P4L, thanks for your response. I want to address something you said in another post you made on this thread. This comment:
"One of the main reason the gurl have been underperforming, and not playing for Holly, cos they (more than one, talked to recruits too) say the Lady Vols are ran like an ole slave plantations, its so ole and stale, the Lady Vols players does not have a voice in anything, and being a lady vols is no fun!"
Specifically, I want to address your comment that, "the Lady Vols are ran like an ole slave plantation."
This is an outrageous comment and I don't believe for one second any Lady Vol said those words. I think you may be drawing from the Q & A interview with Diamond where she talked about how the Lady Vols fanbase is very influential and things like how they change the music after the fans get in the arena. The girls like to listen to rap music while they're warming up. They play rap until TBA starts filling up, then they change the music to more traditional songs. I do know that is true and I don't necessarily agree with doing that. While we do have to keep things clean (because we all know some rap has profanity) if rap music fires them up and gets them motivated and helps them mentally prepare and "get in the zone," that's what should be played.
But for you to say "the Lady Vols is ran like an ole slave plantation," is way out of line and could not be further from the truth. That statement, to me, conjures up images of abuse, verbal and physical and you took it too far in saying that. Nobody, Holly or otherwise, is "treating them like slaves." And furthermore, if you think Diamond DeShields, Meme Jackson, or any of our other Lady Vols who are women of color would put up with abuse of that nature for three seconds you are delusional.
I don't like that you said that. I get that some things in the program could be more modern and don't disagree they shouldn't - but don't say it's "run like an ole slave plantation."
Just had to get that out of my system...carry on.
Welp they have lounges at practices, where they are on display. Sometimes the ladies feel they are treated as a product rather than ladies, they have little say. They can't wear the uniforms they want. They can't wear the shoes that want. They can't wear or have tattoos visible. They can't wear their hair certain way. They can't listen the music they want for warm ups or pregames. It goes on and on! I get it!
The ability of these players not being able to express themselves is abuse, and **** I thought that way in college, you feel like the coaches are just "using" you, so as a player, you give the coach what they give you.
Personally, all collegiate NCAA athletics is a carry over of the slave plantation and built on its model. ijs. Well maybe, the slave owner plantation "analogy" (but for some players that's the way it feels) was a lil harsh, but their ability to express themselves as players is not allowed and that goes further than music my friend (and not all rap music has cussing in it ijs just like country music is not all about sleeping with your family ijs) and hopefully Holly will meet the players half way.
Holly's job is to create an environment where I ladies thrive and express themselves, besides four or five games a season. How many games did our ladies, looked like they were having fun playing basketball? They were really enjoying the game of basketball. I'll wait.
Denial is a river in Egypt, my friend. Holly has some work to do and I also believe these four recruits would help things, but we all said the same thing about Te'a Cooper class.
She has to fix the culture of her program, its traditional which is fine, but there is definitely a disconnect.
I want Holly to succeed, see, I approach things from a standpoint of not wanting Holly to get fired but of a standpoint hopefully she can get better, but her players are not playing Lady Vols basketball for her every game, sorry my friend that is a problem. But sometimes the PRESSURE of winning can get the best of coaches, make them say, do, somethings that is not well received by the players.
How many games have lost in the last two years?
Knoxville, Hello. WE have a problem. I back Pat and roll with Holly, but we're riding slower, cos she keeps changing her mind on with direction of the program.
