Legitimate Question about Pat Summitt

[patrick]

Legitimate Question and please don't attack me for asking the question.

If Pat Summitt was forced out of actually being the head coach of the Lady Vols by Dave Hart and/or the University, do you agree or disagree with the move considering that Pat Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/Dementia?

Please explain your rationale.

 

[Vercingetorix]

She could not come back as coach for another year. That much was obvious.

We have no idea how it played out, but if hypothetically it really came down to a situation where Summitt actually had to be "forced out," then that would be a tough call that someone would hypothetically have to make. It's the sort of awful, all-options-are-shat situation that dementia puts families in all the time.

 

[vols-1]

I don't like the decision,.. But if this is a move to free up capital in order to make a great football hire then I back Hart 100%.

 

[vol66]

"IF" That's the big word here, Hart called Pat Summitt into his office the day before the tourney and told her she was not going to be the coach next season AND that she would be replaced by Warlick AND given the title Emeritus and an office...then when Jennings asked about it the same day or the next Hart denied it to her, then had a UT spokes person go public with the denial to make Debby Jennings look like a liar....if that's the way it went down...Then I totally disagree with Hart's decision. The timing is ridiculous. The sensitivity to the situation seems to be lacking. Pat Summitt under oath saying Hart not being truthful regarding the logo is just extra points against Hart, but it's two examples of where he's made public statements that turn out to be not true.

AND...if he fabricated e-mails after Jennings "retired"...well, that would be a big no-no.

 

[gardners_51609]

I have not personally experienced this terrible disease, but it is apparent how demanding it is on the life of the one who has it. Coaching at the caliber that Pat was, I find it the best choice that she is not the head coach anymore. I still think she would do a good job, but that game is so mentally draining (as well as all major sports) it would have only made it harder for her down the road. I think she needed to step back and figure what is best for her from here on out. She has lifted this fan base on her shoulders for many years and it is time for her to put her needs first.

 

[DrDave]

Pat spoke the truth. Jennings spoke the truth. Hart lied.

And did so to cover up what he had actually done. Pat was going to retire. That was obvious. To effectively put/force her out on his terms rather than allowing Pat to exit gracefully is just plain WRONG!

Consider the value Pat has brought to UT.

She deserves every accommodation the Vol Nation and the administration can make.

Hart should go now .....

 

[gardners_51609]

I do not think you can make that statement from news articles. The media has a way of fabrication and misleading the public. I am not saying you are wrong, but that is a strong statement to make when the whole story has yet to be found.

 

[rickyyrs]

Legitimate Question and please don't attack me for asking the question.

If Pat Summitt was forced out of actually being the head coach of the Lady Vols by Dave Hart and/or the University, do you agree or disagree with the move considering that Pat Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/Dementia?

Please explain your rationale.

If you look at her last year on the sideline. You can see she wasn't doing much coaching at all. Love Pat and what she did here but it is not Hart's fault she is not the coach now. It is time for her to step down. You can tell it and as bad as it sounds in recruiting the other coaches would have used it against us.

 

[finn]

Jennings is running a smear campaign and we are only hearing one side of the story.

As has been already stated, this is a tough row to hoe no matter how you do it but I do think it was the right call. I had a grandmother with dimentia and it was truly awful. I don't believe Pat is that far along yet but it will happen and, regardless of who they once were and could once do, there is little left when the disease hits its stride.

May have been handled better but we need to come to terms with the fact that all things must end. No one should have to undergo something like this while under the public microscope.

 

[terrypedigo]

:good!:fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart fire hart

 

[tvolsfan]

Pat spoke the truth. Jennings spoke the truth. Hart lied.

And did so to cover up what he had actually done. Pat was going to retire. That was obvious. To effectively put/force her out on his terms rather than allowing Pat to exit gracefully is just plain WRONG!

Consider the value Pat has brought to UT.

She deserves every accommodation the Vol Nation and the administration can make.

Hart should go now .....

Yeah, I'm sure Hart told her she had to leave for no reason other than to make her unhappy.

 

[mreed90]

Volnation should be renamed knee jerk and make overly emotionally invested decision so fire everyone nation.

 

[ladyvols1]

Pat Summitt stated that Dave Hart said, "You will not be the coach of the Lady Vols next year." He did this the day before the beginning of the NCAA Tourny. Who does that to a coach? If you intend for them to go out then wait until after the tourny. I think he is totally classless.

 

[vol66]

Pat Summitt stated that Dave Hart said, "You will not be the coach of the Lady Vols next year." He did this the day before the beginning of the NCAA Tourny. Who does that to a coach? If you intend for them to go out then wait until after the tourny. I think he is totally classless.

Apparently it's the "UT Way." Pearl was given the same treatment when Hamilton taped an interview and it was played the day of the first round game. Hamilton couldn't wait 'til the end of the season to get rid of Fulmer either.
I don't get it either.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I assume everybody who's knee-jerking about this has read the whole affidavit? Particularly the final section in which Summitt states

7. Unbeknownst to the individuals I shared this upsetting news [sic], Dave Hart spoke with me again, subsequent to the March 14, 2012 one-on-one meeting, and indicated that I misinterpreted what he said.

She does not expound on that at all, which has to be deliberate because that's where the whole story is. I can only assume that the lawyers designed it to be legally accurate while still as damning-sounding about Hart as possible.

It's a little premature to start freaking out when we don't actually know what happened.

 

[ItsAllVols]

Just my prospective, I have a family member that has the dreaded illness. Some of the difference my family member is not responsible for a woman’s program that is a multimillion dollar program...but seeing Pat at church she was struggling just to have conversations...it was obvious that running a Basketball program put such a strain on her....it almost seem that it was causing it to advance much faster than I have experience with my family member. Sad but the truth about the illness, stressful jobs are not what you want to have to deal with.

Dementia is a term that describes a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions and is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as memory, language, perception, judgment or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develop personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.


Believe me UT doesn’t want to remember Pat as lost for words or in a situation that would embarrass her.

 

[vol66]

I assume everybody who's knee-jerking about this has read the whole affidavit? Particularly the final section in which Summitt states



She does not expound on that at all, which has to be deliberate because that's where the whole story is. I can only assume that the lawyers designed it to be legally accurate while still as damning-sounding about Hart as possible.

It's a little premature to start freaking out when we don't actually know what happened.

I agree that it's a little premature and understand the premise of your post. Still...this is Pat Summitt and how in the world she could walk out of a meeting thinking she's now in a new role and misinterpret the discussion shouldn't happen. It is absurd that an AD would mess that up.

I think you are right on how UT will spin this, but they better be ready for how Jennings is going to spin it...

Not that it matters because this is already lose, lose for Hart, UT and Summitt.

 

[Slydell]

Just my prospective, I have a family member that has the dreaded illness. Some of the difference my family member is not responsible for a woman’s program that is a multimillion dollar program...but seeing Pat at church she was struggling just to have conversations...it was obvious that running a Basketball program put such a strain on her....it almost seem that it was causing it to advance much faster than I have experience with my family member. Sad but the truth about the illness, stressful jobs are not what you want to have to deal with.

Dementia is a term that describes a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions and is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as memory, language, perception, judgment or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develop personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.


Believe me UT doesn’t want to remember Pat as lost for words or in a situation that would embarrass her.

UT might not want to but I have little doubt their attorneys will go for the throat if the Jennings case goes to court and Pat is called to the stand for any reason.

 

[Spartacavolus]

She did exit gracefully. What's the difference. Only reason this is brought up is because of some lady that's freaking ticked and is suing Hart
How could Hart know what Pat may look like or be aware of at the end of the year? If it got that bad, it's really not going on on her own terms anyway.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I agree that it's a little premature and understand the premise of your post. Still...this is Pat Summitt and how in the world she could walk out of a meeting thinking she's now in a new role and misinterpret the discussion shouldn't happen. It is absurd that an AD would mess that up.

I think you are right on how UT will spin this, but they better be ready for how Jennings is going to spin it...

Not that it matters because this is already lose, lose for Hart, UT and Summitt.

She has dementia. When my father-in-law first came down with dementia, he abruptly became convinced that his (70 year old) wife was carrying on affairs behind his back and that his children were trying to steal his money. Paranoia is a standard enough symptom that that's how his dementia was originally diagnosed.

There's no way to know what was said, or what Hart thought he was saying, but sadly it's very easy to see how Summitt might have walked out of a meeting with the AD feeling like she was being pushed out against her will.

It makes me very sad to see her signature at the bottom of an affidavit that was clearly crafted to embarrass UT and force a settlement in the lawsuit, by spelling out the initial "misunderstanding" in loving detail but then completely leaving out what the misunderstanding supposedly was. Lawyers can be detestable.

 

[WesternKyVol]

Pat needed to go. Having her stand there on the sidelines looking blankly into space was extremely distressing. There was no other decision to be made, regardless of who made it. You don't let people with Alzheimer's do things on "their terms," as their terms generally embarrass themselves and everyone else. The end of Pat's career was and is tragic. There was no good solution. The woman that is making a lawsuit out of all of this has major issues in my book.

 

[inm#1fan]

Even if she did misunderstand some of what hart said you still don't force pat to retire. Hart should have discussed it with pat and her family to make the transfer of coaching the team as painless as possible and not a force out. Pat built this program from the ground up in 1973 to what it is now so if it is true and hart did force her out then he needs to go

 

[LVfan8]

knowing Pat for 20 years.....and the last 2 years she was coach,she was not the same person....I was at practice alot.....she rarely coach,turned it over to assistants.....I wondered what in the world was wrong....
if you put the future of LV program as the best thing to do,then you do ask Pat not to be headcoach anymore,but let her still be with program to come any
time she wants to....infact today(thurs) practice was at 6 am,Pat was there....with Holly and Kyra....other coaches may have been there too...
think with the coaches we have now it will help 100% with recruiting...and help keep the LV from going downhill as a major team....Pat could not help what happened to her mentally....and it breakes my heart,but she needed to leave the head coaching,and then do what she can to help the future LV.....and think she will Pat is that kind of person,she is so great!!

 

[VegasBaby!]

I do not like that Hart pre-empted Pat's own deliberations and decision. She had let it be known, through Tyler if I recall correctly, that she was going to think it over, discuss with family, colleagues and friends, and make a decision about the upcoming season (now this season). While I'm not qualified to evaluate the decision, I'm upset with the way it was handled. Pat had more than earned the right to better consideration and treatment. Since Holly was in place either way, Hart had the luxury to wait on Pat's decision. He should have also had the respect to wait on her decision. If her decision was poor, he could have then moved to put Holly into the position.

But hey, this is UT and we pretty much crapped on Johnny the same way.

All of this said, I continue to support Holly and the team!

 

[ladyvols1]

Just my prospective, I have a family member that has the dreaded illness. Some of the difference my family member is not responsible for a woman’s program that is a multimillion dollar program...but seeing Pat at church she was struggling just to have conversations...it was obvious that running a Basketball program put such a strain on her....it almost seem that it was causing it to advance much faster than I have experience with my family member. Sad but the truth about the illness, stressful jobs are not what you want to have to deal with.

Dementia is a term that describes a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions and is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as memory, language, perception, judgment or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develop personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.


Believe me UT doesn’t want to remember Pat as lost for words or in a situation that would embarrass her.

The point is not the dementia or if she should have stepped down. The point is that Hart lied at least twice to Pat and was dishonest with Debbie Jennings. Pat stated that for 35 years Debbie Jennings had been a model employee. Hart told Pat he was going to do away with Lady Vols Logo then told the press he had no intention of doing away with the logo. He told Pat she would not be coaching 2012-2013 but she could have an "office" and a title. Weeks later he calls her back in and says oh no, you missinterperted what I said. That is just Bull and that ole Alabama boy is peeing all over the Lady Vols Traditions. Wait and see, within 3 years the logo will be gone even though it brings in more than a millillon bucks a year. Pat's name will be taken off the floor and don't think this won't hurt recruiting. JMO. It isn't about her illness. It is about respecting UT traditions. I have even read people say that if it will help the football program he needs to be given free reign. How ignorant is that? They know nothing about what the LADY Vols program has done for UT.