I recently read an article from SI.com by a Boston Globe columnist, Dan Shaughnessy, entitled "UCONN deserves credit for it's remarkable run, but I can't watch. In his article he wrote about not caring about the women's tournament and that "most red-blooded American fans don't give a hoot about women's basketball", he went on to say that "the dominant Huskies are a part of the problem."
I took from his message that because of the utter destruction UCONN has put on it's opponents this year, with no team coming closer than 12pts, that it renders the games uninteresting, almost boring if you are not a UCONN fan.
He also says there is "little competition in the women's game"...
Since 2000, only 5 teams have won the national championship, UCONN and Tennessee having multiple wins. Compared to the men's national championship game for the same period, eight teams have won, with repeats from North Carolina and Florida. Just for fun I checked out the NBA. Since 2000 only 5 teams have been crowned NBA Champs. The Lakers and Spurs had multiple championships during that period. What jumps out at you about these statistics? All stats look pretty darn similar to me?
..."the game appears in slow motion compared to the men's game."
Only men compare women's play with men's play. Men and women are physically different. We don't run as fast or jump as high. Realistically the women's pace is not in slow motion. Many programs are designed specifically to run! No half court games for some.
..."nobody's fault the women's game is played below the rim"...
Several women have come before Baylor's Brittany Griner and showed effective skills above the rim, and many more will come after Griner who will continue the evolution of women playing above the rim. Playing below the rim isn't a handicap.
"Let's forgive the fact that the women play with a smaller basketball which makes it easier for them to shoot and dribble."
Come on! Is that really a good reason to bash the women's game? Should that really matter? Perhaps if my hand were large enough to spread across a small pizza this wouldn't be an issue. Since men have bigger feet, why have they not gone to a larger soccer ball?
"ESPN has been force-feeding us women's basketball (college/professional) for more than a decade"....
If you don't want to watch...change the channel. Enough said.
"Men simply don't want to watch"
Speak for yourself. At this year's SEC conference tournament in Georgia, I followed two women and two men, from the parking lot to the arena. In listening to their conversation, the men were explaining how they watched Tennessee when they were in the military some time ago, and picked them for their team. Now civilians, they traveled from South Carolina to see the Lady Vols play in person. One gentlemen admitted to having second thoughts about his allegiance to Tennessee since the Gamecocks now had Dawn Staley as the women's head coach.
"Upsets are the best part of the men's tournament. They rarely happen in the women's draw. There's no March Madness in the women's game"...
There have been plenty of upsets in the women's draw. #6 seeds falling to #11 seeds, #4 seeds falling to #13 seeds. Most notably last year's first round perennial powerhouse #5 Tennessee was ousted by #12 seed Ball State. Who can forget the most devastating loss to date, #16 Harvard defeats the number one seed Stanford Cardinal in the first round.
Everyone knows the mantra "Win or Go Home!" Everyone expected the New England Patriots to cap off a historic perfect season with a Super Bowl win, not many predicted the outcome that prevailed.
I love basketball in all it's forms, from the high flying acrobatics of the NBA to the electrifying male collegians that thrill me game after game. I especially enjoy the women's game for the way it's played, hard, energetic and with passion. Passion to play the best they can.
So, a boring women's tournament Mr. Shaughnessy? I beg to differ,...excitement for all and madness for some. And just think, your "UCONN greatness" may not be the script that unfolds. It's why we play the games.
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