USA Softball botches Ricketts' deal

[ontheblack]

I think you are right on with the PR thing and a need to have a face for the sport. I think Ricketts is an outstanding talent(perhaps the best in her age group. In the world of PR though, talent is not always the driving factor. Jennie Finch was(and in a way still is) the face of USA softball to most people. Super talent with model quality looks help not only to overcome ugly stereotypes of softball, but really helped to expand the audience of softball. I also think talent-wise there is huge pool for USA softball to draw from- I do hope they can figure out something with Ricketts

Following that mindset- my idea is that USA softball to help expand its marketplace should get Rachel Fico and Olivia Galati. Let’s face it, they already have a strong core in California, but what better way to expand the game in the East Coast and expand the game to a large population center. They are obviously talented enough

Galati also is proof that you dont have to be 6' to be a successful pitcher.

[fastpitchdad05]

Who cares if she plays or not.......NO doubt she is very good but you are on the team or you are not.

You can not tell you boss what to do in life. Take it or leave it. Nice thing about the whole situation is it proves that no one player is better than the whole team. Forget her and move on, she is not apart of the team.

Gee, what a shocker to see you come on and defend ASA...again.

You are insane....Defending ASA was never in my thoughts. When was the last time I was on HeyBucket and defended ASA. How is what I said defending ASA?

My point was direct....take a job that the employer is offering or dont. She did not, so its don. SHe has the right to say No, just like they have the right to offer a position under their terms. Plain and simple, it only takes 10 seconds to fill the vacancy ( maybe not the talent). There are thousands of girls that want to play for the National team.

This ASA/PGF .....TX/CA....CA/USA.....CA/FL.....FL/AL.....AL/GA....comparing trend is dumb. Play where you want, with who you want and don't worry about everyone else.

Fact: PGF has risen fast
Fact: ASA has fallen fast

Both will survive and level out. Both have issues and have concerned customers with different issues from around the nation.

I have been to PGF the past two years and ASA the past 8 years. Both have positives and negatives. IMO....

Here in Texas PGF has not taken hold as in more western states. Our 16U and 18U played both. On competing weekends, PGF had only 13 teams and ASA had approx. 60. This was the same trend throughout the country except in the West. The winners of the final PGF qualifier would not have come close to beating the ASA qualifier. I know this is not typical throughout the nation. Several of the teams going to PGF were given spots and never earned them and played ASA. No PGF qualified Texas team ( that was given a spot to PGF) qualified for ASA and many tried and would have turned down the berth.

I want to take my teams where the coaches are so my players can perform in front of the best audience. I do not care if its PGF, ASA, TC, USSSA, IFA, NSA........Personally at the 14U and 16U PGF is the best place at the moment. 16U ASA is also a very solid place to play. The Gold level at PGF and ASA are not recruiting classes at this time for the most part. Coaches are going to see their committed players.

I am honored to be lumped into the group of posters here that you have called "insane" or "crazy" which include Spaz and JMO.

You may not be the worst of the ASA faithful on here, sometimes tempering your ASA bias and being more rational than others, but if I'm "insane" then why did you state on HB in your own words, "I am a certified ASA homer and have defended ASA throughout the years" ??

[AlwaysImprove]

It goes beyond PR. Despite whatever MTR says about the World Series, right now America knows softball through the NCAA softball. It is the only softball on TV. The pinnacle of that is the WCWS. No getting around it.

The best player in the WCWS this year was Ricketts. Again no arguing that.

If you want to represent the best in softball, you have to get the best from the WCWS. Today that is solidly with the NPF.

[jonriv]

Don't disagree with you regarding the talent and and the fact that the NCAA is really the only game on TV, but except for softball diehards-most people probably do not know who Ricketts is(unfortunately) People do know who Jennie Finch is. She was and still is the face of Softball. She pitched yesterday at the MLB Allstar event and NY sports radio was all over it. The ten minutes they gushed over her on the radio reached more people than the entire WCWS(sorry to say)

The dilmena that USA softball has is that their continuity ended when it was no longer an olympic sport. NPFs issue is that a four team league with a short season is bnever going to garnish any real interest.

It is soooooooooo obvious that these two organizations NEED each other and should support each other. ASA should realize they are already in charge and are USA softball and forget the stupid turf wars. They need to work together to get the word out about the sport - the success of one will help the other

Maybe they need to get Jennie Finch doing TV spots for team USA?

[AlwaysImprove]

Here is the thing. Everyone that comes into a "works with" relationship with ASA, ends up at the same spot as NPF. It is not just one group, but pretty much everyone. Even LL has been largely contentious with ASA in the past.

One time when I was getting into a lot of political crap at work early in my work career, my father took the time to explain to me. If everyone you meet is an as$hole, maybe the as$hole is you. Hard to hear it first time, but taking it to heart has helped me be a much better person.

[jonriv]

Here is the thing. Everyone that comes into a "works with" relationship with ASA, ends up at the same spot as NPF. It is not just one group, but pretty much everyone. Even LL has been largely contentious with ASA in the past.

One time when I was getting into a lot of political crap at work early in my work career, my father took the time to explain to me. If everyone you meet is an as$hole, maybe the as$hole is you. Hard to hear it first time, but taking it to heart has helped me be a much better person.

Great advice!!!

ASA (as well as otehrs) should learn from LL. They get paid to be on TV and the umps at their wordld series work for free!