Tony’s Take | Parallels | Caitlin Effect | Edition 102 

By Tony Duckworth, [email protected]

Parallels.  Football, well soccer, is the world’s most popular sport.  According to Google, futbol boasts 3.5 billion fans worldwide.  American Football fans may be shocked that their sport doesn’t make the Top 5. 

Cricket 2.5 billion fans | Basketball 2.2 billion fans | Field Hockey 1.2 billion fans | Tennis 1 billion fans. 

For those paying attention, soccer’s World Cup is currently underway in the USA. Team USA’s best-ever finish was in the inaugural tournament in 1930.  Needless to say, USA has fallen behind while continuing to chase the world.  Team USA can’t find a way to advance out of the round of 16. 

USA’s soccer standing doesn’t sit well with those who embrace American Exceptionalism.  Multiple reasons can be cited for Team USA’s inability to play with the elite world soccer programs.  The primary reason USA soccer has not excelled like our big three sports isn’t complicated.  Elite American athletes have consistently chosen baseball, basketball, and football over soccer due to the Big 3’s popularity in the Red, White, and Blue.  Youth soccer participation has grown in recent years, and futbol’s popularity among the youth will positively impact the pool of high-level athletes, which will eventually help the sport to rise on the world stage.  The exposure of soccer on American soil during the 2026 World Cup will also pay dividends for years to come. 

As I think of sport parallels, my mind goes back to 1992, when Team USA was finally allowed to field an NBA roster on the international world stage at the Olympics.  For decades, I would tell anyone who would listen that this was the greatest sports team ever assembled.  This roster included iconic NBA players led by Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Barkley.  Eleven of the twelve are now in the NBA Hall of Fame. 

The Dream Team won eight of the ‘92 Olympic games by an average of 44 points, and head coach Chuck Daly never called a timeout during the entire tournament.   

I remember purchasing a USA Basketball cap during the 1992 SCORE International tour in Costa Rica where I was the head basketball coach of a boys high school all-star team.  In some small way, my team was lifted by the pride knowing we were representing our nation for two weeks on a much smaller stage than the Dream Team.  

Several years ago, I was listening to the Dan LeBatard Show, and that day, I finally looked at the 1992 Olympics objectively.  Despite the name recognition and enormous talent on the Dream Team, I realized that the competition TeamUSA faced paled in comparison to what USA Basketball has faced in the 2000’s.  For those who watch professional basketball, it doesn’t take long to realize that many of the top players in the NBA are international.  While there is no way to know, given the age of some of the Dream Team, were they the most talented roster to ever represent TeamUSA? 

I believe USA Soccer parallels what I am describing in the rise of international basketball.  I’m certain USA Soccer will not catch up as quickly as international hoops caught USA Basketball.   The rise of soccer versus basketball has to do with roster construction.  A 5-person starting lineup versus an 11-person lineup is significantly different.   The addition of one superstar can make a bigger difference on the hardwood than on the pitch.  

It will be a slow burn, but Team USA Soccer will eventually gain relevance on the world stage. 

Caitlin Effect.  The WNBA’s Caitlin Clark impact on women’s basketball is unprecedented.  Her popularity began as a student-athlete at Iowa, which culminated as a two-time NCAA D-I national player of the year, D-I all-time leading scorer who led the Cyclones to the national runner-up.  I have watched more talented women’s players, but I have never seen a woman have the fan base and attract national corporate sponsors like Caitlin. 

Google reports WNBA revenue has increased by 25% since Caitlin was drafted #1 by the Indian Fever in the 2024 draft.  Fever games drive TV viewership numbers like no other team, and teams are forced to NBA arenas to accommodate the fandom to watch her play in-person.  League merchandise sales have tripled. The Caitlin Effect is real.    

Clark has garnered much attention for the “treatment” she receives by other WNBA players.  Caitlin has been the target of hard fouls that dominate the national conversation surrounding the sport.   

Social media has turned the “treatment” of Clark into a combination of race and sex orientation.  In reality, top picks in the NBA have received the treatment Caitlin has been receiving for years.  The WNBA has embraced “all news is good news”, and the unintended Caitlin Effect has her in the spotlight at times for all the wrong reasons. 

Self-absorbed UConn head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma recently commented on the Caitlin Effect.  “Because the bandwagon and the fandom became so obsessed with the whole thing, it turned into a cause,” Auriemma said. ” … Not every foul is a good foul. Not every foul’s a bad foul, but there are fouls that are flagrant — but that’s all they are. They are not a referendum on America, which is what the whole thing has become.”     

There is a lot of truth in Geno’s comment.  Caitlin didn’t ask for extra attention. She just wants to play ball.  

Follow Tony Duckworth on the X platform at @tonyduckworthsr or email him at [email protected]. Duckworth is a native of Macon and is the President and CEO of the Albany Area YMCA. Tony worked in intercollegiate athletics for thirty-one years. He was an NCAA Division II Director of Athletics at three universities, including Albany State, following ten years as a head men’s basketball coach at two colleges.