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Natalie takes off

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Not calling you out for this, but rather Vanderveer who is just blowing smoke. The idea that "smart" (what does that even mean??) people can't be in the flow athletically is simply preposterous. How many of her players are in fact gifted "in the analytical or computational sense"? And what the hell does that have to do with fast twitch and being in the flow? It's just junk science to make those claims. Has anyone ever heard of Bill Bradley? Andrew Luck (who majored in engineering!)? There's a pretty decent cornerback (a position that requires nothing but fast decision-making) from Stanford playing for Seattle, isn't there? etc. etc. That's complete snobbery on V.'s part, trying to pump up Stanford's so-called academic elitism and whining about her own lack of recent success. As Geno recently said about Joanne P. McCallie, must be hard to recruit at Duke, huh? Ditto Stanford.

Really sorry to rant, but this just drives me nuts. Schools like ND, Stanford, Duke have this mystique that their student/athletes are somehow academically superior and therefore it's harder to succeed athletically because they have to be great at both. I say this over and over: no academic program in the country is more intellectually rigorous that Professor G. Auriemma's Select Topics in Basketball 101, taught 7 days/week 3:00-5:00 pm at Werth. Additional requirement: daily lab from 6:00-8:00 am in Werth weight room. Attendance mandatory, and don't bother showing up if you're going to be late.

As an excuse for a whole program, I agree with you. I do think that certain individual players might be afflicted with Overthinking Syndrome, though. I can even (hypothetically speaking) imagine Geno calling out a player for it, if he thought it would be good motivation for her.
 
As an excuse for a whole program, I agree with you. I do think that certain individual players might be afflicted with Overthinking Syndrome, though. I can even (hypothetically speaking) imagine Geno calling out a player for it, if he thought it would be good motivation for her.
Certainly, some players overthink. But I don't believe it correlates with intellectual classroom skills. Certainly there is no evidence of that, and that is why I believe it's just a lazy and sloppy excuse. Why can't we also then argue the opposite: that athletes who go to the academically worst-ranked schools are "too stupid" to be good athletes? The University of Alabama is frankly not ranked highly among public universities (I hate these rankings, but this is for the sake of discussion); therefore its football players much be too stupid to comprehend the vast complexities of the game and can't possibly compete, right?
 
From photos of the Baylor game--is that a major bruise on the side of Natalie's knee, or something on the photog's lens?
natalieBruise.jpg
That's a tatoo. Geno gave his permission as a reward for the season she is going to have.
 
During the first half, one of the TV broadcasters said words to the effect that Natalie seemed out of shape. And I note that despite being productive in the first half, Natalie played only 6 or 7 minutes in the second half. Anybody see what the broadcasters were seeing? And if not, why the reduced minutes in the second half?
Natalie has played 15 and 16 minutes in the first halves of the 2 games and in both instances she did not get a break - she came in after 4:__ minutes after Gabby picked up her second/third fouls, and played to half time. In both games she then played about 5 minutes in the second half - once after Napheesa picked up her 4th foul. She is a 'bench' player at this point on this team - giving breathers or covering for starters. 15/16 minutes of continuous play for a post player with her size is a long time, and I think it was Meghan that commented that she was sucking wind toward the end of the first half against Baylor. She is busting butt running the floor very well so being a little winded is not surprising.
The reason for the shorter minutes in the second halves is that starters have for the most part not been in foul trouble, so she hasn't been needed as much to cover for their bench minutes.
With the quality defense and rebounding she has been providing, and with hopefully fewer fouls being committed, I suspect Geno will start using her more strategically rather than purely as cover for benched starters.
 
That's a tatoo. Geno gave his permission as a reward for the season she is going to have.
Yup - a tattoo, but the source and permission attributes you give are wrong! It is one that she received from her opponents in the low post and is an honor bestowed on brave and fearless warriors after particularly successful campaigns. :cool:
 
heck of a box out by Kia, protecting Pheesa to shoot without challenge.
Those are the thing--both Kia and Natalie do that are over looked except for posters like you. Big reason Kia is in the games!!!
My hopes and expectations for Ms Butler are being met nicely...
 
As an excuse for a whole program, I agree with you. I do think that certain individual players might be afflicted with Overthinking Syndrome, though. I can even (hypothetically speaking) imagine Geno calling out a player for it, if he thought it would be good motivation for her.
Think Tamika Williams and Geno!
 
I've been extremely impressed with Butler this season. She has shown an ability to defend and rebound against an elite front line which bodes well for future games against ND and SC. If she can continue to take up space it will also allow Collier to continue her solid start on the boards. I also expect Gabby to settle down and provide more help on the boards. I like where things seem to be heading!
 
...Really sorry to rant, but this just drives me nuts. Schools like ND, Stanford, Duke have this mystique that their student/athletes are somehow academically superior and therefore it's harder to succeed athletically because they have to be great at both.

Yes! I'm with you Bags. If we are talking service acadamies, then maybe there is something credible about what is otherwise a PR ruse. Anyone who thinks that a footballer at Northwestern has a tougher mission than a plebe at Navy has no flaming clue.

For years, the "academic rigor" theme was (and is) perpetuated by the NCAA and the "elite" schools themselves. Self-serving rubbish.
 
Totally agree. Geno is somewhat like Bill Belichek in that in addition to positive results, he demands consistency and predictability. Natalie is doing all three-solid performance against Top 10 talent that you can count on.
To add-on to the Pats theme, I think Butler is embodying the motto "Do Your Job". She's doing a nice job on defense. I like the way she looks to help while not losing sight of her own man.
 
I'm reminded of something I believe Tara Vanderveer said about her players: as far as basketball goes, they are sometimes too smart for their own good. The Stanford players tend to have some powerful brains (in the analytical or computational sense), and it perhaps gets in the way on the basketball court. Too much thinking about how they're playing instead of actually playing.

Could it be that Natalie is the same way? She sometimes hesitates in that sort of way, like Geew said. I think that if she had gotten the attention of the college recruiters earlier on, she might have ended up going to a school like Stanford. But oh well. Their loss was Georgetown's gain...and then UConn's gain. ;)
Mickey Mantle said every year at the All Star game Ted Williams would sit next to him in the dugout and try to explain the science of hitting to him. Mick said he never got a hit for 2 weeks after the All Star game because he was thinking about it ("I just go up there and hit.").
 
Mickey Mantle said every year at the All Star game Ted Williams would sit next to him in the dugout and try to explain the science of hitting to him. Mick said he never got a hit for 2 weeks after the All Star game because he was thinking about it ("I just go up there and hit.").
Bull Durham (the movie) was full of those lines - between Kevin's monologues while in the batters box to Meat's 'Don't think, just pitch'.
 
During the first half, one of the TV broadcasters said words to the effect that Natalie seemed out of shape. And I note that despite being productive in the first half, Natalie played only 6 or 7 minutes in the second half. Anybody see what the broadcasters were seeing? And if not, why the reduced minutes in the second half?

I never got this impression the implication that she was out of shape. As ucmiami said- she was winded. She's big. She plays successive minutes especially vs top teams with adrenaline etc, she can get winded.
 
Mickey Mantle said every year at the All Star game Ted Williams would sit next to him in the dugout and try to explain the science of hitting to him. Mick said he never got a hit for 2 weeks after the All Star game because he was thinking about it ("I just go up there and hit.").

Willie Mays was asked how he was so successful. His response:

"When they throw it, I hit it. When they hit it, I catch it. After I catch it, I throw it."

Next question? :)
 
Mickey Mantle said every year at the All Star game Ted Williams would sit next to him in the dugout and try to explain the science of hitting to him. Mick said he never got a hit for 2 weeks after the All Star game because he was thinking about it ("I just go up there and hit.").
Yogi: How can you hit and think at the same time?
 
Ray56-
<<--is that a major bruise on the side of Natalie's knee, or something on the photog's lens?>>
I believe it is a new commendation instituted by the coaching staff.
The "Purple Knee" is awarded to players, such as "The Nat" who insist on biffing it up with the Bigs, in the Box, to benefit big league basketball. (Few know about it- it's awarded on a kneed-to-know basis.)


Kibzer-
<<Where's that guy who lambasted, denigrated and disparaged Natalie, and called her "a mistake," about a week ago?>>
I believe he now has been relocated by the Federal Witless program & lives, under covers in Wacko, Texas.
 
Ray56-
<<--is that a major bruise on the side of Natalie's knee, or something on the photog's lens?>>
I believe it is a new commendation instituted by the coaching staff.
The "Purple Knee" is awarded to players, such as "The Nat" who insist on biffing it up with the Bigs, in the Box, to benefit big league basketball. (Few know about it- it's awarded on a kneed-to-know basis.)
Good one.
 
Where's that guy who lambasted, denigrated and disparaged Natalie, and called her "a mistake," about a week ago?

Isn't it interesting that people who preach (or predict) doom & gloom, 0-4, somehow manage to either disappear, go dark or step back into the shadows, when their prophecies don't pan out? When they do have these flashes of neurological brilliance, they wonder why others can't see what they see.
 
I have been a Natalie supporter since day one. The only thing I wish Natalie would do is, bang back with the other centers/forwards, and move towards the basket instead of away from the basket.

Natalie, Please hear me when I say, it's ok to bang back. When Kara Wolters come to practice, hook up with her, so she can show and teach you how to bang with the big dawgs. If you don't want to talk to Kara, talk with CD and Marisa. Also, work on moving toward the basket when you grab a rebound.
 
I believe it is a new commendation instituted by the coaching staff.
The "Purple Knee" is awarded to players, such as "The Nat" who insist on biffing it up with the Bigs, in the Box, to benefit big league basketball. (Few know about it- it's awarded on a kneed-to-know basis.)
Thanks--and very funny. I know they get bruised quite a bit, especially players who spend a lot of time in the post, but this seems to be a particularly large one.
 
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