diggerfoot
Humanity Hiker
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2011
- Messages
- 1,566
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Greetings Boneyarders. I've been on a self-imposed hiatus. I police myself when I feel I start posting in a manner I would not say face-to-face. Beyond that, I'm dealing with some challenges that preoccupy my time 24/7. I figure that I would use this lull time before the tournament to get a number of posts out of the way, stored up while I was lurking, before my 24/7 gig probably will necessitate I go back to lurker mode. That gig, in fact, relates to the first topic I want to cover.
In the nineties and early millennium Pat Summitt was my favorite WCBB coach not in UConn blue. She would play anybody that was good, to her credit and our advantage for helping us break in as a national power. Then things changed.
In retrospect I believe the cause of that change was her impending Alzheimer's. Some recent research suggests that the first indicators considered for the disease should not be the memory problems that eventually surface, but the stress that often triggers them. Often wonder why such vibrant people succumb to the disease? It's because of their vibrancy, if they are too stressed in their pursuits.
Coaching with the passion Summitt had is stressful enough, particularly when some upstart threatens to usurp her throne. I believe that to be her tipping point. Her paranoid behavior in regards to us is consistent with an Alzheimer's patient's fear of losing control of their lives, particularly when they don't yet understand what is going on with them.
For that reason Summitt forever has a pass in my book. When she was normal she was the worthiest opposing coach we've ever faced. The paranoid Summitt that ended up dragging us through the mud was not that same coach and should be considered with compassion more than condemnation.
In the nineties and early millennium Pat Summitt was my favorite WCBB coach not in UConn blue. She would play anybody that was good, to her credit and our advantage for helping us break in as a national power. Then things changed.
In retrospect I believe the cause of that change was her impending Alzheimer's. Some recent research suggests that the first indicators considered for the disease should not be the memory problems that eventually surface, but the stress that often triggers them. Often wonder why such vibrant people succumb to the disease? It's because of their vibrancy, if they are too stressed in their pursuits.
Coaching with the passion Summitt had is stressful enough, particularly when some upstart threatens to usurp her throne. I believe that to be her tipping point. Her paranoid behavior in regards to us is consistent with an Alzheimer's patient's fear of losing control of their lives, particularly when they don't yet understand what is going on with them.
For that reason Summitt forever has a pass in my book. When she was normal she was the worthiest opposing coach we've ever faced. The paranoid Summitt that ended up dragging us through the mud was not that same coach and should be considered with compassion more than condemnation.