Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day: Wednesday, October 19

[Scamp]

Watch live: Kim starts things off at 9:50 a.m. CDT.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArtic...CLID=205314877

[Scamp]

Update: Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly will not attend, due to a doctor's appointment. Hope he gets good news.

http://www.cyclones.com//ViewArticle...CLID=205318785

Live video coverage of women's basketball media day will begin Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. Video of all 10 coaches' press conferences will be available at Big12Sports.com as well as team previews. In addition to these features, special round-table discussions among selected women's basketball student-athletes will take place.

The Big 12 Report on Big12Sports.com will conduct a live, on-site show during the entire media day. The show, hosted by Wendell Barnhouse, will break into press conferences as warranted and provide feature coverage throughout the entire event and will provide the only live video available from media days.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArtic...CLID=205314877

[Gator]

Originally Posted by Scamp

Live video coverage of women's basketball media day will begin Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArtic...CLID=205314877

Thanks for the reminder! Have always enjoyed these videos.

[Scamp]

D-I-V-O-R-C-E? Baylor won't play A&M
10/19/2011 10:13:00 AM

The Big 12 women’s basketball media day was launched when Baylor coach Kim Mulkey delivered a zinger in response to a question about whether she will continue to schedule SEC-bound Texas A&M in the future.

Mulkey said she put a lot of thought into her answer because she knew the question would be asked. She told reporters she would answer the question thoughtfully -- with humor -- and she hopes the media gets her message.

Mulkey then repeated quotes from Texas A&M’s president in which he compared Big 12 affiliation to a value-less marriage that’s over.

"And that stuck with me," she said. "So, basically he's talking about a divorce. And I think I know a little bit about a divorce. And my feeling is this: If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no value to him, and then he asks me if he can sleep with me, the answer is: No!"

Mulkey, by the way, is divorced.

Later, Mulkey said Baylor has played Texas A&M twice a year since 1974. She suggested that Baylor has played A&M more than any other opponent. And now? “We’re not going to play them anymore because they decided playing us was not important to them.”

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/spor...lay_AM/9-12916

[JK]

Sorry for the loss of such good games between A&M and other Big XII teams, but certainly understand the logic behind the "No thanks, and have fun travelling about the deep south" attitude towards the Ags. Having said this, all parties may earn the right to square off again in the future -- who knows? LOVE the analogy by Kim btw!!!

[Scamp]

Gary Blair is due up at 1:20. How will he respond? Should be fun!

[Gator]

What does the fact that A&M thinks it would be better for the school to be out of the conference have to do with women's BB? That was never a consideration. The two are simply not related IMO. Kim's comment is cute and funny. But, is it good for women's BB? I think not.

(BTW - I think the furthest thing from Gary's mind when coaching against Kim is lust )

[JK]

Good post Gator. However I think Mulkey's (and others' like Bill Self) comments are related to LOYALTY... Loyalty to their own schools as well as to the other remaining members of the conference. The Ags, and most likely Mizzou, will leave for the greener pastures (cotton fields) of the SEC, and the members of the "not good enough" Big XII aren't willing to do anything further to enhance those schools' schedules and recruiting presence in Big XII territory. Again...i hate to see it happen, but certainly understand it. Maybe one day the "parents" can make up and the "kids" will play together again. Until then I, for one, applaud the loyalty in spite of my own personal wishes to see rivalries continued.

[True Colors]

Originally Posted by Gator

What does the fact that A&M thinks it would be better for the school to be out of the conference have to do with women's BB? That was never a consideration.

You just answered your own question.

WBB was never a consideration to Texas a&m. They made their decision to abandon the Big 12 conference based on other criteria.

Conference affiliation is one of the most important decisions that any university can make. And when Texas a&m made their decision, the value of Big 12 WBB was considered worthless to aNm.......this is true even in spite of the fact that their Big 12 membership had actually helped propel aNm to a national championship. It still didn't matter.

TC

[True Colors]

Originally Posted by Gator

The two are simply not related IMO.

How can you say this? Of course they are related. If A&M stays in the conference then A&M will be guaranteed games every year against Baylor, UT, OU, and all the other high profile teams in the league.

On the other hand, if Texas A&M abandons the conference then it means they do not care whether they are guaranteed to play these opponents every year or not.

TC

[Scamp]

An excellent photo gallery; thanks to the Kansas City Star.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/19...ay-at-the.html

[OSUCowgirls]

Coach Budke with Vicky McIntyre and Tiffany Bias...

[ChipperF1]

"Later, Mulkey said Baylor has played Texas A&M twice a year since 1974. She suggested that Baylor has played A&M more than any other opponent. And now? “We’re not going to play them anymore because they decided playing us was not important to them.”

Kim's comments are neither cute nor funny. They are just stupid. Just like Geno Auriemma's comments about the Big East are stupid.

Women's Basketball coaches showing "loyalty" to people who have a proven track record to people who shown time and time again that they are more than willing to yell "GET THOSE [EXPLETIVES] OFF THE COURT" to advance their interests.

Niccolo Machiavelli said it best. "A ruler should not tell the truth if it doesn't advance his interests."

The barons behind the football-powered money grab aren't telling the truth to their co-conspirators in men's basketball. Do you really think they'll tell people with a vested interest in Title IX the truth?

A lot of this movement is pre-emption anyway. Who knows what the next BCS will look like?

Either way, other games will be signed. Hopefully new rivalries will be born, or perhaps not. I, as a fan, don't like this sudden urge to close off potential good matchups because of situations that have nothing to do with the game nor the students who play it. And all sides in that process hide behind "loyalty". It rings hollow.

The best rivalry in women's college basketball ends over the decision of a high school senior.
A rivalry that is about to go white hot ends through no fault of a Gary Blair. This was about football money.

I find it very off-putting when I hear high-paid coaches talk about "loyalty". Remember, Every coach has their price.

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge any of this people the right to protect what they see as legitimate business interests. This isn't personal...It's just business. And business makes strange bedfellows.

I see this happening in the next 5 years, as the arms race for the BCS grows. You are going to find a landscape where Title IX will be weakened or ignored altogether. Such is the beauty of federal laws: They are only as good as the people who enforce them.

With all this "business" going on, I wonder if anybody's had lunch with Sherwood Blount lately?

[Jennifer]

I'm going to miss Gary Blair after this year. He's become my favorite coach of teams that aren't Oklahoma.
Really. It's a shame, none of this is HIS fault. It's football. Oh well.