The Standard Episode 3

[Shorty Dee]

 

[oldude]

I love the crochet lady. She reminds me of my Aunt Ethel who would sit and crochet for hours, all the while watching tv or conversing with family and friends.

 

[Mdoggie]

Did y’all hear Genos last statement. Coach said it. Now do you believe it? He meant what he said, not what you think he said. In the words of the great street poet Pookey “point, blank, period!”

 

[Shorty Dee]

April (with the ponchos) and Danny K (UConn chant) are icons that you will never forget!!!!

 

[oldude]

Did y’all hear Genos last statement. Coach said it. Now do you believe it? He meant what he said, not what you think he said. In the words of the great street poet Pookey “point, blank, period!”

You can accept Geno’s statements at “face value” or hear them as being tinged with a touch of hyperbole. After listening to Geno lo these many years, I tend to relegate his last statement in the hyperbole category.

However, if you accept his last statement at face value, that UConn’s season is only successful if they win a national championship, then a corollary statement must also be true, that any season when UConn does not win a national championship is a failure.

That would mean that 26 seasons under Geno Auriemma have been failures, including the last 6. Therefore, Conference championships, Regional championships, AA’s, WNBA draft picks, 100% graduation rates, etc. don’t matter.

I just can’t accept that narrow assessment of UConn WBB.

 

[Mdoggie]

I vote face value.

 

[eebmg]

You can accept Geno’s statements at “face value” or hear them as being tinged with a touch of hyperbole. After listening to Geno lo these many years, I tend to relegate his last statement in the hyperbole category.

However, if you accept his last statement at face value, that UConn’s season is only successful if they win a national championship, then a corollary statement must also be true, that any season when UConn does not win a national championship is a failure.

That would mean that 26 seasons under Geno Auriemma have been failures, including the last 6. Therefore, Conference championships, Regional championships, AA’s, WNBA draft picks, 100% graduation rates, etc. don’t matter.

I just can’t accept that narrow assessment of UConn WBB.

I think Geno's use of environment is referring more about the fan and perhaps press expectations than the coaching staff expectations and the kids have to live with that day to day. Coaches also set their expectations very high but I doubt you will catch Geno saying last years NC Final loss made the season a failure. Now the fans are another story

 

[Bald Husky]

He created this monster; he tells recruits to come to UConn to play for a NC. He said last year that it is a tremendous burden because what he promised is getting harder and harder every year. In my opinion, they have to win one pretty soon or that promise will become a hollow statement. (He will).

 

[oldude]

He created this monster; he tells recruits to come to UConn to play for a NC. He said last year that it is a tremendous burden because what he promised is getting harder and harder every year. In my opinion, they have to win one pretty soon or that promise will become a hollow statement. (He will).

While I have no doubt that Geno provides a pretty good picture of the fans expectations at UConn to recruits, I have never heard of him telling recruits to, “Come to UConn to play for a National Championship.” So the suggestion that there is a “promise” that is at risk of becoming a “hollow statement” just doesn’t mesh with the facts.

 

[Bald Husky]

While I have no doubt that Geno provides a pretty good picture of the fans expectations at UConn to recruits, I have never heard of him telling recruits to, “Come to UConn to play for a National Championship.” So the suggestion that there is a “promise” that is at risk of becoming a “hollow statement” just doesn’t mesh with the facts.

Kids hear what they want to hear, and I didn't say win a NC, I said play for a NC which means getting to the final 4. You listen to the kids coming in, and their goal is to win a NC. That is how they interpret what Geno says and that is why they chose UConn.

 

[#12in21]

As long as I can remember, the three season goals have been to win the conference, make the final four and win the NC. Obviously the later hasn't been achieved as many seasons as it hasn't - but it has happened at UCONN more than it has at any other program. I would guess that in the minds of the players all three of those seem achievable as they begin each season, so not achieving all of them feels like a failure. For the record, I can't blame them because in my heart since the 2016-17 season there is only one where I didn't believe they had as good or a better chance to cut down the nets than any other team. More than one heartbreakers in there. No guarantees, as others have mentioned, but always a goal to realistically strive for.

 

[oldude]

Kids hear what they want to hear, and I didn't say win a NC, I said play for a NC which means getting to the final 4. You listen to the kids coming in, and their goal is to win a NC. That is how they interpret what Geno says and that is why they chose UConn.

High School kids tend to be optimistic, and that’s fine. Geno doesn’t promise them anything. When it comes to UConn WBB I think fans hear what they want to hear.

 

[Bone Dog]

Hahaha! Good one. Clip the context and it almost seems like he said only an NC makes a season successful.

Fortunately, this remark has been floating around in other videos, and it's clear he's talking about the difficulty of coming to a program as a high school kid where the expectations of the fans (and this includes fellow students) is for an NC -- anything less is a failure. In fuller versions of this, he goes on to describe how he tries to protect kids from that pressure.

 

[augustaTC]

So nice to see Nika and Dorka smiling and just being college kids.

 

[Mdoggie]

High School kids tend to be optimistic, and that’s fine. Geno doesn’t promise them anything. When it comes to UConn WBB I think fans hear what they want to hear.

Yes you did.

 

[Aluminny69]

Only four teams out of over 400 make the Final Four. Only one team has made it fourteen years in a row! ( and counting). This will never be duplicated in my lifetime.

 

[Boreifs]

You can accept Geno’s statements at “face value” or hear them as being tinged with a touch of hyperbole. After listening to Geno lo these many years, I tend to relegate his last statement in the hyperbole category.

However, if you accept his last statement at face value, that UConn’s season is only successful if they win a national championship, then a corollary statement must also be true, that any season when UConn does not win a national championship is a failure.

That would mean that 26 seasons under Geno Auriemma have been failures, including the last 6. Therefore, Conference championships, Regional championships, AA’s, WNBA draft picks, 100% graduation rates, etc. don’t matter.

I just can’t accept that narrow assessment of UConn WBB.

I interpreted his remarks as the expectations of the fan base, not his personal goals. I believe he is always happy if his team reached its potential; he is keenly aware that he often does not have the horses to win.

 

[Bald Husky]

High School kids tend to be optimistic, and that’s fine. Geno doesn’t promise them anything. When it comes to UConn WBB I think fans hear what they want to hear.

At my age I don't hear very well, but I guess yours is super if you can hear what he talks about with recruits in their living room. I know he doesn't promise them they will win the NC if they come to UConn, but don't tell me he doesn't tell them that they would have a good chance to get to the final 4 based on our history. Come on, that is one of the lures of coming to UConn. To think that he doesn't bring it up or answer questions about the possibility I think is naive.

 

[oldude]

At my age I don't hear very well, but I guess yours is super if you can hear what he talks about with recruits in their living room. I know he doesn't promise them they will win the NC if they come to UConn, but don't tell me he doesn't tell them that they would have a good chance to get to the final 4 based on our history. Come on, that is one of the lures of coming to UConn. To think that he doesn't bring it up or answer questions about the possibility I think is naive.

You’re changing your story. Initially you stated that “he promised” recruits they would play for a NC. The “he” you refer to must be Geno, because everyone else on the coaching staff is a “she.”

Now it’s that they would have a “good chance” to get to the FF based on our history. Recruits only need to look at the last 14 seasons to know there’s a good chance of playing in a FF. There is no promise made by Geno during the recruiting process, whether it pertains to PT or national championships.

 

[Bald Husky]

You’re changing your story. Initially you stated that “he promised” recruits they would play for a NC. The “he” you refer to must be Geno, because everyone else on the coaching staff is a “she.”

Now it’s that they would have a “good chance” to get to the FF based on our history. Recruits only need to look at the last 14 seasons to know there’s a good chance of playing in a FF. There is no promise made by Geno during the recruiting process, whether it pertains to PT or national championships.

I probably used the word "promise" by not thinking, but now you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Good Grief Charlie Brown.

 

[Zarathustra]

Listen to the whole tape/ video. I love Geno's comment: " We look
for unselfish kids".

 

[hoophuskee]

Did y’all hear Genos last statement. Coach said it. Now do you believe it? He meant what he said, not what you think he said. In the words of the great street poet Pookey “point, blank, period!”

But why do you want to ignore his other past comments in regard to what he has said about goals of Big East reg season, Big East Tourney, and winning the Region by getting to Final Four when he speaks at different times how proud he was of them? Why should those comments be ignored?

 

[Mdoggie]

But why do you want to ignore his other past comments in regard to what he has said about goals of Big East reg season, Big East Tourney, and winning the Region by getting to Final Four when he speaks at different times how proud he was of them? Why should those comments be ignored?

I’m not. That’s the gravy.

 

[hoophuskee]

I’m not. That’s the gravy.

So we agree that the gravy isn't "nothing?" I don't think anyone is arguing with you that the NC isn't the most important though,. It's the comment that a NC is "everything" and anything else is nothing. You buy a world class steak-- you are going to serve it with the cheapest gravy money can buy?

UCONN is an elite world renowned program. There's no cutting corners looking to get by with anything "cheap." You saw Paige screaming at her teammates during the Nova game. That reg. season game "mattered" to a college player like Paige even though it wasn't a championship game. As a killer Paige is and as a super coach Geno is- letting such an inferior team beat them matters in that moment. That's why she is a killer as you mentioned. An why Geno si GOAT wcbb coach. The pro game it's just one of many - no big deal -but not to an elite college team the gravy matters as they are in more of the learning phase of their games.

 

[huskyd]

You can accept Geno’s statements at “face value” or hear them as being tinged with a touch of hyperbole. After listening to Geno lo these many years, I tend to relegate his last statement in the hyperbole category.

However, if you accept his last statement at face value, that UConn’s season is only successful if they win a national championship, then a corollary statement must also be true, that any season when UConn does not win a national championship is a failure.

That would mean that 26 seasons under Geno Auriemma have been failures, including the last 6. Therefore, Conference championships, Regional championships, AA’s, WNBA draft picks, 100% graduation rates, etc. don’t matter.

I just can’t accept that narrow assessment of UConn WBB.

Anyone who does not recognize the merit of last season isn't equipped to be a fan. UConn did not win the NC, but they rallied from getting Paige back to a series of amazing wins, arguably some of the best games ever played by a Husky squad. If thrilling ain't enough, nothing can be.
No, Geno is not to be taken literally. He was just repeating an on-going aspiration to be a good as possible while understanding fully that good might not always be enough and perfect is beyond reach. As the song goes in "South Pacific," "You gotta to have a dream or how you gonna have a dream come true? If you don't talk happy, and you never have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?"