Article- UConn-Baylor a budding rivalry | The Boneyard

Article- UConn-Baylor a budding rivalry

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Great interviews. Thanks for posting. It is great to see a rivalry develop from respect rather than hate.
 
Icebear said:
Apparently the order of the day on ESPN to promote the game. Saw essentially the same comments on two shows this morning. Given the ending of the series I am not sure how much of a "rivalry" one should consider it.
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I was thinking the same thing. How can it be a rivalry if it isn't played regularly???
 
This budding rivalry may be short lived if Kim and Geno can't agree on a date to play. I suspect the series won't be renewed and WBB and Baylor more so will lose.
 
I don't believe that the series has been officially terminated, only that Kim Mulkey was not optimistic about finding a way to continue it.

To me, this article (beyond promoting Sunday's game) is a transparent attempt by ESPN to lobby for the continuation of the series, which would certainly be a ratings bonanza for them. (Just as they have always tried to resuscitate UConn-Tennessee.)
 
I think they just need stories for the website, and they have been hyping up this game for a week straight. At least there is good coverage of it!
 
IMO, all the pressure is on Baylor, #1, Playing at home, they have BG. Geno is the master of taking the home crowd out of the game on the road and he makes it us against the world. I expect a huge win for UCONN on Sunday by double digit.

PS. UCONN will be the new #1 come next week to the rest of the season.....Mark it down.
 
I think it would be great for women's basketball if UCONN and Baylor could find a way to continue their home and home series.
 
connboy77 said:
I think it would be great for women's basketball if UCONN and Baylor could find a way to continue their home and home series.
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Not everyone is used to being jerked around by ESPN like UConn (and other schools like No. Carolina, Duke, et al). When ESPN says "You'll play on Martin Luther King Day at 3:00 pm in Hartford", not all teams take kindly to that kind of imperiousness. In addition, I know that some coaches would rather not have OOC games during their conference seasons, which is neither good nor bad but it does limit the times ESPN can show the game.

I wouldn't blame Mulkey/Baylor if 1. they don't want ESPN running their schedule, 2. they don't want to mess with what's been working for them (e.g. conference-only games after a certain date) or 3. they'd rather promote a rivalry with another team.
 
If Kim doesn't want to play a big non-conference game in the middle of the season [Geno does that frequently], have the game in November or December. Offer it to a variety of TV outlets...someone would buy it...no?
 
I would blame Kim very much if she tried to promote a rivalry with another team. Her conference schedule is getting a lot weaker, and Baylor-UConn stands to be far more interesting than any other games she could schedule. It's a marquee game in a way Baylor-Tennessee does not project to be. Baylor-Stanford? Time will tell how consistently Tara can keep Stanford top tier. She already rather colorfully explained why Baylor-A&M isn't going to continue after A&M departs for the SEC. But UConn? You learn your weaknesses playing top programs/talent, and UConn will have that. It's also good for the sport in general, and I will say until I'm blue in the face that the top programs have an obligation to promote the sport, not just their own program. Anything less is chicken you-know-what.
 
Methinks folks are taking stances to strengthen their positions with regard scheduling and nothing more. There is no way that this series will not be continued, at least for another year; there's just too much money and glory involved. But after that, Kim has rational reasons to demure.
 
blakeon18 said:
If Kim doesn't want to play a big non-conference game in the middle of the season [Geno does that frequently], have the game in November or December. Offer it to a variety of TV outlets...someone would buy it...no?
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The big East has a contract with ESPN and the network gets to choose which games it wants. I think if ESPN passes, the Big East can shill the game to other networks.
 
Great article. I enjoy Mechelle's work.
 
ESPN promos for the game running all day long. This could become a really good rivalry. Both Kim and Geno are bigger than life characters. Kim shows much more personality than Pat did and I could see both Geno and Kim going at each other without either taking it personally.
 
JoePgh said:
I don't believe that the series has been officially terminated, only that Kim Mulkey was not optimistic about finding a way to continue it.

To me, this article (beyond promoting Sunday's game) is a transparent attempt by ESPN to lobby for the continuation of the series, which would certainly be a ratings bonanza for them. (Just as they have always tried to resuscitate UConn-Tennessee.)
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Don't forget: Kim also knows which recruits are coming to Uconn next year, and perhaps for years to come.
 
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