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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/01/17 6:25 am ::: News from Dallas |
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Dallas (AF) – Following one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the sport was rocked by a series of late night announcements that ESPN commentator Rebecca Lobo described as “a shocking whirlwind,” and that remade the landscape of the top tier of women’s college basketball.
The first surprise came from the University of Tennessee, which announced less than an hour after the conclusion of Friday’s Women’s Final Four games that head coach Holly Warlick, who had been coaching at Tennessee since 1985 and had been head coach since 2012, was retiring at the age of 58.
The shock of that news was eclipsed soon thereafter, however, when Tennessee released a second announcement that Warlick would be replaced by University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, who had lost his national semifinal game just hours earlier.
Following Tennessee’s initial announcement, Warlick told reporters that, five years after replacing Summitt, she was “just so tired. I mean, if you don’t live it, you have no idea. I don't know how Pat did it.” A source in the Tennessee athletic department said Warlick recently had seen the Fire Holly Warlick Facebook page and the Fire Holly Warlick change.org petition. “Holly “decided that was the last straw and she didn’t want to put up with that [stuff] any more.”
Auriemma, at a 3:00 a.m. press conference, told reporters that, after 11 championships at Connecticut, “I need a new challenge. Going to Tennessee definitely is a challenge, both for me and the fans there, not to mention that it looks like the SEC is a pretty good conference.” Asked if he had any specific concerns about the move, he said, “They better not make me wear anything orange. Diana likes to punch things that are orange.”
The coaching dominos continued to fall through the night, with Connecticut announcing that Auriemma would be replaced by George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, and George Washington replacing Rizzotti with Tonya Cardozo, head coach at Temple. Temple was rumored to be in negotiations with Connecticut assistant Shea Ralph, although neither the university nor Ralph would confirm the discussions.
Connecticut athletic director David Benedict said that Rizzotti was an obvious choice. “We had an understanding with Jen that when Geno left she could take the job. We didn’t expect it to happen this way, though.” George Washington’s athletic director Patrick Nero confirmed that Rizzotti’s contract contained a clause permitting her to leave without penalty to become head coach at Connecticut. “We had an understanding with Jen that when Geno left she could take the job. We didn’t expect it to happen this way, though.”
Sources at ESPN, while expressing bewilderment at the chain of events, were quick to note that the news added an air of excitement to Sunday night’s championship game. “Wow, what a story line,” ESPN analyst Doris Burke said. “Everyone will want to see how UConn’s players react – does it break them down or make them even more determined? I can hardly wait to see.” Reminded that Connecticut was not playing in the final, Burke responded “Well, I still don’t believe they lost.” Early in the morning, Lobo and commentator Kara Lawson were seen in intense discussion, each exclaiming several times “This can’t be happening!”
FINAL FOUR NOTES: The NCAA announced after Friday night’s games that the championship team would forego the traditional visit to the White House this year. “We viewed this as something like an HB2 situation, in which we couldn’t guarantee that the athletes would be treated with respect or that they wouldn’t experience inappropriate behavior if they went there,” NCAA President Mark Emmert explained. “We talked to all of the teams, and they agreed, particularly when we explained our alternative plan.” Instead of visiting the White House, NCAA sources said, the winners will meet with former President Obama in his new residence in the Kalorama section of Washington. “The players were quite enthusiastic about it,” the source said, “particularly after we told them that Michelle promised to be there.”
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cthskzfn
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 12851 Location: In a world where a PSYCHOpath like Trump isn't potus.
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Posted: 04/01/17 7:00 am ::: |
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As good as usual!
_________________ Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.
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taropatch
Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 814 Location: Kau Rubbish Dump
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Posted: 04/01/17 8:06 am ::: |
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People would read further, if you didn't have Geno as the replacement.
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Oldfandepot2
Joined: 05 Jul 2013 Posts: 996 Location: Northeast
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014 Posts: 3516
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Posted: 04/01/17 9:09 am ::: |
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It seems as credible as basketballologist's post that MSU and SC would be playing in the title game.
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18031 Location: Queens
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Posted: 04/01/17 10:15 am ::: |
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I'm imagining the Tennessee and Connecticut alumni networks doing a collective "This can't be happening!" "This can't be happening!" exchange.
Also, love the throwback to Taurasi and punching something orange.
_________________ Ardent believer in the separation of church and stadium.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8228 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/01/17 2:11 pm ::: |
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Sorry, but with unnecessary and inappropriate political attacks, your worst annual effort ever. |
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IllogicalVulcan
Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Brooklyn
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Posted: 04/01/17 2:55 pm ::: Re: News from Dallas |
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beknighted wrote: |
“Wow, what a story line,” ESPN analyst Doris Burke said. “Everyone will want to see how UConn’s players react – does it break them down or make them even more determined? I can hardly wait to see.” |
This is the sentence that made it Art.
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RedEqualsLuck
Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 4781
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Posted: 04/01/17 5:25 pm ::: |
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GlennMacGrady wrote: |
Sorry, but with unnecessary and inappropriate political attacks, your worst annual effort ever. |
lol. they're totally necessary and totally appropriate. you should read the news more, kiddo.
_________________ When Jefferson wrote: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," he didn't include the word "except."
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Ladyvol777
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 248
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Posted: 04/01/17 6:44 pm ::: |
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Did y'all hear where Mississippi State beat Uconn... hehehe
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/01/17 9:53 pm ::: |
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I hope everyone had fun with this.
As you might guess, there was some, ah, rewriting, late last night. I actually almost took out the Doris Burke line, then realized it had to stay. This paragraph, though, had to go:
Auriemma will not coach the final game. "We'll let Chris Dailey coach it," Benedict said. "She's earned it. It's kind of a Steve Fischer situation."
Glenn, I'm sorry if you didn't think the last paragraph was funny. I included it only because I thought it was, not because of the politics. There's certainly a shot at Trump, but there's also a dig at the NCAA and at Obama (that his wife is more popular than him). I thought the combination was what made it work, but YMMV.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/01/17 10:28 pm ::: |
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Also, the Fire Holly Warlick Facebook page and change.org petition are real. As of last night, the Facebook page had 93 likes, and the change.org petition had 22 signatures.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 66922 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 04/04/17 12:18 pm ::: |
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The politics are a miss because there's very little chance Trump will invite the champs to the White House in the first place
_________________ I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home
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StevenHW
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 10983 Location: Sacramento, California
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18031 Location: Queens
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