Regarding Tennessee, What Would You Prefer To See The Most?

[UConnCat]

I enjoy discussing the Tenn team, its players, match-ups, games against other teams, etc., much like I enjoy talking about Stanford, Notre Dame or other top teams. I like to discuss basketball and Tenn is important to the game. But like DD said, the threads/posts devoted to Summitt, the state of the program, etc., are tiresome.

 

[Ruffian75]

I personally don't care one way or the other how the Vols do. I don't hate them. Not like I hate Rutgers. I do like it when they lose. No matter which disciple takes over at Tennessee when Pat steps down, be it Nikki Caldwell, Kara Lawson, or Kellie Jolly, they won't loose a step and may even prosper. Why? I think Pat has not adjusted well to the changes in the game over the last decade. She is too rigid in her approach. Rebound. Defense. There is more to the game that those two aspects. I think an infusion of young blood in the TN coaching staff would do wonders for them. Because they are Tennessee, they will continue to get great recruits.

 

[msf22b]

The Connecticut, Tennessee rivalry was the most notable in the sport. I had hopes that the goodwill generated by Pat's illness might have broken the logjam that has prevented us from playing against each other. I remain hopeful.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I enjoy discussing the Tenn team, its players, match-ups, games against other teams, etc., much like I enjoy talking about Stanford, Notre Dame or other top teams. I like to discuss basketball and Tenn is important to the game. But like DD said, the threads/posts devoted to Summitt, the state of the program, etc., are tiresome.

its less than a handful that keeps that crap going... and when a good number of UConn fans are gettin fed up with it, thats a problem!

 

[Icebear]

On the other hand DC I wish we never had TN apologists here at all. I understand others don't feel that way but I cringe everytime I listen to them wax and wane about the program no matter how polite they try to be. Sad fact is that I used to respect Pat but that stopped with the empty hat of the charges she attempted to have foisted on UConn and the ugly defenses of those accusations on the "other" board.

I feel a bit more favorable towards Pat because it is possible it was an early symptom of her illness, the others have far less justification for the ugliness they have spread about Geno, Maya, Maya's mother and others.

 

[EricLA]

its less than a handful that keeps that crap going... and when a good number of UConn fans are gettin fed up with it, thats a problem!

are you referring to the threads regarding tennessee in general?

 

[FairView]

My wish for Tennessee: Irrelevance.

 

[DaddyChoc]

On the other hand DC I wish we never had TN apologists here at all. I understand others don't feel that way but I cringe everytime I listen to them wax and wane about the program no matter how polite they try to be. Sad fact is that I used to respect Pat but that stopped with the empty hat of the charges she attempted to have foisted on UConn and the ugly defenses of those accusations on the "other" board.

I feel a bit more favorable towards Pat because it is possible it was an early symptom of her illness, the others have far less justification for the ugliness they have spread about Geno, Maya, Maya's mother and others.

go over there or ESPN and fight it out with them... why argue with other in the comfort of your own land, get out in the battlefield. Im sure they are waiting. its like preaching to the choir here.

 

[Cafe Poliziano]

Husky68 makes a valid point.

I suspect that UT just never really enters the thoughts of most Uconn fans much anymore except to make fun of them over a beer or martini once a season. Chances of playing them in the post season seem minimal as of late, should we play them we all know we will win, so their ranking frankly makes zero difference.

 

[Icebear]

My point is, DC, is not that I want to do battle with them. I prefer not even having contact with them. In the same way that I never post at the Summitt any more and haven't for about 4 years.

 

[doggydaddy]

I do not believe the poll is part of an obsession. But I happen to personally know the person who initiated this thread, having met him in person on a few occasions and spoken to him on the phone several times. I think it is just an objective question posed by a fan of one of the two most storied programs about the other.

The questions was not how people think Tennessee will do, it was about how they WANT them to do. Totally different. The first is intellectual, the second emotional.

And the quote in the first post by Eric said "i think i'd prefer to see them remain in the top 25 and fall to 2nd or 3rd in the SEC. that would keep their fans forever hopeful but devastate them as they aren't able to climb back to the top"

Devisate the fans? This is where I object. It is not about basketball. It's about one-uping the Tennessee fans. Being able to chirp at them at their teams failues. I just don't think that on this board, we need to stoop to that level.

 

[Husky68]

The questions was not how people think Tennessee will do, it was about how they WANT them to do. Totally different. The first is intellectual, the second emotional.

And the quote in the first post by Eric said "i think i'd prefer to see them remain in the top 25 and fall to 2nd or 3rd in the SEC. that would keep their fans forever hopeful but devastate them as they aren't able to climb back to the top"

Devisate the fans? This is where I object. It is not about basketball. It's about one-uping the Tennessee fans. Being able to chirp at them at their teams failues. I just don't think that on this board, we need to stoop to that level.

I'm all for stoop'n.

 

[JS]

This is where I object. It is not about basketball. It's about one-uping the Tennessee fans. Being able to chirp at them at their teams failures. I just don't think that on this board, we need to stoop to that level.

OK, it's about time to wrap this up. Parting comments:

It's clear the board is of two minds regarding the continuing focus of some on Tennessee. Threads about developments there can and should continue. Many of us have a strong continuing interest and good memories of a wonderful rivalry.

Those who've been objecting recently just think the threads are too numerous and too given over to personal animosity toward that program and delight in its failures.

"Then don't read them" isn't a full answer. TN threads are not so specialized that one can easily avoid checking them out, and for better (information/analysis/news) or worse (shades of the juvenile repartee elsewhere) they have an effect on the atmosphere here.

People who post in the thread to say they don't want any such discussion, on the other hand, are engaging in one of the age-old, rancor-developing message board sins -- telling others what to post, within the rules. If we leave such a post up, it's because we think it revealing in a useful way and/or isn't too aggressive.

If and when sidetracking of a particular topic becomes a recurrent problem, the solution may be different. In accordance with a public promise, we test-drove a policy of quick deletion in the case of disrupters of the EDD threads, and that tool is available on the shelf if needed.

We've had some good visitors from the TN camp lately. They add to the board. We're happy to have them and expect them to stick up for their own point of view.

[continued below]

 

[EricLA]

The questions was not how people think Tennessee will do, it was about how they WANT them to do. Totally different. The first is intellectual, the second emotional.

And the quote in the first post by Eric said "i think i'd prefer to see them remain in the top 25 and fall to 2nd or 3rd in the SEC. that would keep their fans forever hopeful but devastate them as they aren't able to climb back to the top"

Devisate the fans? This is where I object. It is not about basketball. It's about one-uping the Tennessee fans. Being able to chirp at them at their teams failues. I just don't think that on this board, we need to stoop to that level.

yep. nothing wrong with my sentiment. it's the nature of intense rivalries. hate the program, hate the fans, whatever. i'm sure many in the Sox/Yankees or UNC/Duke rivalries feel exactly the same way.

 

[JS]

As far as the cause of anti-TN feeling here, the history of moves against UConn by that program is there, and we've been over it plenty -- charges made to the powers that be and innuendos to the media that were ill-considered and probably ill-motivated.

But, aside from that history, I think VTCW hit on the reason for a large part of the continuing rancor here. It resides in some of us who read a certain other message board (and to a lesser extent, another).

It's too easy to come away from that experience with blinders on. If one views the anti-UConn posts of about a dozen people whom one regards as slandering, irresponsible, ignorant, malicious cretins (to say nothing of the three or four who are worse), then one may give in to the temptation to hope their team never wins another game in all its history, just so they'll be maximum miserable.

Such sentiments are unfair, of course, to the hundreds of other posters who are good message board fans and the thousands who are good fans in general.

But that's guilt by association for you.

We have a game tonight, I understand. Finis.