Newsflash....Nobody gives a crap if you think games are "boring, pathetic, embarrassing"...

[tomcat]

Oh, come on. It's one thing to wish, as we did, that UConn could up the level of competition in non-league games. It's another to complain about the games themselves. I believe that at every turn I have acknowledged that what I'd like in an ideal world might not be possible precisely because of the difficulty in creating a schedule (I did a previous post that talked about the problems finding teams that want to schedule one-offs instead of home-and-home series). So to say that I have ignored the problems that the team has scheduling games is just plain wrong.

My initial premise was this (direct quote -- see above): "There's a difference between whining about the boring games (I don't share that opinion) and thinking that if possible, UConn should increase the level of competition, which I happen to believe."

Apparently our disagreement is whether that point of view, longing for tougher games but appreciating what we have -- which I know is shared by some BYers -- is the same as whining about blowouts against teams like Monmouth. I think it's quite different from the person who complains he/she was bored at the game and is bored with all such games.

You know, I'm the person who posted this reply to Tony a few posts back -- direct quote again: "Back when I lived in New England, sure I wanted to see the ones we all knew would be close, but I went to any for which I could scrounge tickets. I remember taking a friend down from the North Shore of Boston to Storrs for the infamous game against Quinnipiac which UConn won by something like 120-25 and, to make matters worse, Quinnipiac lost one of its players to a serious knee injury. I have a feeling that their coach would be one of the few who, after all was said and done, probably couldn't say it was worth playing UConn. Anyway, going to the easy games is just part of being a fan. There's always something to watch, especially when the team is executing at a level close to perfection (which I've seen only a couple of times)"

If you cannot see that there is a difference between that attitude and mindless whining about boring games (for which the answer -- yes -- is to shut off the TV) then there is nothing I can do to demonstrate the contrary. I'm going to stop posting about this now. With all the things that people can legitimately slam me for, it is stupid to have to respond to people who attack me for things I don't believe. DD or someone else who feels a compulsion to have the last word, have at it.

 

[boontonbomber]

David

I agree that the passage you quoted does not represent the largest majority of the subscribers to this board.
I enjoyed the weekend games as much as anyone and admired the precision and artistry with which the team played.

But still wished and so stated that every effort should be made find potentially more viable opponents.

I say potentially because blow-outs will still occur.
Add the brilliance of next years recruiting class to our present roster and with the addition of some skilled bigs over the next one or two recruiting classes, it will be difficult for anyone to keep up; perhaps only a handful of teams will be able to give us a meaningful game.

We should be mindful of the potential for an imbalance so severe that the media will speak of nothing else.

We saw an inkling of that in the opening run of the St Boneventure game.
Midway through that segment, the Bonny's could barely get the ball over the half-court line, while our offense was clicking on every possible cylinder; baseline drives, transition, Mo, Banks and Stewie for 3's, Stef scoring in the post.

It was almost a relief that Bria's long-range shots were a bit off and that the game's ultimate high-scorer hadn't even entered the game.

Few if any teams 2 to 300 could withstand that excellence.

But it would be more palatable if the opponent was ND, UTenn, Cal, Kentucky, Nebraska, LSU, Duke, Georgia, the big state U's and all so-called woman's basketball powers; even some of our long-time foes in the Big East that in the past were known in the past to give us a game.

Surely such a schedule should be able to be accomplished.

Do I think the results will be significantly different? No.

But some of the onus will shift to their ineptitude and inability to develop a program such as our's

I'm sorry if this comes out too harsh, but I think it is sad to witness UConn fans writing in to say this weekend's games were "boring, embarrassing, pathetic and counter productive." How many UConn players do you think feel that way? UConn players LOVE games. Games, against ANY opponent, are the reward for hours and hours of practice, lifting weights and pushing their bodies to the limit. The idea that any player would prefer practice, in an empty gym, against themselves, over a real game in front of 6,000 fans is laughable. Players LIVE for games. They live to put on the uniform, play a real opponent and hear the cheers from 6,000 fans, regardless of the margin of victory.

UConn players don't make the schedule. Even if every good team could be scheduled, there would still be blowouts. UConn is that good and works that hard. Their effort is never boring, pathetic or embarrassing. Most UConn players would probably prefer a hard fought close victory over a quality opponent. Some players might prefer a one-sided romp so they could embellish their statistics. But, those players don't go to UConn.

Next time you are "bored" at a game, watch the enthusiasm and joy on the UConn bench with every basket or blocked shot. Look at how excited the veterans get when TLaw nails a 3. Learn to enjoy the players getting rewarded for all the hours of hard work, sweat and sometimes tears. If that doesn't work, go watch NASCAR. There is bound to be a wreck that will ease your boredom. Go Huskies..!!

one thing you were certainly wrong about, david, is that folks here don't give a crap about the fact that some people here were far from excited about the weekend games. for more than 3 days now the crap has flowed endlessly. what might we expect if people did give a crap.

 

[msf22b]

one thing you were certainly wrong about, david, is that folks here don't give a crap about the fact that some people here were far from excited about the weekend games. for more than 3 days now the crap has flowed endlessly. what might we expect if people did give a crap.

Mais, mon frère, there is always tomorrow…see you all in Springfield.
(Perfectly, right on the way in the direction of the NorthEast Kingdom for some early skiing…thinking of Olde Coach)

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;

 

[boontonbomber]

Oh, come on. It's one thing to wish, as we did, that UConn could up the level of competition in non-league games. It's another to complain about the games themselves. I believe that at every turn I have acknowledged that what I'd like in an ideal world might not be possible precisely because of the difficulty in creating a schedule (I did a previous post that talked about the problems finding teams that want to schedule one-offs instead of home-and-home series). So to say that I have ignored the problems that the team has scheduling games is just plain wrong.

My initial premise was this (direct quote -- see above): "There's a difference between whining about the boring games (I don't share that opinion) and thinking that if possible, UConn should increase the level of competition, which I happen to believe."

Apparently our disagreement is whether that point of view, longing for tougher games but appreciating what we have -- which I know is shared by some BYers -- is the same as whining about blowouts against teams like Monmouth. I think it's quite different from the person who complains he/she was bored at the game and is bored with all such games.

You know, I'm the person who posted this reply to Tony a few posts back -- direct quote again: "Back when I lived in New England, sure I wanted to see the ones we all knew would be close, but I went to any for which I could scrounge tickets. I remember taking a friend down from the North Shore of Boston to Storrs for the infamous game against Quinnipiac which UConn won by something like 120-25 and, to make matters worse, Quinnipiac lost one of its players to a serious knee injury. I have a feeling that their coach would be one of the few who, after all was said and done, probably couldn't say it was worth playing UConn. Anyway, going to the easy games is just part of being a fan. There's always something to watch, especially when the team is executing at a level close to perfection (which I've seen only a couple of times)"

If you cannot see that there is a difference between that attitude and mindless whining about boring games (for which the answer -- yes -- is to shut off the TV) then there is nothing I can do to demonstrate the contrary. I'm going to stop posting about this now. With all the things that people can legitimately slam me for, it is stupid to have to respond to people who attack me for things I don't believe. DD or someone else who feels a compulsion to have the last word, have at it.

your first two paragraphs sum up my feelings precisely, and probably those of most of the so-called "whiners" here. thank you for that concise statement.

 

[calpedaler]

one thing you were certainly wrong about, david, is that folks here don't give a crap about the fact that some people here were far from excited about the weekend games. for more than 3 days now the crap has flowed endlessly. what might we expect if people did give a crap.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I'm sorry if this comes out too harsh, but I think it is sad to witness UConn fans writing in to say this weekend's games were "boring, embarrassing, pathetic and counter productive." How many UConn players do you think feel that way? UConn players LOVE games. Games, against ANY opponent, are the reward for hours and hours of practice, lifting weights and pushing their bodies to the limit. The idea that any player would prefer practice, in an empty gym, against themselves, over a real game in front of 6,000 fans is laughable. Players LIVE for games. They live to put on the uniform, play a real opponent and hear the cheers from 6,000 fans, regardless of the margin of victory.

UConn players don't make the schedule. Even if every good team could be scheduled, there would still be blowouts. UConn is that good and works that hard. Their effort is never boring, pathetic or embarrassing. Most UConn players would probably prefer a hard fought close victory over a quality opponent. Some players might prefer a one-sided romp so they could embellish their statistics. But, those players don't go to UConn.

Next time you are "bored" at a game, watch the enthusiasm and joy on the UConn bench with every basket or blocked shot. Look at how excited the veterans get when TLaw nails a 3. Learn to enjoy the players getting rewarded for all the hours of hard work, sweat and sometimes tears. If that doesn't work, go watch NASCAR. There is bound to be a wreck that will ease your boredom. Go Huskies..!!

David - If you don't mean to be harsh - then don't be. Why not just accept that people have differing opinions. Make your arguments on the merits of your position not "nobody gives a crap". People like you crack me up. Every time some one posts something that you can misconstrue as negative you run to the ramparts to defend "your girls" from attack. The comment about boring games was not critical of the team - it was a comment about non competitive mismatches and the state of wcbb disparity in general. Many board members recognized that and most disagreed - however they did it in a civil manner and countered with positions that I can understand and respect.

"UConn players LOVE games. Games, against ANY opponent, are the reward for hours and hours of practice, lifting weights and pushing their bodies to the limit. The idea that any player would prefer practice, in an empty gym, against themselves, over a real game in front of 6,000 fans is laughable. Players LIVE for games. They live to put on the uniform, play a real opponent and hear the cheers from 6,000 fans, regardless of the margin of victory."

Don't you think that statement is a little presumptuous? Again, that type of comment from the peanut gallery cracks me up. How do you know that to be true? Are you a member of the team or staff? I think I could make an argument that in the case of the games last weekend they did not face a "real" opponent.

BTW - My wife is very in to watching the player's "enthusiasm and joy". I am not - at least when the team is up by 50. She thinks the hi fives after a made 3 are cool. I think they are embarrassing for the player relegated to that role. I offer that as an idea how fans can differ in how we see the game. While she is most attentive to the game, I'm usually reading a book during the snooze fests. Last weekend midway through the Monmouth game she was shoe shopping at Zappos on her I pad. Her comment "this is awful."

 

[Zorro]

Actually, I think you can pretty accurately infer David's premise from the actions, expressions and (dare I say it) "deportment" of the players, both on the court and in their interviews. I hope your book is educational and/or enjoyable. I too read during the games, perforce, switching from gamecast (to tell who is on the court) to gametracker (for the "instant" stats to the gamethread (for the insights of the faithful.) I wish sincerely I didn't have to.

 

[calpedaler]

Her comment "this is awful."

I agree some of the products at Zappos are awful.

 

[DavidinNaples]

vtc...I welcome your opinion and accept that others have different opinions. My opinion is that it is sad when games are called "boring, pathetic, embarrassing and counter productive." Why do you not accept that? In addition:
1. I meant to be harsh, just not "too harsh."
2. I didn't "misconstrue" comments as negative, they were negative.
3. My statement that players LOVE games is based on 15 years of playing sports and 30 years of coaching up through college level. Maybe some prefer practice, never ever met one.
4. I think the player giving high fives after 3's is a volunteer, not "relegated."
5. I'm delighted I "crack you up." Drinks on me at the NC tournament.
6. Yes, guilty of loving and defending "our girls"....and I do reside in the "peanut gallery."
7. I'm not on staff or member of the team, but I drank a bottle of Geno's wine...does that count?
Go Huskies..!!

 

[semper]

All I would want to contribute to this long thread is how lucky you are who can actually SEE the games either in person or on media. Some of us don't have that privilege, and it's really tough. I don't know if I can keep going as a fan if I can never see the games. Sigh.

 

[Zorro]

Yup. Until ol buddy Mike comes through with our first shipment of dvds, we have to use our imaginations. Sort of like the old days of "The Old Scotchman", but without the sound effects. yuk

 

[meyers7]

3. My statement that players LOVE games is based on 15 years of playing sports and 30 years of coaching up through college level. Maybe some prefer practice, never ever met one.

We talking 'bout practice.

 

[vtcwbuff]

vtc...I welcome your opinion and accept that others have different opinions. My opinion is that it is sad when games are called "boring, pathetic, embarrassing and counter productive." Why do you not accept that? In addition:
1. I meant to be harsh, just not "too harsh."
2. I didn't "misconstrue" comments as negative, they were negative.
3. My statement that players LOVE games is based on 15 years of playing sports and 30 years of coaching up through college level. Maybe some prefer practice, never ever met one.
4. I think the player giving high fives after 3's is a volunteer, not "relegated."
5. I'm delighted I "crack you up." Drinks on me at the NC tournament.
6. Yes, guilty of loving and defending "our girls"....and I do reside in the "peanut gallery."
7. I'm not on staff or member of the team, but I drank a bottle of Geno's wine...does that count?
Go Huskies..!!

I believe that you misconstrued the comments as criticism of UConn when they were not. I read your comment that you found it sad that someone else might find a 50 point trouncing boring. Sad? Did you see the games? I find it a little odd that the opinion of some anonymous message board posters could make you sad. Why? If I can accept that you love "your girls" why is it so difficult to accept that for some of us they are total strangers that we support simply because they play great basketball.

Yesterday I broke a special coffee cup that I've had for more than 40 years. I carried it on 4 oceans, a half dozen ships and a million mid-watches. Now that was sad.

 

[doggydaddy]

I believe that you misconstrued the comments as criticism of UConn when they were not. I read your comment that you found it sad that someone else might find a 50 point trouncing boring. Sad? Did you see the games? I find it a little odd that the opinion of some anonymous message board posters could make you sad. Why? If I can accept that you love "your girls" why is it so difficult to accept that for some of us they are total strangers that we support simply because they play great basketball.

Yesterday I broke a special coffee cup that I've had for more than 40 years. I carried it on 4 oceans, a half dozen ships and a million mid-watches. Now that was sad.

You're responding like he was posting specifically about you.

There were several posters criticizing UConn for playing these games. There were several that implied that UConn can just change these games.

There are two definitions of sad. I believe he meant this one.

"pathetically inadequate or unfashionable."

 

[semper]

Yup. Until ol buddy Mike comes through with our first shipment of dvds, we have to use our imaginations. Sort of like the old days of "The Old Scotchman", but without the sound effects. yuk

Hope I can get to know old buddy Mike.

 

[semper]

We talking 'bout practice.

This is hysterical....thanks so much! Don't tell Geno...shhhhhh.....