We have experienced an extremely consequential off-season with one UConn arrival and two departures, coaches changes, transfers, and the moving back of the 3-point line among other things, but we now appear to be in a relatively slow time between seasons and this represents an opportunity for some Boneyard thoughts. I have been reading the Boneyard for over three years and posted the first of some 37 messages on March 10, 2020. I check the site regularly for news on UConn women’s basketball and for opinion about it and find a great deal of interest. Nevertheless, I have a few pet peeves.
First, it is frustrating when the conversation moves off the original thread. If the thread is interesting and worthwhile to read, as most are, it becomes progressively less interesting, however, when someone takes a comment or aside from a previous message and goes off on a tangent. Once it loses focus, the thread often does not regain it and moves rapidly to irrelevance.
Second, I find short messages that do not say anything of a substantive nature to be of little value.
Third, criticism over typos and when someone gets a name wrong (something that becomes more frequent with age) is not necessary. Most of us understand that it is easy to use the wrong word (all numbers look correct, for example), Spellcheck is not infallible, and we need to be gracious when such errors occur. It does bother me, however, when someone types loose instead of lose.
Fourth, many excellent commentators use abbreviation or nicknames too often. Granted if you don’t know who Maya or Sue is, you haven’t been following UConn basketball that long, but still it would be easier if the first time someone is mentioned in a post that the person is identified clearly so that there can be no confusion. The Grinch sometimes has difficulty in remembering all the CDs, although knows that Caroline Ducharme equals Caroline Ducharme.
Fifth, we need to stop measuring the best of the best by the number of national championships won while that player was on the team. My opinion is that Moriah Jefferson was the 4th best point guard in UConn history following Sue Bird, Jen Rizzotti, and Renee Montgomery. There is room for debate to be sure, but it should not be based on the number of national championships, for by this standard Maria Conlon was superior to Sue Bird.
Sixth, we need to be more understanding of the stresses of playing college basketball at UConn with a huge target on your back every game. Some players do not live up to our expectations for them and we should remember that they are still kids. We have no idea of the pressures they endure or put upon themselves, let alone the immense difficulties of trying to play this past season with the constant concern that your next game may not be played due to coronavirus striking someone associated with the team or that of an opponent. In addition, think about the difficulties encountered by the players when they cannot see their families, although social media can help reduce these stresses.
Seventh, it is not uncommon for links to be provided to articles that are hidden behind newspaper paywalls to which most Boneyarders lack access. “Fair use” allows those who can read them to summarize contents andprovide a succinct quote or two. The Grinch encourages that this practice be pursued.
Finally, so as not to end on a sour note, thanks to those posters who provide access to interviews like the ones of Geno Auriemma appearing before the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in March and his interview with AP reporter Doug Feinberg at tournament time, not to mention those of players at summer practice.
We follow women’s basketball for love of seeing the game played the way it should be played and as a pleasurable escape from the travails of daily life. Long live the Boneyard!
First, it is frustrating when the conversation moves off the original thread. If the thread is interesting and worthwhile to read, as most are, it becomes progressively less interesting, however, when someone takes a comment or aside from a previous message and goes off on a tangent. Once it loses focus, the thread often does not regain it and moves rapidly to irrelevance.
Second, I find short messages that do not say anything of a substantive nature to be of little value.
Third, criticism over typos and when someone gets a name wrong (something that becomes more frequent with age) is not necessary. Most of us understand that it is easy to use the wrong word (all numbers look correct, for example), Spellcheck is not infallible, and we need to be gracious when such errors occur. It does bother me, however, when someone types loose instead of lose.
Fourth, many excellent commentators use abbreviation or nicknames too often. Granted if you don’t know who Maya or Sue is, you haven’t been following UConn basketball that long, but still it would be easier if the first time someone is mentioned in a post that the person is identified clearly so that there can be no confusion. The Grinch sometimes has difficulty in remembering all the CDs, although knows that Caroline Ducharme equals Caroline Ducharme.
Fifth, we need to stop measuring the best of the best by the number of national championships won while that player was on the team. My opinion is that Moriah Jefferson was the 4th best point guard in UConn history following Sue Bird, Jen Rizzotti, and Renee Montgomery. There is room for debate to be sure, but it should not be based on the number of national championships, for by this standard Maria Conlon was superior to Sue Bird.
Sixth, we need to be more understanding of the stresses of playing college basketball at UConn with a huge target on your back every game. Some players do not live up to our expectations for them and we should remember that they are still kids. We have no idea of the pressures they endure or put upon themselves, let alone the immense difficulties of trying to play this past season with the constant concern that your next game may not be played due to coronavirus striking someone associated with the team or that of an opponent. In addition, think about the difficulties encountered by the players when they cannot see their families, although social media can help reduce these stresses.
Seventh, it is not uncommon for links to be provided to articles that are hidden behind newspaper paywalls to which most Boneyarders lack access. “Fair use” allows those who can read them to summarize contents andprovide a succinct quote or two. The Grinch encourages that this practice be pursued.
Finally, so as not to end on a sour note, thanks to those posters who provide access to interviews like the ones of Geno Auriemma appearing before the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in March and his interview with AP reporter Doug Feinberg at tournament time, not to mention those of players at summer practice.
We follow women’s basketball for love of seeing the game played the way it should be played and as a pleasurable escape from the travails of daily life. Long live the Boneyard!
