Team Meets President (merged thread)

[Bestiarius]

This incident should remind us of what a great country we are privileged to live in. In many parts of the world, such action could lead to dire consequences, perhaps even a death sentence. Here it has been accepted in the manner in which it was intended. A good natured prank by a couple of young kids who happen to be great basketball players and not seasoned diplomats. Besides, is applying the rabbit ears ever a sign of disrespect? I don't think so.

 

[Vowelguy]

I would be willing to bet Obama did not have a problem with it. And if he doesn't, I surely don't.

Not his call. The presidency is bigger than him.

 

[semper]

Yeah, everybody looked great, esp. I thought Stewie and Bria.

 

[meyers7]

When I first saw the pictures I thought, hmm might have went a little too far. But after viewing the video, not so much. The POTUS seemed to be playing with them at the time and they certainly had plenty of "official" pictures snapped before and after.

Mostly no harm, no foul. IMO.

 

[Huskyhoops]

My initial reaction after seeing the photo yesterday was negative. But this morning's Hartford Courant there were additional photos and commentary which changed my mind. Taken in context, this was mostly just one incident in a series of light-hearted events which were fully participated in by President Obama. The "official" and formal photograph of the event was done properly. The "bunny ears" bit was just one of dozens of pictures taken by the media after the official stuff was over.

Bottom line - they were all having fun with the President, not at his expense.

 

[jplotinus]

This incident should remind us of what a great country we are privileged to live in. In many parts of the world, such action could lead to dire consequences, perhaps even a death sentence. Here it has been accepted in the manner in which it was intended. A good natured prank by a couple of young kids who happen to be great basketball players and not seasoned diplomats. Besides, is applying the rabbit ears ever a sign of disrespect? I don't think so.

Smile and say "cheese" but carefully consider anything else you might say... :-/

Maybe we need to consider whether or girls were engaging in a form of protest against spying on us and restrictions on constitutional rights to privacy? They are, afterall, in college, where, in some instances and on some campuses, critical thinking is occasionally encouraged. :-o

 

[Icebear]

Not his call. The presidency is bigger than him.

It is his call in the same manner it is for every president. Each strives to set a tone for a given situation. Obama did that the video makes the situation clear.


It was not a state dinner involving the highest protocols where the rules are made clear to both sides and transgressing the line is a direct affront to the guest nation.

Was it a faux pas? Yes. A biggie? Not even close.

 

[jplotinus]

It is his call in the same manner it is for every president. Each strives to set a tone for a given situation. Obama did that the video makes the situation clear.


It was not a state dinner involving the highest protocols where the rules are made clear to both sides and transgressing the line is a direct affront to the guest nation.

Was it a faux pas? Yes. A biggie? Not even close.

You are quite correct. In the world of sport, there have been "biggies" but what our girls did was not one of them:

This does not mean that "biggies" are not called for at present...

 

[CL82]

A few thoughts:

1. Seeing the team dressed up like "girly, girls" always makes me smile. Besides being outstanding athletes, they really are lovely young women.

2. Unless invited to so do (and I haven't read the article yet), I agree that giving the POTUS bunny ears is inappropriate. (...and yet I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it as I type this.)

3. Anyone else does it, anyone - UConn player or not, and it is more offensive. Steph's great heart comes through in the photo. She's a hard person to condemn.

4. But the good news is, at least she wasn't wearing a headband....

 

[rt bb fan]

I noticed Stef trying to get Stewie involved , but she was like no way. Really surprised at Kiah going along with Stef. It was very childish. I am sure the rest of the team is not happy about this either.

 

[Icebear]

I noticed Stef trying to get Stewie involved , but she was like no way. Really surprised at Kiah going along with Stef. It was very childish. I am sure the rest of the team is not happy about this either.

The follow-up pretty much seems to indicate you're wrong about that.

 

[UcMiami]

Amazed that in the news links there is a story from the Daily Mail in London - and it isn't just a blurb, but a full column with lots of pictures. I guess that is one way to get international recognition, but ...

 

[rocky rococo]

Agreed. Why she thought that would be funny, is beyond me. Pretty embarrassing actually.

Because it's inherently funny, for the same reasons "Three Stooges" films worked. It plays to the 12-year-old in all of us. In 50 years, this is the pic they show their granddaughters.

 

[huskysupporter]

Because it's inherently funny, for the same reasons "Three Stooges" films worked. It plays to the 12-year-old in all of us. In 50 years, this is the pic they show their granddaughters.

It is inherently funny to display rabbit ears behind the POTUS? Guess I am a crumudgen at the age of 36 because I find it pretty classless.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[EricLA]

Good lord, people lighten up. Some of you are acting like they shoved or slapped the POTUS. The major news reports have picked it up as "lighthearted moment" that the president joined in with when he "snapped his fingers in a moment that was quickly immortalized".

From Yahoo News

From Fox News (The right wing media outlet)

From Today

The Huskies were described as fun loving, light hearted, and the "Lady Huskies enjoyed a good old fashioned photo bomb". Another said the "Lady Huskies decided to have some fun with the President". There was not a single article that mentioned ANYTHING negative, never mind some of the over the top posts we've seen in this thread from our own fan base.

For those going on and on about punishment and classlessness of Stef and Kiah, clearly no one else in the country felt that way, except maybe for the folks down south... As for the UCONN fans, I just don't get the hysteria over it. I really hope someone from the Horde asks Chris or Geno about it so some of the folks on here can stop losing their skulls over it. Or continue to go on and on and on and on about it.

 

[dtbtbtb]

IMO the Bunny Ears is not funny and is disrespectful but clearly was not meant that way.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I have met my share of "important" people. Often, they dictate how they want you to interact with them. Clearly, this is all Obama's fault because he was disrespectful to the office of the President as it is perceived by others. If he hadn't been inappropriate and childish, the team wouldn't have followed his lead.

 

[boontonbomber]

they shouldn't be expected to be perfect, but they should be aware(or be made aware) of how very inappropriate it was. rather childish, i thought.

 

[TDiNozzo]

His daughters probably have had a poster made up of it, hanging in their rooms... It was just a good natured meeting all around...

 

[EricLA]

I have a thought which is different from my last post and is why I'm posting again.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for Geno to do the following - take Stef and Kiah into his office and have them sit down and read the Boneyard posts on the subject. He can share whatever his opinion is on the matter, but point out that while the message forum has some of their most rabid fans, somewhere between 40-50% of the posters feel the behavior was inappropriate, with a minority of those calling for punishment and more.

I'm not saying that they should be punished and I don't agree with those who seem to me to be over the top, but the fact is that much more than a few people feel it was the wrong behavior for the players to exhibit in their visit to the White House. Perhaps that would be the best way to remind them that they represent themselves, the team, and the university at all times, and that their behavior can have unintended consequences.

I'm betting they the players meant it in good fun, as Obama was clearly setting the tone and enjoying the moment, but it's also clear that more than a few fans were not pleased with the behavior, to wildly varying degrees.

 

[Icebear]

I have met my share of "important" people. Often, they dictate how they want you to interact with them. Clearly, this is all Obama's fault because he was disrespectful to the office of the President as it is perceived by others. If he hadn't been inappropriate and childish, the team wouldn't have followed his lead.

You realize that you are confusing people and pushing to the technical limits of their sarcasm detectors.

 

[Icebear]

I have a thought which is different from my last post and is why I'm posting again.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for Geno to do the following - take Stef and Kiah into his office and have them sit down and read the Boneyard posts on the subject. He can share whatever his opinion is on the matter, but point out that while the message forum has some of their most rabid fans, somewhere between 40-50% of the posters feel the behavior was inappropriate, with a minority of those calling for punishment and more.

I'm not saying that they should be punished and I don't agree with those who seem to me to be over the top, but the fact is that much more than a few people feel it was the wrong behavior for the players to exhibit in their visit to the White House. Perhaps that would be the best way to remind them that they represent themselves, the team, and the university at all times, and that their behavior can have unintended consequences.

I'm betting they the players meant it in good fun, as Obama was clearly setting the tone and enjoying the moment, but it's also clear that more than a few fans were not pleased with the behavior, to wildly varying degrees.

Did you clear it with DD?

If a punishment for Stef and Kiah is deemed necessary I have arranged for the two of them to tread kraut in about two weeks when we check the progress and make sure it is properly breaking down and fermenting.

 

[hoopingcrane]

You realizing that you are confusing people and pushing to the technical limits their sarcasm detectors.

True that, I had to look twice to be sure who the (im)poster was.

 

[doggydaddy]

Did you clear it with DD?

If a punishment for Stef and Kiah is deemed necessary I have arranged for the two of them to tread kraut in about two weeks when we check the progress and make sure it is properly breaking down and fermenting.

Why would Diamond DeShields care?

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

College students lacking proper maturity!! What next? Where will it end? What will we do? Where is the sense of proper conduct and decorum that past presidents and countless politicians have brought by example to the oval office/White House…wait…

Clearly there are differing points of view on the UCONN BunyGate FotoBomb, but, some of the law and order BoneYard posts are so filled with pomposity as to cause the poster(s) to both implode and explode simultaneously.