RebKell's Junkie Boards

[HistoryWomensBasketball]

I can only speak from where I work, I guess things could be different elsewhere.

The first words that come out of peoples mouths are why watch a blowout or why watch when you already know the outcome.

I dont see these people being mean in these comments, actually quite the contrary. They all say that geno is a great coach, and great recuiter.

Many say they do turn on the game when it starts but by the time the game is 10 minutes old, they go do something else or change the channel.

They say they are still UConn fans, but they want to watch a good game, not just a game with a great team anymore.

If this is part of the reason, I thought I would never see it. you couldnt touch a Uconn ticket in the mid late 90s on ebay for face value, it was almost always much higher.

There was a team many decades ago called the Edmonton Grads. edmontongrads.com They were the most successful womens team (by percentage) ever, I believe with a 526-22 record in 25 years. People came from all around to watch them. They would be greeted when the train pulled in after a game by the thousands.

Then, after quite a few years, it only became news when the team lost. Interest began to wane, sponsors began to look for other things to put their money behind. WWII was at hand and that had a part to do with it as well. Yet the coach, Percy Page saw the writing on the wall, the income wasnt just there to keep it going and formally announced they would disband.

Is this a bit of what we are seeing here?

UConn will keep going....and I expect great teams for many years. I think there will be crowds as well.

Yet, can it return to where it was as far as popularity on tv.....at least in my office.

I hope so.

_________________
www.allamericanredheads.com

Currently co-authoring a book on the legendary womens professional basketball team

The All American Red Heads

[Cui7]

[dukemayo]

I think you all are on to something about the effect dominance can have. The top four home crowds for North Carolina women's soccer were in the mid-90's, when the sport started to get more attention and UNC's dominance was perhaps still novel. Only three of the top 10 home crowds have been in the 2000's.

[IndyPurduefan]

[ridor]

I stopped watching UConn games for more than 5 years mainly because I really cannot stand watching Geno's antics as well as his players subjugating others.

Last night, the GameDay was such a first for Women's Basketball, I think UConn shot its own foot by massacring Notre Dame to make the game uninterested -- I believe that the ratings will be very low to a point where they will not have GameDay at Storrs again.

Oh, I forgot to add something -- I repeatedly warned a while ago that with UConn's repeated domination (It appears to me that Geno is fixated on domination) of the sport will hurt the game, will drive fans away from the game, will discourage others from attending the Final Four, will create a stagnant in the sport. Needless to say, many UConn fans attacked me repeatedly.

But the numbers do not *lie*. Even its own fans are not enjoying the sport because they knew the *outcome*.

For one, I was so glad when Tennessee terminated the series mainly because I felt Tennessee was feeding the fire that burns out of control to a point where UConn capitalized on the so called rivalry to dominate the recruiting wars.

This led me not to watch any UConn games at all. Why? Because I felt what UConn has done is not good for the sport.

R-

[SouthernFan]

[atlasshrugs]

[huskiemaniac]

So is Uconn's success as a program a bad thing? Sounds to me like you dislike them because they're too good. Am I on the right track here?
What are they supposed to do? Lay back and "allow" the other team to stay in the game? It's not as if they just step on the court and it's an automatic blowout. Those young ladies work hard, and Auriemma has done a great job keeping them focused and prepared for every challenge they face. I'll be the first to admit it's not the most fun thing to watch. But I'll be the last to admit that it's any fault of Connecticut's.[/quote]

This guy is so lame...he hates everything about Uconn- coach, players, fans...He has repeated this very same drivel ad nauseum. He constantly has Uconn fan's posts deleted and is so hate-filled it's not even funny. How many more times are you going to repeat your same old boring story? Seriously, Ridor, you've written this same thing dozens of times last season and it's the same old sorry story again. BTW, if you stopped watching uconn over 5 years ago, you really missed out because they missed the final four a few times during that period. Oh well, your loss.

[mmaniac]

It was amazing the beatdown that UCONN put on Notre Dame, they just seem to be in a class by themselves.

What sucked was after the game became such a blowout, Dick Vitale seemed to want to talk about the men and kept talking about them.

I don't have a problem with having Dick come in but concentrate on the game at hand. I'm glad he did defer to Doris, but jeez do your homework.

I know it must be tough to commentate on such a game, which was over so soon, but that's why you get paid the big bucks.

[ridor]

[ridor]

[ridor]

[ridor]

mmaniac: I'm deaf so please do clarify on why you feel the need to talk about broadcasters during the game? I never had the urge to complain about the announcers because I never perceive them to be in "my way". Hearing them often gets in your way of watching the game?

Do tell, thanks.

R-

[coffy73]

Just as the commentators said, the other teams in the league gotta work up to the level of a UConn or Tenn. It's up to them to make things interesting, not the top teams. If you want to compete and not get blown out, then do the work to keep scores close or to win. It's not Uconn's/Tenn's fault they're good. I love how Uconn keeps working from the beginning to the end, fighting over balls even when they're up by 30. That's what it takes. The ND guards talked a good game before the matchup, as stated by the commentators, but they didn't bring that to the court. Their problem, not uconn's.

[Queenie]

[SouthernFan]

What coach wouldn't want their team to succeed, or as you put it, "dominate the sport"? What's the point of playing the games?

[ridor]

Geno already dominated the sport at UConn -- winning 6 national championships and 3 undefeated seasons. What MORE does he wants?

R-

[singinerd54]

[singinerd54]

Oh, and shout out to Lorin Dixon for that block on Diggins!!!!!!!!!

[auntie]

[dtsnms]

[pilight]

[what the]

telecast nationally in australia / new zealand

_________________
never trust a skinny chef

[RedEqualsLuck]

Personally, i think the drive to excel is a not a worthwhile goal.

That's why I have no respect for people who win more than once. I mean, what on earth is the purpose? (And I'm this close to wondering why anyone should want to win at all)

People like Nera, Amanda, Bonnie, Babe, Annika, Pat, Rush, Wade, Hogg, Martina, Chrissie, USA Basketball, Cynthia Cooper, Mia, Steffi, Diana, FloJo, Kerri/Mistie are just selfish, self-motivated sh8ts.

Really, what are they thinking? They should just one and done their life. Back away so that others can achieve a measure of success against mediocre competition.

That is what competitive sports is about. Not about reaching up, but dropping down.

_________________
"When I first got up here, one student said basketball was 'a man’s game.' So I played him one-on-one, even though I was five or six months pregnant at the time. Let’s just say it hasn’t been a problem since."

Kelly Anderson, high school coach, boys

http://womensbasketballonline.com/history/wbbtimeline.html
*Honoring Women's Basketball from 1892 to the Present*

[ridor]

I see that some commentators has managed to micromanage the specific issues rather than to look at the big picture.

Since I have to clarify some points, I guess I have to explain each ...

pilight: Virginia already signed with Jazmin Pitts of Virginia. The main reason why UVa recruited not far from home is because many D1 schools has managed to snatch the top players in the state to Old Dominion, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and others.

But that is not the issue here. The one I provided which you capitalized on making an off-point comment is irrelevant. The drama associated with Elena Delle Donne & Maya Moore were not pleasant. It offers a small glimpse of what occurred behind the recruiting battles. I already explained more on my youtube video clip (which I won't caption for you folks, so go and learn ASL for all I care) on the differences between men's and women's recruiting battles.

dtsnms: Again, you're micromanaging this particular issue. Look at the big picture.

auntie: Interesting about Gail Goestonkors leaving over the "pay". I live not far from Durham. Never heard of that, though. Gail is very successful woman. And yet, I think she contributed many good things to the sport by moving on to Texas. Pat won't move on to another school -- Tennessee is her only home. As for Geno, he is capable of moving on to ... say ... Connecticut Sun? LOL. Or Savannah State.

singinerd54: Yes, it can apply to Candace Parker and Pat. But Pat is an icon of collegiate women's basketball sport. Geno won't be an icon. Let's face the reality, it is because he's man. They will recognize his contributions but he does *not* represent the sport. But that is not the issue here.

I already met the casual fans and devoted fans of the sport, they said they are sick of UConn dominating the sport year in and out. They felt that they hindered the parity and all that. I agreed. And it reflects on the failure of sell-out in St. Louis. You can dispute and deny this. The fact remains the same: St. Louis was never sold out and it will be noted in the historical records, like it or not.

Let me repeat the question: What more does Geno wants out of this sport? A complete domination and annihilation of the competition?

R-

[mikeyc22]

Your case of sour grapes is just hysterical. Gameday was a blast, the crowed was excellent, and the players loved every second of it. It was one of the most fun days I have ever had.

[pilight]

[Queenie]

[ridor]

mikeyc22: Just expect an influx of motorized scooters and walkers at Gampel Pavilion since the GameDay has exposed that UConn continues to dominate the opponents, I don't think younger people, especially with its UConn student body, would return in significant numbers.

pilight: Again, you continue to miss the big picture. Micromanage if you must.

R-

[mikeyc22]

[ridor]

Nope, hadn't watched a UConn game int he last 5 yrs. I knew of more motorized scooters & walkers because UConn fans did complain about it earlier. Not only that, it is very prevalent among the CWB teams.

R-

[dtsnms]

[dtsnms]

John Altavilla (indirectly) replies to Ridor:

[ridor]

Anything that comes out of Connecticut does not reflect the true collectivism of the collegiate women's basketball.

John Altavista is pro-UConn and you expect me to take his words as absolute truth? Yeah, right.

Not.

R-

[dtsnms]

[RedEqualsLuck]

[ThreeBall25]

Well, I see someone came out of the woodwork to ruin the thread on one of the biggest days in WCBB history.

[ridor]

Biggest day in the history of CWBB?

Please.

R-

[ChipperF1]

This is one fan who is not "bored" by UConn. I'm inspired by them, and I hope my team can earn an opportunity to play them should we make the NCAA draw, which is looking really good right now at 16-0 after beating Baylor Sunday/ The day excellence becomes boring is the day we need to stop playing the games.

I think the #1 problem with all the hand-wringing about UConn's dominance is so many fans dislike UConn more than they like their own team. I like the game and I enjoy watching my team play. I enjoyed watching my Huskers play even through a lot of losing seasons.
If you place your enjoyment level solely on their chances for a national championship, you will never enjoy the game much.

Now I do disagree with John Altavilla in two areas. Not every program has the same access to the same players. The better teams will always get first dibs on the top talents coming out of high school. That's just how it is. To think that Nebraska has the same access that UConn or Tennessee, or Baylor or Oklahoma have to the highest ranking recruits is a fantasy. Those kids aren't giving my team a look yet, maybe if this season continues to be the joyride its been it will be the beginning of something.

And one thing that Altavilla forgets, although I understand his premise, is that getting to the level that UConn occupies is not easy to build to start with, let alone maintain. It took UConn ten years to do it and the landscape is much more competitive across the country now. I think what you see with UConn is a very special collection of players who just have that total package. , but even this collection had to learn to win. Remember, before last season, UConn hadn't won a national championship in 5 years. Before Candace Parker led Tennessee in '07 and '08, Tennessee's last national title was in 1998. In that same time a lot of programs have become competitive. I look at the Big 12. When Sherri Coale was hired OU was the worst team in the league, 6 years later they were in the Final Four. When Kim Mulkey was hired, Baylor was the worst team in the league. Fast forward five years, they are national champs. When Gary Blair was hired Texas A&M was a mess. They've been a Top 10 caliber team each of the last three years. When Connie Yori was hired, Nebraska could have been best wrapped in toilet paper. With the exception of a 20-loss first year, they've made the postseason each year since.

The only thing that will make women's basketball "more competitive" at the college level (I put that in quotes because I feel in many ways this game has a greater level of parity now than it ever has), is
continuing development of a greater number of young female basketball players. More little girls are picking up basketballs nationwide. I look at the rec leagues and school leagues and the girls clubs and I find that the number of teams fielded grow every year. More kids are playing and getting higher-level coaching and instruction. More potential talents are coming to the spotlight. UConn, Tennessee, Stanford can't get them all. The more high-level players being developed, the wider the talent pool. The wider the talent pool the more potential teams that will tap into it.



[/b]

_________________
US Soccer 2010 -- Don't Tread On Us!

[RedEqualsLuck]

[ridor]

RedEqualsLuck: I think I rest my case. When I stand by my comments and proved my points regarding the UConn mess. People like you would claim that I'm sad, bitter and all that words.

And yet, you never meet me in person. Unlike you, I never accused you of being bitter when you disagreed with someone else on a volatile matter. Yet, you had the license to go around and accuse me of these juvenile insults?

Oh, by the way, I used to dislike Pat Summitt but I have enormous respect for her. After seeing the way she interacts with Coach Ryan recently in Charlottesville, she gained my full support in her success. Which I cannot say the same thing for Geno.

ChipperF1: I know you. You talk too much. And you work for ESPN. Hence your points are, sorry to say, irrelevant. Nothing has changed in the last 10 years about you - you still root for UConn and Huskers. You are optimistic, I'll give you on that. Your claims about the continuing development of these girls at younger age is amusing and that the talents would spread all over. That's what you said many years ago. And so far, the talent has not changed that much.

You're being ridiculous. I chose not to read your comments much farther, though. As for Big 12 teams, it all boils down to spread the talents a little among the Big 12 teams and it worked a little. But not many of them returned to Final Four except for Oklahoma.

The reality is that your optimism is nice, but UConn's antics crushed all of that.

dtnms: I care not to answer your questions since you did not answer mine.

R-

[dtsnms]

[ChipperF1]

I've known Ridor for more than a decade. He's a jealous-hearted croan and he always will be.

If Virginia was the team on top, you wouldn't whine so much.

_________________
US Soccer 2010 -- Don't Tread On Us!

[Queenie]

[ThreeBall25]

[ChipperF1]

[cujo]

Gotta add to your post Chipper...although TV analysts were limited Doris and DickieV, you could interact with Mechelle, Charlie, Rebecca and others online during the game by logging on to ESPN. If that has always been available, I have been unaware but it was great to share opinions, toss questions and interact - albeit from cyberspace - with the journalistic icons of this sport.
Made for a special day for me!

[ridor]

You claim to know me for a decade? You do not know me at all. We briefly met only once before. And we rarely talk to each other in the last 10 years. Do us all a favor. Don't lie.

R-

[Queenie]

[ridor]

ThreeBall: Just tell us about the rating that occurred last Saturday. My bet? Very few people tuned in to watch the game. Not only that, I'd vouch that an influx of motorized scooters and walkers will grow this time around.

Chipper Please do not lie about knowing me for more than a decade. The last time I chatted with you was more than 10 years ago, we fell out of touch because I find you uninterested, to say the least.

That does not make me "angry", "bitter", or whatever you want to insert. It is absurd.

dtsnms: Actually, you got it all wrong. Ryan did not bask in glow for sending him off. The truth is that Ryan was glad to get rid of him. I know because I was there at that time. The oldtimers told me that as assistant coach, he was not able to shut up. She was more than happy to send him off. I was impressed with the way Pat and Debbie interacted recently. Unlike in the past, both coaches were pretty bitter towards each other. They matured. That is the nature of the game. Geno still has a big grudge against Pat -- hence is my problem here -- last spring, when they won the national championship and held a small parade in Hartford, what did Geno do? Took a swipe at Tennessee and Pat. Classy, not.

Again, you did not answer my question -- therefore I'm not going to answer your question. I said: What more does Geno wants out of this sport? Just fucking answer this question.

R-