u/Kindly-Antelope-4812

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dRo34n-11PY

Mapogos

Cecil

Chongo

Red Road

The list goes on and on of both individual lions and coalitions whom have met their demise due to either gross incompetence, or outright corruption of park/reserve staff. Then there is "Charles" & co's Virtual Safari who have been emboldened to not only compromise Lions safety/health/future, they post it publicly and then have the nerve to beg for money and subscriptions! Teasing hidden, paywalled content and blaming youtube for their own self-censorship. Its an out of control situation where the last remaining places Lions are supposed to be safe/able to repopulate their depleted ranks are now under assault as well, often by those who are PAID to protect them. Here is a recent, and one of the most egregious examples I have seen, and this pretty much makes me want to stop following Lions (at least on here) because we know that so many of those earning their wages through these efforts are compromised at best, and at worst...?

The following example is so serious, not just because of their egregious behavior... but the glee they seem to feel while basking in their own perpetual state of self-congratulation while compromising Lion safety is clear. Have a look for yourself how staff use lions as life or death playthings... How do we explain this?

@.15 seconds in we can see the defending male was distracted enough by the noisy jeep and turned his attention away from his opponent. That was where he lost his respect from the other male and had to take things to Defcon-Three, as the other male was emboldened to charge his distracted opponent.

@.45 second the males rush into a clearing of the thicket and begin brawling in earnest, the Jeeps follow as a guides exhort tourists to "Take a video"... the jeeps enter into the clearing, allowing no space for retreat... but they do provide more distractions.

@.53 seconds the jeeps push further in, consolidating their positions as a barrier intended to keep the two dominant males locked in combat, leaving little opportunity for one or the other to retreat. This keeps the fight going, which provides more dramatic footage for both the lodge to officially promote with and guests to disseminate.

@ 1:30 with nowhere to retreat/separate... the lions again clash violently, even closer to the tourists and their cameras. For those of you whom are ignorant or in denial... is it now starting to set in? Are you now beginning to discern who are the actual bad guys/gals?

Thats where the footage ends for the clip I found. I realize this is a two way street, and that corrupt indigenous people there work hand in hand with corrupt staff, but this was such a blatant, dangerous and disrespectful incident that it stood out to me. They are so out-of-control that they pull a stunt like this and have no problem posting it on the internet.

Im interested to see what posters here can add to my OP.

This long awaited update should provide a catalyst for convo and once again flex the fact that some of the nicknames we bestow on Fever players here on this subreddit have made it into mainstream lexicon!

THE GOOD!

Player Spotlight:

Kelsey Mitchell - AKA Movin' Mitchell: Kelsey Mitchell, the president and #1 client of Mitchell Movers. When I first became aware of her last year, what particularly caught my attention was the fact that during that offseason, she was reported to have worked with football Defensive Backs in order to make her game more effective. I thought it was brilliant, outside of the box thinking and I could see she learned her lessons well. She is simultaneously poetry in motion, and also the most dangerous woman in the WNBA. I can hear the haters now "All she does is dribble and shoot" but they really mean "What she does is hustle and score."

Caitlyn Clark - AKA Double C: If Movin' Mitchell is the most dangerous woman in the WNBA, Clark is almost certainly the most hated. And for what? Because she maintains a decent attitude all while being hated on non-stop... and can still produce results no other player can? Shes the sole reason WNBA players were able to secure a bag during their offseason negotiations... and she is still hated on with vehemence and vitriol. Disgusting treatment of a one-of-a-kind talent with high moral character.

Aliyah Boston - AKA "The New Dantas": This woman has sky-high potential, stratospheric. But she wants to bring the ball up court. She wants to hang out beyond the arc. She wants people to get her rebounds and then feed her the rock back on the perimeter... again. She doesnt want to go to war in the paint and when she is there... she misses gimmie layups. Boston will have to toughen up and step up her intensity/focus if she wants to sniff the possibility of a championship ring, and there aint no reason she shouldn't be averaging 20+ a night along with MM and CC. I dont want to hear about the commentators "positional big who helps spread out the D" nonsense... She is supposed to be the Fever's Big Gun... so get down in the paint, stay there, and start firing off rounds.

Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hustle - AKA Blond Bomber Attack Unit: There is nothing like them in the WNBA. Their versatility, work ethic and diverse talent/skill sets make them one of the most potent duo's in the game today and their desire to fight for EVERYTHING they can on the court helps power the Fever positioning themselves towards victory. Watching Sophie come off the bench and rain down the last 11 or so points to seal a Fever W a few weeks ago was nothing short of inspirational.

Makayla Timpson - AKA Baby Death Star: I have watched her become such a presence in the paint that teams bringing the ball downcourt hard and fast on breaks... will instead choose to pull up and set up an O instead of just driving on BDS standing solo. I even watched the Aces (and yes, Wilson was on the floor at the time) show such reverence to Timpson's lane presence. I hope she is allowed to progress at a realistic pace, because she has the makings of a very unique and impactful player the likes of which does not currently exist in the WNBA. I also very much appreciate her no-nonsense demeanor, she somehow has a simultaneous Mean Mug and Poker Face. She dont often show what she is thinking/feeling, and thats a powerful advantage. A quiet assassin, Baby Death Star lets her game do the speaking for her and its clear... Makayla Timpson is a force to be reckoned with. Speak softly, carry a big blocking stick... shes a young boss in the making.

THE BAD! - White is an absolute disaster as an HC and those defending her are clearly buying into a narrative other than sporting and behavioral merit. The same excuses continue to be made for her and instead of ever righting her course, she just takes the defense as cover to double down on her garbage efforts. Every week seems to provide us with a new "last straw" regarding her character and results. The absolute worst has to be praising and defending the person who just tried to take Sophie's head off. The body language of CC and BDS in that moment said it all. Her coaching is a wasteland and her personal character seems to be even worse. Claiming that shes "Ten Toes Down" for her players, then pounding on the table to continue defending Sophie's assailant? Absolute WNBA cringe at its worst. Dont give me any flack about the W's/scoring success the Fever have showcased... thats all on the players, their talent and gumption. What success they have earned is because there is so much talent on the team that not even a bonehead like White can completely sabotage it. One of the reasons I held off until now to make this post was because I wanted to see what the fever had for the defending champs... They are not on the Aces level, the Lynx will probably feed on them when it counts and Golden State's HC would likely demolish White should they meet in the post-season.

THE UGLY - The whole WNBA. Its not a real sporting league, its more like pro wrestling... Everyone from the coaches to the players to the refs to the announcers and etc. all have their narratives and talking points at the ready, but that only works when they preach to the choir... KAYFABE only exists amongst the truest of believers. And just what is their brand? Overt racism? Covert sexism? Play sloppier than HS boys games? Players targeted and injured? Refs effecting the outcomes of games? Players on social media during games? Players dating each other? Players gambling on their own games? Perhaps the worst thing that could have happened to them was that massive contract upgrade because instead of being thankful that they were gifted more subsidized existence... they took it as a confirmation of their previous conduct and atmosphere being acceptable. Problem is, they lose new viewers as fast as they gain them with this model and to be very honest... Im not sure how much longer the WNBA lasts, at least as it stands. All its going to take is for a few high-profile players to head overseas on permanent contracts... or someone with the capitol to exploit the social gains the WNBA has been gifted creates a league based on sporting merit and personal conduct, one the majority of people could actually support.

I have waited to watch enough games and listen to enough voices who study the situation much more judiciously than myself, in order to try and offer forth an impartial post worthy of those here who engage in good faith.

First lets address what is working, because not everything is a wrap:

1. Double C and Mitchell are on fire as usual. If the coaching could get out of its own way, this is as dynamic of a duo as the WNBA has, and when they are both on, its poetry in high-scoring motion. Their commitment to securing Fever victories is unquestionable.

2. Timpson is vastly improved. I was right to say she didnt belong on the team last season. Those who said she belongs this season, are now being proven correct as well.

3. Raven is lot more all-in and contributes a lot more than I thought she would. Without Odyssey Simms, we need that extra lighting bold ready to come in, handle the rock and look to assist/score aggressively.

4. Blond Bomber Attack Unit (Lexie Hustle/Sophie) are still fighting as hard as ever, despite being hampered by the coaching staff/schemes.

5. Big Gun Boston is an interesting enigma... sometimes she takes a game over almost single-handedly, sometimes it looks like shes regressing to rookie mistakes. For the time being, Im placing the blame for this with the coaching staff.

6. Mo Billings has been a force when shes on, Im hoping the longer shes with the squad, the more she is able to contribute.

Now the issues....

1. Dantas. Why? Who didnt see this coming? Who can explain why we jettisoned Bibby from the squad, but made resigning Dantas a priority?

2. The rest of the roster seems like there wasnt much thought put into how this team would actually gel/function once the rubber hit the road. I think there are fine talents in the mix, but I dont think this team was re/built to serious challenge for a championship based on what I have seen.

Main Issue - Team coaching and the Fever organization:

There is no way to really address this without admitting the truth... be it caused by her own ego, outside pressure or the WNBA culture itself (likely a combo of all three) White seems unable/unwilling to lean into the Fever's principle strength (Clark's play and social cache). Her bizarre instance of running on-court schemes which clearly dont bring the best out of the players can no longer be ignored. Straight up, they (allegedly) drafted a roster to perform and flourish via a specific style of play, yet we watch the coaching staff continue trying to smash a square peg into a circular hole.

White's insistence of NOT starting Hull and Sophie/not playing them together much is absolutely Bozoland. They already have a seasons worth of experience and familiarity with each other, feed off each others play in-game, and are clearly the best options we have to place on-court come tipoff time. I cant think of any other reason they are not both starters along with Clark other than Coach White is too shook to have three Caucasian players on her squad starting. I honestly cant find any other explanation for why Lexie and Sophie do not start and play the majority of their minutes together.

Double C is who brought me to the WNBA and I so much respect her/enjoy seeing her ball out, but she aint my favorite player so what Im about to type aint wishful thinking or sour grapes... its just the cold reality of the situation as I see it... Clark is too much for White to handle. White clearly aint strong enough to stand up to the heat an HC earns, and will bend/deflect/throw Double C under the bus publicly. No team can be expected to win a championship with such a toxic dynamic in play...

White also bends to pressure/agenda during games and it costs the team potential W's. I watched the refs take over a game the other night (Liberty I think) where the refs just took the game over and hand delivered it to the Fevers opponents, and White did essentially nothing to address it. Her players will be furious/in disbelief at in-game officiating and White still cant figure out how to adequately address it and stand up for her players and team.

Then there all all of these strange rosters shenanigans going back to last season... if shes going to micro-manage the team so thoroughly, why doesnt she just draft/trade who she actually wants on the team and then have them play the style of ball shes actually going to be able to coach? It appears as if she knows without CC she wont last as an HC, but it also appears her ultimate goal is to either break CC's style of play to her coaching style, or force a trade where she can find wiggle room to blame Clark for the situation.

White's in-game coaching has become such a problem that double-digit leads in the second half and even fourth quarter are essentially meaningless. I cant count how many times the Fever have blown commanding second half leads this/last season. These are real games, winnable and within the grasp of the team to do so... which just get washed off via excuses and blaming others. The blame should rest where the buck is supposed to stop... at the top (HC/Front Office).

There is enough of an established pattern/are enough serious questions regarding what happened at White's time as both Vandy and Sun as HC... that if things start to come out... which are of a "certain sensitive nature"... it could be catastrophic to both the Fever organization and the WNBA itself. Because if these allegations are true, there is no way the WNBA would not have known. Regardless, Vandy lost 15 players in two years who were willing to transfer and sit out a season rather than remain with White in Nashville.

And now we have the office getting in on the act. Trashing Double C and "leaking" things about her. For people such as myself who tune in, its to see Clark/Fever first, then we expand on to further WNBA interests... so if this is the way the main factor to onboarding new WNBA supporters is treated, how long do they think it will take before people get hep and stop tuning in? Based on ratings, ticket sales and other metrics... people are already turning their backs/tuning out.

I post this with a spirit of respect and hope that the Fever's ship can be righted, but also with an understanding that without sometimes difficult self-analyzation and awareness, the change necessary to intentionally strive for something better can be almost impossible to locate.

I admit, this situation has taken something out of me. I honestly cant say if I will be as interested in following the Lions of Africa in the future. They are still amazing/extraordinary, but the way their lives are run... and dependent on the apparently arbitrary/vindictive whims of the staff who are supposed to care for and protect them... I dont want to invest more into a situation that gets pulled out from under me unnaturally or unfairly.

If Double R had received the same treatment as others with no interference, so be it. But that aint what happened. In another post regarding Red Road, I listed a number of issues, primary being how much they would disturb him while he was trying to heal in peace... thats interference. And in doing so, they also likely scared away any small prey he could have found to help alleviate his hunger. They straight up stressed/starved him to death (if he is actually gone that is, Im still holding out hope). Now "Charles" has a new video where he declares Red Road dead and is speculating about who might take his place... and in the comments hes getting almost nothing but praise. What?!

What happened with Red Road has been a very dirty episode, and I dont want to invest more of myself into situations where a rouge staff gets to decide who lives and who dies... especially when it concerns legends.