Locked on WBB: Interview with Debbie Antonelli | The Boneyard

Locked on WBB: Interview with Debbie Antonelli

Status
Not open for further replies.

BRS24

LisaG
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
3,411
Reaction Score
20,670
Ok, help me understand the vitriol towards Debbie Antonelli? What did I miss?
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Messages
206
Reaction Score
802
Ok, help me understand the vitriol towards Debbie Antonelli? What did I miss?
She is not a fan of UConn and most likely a misandrist or at least IMHO doesn't like a man (no one in particular of course) dominating women's basketball. She used to be a terrible homer for the SEC and ACC but seems to be mellowing on that.
 

Plebe

La verdad no peca pero incomoda
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Messages
19,373
Reaction Score
69,542
She is not a fan of UConn and most likely a misandrist or at least IMHO doesn't like a man (no one in particular of course) dominating women's basketball. She used to be a terrible homer for the SEC and ACC but seems to be mellowing on that.

I don't agree with this, or at least I don't see the evidence of this. She went out of her way in recent in-game commentary to say that UConn has in fact been *good* for the game. She also pays Geno a compliment in the podcast interview with Megdal.

If the evidence is that she's listing UConn 3rd on her AP top 25 ballot, I say meh.
 
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
5,687
Reaction Score
15,154
Why Las Vegas? Am I missing some huge women's basketball contingent in Sin City? Are we sure Debbie just doesn't want a weekend at the black jack tables? Having the Sweet 16 in Las Vegas every year seems as ill advised as having the Final Four in Indianapolis and New Orleans every other year.
 

HuskyFan1125

"Dont be the same, be better"
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
5,820
Reaction Score
10,405
I think Debbie Antonelli is great. She is a very Insightful broadcaster. I enjoy her calling games.

Her putting UCONN at 3?? It's her opinion and to me no way undervalues what she brings to the women's game with her passion and fortitude I've only heard say positive things about UCONN and Geno. In fact she has called out other coaches for not bringing their teams to the UCONN level. She also calls out players for missing easy shots. I've met her a couple times at the final four. Very gracious and talks up the women's game.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Messages
206
Reaction Score
802
I don't agree with this, or at least I don't see the evidence of this. She went out of her way in recent in-game commentary to say that UConn has in fact been *good* for the game. She also pays Geno a compliment in the podcast interview with Megdal.

If the evidence is that she's listing UConn 3rd on her AP top 25 ballot, I say meh.
Have you heard her over the last 10-12 years ??
 

Plebe

La verdad no peca pero incomoda
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Messages
19,373
Reaction Score
69,542
Have you heard her over the last 10-12 years ??

Perhaps you can enlighten me, with quotes of things she's actually said, since I am obviously in the dark.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Messages
206
Reaction Score
802
Perhaps you can enlighten me, with quotes of things she's actually said, since I am obviously in the dark.
As with Nuyoika, I don't commit her drivel to memory but as UConn led the emergence of the old Big East into the preeminent conference, she took every opportunity to denigrate the BE and talk about what a great conference the SEC was, not proven to be so at the end of the year through the tourney results. More recently she jumped on the ACC bandwagon - what is UConn's record vs. the ACC ?? Have they lost to them since Marion Jones made her jumper in 1994 ?
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2015
Messages
2,596
Reaction Score
6,342
It is like 33 - 0. I think the last loss was against North Carolina in 2006.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
860
Reaction Score
1,957
If the evidence is that she's listing UConn 3rd on her AP top 25 ballot, I say meh.

What is she talking about?
That the UCONN fans are sourgraping. If they want her to seed UCONN at #2 - fine, go beat Notre Dame. Then she would put MD at #1 and Uconn at #2. End of story.
 

Monte

Count of Monte UConn
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
2,044
Reaction Score
6,444
She is not a fan of UConn and most likely a misandrist or at least IMHO doesn't like a man (no one in particular of course) dominating women's basketball. She used to be a terrible homer for the SEC and ACC but seems to be mellowing on that.
She still is, but has mellowed some because she covers the SEC for ESPN.
 

MilfordHusky

Voice of Reason
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
36,660
Reaction Score
122,393
Debbie seems smart and has some interesting ideas, but I find her voice rather annoying.
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
6,461
Reaction Score
15,655
Ok, help me understand the vitriol towards Debbie Antonelli? What did I miss?

I'm not a hater of her-- I don't dislike her but IMO I can see sometimes the frustration. But all in all not a big deal. Mostly because we've been winning so much I suppose.

1-- But for example she is pro-ACC. It's where she came form. So even though she says nice things about UCONN- we want our conference built up. When you have an openly ACC-slant broadcaster - it's not the best thing for non-ACC fans. Our conference is looking for respect. She's not going to give it. Which leads to point 2--

2-- Last year's UCONN team was arguably the best wcbb team ever. Instead of giving UCONN's team their "due" which Debbie was always positive in regards to UCONN - she did say / predict that USF would beat them once. What????????????????????
2a-- Okay -- throw that aside she made a simple prediction and could have looked like a hero if she was right and nobody remembers it if she is wrong.
2b--This year she says after games in December and the one game vs USC- there is nobody else that will challenge them. -- So last year according to her UCONN - one of the best ever- was going to LOSE according to her to USF -- and this year's team - nobody has a shot to beat them at all in the conference? Not at all vs LAST YEAR's team?

It sort of tells you in way that a.) She didn't think last year's UCONN team was that great if she expected a team like USF to beat UCONN (mind you she didn't say "USF would be close in one game. She said "BEAT.") And b.) She has little respect for the AAC. Now that we'd like to see as many teams have a chance to get into the NCA's from our conference, she is openly saying "even though UCONN isn't the super-great team of the past, nobody in that conference has a prayer to beat them." c.) -- Soooo--- how often do you hear a broadcaster openly predict one of the super-great teams ever will lose to a 20-24 ranked team in their conference while the next year predict no one in that conference has a shot -- all-the-while you aren't even predicting that UCONN will go to the final four? d.) Add to the fact with her ACC-slant she is picking two ACC teams for the ff?

****I don't hate her nor dislike her. Overall above isn't that big of deal-- but this is only what I remember. Others may have other stories -- and then when you add up her entire "tone" - it's not necessarily favorable. I'm being "very nice" here. But if you add things up and keep in mind our conference is trying to make headway - she is not a friend. And for her to predict that UCONN would lose last year to USF, it's not that "anyone can be wrong", it's just that it was such an openly dumb prediction, you have to wonder what is she thinking? IS she incompetent or is there some other motive? It defies logic especially when you consider this year she doesn't have us as a ff team yet no one in our conference she thinks has a shot. That's okay but last year someone did?
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Messages
141
Reaction Score
585
I agree with a few of you...I can't give you specifics, there wasn't something super egregious that she said. But, despite the fact that she does say pro-UConn things sometimes, and sometimes actually knows what she's talking about, every now and then she'll say something really stupid and ruin all her good will. I really wish I could think of an example to illustrate it; otherwise we few just look like we're being haters. :D But for every good comment she still throws out zingers/putdowns.

On a related note, wasn't her "USF will get them once" comment part of a 'bold predictions for the season' thing, or something like that? Don't know that we can really hold that one against her, she answered an asked question. Haha. Unless I'm remembering that wrong; in that case, disregard.

More importantly, can't we all just be happy that she isn't Carolyn Peck? I will thank any god(dess) that will have me for that. :cool:
 

KnightBridgeAZ

Grand Canyon Knight
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
5,231
Reaction Score
8,727
I'm not a hater of her-- I don't dislike her but IMO I can see sometimes the frustration. But all in all not a big deal. Mostly because we've been winning so much I suppose.

1-- But for example she is pro-ACC. It's where she came form. So even though she says nice things about UCONN- we want our conference built up. When you have an openly ACC-slant broadcaster - it's not the best thing for non-ACC fans. Our conference is looking for respect. She's not going to give it.
Well - yes, she tends to be pro-ACC. She has also, at least until fairly recently, been primarily employed by them. Homer announcers can be very annoying, but they are really not all that uncommon. At least, the ACC is a fairly good conference, do you know how horrible it is to listen to someone pronouncing the excellence of the MVC or SoCon as compared to P5 conferences, both of which I have heard from "homer" announcers.

As to the AAC - as the old commercial said, you have to "earn it". I follow a lot of women's basketball (in general) and I don't question - and I don't think anyone does - that the American is a decent WBB conference, but, excluding UConn and maybe USF - there is some work to be done. I just checked the wins and losses by the top half of the conference so far this season, and it isn't really a pretty picture. Very few victories against good teams, and a few bleh losses.
 

Plebe

La verdad no peca pero incomoda
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Messages
19,373
Reaction Score
69,542
I mean, I get that she does a lot of rah-rah for the ACC. Understandable since (a) those are her roots (played at NC State under Kay Yow) and (b) that seems to be pretty much part of the job description for commentators of conference games.

I'm not gonna start her fan club or anything, but she's a passionate advocate for the game and she has bold (mostly offense-oriented) ideas for how to improve the product on the court and how to market that product. Sure, I get tired of all her catchphrases like "Shoot it till your arm falls off!" and "Get the ice bucket ready!" And sure, sometimes I get tired of her soapboxing or I completely disagree with her. (Last year in the ACC tournament she was saying that Georgia Tech should be in the conversation for an at-large bid; I was SMH thinking, "only if they expand the field to about 96 teams, then maybe.") But on the whole she is an intelligent, articulate observer of basketball and I appreciate her.
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2015
Messages
16,539
Reaction Score
64,695
What is she talking about?
That the UCONN fans are sourgraping. If they want her to seed UCONN at #2 - fine, go beat Notre Dame. Then she would put MD at #1 and Uconn at #2. End of story.
After beating MD, she will say Mississippi State is #1.
 

JordyG

Stake in my pocket, Vlad to see you
Joined
Jan 21, 2016
Messages
13,103
Reaction Score
54,870
She is not a fan of UConn and most likely a misandrist or at least IMHO doesn't like a man (no one in particular of course) dominating women's basketball. She used to be a terrible homer for the SEC and ACC but seems to be mellowing on that.
On! The! Button!
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
6,461
Reaction Score
15,655
Well - yes, she tends to be pro-ACC. She has also, at least until fairly recently, been primarily employed by them. Homer announcers can be very annoying, but they are really not all that uncommon. At least, the ACC is a fairly good conference, do you know how horrible it is to listen to someone pronouncing the excellence of the MVC or SoCon as compared to P5 conferences, both of which I have heard from "homer" announcers.

As to the AAC - as the old commercial said, you have to "earn it". I follow a lot of women's basketball (in general) and I don't question - and I don't think anyone does - that the American is a decent WBB conference, but, excluding UConn and maybe USF - there is some work to be done. I just checked the wins and losses by the top half of the conference so far this season, and it isn't really a pretty picture. Very few victories against good teams, and a few bleh losses.

You're right but nothing you said here differs from what I said previously does it in terms of the context why we UCONN fans might get aggravated with her? That was what I replied to.

For example the ACC is a good conference but she can be a homer so she can be annoying to non-Acc fans, right? SO I don't know why you repeated what I sort of said bekow in italics yet she did the opposite, right? As a fan I'm supposed to like her for that?

"But for example she is pro-ACC. It's where she came form. So even though she says nice things about UCONN- we want our conference built up."

As far as the conference having work to do, absolutely. But as a fan, how often is it spoken the way Debbie has? Nobody has a prayer basically to beat UCONN this year? Okay - if that is her opinion. But it is a knock on the conference, right or wrong it is a knock.

Secondly if you say this now, and I'm speaking this as a UCONN fan, why the hell wouldn't you have said it last year USF vs UCONN? Maybe us UCONN fans could have heard even more discussion how invincible we were. For a fan is that wrong? So maybe if homerism doesn't bother me, maybe competence does? Because as a UCONN fan, I'd like to think UCONN was one of the best ever. For you as an RU fan, you wouldn't care about such talk. But we have threads every year discussing best ever. It still boggles the mind why she predicted it.

Secondly, when Debbie last year made her prediction of USF, there was quite a bit of chatter on here I believe. Again all I was replying to was why we might not like her. I'm alright with her. Btu soemone asked for examples. I in no way can give them all beucase it's not a big deal for me. I just recognize some oddities from her and move on.
 
Last edited:

BigBird

Et In Hoc Signo Vinces
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Messages
3,849
Reaction Score
10,566
...At least, the ACC is a fairly good conference, do you know how horrible it is to listen to someone pronouncing the excellence of the MVC or SoCon as compared to P5 conferences, both of which I have heard from "homer announcers."

The MVC? Egads! I have watched quite a lot of MVC WBB over the years. Tell 'ya what: Give me a team composed of the four Huskies who play the fewest minutes, plus the student manager. With that team, I can beat anybody in the MVC. The best team in the MVC would get nuked by teams in the middle third of the Valley. And I am a proud alumnus of a MVC school. Just keeping it real. But yeah, Knight. I get what you're saying.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Online statistics

Members online
449
Guests online
3,540
Total visitors
3,989

Forum statistics

Threads
155,780
Messages
4,031,415
Members
9,864
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom