Geno on a new Tenn game (Tennessee passes) and SNY -LINK

[CL82]

Courant article

I'm surprised Tenn's dismissal of the prospect of a game. It would go a long way toward keeping them relevent in the post Pat era. Just keep pushing away the life preserver boys...

 

[doggydaddy]

I seriously doubt that Geno will even talk about this again. I would imagine he is pretty pissed off with the quick rejection from Tennessee. Made him look a little silly.

 

[Biff]

I seriously doubt that Geno will even talk about this again. I would imagine he is pretty pissed off with the quick rejection from Tennessee. Made him look a little silly.

I don't think it made him look silly at all when you read the context of how he framed the proposed return of the game. One might say the quick rejection, especially based on the context proposed, makes Tenn look a little "petty".

I agree that it's not likely that Geno brings this forward again any time soon.

 

[grizz36]

Maybe those idiots actually believe Pat's accusations were true.

 

[phil sampieri]

I seriously doubt that Geno will even talk about this again. I would imagine he is pretty pissed off with the quick rejection from Tennessee. Made him look a little silly.

I think that since Geno extended the olive branch, he should be considered the one to attmept to bury the hatchet, which in my mind shows a man of class.
From here on in the "horns "

 

[Wonkster]

Maybe those idiots actually believe Pat's accusations were true.

Maybe they know they'll get their collective ass kicked.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I don't see where any of this is on Auriemma. IMO he comes off as a reasonable guy.

I think that the terse response from UTenn is a good indication the the bitter, vindiuctive woman's influence remains.

 

[doggydaddy]

I agree that Geno took the high road. And that what he said was the right thing to say.

It was just the quick response from Tennessee that made his remarks look silly. Clearly he would not have said anything if the Tennessee response came first.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I agree that Geno took the high road. And that what he said was the right thing to say.

It was just the quick response from Tennessee that made his remarks look silly. Clearly he would not have said anything if the Tennessee response came first.

Or he may have considered the UT source as being reliable enough to warrant his response. My only curiosity is who directed the UT response - Hart or Warlick? Or maybe the coach emeritus?

 

[alexrgct]

Tennessee will need to recognize that the times are a-changin', and that they need this game before casual fans stop caring about the matchup. Otherwise, they could absolutely go the way of Texas, ODU, or La Tech. I bet they do ultimately reach out to UConn. If they don't, it's their loss more than anything.

 

[connboy77]

How stupid can the Tennessee Administration be? Geno extends an olive branch to a once great program on the decline and they quickly reject a renewal of the series. This has to be one of the dumbest moves that Tennessee has ever made.

 

[doggydaddy]

Or he may have considered the UT source as being reliable enough to warrant his response. My only curiosity is who directed the UT response - Hart or Warlick? Or maybe the coach emeritus?

That doesn't have to be an "or". I think it is reasonable to think that is why he said anything in the first place. But if he had known that someone else would shoot it down, he wouldn't have said anything.

 

[vtcwbuff]

How stupid can the Tennessee Administration be? Geno extends an olive branch to a once great program on the decline and they quickly reject a renewal of the series. This has to be one of the dumbest moves that Tennessee has ever made.

There is a lot of turmoil in the UTenn athletic department right now. The AD may have decided that short term this was something he would pass on in order to appease the LadyVol OGC.

 

[Zorro]

Maybe those idiots actually believe Pat's accusations were true.

Unless I am badly mistaken, Pat never made any "accusations". What she made were insinuations and innuendos. "Geno knows what he did." The only specific incidents mentioned, so far as I can remember, were Maya's tour of ESPN and Caroline's stupid frenchfries, and I don't think that Pat was the specific source on these. Pretty thin gruel. (Please correct me if I am wrong, as I am sure you will.)

 

[Artifact]

Tennessee will need to recognize that the times are a-changin', and that they need this game before casual fans stop caring about the matchup. Otherwise, they could absolutely go the way of Texas, ODU, or La Tech. I bet they do ultimately reach out to UConn. If they don't, it's their loss more than anything.

I concur fully with the above. Tenn. helped us to arrive on the top tier of woman's basketball. Now they are slipping badly, we are in a position to help but their ego or bitterness, will only pull their team further down. Sorry Tenn. fans, most of you are getting the short end of the stick.

 

[ASweet3781]

I love the start of the article. The idea of restarting the series sounded appealing to Auriemma?

Probably because Altavilla went to Geno to comment on his random article from yesterday quoting one unnamed Tennessee source saying they maybe willing to start it up again. .Wow breaking news there! Altavilla has been obsessed with Tennessee and playing them again in his blog and online chats for years. I wouldn't be surprised if Altavilla's single unnamed UT source was his imaginary friend. Gives him cover to write an article out of the blue pretending to be newsworthy when its basically advocacy. A totally random article and than puts our coach in a position to be needlessly smacked down by a UT spokeman. Heckuva a job Johhnie.

Let's make it perfectly clear and especially to you Mr. Altavilla (if your reading this). UConn does not NEED Tennessee. That has been proven perfectly clear since 2007. Our program has never been stronger. Theirs has never been more uncertain.

 

[CTyankee]

Life moves on... Some move forward... Some tread time... Some move backward...

We go forward...

 

[JS]

Or he may have considered the UT source as being reliable enough to warrant his response. My only curiosity is who directed the UT response - Hart or Warlick? Or maybe the coach emeritus?

John A. has a "final divorce" piece up this morning that seems a bit overwrought.

Here's how I think it went down..

I'm guessing the original "source close to the Lady Vols" who thought they'd be interested in a game was the Connecticut Sun's Kara Lawson. Haven't talked with John A. and that's just what makes sense to me.

This was all in the context of Kara's effort to promote the Alzheimer's foundation. She set up a donation deal for herself and is reportedly talking to other former Lady Vols in the W. about getting on board. It's natural she would think of other ways to raise money for the cause, and she'd talk about a UC/UT charity game with both UConn and ESPN.

So based on her conversations with unspecified folks at UT, she says they'd probably be interested in discussing the idea.

Geno, speaking to reporters on the occasion of another charity sporting event, said he hadn't talked with anybody from UT about it and wasn't aware of any discussions. ESPN likewise said it wasn't aware of any discussions. The aware part is that they didn't know what Kara might've been up to in preparing the ground in Knoxville.

So Geno said, yeah, that's the way it will eventually happen, good cause, yadda yaddal, I'd be amenable to the idea in general but it'd have to be under the right conditions, especially not under feud-rehash conditions where it'd be all about me and Pat.

So either John A. runs to UT with it to confirm, or UT gets wind of it, and Eric Trainer says UT "has no plans" to resume the series. I don't know what, if any, other communications there may have been that aren't being publicized, but somehow "no plans" is getting translated into "we won't discuss it or even the charity idea and that's final!"

Really? OK. Seems the trial balloon soared high and far and came down again. I don't really know where or why or who's the person behind the curtain, but if you say so.

I can certainly see that it's a rather implausible time for Tennessee to be enthusiastic about a series with UConn. They're regrouping, to say the least, and UConn will be very powerful in the next several years, to say the least. I don't think they're looking to strengthen their schedule at all, let alone with UConn, and even getting blown out in a single charity event, especially by UConn, would require a "taking one for the cause" level of altruism.

So this wasn't an idea the time of which had come, or which was considered in any concrete way by either side. It was the product of an admirable effort to benefit a good cause, which effort had been blown into more than a soupçon of media drama.

 

[speedoo]

John A. has a "final divorce" piece up this morning that seems a bit overwrought.

Here's how I think it went down..

I'm guessing the original "source close to the Lady Vols" who thought they'd be interested in a game was the Connecticut Sun's Kara Lawson. Haven't talked with John A. and that's just what makes sense to me.

This was all in the context of Kara's effort to promote the Alzheimer's foundation. She set up a donation deal for herself and is reportedly talking to other former Lady Vols in the W. about getting on board. It's natural she would think of other ways to raise money for the cause, and she'd talk about a UC/UT charity game with both UConn and ESPN.

So based on her conversations with unspecified folks at UT, she says they'd probably be interested in discussing the idea.

Geno, speaking to reporters on the occasion of another charity sporting event, said he hadn't talked with anybody from UT about it and wasn't aware of any discussions. ESPN likewise said it wasn't aware of any discussions. The aware part is that they didn't know what Kara might've been up to in preparing the ground in Knoxville.

So Geno said, yeah, that's the way it will eventually happen, good cause, yadda yaddal, I'd be amenable to the idea in general but it'd have to be under the right conditions, especially not under feud-rehash conditions where it'd be all about me and Pat.

So either John A. runs to UT with it to confirm, or UT gets wind of it, and Eric Trainer says UT "has no plans" to resume the series. I don't know what, if any, other communications there may have been that aren't being publicized, but somehow "no plans" is getting translated into "we won't discuss it or even the charity idea and that's final!"

Really? OK. Seems the trial balloon soared high and far and came down again. I don't really know where or why or who's the person behind the curtain, but if you say so.

I can certainly see that it's a rather implausible time for Tennessee to be enthusiastic about a series with UConn. They're regrouping, to say the least, and UConn will be very powerful in the next several years, to say the least. I don't think they're looking to strengthen their schedule at all, let alone with UConn, and even getting blown out in a single charity event, especially by UConn, would require a "taking one for the cause" level of altruism.

So this wasn't an idea the time of which had come, or which was considered in any concrete way by either side. It was the product of an admirable effort to benefit a good cause, which effort had been blown into more than a soupçon of media drama.

That's pretty good speculation, JS. Only part that does not hang together for me is how do we get from Geno not being aware of any discussions, along with ESPN, to the point where he is talking about the right way to resume the series?. Did Altavilla or someone else say to Geno that something might be happening?

 

[Waquoit]

I think that since Geno extended the olive branch, he should be considered the one to attmept to bury the hatchet, which in my mind shows a man of class.

I think you nail it here, Phil. But let's face it, Tenn. had to say no at this time. To agree so soon after Pat called it quits would be a big insult. Give it another year or two.

 

[justML]

John A. has a "final divorce" piece up this morning that seems a bit overwrought.

Obviously a divorce based on irreconciable differences.

Thank God they didn't have any children.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't understand the "they need us" mentality. Tennessee will be relevant by performing well in the NCAA tournament. One game a year with UCONN or any other university is not going cure their woes. If they get a solid recruiting class for 2013 they should perform well in the tourney and contend for future recruits. Tennessee did make the Elite Eight this past season, although they got whipped by Baylor. But then again, ND got their butts handed to them by Baylor, also.

 

[easttexastrash]

I think you nail it here, Phil. But let's face it, Tenn. had to say no at this time. To agree so soon after Pat called it quits would be a big insult. Give it another year or two.

I agree. Pat will have to completely move on before this series can ever continue. How disrespectful would Warlick look to so quickly go against Pat's wishes in this respect?

 

[Outside Shot]

There is a 30+ page document that was made public that had all of Tenn's allegations that were filed with the NCAA.

 

[alexrgct]

I don't understand the "they need us" mentality. Tennessee will be relevant by performing well in the NCAA tournament. One game a year with UCONN or any other university is not going cure their woes. If they get a solid recruiting class for 2013 they should perform well in the tourney and contend for future recruits. Tennessee did make the Elite Eight this past season, although they got whipped by Baylor. But then again, ND got their butts handed to them by Baylor, also.

ND got their butts handed to them after playing an extremely intense and emotional semifinal game against a rival. Tennessee just wasn't very good. ND actually obliterated them worse than Baylor did, albeit in South Bend versus a neutral court.

Saying, "If you come to Tennessee, you'll play in the marquee matchup in WCBB" is something you can sell. It's especially important if you're not in serious contention for an NC.

Girls grew up watching that game and dreaming of playing in it. It won't be long before high school recruits don't have first-hand memories of the rivalry. Or the Candace Parker championships. Pat Summitt will mean as much to them as John Wooden means to kids considering UCLA: they're aware of the history/tradition, but it's not tangible. The annual rivalry game would be a tangible connection to the program's glory days. At this point, Tennessee is going beyond cutting off its nose to spite its face, in my estimation.