Native Tennesseans probably wonder now and again why northerners move to their state. As one of those Yankees I can answer with one word – winter! A good share of my life was spent in my home state of Ohio and then as an adult in Michigan. Winter there meant cold temperatures and snow. The first snow might come as early as November but because it was the first it was easy to enjoy the change in the landscape covered with pure white sparkling snow.
That first snow is followed by months and months of snow. As it piled up, even if the temperatures warmed enough to melt some of it, there were always piles of dirty snow. When the temperatures dipped the melted snow turned to ice bringing crushed cars on highways and broken bones on sidewalks.
Of course there were fun times in the snow and other times when it was a beautiful sight but by the time March arrived enough was enough! After more than two decades on the Plateau this northerner is satisfied with the occasional snows of Tennessee. It is easy to delight in their beauty because they disappear almost overnight and the scene is once again filled with the green of native bushes. Just as my closet was filled with cold weather clothes until I was satisfied that in Tennessee I really did not need them.
March weather may be questionable but there is no question there is always March madness. After three decades of nurturing Lady Vols basketball, this season has been a maddening one for coach Pat Summitt. It has been a season of contrasts. First came the honors and celebration when her team was victorious giving Summitt the 1000th win of her career. On the other hand this team of young athletes has had a disappointing year in games won.
During interviews Summitt is candid about her frustration with their performance. Several years ago I wrote a column comparing the records of Summitt and the University of Texas coach Jody Conradt. The two were fierce competitors during NCAA women’s tournaments and Conradt held the record as the winningest coach until the 2001-02 season when Summitt tied her and then took the title the next year.
After 38 years of coaching Conradt retired in 2007. In a long interview with Texas Monthly magazine she mentioned changes she has seen over the years that might be affecting today’s young players. When she began there was nothing prestigious about women’s basketball. You played because you loved it. There was no pressure to win. Eventually people began to fill the stands, there were bands and cheerleaders and the media paid attention. Gone were the days of sacrifice when you loaded a car with the team and drove to the next game. Soon scholarships were given. Gone were the days when the coach paid for cheap meals and gas.
Conradt continued, “Kids used to be so excited just to have an opportunity to play. Now I see more of a mentality of entitlement: ‘I’m a tremendous athlete, so you owe me this. This is what I should get because of my talent.’” Her explanation on this change is a hit at recruitment. Recruiters watch for girls who show talent in high school and follow their games and write glowing letters. Although some of that excess such as showering prospects with FedEx packages every day has changed any young girl is bound to be changed by all the attention. It is easy to understand why she begins to think she is more important than she really is.
As I write this column our Lady Vols had won the first two games in two nights of the SEC tournament. That all ended on the third night and again they disappointed their coach and themselves. As a fan I have faith all those freshmen have learned a lot in this blah year and will come back strong next year.
Columns
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March 10, 2009
RANDOM THOUGHTS: I don't miss those Northern winters a bit!
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GARY'S WORLD: Thank our veterans this weekend
A tremendous opportunity presents itself in our community this weekend — an opportunity to honor those who served in the Vietnam War. Personally, after attending last year's first Welcome Home celebration, I wouldn't want to miss this. It was an emotional event for both Vietnam veterans and ordinary citizens. It was a great way to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day in Tennessee, March 29.
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RANDOM THOUGHTS: "Antiques Roadshow" comes to Tennessee
If you are one of the 10 million who watch each episode of the “Antiques Roadshow” mark your calendar. The three upcoming Mondays, March 30, April 6 and April 13, were all taped in Chattanooga last July.
- LION AND THE LAMB: An open letter to Sharon Baier I was happy to read your well-written article, printed in last week's Chronicle. It makes a strong case, in the story of Al and Jennifer, that "To make money, you have to spend money." That misguided couple thought that they ought to cut down on their purchase of supplies, to save money. They did so, week after week, until they lost their business.
- WE THE PEOPLE: Veterans storm the Hill When young men and women risk their lives and sacrifice both physical and mental health for their country, a grateful country should at least provide them with shelter, food, and health care. But there is a lot of hypocrisy between what some windbag says on Veterans Day and what the country actually does for veterans.
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THEREFORE I AM: Kids stress out parents? Well, duh!
This just in: According to an expert, children can add stress and strain to a marriage. In other news, further expert studies have indicated that the sky is in fact blue, Paris Hilton is a tad spoiled, peanut butter and chocolate taste great together, and the Middle East has issues. Thank goodness we have experts to tell us these things.
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INSIDE THE FIRST AMENDMENT: With shekels come shackles
When President Obama launched his faith-based initiative at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, he promised not only to sustain the Bush administration’s signature domestic program — but to expand it.
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THEREFORE I AM: Jim Croce and I will keep you safe and sound
My philosophy of life is simple: When in doubt, follow the advice of a dead folk-rock star. I always found Jim Croce to be particularly handy in this capacity. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape. Don’t spit into the wind. Don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and regardless of how badly you may want to, do not, under any circumstances, mess around with Jim.
- STUMPTALK: Stimulating a war on prosperity and freedom Near Bush’s sunset, Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed chairman Bernanke terrified the nation with “the sky’s falling and America is doomed” unless the government steps in with new regulations, institutional takeovers and massive lending.
- WE THE PEOPLE: Thoughts on bringing a recession to heel Responding to the recent full-throated baying of conservative “economic watchdogs,” I slogged into the swamp of their icon Adam Smith’s murky tome, “The Wealth of Nations,” to see if they had finally treed anything of value.
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LION AND THE LAMB: Reality
Dim blue of early morning shines into the living room
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