Gamecocks 2022-23: Part One

[seeya27]

I don't get this, as WBB fans we should all be outraged. Our sport is rarely in limelight and its always great to have represented in some capacity at such a big event.
But again I have yet to see any facts that have explained why in a venue that seats 3400, the same as last year, as to why there isn't enough space for all individual nominees to come to the event? Who care if she wins the award or if its even presented, the fact of the matter is there hasn't been a reasonable explanation for why she wasn't invited yet.

You may not like her but Dawn comes out and defends all players not just her own if she feels they are slighted or underappreciated. Perhaps you should take your own advice and get the facts first. You also don't know what Dawn knew and or what her motives were. Making baseless attacks on her makes you no better than what you accuse her of.

I presented both sides. "If she knew" and "if she didn't know" and gave my opinions about both. But if she knew, she had an obligation to acknowledge she spoke with ESPN and disagreed with their reasoning. At the very least, ESPN would have explained this was not singling out women's basketball, women's sports, SC or Boston. Who they invited was based on specific criteria with no bias.

Now, you may not agree with ESPN's reasoning, but it wasn't a conspiracy. Dawn could have put a stop to that in a Tweet. She clearly chose not to and allowed the firestorm amongst her following to continue. At the very least, be honest about the situation. Dawn could have still supported her player.

IF you find out she never checked the facts first, does that change your perceptions?

I would also disagree with the comment that wbb is "rarely in the limelight." It may not get the broadcast awareness that you or I want, but wbb is the most covered women's college sport. ESPN has virtually devoted a network to it during the NCAAT. Should there be more...yes. But "rarely" is not accurate. Ask the folks involved in softball, women's tennis/golf/gynastics/crew/field hockey/etc.

And to be 100% honest, I find the ESPY's to be clownish at times. The larger awards given by the NCAA matter more to me (yes, that is just me). If no UConn player ever gets an invite to an ESPY again, I could care less. It's a meaningless awards show.

Last: this was a "national outrage"? Please, get a grip Dawn. It was nothing close.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

I presented both sides. "If she knew" and "if she didn't know" and gave my opinions about both. But if she knew, she had an obligation to acknowledge she spoke with ESPN and disagreed with their reasoning. At the very least, ESPN would have explained this was not singling out women's basketball, women's sports, SC or Boston. Who they invited was based on specific criteria with no bias.

Now, you may not agree with ESPN's reasoning, but it wasn't a conspiracy. Dawn could have put a stop to that in a Tweet. She clearly chose not to and allowed the firestorm amongst her following to continue. At the very least, be honest about the situation. Dawn could have still supported her player.

IF you find out she never checked the facts first, does that change your perceptions?

I would also disagree with the comment that wbb is "rarely in the limelight." It may not get the broadcast awareness that you or I want, but wbb is the most covered women's college sport. ESPN has virtually devoted a network to it during the NCAAT. Should there be more...yes. But "rarely" is not accurate. Ask the folks involved in softball, women's tennis/golf/gynastics/crew/field hockey/etc.

And to be 100% honest, I find the ESPY's to be clownish at times. The larger awards given by the NCAA matter more to me (yes, that is just me). If no UConn player ever gets an invite to an ESPY again, I could care less. It's a meaningless awards show.

Last: this was a "national outrage"? Please, get a grip Dawn. It was nothing close.

Yes Women's Basketball like women's sports in general are rarely seen in the limelight. Any positive attention to get more casual sports audiences that are mostly Football fans and NBA fans to take notice of women's sports the better. I agree on Women's Basketball being on the the top of the pyramid of Women's sports when it comes to coverage but it still is pales in comparison drastically to the men.

As for Dawn, rather she knew or not it doesn't change my opinion and I don't see anything wrong with calling people out for what you deem as injustice.

I still stand by their excuses being weak. Covid has been an issue for years, if they could make it work last year why is this year so much harder especially when there are reports of them asking for seat fillers to fill out the venue. If the venue only held 500 or less people I would completely understand making cuts but if their going to use these players names and likeness as the basis for this awards show, the least they could do is invite them.

You might not care and that's fine but it's heartbreaking that someone as sweet and hardworking as Boston is seemingly consistently slighted as it relates to ESPN despite her amazing season. Her pain and crying is worthy enough to be used constantly as a marketing tool
for commercials and such but a single evening to be surrounded by other top athletes is to much ask. So I don't fault anyone for being upset about the situation, especially when recent precedent has shown that they were able to make time for female college athletes before and even invite multiple of them to the show.

 

[seeya27]

The problem with Dawn's media narrative is she KNOWS what it is doing to her base. Literally every Tweet invokes the name of a UConn player (Paige, Rebecca Lobo, Azzi) negatively and accuses ESPN of bias and conspiracy. I think keeping that alive is a media strategy for her.

None of that is remotely true, of course. It's entirely how ESPN structured the show. They didn't ignore sweet, hardworking Boston because of her sport, race, or gender. They didn't extend an invitation to EVERYONE who is not getting an award that night. Men, women, major sports, and lessor sports all were skipped over.

If she disagrees with ESPN's decision, fine. If she sees that as an injustice, fine. But it's not a bias or conspiracy, and be professional enough and be professional to acknowledge that.

But again, I believe Staley lives to position SC as always the victim that everyone is against.

I've said my piece and am done with this conversation. As a marketer and media relations specialist, Dawn's approach is blatantly obvious to me.

 

[seeya27]

Just for the record: Boston has hardly been "slighted by ESPN."

She was a short clip on one ad. The player from AZ was also shown crying on that ad, but nobody ever mentions that.

Other than that, she has had multiple glowing video features on ESPN -- including a 7 minute Holly Rowe interview at her island home. There have been more than a handful of ESPN The Magazine features and pieces about her.

The ESPN Gameday was virtually all about her and Staley. The ESPN website did endless stories on how she was the POY during and at the end of the season.

It was one ad -- and showing athletes in the "agony of defeat" is common. It isn't/wasn't just a Boston thing. Overall, they have given her exemplary coverage since.

 

[triaddukefan]

Some ruffled feathers in the land down under.

 

[jchusky]

guarantee you if Paige was nominated and wasn't a winner they would have invited her.

 

[SCGamecock]

First off, I still think she's Stanford's to lose.

But I absolutely love this offer. Big Cheli fan after seeing her play for Team USA.

 

[FormerCTrez]

guarantee you if Paige was nominated and wasn't a winner they would have invited her.

I’m not so sure about that. But I’m none the less disappointed that Boston wasn’t initially invited to the festivities. And ESPN’s about-face invitation after the uproar makes no sense to me. But then again, I’m a simple person with no intimate details relating to the ESPY’s.

 

[socal613ws]

Aliyah Boston ‘hurt more’ by ESPN’s about-face over ESPYs invite

After initially snubbing Aliyah Boston of an ESPYs invite, ESPN reversed course, but Boston says the network’s about-face only “hurt more.”

nypost.com

Espn invited Boston after they got flack on Twitter, Boston declined to go. Also funny how all those rams players were in attendance yet didn't win any award. Do a better job next time Espn of covering up a lie.

 

[Alydar]

It doesn't take ESPN to alert me to the reality of social discrimination. I suspect that their scheduling of awards was done on the basis of public interest because ratings are directly related to profits and the people at ESPN who have the say know how to keep their jobs.

Staley has just added more pressure on her team than merely defending the '22 title. Now they are a visible voice for racial justice. Answering questions about that for 8 months can't be good for focusing on basketball.

 

[sharris25]

It doesn't take ESPN to alert me to the reality of social discrimination. I suspect that their scheduling of awards was done on the basis of public interest because ratings are directly related to profits and the people at ESPN who have the say know how to keep their jobs.

Staley has just added more pressure on her team than merely defending the '22 title. Now they are a visible voice for racial justice. Answering questions about that for 8 months can't be good for focusing on basketball.

If you've have followed South Carolina wbb, they have endured this pressure for the past two years going back to their outspoken views on racial injustice, the George Floyd situation, etc.... They were a missed putback away from one potential championship and steamrolled their way to a 2nd National Championship this past year. This will most likely give them another chip on their shoulder to drive them to a second one this year. This, if for no other reason, will most likely drive their focus this year rather than distract them, which will not be good for teams trying to catch the sleeping.

 

[seeya27]

If you've have followed South Carolina wbb, they have endured this pressure for the past two years going back to their outspoken views on racial injustice, the George Floyd situation, etc.... They were a missed putback away from one potential championship and steamrolled their way to a 2nd National Championship this past year. This will most likely give them another chip on their shoulder to drive them to a second one this year. This, if for no other reason, will most likely drive their focus this year rather than distract them, which will not be good for teams trying to catch the sleeping.

Oh yes, the horrible injustice of NOT getting an invite to an irrelevant award show/Hollywood party. That no one in her category got an invite to, that Boston didn't win.

Oh the injustice.

Staley called for "national outrage." If not getting invited to a hokey party is an national outrage, what is Brittney Griner's situation? School kids getting massacred? Poor American communities not having a water supply they can drink from or bathe in?

For Dawn, who supposedly is a voice for young Black women, to claim this is a "national outrage" is laughable. It's actually insulting given some of the real national outrages we have in this country.

Boston was disrespected? She won NPOY, DPOY and was MVP of the Final Four. She has been glorified by numerous overwhelming positive ESPN video and magazine features. In what universe has she ever been disrespected? (Except maybe one clip of her in tears along with another player from AZ -- hint: TV has been showing players in tears for 50 years, she's hardly the only one).

Dawn is playing this up as a media issue because it is her brand to play the victim. I find it disgusting.

 

[seeya27]

If a UConn team -- or a UConn player -- never gets nominated or invited to the ESPYs again I could care less. I doubt our coaches could care less. I doubt our players could care less.

It is a meaningless show. The Naismith Awards matter. National titles matter. NCAA end-of-the-season awards matter.

 

[sharris25]

Oh yes, the horrible injustice of NOT getting an invite to an irrelevant award show/Hollywood party. That no one in her category got an invite to, that Boston didn't win.

Oh the injustice.

Staley called for "national outrage." If not getting invited to a hokey party is an national outrage, what is Brittney Griner's situation? School kids getting massacred? Poor American communities not having a water supply they can drink from or bathe in?

For Dawn, who supposedly is a voice for young Black women, to claim this is a "national outrage" is laughable. It's actually insulting given some of the real national outrages we have in this country.

Boston was disrespected? She won NPOY, DPOY and was MVP of the Final Four. She has been glorified by numerous overwhelming positive ESPN video and magazine features. In what universe has she ever been disrespected? (Except maybe one clip of her in tears along with another player from AZ -- hint: TV has been showing players in tears for 50 years, she's hardly the only one).

Dawn is playing this up as a media issue because it is her brand to play the victim. I find it disgusting.

Dawn never said it was a national outrage, she just simply asked a question. The hyperbole is from those that want to re-state her objections to not airing the award or inviting Boston yet using her and the other nominees to play up the ceremony. She and any other athlete who was not invited was a disrespect in the year of Title IX to the women who bring more content and viewers to ESPN than the women they did invite from the WNBA that you can barely find on any national television outlet. But women and more accurately black women often bear the brunt of missteps or slight miscalculations that arise like this one. She spoke for all women. Wonder if there would have been a call for women from some who see no need to address issues like this, if they just resort to only inviting males to the espys. If you do not address things when they occur, you eventually will end up with the conditions that led to the inequities in the final four from a year ago. Funny, many players like Beuckers, Haley Jones, Fran Belibi, Beucker's father and countless others supported her position. Makes one wonder, how many of those that propose to advocate for equality for women and other minorities, become so quiet and unbothered if an apparent slight does not involve their favorite team or player.

 

[seeya27]

Dawn never said it was a national outrage, she just simply asked a question. The hyperbole is from those that want to re-state her objections to not airing the award or inviting Boston yet using her and the other nominees to play up the ceremony. She and any other athlete who was not invited was a disrespect in the year of Title IX to the women who bring more content and viewers to ESPN than the women they did invite from the WNBA that you can barely find on any national television outlet. But women and more accurately black women often bear the brunt of missteps or slight miscalculations that arise like this one. She spoke for all women. Wonder if there would have been a call for women from some who see no need to address issues like this, if they just resort to only inviting males to the espys. If you do not address things when they occur, you eventually will end up with the conditions that led to the inequities in the final four from a year ago. Funny, many players like Beuckers, Haley Jones, Fran Belibi, Beucker's father and countless others supported her position. Makes one wonder, how many of those that propose to advocate for equality for women and other minorities, become so quiet and unbothered if an apparent slight does not involve their favorite team or player.

Dawn didn't simply ask a question. See her original tweet.

 

[seeya27]

Dawn didn't simply ask a question. She her original tweet.

And in Dawn's original tweet, it was all about Boston. Not about "all women" or "not airing the category on a broadcast". She changed her tune later.

When ESPN changed its ESPY programming, men's sports and women's sports both were both eliminated from being aired. It wasn't about white women, people of color, gender, or sports. It was probably about ratings but it was meted out equally.

I dislike ESPN deeply. I don't like how they run their organization or how they manage their model. But I don't believe them be to racist or anti-women.

Their awards show is a joke and getting upset about it is just foolish. What they did last year has no bearing on how they structure the program this year. If it was UConn getting this treatment this year, I really could care less. Most of the UConn fanbase could care less. Winning national titles and Naismith Awards are what really matter -- and Boston got those in droves.

In the totality of the entire season, the coverage she has been given, the positive press she has received, and the awards she won has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

If a UConn team -- or a UConn player -- never gets nominated or invited to the ESPYs again I could care less. I doubt our coaches could care less. I doubt our players could care less.

It is a meaningless show. The Naismith Awards matter. National titles matter. NCAA end-of-the-season awards matter.

That's cool for you. But what also matters is the exposure and recognition of these athletes. There's already a huge disparity when it comes to players that look like Boston vs players they normally highlight. Paige made it a focal point of her speech last year and ESPN used it for likes and interactions but did nothing with that information.

So when people say players like Boston aren't marketable, these slights are what start the trend, they aren't giving them chance to be exposed to a new audience. This is why people don't talk about Sylvia Fowles the same way they talk about Sue and DT, despite her resume being just as good. Dawn understands that and so does many of the players in the WNBA whose spoken out about it. Sure it's just an awards show, but to continue to overlook players who are apart of certain demographics will only further the disparity.

 

[seeya27]

Boston had a glowing 7 minute interview with Holly Rowe on ESPN, and it was shown over and over on ESPN telecasts and SportsCenter. That same audience you speak of would have seen numerous ESPN the Magazine features about her. She earned all the post season awards imaginable.

Plus since she didn't win the award, voted by the public, she wouldn't have spoken on stage. So the most she would have gotten was a quick clip. That recognition is pretty meaningless.

Sorry. We're gonna have to agree to disagree on this. But to have created a firestorm over it, without understanding why ESPN did it, was BS.

Speak your piece. I am done with this really foolish "national outrage."

 

[GCKSFN4L]

Boston had a glowing 7 minute interview with Holly Rowe on ESPN, and it was shown over and over on ESPN telecasts and SportsCenter. That same audience you speak of would have seen numerous ESPN the Magazine features about her. She earned all the post season awards imaginable.

Plus since she didn't win the award, voted by the public, she wouldn't have spoken on stage. So the most she would have gotten was a quick clip. That recognition is pretty meaningless.

Sorry. We're gonna have to agree to disagree on this. But to have created a firestorm over it, without understanding why ESPN did it, was BS.

Speak your piece. I am done with this really foolish "national outrage."

A red carpet appearance and an interview that some people who don't watch Women's Basketball could have be exposed to. Plus the possible networking opportunities being surrounded by other top athletes and such in the industry. It was missed opportunity that could have been remedied early by ESPN once they realized she was interested. And yes I still be it's outrage when college WBB isn't represented on the network that has the rights priority rights of said sport.

 

[seeya27]

So for all the challenges that are faced by female black athletes, black women in marketing, and female athletes, you want to tie your "national outrage" to an awards show invite and walk on the red carpet?

Knock yourself out. But, there are far bigger, more important issues Staley, in her position, could truly make a difference on. But she focuses on a red carpet. SMH.

I'm disgusted and done here.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

So for all the challenges that are faced by female black athletes, black women in marketing, and female athletes, you want to tie your "national outrage" to an awards show invite and walk on the red carpet?

Knock yourself out. But, there are far bigger, more important issues Staley, in her position, could truly make a difference on. But she focuses on a red carpet. SMH.

I'm disgusted and done here.

And yet you keep coming back, if you're done then be done. This is just one issue of a larger looming issue that's be noted by many people including the winner of the award last year. There's always bigger issues but doesn't negated what occured Just because "you" don't care then don't tell rest of us that it's a non issue. If this outrage makes is so any top female athlete no matter their complexion or school affiliation is given the opportunity to represent for WBB going forward, then it was well worth it in the end.

 

[cancontent]

So for all the challenges that are faced by female black athletes, black women in marketing, and female athletes, you want to tie your "national outrage" to an awards show invite and walk on the red carpet?

Knock yourself out. But, there are far bigger, more important issues Staley, in her position, could truly make a difference on. But she focuses on a red carpet. SMH.

I'm disgusted and done here.

Why does it sound like you've ignored, or are unaware of what she's done prior to the ESPYs situation? She's consistently talking about the issues you've referred to. She uses her social media platform as another way to get the word out. She's not focused solely on the ESPY snub.

South Carolina's Net Worth concept is exactly that. Getting her players to see that they're more than athletes and can have impact in so many areas beyond the basketball court. And several of her players are involved in various initiatives off the court to deal with those issues or others that are important to them.

 

[triaddukefan]

A brief change of the subject, but does anyone know when yall (SC) release the non conference schedule? Since yall begged out of being possibly met with the fire and brimstone released by Lawson's group, curious to see who yall got to replace us.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

A brief change of the subject, but does anyone know when yall (SC) release the non conference schedule? Since yall begged out of being possibly met with the fire and brimstone released by Lawson's group, curious to see who yall got to replace us.

View attachment 77717

I'm not sure, I believe she was on a podcast a couple of weeks ago and said she was still looking for 3 more games. She said one of the previously planned opponents turned down playing us again. I didn't really think about who that could be until now, hmmm....

But she sounded like she was opened to play anyone as long they were open to a home and home. Personally I'm hoping she schedules the other Carolina. They played us tough in the tournament and would love to see it again.

 

[JDuro]

A brief change of the subject, but does anyone know when yall (SC) release the non conference schedule? Since yall begged out of being possibly met with the fire and brimstone released by Lawson's group, curious to see who yall got to replace us.

View attachment 77717

Last couple of seasons, the schedules were released in September. Last season’s release was on 9/21.

 

[seeya27]

I have no doubt Dawn and her players have done amazing things in and for the community. I don't question that in any way.

And that is kind of on-point to this discussion. She knows the importance of the work she's done. And this does not remotely rise to the level of national outrage. She fights for big issues that affect important needs.

Walking on a red carpet isn't one of them.

 

[SCGamecock]

Please let it go.

 

[SCGamecock]

A brief change of the subject, but does anyone know when yall (SC) release the non conference schedule? Since yall begged out of being possibly met with the fire and brimstone released by Lawson's group, curious to see who yall got to replace us.

View attachment 77717

I think we have NC State this year.

I know for sure we have Stanford, Maryland, and UConn.

 

[triaddukefan]

I think we have NC State this year.

I know for sure we have Stanford, Maryland, and UConn.

Nope..... State didn't re-up. Guess yall got the whole Triangle shook
I mean besides Duke of course. It would be cool if yall would do a return at NCA&T or Elon

 

[SCspur]

Please let it go.

Exactly! Really wish we can get this thread back on topic…