Impressions of UConn: The March To Madness | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Impressions of UConn: The March To Madness

I enjoyed it. There were some behind the scenes stuff, like the stuff in the dorm and apartment. But I was surprised that there wasn't more. It seems the strength of HBO's access would be their ability to really show behind the scenes. Kind of surprised they didn't do more with the illness and injuries in their run through of the season. More dramatic and would have like to have seen more about adjustments, what was said, etc.
 
BigBird said:
Kids, this is a documentary series! Not everything and everyone gets central minutes in the first installment. They are setting us up for much more insights with the players who weren't central this time.

I loved it, and I think I have fairly high standards for documentaries. This was well-written and nicely edited. Again, it didn't look like a story on the local news because it isn't one.
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It amazes me that after something special thaqt no other women's team gets, there are some yarders who apparently film editors , experts on announcers etc.Jeez enjoy please.
SPOILED
 
Interesting piece of information in TV Insider article. HBO is only committed to the Huskies so long as they stay in the tournament. So the planned 6 episodes include last night show, the AAC tournament this week, 3 potential NCAA weekends and I'm guessing some kind of post season wrap up.
 
It was very enjoyable to watch, but it got to the end and wrapped up the regular season without some important parts, maybe the next episode won't be completely chronological and will loop back to the regular season and fill in the gaps.

I also think last night's counts as 2 out of the 6, so AAC and each NCAA weekend.
 
LOL, you have to forgive us Husky Fanatics..
We have be trained to Nit-Pick from the Puppet Master Himself, aka Geno "Luigi" Auriemma
Over the decades he has taught us in order to change good to great, you have to pay attention to the details and look towards improvements.. We simply can't help ourselves :cool:..

Five more episodes to go though folks, so plenty of time for HBO to go undefeated and develop into National Champions!! This is just the first win of the season for them.. LOL
 
What terrific piece. Congrats to HBO for a job well done. Loved the bit with Gabby cooking...who knew! Same with Kia's Glamour shoot. Loved that CD got the credit she deserves for what's been accomplished. Nice cuts with Rebecca & Sue & Maya. Good focus on key games leading to the end of the regular season. Pheesa's time will come in following episodes I'm sure. Totally disagree with FanHam on his criticism for lack of game analysis and coverage...this is an HBO piece, not ESPN. Different audience. It's about the program and the personalities, not X's & O's. Vacuous is "showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless" - I must have been watching a different set of interviews.
 
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I am intrigued by way Geno Auriemma is being presented (portrayed?). He seems almost Shakespearean: eternally troubled, dark private musings, solitary walks down dark corridors, head down. Maya Moore, Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and CD talk about his almost mystical ability to wreak maximum productivity from his players, even players who aren't aware of their greatness.

Exactly like I imagined he would be.
 
Bajan Best said:
Actually HBO shows a listing of (6) Episodes on their website to be specific..
HBO March to Madness Series
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There’s the very slim possibility that the series’ run could be cut short if the Huskies make an early exit from the big dance. This is March Madness, after all. “HBO and IMG are committed to staying with the Huskies as long as they are playing in the postseason tournament,” Stallone says. “We’ll approach it like a team: one round at a time.”

From the TV Insider article in today's newslinks
 
HBO was never going to show us diehards anything new. The first show had a lot of ground to cover and the production isn't targeting the hardcore faithful, but a broader audience. Phee, I suspect it was her choice, but who knows.
 
Kibitzer said:
A few more incidental comments.

Crystal, as a freshman, apparently lives in a dorm room. (She is shown studying next to a bunk bed and brushing her teeth in a community bathroom.)

The cooking scene in Gabby's(?) kitchen was amusing. Also had a totally jammed fridge.

The play-by-play voice during highlights was Bob Joyce. Nice.:)
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I think most of the freshmen coming in to UCONN end up in a dorm. Might be a athletic dorm?? I don't think they "earn" apartment living until their later years.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
Here in MT it's on 501 HBO east. Geno just said DT is the best he ever saw or coached.
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Geno was enamored of DT---the Italian connection was big--DT had no fears---EGO really big ego--Confidence and the ability to go with it. HOWEVER--DT said STEWIE was the best ever at UConn. Any Uconn fan that didn't like and /or respect DT's abilities
and production--just were not UConn fans. Over the years including the DT years--Geno said often DT was the best he had ever seen.
Where ever again did he repeat: We had Diana and they don't!!
 
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Wbbfan1 said:
Wondering if they'll start off Episode Two, at the almost melt down at Tulane. It seems logical next step in how difficult the expectations are at UConn and how tough it is to live up to them. Would also show how the team is continuing to win without Kia, one of their starters. Also a chance to give some love to Napheesa with the exceptional games she had.
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Nope, that would be backing up. They ended with the last regular season game in Florida.
 
"Stewie said she wanted to win 4 national championships when I come here to CT. You know it's never been done before right? I know. And I wanna win MVP of the Final 4 4 straight years. And it happened...like a fairy tale." That was almost worth the price of admission right there. We are the luckiest fans in the sports world, flat out. And spoiled too.
 
HuskyNan said:
There’s the very slim possibility that the series’ run could be cut short if the Huskies make an early exit from the big dance. This is March Madness, after all. “HBO and IMG are committed to staying with the Huskies as long as they are playing in the postseason tournament,” Stallone says. “We’ll approach it like a team: one round at a time.”

From the TV Insider article in today's newslinks
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Thanks for the clarification/follow-up..
 
Without nitpicking, a well done start to this series.

This series is for the casual fan. It gives the casual fan a good insight into how difficult it is to play at UConn. And why UConn just wins. We UConn fans know this stuff. And this is great publicity for the team, the coaches, and the university.
 
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I'm sure the Collier/Chong exclusions will be rectified in upcoming episodes. Are we really complaining about an HBO series that NO ONE ELSE is getting? Really? We get more air time than any other program in the country and this is what we're doing? Complaining?
 
Really nice series, nice episode. I think that the omission of Collier in a profile or in interviews had to be, for some reason, her choice. Why, I don't know. But I cannot imagine HBO essentially leaving her out, omitting her, because they thought she wasn't important enough. That just doesn't fly to me. Hopefully, going forward, this will change.
 
oldude said:
I need my "beauty sleep." Lots and lots of it.....:oops:
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For me it's never helped. Perhaps I should try insomnia, or maybe a little apnea.
 
CMC'72 said:
HNan...

Like the new mask. Stylish.
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FanHam said:
I am intrigued by way Geno Auriemma is being presented (portrayed?). He seems almost Shakespearean: eternally troubled, dark private musings, solitary walks down dark corridors, head down. Maya Moore, Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and CD talk about his almost mystical ability to wreak maximum productivity from his players, even players who aren't aware of their greatness.

Exactly like I imagined he would be.
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And then he's being held back by CD while screaming "That's a (expletive) call". Shakespeare with a detour through Philly.
 
MJL243 said:
UConn - The March To Madness is posted at uconnhuskygames.com:

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Now this is what I'm talking about!!!!! Thanks, now the rest of us that don't have, or refuse to buy HBO, can see the piece. :)
 
FanHam said:
A bit strange. Lots of Geno, Gabby, Kia, Chris and Katie Lou; some of Crystal, zero of Pheesa. The action footage was disappointing. Interviews were vacuous. The camerawork was jerky. Geno came across as a bit of a mystic - lots of scenery chewing, as they say. Also, the first episode takes the season from preseason to almost the present, so a lot of territory was skimpily covered.

The players were engaging. There was a charming scene near the beginning where seemingly the whole team met at Gabby's and Kia's apartment for a group dinner. Katie Lou got an inordinate amount of screen time, to my mind. Liev Schreiber's narration tone was credible.

Personalities aside, the true charm of this year's team is its stunning ball movement, efficient inside play and aggressive defense, none of which came across in the episode. A few feeds and a few outlets were shown, but to nowhere near the effect they could have been.

There is to be another new episode next Wednesday, same time, so maybe they've delve a little more into actual game play with less time to cover.

All in all, I'd rate it a C. Lacking, but acceptable.
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Your review and description took the words right out my mouth (except for "vacuous", which is not in my vocabulary). I would add that HBO gave you the impression that Chong wasn't part of the team; terrible slight for a Senior. A grade of C is the best I would do, as I was expecting much more. To my eye, SNY's All-Access programing is put together better and a more compelling watch than what we saw Wednesday evening from HBO (but I still enjoyed watching).
 
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