Re: Is anyone else irked... -
yvonne - 12-28-2010
I\'m irked by the general short shrift given to women\'s basketball. Last year, I wrote to Wilner about why his "college sports" column didn\'t write anything about the top 3 women\'s basketball team, and he told me readers didn\'t care about it. Hello? I\'m your reader! I care! What he meant to write was "I don\'t care."
Basically, if it\'s not Tennessee or Connecticut, the media doesn\'t care. [smiley=angry.gif]
Actually, Â NPR commentator - Redrum - 12-28-2010
brought up Stanford -- of course, in the context of praising UConn-- to note that there are lots of good teams out there with whom UConn has to compete, Â so the women\'s bball scene is not so unlike the relative competition that UCLA faced on their record run all those years ago.
Now, Christine Brennan is completely in the tank for UConn, Â but I think her view is that women\'s sports are advanced by focusing on the peak, Â not the size and quality of the mountain. Â No different from how the media turns its commentators of both genders into hopeless front-runners... because some guy behind the desk agreed with the guy in the control booth that all America wants to hear about is the ultimate winner. Â Period. Â End of story.
Re: Is anyone else irked... -
fullmetal - 12-28-2010
I\'d agree that\'s how it happens (though perhaps not how it should happen)--the women\'s players who generate the most buzz are the superlative players: Candace Parker the dunker, Brittany Grimes the shot-blocker/dunker (6\'8"), Maya Moore the crazy scorer...
Stanford with its army of team-first players surely won\'t get the attention of the media.
Re: Is anyone else irked... - Pastor - 12-28-2010
Well, at least #9 Stanford shellacked #4 Xavier...89-52
Re: Is anyone else irked... -
Farm93 - 12-28-2010
Quote:Well, at least #9 Stanford shellacked #4 Xavier...89-52
Repeat that kind of performance against UConn, and I would guess that Stanford would get some media love for a day or two.
Re: Is anyone else irked... - sheriand - 12-28-2010
Like you, I\'m bummed this game wasn\'t on TV, even though I got to be there in person. Â It was terrific. Â Kayla, Nneka, Jeanette, Chiney, and Lindy started. Â The team played very excellent defense, forcing lots of turnovers (17 by Xavier to our 8) and getting lots of steals (13 or 14). Â Â Sarah Boothe had some good minutes and her best game (in my view) so far this year. Â Jeanette was awesome and must be Xavier\'s worse nightmare. Â Her picture was on the game ticket and she (and the team) seemed to be out to prove that the win last year was not a fluke. Â Â There was a decent crowd, considering it was a midday game on a workday and the students are away. Â I was impressed with the concentration and poise of the team and the focus and control they showed. Â It helps to have Kayla back fully in form. Â Great game to build momentum and confidence leading to Thursday\'s matchup.
Re: Is anyone else irked... - sheriand - 12-28-2010
This is wbbfan\'s husband. That was as Tara said, "A statement game." Stanford\'s defensive intensity was off the charts. One of Xavier\'s players had hit eight 3 pointers in a previous game. Lindy held her to one. Amber Harris is amazingly gifted, but the hard double teams bothered her all game long. It\'s tough when the second defender is 6\'3" or taller.
Booth provided significant minutes and helped keep Phillips off the boards.
Some sort of light bulb went on for Stanford, who were held without an offensive rebound for a long time to start the game. Suddenly, Chiney and Nneka were sticking put backs and Stanford was off and running.
I cannot praise Jeanette enough. It seemed like her intensity drove the entire team. She doubled well, posted her player up multiple times (including a sweeping hook shot at one point) and penetrated with gusto on multiple occasions.
It was great to hear the fans roaring their approval when Stanford was playing defense! Xavier did miss some wide open looks, but they were whipped in all facets of the game.