When No Other Words Will Do

Sometimes, social media expressions are just the best. 

Succinct and to the point.

OMG! OMG! OMG!

And afterwards all I could do was

LOL!

so much that I hysterically

ROFL!

Then I started to think about the last few minutes of the game.

IIRC

a lot of players worked really hard to get

 that game to those final 4.4 seconds. 

A 3 pointer and block by Ros,

swooping shot by Jos,

and a jumper by Kayla that rattled in.

WTH

was with those foul calls on Jayne? 

I think only one of them was really a foul, but

NP

this is a TEAM, not just one individual!

IMHO and FWIW

this game will just make the Cardinal stronger!

Not sure who we will play next but I hope

WOOT!

I was

SMH

watching the post game (what little ESPN deemed to show).

Ros was bawling, Jeanette was in a daze,

Jayne was picking Nneka off of the floor.

BTW

I was wondering how the coaches could stay so

KL!

I would have been a complete

Noob! 

So, Card Fans

TYT

and savor this fab win, but not for too long.

Because we are TEXAS bound and

This is a team that

CSWS!

TCB

What does The Team have in common with Elvis? 

Just like Elvis, they are TAKIN' CARE of BUSINESS!

A few notes and thoughts--

---Ros!  Ros!  Ros!  Ros! Ros! She is forcing everyone to have to learn how to pronounce her name correctly!

--Was that the best Maples farewell performance ever?   Candice Wiggins' 44 points in 2008 is probably the winner, but, for shear unexpectedness, I'll take RGO.

--Gary Blair: "Folks I'm going to lobby here a little bit. You just saw two No. 2 seeds play. Doggone it, we've earned the right not to be in Geno's region."  How's that workin' for you?

--Arrived early for the Saturday game and spent some time sitting at a table by the new Track House.  The day was absolutely glorious--we are blessed.  Shopped for a Fear the Tree shirt and they were out of most sizes!  But found that they are still available here, in case you are interested.

--I must note that the lone upset that I picked correctly in the first round was the only one that I didn't have a reason for except cheese quality--Vermont over Wisconsin.  So much for all of my good knowledge.

--Note to teams down by 10 with less than 10 seconds to go--don't foul.

--Note to teams up by 10 with less than 10 seconds to go--don't shoot.

--Note to ESPN--please make the timeouts shorter.

--My NCAA seat put me up higher than my usual spot, which allowed me to see different things.  For example, I never noticed that the Tree has a hat!  I am certain that it is made of the same "fabric" as some of Kim Mulkey's clothes.  I am hoping that, in the spirit of greenness, she recycled some of her old stuff for the hat so that no Pleathers had to be killed.

--I really love our Band.  Usually the best time to watch them is while the opposing band is playing.  While the Iowa Band was rocking "Thriller", one of Stanford's tuba players was doing a great shimmy shake that was straight from the MJ video!  And he did it for the whole song! 

--UCLA tried to use a power play against Nebraska, but those crabby refs wouldn't let them play with six on the court.  I've never seen that one before! 

--Celebrity sightings--Jennifer Azzi, Sebnem Kimyacioglu, Clare Bodensteiner.

--And Marques Colston.  I didn't want to bother him, but finally couldn't stand it any longer--I HAD to talk to him.  So postgame, I thanked him for helping my Fantasy Football team and received the biggest smile ever.  A complete sweetheart.

--Was that Sharon Osbourne officiating the UCR game?

--I hope the NCAA was able to cash in on showing Meg Whitman on the Jumbotron.  Unless I was sleeping, I believe she was the only former student-athlete featured, which made me go "Hmmm".

--In my recollection, I cannot remember a better spurt of basketball than the 29-4 run Stanford started with 14:55 to go in the first half.  Never mind the shooting, which was unbelievable--what about the assists?  There were 10 in six minutes!

--My caption for this one is "Ros, I am SO HAPPY we went through counseling!"

--I watched Skylar Diggins and was envious for a bit.  But then I thought, if she had been here, would we have seen the players we have now perform like they have this year?  The player rotation would, of course, have been significantly different and some of the wonderful successes the individuals have had might not have taken place.  I kind of like what we have!

--OK, on to SacTown.  Hoping to see EVERYONE there in full Cardinal regalia--let's make Arco Arena into Maples North!  Both Jayne and Ros mentioned how great the crowd was in the postgame presser, so we have an obligation to keep up the good work! 

March Madness, April Gladness

A tradition in every workplace is the NCAA tournament pool--Men's only, of course.  The guys always liked us girls to play because we were often just donators to the final prize.  You know, picking by colors or mascots just doesn't always work!

But they soon grew weary of me, because I did sometimes win or at least finish in the top three.  I don't know much about the men's teams, but just enough to be dangerous.  Plus, I had no emotional attachment to any men's team so I could pick freely who I thought would really win.  I have a couple of faves--Stanford, of course, maybe some PAC-10 teams--but generally I can select my teams in the Men's tournament with a clear mind and little compassion.

When it comes to my Women's bracketing, that is just not possible!  My head and heart are fully engaged as I labor over whether I can pick an arch enemy.  And doesn't that 1-9 matchup look primed for an upset?  Wasn't that team really good when we played them in 1998?  Oh, geez, someone who used to play at Stanford is coaching there, what should I do?  I have to pick the PAC-10 teams, right?

I get SO confused!

Take Texas A & M, for example.  Last week, I saw them play numerous times in the Big-12 tournament and they were hot.  Plus the announcers were heaping praise on them (of course, one of them was Debbie Antonelli, so that has no merit).  Now, there they are in Stanford's bracket and they have me scared to death.  Naturally, though, my bracket always has Stanford winning the National Championship, so I don't have to fret over that side of the bracket too much.

OK, so what about the KC bracket.  There sits UCLA.  Can I pick them? Sure, but only to win their first round game before getting beaten by Nebraska.  I hope I am wrong!  See, that's the other thing--when I make a good, heady choice, I will root against it.  Now what good does that do?

My dream Dayton regional final would be UConn vs. Princeton.  Why?  Wouldn't it be great to see the Tigers and assistant Milena Flores beat up on the Huskies?  Nah, I didn't pick that, but I thought about it!  That would be the biggest Bracket Buster of all time--sort of like Buzz Aldrin winning Dancing with the Stars.

So, then there is Memphis.  That would be a great regional to go to because I know where the world's best ribs are (The Rendevous!) and you can go to Graceland.  Other than that, I'm somewhat uninterested, though I guess I would like to see Tennessee play Baylor again.  I am going pretty much to form except I think #6 Texas will get to the Regional semi since they will be playing 1st and 2nd Rounds at home.  A Texas/Duke matchup, with all the Coach G drama, would be fun.

OK--so my first round upset specials are--but use them at your peril!

#9 James Madison over #8 Temple

        JM will be on their home court

#10 Middle Tenn over #7 Mississippi St 

       MTSU's Scoring Machine Alysha Clark
is too much to pass up

#12 Marist over #5 Georgetown

       Experience over newbies

#10 Hartford over #7 LSU

      LSU is sentimentally over-ranked

#13 Chattanooga over #4 Oklahoma State

     Andrea Riley being benched will doom the Cowgirls

as hardly anyone else even shoots

#10 Vermont over #7 Wisconsin

     I think Vermont makes better cheese

And now, my Final Four--

UConn vs. Tennessee

   winner is UConn  83-68

Stanford vs Oklahoma

  winner is Stanford  81-67

      National Championship Game

     Stanford over UConn  78-72

There is a lot of heart in this pick, but an awful lot of head as well.  Sometimes, I do get my brackets right!

Let the games begin!

Randomness

--Lindsey Vonn & Jayne Appel.  Separated at birth?

--Don't tell anyone that I told you but there are Cowbell apps that you can download (for free!) onto your phone.  I learned this during the Olympics.  Not exactly a Tinkle bell, but.......

--A big Shout Out to Douglas Lee and Kellee Noonan for arranging our get-togethers to watch games at First and Main in Los Altos.  A great time was had by all at the ASU party, including Jeannette Chang, who won the grand raffle prize--an autographed team ball.  If you haven't been to First and Main, give it a try--great food, great people and great atmosphere.  And the Mom-in-Law of one of the owners is a long time SWBB season ticket holder! 

--If Stanford gets to the Regional in Sacramento, it will be a somewhat bittersweet visit for me.  Many of us made a trip or two to Arco each year to watch Nicole and the Monarchs.  It is hard to believe that they are gone.  On the bright side, perhaps a trip to watch Ms. Powell in New York is in order?

--I still don't get the need for Conference tournaments.  If you do, can you fill me in?  It seems to me it is a chance to reward a team that gets hot for just one weekend over a team that has excelled throughout a conference schedule. 

--Whoever thought up the Fear the Tree t-shirts is a genius.

--I am always amazed at the dynamics of Stanford vs. Cal.  I once had a boss who was a Cal Alum and huge football fan.  He told me that he hated Stanford the most, even more than USC.  I didn't think that was even possible for someone who follows football!  For some reason, I still liked the guy, just like I like the Bears when they are not playing the Cardinal.

--That being said, BEAT CAL!

Oh, How We Will Miss You!

One would think, after seeing so many Senior Nights, this all would get easier.  It just doesn't.

Every class is special and this one is no exception.

Talented players, of course, but also fabulous people.  As  FBCers, we have a chance for some intereraction with the players and I have to say every one I have had with this group has been memorable in that they are all kind and caring individuals. 

(And really good at squeezing money out of people as live auctioneers!)

  

As much as I will miss them all on the court (and I am holding out lots of hope for returns!), I think I will miss their personalities even more.  Looking at that picture of Mel above just reminds me of what a wonderful goofball she can be.  She can always bring a smile, sometimes with a no look pass!

And Jayne, the quintessential California Girl--flip-flops, pink nail polish and steely determination.

Michelle, always friendly and outgoing.

JJ is a rock who battled back from major setbacks twice

with tenacity and grace.

And then there is Ros.

Ros gets a little extra shoutout from me because I am one of her "Locker Moms".  I recall that special personality from the very first time I saw her at a post-game meeting.  She never failed to share a smile and a laugh or two.  My favorite quote from her was regarding her relationship with Tara--

"We're in counseling."  

She became a Go To spokeman for the team on her way to having an outstanding senior campaign, becoming a shutdown defender and steady scorer.  She will be hard to replace.

I don't know about you, but am planning to relish the upcoming TWELVE games that are in front of this team, with a special eye of appreciation on these wonderful women!

Fashion Police

As I watched the Grammy fashion wrap-ups recently, I got to wondering—what if Women’s Basketball was subject to such scrutiny? I remember working with Marianne Stanley when she was at Stanford. We gave her some grief about a little red and gold number she wore while coaching at USC and she said, “You guys pay way too much attention!”   Well, I suppose we do—we’re fans!   Plus, as long as we are wearing our colors, we are considered suave.

The first coach to peak my sartorial interest was UVA’s Debbie Ryan. Her current wardrobe is nicely up to date, but in the early 1990’s, it appeared that she was using curtains for her wardrobe.   I couldn’t find a picture online, but this is a good reminder—

I suppose we need to give everyone a pass on the late 80’s and early 90’s. I recall Coach Tara wearing a polka dot and plaid combo during the 1989-1990 season. I think it was a lucky outfit!

And then there was this—

But today, there are a few things that make you go “wow!”

Sometimes, wearing your team colors is good--

Sometimes, not so much--

Men have it easy—

Unless they are still taking fashion tips from Bill Cosby—

It is good to be a Fashionista—

And Geno always looks the same—

High Heels on the court—are they appropriate? Discuss! 

I admire their sure-footedness--I could never do it!

But there is always someone who stands out from the crowd.  Maybe like Cher or Bjork

at the Academy Awards or Lady Gaga anywhere! 

Yes, there is one coach who is always first on the "wonder what she will wear" list.

 I sure am glad I am not a coach!

20 Years? Really?

Could it really be 20 years since the Cardinal won their first title? In some ways, it seems like yesterday and, in others, there has been a lot of players that have hit the Maples floor since then.

The part that seems like yesterday is the memory of what a great team this was. With UConn's current win streak, there is so much talk of who is the Greatest Team of All Time and it seems that only undefeated teams are ever considered. But what about the 32-1 1989-1990 Cardinal?


My recollection is that the one loss, 81-78 to the 7th ranked Washington Huskies in Seattle, took place after the team was stranded in a snow storm and spent the night before sleeping in a high school gym. No excuses, but Stanford was thisclose to being undefeated.

What a team, indeed! The starting backcourt was National Player of the Year Jennifer Azzi and future All-American Sonja Henning, with the dependable Stacy Parsons coming off the bench. Julie Zeilstra excelled in the power forward spot while Katy Steding was a potent 3 point threat and superb rebounder and Martha Richards subbing in. Patrolling the paint was Trisha Stevens and PAC-10 Freshman of the Year Val Whiting. Though not major contributors, Molly Goodenbour, Chris MacMurdo and walk on Angela Taylor learned lessons that would bring another championship in 1992. It would be difficult to find another team in WCBB history that could put a team on the floor that would match up with this team position by position.

Consider that the team--
--had seven members who scored over 1000 points in their career
--scored 100 points or more in 10 games
--posted Stanford's first ever win over the Tennessee Lady Vols, 85-71 at Maples Pavilion
--averaged 42.1% from behind the 3 point line (177-420)
--recorded a Stanford record 37 assists vs. Arkansas in the Regional Final on their way to a
114-87 victory that sent them to the Final Four for the first time
--shot the highest one game field goal percentage (67.2% on 39-58) vs. E. Michigan 12/29/98
--still holds ten Stanford season team records
--longest win streak to start a season (20)
--highest winning percentage (.970)
--most points scored (3063)
--highest scoring average (92.8)
--highest scoring average in PAC-10 play (92.4)
--highest scoring margin (26.6)
--highest scoring margin in PAC-10 play (27.5)
--field goals made (1160)
--most assists (758)
--most assists in PAC-10 play (418)

I remember the Regional Final against Arkansas as one of the best games I have ever seen. Maples was packed to the rafters and the Cardinal crushed the Razorbacks and were on their way to, of all places, Knoxville, TN. The band played on and on as the net was cut down and we never wanted to leave.

Virginia loomed in the semi-final with Dawn Staley and the 6'5" Burge twins. Balanced scoring (4 players in double digits) brought home a 75-66 win. A short clip is here.

The next day, despite Jennifer fouling out, the Cardinal brought home a trophy with an 88-81 win over Auburn. Some clips here and here.

This team was so good, it was featured in a PBS Frontline documentary, "In the Game" in 1994.

This was the team that established the standard of excellence that is still evident on The Farm. It is hard to think of where the program might be today had this unique group of women not come together for a very magical season. I know the Super Bowl is Sunday, but please just set that DVR and stick around to honor this wonderful team!

Wear Red and Open those Pockets on Saturday!

EDITED 1/29/10--

Policy will prohibit the collection of money at Maples, but there will be plenty of info available on how you can help out!

I'm usually here asking you to help support our team monetarily, but this time Stanford Women's Basketball is taking on something much more important. The Players came up with a plan to join the national movement to Wear Red for Haiti, which all got started as a Facebook page. As a symbol of support, Stanford will take an unusual step and wear their Road Cardinal Red uniforms during their home contest against Arizona on Saturday, January 30. Beyond the symbolism of support, they will be raising money through the American Red Cross at the game. By the way, Arizona will be in their Whites.

What can you do? The team has asked that you join in by wearing RED (or Cardinal) when you attend the game. While you are there, please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross. They are working with partners in the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network to assist those affected by the disaster. Your gift will support emergency relief efforts to help those people affected by the earthquake. Assistance provided may include deploying personnel, sending relief supplies and providing financial resources.

We have all seen the devastation that occurred.

We have all seen the spirit of the people of Haiti.

We all know that there is so much to do.

Here is your chance to join in by helping a great group of

young women show their support.

So, How About the Auction?

Finally, we have put together the numbers and can announce that the

Back in the Saddle Again auction raised

$31,700!

With this amount, since 2005, the FBC auctions have raised over

$215,000!

We hope that you enjoy the event each year as we strive to make it not just profitable, but enjoyable too. It takes a lot of work to put on an event like this--

so KUDOS go out to the great FBC Fundraising Committee!

Anne Alexander

Harriet Benson

Katrina Bennett

Katy Carrell

Joyce Dean

Judy Dunn

Lynne Klaeveman

Denice Merlo

Donna Rancatore

Nancy Sabbag

Laura Sprague

Jo Sturdivan

Judy Sweeney

Judy Washburn

Lily Wong

I want to give a very special shout out to

DEB GUMBLEY

for all of the wonderful decorations including the Wanted Posters!

And how about that "Tara Evans" created by Deb and Nancy Sabbag? Wasn't that the BEST?

And what would we do without our Event Volunteers?

Sally Clevenger

Dave Cortesi

Marian Cortesi

Judy Creek

Karen Dickinson

Deanna Dickman

Bob Dodge

Mary Dodge

Peter Elderon

Joan Hinkley

Jeanne Mayr

Kelly Mazzei

Richard Nancarrow

Su Shaffer

Natalie Shinkevich

Alice Smith

Diana Wahler

Special thanks to Margy Lee for her help with the decorations,

including that Big Ol' Horse!

Margy was able to borrow it from

The National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy

and we are so grateful to them--check them out!

Thanks to all of our fabulous donors--you can see them here.

Special thanks to Eileen Roche and Amy Tucker for all of their support!

Next up will be the Shootathon--date TBD, so stay tuned!

It's Santa Again

As Christmas approached

Santa's on the Card wagon

But the Elves were all doing

A bit too much braggin'.

"We smushed Blue Demons and Devils

And that team coached by Pat!

And we took down the Huskies,

At least for a Half!"

While Santa thought much

Of the December run

He had to put an end

To all the Elves' fun.

"I said it last year

And I'll say it again.

The middle doesn't count!

It's how the season ends!"

"So it's not from a loss

Or the wins that they earn.

It's what they do with it

And how much they learn!"

The Elves thought for a moment

And sipped some egg nog

And suddenly came out

Of the pre-season fog.

"Of course, you're right, Santa!

They will get even better!

Tara, Amy, Bobbie and Kate

Will teach down to the letter!

Jayne patrolling the paint

With Nneka and Jos,

And lock-down defense

By Jeanette and Ros,

And timely shot making

By Kayla, JJ and Mel

And with the bench play

Of Lindy, Ash and Michelle,

Not to mention contributions

from Mikaela and Grace,

And cheering from Sarah and Hannah!

This is a team to embrace!"

At this, Santa smiled

At the thought about when

The Cardinal starts play

Throughout the PAC-10.

His toy making over

He'd be ready to cheer

And get ready for March Madness--

His real favorite time of year!

So he packed up his sleigh

And headed into the night

To make children's Christmas

All shiny and bright.

The reindeer took flight

To Santa's "Ho-Ho-Ho!"

Followed quickly by cheering

Of "Go Stanford! Go!"

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!