Well, I never like Freeman's articles...and the streak continues. This is the most ludicrous argument I have ever heard. You know it is bad when Doyel can successfully refute it with one sentence. The college women's game might be a ton better than it was in the 90's, but IT IS NO WHERE NEAR THE MEN'S GAME! The high school men's game is at a higher level than college women's ball. As far as skill goes, there is only one area I will give the women props...free throw shooting.
The main difference is the breadth of quality players. I'm a UT alum so when I see a UT-UConn game it is acyually exciting and well played. However, there are very few teams on that level (UT, UConn, LSU, Stanford, Duke, UNC, and maybe one or two more). The men's game has so many more quality teams. The fact that Sienna can beat Vandy and Western Kentucky can make it to the Sweet Sixteen and Davidson reaches the elite eight and were a last second shot away from the final four tells me that the number of quality teams is better in the men's game.
Also, teams tend to rely on one or two players in the women's game (even for the elite teams). Look at how many players can produce for Kansas and Memphis or even my Tennessee Vols. The teams are just deeper.
That being said, I always carve out time to watch the top women's teams play because when Tennessee plays LSU or Duke plays UNC, you will see a good game.
Well, the haters are certainly out in force today.
This kind of came up during the finals last year, when every game that the Lady Vols played, for example, was a grind it out, low-scoring, defensive contest - not fun to watch.
But as Summitt pointed out at the time, the scoring in the men's game goes down during this time of year as well, as everyone picks up their defensive intensity.
*You* don't like women's basketball, that's fine. No need to pour cold water on the people who do like it.
If you honestly believe your post, you know nothing about basketball. Anyone who knows basketball knows that the 2006 women's Final Four was a classic, and the men's was a bore.
When it matters most, yes, the women are actually BETTER than the men.
"When it matters most, yes, the women are actually BETTER than the men."
Dude (or dudette), that comment is funnier than Freeman's drivel. Do you seriously think that blown layups, dribbling off the knees, 10 jump balls a game, shots getting blocked with the defender not even jumping, etc. is a better brand of basketball? I guess, to each his own...but to claim that those of us who prefer the men's game "know nothing about basketball."...to quote Doyel, "You can't be serious!"
One boring Men's Final four does not make the women's game better than the men's.
If you honestly thought the 2006 men's national championship game of Florida-UCLA was better than the 2006 women's national championship game of Maryland-Duke, then yes, you know nothing about basketball, and I am 100% serious. What I am saying is NOT that the women's game is always better than the men. What I am saying is that Freeman saying the women are as compelling as the men makes sense.
I will agree that occassionally there is a womens game that is more COMPETITIVE than some men's games, of course. I can find high school womens games that are played tough and close and are therefore entertaining. But that does not make the women's game better than the mens game overall. If you think that, then YOU know very little about basketball. That UF-UCLA game stunk...but that was ONE game.
I didn't say it was, and neither did Freeman. Freeman said that the women's game is comparable to the men's game in terms of skill level, and it's entertaining to watch. He said that it's ALMOST as good as the men. That's all I'm saying in a large sense, while in a small sense I said that the last two women's Final Fours were better than the men's Final Fours. Would I watch a great women's game over a great men's game if both were going simultaneously? No, I do prefer the men. They are still a little better in the skills that are comparable, other than functioning as a team. But I also enjoy watching the women, who are very good with their fundamentals.
This is why I don't understand the attacks on Freeman. He's not saying the women are better than the men. He's saying the women are entertaining to watch, and are almost every bit as good at what they do as the men are at what they do. I really can't see how anyone who calls him or herself a basketball fan can disagree with Freeman.
