UConn Wimmen

[SEC=UGA]

Ok, I've just about had it... Will these freaking people stop comparing this team to the UCLA men's team, please. While a great accomplishment for these ladies, what they have done isn't even in the same ballpark as what the UCLA team did. If this UConn wimmens team had to play the best boys HS basketball team in the country they would lose by 40. Great streak, great run, they dominate wimmens basketball, but to put them in the same category as the UCLA teams is just a mockery.

[Scooby's Hubby]

Baylor messed up and handed them a last second win earlier this year when Coach messed up the inbounds and mis used her timeouts. We coulda called a timeout and inbounded at half court instead of jacking around in the backcourt. I am hoping for a re-match in the big dance.

 

Sick 'em

[Kid Cid]

I think you miss the point. It is not about comparing men and women directly. It is about a group of people being able to string together 89 (and counting) successful competitions in which they were victorious. It just so happens that there was a comparable steak in men's basketball 40 years ago. Now, ESPN did compare the philosophies of Geno Auriemma and John Wooden in an interesting little piece showing how each of them focused on being your best, giving your all and striving for perfection, not necessarily winning the game. The wins take care of themselves if the players take care of everything else. That is the important lesson to take away from all this IMO.

[detlef]

Ok, I've just about had it... Will these freaking people stop comparing this team to the UCLA men's team, please. While a great accomplishment for these ladies, what they have done isn't even in the same ballpark as what the UCLA team did. If this UConn wimmens team had to play the best boys HS basketball team in the country they would lose by 40. Great streak, great run, they dominate wimmens basketball, but to put them in the same category as the UCLA teams is just a mockery.

Werd

 

Though everything you say is true about the fact that they'd get beat by a great HS team, let's just pretend for a second it's not. It's still not the freaking same! Two leagues, two records. End of story.

 

Hell, I don't know what the D-1A football record is for a winning streak, but if App St or someone went on a multi-year tear and beat it, we wouldn't call that the same thing and it's 1000x more similar than this. For one thing, App St actually plays teams from D-1A every year. Maybe not the best team, but at least there is some overlap. Men's and Women's hoops are two completely different leagues.

 

Hell, if we're going to compare these, why stop at basketball? What's the longest NCAA winning streak regardless of sport and gender. If it's the D-III Slippery Rock Fencing team and they haven't lost a dual meet in 25 years, then that must be the greatest team in all of college. Way better than stupid UCLA hoops.

 

And if that's not nearly enough, there's a simple fact about woman's hoops, the field isn't anywhere near as deep as the men's. Look at the tourney. Nobody outside a 10 seed is ever winning a game. It's basically chalk, all the way through the second weekend and beyond. Why? Because there's no legit pro league. I have no idea what the WNBA pays, but I'm rather certain it's not going to set you for life. So they don't care about being able to showcase their talents, because almost all of them are there to go to school. Thus, rather than going to a lesser school where they can be "the woman", they line up to play for UT or UConn so they can win championships. And that's how one school can have five of the ten best players in the country. Something that you will never see in the men's game.

 

As for whatever conspiracy there is to keep them down. Nobody sent me the freaking memo. In fact, a few times, when some UConn v UT match-up was crazy hyped, I turned it on to check it out. And I lasted like 5 minutes max before I realized that it simply wasn't that compelling. The game of the year and it was less exciting than a mid-season match-up between Eastern Carolina and Temple. It wasn't "more sound" as they advertise, they were missing free throws and clanging bricks from the arc. It was simply not good basketball. I hear NBA fans say the same thing about men's college ball when compared to the big boys, and I imagine that it's true to an extent. But the skill level is at least high enough that the passion makes up for it. Sadly, this simply isn't true for the woman's game.

Edited December 22, 2010 by detlef

[detlef]

I think you miss the point. It is not about comparing men and women directly. It is about a group of people being able to string together 89 (and counting) successful competitions in which they were victorious. It just so happens that there was a comparable steak in men's basketball 40 years ago. Now, ESPN did compare the philosophies of Geno Auriemma and John Wooden in an interesting little piece showing how each of them focused on being your best, giving your all and striving for perfection, not necessarily winning the game. The wins take care of themselves if the players take care of everything else. That is the important lesson to take away from all this IMO.

You should have written Geno's speech, because that was way better than the BS rant he delivered.

[Furd]

 

If somebody gave me courtside seats, and offered to drive me to the stadium in a limousine, I wouldn't go to the NCAA women's basketball championship game.

[untateve]

I don't know. 80+ victories in a row and counting is a pretty good accomplishment.

[SEC=UGA]

I don't know. 80+ victories in a row and counting is a pretty good accomplishment.

 

I agree, in any sport. But the comparison has been... "Ooooo, the Uconn ladies team just broke UCLA's record" and this is what I'm tired of. Great, they have a longer inning streak than did UCLA, what the fu(k does it matter? UGA has won more titles than the Falcons, you don't see people comparing those two.

[TimC]

It makes no sense to me the comparison. They don't play in the same f'n league. This is like saying some doofus driving a Honda Odyssey minivan is on the same level in size and satisfaction of wimmin as a Corvette driver.

[detlef]

I agree, in any sport. But the comparison has been... "Ooooo, the Uconn ladies team just broke UCLA's record" and this is what I'm tired of. Great, they have a longer inning streak than did UCLA, what the fu(k does it matter? UGA has won more titles than the Falcons, you don't see people comparing those two.

And Geno basically said, "If we were breaking a woman's record, none of you would be here. But because we're breaking a men's record, the room is filled." But you didn't break a freaking men's record.

 

You know what breaking a men's record would be? If a woman ran faster than Usain Bolt. That's breaking a men's record. Because 100m is 100m. It doesn't matter whether you're running against a field of the fastest humans on the planet or a bunch of fatsos. If you run that fast, you just broke the "men's" record.

 

And let's be fair, UCLA's streak will never be equaled by another men's program and that has less to do with the fact that there will never be another Wooden than it does with the fact that the landscape is simply nowhere near the same in the men's game anymore. I mean, was he so much better than, say, coach K? And coach K hasn't even come close to that number. Has he even gone undefeated for one season? He's certainly not going to string 3 together. The field is just too deep, the talent pool is too spread out, and any players dominant enough to pull that off are going to bail for the pros after a year or two. When Wooden was doing that, people argued that the 2nd best team in the country was the Freshman team that contain Lew Alcindor. But freshmen weren't allowed to play varsity back then.

[gbpfan1231]

Isn't there only like 3 or 4 teams in Women's college basketball that are even competitive and at the same level? That alone makes the streak compared to men's college BB a joke to even consider comparing.

[Kid Cid]

What seems clear to me is that a gender bias completely exists. It is an amazing accomplishment for a men's team to have 88 wins but meh if a women's team does it. The fact that this has been accomplished across 3+ seasons is all the more reason to look at this for what it is, an outstanding sports achievement. But all y'all seem to want to do is to rush to the defense of UCLA's record. Get over yourselves already. Another parallel that exists between these two teams is that the players continue to remain humble about this streak and what it means. Just because y'all try to trivialize this streak of the women, it does not lessen the impact it has upon the world of sports and women in general.

 

The question you all should be asking yourselves is why do you feel so threatened by a women's sports team achieving the same level of achievement that a men's team did that you have to try and minimize it?

 

Isn't there only like 3 or 4 teams in Women's college basketball that are even competitive and at the same level? That alone makes the streak compared to men's college BB a joke to even consider comparing.

 

This statement alone shows that you don't have a clue. At the time that UCLA was dominating men's college basketball, they were head and shoulders above the rest of the college basketball world much the same that the UCONN women are.

[detlef]

What seems clear to me is that a gender bias completely exists. It is an amazing accomplishment for a men's team to have 88 wins but meh if a women's team does it. The fact that this has been accomplished across 3+ seasons is all the more reason to look at this for what it is, an outstanding sports achievement. But all y'all seem to want to do is to rush to the defense of UCLA's record. Get over yourselves already. Another parallel that exists between these two teams is that the players continue to remain humble about this streak and what it means. Just because y'all try to trivialize this streak of the women, it does not lessen the impact it has upon the world of sports and women in general.

 

The question you all should be asking yourselves is why do you feel so threatened by a women's sports team achieving the same level of achievement that a men's team did that you have to try and minimize it?

 

 

 

This statement alone shows that you don't have a clue. At the time that UCLA was dominating men's college basketball, they were head and shoulders above the rest of the college basketball world much the same that the UCONN women are.

I think you're going as far too far on your end as gbpfan is by saying there's maybe 3-4 good teams. However, the fact is, that there aren't nearly as many good teams in women's ball as there is in mens and it has nothing to do with women being inferior but everything to do with the economics of the situation making it so. There is undoubtedly women on the UConn bench that would start (or maybe star) for other ranked teams. There is not a coach alive who could get that to happen in the men's game. Not Wooden, not Geno, not coach K, nobody. Because the men's game is, for at least the best players, a tryout of the NBA, so they don't want to go to a team that's already stacked.

 

So, even when a team is not as dominant as UConn is, it is still very, very top heavy in woman's bball. So all the best teams have that many fewer chances to lose. Again, look at tourney results. It's so much more chalk than the men's game.

 

And I also put the UCLA feat in perspective vs being able to do it now. And UCLA took advantage of the hyper-regional nature of college ball. they feasted on the relatively weaker west coast teams and didn't have to play as many tournament games in a field that was often deprived of some of the best teams because there were no at-large births. So, even if the 4 of the top 10 teams were in the ACC, only one got to go. So, I'm not trying to say UCLA doing so was amazing and this is not.

 

But the fact that a team can still go on that kind of run in woman's ball says enough about the depth. Because there's not a person alive who could pull that off in the men's game now.

 

Listen, it's a great accomplishment and if you want to say it's "just as impressive", go ahead. But that's not what Geno said. He basically said they broke the men's record. And they didn't. Because it's all relative. Again, if you want to break a "man's record" then run faster, jump higher, lift more, swim faster than the fastest man ever. Either that or compete against men. Otherwise, you just pushed the women's record further out there.

 

That's not gender bias, it's just not allowing myself to be BS'ed.

Edited December 22, 2010 by detlef

[skylive5]

What seems clear to me is that a gender bias completely exists. It is an amazing accomplishment for a men's team to have 88 wins but meh if a women's team does it. The fact that this has been accomplished across 3+ seasons is all the more reason to look at this for what it is, an outstanding sports achievement. But all y'all seem to want to do is to rush to the defense of UCLA's record. Get over yourselves already. Another parallel that exists between these two teams is that the players continue to remain humble about this streak and what it means. Just because y'all try to trivialize this streak of the women, it does not lessen the impact it has upon the world of sports and women in general.

 

The question you all should be asking yourselves is why do you feel so threatened by a women's sports team achieving the same level of achievement that a men's team did that you have to try and minimize it?

 

 

 

This statement alone shows that you don't have a clue. At the time that UCLA was dominating men's college basketball, they were head and shoulders above the rest of the college basketball world much the same that the UCONN women are.

 

This pretty much sums up how see it.

 

UCLA's streak ended in 1974. I figure that most saying great things about UCLA and their streak and hating on the UConn streak only know about that UCLA streak by reading about it and don't actually have any first hand knowledge of the streak, who they played, or the state of college basketball at that time. So you really don't know how the two streaks compare. Not that they should be compared anyway. They are just win streaks in basketball.

 

Kid is right.... gender bias exists. It has always existed and always will exist. No getting away from it.....and there is nothing the women can do about it. Even breaking records.

[yo mama]

Ok, I've just about had it... Will these freaking people stop comparing this team to the UCLA men's team, please. While a great accomplishment for these ladies, what they have done isn't even in the same ballpark as what the UCLA team did. If this UConn wimmens team had to play the best boys HS basketball team in the country they would lose by 40. Great streak, great run, they dominate wimmens basketball, but to put them in the same category as the UCLA teams is just a mockery.

Let me know when you string together 89 consecutive wins at anything.

[isleseeya]

I think you miss the point. It is not about comparing men and women directly. It is about a group of people being able to string together 89 (and counting) successful competitions in which they were victorious. It just so happens that there was a comparable steak in men's basketball 40 years ago. Now, ESPN did compare the philosophies of Geno Auriemma and John Wooden in an interesting little piece showing how each of them focused on being your best, giving your all and striving for perfection, not necessarily winning the game. The wins take care of themselves if the players take care of everything else. That is the important lesson to take away from all this IMO.

 

 

This ...well said

[Jackass]

Ok, I've just about had it... Will these freaking people stop comparing this team to the UCLA men's team, please. While a great accomplishment for these ladies, what they have done isn't even in the same ballpark as what the UCLA team did. If this UConn wimmens team had to play the best boys HS basketball team in the country they would lose by 40. Great streak, great run, they dominate wimmens basketball, but to put them in the same category as the UCLA teams is just a mockery.

 

 

I couldn't agree more. This is without question, one of the dumbest sports stories of all time. It's like the sports media all decided they had to give some attention to women sports to increase their fan base or something. What about the Harlem Globetrotters? Don't they have the longest streak of all-time. If they can beat that, then let me know. Otherwise, shut the F$%^ Up!

[isleseeya]

I couldn't agree more. This is without question, one of the dumbest sports stories of all time. It's like the sports media all decided they had to give some attention to women sports to increase their fan base or something. What about the Harlem Globetrotters? Don't they have the longest streak of all-time. If they can beat that, then let me know. Otherwise, shut the F$%^ Up!

 

 

One of the dumbest sports stories all time ???

[Hugh B Tool]

Hey I have no bias against women or sports. I absolutely love women and the game of basketball. I just can't stand womens basketball. I am biased against Geno and coaches like him and Callipari etc. whom think of themselves as bigger than the game. My favorite womens sport? Tossup between Curling, Tennis and Rodeo

Edited December 23, 2010 by Hugh B Tool

[Azazello1313]

Just because y'all try to trivialize this streak of the women, it does not lessen the impact it has upon the world of sports and women in general.

 

what impact?

 

hey, if this streak is a big deal to you, great. for me, this thread is the first I've heard of it, and I'd rather watch dentistry than women's basketball.

[bushwacked]

I don't consider it beating Wooden's record. I just can't. No way no how.

 

On the other hand, in it's own realm, it's a hell of an accomplishment. It still deserves to be celebrated.

Edited December 23, 2010 by bushwacked

[detlef]

If it's an "unfair gender bias" and the games are really as high quality as the men's games, then our jock, lesbian friends didn't get the memo.

 

Because of advertising connections, I get free Duke tickets to a few mens games but all I want to the woman's. The men's tickets are usually nice seats depending on the match-up but the women's are always feet on the floor, near the bench. All I have to do is call and it's not even calling in a favor, because they want that place filled up. I told my wife to tell her friends, any time, no problem at all, and I get maybe 1 or 2 requests a season. Typically the UNC game. For Duke who is always ranked, and usually top 10, at Cameron, one of the most famous arenas in basketball. This is in Durham where we have a huge lesbian/feminist demographic. So, that means that the dozen or so that we consider close friends likely know dozens more. And again, these are jocks. Former D-1 softball players, etc.

 

When I mentioned the free tickets to one of them over dinner once, the first thing she said to me was, "Can you get tickets to the men's games?"

 

I did ask for 2 tickets for an upcoming game because one our friend's girlfriend was in town and she wanted to take her. I went to pick them up and there were four. "Oh thanks, but I only need 2." "So. Can you use eight?" This is for #3 Duke vs #11 Kentucky.

 

I think what's really at play is that Storrs, Conn. and Knoxville, Tenn and Palo Alto, CA have all built a loyal following because they've been so good for so long, so it's a matter of school pride. So they get all worked up because it's their school and they're always the best. But elsewhere, where the product needs to stand on it's own merits, it just doesn't get the following. Not even, it seems, among a demographic that you'd have to consider to be right in the wheel-house. Even in the center of the college basketball universe, for a team that is nearly always contending and making deep runs in March.

 

And, at least for me, this is not a woman's sports thing. This is a woman's bball thing. I think woman's tennis, for instance, is plenty entertaining to watch, and it doesn't even have to be some knockout eastern block hotties. I remember watching a Henin v V Williams Wimbeldon final that was freaking great. Plenty of other matches as well. If I've got time to kill and there's coverage of a major on, there's a good chance I'm watching. Mens or womans.

Edited December 23, 2010 by detlef

[CowboysDiehard]

 

If somebody gave me courtside seats, and offered to drive me to the stadium in a limousine, I wouldn't go to the NCAA women's basketball championship game.

 

+1000

[SEC=UGA]

Let me know when you string together 89 consecutive wins at anything.

 

At what point did I lose you? Did I not acknowledge that what they have done is very impressive? And you people who think that this proves that their is gender bias, please. Has nothing to do with bias and everything to do with reality. You can't compare the two and can't say they broke UCLA's record. Two totally different sports and they are recognized as such not only by the NCAA but by the federal government, as well.

[yo mama]

At what point did I lose you? Did I not acknowledge that what they have done is very impressive? And you people who think that this proves that their is gender bias, please. Has nothing to do with bias and everything to do with reality. You can't compare the two and can't say they broke UCLA's record. Two totally different sports and they are recognized as such not only by the NCAA but by the federal government, as well.

You didn't lose me. Your disrespect for these women is pretty clear. Everyone knows that an apple isn't the same as an orange, but what you seem to be saying is that an apple is worth less than an orange. If that's not what you mean to be saying, then why did you bring it up at all?