What do people want?

[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?

 

[Mainiac]

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

I believe it first came up after he visited the Spurs about 4-5 years ago. And I know he mentioned it in at least one post game a couple years ago

 

[CocoHusky]

I believe it first came up after he visited the Spurs about 4-5 years ago. And I know he mentioned it in at least one post game a couple years ago

You are so confused I don't even know where to start. Please read this article so we can have a real discussion.
Geno Auriemma 1-4 High Offense Complete Guide

The offense is not 5 guards so please get that out of your head. Second It not like Geno has not tried to recruit big post players. What it speaks to is how special Dolson was and ideal for this offense.

 

[Huskygamble19]

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.[/QUOTE




I expect the team to be on top of their game every time they take the court and it doesn't matter one whit if they have been off for 11 days and Baylor is a tough draw after that. There is never an excuse for losing a game, after all we are UCONN and are conditioned to never lose. To lose this game was inexcusable and i predict that we will end up the season ranked No 20 in the nation.

 

[uconnfan68]

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.

Actually, I do like undefeated national champs every year. But that’s just me.

 

[HuskyNan]

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.

I just ordered my seasons tickets today. I’ll see Our Girls next month but in the meantime I’ll get to see some games in person

 

[Huskygamble19]

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!!!!

I am sorry to have to respectfully disagree with you...If UCONN loses..I have no life.

 

[tomcat]

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.

Sorry, but this is a fan board and fans love their team. Fans, especially UConn fans, come to expect certain things, like the pursuit of perfection. Why would it be a surprise to anyone that people are upset/disappointed/cranky over this year's Pursuit of Above Average. When players have a bad day, why is it a surprise that people would be critical?

And because fans who are used to unbroken strings of wonderful seasons (never mind undefeated seasons) look to the future, why is anyone surprised that they would project out how the team looks for next year and sure enough, it falls short by any UConn standard, and they complain. The issue is not rooting for some other team because it's better. The issue is that we know this team can be better than it currently is. Few if any of us are basketball experts, so we cast about for reasons -- is it the coaching? Is it the players? Is it caused by recruiting failures? Is Geno losing it? Who the hell knows?

No, the team does not have to go undefeated. That'd be nice, but it's not necessary. I just think that to ask a committed fan base to not complain when things go wrong is unrealistic. To sit back and smile and say, "It's all good," is delusional.

Fans. Dedicated, committed, we-love-our-team fans, Not lemmings.

 

[Striper69]

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.

That's why John Wooden quit coaching. He got tired of the fans who couldn't be satisfied.

Myself...unbeaten streaks are overrated. Still love the girls.

 

[HuskyNan]

Sorry, but this is a fan board and fans love their team. Fans, especially UConn fans, come to expect certain things, like the pursuit of perfection. Why would it be a surprise to anyone that people are upset/disappointed/cranky over this year's Pursuit of Above Average. When players have a bad day, why is it a surprise that people would be critical?

And because fans who are used to unbroken strings of wonderful seasons (never mind undefeated seasons) look to the future, why is anyone surprised that they would project out how the team looks for next year and sure enough, it falls short by any UConn standard, and they complain. The issue is not rooting for some other team because it's better. The issue is that we know this team can be better than it currently is. Few if any of us are basketball experts, so we cast about for reasons -- is it the coaching? Is it the players? Is it caused by recruiting failures? Is Geno losing it? Who the hell knows?

No, the team does not have to go undefeated. That'd be nice, but it's not necessary. I just think that to ask a committed fan base to not complain when things go wrong is unrealistic. To sit back and smile and say, "It's all good," is delusional.

Fans. Dedicated, committed, we-love-our-team fans, Not lemmings.

Some people have missed the point here. I’m not talking about complaining about one game; I’m talking about the ceaseless complaints about the recruiting, the short bench, lack of playing time for bench players, and so on. It’s not one or two or even 50 posts on these select topics, either. I can count on seeing those complaints brought up in multiple threads daily. New threads are started to keep the complaints going. I’ve rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth for a long time but when folks started projecting all of the team’s failings onto next years team, I couldn’t stand it any more.

 

[UCBaller2012]

I just ordered my seasons tickets today. I’ll see Our Girls next month but in the meantime I’ll get to see some games in person

Bought tickets to the UConn game as well! Just bought tickets to UCF men versus UConn as well at the end of January. A nice 9PM start time for that one lol.

 

[CMC'72]

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

 

[Mainiac]

You are so confused I don't even know where to start. Please read this article so we can have a real discussion.
Geno Auriemma 1-4 High Offense Complete Guide

The offense is not 5 guards so please get that out of your head. Second It not like Geno has not tried to recruit big post players. What it speaks to is how special Dolson was and ideal for this offense.

Agree on Dolson and I will admit 5 guards was not a correct analogy but my opinion somewhat stands; that is why would a traditional big (or post) want to play at UCONN when Geno doesn't normally play a traditional "post". He would rather out speed the other team with expectations that all players need to crash the boards. Where this sometimes fails is when you have an opponent with more then one big that can clog the lane from multiple sides and can shoot from the perimeter (reference Geno's post game on close games that had bigs clogging the lanes going back the past couple years) . There are bigs that are the exceptions but they don't come around very often, and I suspect other coaches entice bigs during the recruiting process based on utilization (e.g. high minutes played with an older version offence).

though I stand corrected on the 1-4 vs my bad statement of 5 guards, the link confirms the use of faster players referencing guards and does not show a traditional post usage in the 1-4 approach to the game in the diagrams

 

[VA Huskie]

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.

WOW, I just can’t “like” your comments enough! Yesterday was the first time Lou and Pheesa lost in regulation. That’s not just insane, it’s amazing and unheard of. Yes, as fans we have the right to complain and to question decisions - we are fans after all. But as fans we also need to fully appreciate what our team has done. And what it’s done is to set a standard that nobody will EVER match. Just think about that for a couple of minutes... a standard NOBODY WILL EVER MATCH! That being said, keep on rooting and expecting the best. Geno, his coaches and players strive for the same!

 

[VA Huskie]

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.

Very, very well said. Thanks for your perspective!