Sports media personality Ryen Russillo made headlines when he admitted to turning off the highly anticipated Iowa-LSU game at halftime.
Despite understanding the hype surrounding standout player Caitlin Clark and the expected high viewership, Russillo was frustrated with the quality of play. He expressed his frustration with the lack of shot creators and player autonomy in college basketball.
"I have no hesitation with [Nikola] Jokic this year…He could wear a t-shirt that says 'Ryen Russillo sucks' at warm ups, and there's just no way I'd be voting for anybody else."@ryenarussillo says Jokic is 100% his MVP 🏅 pic.twitter.com/ZdaqmH9v26
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 3, 2024
Russillo believes that college basketball is not a good enough product for him, even with exceptional players like Clark.
However, Russillo attempted to connect his personal distaste for the sport to progress. He noted that bias against women"s sports is diminishing, and people are developing a sense of pride and fandom towards women"s teams.
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— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) April 2, 2024
Russillo believes that progress would be marked by men being able to choose not to watch a game because they have other interests.
While Russillo attempted to make a joke out of his own hoops" snobbishness, he couldn"t resist criticizing the 12 million people who did watch the game. He questioned whether progress meant being ignored, pointing out that women in sports have long been overlooked by men in the media.
Despite Russillo"s dismissive stance, other sports media outlets recognized the significance of the Iowa-LSU game and explored various angles, such as legacy, betting, and the evolution of the game.
Russillo"s decision to check out of a major sports story raises questions about the progress made in representing women"s sports in the media.
