Voepel on Husky-LadyVol Rivalry

[Blue Huskie]

The best game (In any sport) I ever attended was the first TENN game at Gampel. The loudest of any I've ever been to. My ears were ringing for three days. Just awesome. A real golden moment in the sport. Fast forward to present day: While I recognize the historic importance of the series I'm so "over" this media push to rekindle the matchup and it sounds like Geno is too.

 

[mr006]

We try to play just about every other top team, and so does Tennessee... even if it is no longer a relevant rivalry, we should also play them, if only for that reason, for as long as they (and we) are a top team. Do we NEED it? No. Does it matter to the teams nowadays? Probably not. But in general, I would think most CT fans would welcome the renewal, certainly no less than the other Top 10 match-ups we currently have (as opposed to our current AAC opponents, for example), and I'm sure the folks down south would gladly come out to boo us, should they be given the chance. Good practice for other hostile environments.

Try as they might, ESPN won't get it to happen this time around... but hey, they can always try again on the 25th anniversary.

 

[Ellie]

Count me out. I'd be happy if they never played again. Ever.

Wow, couldn't say it better. Probably be sent to hell for this but can't forgive those pompous hypocrites and probably never will.

 

[Geno-ista]

We try to play just about every other top team, and so does Tennessee... even if it is no longer a relevant rivalry, we should also play them, if only for that reason, for as long as they (and we) are a top team. Do we NEED it? No. Does it matter to the teams nowadays? Probably not. But in general, I would think most CT fans would welcome the renewal, certainly no less than the other Top 10 match-ups we currently have (as opposed to our current AAC opponents, for example), and I'm sure the folks down south would gladly come out to boo us, should they be given the chance. Good practice for other hostile environments.

Try as they might, ESPN won't get it to happen this time around... but hey, they can always try again on the 25th anniversary.

They - the powers that be will probably match us in the same bracket in the Tmt regionals this yr , if they think tenn is Gd enough to compete with us- and then ride that as much as they can.

 

[tomcat]

In a recent interview, though it was lost behind more colorful remarks, Geno correctly observed (best paraphrase I can muster): What rivalry. That's gone. We've moved on. Stanford and UConn is a rivalry. I'd say UConn and ND is the best rivalry in women's basketball.

Yep, that's right. It WAS a rivalry, and it isn't one now. It would just be a fascinating game with an amazing backstory, which is why it would be good for women's basketball and one reason why I would love to see the game played.

 

[tomcat]

They - the powers that be will probably match us in the same bracket in the Tmt regionals this yr , if they think tenn is Gd enough to compete with us- and then ride that as much as they can.

From your mouth to God's ears.

 

[UcMiami]

The difference is the game really doesn't need Uconn/Tenn the way it did. For most of the history of the games, Uconn and Tenn were 'women's basketball' as far as the general public was concerned. Now you have a lot of teams that draw 8,000-10,000 for big games during the season, and you cannot scroll through the sports channels without finding WCBB almost every night.
A revival of the game would almost be anticlimactic. It just wouldn't carry the same meaning. Someday it will happen in the single elimination format of the NCAAs and that will be good enough for me.

 

[ThisJustIn]

From your mouth to God's ears.

Right - like all the conspiracy theorists have posited for so long... only to have it not happen...

 

[Waquoit]

We try to play just about every other top team, and so does Tennessee

At the risk of stating the obvious, not true. UConn will play anyone, not "just about" anyone. Tennessee ducks UConn.

 

[CCinCT]

At the risk of stating the obvious, not true. UConn will play anyone, not "just about" anyone. Tennessee ducks UConn.

As does NC, now Duke, and other teams who cannot stand the pain of losing to the Huskies.

 

[HuskyNan]

As does NC, now Duke, and other teams who cannot stand the pain of losing to the Huskies.

I believe Sylvia Hatchell at North Carolina wanted to continue the series and that it was Geno that wanted a change. He substituted the SEC's South Carolina for North Carolina.

 

[mr006]

At the risk of stating the obvious, not true. UConn will play anyone, not "just about" anyone. Tennessee ducks UConn.

At this point, *neither* side (UConn included) wants to play the other, so "just about" applies to us too. But my point being, feelings aside, Tenn should be an option in the future, even if the rivalry does not do anything for fans or Geno any more. They are still a top 10 team, and if other top teams are indeed dodging us, we can use all the good opponents we can get.

 

[mr006]

Right - like all the conspiracy theorists have posited for so long... only to have it not happen...

Conspiracy theories? I would think that the *NCAA* keeping them *out* of our bracket is more likely .

 

[Modox]

Espn not so instant classic replay scheduled?

It baffles me that ESPN would hype a single basketball game like this and then NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE to view at all, anywhere! Maybe someone can correct me and point me to it - I can't find a replay or even video to purchase.

 

[j66kicker]

It baffles me that ESPN would hype a single basketball game like this and then NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE to view at all, anywhere! Maybe someone can correct me and point me to it - I can't find a replay or even video to purchase.

Here you go (courtesy of Wally East in a recent thread on same subject):

 

[j66kicker]

It baffles me that ESPN would hype a single basketball game like this and then NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE to view at all, anywhere! Maybe someone can correct me and point me to it - I can't find a replay or even video to purchase.

Here you go (courtesy of Wally East in a recent thread on same subject):