I wonder if Coach P will mention this. ;)

<B><I><font color = green>
"<u>They don't look like an extremely athletic team</u>," said Baylor 6-foot guard Chameka Scott during Monday's news conference. "But they play so well as a team that that's going to cause some problems for us."

Baylor senior Steffanie Blackmon praised the Spartans' scrappy nature. But athletic?

"They're definitely blue-collar workers," Blackmon said. "They're out there working hard, making plays. <u>They're not athletic very much</u>, but they get the job done. You don't have to be athletic to get the job done. They do a good job working together." </I> </font></B>

What are those people thinking, ... or not?
mick

I vote for "... or not!"

Nice example of proper speaking and grammar from a "student-athlete" attending an institution of higher learning in our country.

Juulie, you have been on a grammar and speaking soapbox of late... care to comment on this gem?!

Let's hope she declines. ;)

I promised I wouldn't! ...comment, I mean.

Besides, I don't feel it's worth getting in a snit about the 85 or 90 percent of people who don't understand or care about proper English. I feel sad sometimes, when it appears that the slang just isn't getting the job done, but otherwise, I've got bigger things to get my shorts in a wad about (like my own English!). I only went off on Packer because somebody said I couldn't. That always gets my dander up.

<B><font color = green>GO SPARTANS!!!</b>


<center><img src=http://www.saoa.faync.com/common/champs.bmp></center>

How is everybody's memory?

Remember last year's womens tournament? Baylor/Tennessee? The foul with 0.2 seconds to go against Baylor that decided the game? The subsequent thread on that call by the pissed-off Baylor fans that went on here literally for weeks?

Please, Lord, don't give those Baylor fans any excuse to do that again this year.

How is everybody's memory?

Remember last year's womens tournament? Baylor/Tennessee? [/b][/quote]
No.

No.

No.

I thought we already established that nobody watches the women's tourney.

:D

Shut up.

You're so mean to me. I don't know why you always have to to put me down.

I can play, too. :)

I thought the Women's Final Four happen last weekend?

Is this a good time to talk about taste loss?

Peace

I'll save JR the effort

http://www.ncf.edu/WritingResources/...ketball_sm.jpg

Rut,
It feels odd to me that the Women's champion will be decided after the Men's champion.
mick

<B>Go Green !!!</B> {...or will that be White tonight?)

Mick,

They do that so that the viewer ship will grow. The way they do it does draw some attention ordinarily that would not be present. I guess it is a good thing. I have no opinion either way. It is obvious to most people that do not have blinders on, that most of the public does not care about women's basketball. This board is by far the most conversation I have had about women's basketball at all. Everyone had a comment about the men's game yesterday and over the weekend.

Peace

Rut,
I can only believe that the hope for a larger audience will evaporate.
I sense a tone that when the men's champion has been decided, college basketball is done for the season.
But, I have a certain amount of experience in being incorrect.
mick

You run in pretty narrow circles, then. I've talked about women's ball far more in the last week than men's. In fact, the only men's ball conversation I've had this last week has been here.

The fact of the matter is that the US has had 100 years to learn to like men's basketball and about 30 to learn to like women's. Five years ago the women's tournament was on FSN. It was grainy and dark, and the ads were from local auto dealerships. Three years ago it was on ESPN2. The ads were local, but the quality of the pictures was much better, and the commentary was also a huge improvement. Two years ago, the tourney was run on both ESPN2 and ESPN. Ads were from national chains that didn't pay a lot. Last year and this year most of the tourney was on ESPN with big national companies advertising regular ads that you'd see just about anywhere else.

I think what this means is that the viewership for women's basketball is increasing, and that ESPN expects it to continue to increase. Will it ever match the men's viewership? Who cares? As long as ESPN thinks it's worth their time and trouble to sell the ads and show the games, I'm guessing that there are enough fans to consider it a "real" sport. Maybe those viewers aren't among your friends. That doesn't mean that no one cares. It just means that you and your friends don't care.

In all seriousness, you guys and your men's basketball aren't the center of the universe. Geez.

Juulie,

It does not matter who had a head start or really why one is more popular over the other. I do know this, I know more officials disappointed in my state when they do not get boy's playoff assignments then they ever do over girl's assignments. I have attended the Men's Big Ten Tournament for the last 6 years between Chicago and Indy, and 20,000 in either arena are not at all unusual. You cannot get tickets in the lower bowl of either the United Center or Conseco Field house when the tournament gets rolling. I watch the Big Ten Women's tournament some times and I see entire sections empty.

You are right. The world does not revolve around Men's basketball. I do know that no one has a thread about who worked the Final Four on the Women's side or goes into detail conversations about calls and situations that happen. Of course there are a few mentions, but no big speculation threads on who "might" work the Final Four and the quality of those officials on the Women's side. There is more talk about baseball on the basketball site than I ever read about Women's college basketball or the WNBA. Many people hate the NBA here, but for some reason when the playoffs arrive, there is a lot talk. Tubbyfan keeps coming back here talking about the Regional Finals and a call that should have been made. JR references a controversial call in a Baylor game last year and no one even remembered or knew what he was talking about.

I am sure there are fans that think the MLS is the bomb and the NHL is the best sport alive. But most people do not care about those sports just like they could give a damn about Women's basketball. Of course ESPN wants to support Women's basketball because they have the entire tournament. I know that if they could trade places with CBS and have the Men's tournament they would. You know that and I know that. CBS had the Women's tournament and did not even put up much of a fight to keep it. I know there were more people that watched the Yankees and the Sox play on Sunday then that watched the Final Four of the Women's tournament. The Final Four is crowning a champion, opening day is just one of 19 games those two teams will actually play each other. If you think that is the same interest level, then I guess the NHL is on their way to sports dominance.

Peace

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JRutledge
JR references a controversial call in a Baylor game last year and no one even remembered or knew what he was talking about.

I could say from experience that one of the reasons calls like the Baylor one last year don't get talked about a lot is that there is a concerted effort on the women's side not to badmouth each other or criticize calls publicly. I have noticed a definite difference in this area between men's and women's. I know that official and I'm sure he'd like to have the call back as would all of us at some point.

YU.P.
 

Michigan State did not appear "very athletic" last night. :)
<B>
<font color = green>Gone Green. </font></B>

When I was going through the provincial ranks, I had some officials at various levels of success tell me that "they don't ref chick ball." I took me about 2 years to understand what they meant.

Around here, women's college ball is little different from VG ball. I would rather officiate a men's HS regular season game than women's college ball.

Seemed like no energy, Mick. I think that the big comeback over Tennessee mighta taken too much outa them.

JugglingReferee,
We only have Boy's High school ball here, ...unless you count Men's rec league.
I prefer Women's college ball because they provide towels.
mick

Well, Baylor had a similar situation with their 15 point comeback the same night.
No doubt, last night the better team won.

Michigan State, having appeared in their first ever Final Four may now say, "...Been there and saw the t-shirt." ;)
mick

Can I get taste loss from a foosball table?

Can I cure taste loss with antibiotics?

(my two favorites)

All women's basketball has to do is generate higher ratings than the crap ESPN normally puts on. Or hockey (low ratings, but I won't call it crap).

Personally, I wish they would've used their time to show a baseball game last night, but I managed to find one by changing the channels.

Well, as much as I would have enjoyed seeing Michigan State win last night especially because one of the players is right from area, Baylor was the better team on the floor and made all of the plays that needed to be made in order to win.

Coach P said it best..."Baylor is a GREAT team, and they played GREAT."

It was not talked about because no one really saw the play in question.

Peace

Baylor play from 2004.
 

J. Rut.

Just curious what your take is on that play vs. Tennessee last year on the questionable call.

Re: Baylor play from 2004.
 

I am one of those millions of people that did not see it. ;)

Peace

It's still alive?

You sure live in the wrong place! Around HERE is fortunately a conference with at least 5 WBB teams in the top 25 and at least 2 consistently in the top 10 in the 5 years I have been here. In 3 of those years, one of our conference teams has been in the final four. One of our coaches has more than 800 wins and is in the Naismith Hall of Fame, another has 500 plus wins. Two of our "young" coaches have taken teams to the final four in the last four years - and one took home the gold this year. One of our teams consistently out draws their male counter parts and the conference as a whole ranks as one of the two top conference in WBB game attendance. AND, as icing on the cake: for "my" team, our "star" from our final four team a couple of years ago is now in medical school. Two role players from that team are in medical school and law school, One of this year's seniors is excited about beginning her career as an elementary school teacher and another is expected to go in the first round of the WNBA draft. I believe that the GPA of players in the conference averaged more than 3.0 last year and I know that "my" team's average is well above 3.0.

Oh ya, one more thing: in all of the WBB games I have attended, I have NEVER heard ANY player call "ball".

It IS different than the game played by the guys and for a LOT of fans in this conference, it is WONDERFUL! For those for whom it ain't BB unless there is dunking? To each his/her own. The good news for WBB fans is that the talent levels are rising each year - more good ball being played in high school equals much better players entering college. Better college balls encourages more kids to get involved earlier. UConn and Tennessee are legends but the depth of rising talent means that more and more schools are becoming really competitive in D1. 10 years ago, my school WBB games drew about 500, max. Now attendance is routinely 5,000 plus. Improve the "product" and the fans base explodes. Will WBB ever out draw MBB? Who knows. I'm not sure I care. God forbid it gets so popular that it starts breeding the type of player you see all too often in the NBA - super "stars" with feet of crumbling clay.

Gator,

That sounds great if you are working games where all the top teams play each other. That is not really what most of us are talking about. We are talking about when a top team plays a team that is in the middle of the road. I used to officiate Women's college basketball. A 50 point blowout was not out of the question. I worked Men's college game this year in a tournament. One team was a JV team player a middle of the road program. The JV team almost won the game in the final minutes.

If you look at the D1 Tournaments, the Men's side was wide open. Teams that you would have never guessed got to the Elite 8 and even Final Four. On the Women's side, there were blowouts all over the place and the teams expected to make noise did just that. There were a couple of blowouts on the Women's, but not as many as the Men's side.

You can always find somewhere in the country that has great basketball. We are just saying it is not the norm.

Peace

All too true, My main point was that it wasn't all that great here 10 years ago and look at us now - ie, I think better WBB is on its way in lots of places. Success seems to breed success - ADs in this conference are no longer content to "let things slide" - 3 of our 12 schools have made MAJOR coaching upgrades in the past 3 years - it was either that or continue to be embarrassed by being door mats. And it has a siphoning effect. More head coaching jobs paying $300,000 PLUS (sometimes plus a LOT) draws more good assistant coaches and high school coaches into the pipe stream because they can see there is a brass ring to reach for - etc. (I know - "for which to reach" is proper - but dull - grin) Same thing with players. If gym rats get rewarded, more girls will stay gym rats rather than get embarrassed about it.

Just wanted to give folks who hadn't seen evidence of a upswing yet a view from another place.