The lieutenant governor of Indiana, a former pastor who preached a sermon last month at Elkhart’s First Baptist Church titled “How to Hate Properly” – seriously – has decided that Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White should be fired.
Read that sentence again. This is where we are, as a society, and Fever coach Stephanie White is fed up. She used her media availability before a recent WNBA game to blast the “the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league.”
She didn’t name the lieutenant governor of Indiana, whose day job apparently leaves him time to preach sermons on hate and call for a WNBA coach to be fired, but I will – and I did, in my story that night. His name is Micah Beckwith. Also I named Barstool president Dave Portnoy, and I really should have named Outkick’s Clay Travis. That’s the trio of anarchists paying close attention to the WNBA, probably for the first time, so they can light it on fire and watch it burn.
Apparently Stephanie White isn’t the only person who’s fed up. So am I!
Let’s get to the Mailbagg™, where readers in my free IndyStar text group were (mostly) on the same page with White, and me. And (mostly) horrified that Micah Beckwith is next in line to be governor of the great state of Indiana.
Doyel:Trolls like Micah Beckwith lose when Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham back Stephanie White
Stephanie White erupts, Caitlin Clark backs her, trolls lose
From: Steve A.
Looks like you named two right-wing conservatives (Beckwith and Portnoy). Big wow. Why won't you, the WNBA and the party of science define a woman as a human being with two X chromosomes and be done with it? This tells me there are already men in the W.
Is that what it tells you? That there are, quote-unquote, men in the WNBA?
Have you ever listened to the words that come out of your mouth, Steve? Do you ever see the world as a real place, with real people with complex issues that you might not understand – instead of a place for you to lift your leg on everyone you deem beneath you?
Micah Beckwith would approve of your message; you seem to hate properly.
From: Matt D.
Thank you for calling out the trolls! Lots of things to be proud of with the Fever and how they're handling the scrutiny. Thanks for writing this.
The Fever hasn’t been perfect, and at times the Fever has caused some of the problems – or made them worse – but let's cut them some slack. If a sports franchise in this country has ever had to navigate this level of hysteria, I can’t think of it. The New York Yankees of the 1970s and Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s had major issues, but they didn’t have social media.
From: Doug O.
I was not impressed with Stephanie White's pre-game you wrote about. It was a weak and inconsistent response to being correctly lambasted for her comments after Sophie Cunningham was maliciously clotheslined. A good coach has to have a high emotional intelligence. I don't think you can say that about White
Nothing weak about her response, Doug. Inconsistent? As I wrote that night, yes, for White to say she was leading with integrity and love before saying “and everyone else can go to hell" – that’s inconsistent. I’ll give you that.
But White has had enough
, OK? She’s had enough. And as for her comments immediately after the foul – her refusal to hate Carrington the way Micah Beckwith wanted her to hate Carrington – I respect it. Because White coached Carrington in Connecticut, knows Carrington well, and was treading lightly on Carrington’s clearly fragile psyche.
Empathy is a beautiful.
You hear that, trolls? Empathy is beautiful.
From: Jim L.
Unfortunately Clark, Cunningham, the Fever and the WNBA generally have become the latest political battleground. The vitriol is horrifying.
I won't be surprised if, a few years from now, Clark just says she's done with this "stuff" and retires. She's already made more than she can spend in a lifetime and she can go live in peace.
Clark is a fierce competitor, so I don’t see that. But would it completely stun me if she get walks away early, burned out by the fearmongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack her league?
Wouldn’t completely stun me, no.
From: Michael H.
I keep reading about all the conflicts and controversy within the WNBA, and I find it depressing. Why is the focus of the media on off-court issues (trans athletes) and on-court dustups (Sophie and Caitlin vs. lots of other players)? NBA players aren't treated this way by the media.
What’s happening around the WNBA doesn’t compare to the NBA. There is no comparison. The WNBA seems constantly on the verge of meltdown, thanks mainly to the trolls online but also, occasionally, stoked by inflammatory behavior or comments from players. Not to mention the politicians, plural − local and nationwide − checking in constantly.
Zero comparison.
And while I appreciate your kind tone here, please don’t do this:
Why is the focus of the media…
Don’t ask or expect reporters to ignore the chaos surrounding this league, or to pretend it’s either (A) normal or (B) too undignified to document.
The indignity is the news. It’s shocking. To ignore it on the basis of exhaustion would be unforgivable. You don’t hide awful behavior by pretending it doesn’t exist. You expose it to sunlight until it fades away.
Readers react to Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith
From: Alex H.
What have Micah Beckwith and Dave Portnoy ever done outside of dividing people?
Made a lot of money. Ascended to positions of great influence. Forgotten WWJD.
From: Jerry H.
Don’t we have bigger problems as a state for our lieutenant governor to handle?!
Micah Beckwith doesn't care about anything but his ambition. He thinks he’s going to the White House.
From: Terry W.
Can we fire the Lt. Governor?
Only if enough people make like Stephanie White and decide they've had enough.
Overlooking defending national champion IU football
Oh man. Can we write about sports?
Hey, I know: IU football is being disrespected again. Still.
I went to Bloomington to check in on the Hoosiers, and with Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti, then wrote about it.
Doyel: IU football, Curt Cignetti overlooked again – and someone will pay for that
From: George L.
What most people can't comprehend is that Curt Cignetti is a football savant. A genius on the level of Einstein, with football as the subject rather than physics. Nobody else like him.
He is that. He’s one of one.
Doyel during CFP run:What makes IU football coach Curt Cignetti so good?
Doyel in 2024:Indiana's Curt Cignetti learned faith, family, football from dad Frank
From: Gary L.
What can a Purdue fan do? Great column and the lack of respect for IU football is amazing. They deserve to be the preseason pick for the best in the country because they earned it. I think IU will hang 80 points in the Bucket game.
Love this note from a Purdue fan. Hard not to respect what’s happening at IU, same as some (many) IU basketball fans respect the work done at Purdue basketball by Matt Painter.
From: Todd A.
Great piece, Gregg. As an IU grad, this still feels like the craziest dream ever. Can't wait to see how the season plays out.
Would it surprise you if IU won another national title? Wouldn’t surprise me, even a little bit.
Doyel in March:No idea how, but Purdue will win big again next season under Matt Painter
Colts QB Anthony Richardson looks great, still gets hate
Hey look, another sports story.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson put on a show during the preseason opener at New England. Twitter hated his play, but Twitter sucks. That is a sports story, right? Give it a look.
Doyel:Colts QB Anthony Richardson looks great, still gets hate vs. Patriots
From: Ken C.
Funny. I read an article on the same game, and they saw Anthony as a total loser. I hope he can find his place in the game
Where did you read that article, Ken? I'd like to see that.
From: Ken C.
Oh. It’s from Outkick the Coverage. Guarantee you, Micah Beckwith reads that site. Those folks have mastered the art of hating properly.
From: Susan B.
I'm still a glass is half full with AR, and he did show some of what we are thirsty for! I think he won this round.
Glass half full … thirsty … this round.
So many drink references! Great writing, Susan.
From: Randy R.
I, for one, will be sad if Anthony can't bring his talent together. As for social media...Not even aware of it.
Social media is like golf: If you’ve never tried it, don’t.
IndyStar on your phone:Get a personalized reading experience in the Indianapolis Star app
Not printing these
From: Rick P.
Greetings Brother! I just finished reading your most recent masterpiece on Stephanie White and Micah Beckwith. I try to keep it simple: Follow the Golden Rule. And I believe that God is Love, and what doesn't come from a place of Love, doesn't come from God. I wish Micah Beckwith would crawl back under the rock from whence he came. Keep on keepin' it real, Gregg. Peace & love and all the best to you and your sweetheart. Good boy Cap!
Love you brother. But not as much as I love my Cap!
Doyel in 2022: My greyhound Cap is 7 years old, and learning how to be a dog
Doyel, one year later:The perfection of a retired racing greyhound poses ethical dilemma
From: Brandon D.
It's an election year, and it benefits Republicans to get MAGA stirred up about the WNBA, which is loaded with potential race and LGBTQ issues, to help their voter turnout.
Read that sentence again. This is where we are, as a society…
Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads, or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar. Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Doyel: Micah Beckwith wants Fever to fire Stephanie White. Readers want him to shaddup