Massie
drops suit against WNBA; cites ‘no-win situation’
By Jed Wilcox,
THG Sports
John Massie, the
Indianapolis man who filed a civil suit last week against the WNBA for refusing
to let him try out for the Indiana Fever, has decided to drop the suit against
the league after only a week. The case was to go to court April 2.
In the suit, Massie claimed
the Fever’s refusing him a tryout was a violation of his rights as outlined by
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a Sunday interview, Massie told THG that he
still feels exclusion of men from the league is wrong, but he decided to drop
the suit because he would be put in a bad situation, no matter the outcome.
“I got to thinking about
it, and decided I was putting myself in a no-win situation,” said the 38
year-old Massie, “If I lose in court, I get no tryout. If I win, get a tryout,
make the team, and dominate the league, the public will hate me for it. This is
why I am dropping the suit.”
Massie was the victim of a
media onslaught this week when the story of his lawsuit broke. “I wasn’t
prepared for all this. I have been getting calls and visits at my house by the
media day and night. My boss (at an Indianapolis Home Depot) gave me the week
off because of all the disruption it was creating at work. I had no idea the
case would get the amount of attention it did. I just want life to get back to
normal.”
When asked if he dropped
the suit because he was scared that he would be dominated on the court by the
WNBA’s players if given a tryout, Massie laughed. “That is the reason I filed
the suit in the first place. There is no way those freaks of nature could match
up with me or any other guy with any athletic ability. I am haven’t played
competitively in years and I guarantee I could get 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds)
every night.”
In attempts to interview
her, WNBA commissioner Val Ackerman refused to comment on the matter. The 2004
WNBA season will begin play without Massie on Thursday, May 20.
