Geno's Shocking Statement About Olympic Gold

[RockyMTblue2]

"When asked which was more difficult, winning a national championship or a gold medal, Auriemma shook his head as if there was no comparison.

“Oh hell yeah, winning a gold medal,” he said. “This is way harder than anything I’ve ever done at UConn. Way harder.”

Taurasi: ‘Underdog’ approach powers 24-year streak | Cronkite News

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players. Am I off base?

 

[j66kicker]

"When asked which was more difficult, winning a national championship or a gold medal, Auriemma shook his head as if there was no comparison.

“Oh hell yeah, winning a gold medal,” he said. “This is way harder than anything I’ve ever done at UConn. Way harder.”

Taurasi: ‘Underdog’ approach powers 24-year streak | Cronkite News

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players. Am I off base?

I didn't read it as a diss. Maybe more the pressure to win combined with the lack of prep time with the team.

More DT:

“I think that’s why this run has been so special because we’ve never relaxed, we’ve never disrespected an opponent. There’s that edge every time we step on the court.”

She credits Team USA head coach Geno Auriemma for molding a strong team made up of women more used to being adversaries on the court during WNBA play.

“The last thing you want to do is one guy take 20 shots a game [listen up Candace.....and DD]. That’s not the way we’re built and that’s not the way coach wants us to play,” she said. “We want to be a team that moves the ball, that is unguardable, unscoutable, that when you watch us play, you don’t know what we’re doing.”

After a chuckle, she continued, “because half the time, we don’t know what we’re doing.”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Here's another good read drawing a parallel between US women's dominance and UConn's. More of the same: U.S. women continue dominance

"Like his UConn teams, Auriemma is giving this team freedom within structure, the ability to make decisions on the floor without having to look to the bench for guidance -- a trust and respect earned that at both the collegiate and pro levels, and that cuts both ways."

Some neat embedded videos too. Then, of course, he answers the greatest player question!!!

 

[Gus Mahler]

I didn't read it as a diss. Maybe more the pressure to win combined with the lack of prep time with the team.

I agree. That's the way I'm taking it. Pressure, time, and galaxy-class superstars with big egos.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Yes, Rocky, old buddy, I think you are off base. Geno has 12 people with limited practices and training together to make a run to a gold medal. At UConn he has the same team for a year to work towards an NCAA championship.

At UConn, if UCWBB loses, the state goes into a faint. If USA basketball loses, the whole country is irate. He has much less control over his team and his outcome in Rio than he does in Storrs.

And the pressure of being a naturalized citizen in charge of this large endeavor might be pressure enough without all the rest of it.

Go Geno!!

 

[UcMiami]

No disrespect to his Uconn career, just the fact that he is representing a whole country with all the responsibility and pressure that brings, and the fact that you get one chance every four years. Uconn has had two undefeated years in a row, the USA team is running on a twenty year undefeated (Olympic) streak.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

If you ask me, this is classic Geno-being-Geno; take the focus off of your players so that they can relax, but put a bug in their ear at the same time.

Next he'll tell Taurasi "No, you can't win the Gold at your age."

 

[MilfordHusky]

If you ask me, this is classic Geno-being-Geno; take the focus off of your players so that they can relax, but put a bug in their ear at the same time.

Next he'll tell Taurasi "No, you can't win the Gold at your age."

That's what Geno will tell Dee about 2020.

 

[Milfordfan]

I cannot guess what Geno meant when he said "We live in that Trumpian era where it’s okay to be sexist and degrade people that are good, just because they’re the opposite sex. " Who was degrading anyone?

 

[BobbyJ]

"When asked which was more difficult, winning a national championship or a gold medal, Auriemma shook his head as if there was no comparison.

“Oh hell yeah, winning a gold medal,” he said. “This is way harder than anything I’ve ever done at UConn. Way harder.”

Taurasi: ‘Underdog’ approach powers 24-year streak | Cronkite News

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players. Am I off base?

Yeah, almost as hard as shooting fish in a barrel. Somebody check his meds.

 

[CL82]

Here's another good read drawing a parallel between US women's dominance and UConn's. More of the same: U.S. women continue dominance

"Like his UConn teams, Auriemma is giving this team freedom within structure, the ability to make decisions on the floor without having to look to the bench for guidance -- a trust and respect earned that at both the collegiate and pro levels, and that cuts both ways."

Some neat embedded videos too. Then, of course, he answers the greatest player question!!!

Good article. I like this analogy:

"I always equate basketball, at this level, with this many good players, (it's) like, when you've got a great jazz band," Auriemma said. "And you've got four guys in the band, let's say. And all four of those guys can be great on their own. And I love jazz. You go to a concert. And all four of those guys, if you close your eyes, they sound seamless. And then all of a sudden, one guy is highlighted. And then, it's seamless. And then another guy is highlighted. And then it's seamless. But one guy doesn't step out there and do his thing, and to hell with the other guys. And I think that's what great basketball should be like."​

 

[Vowelguy]

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players.

Yes I'm sure that's exactly what Geno did. He has a long history of insulting UConn and all his players.

 

[mdakota]

"When asked which was more difficult, winning a national championship or a gold medal, Auriemma shook his head as if there was no comparison.

“Oh hell yeah, winning a gold medal,” he said. “This is way harder than anything I’ve ever done at UConn. Way harder.”

Taurasi: ‘Underdog’ approach powers 24-year streak | Cronkite News

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players. Am I off base?

It's harder because he doesn't have the time with the National Team players that he has with Uconn. Prep time is 2 weeks vs 2 months with his Uconn players. Why would he diss his players at UConn?? lol

 

[Nuyoika]

Winning a Gold medal should be harder. Think about it you get what 3 weeks maybe to throw a bunch of players together and make them cohesive? Then play in typically a foreign country under a different set of rule with a completely different staff and refs that likely don't even know what basketball is.

At UConn he gets to coach kids he and his staff all liked and wanted to coach. He is with a set of staff he has worked with for years. CD has been there what 30 years? They have more control over the type of training the players are doing and the overall expectations. Also, and probably the most important part... the formula for winning @ UConn in already sealed in a jar and labeled "BLEED BLUE" locked up in some safe somewhere in Geno's office.

So yeah it is probably much harder. I would suspect anything is harder when you are only asked to do it under those circumstances over a 30 day period once every 4 years. Lord help whoever is going to be the next USA Women's Basketball coach. I'm not sure Gold is guaranteed in 2020.

 

[Sargassoc]

I cannot guess what Geno meant when he said "We live in that Trumpian era where it’s okay to be sexist and degrade people that are good, just because they’re the opposite sex. " Who was degrading anyone?

That appeared to be a response to the early criticism of the sexist coverage and comments concerning women athletes in Rio.

 

[Waquoit]

I somehow feel like Geno just dissed his UConn career and his players. Am I off base?

Way off base. I can't find a diss there, even when I squint.

 

[easttexastrash]

There is certainly a lot more weight on his shoulders with USA Basketball. You don't get another chance next year if you lose in the elimination round. And the entire world would be elated if the US were to lose, not just a small percentage of US citizens who happen to follow WCBB.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Way off base. I can't find a diss there, even when I squint.

I was just trying to stir up some action. I also think it is a statement made to emphasize to his "dream team" that the had to keep their intensity up. He has been known to use strategic hyperbole. Even if this is very hard I don't see him going to the hospital after the gold metal ceremony.

 

[bleeckerhusky]

Here's another good read drawing a parallel between US women's dominance and UConn's. More of the same: U.S. women continue dominance

"Like his UConn teams, Auriemma is giving this team freedom within structure, the ability to make decisions on the floor without having to look to the bench for guidance -- a trust and respect earned that at both the collegiate and pro levels, and that cuts both ways."

Some neat embedded videos too. Then, of course, he answers the greatest player question!!!

Just a small error in the article, which I'm sure that every UConn fan noticed. Geno's 11 NCs are one more than John Wooden's 10 at UCLA.

 

[easttexastrash]

Just a small error in the article, which I'm sure that every UConn fan noticed. Geno's 11 NCs are one more than John Wooden's 10 at UCLA.

But who's counting?

 

[donalddoowop]

No disrespect to his Uconn career, just the fact that he is representing a whole country with all the responsibility and pressure that brings, and the fact that you get one chance every four years. Uconn has had two undefeated years in a row, the USA team is running on a twenty year undefeated (Olympic) streak.

Uconn has not had two undefeated years in a row. They lost one game in the 2014/2015 season to ND.

 

[j66kicker]

Uconn has not had two undefeated years in a row. They lost one game in the 2014/2015 season to ND.

Whaaaaa??? I might believe Stanford, but not ND

 

[sarals24]

Bite your tongue! UConn hasn't lost to ND since 2013.

 

[alexrgct]

I'd say winning either the 2003 OR 2004 CBB NC alone would've been more difficult than winning an Olympic Gold at the helm of his WNBA all-star team...

 

[UcMiami]

Uconn has not had two undefeated years in a row. They lost one game in the 2014/2015 season to ND.

2009 - 39-0/2010 - 39-0