In the ongoing -- but unsuccessful -- quest to become a bona fide mainstream sport, the WNBA might be adopting a new approach to generating interest.
Generating negative headlines.
Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi faces "extreme DUI charges" in Arizona after being busted on July 2 with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
On one hand, we firmly believe that in this day and age there's no excuse for anyone to drink to excess and then get behind the wheel of a car. On the other hand, it's the first time we've mentioned the WNBA in a long, long time.
We actually became aware of the arrest while watching the morning SportsCenter loop, where the Taurasi story was chased by news regarding the NBA's Carlos Boozer.
Meanwhile, NFL players have been extremely well behaved of late. But for Seattle fullback Owen Schmitt's glug-glug, vroom-vroom incident from last month, the "Days Without An Arrest" meter would be halfway to triple digits.
WNBA applying "can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach?
Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2009 12:02 PM ET
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26 Comments 
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, Legal, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Legal
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, Legal, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Legal
The continuing destruction of the PFT name continues... next Florio will be commenting on Hanz Ulrich, the curling world champion's drunk Zamboni incident...
Completely made up, but you get the point... PFT is quickly becoming a misnomer...
Oh, but he mentioned the NFL... at the end of the article... As an after thought...
maybe playing in bikinis will help gain fanfare!!!
The billboards of two years ago that proclaimed "Season ticket waiting list now 90,000" have all been replaced by a cherry "Season tickets on sale now!" One positive move is that training camp will be at the new practice facility that is within walking distance of the stadium, and it is open and free to the public. Of course, we'll find out on August 1st that they will charge $20 for parking.
She plays in the WNBA, so I'm assuming she couldn't afford to call a cab.
WTF?
It was bad enough when you were posting golf stories.....but I swear to God, the next headline that involves "WNBA" and isn't followed by "player beaten to death by her NFL player boyfriend", I'm never coming to this site again.
That is the ONLY news about the WNBA that would be interesting in ANY context, let alone ON A FOOTBALL BLOG.
"KILLER FIN says:
July 15, 2009 12:22 PM
maybe playing in bikinis will help gain fanfare!!!"
Yeah. That will work. I have frequently overheard at NBA games "Man, if the female version of (Sam Cassell or Reggie Miller) were to play basketball in a bikini, I would pay any price to see that."
DC NINER FAN: WELCOME TO THE NBC NONSENSE SIDE OF THIS!!! NEXT WILL BE THE FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA THAT NO ONE WATCHES CUS THE ANNOUNCERS SUCK!!!
Pro Football Talk. WNBA = Pro Football? This site continues its free fall. Pathetic.
"Extreme DUI" charges, what the hell is that?
Wanna hear a joke?
The WNBA
Killer Fin: Considering their current fan base, a more likely move will be to change their uniforms to flannel shirts and work boots!
Lets ask the fan how he feels.
"On the other hand, it's the first time we've mentioned the WNBA in a long, long time."
Really? You don't regularly mention the WNBA on a PRO FOOTBALL site?
You get closer to irrelevance every day, Florio.
Come on now--Women's basketball is just like men's basketball...
if it was played underwater.
I thought the UFL/CFL was a stretch, but now THIS??!?
What's next? Off-season Cockfighting updates?
(Um, that's not meant give you any ideas, Mike-- though I'm sure you have plenty of experience/inside sources...)
What a shock! An ex West Virginia player GETTING IN TROUBLE???!!!!!!
MAKE SURE IT IS THE LUGZ BOOTS!!!
To all of you commenting that this article is not related to pro football - the WNBA is similar to the NFL in one respect - the majority of it's players sleep with women.
I watched the replacements the other night & if Goodell don't get off his worthless @ss & fix the CBA we'll all be wtching the new joke leauge coming up or the WNBA next year!!!
"extreme DUI"?
Was she on a snow board?
"To all of you commenting that this article is not related to pro football - the WNBA is similar to the NFL in one respect - the majority of it's players sleep with women." Hah, good point.
FIN - No need for all caps. I can read without them, dig?.
raiders177 - Its when you chug anything 40% or higher, instead of beer and girly drinks... that was redundant...
I can see a few of you guys haven't seen any WNBA basketball. You really want to watch them run around in bikinis? They are painfull to watch fully clothed.
These chicks are actually good and they do have a few good looking ones (not enough to trump the ugly ones but hey). Some of the games are actually entertaining.
"WorldChampionBears2009 says:
July 15, 2009 5:11 PM
These chicks are actually good and they do have a few good looking ones (not enough to trump the ugly ones but hey). Some of the games are actually entertaining."
Well yeah....I would probably think that too if I watched 16 Bears games a year.
The WNBA on PFT...Lol. This site is really starting to suck. I mean it this time.
Diana Tarousi???????
Didn't she win the Kentucky Derby
Was it that slow of a newsday that you posted the letters W-N-B-A together in an actual post? Anyways, athletes aren't the only ones who get DUIs; if you're going to post about WNBA players getting DUIs, you might as well start posting the police reports from your local newspaper.