Interview with Mad Seasons author Karra Porter
Congratulations on the book finally coming out! When you finally had a printed copy of the book in your hands, what was the first thing that went through your mind?
First thought: "Hey, they could have fit more pages in here!" Second thought: "Wow, this is neat. After all these years . . . ."
When did you first become interested in women's basketball?
My parents were big believers in sports, so we kids ended up in every conceivable competitive activity that our schools had. If they had offered competitive tiddlywinks, the folks would have been there keeping stats. My mother played basketball back when girls couldn't dribble or cross half-court and could only be on the court a few minutes during half-time of boy's games, so I think she got vicarious enjoyment out of our basketball games.
When did you become interested in the history of women's basketball?
I've always been a history geek, but it zeroed in on women's basketball when I learned about the WBL. (See next question.)
What peaked your interested in the WBL in particular and prompted you to write "Mad Seasons"?
Several years ago, I saw a WBL media guide on eBay, and, not having bid on any unnecessary items yet that day, proceeded to buy it. When I received it, I saw several familiar names (Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Carol Blazejowski, etc.), and decided to read up on the league. When I discovered there were no books, I couldn't believe it. I started to write an in-depth article about the league, but as more interesting stuff kept coming in the interviews, it became obvious that the WBL deserved its own book.
Is there a story behind the book's title?
As I was struggling with a title, I told one of my partners, "Some of the stuff that happened to those players was just crazy, but 'Crazy League' just doesn't sound right." On my way home from work that day, I heard Matchbox Twenty's "Mad Season," a great phrase from my childhood that totally seemed to fit the WBL, so I went with it. I thought publishers always changed working titles anyway, but they left it Mad Seasons.
What difficulties did you encounter researching the book and then getting it published?
Finding records was tough. The league dissolved in 1982, and there was no league historian. I interviewed over a hundred ex-WBLers, many of whom had tapes and scrapbooks, and a former WBL commissioner let me camp out in his store room rifling through boxes of papers for an entire week. I also read through old newspapers for all 17 team cities, and hired researchers for those that weren't available to me. People who wanted to sell WBL material started finding my website, WBLmemories.com, so I gradually accumulated scorer's sheets, programs, photos, and, in one up-too-late purchase, more New Jersey Gems ashtrays than could be used in a lifetime. (Anyone want one? They can also be used as cupholders. Really.)
Getting published was less traumatic than I expected. I bought some how-to books, sent off two sample chapters, and got three bites. I did have a few disagreements with the publisher. For example, this is not a scholarly book, so I insisted that I did not want to cut three chapters just to put in dumb source notes that maybe two people in the entire world would ever read. We finally compromised by me caving in.
You're mentioned in Pam Grundy and Susan Shackelford's book Shattering the Glass: The Dazzling History of Women's Basketball from the Turn of the Century to the Present, What did you learn from them and vice versa? *
Pam and Susan asked me to double-check facts in their WBL section. I was really pleased about that, because some errors about the WBL have been perpetuated for years by writers relying on erroneous original sources, and they avoided that. Their book is exceptionally well written.
What other authors/historians have you spoken with during your research time?*
Joanne Lannin, whose A History of Basketball for Girls and Women: From Bloomers to Big Leagues should be required reading, John Molina, whose The History of Women's Basketball website reflects one of the best collections of women's basketball memorabilia in the country, and several people writing theses or articles come to mind. Ex-WBLers Kathy DeBoer, author of Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently, and Mariah Burton Nelson, author of several books including the landmark The Stronger Women Get, the More Men Love Football, helped me a lot, and were terrific interviews. When ex-WBLer Donna Orender became president of the WNBA, I was suddenly quite popular as everyone scrambled for information about her pro career. Our receptionist would buzz in with, "ESPN is on the line," and for that brief moment the younger male attorneys thought I was cool.
Did you find there's a "women's basketball historians" community or is it still a lonely field? *
There are too few women's basketball histories, especially those exploring specific subjects within the field. How could there not have been a single book about the first women's professional basketball league? Fortunately, we're starting to get books like Julie Byrne's O God of Players: The Story of the Immaculata Mighty Macs, and Robert Ikard's Just For Fun: The Story of AAU Women’s Basketball. But why isn't there a big fat book on the Redheads? Or the first women's Olympic team? I can only imagine the stories that would be in there.
How did you go about getting in touch with former players, and were most of them receptive to the idea of a book being written about their experiences?
For three years, I single-handedly kept Google in business, plus some services that track people down for large sums of money. There were a lot of William Byrnes in the U.S., so I just started calling them one by one. Most players seemed happy that someone was finally writing about the league and their experiences. Well, not Inge Nissen (now at Florida International). She let me interview her twice, but she would be the first to say -- rather graphically -- that her memories of the WBL are not fond. She's a hoot.
Was there one story or player that stuck with you more than others?
Several. "Machine Gun Molly" Bolin's mother being cross-examined about her daughter's Iowa Cornets poster in a bitter custody battle. A WBL owner watching from a hotel room in Iran as his business associates were executed on live television. A coach leaving the arena in the middle of a game to go score coke. The murder of Connie Kunzmann as she was celebrating the game of her life against Nancy Lieberman, and her desperate family consulting a psychic to try to find the body. But the story that made the biggest impact on me was that of Joy Holman convincing her grandmother to let her play pro ball. I can't say more without giving it away, but I think of her story often.
What were some of the mistakes the WBL made and do you think the WNBA learned from any of them?
WBL mistakes? Owners without dollars. Only a few franchises were well financed (such as the San Francisco Pioneers, whose investors included Alan Alda and Mike Connors); others did not have the staying power. That's not a problem in the WNBA. It was also a mistake for some WBL owners to rent cavernous venues like Madison Square Garden or the Superdome for a relatively small number of fans. Although there were some who believed that renting prestigious arenas enhanced the league's reputation, I think the Chicago Hustle had a better idea -- 5,000 screaming fans in DePaul's gym made for a great time. Premature expansion in the WBL drove up travel costs and made the league look shaky when franchises collapsed, which in turn drove away potential sponsors. I also think the WNBA expanded a little too quickly, but conditions are different now. There were few opportunities for television in the late '70s (except for the Hustle, whose ratings on WGN beat the Chicago Bulls at times). The 1980 Olympic boycott devastated the WBL's marketing efforts, including a plan by the well-heeled San Francisco owners to fly to Moscow and offer either Lieberman or Blazejowski a million-dollar contract on the spot. Most WBL players were willing to make enormous sacrifices for "The Cause" (such as, oh, not eating). WNBA owners face different challenges today.
Do you find that today's players are aware of the storied history of women's professional basketball in the United States?*
No. And that's not just my opinion: Many ex-WBLers regaled me with examples of today's players not having a clue about what their immediate predecessors went through. Four games in four consecutive nights in four different cities? Flying standby to games? Playing a game after an 8-hour bus ride, then turning around and riding home again? Practicing without heat or air conditioning, or on a tennis court in the middle of winter? Cramming six players into a single hotel room? Eating one meal a day? Understanding what the previous generation went through would help give perspective, I think.
What do the former players you talked to think of the WNBA?
Most seem supportive, although some were not as into it as I expected. At the 2003 WBL Reunion in Chicago, a WNBA rep handed out survey cards that asked, among other things, questions about WNBA players (who would be the hardest to guard; who were favorites, etc.) One WBL player told me she was surprised to realize that she struggled with many of the questions. She was interested, but just didn't have much exposure to the league. That was a concern to me -- this seems like an obvious target audience that may not being reached.
This is the first book you've authored, talk about your rookie experience.
It sounds corny, but I consider this my contribution to women's basketball, so I'm pretty thrilled with the whole thing. And I have to give props to my firm, Christensen & Jensen. Without a single grouse, they let me take months off to finish the darn thing, even if I did have to put up with unwarranted abuse ("When is this alleged book coming out?" "Is it like your briefs, or is it non-fiction?").
Many fans may be familiar with your wonderful website "Starzzfan.com," what prompted you to start the site?
Actually, that was my mother's idea. She was having a hard time recovering from the death of her brother several months earlier, and I was starting to get concerned. Then one day she suddenly called me and said, "I want to start a website for the Starzz." I had no clue how to do that, so we bought some books and, with a few expletives (from me), managed to get something up. I loved that website. I knew Natalie Williams and Chantel Tremitiere and Jennifer Azzi, etc., so we had excellent access to the team, and the Starzz front office was very enthusiastic, even if the owner wasn't. (For your next Trivial Pursuit game: Former Starzz owner Larry Miller is the same guy who pulled Brokeback Mountain from theaters here in Utah.)
Do you follow the Silver Stars as fervently as you did when they were the Utah Starzz?
We tried for a while, but it was hard. Coverage of the WNBA in our local papers evaporated when the Starzz left town.
What was more stressful: writing this book or going before the Supreme Court?
I'd have to say the Supremes, although there was more levity during the arguments than I expected. (Another trivia note: For the first time in Supreme Court history, a cell phone went off during arguments that morning -- right in the middle of an emotional cross-burning case heard immediately before ours. A mortified court employee went pale and ran from the courtroom.) Fortunately, I was able to do the book and the Supreme Court at the same time. I flew to D.C. a few days early because I still needed some research on the Philadelphia and Washington WBL franchises. Poor Mom flew out early, too, expecting to do some sightseeing. "Sure, Mom, let's start with the Library of Congress microfilm reading room..."
Are you going to be doing any promotional activities for the book (e.g. signings, appearances, print advertising, etc.)?
I hope so. I would really like to set up an exhibit at the first Chicago Sky game, and maybe next year's Final Four. The University of Nebraska will do some advertising, but a lot of it will be word of mouth (my mouth, mostly). Thanks for giving me the opportunity to start here.
*Question submitted by Helen Wheelock.