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From Elton Alexander's "Four things I think about the MAC Tournament" bit in today's PD:

It was pretty condescending for Bowling Green head Coach Curt Miller to constantly moan that his No. 20-ranked and No. 1 MAC Tournament seed [conjugation, anyone?] women's team was an underdog. The Falcons won the tourney the two previous seasons against teams they had built a 31-1 record against during that time. Kind of like a Rottweiler claiming to be an underdog before going into a poodle pound.

I read stuff like this and ask myself if the guy paid any attention to the actual games at all, or if he just reviewed the final score, saw ONE QUOTE and ran with it? Hmm?

If Elton had been paying attention, he would have noticed that we were playing with a seven girl rotation, one that itself was further hindered when a primary scorer was injured early in the semifinal game. If he had actually bothered to show up at the championship game, he likely would have looked at Ball St. warming up, looked at BG and back to Ball St. and asked himself "hey, where are the rest of the Falcons?"

I'm really not all that upset about BG getting slighted in any way, but to me, this is a perfect example of why the Plain Dealer has lost so much respect. How this stuff doesn't get vetted out I will never understand.

I present to you Hackenberg's column:

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /703110301

where our Liz Honegger says:

"We were facing some adversity. But, honestly, we were going for our third straight championship. How underdog-ish is that?""

There is no doubt the Falcons were not underdogs, no matter how many injuries. Everyone gets innjuries. No one else had won 2 straight.

The difference of opinion came in whether Curt was condescending or not. He wasn't, in my opinion, he just got caught up in it. Elton didn't get caught up in and perhaps saw it from Kent State's or Ball State's angle.

Everyone hates perennial winners.

Duke anyone?

Bleeding Orange wrote:From Elton Alexander's "Four things I think about the MAC Tournament" bit in today's PD:

It was pretty condescending for Bowling Green head Coach Curt Miller to constantly moan that his No. 20-ranked and No. 1 MAC Tournament seed [conjugation, anyone?] women's team was an underdog. The Falcons won the tourney the two previous seasons against teams they had built a 31-1 record against during that time. Kind of like a Rottweiler claiming to be an underdog before going into a poodle pound.

I read stuff like this and ask myself if the guy paid any attention to the actual games at all, or if he just reviewed the final score, saw ONE QUOTE and ran with it? Hmm?

If Elton had been paying attention, he would have noticed that we were playing with a seven girl rotation, one that itself was further hindered when a primary scorer was injured early in the semifinal game. If he had actually bothered to show up at the championship game, he likely would have looked at Ball St. warming up, looked at BG and back to Ball St. and asked himself "hey, where are the rest of the Falcons?"

I'm really not all that upset about BG getting slighted in any way, but to me, this is a perfect example of why the Plain Dealer has lost so much respect. How this stuff doesn't get vetted out I will never understand.

BO, I strongly agree with your opinion...this was my initial reaction also, as I thought Miller's comments were a "coaches' ploy" anyway, to get the girls fired up for this last game. Yeah, I know, Elton, that we've beaten MAC teams 31 out of last 32 etc., but we went into this game minus FOUR women, if you count Julie in the mix, along with two ACL injuries., a "departed" backup point guard, and a very limited Liz Honegger. To say Miller was "condescending" is a bit of overkill, perhaps "writer ploy"? I just may take some time to email Elton, who usually does a good job of covering the MAC, but who went a bit overboard on this comment IMO.

I remember reading the PD a few weeks ago and Elton stated "The roses are fading on BG as the Falcons can't get any higher in the polls".

At least there is MAC coverage in that paper. I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice AP article about the MAC title game in today's Akron BJ. I thought for sure there would just be a score listed.


GO FALCONS!!!! DYNASTY AT AA!

The thing is Coach Miller said this same thing when we played Ball State in the regular season. Maybe if this guy from the PD knew that he wouldn't of written what he did

Us being an underdog with 6 healthy players was no stretch. It just so happened those 6 played lights out for nearly 40 minutes.

I can see where this guy is coming from, but he went a little over the top.

I respectfully disagree with the bashing of that comment.

Look, BG had seven healthy players, yes. But anyone and everyone in that conference knew that their 7 were better than any other team's 10.

I don't know if condescending was the right word for it, but it made Miller sound dumb, plain and simple.

Maybe transparent was the better word? Anyone within 200 miles of The Q knew that it was simply a motivational tool, including Tracy Roller, who said something to the effect of, "whatever. I use whatever I can to motivate too."

My questions are: Does this group of veterans need to hear motivation like that? Don't they know what's at stake? Shouldn't he trust them and respect them enough to not have to call them underdogs?

It's all moot now, but Alexander was on point. Like I said, condescending isn't the word I would have used. But all the underdog talk definitely made Miller sound like a boob.

Come on people....Coaches are rhetoric machines. Anything they can they will use. Seriously, why do you think they make movies like Rudy. Its all about saying whatever will get the blood flowing. If people think this comment was out of place they are kidding themselves about what coaches will say to get their team going....

Oh yeah as a side note....IT WORKED!!!

My point, and Alexander's point also, is that that's fine from a guy liek Dan Dakich, whose team is in the cellar.

It's terribly transparent for the coach of a team that has won 13 of 14 MAC tournament games and all these other streaks to be talking about them being the underdogs.

It sounded to me like Mann and Honegger were tired of it, too, frankly.

Who really cares what he said, and who is really tired of hearing it. The fact is, we won, and he said it. Here's another fact, the team is going to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight time. NO, the girls never really were underdogs. But, only having 6 or 7 healthy kids sometimes plays mind games with you, especially as a coach when you go into a big game knowing that you can't afford real foul trouble. Maybe in only one person's mind was this team an underdog, but I've been there before. As a few of you know, I spent the second part of last season with only 6 kids, and thre were games that we should have won that we didn't because of foul trouble and lack of depth. Ball State is no pushover, and going into the game without your full compliment of players can be stressful for a coach.

HoustonFalcon wrote:Who really cares what he said, and who is really tired of hearing it. The fact is, we won, and he said it. Here's another fact, the team is going to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight time. NO, the girls never really were underdogs. But, only having 6 or 7 healthy kids sometimes plays mind games with you, especially as a coach when you go into a big game knowing that you can't afford real foul trouble. Maybe in only one person's mind was this team an underdog, but I've been there before. As a few of you know, I spent the second part of last season with only 6 kids, and thre were games that we should have won that we didn't because of foul trouble and lack of depth. Ball State is no pushover, and going into the game without your full compliment of players can be stressful for a coach.

Exactly HoustonFalcon. I have no problem with Curt Miller's comments in the slightest. One of the things that makes us "underdogs" and times is the simple fact that we don't have dominating or superior physicaly talented super athletes on our team like some others. Miller knows this too and has played it up to the hilt. Once again in the NCAA's , our lady falcons will again undoubtedly be the least physically or athletically/size talented team in the Tourney. Miller will use it to keep his players from getting a big head if possible.

falconboy wrote:, our lady falcons will again undoubtedly be the least physically or athletically/size talented team in the Tourney.

You've lost all speaking priveleges now. This is patently untrue.

Jacobs4Heisman wrote:

falconboy wrote:, our lady falcons will again undoubtedly be the least physically or athletically/size talented team in the Tourney.

You've lost all speaking priveleges now. This is patently untrue.

Oh really? Prove it.

falconboy wrote:

Jacobs4Heisman wrote:

falconboy wrote:, our lady falcons will again undoubtedly be the least physically or athletically/size talented team in the Tourney.

You've lost all speaking priveleges now. This is patently untrue.

Oh really? Prove it.

On second thought, you're probably right. 15-17 Holy Cross is probably much bigger faster and stronger than we are.