FBI records: Threats made to Pat Summitt's life in 1996

[SVCBeercats]

FBI records: Threats made to Pat Summitt's life in 1996
"Summitt and UT received letters from a seemingly unhinged UConn fan, intended to threaten and possibly extort Summitt, according to FBI files ..."
"You and the whole University of Tennessee team....are (expletive) dead!" the letter, postmarked April 2, 1996, began. "You've made the last (expletive) mistake of your miserable life! For Beating Uconn and winning the title the sentence is death!"
"Special Agent Jason Pack said the FBI did ultimately discover about eight months later who had written the letter to Coach Summitt, and it was not the suspect mentioned in the 1996 FBI file. "After a review of all the facts of the case," Pack said the individual responsible was not arrested. Pack said neither person's name is being released."

I remember some reference about some TENN person having evidence about some incident and the FBI. I never knew what it was about. Since I never knew UCONN existed before 2004, I am assuming it was another act committed by another "unhinged" UCONN fan. Were there two separate and distinct events?

 

[CL82]

Wow. Disappointing and disturbing. Hope whoever wrote that got the help they so desperately needed.

 

[meyers7]

Sounds like a very disturbed person.

 

[uconnfan68]

Someone here needs to fess up.

 

[Carnac]

Let me rephrase this.......................

There are many reasons why many LV fans dislike UConn and its fan base. Sometimes fans tend to "group" fans together = A group of fans (people) are judged by the actions or thoughts of a few. Hate or a strong dislike has been known to cloud one's rationale and judgment on more than one occasion. When I looked at the story, I noticed the source: The Knox News". It must be a slow news day in Knoxville.

I asked my self why would a responsible? media outlet unearth a news story that was 22 years old, dead and buried, totally forgotten about, and did not disclose any new information? For what purpose? To inform or incite? It will be interesting to see/hear the reception Geno and his team receives from the LV fans when UConn takes the floor the first time in Knoxville in 2020. How much hate and vitriol (if any) has carried over from 2007?

It will be a date that will be circled on every LV fan's calendar when the 2020 schedule is announced. LV fans of all ages will want to attend that game. Older fans will want to "welcome" Geno back to Knoxville, new fans because they have never witnessed/attended a Tenn/UConn game.

Resumption of UConn/Tennessee series - With all the the talk and thoughts of fans on both sides being expressed, I wonder how Pat would feel about the resumption of the series if she were still alive and well? Any anger that Maya Moore felt toward the University of Tennessee has faded with time. Moore hasn't held a grudge.

“People, unfortunately when it comes to sports, sometimes take liberties to say things that don’t have any substance to them, and I understand it, but it’s not helpful for people on the receiving end. Again, I don’t know who said what. There’s not a person I’m associating anything with, but there was a point in the recruiting process after everything was said and done where it wasn't graceful. But again, I haven’t thought about that in ages.” - Maya Moore

Moore doesn’t lament missing the chance to be a part of the rivalry, saying that she was able to play plenty of teams who acted as temporary rivalries.

“I don’t know what it would've been while I was there,” Moore said. “We had some good memories against some other teams that became something like a rivalry, but new history will be created with this one.”

 

[CocoHusky]

There are so many reasons why many LV fans hate UConn and its fan base. This is obviously a major reason why. How would we react if the opposite were to happen, and a LV fan threatened Geno?

Can't "obviously" be a major reason when so very few people even knew about this. If some nut job had threatened Geno the reaction would have been identical to the first three post directly above yours.

 

[JS]

I remember some reference about some TENN person having evidence about some incident and the FBI.

The moderator of the Summitt message board once filed an FBI complaint that a Boneyarder had posted her copyrighted material. That was the reference you recently saw.

The Feds have an office within the FBI that deals with infringement (mainly stuff like Chinese theft of proprietary designs and programs). They take reports online, which made it easy, but are hugely disinterested in this sort of thing. It was easily resolved by a talk between mods.

I never heard of some nutcase letter to Pat. Seems questionable as news 20 years later.

 

[oldude]

It’s terrible that 22 years ago, an idiot fan on the West Coast threatened Pat Summitt, but I am really struggling to understand why this story is only now being made public. The authorities investigated, no one was arrested and the threats stopped.

So UConn and Tenn renew their rivalry after a long hiatus, and only now this unfortunate event becomes a story? Am I the only one that’s uncomfortable with the timing of this?

 

[CocoHusky]

It’s terrible that 22 years ago, an idiot fan on the West Coast threatened Pat Summitt, but I am really struggling to understand why this story is only now being made public. The authorities investigated, no one was arrested and the threats stopped.
So UConn and Tenn renew their rivalry after a long hiatus, and only now this unfortunate event becomes a story? Am I the only one that’s uncomfortable with the timing of this?

No. I'm guessing the moderator is at least equally uncomfortable with the timing, and perhaps more annoyed by the whole nothingness of this.

 

[Carnac]

It’s terrible that 22 years ago, an idiot fan on the West Coast threatened Pat Summitt, but I am really struggling to understand why this story is only now being made public. The authorities investigated, no one was arrested and the threats stopped.

So UConn and Tenn renew their rivalry after a long hiatus, and only now this unfortunate event becomes a story? Am I the only one that’s uncomfortable with the timing of this?

There are some deranged posters on line. The fan conversation room that I use to frequent before I found out about the Boneyard, was a melting pot of die-hard fans from several schools posting comments in the same chat room. Sometimes it got ugly and personal. One fan in particular made the comment that he wished the airplane carrying a particular women's basketball team would crash and that there were no survivors. Everyone of his fellow fans immediately disassociated themselves with him and that statement. Thankfully a few days later (not immediately), that poster was banned, but not before the regulars read it. That board was not monitored as closely as this one is. That comment generated a lot of contradictory posts.

 

[Padutch5]

Can't "obviously" be a major reason when so very few people even knew about this. If some nut job had threatened Geno the reaction would have been identical to the first three post directly above yours.

In Tampa at the final four ( I don’t remember the year, while traveling to dinner on the trolley, some Tennessee “ fans” had some really bad things to say about Geno and were threatening toward my wife and I ( we were outnumbered). Based on this thread I guess I need to report it to the FBI.

Come on everyone. Enough already. Put it to rest!

 

[Vowelguy]

So UConn and Tenn renew their rivalry after a long hiatus, and only now this unfortunate event becomes a story? Am I the only one that’s uncomfortable with the timing of this?

The FBI info became available through a FOIA request. There's a website ("FOIA the dead") that puts in FOIA requests to the FBI whenever a public figure dies. Once the person is deceased, privacy concerns are lessened and the FBI is more willing to release the information. PHS died in June 2016. I don't know how long the FBI takes to respond to these requests, but the information has been out there for a max of 2 years, possibly much less, which likely explains why it's coming out now.


I do have some quibbles about how the story was written. There's too much about the first suspect -- given that he ultimately wasn't responsible, why go into all the detail on him?

 

[oldude]

The FBI info became available through a FOIA request. There's a website ("FOIA the dead") that puts in FOIA requests to the FBI whenever a public figure dies. Once the person is deceased, privacy concerns are lessened and the FBI is more willing to release the information. PHS died in June 2016. I don't know how long the FBI takes to respond to these requests, but the information has been out there for a max of 2 years, possibly much less, which likely explains why it's coming out now.


I do have some quibbles about how the story was written. There's too much about the first suspect -- given that he ultimately wasn't responsible, why go into all the detail on him?

I appreciate the explanation. But 22 years after the fact this is a questionable story to run. It’s not as if someone just learned the location of Jimmy Hoffa’s body.

 

[tomcat]

I fail to see how anyone can dismiss this story as not news. We on the BY still talk about things that happened between UConn and TN in the 90s. So a story like this, that highlights the craziness of the time and the intense feelings felt on both sides, is dated but interesting. It also should give those of us at this end of the rivalry an insight into the mindset of Summit and others at the time and later. For a great many people, the story is new news. It has not advanced since the time it happened, but, unless I misunderstand, it was not widely known (in known at all) at the time.

So from a "news peg"point of view, it is precisely because the two schools are renewing their series that the story takes on some relevance. If UCOnn and TN were not going to resume what was by far the hottest rivalry in the sport, this story would be completely random. Because the two schools are going to play again, it is relevant.Old, but relevant.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

The anonymity of the internet, and letter writing, for that matter, certainly brings out some loony behavior.

 

[meyers7]

The moderator of the Summitt message board once filed an FBI complaint that a Boneyarder had posted her copyrighted material. That was the reference you recently saw.

Now talk about somebody who's disturbed.

 

[tomcat]

So, friends, here's something to consider:
I wonder if Pat's attitude toward UConn, her public statements about the team, etc. changed in any measurable way after a certain date in 1996. I know that if it been me and my family were threatened, I might have had a...umm...period of readjustment in terms of my attitude toward the other guys, ev if they were not at fault themselves.

 

[oldude]

So, friends, here's something to consider:
I wonder if Pat's attitude toward UConn, her public statements about the team, etc. changed in any measurable way after a certain date in 1996. I know that if it been me and my family were threatened, I might have had a...umm...period of readjustment in terms of my attitude toward the other guys, ev if they were not at fault themselves.

It’s an interesting question, but I tend to believe that Pat’s attitude changed primarily for two reasons. Pat was an extremely competitive person who had built a dynasty at TN. A brash young upstart showed up to both challenge and eventually surpass the Lady Vols.

From everything I’ve read about ALS, I’m also convinced that towards the end of her coaching career some of Pat’s more aggressive public comments and actions were the result of the early onset of this terrible disease.

 

[CocoHusky]

So, friends, here's something to consider:
I wonder if Pat's attitude toward UConn, her public statements about the team, etc. changed in any measurable way after a certain date in 1996. I know that if it been me and my family were threatened, I might have had a...umm...period of readjustment in terms of my attitude toward the other guys, ev if they were not at fault themselves.

Not likely in 1996. According to everything that I have read Pat's attitude towards Geno and UCONN changed when both teams started recruiting the same players which was not the case in 1996.
My attitude towards someone would definitely change if they threatened my family. However, the team which the threatening idiot roots for would be the least of my concerns.

 

[Waquoit]

There are many reasons why many LV fans dislike UConn and its fan base.

Really, there's only one reason. UConn knocked them off their perch.

 

[Padutch5]

Not likely in 1996. According to everything that I have read Pat's attitude towards Geno and UCONN changed when both teams started recruiting the same players which was not the case in 1996.
My attitude towards someone would definitely change if they threatened my family. However, the team which the threatening idiot roots for would be the least of my concerns.

Try 2000 in Philadelphia. My recollection is that pat whent in as the favorite and lost by 19. Geno pulled out the back door play and she had no clue how to stop it. We were close to her as she left the floor. Her face said it all.

 

[Vowelguy]

Not likely in 1996. According to everything that I have read Pat's attitude towards Geno and UCONN changed when both teams started recruiting the same players which was not the case in 1996.

Actually UConn made the final 2 or 3 for Semeka Randall.

But the bigger issue was when they went after the same players and UConn started getting them.

The earliest wins I can recall were Shea Ralph (though the big coup was beating out UNC), and then pretty sure Swin had TN in her final 2.

 

[Vowelguy]

Actually UConn made the final 2 or 3 for Semeka Randall.

Btw, just saw that Randall has been made an assistant at Cinci.

 

[Waquoit]

Try 2000 in Philadelphia. My recollection is that pat whent in as the favorite and lost by 19. Geno pulled out the back door play and she had no clue how to stop it. We were close to her as she left the floor. Her face said it all.

That's was when it went from Pat's game to Geno's game.

 

[meyers7]

Btw, just saw that Randall has been made an assistant at Cinci.

Booooooo!