whenever Michael Jordan walks into a room,
you don't just bend down and and and do this
because he set a different standard for everyone.
She is going to do the same thing in the
WNBA.
This this is going to be a very different #10
years from now,
15 years from now, 20 years from now.
Toronto's going to have a franchise.
Eventually there's going to be another 8 franchises coming in.
She is going to change the game.
She's going to have to take that now.
It's not a fair salary considering her stardom,
but she is a trailblazer in every way and I
hope players in the future give her the respect she
is going to deserve because those numbers are wild.
But they will change in 10 to 15 years.
I guarantee you, I guarantee you.
But the celebration, like I said that happened yesterday and
the bottom line that comes out today.
We are still in a state where we celebrate a
a woman's accomplishment,
but we don't pay it.
We don't value it. And you know all of what
was said and the the best player that's come up.
Best, best, best, best, best.
Where's the money? And we talked about it yesterday,
The fact that the NCAA championship for women had higher
ratings than the men's tournaments and outdrew the World Series.
The women's college basketball final outdrew every World Series game
this past year.
It and it's it's a different world,
but the money is going to take.
There's a delay in the money catching up that way.
It will get there. But is that fair?
Absolutely not fair. Love this conversation though,
Love this conversation is happening around the world because this
is how she's going to move it.
That's the wonderful thing about this one and she will
100% great point.