What do people want?

[Sifaka]

Winning is great. But in real world you cannot expect a perfect non-defeat team.
This year's team is weak. From the beginning I constantly worried about UConn may lose 1-2 games due to short in bench. And now it happens but I feel kinds of ease and relief.

I am still a big fan of UConn. Go UConn, go husky ~~~

No. This year's team is not weak. It may lack the skill of some other recent UConn teams, yet it is one of the best teams in the nation. Good teams lose once in a while. So do excellent teams.

Fans like the spillover glory that comes from association with a winner. I get it. I am one of those who feel good when "my" team succeds. But success is not limited to going undefeated or winning the national championship every year.

The same goes for recruiting. When and if the highest rated high school players choose to become Huskies, that is further evidence of the supposed superiority of us fans. If "we" fail to land a heralded recruit, we are diminished, the coach is a dope who needs to change his approach, and the bathtub water swirls down the drain the wrong way.

Except for a couple of things that are damned near immutable with Geno and CD at the helm:

1) Coaching quality remains A+
2) The young ladies who come to play and study in Storrs are uncommonly bright,
articulate, dedicated, hard-working, friendly, decent and exceptionally good at basketball.
3) The team wins the large majority of its games every year.
4) Most fans are deeply appreciative of all this, while a few want more, More, MORE! The latter group are not too numerous, but they are loud and incessant.
And, yes, their rants can be tiresome as well as unproductive.

 

[Orangutan]

I appreciate our visitors on the Boneyard but this is a UConn thread.

Sorry. I don't want to derail your thread. I've gone ahead and deleted my post.

Let's just say I have also been increasingly acquainted with the mentality you describe this season and it's immensely frustrating.

I also find it weirdly disrespectful in the sense that the other teams' players on scholarship, too. The other teams' coaches get paid a lot of money to win basketball games, too.

Expecting that UConn will win every game and viewing anything else as unacceptable disrespects the opposition by assuming that it's not even possible that they win. And it disrespects UConn's accomplishments. Because what does it really mean to win if the opponent is so outmatched that they have no chance of winning?

 

[HuskyNan]

Sorry. I don't want to derail your thread. I've gone ahead and deleted my post.

Let's just say I have also been increasingly acquainted with the mentality you describe this season and it's immensely frustrating.

I also find it weirdly disrespectful in the sense that the other teams' players on scholarship, too. The other teams' coaches get paid a lot of money to win basketball games, too.

Expecting that UConn will win every game and viewing anything else as unacceptable disrespects the opposition by assuming that it's not even possible that they win. And it disrespects UConn's accomplishments. Because what does it really mean to win if the opponent is so outmatched that they have no chance of winning?

Your post was relevant and fine. There were other posts, now deleted, and I just wanted to keep the discussion from getting derailed

 

[my2cents]

Some people see the "jar" half full, other see it half empty. Thats what you get with a discussion board, different opinions.
Geno would be the first to admit that he created a "monster" of expectations with the success of his program has had. Last night he even mentioned to Holly Rowe that he would like to bring the Baylor crowd back to Storrs ( kinda a dig against the Uconn fans).
I see the both sides comments on here, extremely positive, where any mention or criticism is met with derision, or extemely negative, where one loss and the season is done....
Let the women play and hopefully they will succeed, and if they don't, it will be disappointing for us as fans, and them as players, but they have their entire lives ahead of them...regardless of college.

 

[Orangutan]

Your post was relevant and fine. There were other posts, now deleted, and I just wanted to keep the discussion from getting derailed

Ah, good to know. Anyhow, writing that second post gave me a second opportunity to vent.

 

[LoTrader]

As the lone Oregon Stater, who loves this site, my observations are that these discussions are pretty darn honest + respectful. Last night, UCONN lost. Not the end of the world, and, UCONN's WBB program is not falling apart. Your UCONN fan base will wake up Monday morning and move on, and see the positive opportunities that came from Baylor exposing UCONN's "present" challenges. Your coaching staff will make lemonade from the lemons left on the court last night.

 

[my2cents]

Sorry. I don't want to derail your thread. I've gone ahead and deleted my post.

Let's just say I have also been increasingly acquainted with the mentality you describe this season and it's immensely frustrating.

I also find it weirdly disrespectful in the sense that the other teams' players on scholarship, too. The other teams' coaches get paid a lot of money to win basketball games, too.

Expecting that UConn will win every game and viewing anything else as unacceptable disrespects the opposition by assuming that it's not even possible that they win. And it disrespects UConn's accomplishments. Because what does it really mean to win if the opponent is so outmatched that they have no chance of winning?

I don't disagree with you. But reading McGraws bench as a Uconn fan, I think its fair to say that you could come away disrespected too.
I think as a Uconn fan , we are spoiled as we have been rolling for a long time.....and that having a little anxiety is worth discussing...look at our mens program, or even ND Football.

 

[meyers7]

I'm one of those who has been less then pleased with some aspects of the program whether it be recruiting or bench play but on the other hand I have not been one of those who predicted outlandish scores or complained when the team won by narrower then expected margins while putting down the abilities of the competition.....I have found that kind of boorish and smug behavior to be just as galling over the years yet I rarely read any complaints about that......

Geez, you even complain about being complained about your complaining.

 

[Charliebball]

Geez, you even complain about being complained about your complaining.

as they used to say.............you bet your bipee.................or was that bippy.........?.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Thanks for the post @HuskyNan

I’m a longtime poster and fan since i was in the stands during Rebecca Lobos day.......

However the theme on this board (and posters) have driven me to just stay away. There are threads that i absolutely refuse to open because you can tell what road it will head down and you can almost hand pick the popular posters that will appear (and I’m convinced some are opposing fan bases in disguise to stir up trouble—you know who you are).

I will always continue to support the UCONN team, the staff, and my families love of wcbb. No team is perfect but our ladies strive to be and we as fans should support them.

So we lost a game. Big deal. It’s one game. When all of us woke up this morning how much did it really affect our lives? It didn’t. May have soured your mood but we all carried on with our lives. Just like these young ladies.

I’m here to support these young women as i have daughters myself and will continue to do so regardless of W/L column. Does it make the games fun when we win? OF course!

It reminds me of my parents who are in Winter Park Florida. They are season ticket holders to the UCF women’s team. They go to EVERY home game to cheer on their knights! They get just as much excitement out of seeing the other teams and fans. They are there to support the team no matter the final score and that’s what it truly is about.

 

[Rixxx]

I'm glad Geno played 8 last night. If you view the Baylor game from 2017, Geno had three freshmen on the floor two minutes before halftime. Yes, Dangerfield, Bent, and Irwin got quality minutes in a big game Uconn won.

 

[meyers7]

as they used to say...you bet your bipee.......or was that bippy....?.

bippy sounds/looks better. bipee, sounds/looks like you have two...ah nevermind.

 

[oldude]

A couple thoughts.

I’ve given up the chat page. Even when the Huskies win, posters on the chat page start slinging nonsense. I can only imagine how bad it got last night.

While it’s great fun to commiserate with my fellow BY’ers after a UConn win, as some others have mentioned, I usually stay off the BY immediately after a loss when the doom and gloomers start piling on Geno & the players.

I used to attempt to answer ridiculous threads that made me question whether the poster actually watched the game, but more recently I concluded it was too much work to respond to ignorance.

I am incredibly thankful that UConn had the good fortune to hire Geno & CD some 33 years ago, and that they were able to build the WBB program at a sleepy little university in Storrs to the most successful program in the history of WBB.

Some day, perhaps sooner than we would all like, the UConn dynasty will likely come to an end. When that day comes, assuming I’m not pushing up daisies, I plan to continue to support this program as I always have.

 

[CL82]

I'm glad Geno played 8 last night. If you view the Baylor game from 2017, Geno had three freshmen on the floor two minutes before halftime. Yes, Dangerfield, Bent, and Irwin got quality minutes in a big game Uconn won.

For everyone who wanted more bench minutes (and believe me, I'm sure the staff does as well), now is their moment. Minutes are there for the taking.

Let me add that this team isn't weak, it just has weaknesses, as all teams do. This year Geno and staff aren't going to be hide them as well as they usually do but that doesn't mean they can't overcome them. If this team does win a national championship this year, I hope no one takes it for granted. It will mean that the staff and the players all performed nearly flawlessly. There is no margin this year. I'll be rooting extra hard this year. I know it would mean the world to Pheesa and Lou.

 

[FridaFriend]

I suppose this has been mentioned elsewhere, but there are too many threads for me to follow.

Six years ago, UCONN lost to a Baylor team with a dominating center. We had a freshman, Breanna Stewart, who was overwhelmed. She played 7 minutes and didn't score. That 2013 team turned out OK.

 

[Blue Huskie]

I’ve seen an awful lot of complaining in the last couple of years but, boy, this year is something else. It’s not enough to despair over the awful players on the team or the crappy coaching they get, it’s also how terrible they’ll be next year too. What do you people want? Does the team have to go undefeated every year, winning games by 40 and having all players on the team averaging 20 & 10? Honestly, why do you bother to root for such a flawed team when there are others out there - bigger, stronger, better coached - that are superior to the Huskies? I gotta know.

This is a pervasive problem not just on The Boneyard but on any message board or comments section found anywhere online. The negativity and hate is everywhere. Anonymity has created a safe location at home from where a person can vent all kinds of frustrations out to the world. Look at any other message board to view the sad commentary of our times. The mods here do am amazing job keeping this as positive a place as you will find anywhere online. That's the silver lining I see.

 

[JonathanXIV]

It’s not just last night - THAT I would understand. It’s a persistent drumbeat that’s been going on for a long time now.

Recruiting is awful!!! Geno can recruit anymore!!!! How many threads/posts do we have to endure about the recruiting for last year and the year before AND the year before that? That’s when people complain about the short and inferior bench and the players that don’t live up to the ridiculous expectations people have set.

That Player is terrible!!! She can’t shoot!!! The teams too short!!! Lou didn’t score 50 - what’s wrong with her!!! (Ok I made that one up).

But to been a constant bitch and moan. I mean it, if the team’s so awful, go root for someone else.

What I find so incredibly frustrating about the whining, criticism and doomsaying that you describe is that it is so ignorant of this program's history. In two ways. First, it ignores that over the past 25 years UConn has had "down" periods that are considerably lower than what we have experienced the past three years. And the program recovered and attained levels previously unimagined. And two, that this naysaying ignores the absolutely remarkable achievements of this program. Yesterday was the 1st loss in regular season since 2014 and the first loss in regulation since 2013. Lou and Pheesa are seniors and have never lost in regulation time or in the regular season. That is insane. And yet for some it's not enough.

One last point is that this carping and complaining about losses ignores something, in my view, that is far more important. The way UConn has gone about its success. Geno is generous about sharing what he knows with other coaches. UConn does not shy away from competition. The players always play hard. They never showboat, trash talk or show up an opponent. They react to a loss in the same professional way they handle winning. The players are universally well spoken and generous with their time. I could go on and on. All of this is what UConn is and represents. It is who we are. And maybe, just maybe, those who feel the need to complain about some perceived failure to achieve perfection could remember at least some of this. I, for one, never forget it.

 

[Longtime fan]

I’ve seen an awful lot of complaining in the last couple of years but, boy, this year is something else. It’s not enough to despair over the awful players on the team or the crappy coaching they get, it’s also how terrible they’ll be next year too. What do you people want? Does the team have to go undefeated every year, winning games by 40 and having all players on the team averaging 20 & 10? Honestly, why do you bother to root for such a flawed team when there are others out there - bigger, stronger, better coached - that are superior to the Huskies? I gotta know.

You are right, Nan. Your views are realistic and sobering. We are all spoiled. And we desperately don't want this magical run to end. Yet, we see the slightest sign of inevitable slide beginning. Some of us are old enough to have witnessed the John Wooden era at UCLA. We also saw it end. And not recover. I think we are frustrated that, for much of the season, we can't really evaluate this team. That is, we live with the endless ( though somewhat meaningless ) undefeated statistics for UCONN within the conference. It is reality, but maddening, that UCONN got stuck in such a non challenging conference. So we over-react to the big games; after ND we were certain that Williams was the new Maya Moore; after Baylor, we were certain that the end is nigh. After Houston we shall know nothing. We also want all the young, great women BB players to dream of UCONN as their first choice. We want it to be easy. Unlike our real lives. Unlike everything else we know. Because, for years, it has been easy and diverting, in a positive, predictable way. Brianna Stewart and her teammates made it that way. For years, UCONN always got the " hollywood endings." Now we don't. And you can see the panic and disappointment. But we will cheer for this team and this program whatever develops. Even if our comments suggest that we shall only support a champion. We do know that nothing is forever. And that basketball is just a game.

 

[BobbyJ]

No. This year's team is not weak. It may lack the skill of some other recent UConn teams, yet it is one of the best teams in the nation. Good teams lose once in a while. So do excellent teams.

Fans like the spillover glory that comes from association with a winner. I get it. I am one of those who feel good when "my" team succeds. But success is not limited to going undefeated or winning the national championship every year.

The same goes for recruiting. When and if the highest rated high school players choose to become Huskies, that is further evidence of the supposed superiority of us fans. If "we" fail to land a heralded recruit, we are diminished, the coach is a dope who needs to change his approach, and the bathtub water swirls down the drain the wrong way.

Except for a couple of things that are damned near immutable with Geno and CD at the helm:

1) Coaching quality remains A+
2) The young ladies who come to play and study in Storrs are uncommonly bright,
articulate, dedicated, hard-working, friendly, decent and exceptionally good at basketball.
3) The team wins the large majority of its games every year.
4) Most fans are deeply appreciative of all this, while a few want more, More, MORE! The latter group are not too numerous, but they are loud and incessant.
And, yes, their rants can be tiresome as well as unproductive.

Good post. The "we" always makes me giggle.

 

[Chong-Master]

I don’t know why WE as a fans demand perfection from a bunch of 18-21 year old players who are doing the best they can with what they have.

We call young people soft nowadays for being offended by everything yet here we ALL are being offended by the fact that UCONN had the nerve to lose a game. How dare they.....cmon guys, snap out of it. It’s just a game in the grand scheme of things. Lighten up, don’t beat up on the coaches, the players, or the recruits that decide to go elsewhere bc they didn’t pick UCONN. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this to a bunch of whiney adults who demand perfection from players when they can hardly function on their day to day lives......Stop being spoiled brats!!!!

Yes, I agree with you on some of your points. However, UCONN Women's Basketball is a Multi-Million Dollar business, with their Coach being paid a hearty salary. Thus, the expectations from the program, from Students, Alumni, Fans, Boosters, etc. is very high. Remember, this is not a High School Program

 

[augustaTC]

Nan, wish you and the other mods would just delete the incessant, annoying, repetitive & boring posts you described. Maybe if enough of the Debbie Downers see their posts disappear they'll just go away.

 

[LoTrader]

Nan, wish you and the other mods would just delete the incessant, annoying, repetitive & boring posts you described. Maybe if enough of the Debbie Downers see their posts disappear they'll just go away.

You are probably correct in that people will stop posting if their posts are deleted. Is that what people wish for on a forum like this? I think this is being handled the right way, by raising the level of awareness of the issue.

 

[luckyhusky7]

Yes, I agree with you on some of your points. However, UCONN Women's Basketball is a Multi-Million Dollar business, with their Coach being paid a hearty salary. Thus, the expectations from the program, from Students, Alumni, Fans, Boosters, etc. is very high. Remember, this is not a High School Program

They lost ONE game.....ONE GAME!! Let’s calm down a bit with the whole “Multi-Million Dollar Business....”. Come at me when they get bumped from the sweet 16.

Happy New Year!!!

 

[augustaTC]

You are probably correct in that people will stop posting if their posts are deleted. Is that what people wish for on a forum like this? I think this is being handled the right way, by raising the level of awareness of the issue.

Nan has tried several times that I can think of. Just seems to get worse. Not that it matters, but I'm about ready to bail til tournament time. Too aggravating.

 

[CocoHusky]

One bright note: this lunacy has brought back some very wise and rational BY posters. I am speaking specifically of @luckyhusky7 & @Bill In Georgia. Thank you for sensing that you were so greatly needed.

 

[TitleTown]

It’s not just last night - THAT I would understand. It’s a persistent drumbeat that’s been going on for a long time now.

Recruiting is awful!!! Geno can recruit anymore!!!! How many threads/posts do we have to endure about the recruiting for last year and the year before AND the year before that? That’s when people complain about the short and inferior bench and the players that don’t live up to the ridiculous expectations people have set.

That Player is terrible!!! She can’t shoot!!! The teams too short!!! Lou didn’t score 50 - what’s wrong with her!!! (Ok I made that one up).

But to been a constant bitch and moan. I mean it, if the team’s so awful, go root for someone else.

You have to call it like it is! There are far more people that post on this board about how great UConn is and how easily they will beat everybody by 40, because they have the best players in the world. I think a lot of it is rebuttals to posts by people like them. You, yourself, even stated how you hoped this loss would make some posters realize that UConn is not guaranteed to win just by showing up and other teams are not just trash.

 

[luckyhusky7]

One bright note: this lunacy has brought back some very wise and rational BY posters. I am speaking specifically of @luckyhusky7 & @Bill In Georgia. Thank you for sensing that you were so greatly needed.

Haha...thank you. This is just plain crazy. It’s mind boggling how much expectations we put on this team that losing 1 regular season game since 2014 have people calling for the players and the coaches head. I don’t know if they were here for the “dark era” after Taurasi where we barely scratched the elite 8 let along the final four bc that was the darkest of the dark and I’d like to think we came out swinging after that.

On a much dire note....have we checked the bottom of bridges that these fans are jumping off on. We might need to put out an APB to the police department to go check them out.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Just to add that I see most of you realize it isn't just UConn fans that can seem to be overly critical and have super high and possibly impossible expectations. The same issues are everywhere. On the Rutgers board, they bemoan that the team isn't what it was at its peak - 8 or more years ago. You have at one time or another commented on unrealistic Tennessee expectations on their boards. I only read UConn and Rutgers. And I've seen it in person at WBB games, the Men's NIT semi I attended one year, the Softball World Series, etc.

I suppose it is all part of being a fan. But, and I'm honest about this, I just can't get into the over-hyped fandom. Yet, the converse is, many of the best programs have over-the-top fans / expectations. We have it in Tucson for the men's team, heck, we had it for Football when RichRod was the coach. It was a bit milder this year. We have fans who won't attend Softball because it didn't make the world series a couple years ago when they were seeded 2nd, because the coach was "obviously" incompetent. Heck - the folks I'm thinking of wrote Mike Candrea a letter telling him that. At least none of you are writing Geno (I assume).

So, I'm just saying, you aren't unusual fans.

 

[Mainiac]

We wanted a talented "Big" recruit for Christmas...we got coal instead

The issue here, the way I see it, is ever since Geno decided and announced he wants to play 5 guards and out athleticise other teams he doesn't play bigs so no bigs want to come (or stay).

 

[luckyhusky7]

The issue here the way i see it is ever since Geno decided and announced he wants to play 5 guards and out athleticise other teams he doesn't play bigs so no bigs will want to come (or stay).

Geno never said that. Find me a quote when he said that?