RebKell's Junkie Boards

[YankeeVol]

I've noticed that people really seem to dislike, even hate, Brenda Frese and McCallie at Duke. Why is that? Is it purely a win-lose issue, or does it have to do with how they treat their players?

I don't really have an opinion, but I have noticed some strong feelings directed towards them...

[myrtle]

There are just some very outspoken individuals with strong feelings against them. Like all opinions, it doesn't reflect everyone else's opinions. Opinions are what make this forum fun though - it would be boring if we all agreed.

[YankeeVol]

I have to say, though, some comments are pretty hateful... before I just write people off, I try to find out if there's a rational explanation.

Why isn't the same level of vitriol directed at Mickie DeMoss for dumping KY or Goestenkors for abandoning Duke, or Kelly Harper for going after Yow's job when Glance was so mistreated.... etc..... on and on....

[pilight]

The Frese hate is mostly sour grapes.

The McCallie hate seems to be primarily Duke fans who are bitter at having to downgrade from Gail Goestenkors. G didn't abandon Duke, Duke abandoned her.

_________________
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[Queenie]

[PRballer]

The difference with DeMoss and Harper is that they are perceived by women's basketball fans to be of stellar character and simply don't have too many enemies in the sport, be it former players and on the AAU/recruiting circuit. Though DeMoss certainly had a shady exit at Kentucky, she was still considered a great colleague and loved by her players.

McCallie and Frese have deservedly had more criticism and keep in mind, it's Maryland and Duke. Lots of heat in terms of men (and of course women's) basketball. I also wonder how much of their reputations are cemented by the fact that both have left successful programs (Minnesota and Michigan State) behind in pursuit of bigger jobs (not that I have a problem with that). So there's less of that "honest" and "loyal" factor going for them.

And finally, it's just really fun to pick on Brenda.

[readyAIMfire53]

[YankeeVol]

Yes, being a public figure means that people pick on you, no doubt about that, it just seems VERY personal with these two.

I'll have to watch them more closely to pick up on the fodder...

I guess I have some sympathy for Brenda - I'm the mother of twins as well, and that is a serious challenge to sanity. If she's erratic, I think I can guess why.... but semi-crazy people are fun to tease.

McCallie just looks unfriendly...

[beknighted]

Speaking for myself alone, mostly it's that I think that Frese is annoying (and she was annoying before the twins). She spends half her time on the court, counting on the refs not being willing to call a technical because they're busy doing productive things; I don't like her expressions; I just don't like her.

It doesn't help that I dislike the style her teams play - more or less no real defense and reliance on outscoring other teams. It actually was amusing to watch Maryland play Stanford in the Elite 8 in 2008, since it demonstrated what happens when you play a team with equal firepower and even the slightest commitment to defense (and, of course, the same team lost to Rutgers that season).

And, to be really frank, it irks me that she won a national title because there's no evidence that she's a good enough coach to have done so. Most teams that win national championships are lucky, but that team must have bought every horseshoe and rabbit's foot in the Free State. (Go look at the box scores if you don't know what I mean.) Her 2007, 2008 and 2009 teams had more talent than the 2006 team and failed to meet expectations, which I think is a more telling sign.

This does not, mind you, prevent me from acknowledging that she took a moribund program and made it relevant, which is a good thing, or that her players seem to love her, or that she has gotten the Terps to the point that they get mentioned on a regular basis on the morning radio sportscasts in D.C., which is no small achievement. But I still don't like her.

As for McCallie, I actually like her and find some of the criticism of her bewildering, but I'm not a Duke fan either.

[Carol Anne]

I recall reading (here, I think) that McCallie could be Rene Portland's twin when it comes to homophobia.

[njjosh]

[Happycappie25]

[caune]

[YankeeVol]

Loyalty means something.... or it should.

[readyAIMfire53]

[Joey Nations]

Let's see how many posts I can reply too at once.

ReadyAIM: the NCAA has been looking at Maryland for 4 years now, don't you think at one point someone would have cracked? If she used a Jet to get players, which would shock me because Langhorne, Harper, Coleman, Toliver and Doron all live less than a 4 hour drive campus, it would have been found out. It took the NCAA four years to get USC and yet somehow Maryland was better at hiding stuff than a football program?

YankeeVol: Like it was mentioned, no one in Kentucky cared about hoops, plus Mickie became an assistant and not a head coach. NC State needed a change. Glance had her chance to show she could coach and essentially bottomed out. Keeping her around meant NC state would continue to struggle. There should be more outrage that Summitt routinely circumvents the rules when it comes to GAs and Assistant Coaches. Explain to me why Glance needed to be a special assistant to the head coach?

beknighted: I couldn't stop laughing that a Rutgers fan was complaining about Frese's demeanor. Has there been a day in the last five years where C. Viv didn't complain? You don't like Maryland's style of play because they try to outscore everyone? I would rather give myself papercuts than watch Rutgers play basketball. C. Viv has coached almost everyone of her teams to essentially foul on every play because "Hey, the refs know they can't foul out my whole team."

Is Brenda a great coach? No, she just makes sure she gets the right assistants.

[bballfan2005]

[caune]

[bballfan2005]

As an AD, you aren't acting in the best interest of the girls if you do not give them the best chance to win. Glance is an awful recruiter and everyone in the ACC knew it. Harper, on the other hand, is a much better recruiter (who has credibility in the Deep South thanks to her UT pedigree) and has enough X's and O's to get by.

I have a distant cousin who played for Kay and loved just about every moment of her time there. She was a great woman by all indication. However, she was a little too loyal for the current-day cutthroat atmosphere of the ACC. Glance should've long been replaced by a more dynamic recruiter.

It's highly unfortunate that Kay had to lose her battle with cancer so soon. Lucky for NC State, though, their program picked up faster than they imagined. Those girls deserve to have the best shot at winning games based on what they've had to endure during their college careers.

_________________
Avatar: The King has his ring!

Mathies to LA 2013

[beknighted]

[Bigorange123]

[Happycappie25]

[YankeeVol]

In response to loyalty versus winning, and "winning means more", in my love-hate relationship with sports, this sentiment is what I hate the most.

Given the complexity and urgency of "real life" I hate it when the sports world boils it all down to the win-lose ratio. It kind of reminds me of the ongoing bullshit that good coaches "teach the game of life". Yeah, right. Not real life.

[pilight]

[24duzitall]