If a women's college basketball record fell in the woods ...

[Beefcake]

For pete's sake, Coach Auerwhatsyername, stop embarrassing yourself!

He's behaving like Cheri Oteri and Co. in that SNL skit where the reasonable shoppers, not aware in that they are in a tussle, are being told to "simmer down now". ITA with this columnist:

Who's up in arms about the UConn women breaking the record set by the UCLA men in 1974? If anything, most people are insisting we properly package each streak in its own, separate category. They are two different sports, entirely. Yes, comparisons are inevitable, and Auriemma needs to accept that, but I haven't seen much chagrining about this record falling. That's primarily the case because most are cognizant of the differences in the sport.

The UConn women's basketball team should be 1000% proud about their enormous accomplishment. Huge props to them

But, UConn did not break the legendary UCLA men's winning streak, nor should sports fans all be taken to task for not being and obsessed over the UConn ladies' streak. Nor should the media be for not dedicating miles of newsprint and airtime covering a sport that the public ... just ... doesn't ... give ... a shit ... about.

Women's basketball and men's basketball share the name "basketball", but UConn's accomplishment is NOT equal to UCLA's men's program's accomplishment in the 70s. They are different accomplishments, strung together only by a [mostly] similar ball, a [mostly] similar hoop, and a [mostly] shared set of rules.

I am not bashing fans of women's basketball. Kudos to you for supporting a sport that you - hopefully - love. But those insisting that we all equally embrace non-equal sports is bullsh*t. Heck, mabye I need to write a column damning the lack of coverage for professional tennis, and demanding that it receive equal coverage and public enthusiasm to NBA basketball. They both use a net and a ball, right?

[genevieve]

Sorry, not buying your argument here.

The backlash of NBA fans that feel that they are being badgered into supporting a "sport" (scare quotes!!!!!! not mine ) is so very tired.

[numbers123]

sorry - but I have no idea what you are trying to say.

[OlieRow]

Props to the UConn women for the accomplishment, but as a kid who grew up watching the Lady Vols and idolizing Pat Summitt, Geno's antics over the years have been a huge turn off.

[Coco]

He's saying that men's basketball is more competitive than women's so the women's achievement doesn't mean as much.

But the argument cuts both ways. Yes, there are differences in men's and women's basketball. I'm guessing the men get better support, cushier traveling arrangements that can have a significant impact on their ability to recover physically, better trainers and medical care (especially in the beginning years of UCONN's streak), etc. The list goes on.

Apparently, you can even argue that female basketball players are way more susceptible to knee injuries than male b-ball players, so it's harder for a women's team to be consistently good over a season.

[Theatregirl1122]

Honestly the argument that there is more parity in men's basketball than women's basketball so the women's record isn't as impressive (which is the argument most of my male friends are trying to make) is a crock of sh!t. The UCLA men did not win 88 games straight in Men's Basketball last year. They won 88 straight games in the 70s. Preceding the start of the streak, the UCLA men's basketball team had won 6 of the last 7 championships. Connecticut has only won three of the last 7 championships. Which one of these looks like more parity to you? And frankly, men's and women's basketball are the same sport. The same sport played by two different genders, but the same sport. Men's and Women's lacrosse for example, are not. But men's and women's basketball are.

I will be the first person to tell you that Geno Auriemma is a grade A @sshole and the less I have to see of him the better. But his team won 88 games in a row. So yes. They haven't broken the UCLA record for a streak in men's basketball. But the women's record is now longer than the men's record.