Absurdities is a recurring series in which I feature things I find absurd.
Recently, social media was buzzing after the WNBA draft. Posts were made and shared about Kamilla Cardosa and Angel Reese selling more jerseys than the entire Dallas Cowboys team did last year. That's an amazing statistic for a women's sports league too often criticized, underrated and under-covered. It was also stated about highly-touted Caitlin Clark.
Unfortunately, it is not true. Never let a good story get in the way of facts, though.
According to Fanatics, producer and seller of jerseys, the report was "not true/inaccurate." It took me about 10 seconds on a Google search to find that.
Before I get backlash for being anti-WNBA or anti-women's sports, I am completely the opposite. I have probably been to more women's sports events than men's in my life. I do so as a writer, but I do so voluntarily.
Since I am pro-women's sports, why would I attack this claim? Blatant inaccuracies like these hinder women's sports more than help. Casual observers will applaud this "achievement," yet I doubt many will actually pay more attention to the WNBA. True fans will immediately know the claim is wrong. Then it puts other claims into question. Attendance numbers? TV ratings?
What is real. Maybe none of it matters anymore. Much like when wrong words (irregardless) are repeated enough, they become accepted as part of the language, even included in dictionaries, this claim has become fact. It might now be fact, but it isn't accurate.
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