[crandc]

After Pat Summitt won her 880th game at Tennessee, it was announced that the floor of the arena would be re-named "The Summitt". Yesterday I heard that some sports talk radio, for what it's worth, are saying that this will hurt Tennessee's men's recruiting as men won't want to play on a floor named for a woman.
Now, I'm not here to debate whether Summitt's wins "really" count, whether Hank Aaron's home runs "really" count or anydamnthing else. My question is this, since most boardsters here are male: please tell me, can male college players really be THAT insecure? That they won't go to a school because the floor is named after a woman? That they will somehow be less "manly"?
I mean, it's no secret that Tennessee's women's program is world class (6 national titles and never missed a sweet sixteen) while the men's is mediocre (6 coaches in 16 years). That may hurt the men's recruiting, as the best prep players naturally want to go to the best schools. But the name on the floor? Your thoughts?
(On a humorous note, since Summitt is notoriously "in your face" with her team, it was also stated that when her players get really po'd at her they can go stomp on the floor that carries her name. :curse: )

 

[STOMP]

if something is discussed on sports talk radio, it must be true...

STOMP

 

[Dan]

yes, some are that insecure.

But it hasn't hurt to Arizona to name their court after Bobbie Olsen, or how UCLA named their floor after John and Nell Wooden.

If it keeps recruits away from Tennessee, I'm not sure they're the kind of recruits that Tennessee should go after anyways.

 

[Fork]

After Pat Summitt won her 880th game at Tennessee, it was announced that the floor of the arena would be re-named "The Summitt". Yesterday I heard that some sports talk radio, for what it's worth, are saying that this will hurt Tennessee's men's recruiting as men won't want to play on a floor named for a woman.
Now, I'm not here to debate whether Summitt's wins "really" count, whether Hank Aaron's home runs "really" count or anydamnthing else. My question is this, since most boardsters here are male: please tell me, can male college players really be THAT insecure? That they won't go to a school because the floor is named after a woman? That they will somehow be less "manly"?
I mean, it's no secret that Tennessee's women's program is world class (6 national titles and never missed a sweet sixteen) while the men's is mediocre (6 coaches in 16 years). That may hurt the men's recruiting, as the best prep players naturally want to go to the best schools. But the name on the floor? Your thoughts?
(On a humorous note, since Summitt is notoriously "in your face" with her team, it was also stated that when her players get really po'd at her they can go stomp on the floor that carries her name. :curse: )

I'm sure some would be turned off by it because she's a woman, but I'd imagine it's a pretty small minority.

But I think more might be turned off by the fact that it re-inforces the fact that in Tennessee (for basketball at least), the women's program is the bigtime program and the men's program will always take a back seat. But that's been the case for years, so I don't think it would make a substantial difference.

 

[SodaPopinski]

I think the only thing really hurting Tennessee's men's basketball team in terms of recruiting is the fact that team really isn't all that competitive, nor does it put many of its players into the NBA, nor does it even garner headlines over the sports people there care about. Tennessee is a football school first, and a women's basketball school second (in terms of sports).

And besides, the floor will be called "The Summitt". I find it hard to believe any 17 or 18 year old kid would care all that much about that. Even the most insecure among them probably wouldn't blink an eye about it. Now, if the floor was renamed "Pretty Little Pink Flowers Court" it might scare off some guys, but "The Summitt" is pretty generic, if you ask me.

I think those sports talk radio guys just needed something to talk about in Knoxville in late March. Football season is still five months away.

-Pop

 

[crandc]

I think those sports talk radio guys just needed something to talk about in Knoxville in late March

The fact that in Knoxville they have nothing to talk about this time of year shows how much "sports" radio cares about women's basketball!
Thanks, all.