FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver faced criticism on Saturday for a tweet about the Indiana Fever's nickname as the team faced off against the New York Liberty.
Nate Silver, the founder of FiveThirtyEight, drew ire on social media when he criticized the Indiana Fever’s nickname amid the WNBA’s opening week. The Fever played their third game of the season against the New York Liberty on Saturday night. Silver fired off a post on X about the team.
As the WNBA gains more attention, it's time to confront an uncomfortable reality: It's kind of weird to name a sports team the Fever?' Silver wrote. One fan made a good point. 'Brother, there are three different baseball teams named after socks,' the person wrote in response. Sports journalist Lindsay Gibbs added: 'the biggest team in the nba is named after lakes.' Sports journalist Matt Ellentuck wrote facetiously that he agreed with Silver.
Silver’s comment came more than a week after NBA reporter Ethan Strauss floated the idea of changing WNBA names to be more cohesive with NBA teams. 'The one thing they should’ve done – and maybe there’s still time to do it – that they didn’t do from the outset is just use the same team names,' Strauss said on 'The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Strauss' argument centered on the idea that since the WNBA essentially operates as a 'subsidiary of the NBA,' the league needs to find ways to differentiate itself from the men's league. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New York Liberty at Indiana Fever Preview: Caitlin Clark's Indiana DebutThe New York Liberty are the visitors for Caitlin Clark professional debut in her new home.
Read more »
Jorge Masvidal Explains Delay on Nate Diaz Fight: ‘Nate's a F****** Idiot''Gamebred' reveals why his boxing match with Diaz is getting pushed back to July 6th.
Read more »
You can now preorder Caitlin Clark’s new Indiana Fever jerseyCaitlin Clark's new Fever gear started selling out immediately after the WNBA draft announcement, but you can place a preorder before the season officially begins.
Read more »
Country star Tim McGraw dons Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever jersey at concert in IndianapolisPaying homage to Caitlin Clark after she was drafted by the Indiana Fever, Tim McGraw wore her WNBA jersey at his concert in Indianapolis this week.
Read more »
NaLyssa Smith’s 4th-year option exercised by Indiana FeverThe East Central Alum will be teammates with Kaitlin Clark this season.
Read more »
Sold-out crowd to pack arena for Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever preseason gameCaitlin Clark is expected to make her WNBA debut when the Indiana Fever visit the Dallas Wings on Friday, May 3 for the preseason opener.
Read more »