Published: March 10, 2009 08:35 pm      

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I don't miss those Northern winters a bit!

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.