OT: Volleyball and Big Ben

[Panther Parrothead]

Yeah, I don't think anybody is watching volleyball to emasculate themselves by staring at some 6'3" tail. That's silly. The reason people around here watch volleyball is because they win. I would think that's obvious considering they've been around since 1974 and I don't recall anyone muttering a peep about them until a few years ago.

I think that’s accurate. But (at least in the case of Pitt) I think that’s probably true in all sports - that Pitt fans love winners and will support their teams only as long as the win. Once the winning stops, I’d expect to see an attendance — and a general interest — drop-off. I can’t think of one sport when that didn’t happen.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

No kidding. Everyone becomes more dominant with a lower net than they would with a higher net. Brilliant point ya got there.

i can dunk and am such a better basketball player when i play on a 9' hoop vs a 10' hoop, im not even kidding..

 

[PittPharm2002]

No kidding. Everyone becomes more dominant with a lower net than they would with a higher net. Brilliant point ya got there.

If you don’t think 7 inches would dramatically reduce her game - you have never played a sport .

if the men played at their height it’s likely they’d have 10 -13 aces per set.
Every jump serve would be a spike

 

[NCPitt]

If you don’t think 7 inches would dramatically reduce her game - you have never played a sport .

if the men played at their height it’s likely they’d have 10 -13 aces per set.
Every jump serve would be a spike

Are you really this dumb.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

She and Pitt could still beat a boys' HS team at the men's height, assuming they played at that height all the time.

You understand that they don't play at that height all the time, right? And you understand that they wouldn't be nearly as good playing at the higher net all the time either, right?

 

[PittPharm2002]

You understand that they don't play at that height all the time, right? And you understand that they wouldn't be nearly as good playing at the higher net all the time either, right?

He doesn’t seem to understand a 7 inch height is enormous

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

so males are better athletes than females, ok we got it.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

so males are better athletes than females, ok we got it.

I'm not sure why it's so important for some people to compare the two. Much like basketball, women's volleyball isn't the same game as men's volleyball. Who cares? You can either enjoy it for the competition that it is, or find something else to watch.

 

[PittPharm2002]

I'm not sure why it's so important for some people to compare the two. Much like basketball, women's volleyball isn't the same game as men's volleyball. Who cares? You can either enjoy it for the competition that it is, or find something else to watch.

Same with tennis and soccer

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Same with tennis and soccer

Yessir. Another comparison is like watching a D-3 football game: the critics in the crowd would show their “intelligence” by proclaiming that both teams would lose to a D-1 team. But that’s not the point, nor should it take away from the pleasure of watching two well-balanced D-3 teams play.

 

[NCPitt]

You understand that they don't play at that height all the time, right? And you understand that they wouldn't be nearly as good playing at the higher net all the time either, right?

Can you read?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Can you read?

Yes, well enough to realize that we are, once again, talking about something about which you are clueless.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Swin Cash?

Saw Swin play in person. She would have started for every WPIAL team. But for the top ones, she wouldn't have been one of the better players. She would have been a top player on some smaller school boys teams.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I'm not sure why it's so important for some people to compare the two. Much like basketball, women's volleyball isn't the same game as men's volleyball. Who cares? You can either enjoy it for the competition that it is, or find something else to watch.

probably the best post in this thread...

 

[Tvax1]

hard to believe the difference from first set to second in the Creighton/PSU match

 

[Tvax1]

i know im going to regret asking this but here goes.

why are men all of a sudden watching womens' volleyball in your opinion?

the Olympics were awesome, beach and indoor both women's and men's, I watched both but last Olympics the U.S.beach women won gold

volleyball is great to watch and I only played rec level, brother 6'3" and great but only HS level

fun leagues around D.C.

 

[pittdan77]

This is an interesting thread. First off, having Ben as a supporter of the team is a good thing and he brings some healthy attention to the program without drawing everyone's eyes away from the team. He's been very good to Pitt volleyball and he's there because his daughters are rabid fans who play the game. I can't address everyone individually so I'll just do this as I can think of things I've seen.

1. Yes, the shorts are tight and short. I regularly wash about eight pairs of them a week because my daughter wears them under dresses and even to sleep in. Oh yeah, she wears them to practice and in games, too. In her mind, they're the most comfortable thing she's ever put on her body and she couldn't imagine playing the game in anything else.
2. Men are noticing the game but not because of the shorts. Those pervs have always been there. I have a good friend who I invited to go see Pitt play Louisville last year. He thought it would be a good chance to sit and chat because he figured it would be boring and we could catch up. He now attends several games a season because, as he puts it, it's way more exciting that any other women's game.
3. Men's volleyball never really took off in the US. There are only about 68 colleges that have teams and its nowhere near as popular. Especially in this corner of the world.
4. The men's and women's games are very different. Men is more speed and power and women play with more finesse. You don't see the power serves like Babcock sends over because most women can't hit the ball hard enough for it to be effective. The difference in net height does make a difference. Now, could a player like Babcock play against men and have success? Maybe, but it would look a lot different against men on a higher net and with a different ball. The men just jump out of the gym and all of them hit rockets. Women, not so much. Put it this way, I wouldn't want my daughter playing against a men's team.
5. The popularity of the women's game has a lot to do with the growth of the sport. If your kid plays, you get interested in the game, right? That's drawing more eyes. And looking at HS numbers is a bit misleading because a lot of girls just don't bother with school ball. There isn't a broad level of talent in school ball so sometimes the better players don't bother with it. That's more true elsewhere in the country where clubs are more cutthroat and practice year round. I really don't have a good way of explaining it other than the fact that college coaches largely don't even want to bother with HS game film.
6. College volleyball is succeeding because it does pretty well on TV and people are spending money as fans. Those dads are tuning in with genuine interest. There are a ton of bugs to work out for it to get better but it is easy to watch. As more fans are attracted to the game, they'll learn the more difficult to understand rules and some of the more intricate details of how the game is played. The announcers do a decent job of explaining when something happens, too. I think TV will find better angles as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[PittPharm2002]

No kidding. Everyone becomes more dominant with a lower net than they would with a higher net. Brilliant point ya got there.

It’s an obvious point which you seem to struggle to comprehend

 

[NCPitt]

It’s an obvious point which you seem to struggle to comprehend

The problem with your post is that my post says exactly that. You really have a hard time reading, don’t you?

 

[NCPitt]

Yes, well enough to realize that we are, once again, talking about something about which you are clueless.

Lol. You still can’t read.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

The problem with your post is that my post says exactly that. You really have a hard time reading, don’t you?

you two are saying the same thing but arguing, from a 3rd party perspective, it's kind of funny. Please keep it up..

 

[HailtoPitt]

So we can end up with the Pitt vs. State Penn national championship game? Interesting.

 

[NCPitt]

you two are saying the same thing but arguing, from a 3rd party perspective, it's kind of funny. Please keep it up..

I’m not really arguing. I’m pointing to the exact point you made since he is arguing.

 

[PittPharm2002]

I’m not really arguing. I’m pointing to the exact point you made since he is arguing.

Only you are arguing
Because it’s what you do let’s recap

Not really.

When you're 6'4" like Babcock, they could play at men's heights.

she also wouldn’t be as dominant with her power and her blocking would be a helluva lot less effective

When I played volleyball regularly I was still growing but still shorter than my present 6’4” self . I mean like dunking a volleyball at 5,11” type of bounce .

The women’s volleyball coach would sometime play with us in our intramural games since she helped organize it .
She would be pretty much the libero or full time setter cause she had no chance playing at the net or getting anything over past a block except a dink.

A really good woman can certainly be better than an average at best male .
Ans mixed coed teams are fun , since a good serve and placement of hits is more important than just power .

No kidding. Everyone becomes more dominant with a lower net than they would with a higher net. Brilliant point ya got there.

Yet you’ve replied a bunch of times to argue that your original post waa valid .
It wasn’t

Let’s take to to extremes - Babcock could also play on a 15 feet high net. She just couldn’t spike or block .

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

this thread has me thinking, would women's hoops, from grade school all the way up to wnba, be better if the hoop was lowered, say to 9' 6".

Of course logistically that may be tough, most hoops at gyms just cant be lowered, can they? Most come down from the ceiling on those crane thingys so that may be easier said than done. Leaving that aside though, i think wnba and womens college hoops would be a better product with a lowered rim..

 

[RJQ_56]

they weren't at a disadvantage as juggers, playing dog-skull football...

 

[Tvax1]

this thread has me thinking, would women's hoops, from grade school all the way up to wnba, be better if the hoop was lowered, say to 9' 6".

Of course logistically that may be tough, most hoops at gyms just cant be lowered, can they? Most come down from the ceiling on those crane thingys so that may be easier said than done. Leaving that aside though, i think wnba and womens college hoops would be a better product with a lowered rim..

I believe it would help the Pitt women's team.....but only if their offensive end lowered and no switching ends at halftime

 

[pittdan77]

this thread has me thinking, would women's hoops, from grade school all the way up to wnba, be better if the hoop was lowered, say to 9' 6".

That would be equivalent if women were using the same size ball as the men but a woman's basketball is much smaller. Men's and women's volleyballs are the same size. Men use a slightly different looking ball that doesn't have the seams but has raised areas on it.

 

[NCPitt]

Let’s take to to extremes - Babcock could also play on a 15 feet high net. She just couldn’t spike or block .

I'm still agreeing with you, as I have since the first post.

But you keep arguing if it makes you feel like a bigger man.

 

[Conemaugh]

This is an interesting thread. First off, having Ben as a supporter of the team is a good thing and he brings some healthy attention to the program without drawing everyone's eyes away from the team. He's been very good to Pitt volleyball and he's there because his daughters are rabid fans who play the game. I can't address everyone individually so I'll just do this as I can think of things I've seen.

1. Yes, the shorts are tight and short. I regularly wash about eight pairs of them a week because my daughter wears them under dresses and even to sleep in. Oh yeah, she wears them to practice and in games, too. In her mind, they're the most comfortable thing she's ever put on her body and she couldn't imagine playing the game in anything else.
2. Men are noticing the game but not because of the shorts. Those pervs have always been there. I have a good friend who I invited to go see Pitt play Louisville last year. He thought it would be a good chance to sit and chat because he figured it would be boring and we could catch up. He now attends several games a season because, as he puts it, it's way more exciting that any other women's game.
3. Men's volleyball never really took off in the US. There are only about 68 colleges that have teams and its nowhere near as popular. Especially in this corner of the world.
4. The men's and women's games are very different. Men is more speed and power and women play with more finesse. You don't see the power serves like Babcock sends over because most women can't hit the ball hard enough for it to be effective. The difference in net height does make a difference. Now, could a player like Babcock play against men and have success? Maybe, but it would look a lot different against men on a higher net and with a different ball. The men just jump out of the gym and all of them hit rockets. Women, not so much. Put it this way, I wouldn't want my daughter playing against a men's team.
5. The popularity of the women's game has a lot to do with the growth of the sport. If your kid plays, you get interested in the game, right? That's drawing more eyes. And looking at HS numbers is a bit misleading because a lot of girls just don't bother with school ball. There isn't a broad level of talent in school ball so sometimes the better players don't bother with it. That's more true elsewhere in the country where clubs are more cutthroat and practice year round. I really don't have a good way of explaining it other than the fact that college coaches largely don't even want to bother with HS game film.
6. College volleyball is succeeding because it does pretty well on TV and people are spending money as fans. Those dads are tuning in with genuine interest. There are a ton of bugs to work out for it to get better but it is easy to watch. As more fans are attracted to the game, they'll learn the more difficult to understand rules and some of the more intricate details of how the game is played. The announcers do a decent job of explaining when something happens, too. I think TV will find better angles as well.

Hope that helps.

Well said