You knew I was gonna write about it. How could I not?
Well, I actually promised myself that I would hold off until Tuesday night, but I have too many thoughts brewing in my head to wait until then.
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to GoogleNews and search “UConn” and you’ll get a healthy number of news stories that will better articulate what I’m going to attempt to say now. The UConn women’s basketball team (of my heart, as Fozz would say) has extended their win streak to 88 games. The number “88” is an important number in college basketball because that’s the number of consecutive games won by John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins team in the early ’70s. The fact that UConn has matched that number is truly impressive, and the manner in which they’ve done so is truly spectacular. It’s a record that will stand in women’s college basketball for a long, long time to come, much as the UCLA record has withstood the test of time. It speaks volumes to the UConn coaching staff, their program, and the wonderful players who have contributed to the streak. It’ll be an accomplishment that I’m sure many of them will cherish for years to come, and rightfully so.
As awe-inspiring as all of it is, it doesn’t surprise me that UConn has continued their dominance for so long. I believe Mike Brey said that it’s amazing that they’ve continued to win (and in such dominating fashion) while taking everyone else’s best shot for such a prolonged period of time. But that’s what’s special about UConn — they understand that everyone they play is out to get them, no matter if it’s Holy Cross or Stanford, and they prepare for and play each game the same way (I believe this will be the topic of discussion for a future post, “Winning is a Culture, Vol. V: Playing to a Standard” … be patient on Vol. III and IV, I’m working on them now. But then again, I told you I was working on “Hold My Heart, Vol. 2” about three months ago…). They’re special because they’re told that they’re not special or even good, every day in practice. They’re special because they don’t allow themselves to believe the hype. They’re special because the same intensity, tenacity, and fight they bring to every tick of every game is the same intensity, tenacity, and fight they bring to their practices. They’re special because of the way they work, and the standards that they set for themselves.
What does surprise me is the ire that the UConn program has drawn. It’s kind of sad — and almost contradictory — that there is so much negative attention for the streak, and yet so little attention to the UConn program in general. Geno’s said it multiple times — that people “wouldn’t give a shit” (maybe those weren’t his exact words, but that’s basically what he meant) if UConn were about to break a women’s record. But because it’s a men’s record, you’ve got people up in arms, and I’m not quite sure why.
My opinion is that the accomplishments of the two teams are not comparable — different players, different game, different era — but the processes each team took are. Both teams set higher standards for themselves than anyone else. Both teams prepared and worked harder than anyone else. And both teams went out and competed harder than anyone else. Sounds simple enough, right? But that’s what sets them apart from every other team.
John Wooden is the greatest basketball coach ever. Period. No competition. His UCLA teams have done some incredible things, that I don’t think will be touched in men’s college basketball ever again. Not only did his team win 88 games in a row, they also won 10 National Championships in 12 years, including seven in a row from the late ’60s to early ’70s. Simply astounding.
I don’t want to make conjecture about what John Wooden thought of UConn’s program, UConn’s streak, or what he would say if he were still alive about the possibility that they may break his team’s NCAA record of most consecutive wins in men’s or women’s basketball. But what I do know is this — Geno and his team have the utmost respect for John Wooden and his team, and they’re not trying to compare themselves to it. UConn’s streak isn’t great because it can stand up next to UCLA’s record. It’s great because they’ve done an incredible thing — they’ve won eighty eight games, eighty six of them by double digits. It’s tough to win that many in a row, and it’s tough to be that good for that long. What was it that Jim Calhoun said? That it’s tough to win at checkers 88 times in a row, let alone basketball. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong. Jim Calhoun might not have even said it at all. But, y’know. It’s 4am. /excuses)
So Bryant Gumbel, Digger Phelps, Dan Shaughnessy — you’re entitled to your own opinions. But rest easy. No one is arguing that UConn has somehow eclipsed UCLA in terms of greatness and legacy, and no one is arguing that we’ll ever forget those teams and that record. No one is arguing that UConn’s record is better than UCLA’s, and no one is arguing that somehow UCLA’s accomplishments mean less now. The sky’s not falling.
If I may be so bold, I think UConn’s streak, no matter when it ends (and it will, probably this season … but I hope I’m wrong), is an absolutely extraordinary accomplishment in the game of basketball. That’s what people are arguing — that this streak, and UConn, are great. No need for comparisons. UConn’s surpassed both records for consecutive wins in NCAA women’s college basketball — Leon Barmore and LSU’s 54, and their own 70. I’ll have to rewatch the game and bring that graphic up again, about the margins of victory during the streak, but these are some quick stats I’ve jotted down (stats prior to the 88th win, keep in mind): The average margin of victory during the streak has been +33.4 points, with the greatest margin being 80 against Holy Cross in their first game of this season, and their smallest margin of victory being 1 against (2) Baylor in their second game of the season. Of 3,480 total minutes played during the streak, UConn has trailed for 131 of them. UConn’s record against teams in the Top 25 during their streak was 29-0 (30-0, now), and against teams in the Top 10 was 15-0 (16-0, now). They’ve won a lot, they’ve won in dominating fashion, and they’ve won against everyone they’ve faced, regardless of the names across their chests.
As Geno said, it’s tough to talk about this streak. You can’t speak about it in the same sentence as UCLA’s 88, because then men will be angry, because how dare you compare women to men?! But you can’t downplay UConn’s 88 because women would be angry that you’re not recognizing the amazing accomplishments of these young women and their importance to the women’s game. It’s a tough line to walk, and I wish we could just say that this is amazing for a basketball team to accomplish, period, regardless of gender.
But back to my thought about a lack of attention given to the UConn program in general. Even with the streak, it seems like no one really cares at all what UConn has done. UConn women’s basketball is the number one team in the country, and has been the last two years. They’ve had back-to-back undefeated seasons, and are chasing their eighth National Championship. And yet, their accomplishments are downplayed, and are mere footnotes in major newspapers, a sidestory on ESPN.com, given the backseat on ESPNU to favor car racing, bowling, and billiards on ESPN. If Duke, the current number one team in the country on the men’s side and defending National Champion, were also on the brink of breaking UCLA’s streak, EVERYONE would be paying attention. People wouldn’t be making as big of a fuss over the record being broken by a men’s team. Kyle Singler’s face wouldn’t just be all over your nightmares, it’d be all over the newspapers, the news, the internet, ESPN, ESPN27, and everywhere else you can imagine. People would start naming their kids “Kyrie” and “Krzyzewski”, Dick Vitale would actually die of happiness, and there’d be a movie out about them in about two months. But because it’s “just a bunch of girls”, UConn’s unbelievable accomplishments are going to go unnoticed. It’ll continue to be given two seconds of “Oh, cool” or “Geno is an asshole!” comments in the waning minutes of sports shows like PTI and SportsCenter, it’ll continue to be relegated to 4th page news in the sports section (unless it’s an editorial about why the streak’s not impressive) while stories about Brett Favre and his naughty text messages or Cam Newton and his entrepreneurial father will continue to get top billing, and UConn’s still going to be playing record-setting and record-breaking games on ESPNU, while guys driving around in circles is playing on ESPN. Your mom won’t know who Maya Moore is, your neighbor won’t ask you if you saw the UConn/Stanford game last night, and Geno Auriemma will never, ever be pronounced correctly (although I don’t think it ever will be, anyway). Because y’know. It’s only been 88 games in a row. Nothing special, especially cause it was just some stupid girls.
I’ve already agreed that comparing UConn’s 88 game win streak to UCLA’s 88 game win streak isn’t fair, and doesn’t really make sense. But I don’t understand what makes UConn’s streak any less remarkable. It’s pretty amazing, the dominance that UConn has had over women’s college basketball. UCLA’s dominance over men’s college basketball, North Carolina’s dominance over women’s college soccer, and Penn State’s dominance over women’s college volleyball — all incredible, amazing things too. I don’t see the need to compare them, because all those records and all those titles can stand alone in their greatness, but that’s just my humble opinion. Further, as I’ve said, it just doesn’t make sense to compare a men’s team’s accomplishment to a women’s team’s accomplishment. But saying that UConn’s accomplishment and UConn as a team aren’t great because they compete against women, or because a “shitty college men’s team/high school boy’s team” could beat them? That’s like saying that Allyson Felix isn’t a great sprinter because she couldn’t beat Usain Bolt in a race — it’s probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard in my life.
So say what you want about the streak, say that you don’t care (Looking at you Mark Titus — “In car headed to Nashville for Garth Brooks concert. Anyone know why OSU-UCONN women’s game hasn’t started yet? Or why I care?” … Guess he doesn’t have to care, considering he can’t even hear or see me from behind those National Championships he’s won. Wait?), say that the streaks don’t compare — but don’t detract from the work that these young women have put into it. Don’t detract from their sacrifices, their dedication, and their heart. These players don’t work or practice so hard to make or break streaks — they work and practice so hard so that they can play every single game to pursue greatness, and they work and practice so hard so that they can win National Championships. So if this streak ends, and when all the naysayers start coming out of the woodwork saying “Told you so” and telling them that they were never good enough to be uttered in the same sentence as John Wooden’s UCLA, the players aren’t gonna shed a tear over them, because that’s not what they’ve been working for. I can’t imagine the pressure that comes with pulling that UConn jersey on, and I can’t imagine the intensity and focus with which they pursue perfection. That’s what needs to be applauded, and that’s what other basketball teams — regardless of gender, and Illinois men, I’m looking at you — should learn from.
And y’know, I almost feel like I’m stooping to their level by even mentioning this (you know, that whole bit about the farmer telling the pig that its breath smells like shit), but I always think it’s funny when people can’t knock a team’s game, so they knock the way the players look, or they have to resort to calling them “lesbos”. Because apparently greatness is dependent upon physical attractiveness and sexual orientation. Didn’t learn that one from my parents, and they’re both adorable and straight! Go figure. I also read an analogy that analogized women’s vs. men’s basketball to the Special Olympics vs. the Olympics. Because the people who compete in the Special Olympics are less skilled, less courageous, less strong, and less inspiring than the people who compete in the Olympics. Obviously.
Oh, and Nike had it right. Complaining that UConn’s bad for the women’s game and that they’re too good is like complaining that high def TV is too clear.
But we’re losing the point of the importance of Sunday. Sunday wasn’t about UConn or the streak; the Madison Square Garden stage wasn’t set specifically for either. No, Sunday was about Maggie Dixon. It was a tournament dedicated to her memory, and to raising money for heart arrhythmia research. Maggie Dixon was an assistant under Doug Bruno at DePaul from 2001-2005, and was hired by West Point as their head coach in 2005. In her first season, Army went 20-11, won the Patriot League, and went dancing to the school’s first NCAA Tournament. Soon after, she died of heart arrhythmia at the age of 28. It was a tragic loss, and prematurely robbed college basketball of a great young coach.
By some stroke of luck, on Sunday, Madison Square Garden almost sold out. And just for some girls playing basketball. Neat, huh? Hope it made Maggie smile.
