Oh Darn!

Oh Darn!

The WNBA Seattle Storm All-Star point guard Sue Bird has backed out of a bet with a radio talk show host that would have required her to submit to an on-air spanking.

The host bet that if Bird failed to achieve a turnover-assist ratio better than 2:1, then he could spank her and she would have to cry out, "Harder Daddy, harder."

Naturally women's groups howled that this encouraged violence against women.

The bet has drawn some criticism, including a comment from state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, who teaches women's studies at the University of Washington.

"It helps feed into the images of violence against women and stereotyping," Kohl-Welles told Seattle Times sports columnist Steve Kelley. "I don't condemn her. I appreciate that she doesn't have the experience in life that other women have had. But this could be very hurtful. Not just to the WNBA, but to other women and girls."

In truth, it may be obnoxious feminists who oppose any sort of playfullness between the sexes who encourage violence against women.

Incidentally, Bird was well on her way to winning the bet with 137 assists and only 63 turnovers.