Why is everyone freaking out this season?

[MilfordHusky]

One word. Spoiled.

Or 2 words: Itty Bitty. The memory of the end to last season underscores how fragile things can be.

 

[NewCorn]

I think it's because it doesn't look as good as it did the last couple of years with the big three. It may never look that good ever again, so people need time to get used to that.

If this team is not as good as the big three, they seem awfully close to me. The core four and Crystal make a remarkable team. When they are at their best, they are dazzling. Z is not Stewie, but she is a major offensive force. Nobody in wcbb has a Stewie. Z, the sophomores, and the freshmen are the second best ream in the AAC. Any team can lose on a given night. But I'm wouldn't bet against UConn any night this year.

 

[msf22b]

The answer to your question Nan, is found in last year's history, combined with
Rugby's concept of expectations.

As we all recall, not so much was expected of last season's group.
The big three had graduated en masse; the hope that Morgan would stay was dashed
and we all (including Geno) had considerable trepidation or perhaps better, reasonably tampered down expectations. We anticipated losses, an improving team, perhaps a run at the final 4 if things worked out.

But what actually happened; a couple of close calls; extraordinarily rapid improvement; Chong grew up, KLS, Pheesa and Gabby became stars, Kia overcame the shock of the loss of her support mechanisms and finally grasped that she didn't have to do it all herself; the team gelled and won.

And then because of tradition and trust in the (relative) infallibility of Geno and the staff, the singular UConn sensation welled up in fandom (an absolute unique sensation in modern day sports...believing that your team cannot be defeated) : The team is infallible, Geno is infallible, we can't lose; won't lose, National championship is in the bag.

Well...it didn't work out that way, did it?

And the hangover of that singular loss persists...complete trust is gone, worry and concern are evident at the least hiccup.

"Mighty Casey has struck out."

And that Nan, is the cause for the excessive (minor) hysteria exhibited this season.

 

[JoePgh]

Maybe another factor is that the way the schedule has worked out, UConn hasn't yet had to face any REALLY good opponents. Notre Dame looked good when UConn played them, but the additional injury to Lili Thompson and the blowout loss to Louisville have put a shadow on their quality. UCLA, Stanford, and Maryland haven't proven to be world-beaters in their non-UConn schedule either. Texas does not look so great, and anything less than a 20-point victory tonight will be concerning. South Carolina is not looking great either. The best "other" teams in the nation seem to be Mississippi State, Louisville, Tennessee, and maybe Baylor, and UConn hasn't played any of them.

At least Louisville is on the schedule. That may shape up as #1 vs. #2 and a battle of the unbeaten. If UConn wins, and certainly if they win convincingly (far from certain), then they will have established some real credentials. So far, they haven't done that.

 

[eebmg]

Maybe another factor is that the way the schedule has worked out, UConn hasn't yet had to face any REALLY good opponents. Notre Dame looked good when UConn played them, but the additional injury to Lili Thompson and the blowout loss to Louisville have put a shadow on their quality. UCLA, Stanford, and Maryland haven't proven to be world-beaters in their non-UConn schedule either. Texas does not look so great, and anything less than a 20-point victory tonight will be concerning. South Carolina is not looking great either. The best "other" teams in the nation seem to be Mississippi State, Louisville, Tennessee, and maybe Baylor, and UConn hasn't played any of them.

At least Louisville is on the schedule. That may shape up as #1 vs. #2 and a battle of the unbeaten. If UConn wins, and certainly if they win convincingly (far from certain), then they will have established some real credentials. So far, they haven't done that.

I agree in general except for the implication that TN is better than Baylor. My current ranking is UConn, MSU, Baylor, Louisville

 

[HuskyNan]

I really do not understand the angst some have with "angst". I assume we want all our girls to experience the maximum of growth and reach the pinnacle of their sport (NC) so if we rightly or wrongly see potholes and barriers to these goals ,I do not think it is wrong to show concern. I believe I am always very appreciative of their efforts and the wonderful program that has been built and we are definitely spoiled but if Geno can feel angst at times, so can I.

Because the angst is pervasive and it’s affecting the overall mood of the board to the point where people either don’t want to post or they’re afraid to. We know certain posters’ feelings about problems they may perceive yet these posters say it over and over again. There’s one poster with a favorite complaint and if I see it for the 150th time -this season!- I may put my fist through my monitor. And I think the count currently stands at 149.

Beyond that, some folks that are fretting feel the need to impose their angst. Let’s say someone posts something like, “I though Player X was great tonight. She scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds. I love to see her play” someone has to, has to like it’s a compulsion, point out that Player X only shot 4-12 and had 3 turnovers and they may preface their post with “you don’t know much about basketball”. The OP, who may not be particularly basketball savvy, may feel embarrassed and could potentially avoid posting so as not to be shown up again.

This is a real scenario. I’ve gotten emails and PMs and folks tell me theses stories when I meet them at games. And just look at this thread. It started out on one topic but posters felt the urgency of repeating the same complaints we’ve been reading since November.

I don’t care if people want to have threads for fretting over players and games. But why rain on everyone’s parade? If you think someone missed the turnovers and 33% field goal percentage, it’s not always necessary to ruin the game for them.

 

[Paesano]

Because the angst is pervasive and it’s affecting the overall mood of the board to the point where people either don’t want to post or they’re afraid to. We know certain posters’ feelings about problems they may perceive yet these posters say it over and over again. There’s one poster with a favorite complaint and if I see it for the 150th time -this season!- I may put my fist through my monitor. And I think the count currently stands at 149.

Beyond that, some folks that are fretting feel the need to impose their angst. Let’s say someone posts something like, “I though Player X was great tonight. She scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds. I love to see her play” someone has to, has to like it’s a compulsion, point out that Player X only shot 4-12 and had 3 turnovers and they may preface their post with “you don’t know much about basketball”. The OP, who may not be particularly basketball savvy, may feel embarrassed and could potentially avoid posting so as not to be shown up again.

This is a real scenario. I’ve gotten emails and PMs and folks tell me theses stories when I meet them at games. And just look at this thread. It started out on one topic but posters felt the urgency of repeating the same complaints we’ve been reading since November.

I don’t care if people want to have threads for fretting over players and games. But why rain on everyone’s parade? If you think someone missed the turnovers and 33% field goal percentage, it’s not always necessary to ruin the game for them.

I think you are freaking out over what people are posting. You are being as unrealistically critical of them as much as they are of the players. I agree with taking issue with ad hominem stuff. It really isn't necessary and is simply intellectual bullying. But you need to relax about the critical analysis people have about our players, our opponents, our coaches and our opposing coaches. If they are wrong, tell them why they are wrong. If they are right, they are right.

I think the team is doing great. Not perfect but, great. I would love to see perfection but I am ok with less than perfection so long as we are headed in that direction and we are. The team isn't all rainbows and unicorns and neither should you expect the posters to be.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Geno & Co have set the bar so high that even one regular season loss is a disaster and not winning an NC unthinkable

Yup. UConn has not lost a game in regulation since the spring of 2013. That's darn close to five years. Pretty high bar.

 

[Blueballer]

I think you are freaking out over what people are posting. You are being as unrealistically critical of them as much as they are of the players. I agree with taking issue with ad hominem stuff. It really isn't necessary and is simply intellectual bullying. But you need to relax about the critical analysis people have about our players, our opponents, our coaches and our opposing coaches. If they are wrong, tell them why they are wrong. If they are right, they are right.

I think the team is doing great. Not perfect but, great. I would love to see perfection but I am ok with less than perfection so long as we are headed in that direction and we are. The team isn't all rainbows and unicorns and neither should you expect the posters to be.

She's not freaking out at all. She's just baffled by it. And the line I highlighted in red is the crux of the dilemma face on the internet every day. Polarization. You don't "tell" anybody anything. People have in large part lost the ability to discuss and argue. And further, there are a few fans that poison the well for everyone. If the team is performing nearly flawlessly they post nothing. But once there is the slightest diversity they harp on the same stuff over and over. I think the board got the point the first 99 times you stated it. No need to pound and pound. I belong to other sports message boards and it can be vulgar and nasty much of the time. This board was always a refuge where positive vibes were prevalent. Not as much any more sadly. At least as a regular member I can ignore some people. Nan and the other mods have to absorb it all and police the possible conflicts with policy. That can't be fun. I don't know how she does it.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I don't get it either. Didn't the 2003/2004 team have 4 regular season losses? Hmm... where did they end up?

 

[Bajan Best]

This I believe is what happens when you go undefeated in the regular season the previous year, only to lose by 1 bucket in overtime with arguably the worst game you have played in about 4 years, Lose 1) player to graduation and gained 1) potential all American plus a recruiting class that that was the envy of almost everyone....

The expectation as noted by several other posters is complete dominance, especially considering what every other program has returned by comparison.. When Geno has the best talent, the expectation will always be that every game will be over by the end of the first quarter, We the spoiled fans will expect every player who has the talent to dominate, to continue doing that on a regular basis, and they are only allowed to have a bad half or quarter, never an entire game, Heaven forbid one or two games in a row..

We are now a reflection of the head coach in the sense that, it doesn't matter how much we are winning by, every play is expected to be executed with precision and purpose.. Otherwise, the team is not growing and therefore is open to ridicule.. How else can you motivate a team to strive to become better, when they have only lost two games in five years?

Being good is for other programs, At UConn the expectation is Greatness. and fortunately or unfortunately over the last two decades, the fans have been trained to expect no less from UCONN..

 

[Longtime fan]

I don't remember ever seeing so much angst over an undefeated, #1 ranked team that's put on so many dominating performances in my life. I really do not get why some see disaster in every missed shot, impending doom in every turnover, and the team's imminent fall from the pinnacle with every narrow 30 point win. It's confounding.

Did these folks watch the games on tv this past week? How many of those other top 10 teams played a perfect game every single time? That's a rhetorical question because none of them did. The UConn team, and all of the teams, are made up of human beings who have good days and bad, just like you and me and every other person on this earth. If we expect them to be perfect every time, well, that's just unreasonable. Yet, invariably UConn fans will freak out if someone makes a mistake. It's stunning to me that we would expect 18-22 year old kids to be more perfect than we are ourselves.

I just don't get it.

I don't think anyone is freaking out about anything that happens in the in-conference games. There just is no competition. But the fans are pretty demanding, I agree. It keeps us diverted from the endless problems of society.

 

[Carnac]

I don't remember ever seeing so much angst over an undefeated, #1 ranked team that's put on so many dominating performances in my life. I really do not get why some see disaster in every missed shot, impending doom in every turnover, and the team's imminent fall from the pinnacle with every narrow 30 point win. It's confounding.

Did these folks watch the games on tv this past week? How many of those other top 10 teams played a perfect game every single time? That's a rhetorical question because none of them did. The UConn team, and all of the teams, are made up of human beings who have good days and bad, just like you and me and every other person on this earth. If we expect them to be perfect every time, well, that's just unreasonable. Yet, invariably UConn fans will freak out if someone makes a mistake. It's stunning to me that we would expect 18-22 year old kids to be more perfect than we are ourselves. I just don't get it.

Nan, I'm going to try and answer your query. But it's going to take me more than one paragraph to say what other posters said in a word or a sentence. Brevity is not my strong suit, so bare with me. In a word, HuskyBandDad nailed it, We're S-P-O-I-L-E-D!!!. Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman uttered a profound and unabashed statement 2 years ago, right after a loss to UConn during the NCAA tournament (Stewie's senior year). He said "UConn has forgotten how to lose".
The recent unprecedented 111 game win streak by the Huskies corroborates that observation.

There are different levels of "fandom (if that's a word)". Casual, interested, and fanatic (www.dictionary.com: Fanatic - zealot, militant, devotee refer to persons showing more than ordinary support for, adherence to, or interest in a cause, point of view, or activity. Fanatic and zealot both suggest excessive or overweening. Fanatic further implies unbalanced or obsessive behavior: a wild-eyed fanatic) For the most part, the casual fan seldom posts here in the yard, or has a beef with the status quo. Here's one: "Expectations are an odd thing...last year this team exceeded expectations and could do very little wrong...this year, expectations are so high that the slightest bit of un-UCONN type play raises questions....no worries on my end". It's the interested and the fanatics that post here regularly that I think you're referring to. Most of us look in on the yard EVERYDAY, several times a day. To say we are interested in this team is an understatement. We've got questions, and we've got answers.

We all have strong opinions about EVERYTHING concerning the team. The players, when they play and for how long. Who is not playing well and why. Who is not getting enough playing time, etc. A lot of us are Monday morning coaches. We know what is best for this team, and what Geno should be doing to make sure we win the championship this year (and every year). Some fans want to know everything that's going on, like what was the real reason AEH left the program. They want to know, whether they have the right to know or not!! They can't just sit back, support the team, and take (accept) what comes. Sometimes, folks just have to get things off their chest. So they vent here to a captive audience.

Olympus has fallen - Aside from being spoiled, we're also S-C-A-R-E-D. Why are some humans afraid of the dark? Because they fear the unknown. They fear not being in control. We're afraid of not winning the national championship this year. Some are afraid that the recent rise in the level of play that Louisville, Mississippi (and others), have attained that maybe UConn can't beat these teams. Fans and observers can predict and say whatever they want, it's not going to help the team win. The game will be decided between the lines, not on what some fans want or think. Last year proved that. Despite UConn's monumental success, they are not infallible. They can be beat. Notre Dame gave the UConn a huge scare before their late game collapse. It's THAT possibility that has some folks on edge. Fear can have an amazing effect on people. Fear can temporarily paralyze a person i.e., deer in the headlights syndrome. The fear of failure can also have an overwhelming lasting effect on some athletes.

Donnie Moore - Moore is most remembered for the home run he gave up to Dave Henderson while pitching for the California Angels in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series. With only one more strike needed to clinch the team's first-ever pennant, he allowed the Boston Red Sox to come back and eventually win the game and series. Moore was never the same after that. He was so devastated by that incident, 3 years later he took his life on July 18, 1989, at his home in the presence of one of his children at the age of 35.

I'm not suggesting any of us (or a player) will go to this extreme if UConn fails to win again this year. Admittedly this is an over exaggeration to illustrate my point. There have been other professional athletes that failed on the field of play, and were never quite the same afterwards: Mickey Owen, Ralph Branca, Mitch Williams, Bill Buckner, Leon Durham, etc. Some can take a loss "tongue in cheek", on move on, while others may think that the sky is falling, and the world is coming to an end. They analyze and criticize every negative aspect of the game.

We're scared because we saw UConn lose last year to a team that they beat by 65 points the year before. We lost a game we were suppose to win, instead, we were involved in a head on crash, that some of us are still recovering from, and we're not so sure it can't/won't happen again. Last year, that season was going about the same way this one is (to this point). Undefeated and just cruising along. Leaving teams broken and beaten in their wake. We were ALL stunned after that game.

It took 2 weeks before life returned to normal for me, and I stopped thinking about it. Why?, because like many others here in the yard, I'm in deep. I care about what happens to this team. We want to win.........period!!! We expect to win. We have to win. Failure is not an option. I also don't believe Geno was able to kiss it off as easily as he would have some believe. They were so close to winning the trophy, they could reach out and touch it.

A few posters have also (IMHO) nailed it -" One of the reasons I am not around here very much any more, is that it makes me sad that grown adults think nothing of tearing down young women and their coaching staffs for not perfectly living up to their arm-chair prognostications. Is it legit to criticize? Yes, don't get me wrong. But some people on this board revel in misery and negativism".

"We seem to have a "new" crop of posters who do not understand UConn basketball and its history. The angst over who plays and who doesn't, why aren't the frosh getting more minutes, questioning Geno's coaching techniques and a lot of other stupid stuff. I sometimes wonder if these negative posters have ever worked with children and young adults. I suspect the answer is no. And that it was irks me the most!".

"There's both a social and health difference between constructive criticism and fretful negativism. I used to fret about some of the negative posts and posters, but now I rather constructively point out that they reveal people with greater statistical risk for hypertension, headaches, fibromyalgia, arthritis and other afflictions.".

"The only way to avoid the disappointing end to last season is to complain about Geno's substitution patterns on a message board. ".

"I know people like to debate, and I find most dialog interesting and informative. But recently, there's so much nit-picking... It's not as enjoyable to come to the site. How can there be so many negatives when we are undefeated, and winning each game by a large margin?".

I know there will be some posters that will respond and suggest I have no idea what I'm talking about. Thats OK, This is my opinion, and my response in reference to your query. Bottom line, Mississippi State and Louisville right now, have some posters concerned, and there's nothing they can do about it, and they fear the worst. It's the fear of the unknown. They're afraid UConn is going to lose, and fail to win the NC again this year, and they don't like it.

 

[Paesano]

She's not freaking out at all. She's just baffled by it. And the line I highlighted in red is the crux of the dilemma face on the internet every day. Polarization. You don't "tell" anybody anything. People have in large part lost the ability to discuss and argue. And further, there are a few fans that poison the well for everyone. If the team is performing nearly flawlessly they post nothing. But once there is the slightest diversity they harp on the same stuff over and over. I think the board got the point the first 99 times you stated it. No need to pound and pound. I belong to other sports message boards and it can be vulgar and nasty much of the time. This board was always a refuge where positive vibes were prevalent. Not as much any more sadly. At least as a regular member I can ignore some people. Nan and the other mods have to absorb it all and police the possible conflicts with policy. That can't be fun. I don't know how she does it.

If she isn't freaking out then neither are the fans that, as an example Nan posted, criticize a player's shooting percentage. Just because you find them annoying doesn't mean they are freaking out. They are saying what they believe is true. Just like Nan is. I just find it ironic when people don't see their own behavior in others. People are harping about not having a perfect forum as much as these folks are harping on missed free throws. This forum is as close to sterile as the team is to perfection. If this place upsets you, well, damn.

 

[AboutWeston]

Write and/or "right" on, Nan!!!

 

[Lurker]

Because the angst is pervasive and it’s affecting the overall mood of the board to the point where people either don’t want to post or they’re afraid to. We know certain posters’ feelings about problems they may perceive yet these posters say it over and over again.

Absolutely agree - thank you Nan! I come on this board to learn insightful aspects about the game of WCBB because I don't have the time or foundational background to build that on my own. I'm also motivated to visit to enjoy when the board collectively seems to share the joy that I've also experienced watching the athleticism and teamwork of our team (or another team). In addition, I like to read about the broader status of WCBB, other teams, and the incredibly wonderful opportunities young female athletes now have, with basketball as a stepping stone to college and careers of various types. There are also some posters with a wonderful sense of humor and/or deep world views combined with exceptional communication skills that I really enjoy. But I have to say that the angst over positioning for self-importance, claiming credit for some thought/observation, or the need to interject negativity or overburdening worry gets depressing (and worse, it's completely unnecessary - not very many perfect people out there - including when we look in the mirror, it is just a game, and our team of amazing kids is doing spectacularly well). Shouldn't that mean the BY should be a constructively happy place?

 

[Carnac]

Because the angst is pervasive and it’s affecting the overall mood of the board to the point where people either don’t want to post or they’re afraid to. We know certain posters’ feelings about problems they may perceive yet these posters say it over and over again. There’s one poster with a favorite complaint and if I see it for the 150th time -this season!- I may put my fist through my monitor. And I think the count currently stands at 149.

Beyond that, some folks that are fretting feel the need to impose their angst. Let’s say someone posts something like, “I though Player X was great tonight. She scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds. I love to see her play” someone has to, has to like it’s a compulsion, point out that Player X only shot 4-12 and had 3 turnovers and they may preface their post with “you don’t know much about basketball”. The OP, who may not be particularly basketball savvy, may feel embarrassed and could potentially avoid posting so as not to be shown up again.

This is a real scenario. I’ve gotten emails and PMs and folks tell me theses stories when I meet them at games. And just look at this thread. It started out on one topic but posters felt the urgency of repeating the same complaints we’ve been reading since November.

I don’t care if people want to have threads for fretting over players and games. But why rain on everyone’s parade? If you think someone missed the turnovers and 33% field goal percentage, it’s not always necessary to ruin the game for them.

Some folks are being turn off by the excessive aggression of some posters here. They either have become lerkers, or simply have lost interest, and don't visit the BY anymore. I have several of those posters on my ignore list. Posters that are OK with your comment as long as they agree with it, and it doesn't go against what they believe to be true or real. They will give you chapter and verse, and attempt to beat you down if they think you're wrong. We've all seen it. Just a few days ago a couple of posters really went at it. All the poster was doing was giving his personal opinion. Can a personal opinion be wrong? Some seem to think so. Thank God for the ignore feature on this board. It makes coming here so much more enjoyable.

 

[huskyd]

It's nuts to COMPLAIN about COMPLAINING.
As one of you said: it's OK to feel angst and it's OK to express dissatisfaction. The UConn wbb program was built on Geno's dissatisfaction, his unrelenting striving for excellence. He and we don't want to be complacent. He and we don't want to accept anything but the best. I hope we never get to a point where everything is just dandy, and we are humbly grateful for the esoterica of a game beyond our grasp. What would we post about, for heaven's sake?
I rarely experience on this site gratuitous unkindness. We are not cruel. We understand that this is sport the purpose of which is to be enjoyed. Our pleasure is share a bit of camaraderie here and bounce around ideas--some good, some bad, some stupid, some funny, some smart. We love our players, revere our coaches, cheer with our fans, wrestle with our opponents. We are hopelessly antsy until the next season arrives.
Sorry, but this FUN! Stop kvetching . . .

 

[Puppy Love]

Some folks are being turn off by the excessive aggression of some posters here. They either have become lerkers, or simply have lost interest, and don't visit the BY anymore. I have several of those posters on my ignore list. Posters that are OK with your comment as long as they agree with it, and it doesn't go against what they believe to be true or real. They will give you chapter and verse, and attempt to beat you down if they think you're wrong. We've all seen it. Just a few days ago a couple of posters really went at it. All the poster was doing was giving his personal opinion. Can a personal opinion be wrong? Some seem to think so. Thank God for the ignore feature on this board. It makes coming here so much more enjoyable.

This is true for me, too. Before I post anything, I read it twice and make absolutely sure it isn't something that makes me vulnerable to attack. That's pretty sad, because very nearly everything on these boards is a matter of opinion.

 

[CocoHusky]

Low basketball IQ.
Unrealistic expectations.
Anonymity of cyber space.

The best reasoned differences of opinion on this board are about basketball because the game has so many different ways it can be played, enjoyed and strategized.

Some of the worst spite on this board are those that are based on the fallacy of UCONN WBB players being errorless basketball players, in reality no such player exists at UCONN or elsewhere.

If many of us were forced to verbalize (face to face) our opinions the tone of many post, at a minimum, would be far different.

 

[CocoHusky]

Can a personal opinion be wrong?

By definition an opinion can neither be right nor wrong. It is however, astounding how many posters here can state “I disagree with your opinion” and that gets interpret as “he or she thinks that my opinion is wrong”

 

[Biff]

I rarely experience on this site gratuitous unkindness. We are not cruel.

Sorry but I see it all the time. Maybe you don't see much of it because some of it is edited out, some of the worst is deleted.

Some don't see a line between critiquing a player's game vs. criticizing or postulating on that person's character. Some don't seem to see a line between critiquing are disagreeing with a posters position vs casting disparaging remarks against the poster.

In the end, the owner, admins and mods run this site with as much of a common vision and expectation of content as can be humanly expected. There are always other sites that moderate with other standards and that is their choice as it is the choice of people to post on this or other sites.

 

[Monte]

I really do not understand the angst some have with "angst". I assume we want all our girls to experience the maximum of growth and reach the pinnacle of their sport (NC) so if we rightly or wrongly see potholes and barriers to these goals ,I do not think it is wrong to show concern. I believe I am always very appreciative of their efforts and the wonderful program that has been built and we are definitely spoiled but if Geno can feel angst at times, so can I.

I agree. I was just thinking: Why, does Geno freak out? No matter what sport; no matter what team; You always want them to do better!
And as Geno always says: "This is their work. Their playing is paying for there college education."

 

[eebmg]

I agree. I was just thinking: Why, does Geno freak out? No matter what sport; no matter what team; You always want them to do better!
And as Geno always says: "This is their work. Their playing is paying for there college education."

For me (like Geno I believe), it is much more than the winning. It is a style of play and a mindset of how our team approaches every game that we hope our team lives up to.

So when UCF pulls us into an ugly 1st half, we can be concerned just like Geno was and after Geno gave a little "compassionate" advice, we played much better in the second half. If we played like that against a Baylor or MSU or even TX tonight, we may not recover.

 

[Roundball fan]

I would like to think it is because we all have a little of Geno and CD in us. Always looking to improve. Yes we are so spoiled. Man I love our Huskies. Go UConn.