Interesting article about Griner/Mulkey

[Dryburn]

No matter what your feelings about her, I think this is a pretty good read. Especially if you don't care for Mulkey. A sample:

"Ray Griner is more blunt. He says his daughter hasn't heard from Mulkey since Baylor's shocking loss to Louisville in this year's NCAA tournament. 'It's about dollar signs,' Ray says. 'There's nothing in it for Kim anymore, so she's done with Brittney'"

Contrast that with a tweet sent a couple of hours ago by BF:

Bill Fennelly ‏@ISUCoachFen
Just had a visit from Pop-so proud of her in so many ways! She WILL find a team to continue her career and they will be lucky to have her!

Like I said, it's a pretty good read.
Owning The Middle

 

[klamath632]

Yes, a very interesting article. It looks like Griner was in a personality prison at Baylor. I'm happy that she's confident to express herself openly now.

 

[cyclone13]

Too bad she just realized it now.
there are always 2 ways: win at all cost or win the right way. if you win the right way, you might not win a lot, but you sleep better and you'll have a lot of friends whether you win or not and even after you don't win anymore.

 

[cydsho]

I call BS on part of this story from Griner. It sounds like she was aware of certain issues around being gay but she had no clue how conservative and closed the school she selected was going to be? She either was fed a line of crap or the payments were good enough to overlook.

 

[iowa_wildcat]

Dittos!

Baylor is Baylor and one has to be either totally naive or totally ignorant to not know what to expect.

Once upon a time, I read the student code at BYU and knew immediately that I need not apply because I would be asked to leave very quickly.

 

[BoxsterCy]

That was an interesting read. As much as I DISLIKE Mulkey (and I REALLY dislike her) I am not sure Griner would have been treated or “handled” differently at another school even one with a gay coach. Everyone is making a big deal about Baylor being Baptist and socially conservative but how many schools in Div I would have truly embraced someone this high profile being truly openly gay, say in some sort of get to know the player ESPN interview? I think most would have copped out like Baylor did. Until we have someone who is openly gay during their career at ISU I can’t say our institution or BF would be any different. It gets to the whole recruiting innuendo that “family values” is code for not gay friendly and if you don’t promote “family” than you are some sort of gay “agenda” promoter. It’s sort of mess.

With that said I don't know the sexual preferences of any ISU athletes; it's really none of my business but I wouldn't want ISU shuttering them into a closet if that was not what they wanted.

 

[Tornado man]

That was an interesting read. As much as I DISLIKE Mulkey (and I REALLY dislike her) I am not sure Griner would have been treated or “handled” differently at another school even one with a gay coach. Everyone is making a big deal about Baylor being Baptist and socially conservative but how many schools in Div I would have truly embraced someone this high profile being truly openly gay, say in some sort of get to know the player ESPN interview? I think most would have copped out like Baylor did. Until we have someone who is openly gay during their career at ISU I can’t say our institution or BF would be any different. It gets to the whole recruiting innuendo that “family values” is code for not gay friendly and if you don’t promote “family” than you are some sort of gay “agenda” promoter.

You beat me to it, and very well said. ISU's recruiting motto of "family values" means exactly that. I doubt Bill Fennelly, or many other coaches, would do things any differently than what Mulkey did.

 

[SenorCy]

This article sounds like every other "deep" article by ESPN or SI. They all follow the same formula.
1. Talk about how someone had it tough growing up.
2. They tried to move on but it wasn't what they expected.
3. They go somewhere else that is a "perfect fit."
4. Hope for the future.

 

[klamath632]

This article sounds like every other "deep" article by ESPN or SI. They all follow the same formula.
1. Talk about how someone had it tough growing up.
2. They tried to move on but it wasn't what they expected.
3. They go somewhere else that is a "perfect fit."
4. Hope for the future.

Minus the "second album tanked" and the "got into drugs" parts, it sounds a lot like VH1's Behind The Music.

 

[EHdakota]

innuendo

I met a guy once who thought this was an Italian suppository

 

[ISU_phoria]

This article sounds like every other "deep" article by ESPN or SI. They all follow the same formula.
1. Talk about how someone had it tough growing up.
2. They tried to move on but it wasn't what they expected.
3. They go somewhere else that is a "perfect fit."
4. Hope for the future.

Spot on..... not to be contrary, but I have to disagree with the OP. That story was completely predictable and uninteresting, IMO.

On another note, I can't believe some people would actually write/say that crap to Griner, whether to her face or on social media - that actually pisses me off. Whatever happened to the golden rule?

 

[acoustimac]

You beat me to it, and very well said. ISU's recruiting motto of "family values" means exactly that. I doubt Bill Fennelly, or many other coaches, would do things any differently than what Mulkey did.

I'm not sure I agree. I do remember though that Bluder used to play that card against Bill while she was a Drake. I have no idea and could care less if there are any gay players (or have been) on the team. I would like to think our staff would go after the best scholar-athletes period.

 

[acoustimac]

I also laugh when I think of the double standard at Baylor. If this Baptist school would indeed discriminate against a gay player...or force her to hide it and yet allow the head coach to openly act like a tramp while also engaging in unethical coaching practices...all I can say is I'm glad I'm a Cyclone fan.

i remember talking to Baylor fans about this in Dallas and in general they sheepishly smiled and said this is what we "have" to accept to be at this level.

 

[StClone]

In this age, nothing in that read enlightened or surprised me.

I guess I have a high opinion of Iowa State. So, I was often at odds with posters on this site degrading Griner based on her appearance. Not that she needed it, I defended Griner because I wanted to raise the level of discussion here. I think I failed. And, so it goes. But, I hope that if another Griner came to Iowa State we would treat her as a student athlete rather than what J saw happen to Brittany.

 

[kilgore_trout]

that article reinforces my perception of coach mulkey as a super mega ultra *****.

 

[Three4Cy]

This is nothing more than a marketing ploy by ESPN to gain viewers for the WNBA.

 

[jsb]

I think the most interesting thing is that Mulkey hasn't had any contact with her since she left Baylor. That's kind of low.

 

[Cycsk]

I think the most interesting thing is that Mulkey hasn't had any contact with her since she left Baylor. That's kind of low.

Makes me wonder if there was more to that part of the story. For instance, did Mulkey try to take too much credit for making Griner into the player she is? And did Griner tell her that she made Mulkey the coach she is? Some exchange like that might make it so that they aren't going to talk much. I could see either one of them (or both) easily hacking off the other.

 

[twistedredbird]

I'm not sure I agree. I do remember though that Bluder used to play that card against Bill while she was a Drake. I have no idea and could care less if there are any gay players (or have been) on the team. I would like to think our staff would go after the best scholar-athletes period.

I think the "family values" is less about gay players, and more about gay coaches.

We recruited against KSU, KU, and MU, and at the time, all those coaches were gay. Deb Patterson does her best to try and hide it behind the "christian values" thing, but everyone knows it.

I cannot speculate how BF and team would handle the situation, but I have to think BF would have more class in the situation.

 

[klamath632]

Does everyone here suffer the misconception that BF has never had a gay player on his team?