Geno's Achilles "Heal" -- Our Good Fortune

[JudgeSCR]

I am not a psychiatrist, nor do I play one on TV. However, I am convinced that success in one’s chosen profession is in part a function of how your character flaw(s) play into your ability to perform your job well.

One of Geno’s character flaws is his relentless pursuit of perfection. Yeah, it is a virtue AND a flaw. It drives him every moment of every day. It is hard for many to digest that. ‘Why doesn’t he ever think anything I do is good enough?’ ‘Can’t he fully appreciate what we just did?’ ‘I certainly CAN guard a chair!’

I have always found the retelling of the story of the night after the championship game in ’95 fascinating in this context. After the game, the players convened in Geno’s room to watch a VHS tape of the game … and Geno’s flaw came roaring into focus. A few minutes in, Geno is stopping the tape and critiquing his team’s championship winning performance. Even in the championship evening Geno’s flaw could not be suppressed.

How lucky UConn is that Geno’s flaw is not the team’s Achilles heel. How lucky UConn is that Geno’s flaw is leavened with humor, sarcasm, honesty and genuine love and caring for his players and the game. How lucky UConn is that Geno is acutely aware of his flaw and has CD, his coaches, his wife and a very occasional middle finger salute (delivered on that ’95 championship night) to temper his pursuit.

How lucky we are, how lucky his players are, how lucky the sport of Women’s College Basketball is, that his flaw is one that raised the team, the school and the game. His Achilles Heel is actually an Achilles Heal for the game.

Hey Boneyarders, we could be suffering through McCallie’s flaws.

 

[Intpseeker]

Interestingly, I'm going to suggest that Coach P's flaw is the same, although it expresses itself differently.

She wants perfection, but when her team performs poorly, she can't take responsibility and go back to the drawing board and increase her knowledge of the game's strategies and techniques in order to impact her preparation. Rather she is so fearful that she will be found imperfect, I know, go figure, that she seemingly without any self understanding, trashes others, in this case the very women who trusted her to help them grow and develop.

Kinda like flip sides of the same coin, but with Geno, he understands his part and responsibilities for getting as close to perfect as humanly possible. This allows him to nurture his team, as women and athletes. Mane P' other flaw is irresponsibility.

 

[watanabe]

That's cause it's not a flaw, It's a blessing. Big difference!
McCallie is an example of a curse vs a blessing.
You are mistaking a variance from the mean as a flaw.

 

[Suebird10fan]

How lucky UConn is that Geno’s flaw is not the team’s Achilles heel. How lucky UConn is that Geno’s flaw is leavened with humor, sarcasm, honesty and genuine love and caring for his players and the game. How lucky UConn is that Geno is acutely aware of his flaw and has CD, his coaches, his wife and a very occasional middle finger salute (delivered on that ’95 championship night) to temper his pursuit.

How lucky we are, how lucky his players are, how lucky the sport of Women’s College Basketball is, that his flaw is one that raised the team, the school and the game. His Achilles Heel is actually an Achilles Heal for the game.

+1,000

I have had very, very similar thoughts. You expressed it perfectly.