Interesting yahoo article on Geno

Statalyzer

Statalyzer

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I didn't realize he went off on the undefined "they" without being prompted. I don't understand why he's always so uptight. I know it's always easy to hate successful teams, but Geno makes UConn easier to hate than any other - only Bill Belichick comes close IMO. I mean, I hate the Lakers b/c they are the Spurs' biggest rival in terms of success in the past decade, but Phil Jackson doesn't make me think "That guy just needs to lose because he deserves to." I don't usually see him crow in victory or get sore in defeat (except when he's working the refs for the next playoff games). And I imagine Lakers fans would say the same thing about Popovich. Roy Williams and Mike Kryieskzjkkasweskziiski ... same deal. I don't like Duke and do like UNC, but it has nothing to do with the coaches. Women's college basketball needs a better ambassador than Geno Auriemma.
 
I agree with you, Stat, about Geno just rubbing people the WRONG way. I really can't stand him. That being said, I believe he is right on point with his rage on this one. I think that, if UConn had been just going after another womens' bball record, it probably would not have made anywhere near the headlines it made.

Interesting that the author of this article seems to talk out of both sides of her/his mouth with this quote:

"To compare UConn’s 88 wins with UCLA’s is pointless. They are different games played in different eras. Those who complain the Connecticut women had no great competition forget UCLA dominated a weak Pac-8 Conference on its way to all those championships in the 1960s and ’70s."

The author says not to compare the two teams/eras but then goes on to do exactly that. What a dork.
 
I love Geno. And he's right with his comments.

I would love to pay him $5 million dollars to come down here are turn our program around. I've never seen a coach turn players into the incredible athletes and skillfull basketball starts like he does ... better than Pat Summit. He is a legend.
 
He may be a genius but he seems to deliberately act as an *** a lot of the time. As much as I respect the winning streak of UConn, I don't see it as setting a women's record. They have a long ways to catch, well at least another season, the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens. That's the WBB record pretty much everyone seems to have overlooked. Surpassing UCLA's record is an acheivement to be proud of. And, he is probably correct in that it would not be news if it was not a men's record they were surpassing. No one certainly seems to be looking at the women's record.

Still, Geno does come across a lot as abrasive in interviews. I guess that's my problem with him, that he treats other professionals, the press, as idiots unless they are a part of his inner circle, the UConn press.

There's no question that he is the premier women's BB coach at this time based on results over the last few years. While I can admire and appreciate the accomplishments he has reached and the play of the players he has signed, I don't admire the personality of the coach and the way that he interacts with others.
 
Is this really where we are now? Are we Aggie or Pravda? For years Aggie whimpered 'Well at least we are not Longhorn/Austin Liberals' as we handed them defeat after defeat. Pravda reminds us we've got it so good as we stand in the bread line. UConn is everything we should be in basketball. Several schools in the B12 are what we should be in this sport. Until we start beating programs like these, I think we look better just enduring .500 ball quietly. But for the record, I would love to have an abrasive coach that actually earns the salary Belmont is paying.
 
For anyone that's interested in BabHorn's comment about Wayland Babtist, they won 131 consecutive games in the 50s. Another time and far different competition maybe but 131 consecutive wins in 131 consecutive wins. I think Geno would agree.

Wayland Babtist Flying Queens
 
This just seems like a classic catch 22. The media covers it, Geno yells that he gets no respect. If they didn't cover it, he'd yell that he gets no respect. Whatever the event is doesn't really matter, because Geno's story is always that he gets no respect.
 
You can respect his accomplishments without respecting him personally. I would love to have his record at UT but not with him at the helm. JMO
 
Yes - I would definitely not want someone like Geno - best recruiter, best coach - great promoter, great program builder, great fan base. I could never want that at UT. Our program is dieing.
 
You don't have to have Geno to have all that. Tara has that at Stanford. Pat has that at Tenn. Kim has that at Baylor. But by all means, be a snarky about it.
rolleyes.gif
 
And so the 80 game win streak ends. He was almost polite in his post game comments on the air. Good work for Stanford and good work for Tara to keep the focus on what STANFORD did not what UCONN didn't do.
 
dislike Geno Auriemma. I respect the hell out of him for what he's done at UConn and for staying with the women's game when he probably could be successful coaching a men's team. But I definitely do not like him. His smugness is just too much for me to take.
 
Ok, you've convinced me, Geno is a real bad guy. I bet he has a real smug, self-satisfied look on his face as he polishes those Natl Champ trophies. How many is it now?

This may shock you, but there are a few UT coaches (some that make less than a million a year) that are considered arrogant and whiners by the folks in other B12 towns. But these coaches don't cheat, they recruit well, and they win. And I'm okay with that as a Longhorn fan. They bring home B12/NCAA hardware every now and then. The coach up the road in Waco might be an example of all the above (arrogant,recruits well, doesn't cheat, wins) and earns her million a year salary. Do we have a problem there?

I suggest we the real reason we don't like Geno is his NCAA tourney runs last longer than ours. Maybe it is that simple.
 
LakeErie...
Nope, most of us don't like Geno because he is flat-out obnoxious...We don't give a damn about his winning or losing, (well, I was happy the streak ended) or whatever, he's just an *** who bad-mouths everyone, including his own players....

hookem.gif
 
Then, Lake Erie, how come I and many others don't feel and have never felt this way about Pat Summit, even though Tennessee has more titles than Connecticut?

And how come (all the other examples I've given of teams that are disliked b/c they succeed, but the coach isn't thought of this way, that are still unaddresses)?

Take a look at this for another example:The Link

Pelini isn't a cheater either. He doesn't have lots of titles, but he did have a much better W-L record than Texas this year. That doesn't mean it's sour grapes for someone to say he'd honestly rather go 5-7 without Pelini than win the division with him, and for someone else to chime in and agree.
 
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