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jlight
Joined: 26 Feb 2014
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 Posted: 07/20/14 7:09 pm ::: |
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Mechelle Voepel @MechelleV 2h
Gail Goestenkors is not staying with the LA Sparks' organization.
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"It's not necessarily about out-working the person across from me. It's out-working that voice inside me that says, "I'm too tired. I don't feel like doing it. I can settle." - Maya Moore.
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Happycappie25
Joined: 07 Feb 2006
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Happycappie25
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Admiral_Needa
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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SueFavor
Joined: 20 May 2013
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/24/14 11:37 pm ::: |
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What kind of tank bait is hanging out there for 2015?  _________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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jap
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
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SueFavor
Joined: 20 May 2013
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| Posted: 07/25/14 9:33 am ::: |
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| jammerbirdi wrote: |
| What kind of tank bait is hanging out there for 2015? |
Suggesting that the Sparks are sucking this season on purpose is the most idiotic thing you've said this season, jammer. And with all due respect, you've said some outrageous and clueless things in these threads over the last few weeks._________________ hoopism.blogspot.com
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/25/14 10:30 am ::: |
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Well I wasn't suggesting it but... anyway... I am basking warmly in that due respect, thank you very much._________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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patsweetpat
Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 2313
Location: Culver City, CA
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| Posted: 07/25/14 9:38 pm ::: |
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Was talking this over with my wife last night, wanted to throw it out there on RebKell, see if it coalesces into a coherent thought...
It's been mentioned in various threads that the Sparks' home attendance appears to be down this season. I agree that that's probably the case. And there's been much conjecture as to why that might be. Is it just that the team's W/L record is disappointing (relative to expectations)? Is it that the actual effort being put forth by this particular roster (or certain individual members of it) is insufficiently inspiring to fans? Is there residual fan demoralization from the Sparks' off-season brush with non-existence? Did the mass layoff of Sparks ticket reps disrupt some STHs' investment in the franchise, or stall marketing efforts somehow or other? Is the current disarray in the coaching/management structure turning fans off?
It's probably plenty of all of the above, but another element worth adding is the fact that-- so far as I can tell, and please correct me if I'm wrong-- this team's current owners don't even care to attend Sparks games. When Carla and Kathy ran the Sparks, they were present at every game, in very visible (and active) fashion, greeting fans, pressing flesh, promoting the ballclub, and of course cheering on the players [I realize that Carla and Kathy still come to the games, though obviously in a different role now]. Then, when Paula Madison became the majority owner, she was a consistent presence as well.
Of course, we now know the downside of the above-two ownership groups: they didn't happen to have sufficient resources or will to annually and perpetually absorb the financial losses that came with Sparks ownership. In come the new folks-- Guggenheim Partners-- who certainly have the former, and they may even have the latter too, and thank god for that, and for them! But isn't it hard-- as a business owner-- to get customers to regularly partake of your product (in this case, the product being the live game experience) if you're simultaneously sending the message that the product isn't good enough for you, yourself? Doesn't your choice to skip your own team's home games invite others who are less invested to follow your lead and do likewise? Or at the very least, doesn't your absence rob you of the opportunity to create connections with fans and build relationships that could turn one-time visitors into loyal repeat customers?
I found this quote from Kathy in the L.A. Times, back in '07:
"I feel like I'm responsible for (the fans)," Goodman said. "Like, 'OK, they need to have a good time and it needs to be a good game.' I sort of feel like I'm throwing a party and if people don't have a good time, I'm not a good host."
Who, exactly, is the host of the party now? Who, exactly, feels responsible for the fans?
For heck's sake, even the team's pre-game intro video is the story of a mysterious, unseen, absentee owner, texting his players from... well, it's never quite clear where he is, but evidently not sitting courtside.
Again, every ownership group comes with its positives and negatives. The fact that Guggenheim has deep pockets probably outweighs everything above. And as a SoCal WNBA fan, I'll happily take an actually-existing Los Angeles Sparks team owned by rich AWOL folks if the alternative is the contraction of the franchise, or its relocation to San Francisco. I'm very thrilled that I can still go to Sparks games, and can continue to bring my kids along with me. I already know that I'll be re-upping my Sparks tickets for 2015. For me it's not a question.
But my gathering suspicion is that Sparks home attendance-- under an absentee Guggenheim-- may never quite be what it was when the Sparks were in the hands of less-wealthy but more-personally-invested owners.
Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA
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Libra_Girl
Joined: 12 Jul 2013
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| Posted: 07/26/14 12:00 am ::: |
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| To my fellow sparks fans who guys suggest the owners should hire for coach next season?
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Admiral_Needa
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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| Posted: 08/20/14 4:09 pm ::: |
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Penny Toler Works Overtime as Los Angeles Sparks GM and Head Coach
| Quote: |
My thoughts on being a coach have changed, Toler said. I didnt think Id have as much fun as Im having. Im learning a lot, things that will make me a better general manager.
Im tough. If someone gets a shot blocked, Ill clown them a little bit. They know Im tough and we work hard, but they know I want the best for them. Ill live and die with them, Monday through Sunday.
Once she became coach, Toler said she got a total of five hours of sleep for the first three days so she could learn the plays. Not well enough to draw a play on a clipboard in the huddle though. Toler calls the play and an assistant handles the artistry.
When I took over, I hadnt looked at the schedule and we had five games in seven days, Toler said with a laugh. I had to learn the plays. That wasnt the problem for the team. It was just getting players to play to their potential, to play hard, with more intensity, more passion and more effort. I was playing catchup.
The Sparks went 2-3 in that five-game stretch, then went 4-3 in August |
http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4860183
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StevenHW
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Admiral_Needa
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ChicagoAnnie
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| Posted: 08/20/14 9:53 pm ::: |
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+1
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patsweetpat
Joined: 14 Jul 2010
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jap
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
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| Posted: 08/24/14 9:05 am ::: |
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I wonder if Magic is considering getting a top-notch PG for this team. Granted, Ace is a great passer, but I find it ridiculous that the only PG she played with in the WNBA who was a better passer than her was the declining Ticha. Magic was one of the best PG's ever and may realize that position is a need area if we are to avoid all the crazy unforced TO's that have occurred over the years.
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Rock Hard
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
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| Posted: 08/24/14 9:33 am ::: |
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| jap wrote: |
I wonder if Magic is considering getting a top-notch PG for this team. Granted, Ace is a great passer, but I find it ridiculous that the only PG she played with in the WNBA who was a better passer than her was the declining Ticha. Magic was one of the best PG's ever and may realize that position is a need area if we are to avoid all the crazy unforced TO's that have occurred over the years. |
Great point guards come into the W with the same frequency as Halley's comet. Teams that have great point guards rarely trade them unless they are forced to do it. My question for you is how will Magic be able to acquire this great point guard that the Sparks need?
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jap
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
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| Posted: 08/24/14 9:48 am ::: |
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| Rock Hard wrote: |
| jap wrote: |
I wonder if Magic is considering getting a top-notch PG for this team. Granted, Ace is a great passer, but I find it ridiculous that the only PG she played with in the WNBA who was a better passer than her was the declining Ticha. Magic was one of the best PG's ever and may realize that position is a need area if we are to avoid all the crazy unforced TO's that have occurred over the years. |
Great point guards come into the W with the same frequency as Halley's comet. Teams that have great point guards rarely trade them unless they are forced to do it. My question for you is how will Magic be able to acquire this great point guard that the Sparks need? |
They can look into the business relationship between Chelsea Gray and the Sun and see if she can be procured. The Sparks are trying to get into championship form as quickly as possible with a star player who understands the PG mentality. They may be willing to give up some players for her, especially seeing that 6'7" former BYU volleyball/basketball star, Jennifer Hamson, is due to report next season.
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Rock Hard
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jap
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| Posted: 08/24/14 11:52 am ::: |
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| Rock Hard wrote: |
Connecticut drafted Gray to be their star point guard of the future. Connecticut used LA's draft position to draft her. If LA really wanted Gray they should not have given up their draft position to acquire Gruda.
Connecticut has been rudderless since they traded away Whalen years ago. They are not going to trade away Gray anytime soon unless they are forced to do it. Good luck in trying to get Gray away from the Sun.  |
As I said, "They can look into the business relationship between Chelsea Gray and the Sun and see if she can be procured." I know what the Sun drafted Gray for. However, if upgrading the PG post is a point of emphasis for the Sparks, they would be foolish not to look into that possibility. It's just a matter of performing due diligence, which is what all truly professional organizations do, including sports franchises. They can seek trades elsewhere too.
Kristi did a much better job towards the latter end of this season than she did in 2012. No one will ever mistake her game for Ticha's, but she actually managed to cut down on TO's considerably. Alana has a fairly decent handle and can come up with surprisingly sweet passes from time to time. However, Ace remains the best passer on the team. I rather have a PG who can help restrict Ace's passing to the paint as opposed to her playing point forward as much as she does.
I was more than a little surprised when they signed Lindsey a couple seasons ago. Although I know she had a defensive mentality, I didn't see her as a top PG with respect to passing and generally setting her teammates up for scores. She performed reasonably well last season, but regressed badly this year.
They still need a true SF. Ace and Nneka both tend to rotate back & forth between SF and PF as a side effect of their high-low game. I doubt Farhiya is gonna make it to next season. She still seems to have problems figuring where she belongs on court, and she doesn't play as fast as her teammates, whether that is because she is thinking too much or because she is athletically limited isn't clear.
Nevertheless, now that Magic has had an entire season to review the Sparks' play, expect crucial changes for next season.
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J A P
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 08/24/14 11:56 am ::: |
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The Sparks actually have the pieces in place for a blockbuster deal, as they have one too many elite power forwards (Parker and Ogamooka) and if they're willing to roll the dice, they could deal for Gray (a question, though, due to her injury history) or Danielle Robinson or Sims or Diggins.
It would be a gamble, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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| Posted: 08/24/14 12:03 pm ::: |
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| jap wrote: |
Nevertheless, now that Magic has had an entire season to review the Sparks' play, expect crucial changes for next season. |
Is Magic the GM now? He'll decide on Toler staying or not and maybe have a say in the coach if he wants to go the old NBA guy route, seeing the success of Laimbeer and Cooper, but that'll probably be it.
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Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned
Last edited by Shades on 08/24/14 2:59 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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