PointGuard
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If it's all OK with you guys I'll go with Antonelli's version since she stated she has been in both Pat's/Geno's presence at the same time on more than 1 ocassion and has seen them interact, personally. No hearsay, rumor or innuendo there.
I think their relationship soured after Pat was afflicted and I believe her affliction vastly predated the announced diagnoses. The behavior of Pat beginning at least a year or two before her published diagnosis did not match the woman I had admired for so long.
The average life span of an early onset diagnosis is 11 years from diagnosis. Pat lived approximately 6 or so after the public announcement of her condition. The math backs up the 'real' timing sentiments expressed by many on this forum that she may have been well into an advanced state before the official announcement. That certainly would explain the personality changing
Just because you're not friendly with someone doesn't mean you cannot respect them.
Even when their relationship was at its lowest point, Auriemma was consistent in publicly respecting Pat. He has acknowledged that without her pioneering efforts in WBB, he wouldn't have been able to achieve what he has done. Not mentioned as often, he was also very grateful that she was willing to schedule UConn prior to their becoming a powerhouse in the game. That was one key element of Summitt's contribution to the game - her willingness to play any team that asked, and is something that Auriemma has emulated over the years.
He also was extremely appreciative of her incredible gesture of visiting the UConn locker room to congratulate his team after they had beaten the Lady Vols in one of the national championship games - I remember the visit but not which year.
Personally, I think her illness played a major factor in the rupture of their relationship. Just really, really sad that things ended the way they did.
Seems like all we need to do is ask you. You appear to know everything about Geno.Not true....most of it anyway. Auriemma was very jealous of Pat in the 90's when his teams got on the national stage. He said some demeaning things about her in the press when reporters would compare the two teams. Auriemma emulated Pats willingness to play any team that asked? Not hardly, at least during UConns early years on a national stage. It was not until much later when they started having good teams every year that he would schedule an equivalent schedule to Pats. He was more about protecting records than about risking losses against the good teams of the day. Finally, I wish people would stop making excuses using Pats illness as a reason. Nobody knows if her illness had anything to do with her relationship with Auriemma. I doubt it and believe it was more about his arrogance and the way he recruited more than anything else that caused the rift. Of course, UConn fans want to reason to be about anything other than Auriemma so it is convenient to put the blame on someone who is dead rather than face facts. We will probably never find out the real reasons while Auriemma is living.
I don't know about the impact on their professional relationship, but I absolutely believe the disease began to manifest much earlier. I've written about it previously, but there was some game, one or two years before she announced the diagnosis, where they were neck and neck at the end with the other team, and in the final stretch Pat just didn't interact normally with the team or with her staff. I want to say there was a moment, a mistake maybe, where normally you'd see Pat get into a player and get their head back in the game, but she didn't react. After the game, a family member had called and said "did you see Pat at the end of the game? That was really weird, I wonder what she was doing." Anyway. I may be embellishing this a bit, it's been a while now, but I remember there being a few times like that in 2010 or 2011.
I don't know about the impact on their professional relationship, but I absolutely believe the disease began to manifest much earlier. I've written about it previously, but there was some game, one or two years before she announced the diagnosis, where they were neck and neck at the end with the other team, and in the final stretch Pat just didn't interact normally with the team or with her staff. I want to say there was a moment, a mistake maybe, where normally you'd see Pat get into a player and get their head back in the game, but she didn't react. After the game, a family member had called and said "did you see Pat at the end of the game? That was really weird, I wonder what she was doing." Anyway. I may be embellishing this a bit, it's been a while now, but I remember there being a few times like that in 2010 or 2011.
This is absolutely true. . . I got that situation right now. Though this other male and I have never "had words" there is an immediate dislike for each other in us, ( and I dislike very few people) yet, he produces amongst the best at his job and works at it like he is afraid of being outworked...He has a very focused work ethic.
Kinda like me.
To put it in Dean vernacular:
We're two yard dogs. Not the ones that wag tails and sniff unpleasantries... We're more those two dogs that just happen to be on the same porch.