It's come down to this for the Lady Vols

[toadfoot]

At this rate they will not make the tournament. They are presently 9th in the SEC.

At the beginning of conference play I predicted that UT would finish 18-11 or 17-12 overall and 9-7 or 8-8 in conference. I think that's looking more likely all the time, but sadly, it won't be dismal enough to keep them from the tournament, especially when you look at UT's current #13 ranking on the NCAA RPI.

Not to digress, but do the people responsible for the NCAA RPI ranking even watch basketball? You'd think somebody who's actually watched some games would look at the ranking and ask themselves, "what's wrong with our analysis that we could produce an RPI so seemingly out of whack with reality"?

 

[cbraarj]

TENNESSEE IS NOT A TOP 25 TEAM ANYMORE.SUMMIT IS GONE AND THE TEAM IS JUST HANGING ON PATS COATTAILS.IF THEY AREIN THIS WEEKS POLLS THEN THE POLLS ARE FIXED!

 

[Huskies Rule]

No, we're angry, outraged, insulted, mortified for Maya, Mayas mom, Sue and Diana, indignant, resentful, furious, annoyed and affronted. Any or all of the above. I hope the Tin Foil Hat Brigade, especially the Captain, are living in misery because of their team.

With the happiness and unparalleled success she has achieved in her life, our magnificent Maya has gotten the last laugh, in spades.

 

[stamfordhusky]

But more importantly, wouldn't we all like to see the day when UT is #1 or 2 with UCONN and we beat them for the championship again. And again. And again? That is my dream, and it's all for the betterment of the sport. And of course the kind of satisfaction in crushing UT that can't be had any other way.

Not at all. I'd like to see the day when Tennessee is #201 or 202 and they consistently lose in the first round of the SEC tournament every year.

 

[Hongster]

I enjoy a UT loss as much as a Uconn win.

 

[Shenandoah]

I'd like to see UConn meet TN in the second round of the tournament. A 45-point demolition would suit me just fine. Say, 93-48.

With a Stewie slam, after which she runs back up the court, and points to Maya and her Mom...

 

[Shenandoah]

 

[Zorro]

Very good get, Shenandoah! That is one of the all-time classic rants. Meanwhile, over on VN, there is growing speculation that Holly's lack of success, especially in recruiting, may be due, at least in part, to her "lifestyle" (or sometimes "life style"}, and yes, that is exactly what they mean. And this is the "moderate" UT fanboard! What may be going on over on Maria's board one can only imagine! If recruits and their parents and advisers read fan boards, and I am sure that they do, a quick read through the posts on VN ought to dispel any notion any of them may have had about "coming to UT and helping to restore the program to greatness". It is truly, as Nan observed the other day, a hot mess, and getting worse all the time.

On a more amusing note, several posters over yonder have started hoping NOT to make the dance, because of the probable embarrassment of getting massacred on the national stage. One poster mentioned what a bummer it would be to get to the dance and be wiped out by Ball State, to which another replied, correctly, that if they get to the dance they will BE Ball State! (If any relatively new BYers don't understand the allusion, I am sure that someone will be happy to elucidate.)

 

[UcMiami]

I tend to agree with the OP. I am old enough to remember men’s basketball from the era before the players so completely outgrew the dimensions of the court, when it was, frankly, a much more interesting and attractive game than it is today. It is for that very reason that I find the women’s game, and particularly the women’s college game, so appealing…in addition to which, as both parent and grandparent to folks of the female persuasion, I am heavily attracted to better gender distribution in amateur athletics.

Having said all that, any realist must confront the thin-ice environment upon which college athletics for women is based. Given that football is the only entity that floats the boat for virtually all AD’s budgets, there exist only a very limited number of programs that are willing to devote meaningful resources to WCBB and who demonstrate any ongoing commitment to achieving elite status. Additionally, the available talent pool, or the pool of athletically-inclined young women, is dwarfed by similar pools on the men’s side, one more reason why most women’s teams play in ¾ empty arenas. Therefore, any program that drops out of that elite category is a real blow to the game that we all love…even if it’s, God forbid, named Tennessee.

I well-understand the historical basis for all the Tenn-hatred that exists on our Board, though, frankly, in my eyes, it’s just a reflection of a now bygone era that no longer merits the energy that some devote to it…but that’s just me. Much more fun, in my opinion, to now hate ND! But I don’t think we can realistically hope, in today’s fiscal environment, for the emergence of dozens of women’s programs that will commit sufficiently to WCBB, or to women’s athletics in general, to have the same kinds of intense regional rivalries and packed arenas that we see in the men’s game. UCLA, in the post-Wooden era, could suffer a decline, but a MULTITUDE of other programs were out there to pick up the slack. I think that the most we can realistically hope for is the continued existence of a more limited number of national-profile women’s programs that, if only by tradition alone, will not abandon the commitment to women they have made. U Tenn is one of those, and so I agree that what we’ve witnessed really does qualify as a blow to our fragile game.

Very nice -
I'll just demur a little on your middle paragraph - I am pleasantly surprised at the number of schools that have stepped up over the past 15 years and devoted serious resources to WCBB. While FB and MCBB carry the can in terms of financial resources, WCBB has become sort of a showcase sport for a lot of schools - it may just be an affirmative action kind of move so they can point and say 'see we take this stuff seriously', but whatever works - it is real. Coaching salaries have exploded - not FB or MBB wise, but the number of WCBB coaches who have total deals over $1M, and more particularly over $500K is a significant indication of that reality. Seeing one school drop is not good, but it isn't what it would have been 20 years ago.

 

[Bayareahusky]

No, we're angry, outraged, insulted, mortified for Maya, Mayas mom, Sue and Diana, indignant, resentful, furious, annoyed and affronted. Any or all of the above. I hope the Tin Foil Hat Brigade, especially the Captain, are living in misery because of their team.

Late with my comment, but wow, this is bang on..... The noise from the south has always pointed fingers at others..... and offered explanations for happenings which have been anything other than what they are..... Injuries, the refs, etc for the micro, ..... Maya situation, Wendy's, other allegations, etc.... for the macro..... Pat was an angel who was not capable of doing anything wrong.... Geno is many things, including things which would not be tolerated or printed on this board if we said the same about anyone at Tenn.

I had not liked at all some of Pat's maneuvers, though I never said a mean spirited thing about her..... Holly's lifestyle, what does that have to do with anything? ... and she, by all accounts is an upstanding citizen and a good person.....

The 2 things i would say, one being a subset of the other, are.... Tennessee's situation it finds itself in now is 100% due to the choice it made for it's head coach following Holly.... Holly looks like a lost soul out there coaching..... it seems she doesn't know what to do.... and it is so, so obvious. And I have said that from day 1, though I have tried to be polite.... Robin could not have taken over for Batman. He had a different skill set.....

And related to this...... the fallout is on the players, and they are the ones I do have compassion for..... one assumes when one choose to play for the Lady Vols..... there is a modicum of panache..... prestige at playing for a storied program..... a future WNBA career?..... a good coaching staff to get you there ..... but it is.....at least now a false floor..... I feel badly for them, for they have poor guidance.....

And I also wonder whether Diamond is at all a positive force for the LVs..... low shooting percentage.. attitude which is perhaps poor, at least indifferent .... going from body language..... low assists (shocker) and high turnover rate..... if take her points and net out the turnovers and lost opportunities, how good is she..... I see a reprise of Meghan Simmons.....

 

[Bigpetunia]

Lots of interesting commentary here. All I can add is how much I wish, especially after watching that Birth of a Dynasty production, that we UConn fans had more current reason to hate Tenn than we now do. Reliving all the excitement surrounding that famous MLK day game, and respecting Pat's willingness to rise to the challenge it presented, I positively long for a resumption not only of the rivalry, including a return of Tenn to prominence, and, yes, of all the requisite hatred and trash talk that would inevitably go with it. The game would profit greatly from such a contingency...now looking less likely than ever to be repeated. It really is better for Tenn to be part of the national equation than to fall off a cliff as it surely has. I'd get way more satisfaction from beating them in a nail-biter if our teams were ranked #1 and #2 than clobbering them, as we now would, by thirty-five in a sweet sixteen game. But, as I say, that's just me.

 

[CL82]

Karma.

Disagree. Schadenfreude about a rival, even one who has faded into irrelevancy, is an express exemption to the Karma rules.

 

[trb123]

The game would profit greatly from such a contingency...now looking less likely than ever to be repeated. It really is better for Tenn to be part of the national equation than to fall off a cliff as it surely has.

The choice is yours. A public apology is necessary and Holly scoffed at it. I see little demand among the Vol Nationals for the series to continue once Geno laid down the conditions. Also there appears to be a good deal of indirectly expressed relief that the series has been terminated. The Empire has no stomach for a 50 point loss.

You also have used the word "contingency" where none exists from where I stand. NCAAW basketball is doing better with SCAR, ND, Maryland, Baylor, Texas and others as our rivals.

 

[CL82]

Lots of interesting commentary here. All I can add is how much I wish, especially after watching that Birth of a Dynasty production, that we UConn fans had more current reason to hate Tenn than we now do. Reliving all the excitement surrounding that famous MLK day game, and respecting Pat's willingness to rise to the challenge it presented, I positively long for a resumption not only of the rivalry, including a return of Tenn to prominence, and, yes, of all the requisite hatred and trash talk that would inevitably go with it. The game would profit greatly from such a contingency...now looking less likely than ever to be repeated. It really is better for Tenn to be part of the national equation than to fall off a cliff as it surely has. I'd get way more satisfaction from beating them in a nail-biter if our teams were ranked #1 and #2 than clobbering them, as we now would, by thirty-five in a sweet sixteen game. But, as I say, that's just me.

I feel you, but here's the thing, life moves in one direction - forward. I enjoyed the UConn Tennessee rivalry back in the day, but there is no going back. The energy surrounding those games as we took on the big dog and supplanted them was due to the newness and the uncertainty. That's just not the case anymore. We continued to improve and Tennessee has regressed.

I love a good rivalry game, but Tennessee just isn't it anymore. Right now, that's probably ND, but we'll see how the SC game goes. I have to say that even my outrage over the dirty tricks and false allegations has long faded. Tennessee just really doesn't matter anymore. It is what it is.

 

[Bayareahusky]

yes the CT UT rivalry was incredible for WCBB..... better than anyone could have imagined.... but even the most successful and storied rivalries need to be maintained and nurtured, if you will...... in this case, the whole thing was spit on..... the need for it to return is nil, other rivalries take its place as it has been noted in this thread...... only entity that needs it is ESPN

 

[EricLA]

Not at all. I'd like to see the day when Tennessee is #201 or 202 and they consistently lose in the first round of the SEC tournament every year.

If I could, I'd "like" this post 100 times...!

 

[EricLA]

Very nice - I'll just demur a little on your middle paragraph - I am pleasantly surprised at the number of schools that have stepped up over the past 15 years and devoted serious resources to WCBB. While FB and MCBB carry the can in terms of financial resources, WCBB has become sort of a showcase sport for a lot of schools - it may just be an affirmative action kind of move so they can point and say 'see we take this stuff seriously', but whatever works - it is real. Coaching salaries have exploded - not FB or MBB wise, but the number of WCBB coaches who have total deals over $1M, and more particularly over $500K is a significant indication of that reality. Seeing one school drop is not good, but it isn't what it would have been 20 years ago.

What schools? I'm not disagreeing with you at all - I think it's terrific, I just honestly don't know what schools have devoted serious resources... thanks!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Geno is many things, including things which would not be tolerated or printed on this board if we said the same about anyone at Tenn.

See, that's the kind of insinuation crap you "folks" always pull. Sell it somewhere else.

 

[CL82]

See, that's the kind of insinuation crap you "folks" always pull. Sell it somewhere else.

Same old, same old:

 

[jsloanjr]

Its so sad to watch them play....

 

[HuskyNan]

See, that's the kind of insinuation crap you "folks" always pull. Sell it somewhere else.

I think bayareahusky made an awkward statement that came out wrong. He was saying that if we said the same stuff about someone at Tennessee here on the Boneyard that they were saying about Geno on the Summitt, it wouldn't be tolerated. I think. It would be atypical of him to dis Geno.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think bayareahusky made an awkward statement that came out wrong. He was saying that if we said the same stuff about someone at Tennessee here on the Boneyard that they were saying about Geno on the Summitt, it wouldn't be tolerated. I think. It would be very atypical of him to dis Geno.

Well, I'm prepared to accept that, but it sure reads like I read it.

 

[Carnac]

Couldn't agree more with Eric. Until all of the Tennessee personnel (Holly was there in 2007) who were connected with the shameful campaign to destroy UConn are gone from Knoxville I'll rejoice each and every time they lose a game...although an evil part of me hopes they momentarily right the ship, make it to the dance, and then get schooled by Geno on national television...again. With Maya and her mom in the stands.

With Maya and her mom sitting in FRONT ROW seats, right behind the UConn bench; as the TV cameras cut away to them about 50 times during the telecast. A postgame interview with Maya and Mom (after interviews w/ Geno and whoever was the player of the game) would be "must see" TV, and a nice way to conclude a broadcast. THAT would be an interview UConn Nation would want to see. That reminds me of an old standard sung by Tony Bennett.

The song is: "I wanna be around".
One of the lines is "and that's when I'll discover that revenge is sweet,
As I sit there applaudin' from a front-row seat. When somebody breaks your heart, Like you, like you broke mine .

I can't begin to imagine the emotions that would consume Maya and Mom if this scenario were to happen. I'm starting to choke up just thinking about it. As we all know, revenge is a dish best served cold. We can only wish.

 

[Bayareahusky]

See, that's the kind of insinuation crap you "folks" always pull. Sell it somewhere else.

Oh sorry my friend.... no insinuation..... i could cite recent examples verbatim, but this forum does not allow it..... apparently though you are a Vols fan you do not visit the forums.....

 

[~*Jen*~]

How about in the 1st round with Tenn as a 16 seed?!!

I've been saying that for years. Maybe this is the year!