Mike DiMauro: Sun's trade of Charles was forced by a diva

[j66kicker]

Wonder how folks would have reacted to similar actions by Parker...

No, Parker IS a diva:
Orange = Diva
Blue = Kind-hearted, well-meaning, hard-working team player undervalued by abrasive, nomadic coach.

 

[JimGunther]

Nah, Mike's still a J.O.

Yes, sometimes they get even better!

Doesn't mean she couldn't change! That was like two years ago and people do change!!!
Click to expand...
Yes, sometimes they get even better!
ChicagoGG, 31 minutes ago Report

 

[JoePgh]

No, Parker IS a diva:
Orange = Diva
Blue = Kind-hearted, well-meaning, hard-working team player undervalued by abrasive, nomadic coach.

Geno was not an abrasive coach??

Bill Laimbeer is not an abrasive coach??

I think Tina likes an abrasive coach as long as he is a GOOD coach. And I suspect that the "he" part is important to her.

Anne Donovan's problem may be that she is too nice, and too bland, for Tina's taste. And probably not as gifted as the other two. But clearly neither Anne nor the front office "undervalued" Tina. They did everything they could to keep her, short of firing the cosch.

In any case, Tina has earned the right not to play if she does not enjoy the situation, just like Lindsay and Katie.

 

[Joe6cats]

For the sake of this discussion let's assume that Mike is an actual professional writer. Given that assumption one would expect his work to be an alloy of rationally & accurately described content mixed with a mature & clever style, but we’ve rarely seen that from Mike over the years. I can't even remember the last time we saw quality work coming from Mike.

Like all sub-skilled writers, Mike leans heavily upon tricks rather than putting in the effort to write something that is relevent, interesting, and informative. Mike's laziness had been characterized by a string of tortured attempts at the provocative, rather than a truly provocative piece, an organically provocative bit of work.

I just don’t understand why anyone would read this hack.


YOPB

I'd agree but for one thing: This isn't a try at being rational or accurate. He's not stupid. It reads like an Andy Borkowitz piece, performance art with tongue in cheek. Or... maybe he really is stupid? If that's it, he might benefit from reading CamrnCrazy's excellent comment.

 

[ocoandasoc]

The Sun fired a great coach and hired an awful one. Now they seem intent on rebuilding a team that didn't need rebuilding until they screwed it up. They will flounder again this year as they try to convince fans that their young players have them on the right track. That might even buy Donovan one more year. But CT WNBA fans are pretty smart and most have already figured things out. The truth is that this team has been derailed by a string of bad decisions. I can't blame Tina for wanting out. Life - and a pro basketball career - are short. Why be miserable?

 

[EricSD]

One thing the Sun needs to understand is that they are located in Connecticut. That means that by proximity alone, they have a built in fan base who adores UCONN, and all their alums. To throw Tina under the bus is a REALLY bad and short sighted move. Honestly, If I had season tickets, that just might be the thing that sends me over edge to cancel. I get it's a business, but that kind of "politicking" does not sit well with me as a true blue UCONN fan...

 

[Icebear]

Plus Eric, that built in fan base is the ONLY fan base for women's basketball in their market. Lose them and you lose big time.

 

[Striper69]

Personally, I don't think the Sun have anything to complain about if she wanted to play on another team. They came out like bandits with this draft.

Chiney and Thomas at forward? You already have Faris and Montgomery at guard? Kelsey Bone looked good last year.

All's well that ends well...

 

[Striper69]

BTW- The Liberty at the Sun on May 4th screams "ROAD TRIP" to me!

 

[chrissaran]

Tina was a restricted free agent. As for her quitting on the Sun: GIVE ME A BREAK! Kara Lawson also wanted out. Maybe there's something to the atmosphere in the locker room. It's not always the players. Bobby V lasted one year with the Sox. New York acquired an incredible player, a current star. Hopefully, there are their way toward building a championship team. Good luck, Tina. Many in the UConn nation still love you.

 

[HuskyNan]

Wonder how folks would have reacted to similar actions by Parker...

I don't think it would be as bad as you think. People havebeen more rational in discussing her in recent years since she no longer plays for Tennessee.

The strong support comes from Tina's being a UConn alum, yes, but many here are also Sun fans. As one person said, fans could see how unhappy she was last season so that wanting out was not a big surprise . We also "know" Tina from her years as a Husky and are sympathetic to her discomfort with the Sun.

I'm not sure why you needed to introdruce what appeared to be an attempt to shame Tina's fans without elaborating or clarifying what you meant.

 

[Waquoit]

Tina was a restricted free agent. As for her quitting on the Sun: GIVE ME A BREAK! Kara Lawson also wanted out.

Exactly. Those with enough stature to get out of Uncasville, got out. What does that tell you?