Thoughts on UConn WCBB as performance art

[bags27]

Performance Art: that’s Rocky’s terrific characterization of what UConn does when it’s playing at the top of its game.

Recently, my brother-in-law (?$@#*!) started picking on me for supporting a “front-runner.” I tried to explain that, while UConn’s winning is great, it’s really a second-derivative of why I watch. I watch because it’s a thing of beauty (and a joy forever). But brothers-in-law have a unique way of getting under your skin, so I carried this around with me for days.

I started thinking about my wife’s utter fascination with Roger Federer in his prime (and our mutual fascination with Tiger Woods before his wife mistook his face for a golf ball). Of course, their domination was part of the fascination. But again, the dominance was the result, not the cause, of why we watched. As Bobby Jones paid the ultimate tribute to his young successor, declaring that, “Nicklaus played a game with which I am not familiar,” Nicklaus paid it forward, bestowing on the young Woods the same compliment. You might imagine Rod Laver saying the same thing about Roger Federer.

And Henry Iba (creator of the motion offense) and Bobby Knight (developer of the same), etc. saying the same thing about Geno and his amazing team. At its best, it is a game with which we are not familiar, because it is more than a game. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It is an art form—performance art.

Take that, brother-in-law (?$@#*!).

 

[huskyd]

Performance Art: that’s Rocky’s terrific characterization of what UConn does when it’s playing at the top of its game.

Recently, my brother-in-law (?$@#*!) started picking on me for supporting a “front-runner.” I tried to explain that, while UConn’s winning is great, it’s really a second-derivative of why I watch. I watch because it’s a thing of beauty (and a joy forever). But brothers-in-law have a unique way of getting under your skin, so I carried this around with me for days.

I started thinking about my wife’s utter fascination with Roger Federer in his prime (and our mutual fascination with Tiger Woods before his wife mistook his face for a golf ball). Of course, their domination was part of the fascination. But again, the dominance was the result, not the cause, of why we watched. As Bobby Jones paid the ultimate tribute to his young successor, declaring that, “Nicklaus played a game with which I am not familiar,” Nicklaus paid it forward, bestowing on the young Woods the same compliment. You might imagine Rod Laver saying the same thing about Roger Federer.

And Henry Iba (creator of the motion offense) and Bobby Knight (developer of the same), etc. saying the same thing about Geno and his amazing team. At its best, it is a game with which we are not familiar, because it is more than a game. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It is an art form—performance art.

Take that, brother-in-law (?$@#*!).

I may have said this (in shorter form) as recently as yesterday, and I totally agree with you. The distinction between Art and Craft is subtle. At what point does craft become art? Craft is about utility; if something is "merely" useful (a cup or bowl or a competently played game) it's the product of craft. But when something transcends the practical and becomes something else entirely, that's fairly called "art." UConn does sometimes (not always, of course) play so beautifully that it becomes almost mystical, defying the ordinary and touching the sublime. To many such babbling sounds insane, but Real Men can live with that. And, yes, art brings joy.

 

[oldude]

There is a downside to my fascination with the beauty of the choreography that is UConn women's basketball. At times it can be very difficult for me to watch another basketball game. It's like watching one of my favorite musicals Chicago on Broadway and the next night going to see some low budget, badly directed off, off, off-Broadway production. The first leaves you exhilarated and the second is just plain depressing.

 

[bags27]

There is a downside to my fascination with the beauty of the choreography that is UConn women's basketball. At times it can be very difficult for me to watch another basketball game. It's like watching one of my favorite musicals Chicago on Broadway and the next night going to see some low budget, badly directed off, off, off-Broadway production. The first leaves you exhilarated and the second is just plain depressing.

Following up on that, my brother-in-law asked me if I watch WNBA, and I replied: rarely. Because the pros also play abroad, they don't get the practice time and, even though they are supremely talented, I can't stand the lack of team discipline.

 

[tomcat]

I think this is another perspective on the thing I love about UConn women's basketball -- watching the pursuit of perfection. There have been a number of times -- this year's SFU game, for one -- in which it appeared to me that the team was playing unconsciously -- just clicking on all cylinders, seemingly without thinking -- and appears to be unstoppable. There's no question, IMHO, that such times equate to performance art. At other times, when the net result isn't really perfect but the effort is there, that's performance art, too, with a not-quite-so-perfect result.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

in which it appeared to me that the team was playing unconsciously

There is actually a video from weeks ago with KLS or Kia I believe, saying pretty much the same thing.

 

[JRRRJ]

Performance Art: that’s Rocky’s terrific characterization of what UConn does when it’s playing at the top of its game.
.
.
.

The most spectacular recent example to my mind was (I believe) in the Tulsa game. In the half-court offense, the spacing was perfect -- one low on each side, one in the paint, one on either side of the top of the key. Lou had the ball on the right side low, and took a dribble to the right, appearing to start a baseline drive. She saw something that changed her mind and wheeled to her left toward the right side top of the key. By the time she began her second step every Husky started rotating to the next position clockwise. I don't remember the rest of the play, but the coordinated attention, focus and training that one movement evidenced was completely awesome. And I mean bigly!

 

[msf22b]

The thing is...with regard aesthetic beauty.
This year's team is close to the ultimate in complete sharing;
much like the balletic impulses; implicit in the entrances and variations in (say) the choreography of Mark Morris and the chaotic, yet somehow coherent improvisation of (the late and lamented) Pina Bausch.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The most spectacular recent example to my mind was (I believe) in the Tulsa game. In the half-court offense, the spacing was perfect -- one low on each side, one in the paint, one on either side of the top of the key. Lou had the ball on the right side low, and took a dribble to the right, appearing to start a baseline drive. She saw something that changed her mind and wheeled to her left toward the right side top of the key. By the time she began her second step every Husky started rotating to the next position clockwise. I don't remember the rest of the play, but the coordinated attention, focus and training that one movement evidenced was completely awesome. And I mean bigly!

Golly gee, now I have to go back and watch again. "bigly", great word. Word of the day.

 

[JRRRJ]

Golly gee, now I have to go back and watch again. "bigly", great word. Word of the day.

Sorry if my inconsistent memory makes you look at more than one game. I can reduce the search space a little -- UConn was on offense at the right end of the wide-angle views.

 

[Shorty Dee]

All I can say is, they are amazing. I haven't seen another team like UConn. There are times they look like swans on the court.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I think this is another perspective on the thing I love about UConn women's basketball -- watching the pursuit of perfection. There have been a number of times -- this year's SFU game, for one -- in which it appeared to me that the team was playing unconsciously -- just clicking on all cylinders, seemingly without thinking -- and appears to be unstoppable. There's no question, IMHO, that such times equate to performance art. At other times, when the net result isn't really perfect but the effort is there, that's performance art, too, with a not-quite-so-perfect result.

This is where basketball becomes the great sport that it is: The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Synergy. The new organism flows and functions reflexively as one.

 

[Ron and Vida]

This is where basketball becomes the great sport that it is: The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Synergy. The new organism flows and functions reflexively as one.

It's well known that soccer is often described as "the beautiful game."
And when it is played as Gus described above, it truly is.
But we don't have to go to England or Spain or Brazil to see the beautiful game.
When the girls are firing on all cylinders it is right here in Storrs.

 

[Wally East]

I've often described watching UConn as watching people performing at a really high level, which I find inspiring. It's not about competition, it's about performance and achieving excellence. It's sport as art.