Iron-willed Pat Summitt faces the scariest diagnosis there is
Pat Summitt after winning the 2005 SEC tournament. (AP photo)
Cancer would be one thing. People of all ages get cancer, and famous coaches are people, too. Jim Calhoun has had it. George Karl has had it. Jim Valvano and Vince Lombardi died from it.
Cancer is bad, but with most cancers you figure you stand a fighting chance. Pat Summitt doesn’t have cancer. She has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, and in her two-minute videotaped statement to Vol Nation she was brave enough to mention the scariest word there is.
That word: Alzheimer’s.
Pat Summitt is 59. She’s among the half-dozen greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. Auriemma, Knight, Krzyzewski, Smith, Summitt and Wooden — there, in alphabetical order, is your list.
She has been the best thing about Tennessee sports for nearly four decades. I met her in 1977, back when she was Pat Head. Already in her third season as the Lady Vols’ coach, she was coming off a silver medal as a player for the U.S. women’s Olympic team, and even a raging dunce like yours truly could tell she was driven in a way only the best and brightest are.
Women’s college basketball was an afterthought then. The NCAA didn’t crown its first women’s champ until 1982 — anyone recall the old AIAW tournaments? — but from the first, Summitt and her Lady Vols comported themselves as if they were the UCLA of Wooden and Alcindor and Walton. Her teams played the hardest, were possessed of the best fundamentals and took the games the most seriously, and so what if she had to wash the uniforms herself afterward?
She has won eight NCAA titles and 16 SEC championships. Her teams have reached the Final Four 18 times. Over the years people have often wondered if the great women’s coach would have succeeded coaching men, and the answer has always been easy: She’d have won coaching fire ants. She’s that good at what she does.
But now she has early onset dementia. She plans to keep coaching, to try medication and “mental exercises” — doing puzzles before going to bed, that sort of thing. But the reason Alzheimer’s is the most terrifying of all diagnoses is because there’s no cure. You get worse and worse until you forget who those people around you are. You forget who you are.
Dean Smith, whose name appeared before Summitt’s in our above alphabetical Valhalla, is suffering from “a progressive neurocognitive disorder that affects his memory,” according to his family. But Smith is 80, and he last coached in 1997. Pat Summitt told Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post she’d like to keep coaching for three more seasons; at the same time, Summitt conceded there was a time last season when she couldn’t remember what play to call.
In her taped statement, Summitt said she’ll ask her three assistants to do more, but what she faces isn’t just a question of delegating. So long as she coaches now, she’ll be viewed in a way no coach has ever been. For decades we’ve watched her patrol the sideline and clap her hands and loose the Summitt Stare, but now, as cruel as it sounds, we won’t be thinking, “There’s the coach who has won more college games than anyone of any gender.” We’ll be wondering if she’s OK.
Then again … this is Pat Summitt. In September 1990 she’d flown, while nine months’ pregnant, to Pennsylvania to visit a prospect named Michelle Marciniak. Summitt went into labor, and en route home the pilot offered to land the private plane in Richmond.
The Lady Cavaliers of Dawn Staley were then Tennessee’s bitter rival. “I am not,” Summitt famously said, “having this baby in Virginia.”
Tyler Summitt, now a walk-on for Tennessee’s men’s team, was born in Knoxville. Six months later, the Lady Vols beat Virginia in overtime for the NCAA title.
Pat Summitt’s will can bend steel, but this is Alzheimer’s she’s facing. Proud as she is, I don’t believe she’d protest if we say a prayer.
By Mark Bradley
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186 comments Add your comment
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 23rd, 2011
5:37 pm
First Dean Smith – now Pat Summitt. Got to wish her the best of luck
Mark Bradley
August 23rd, 2011
5:39 pm
Yes indeed, Paul.
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 23rd, 2011
5:40 pm
Mark – excellent piece. With this one and the one on Ernie Johnson, you are on a roll lately.
todd grantham
August 23rd, 2011
5:43 pm
Heart rending news. 59 years old.
Mountain Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
Amen.
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 23rd, 2011
5:46 pm
That’s quite a video on Youtube – amazing guts.
Mountain Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
5:46 pm
Amen
Mark Bradley
August 23rd, 2011
5:47 pm
Thanks, Paul. I’m obliged.
todd grantham
August 23rd, 2011
5:48 pm
We were kind of joking the other day about aging. This hits one right at home and makes one realize why we joke about the most important issue we contemplate: no one wants to face the inevitable death sentence and the joking helps keep the Grim Reaper at bay.
atlvol55
August 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
Truly a sad day in Vol country, but if anyone can prolong this and fight back, it would be Summitt. God bless
atlvol55
August 23rd, 2011
5:51 pm
P.S. Great article Bradley
todd grantham
August 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
This really puts into perspective how unimportant all things become when compared to survival.
Hubie Green
August 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
This is a sad day in the world of sports. Coach Summitt is a very brave person to share this news with us. Here’s hoping a cure will be found soon. She is one of the greatest coaches who has ever lived. Here’s hoping she will coach for many more years.
btgt69
August 23rd, 2011
5:54 pm
She and her family will be in my prayers
june
August 23rd, 2011
6:00 pm
Enter your comments here
Big Dawg Fan rooting for Summitt
August 23rd, 2011
6:01 pm
Excellent piece Mark…about an extremely classy lady. I met Coach Summitt on the sidelines just before halftime in Knoxville at a UGA/UT game. I told her how much I respected her as a coach and that I enjoyed watching her team play…even though they ‘were’ Tennessee. She simply smiled and said “why thank you….that’s a very nice thing to say”. We then went on to have a good 2 minute conversation just before she and her team walked on the field to accept their ump-teenth SEC Championship recognition. Will never forget her sincerity and class. Here’s to wishing her well, and many more healthy seasons on the court. Praying for ya Coach Pat!
Rick
August 23rd, 2011
6:01 pm
At half mental capacity, she is still a better womens basketball coach than Andy Landers.
JAWJeRDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
6:02 pm
Thank you, Coach Summit, for sharing your plight with us. Best wishes, and God bless.
Mark Bradley
August 23rd, 2011
6:06 pm
Thanks, atlvol.
JAWJeRDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
6:07 pm
Meant no disrespect to the coach: Summitt, not Summit. Again, best wishes for a long and healthier career.
That is a classless thing to say, Rick
August 23rd, 2011
6:11 pm
This is a sad occasion and not one to be cluttered with tasteless shots like that. From what I have read, she and Andy have much respect for each other.
Pat Summitt – Washington Post | Latest News Wall
August 23rd, 2011
6:12 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
ormewood
August 23rd, 2011
6:21 pm
Great piece, Mark. Makes all of this stuff regarding off-field shenanigans and potential conference realignment seem pretty trivial.
Best wishes to Coach Summitt from a long-time admirer.
Badgerina
August 23rd, 2011
6:25 pm
Good luck Pat Summit.
Great column. Reminds me of of the one you wrote on Barkley.
DREWDOWN77
August 23rd, 2011
6:33 pm
WELL SAID, MARK!!
Spanky
August 23rd, 2011
6:33 pm
Mark, once again, you hit the nail on the head!…stay classy!
dawg4u
August 23rd, 2011
6:40 pm
Fine article Mark. This is such sad news. Prayers go out to Pat Summit and family and she is a battler for sure. It really puts sports into perspective reading about her diagnosis. She is a class act and agree that she is in that John Wooden class of coaches.
MightyQuinn
August 23rd, 2011
6:42 pm
Great column Mark. My father succumbed to Alzhiemer’s on January 31, 2007. My mother kept him at home until the day before his death, but it took a tremendous toll on her, and in June of 2009 suffered a stroke and is now nonverbal. Dementia is the cruel joke of better medical care; our quantity of life is increased but our quality is reduced. I would encourage everyone to support the Alzheimers Association. The disease is called “The Long Goodbye” for good reason.
JSS
August 23rd, 2011
6:45 pm
It is “The Summit” for a reason! Coach Summit has made the game a large part of her life, now I know the game will rally to her side like it did for Coaches Valvano and Yow…
She has a big heart, bigger than most will ever know!
Angela beck
August 23rd, 2011
6:57 pm
My heart goes out to Pat and her immediate family and the entire Lady Vols family! My grandmother, mother, and several aunts all died of
Alzheimers. Pat’s bravery provides strength to all who face this terrible disease! I have always admired Pat, she is truly an amazing woman!
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
I lost my mother’s sister last week to Alzheimer’s, and her brother is debilitated by it now. Fortunately, they had long productive lives before it hit. My grandmother lived with it for over 15 years. It is a terrible malady, and early onset is so tragic.
Thanks for writing this, Mark.
PTC DAWG
August 23rd, 2011
7:10 pm
Godspeed to Pat Summitt and her Family.
Beast from the East
August 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
Having watched my grandmother go through this, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone…..especially someone that has done so much for so many young people. God bless you, Coach.
Fan of the Game
August 23rd, 2011
7:13 pm
Pat Summitt is a winner and she will handle this because she is a competitor. God bless her and her family, immediate and the Vol family. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.
luvthosedawgs68
August 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
I have always admired Coach Summitt for her excellence in not only coaching her players, but demanding that they be at their best wherever they were while playing for Tennessee. As classy a coach as there ever has been, in any sport!
Dennis Green
August 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
Amen Mark. Great Piece
Hillbilly D
August 23rd, 2011
7:21 pm
I’ve seen people go through this and it’s very bad. Best wishes to her and her family.
Dawg4life
August 23rd, 2011
7:22 pm
All of us in Dawg Nation need to lift up Coach Pat in our prayers.
Terry Funk
August 23rd, 2011
7:23 pm
my grandmother has dementia…it’s so sad when your body out lives ur mind.. (probably a bad example Pat is only 59) excellent post Mr. Bradley…Pat Summit can flat out coach..and as luv stated is as intense/demanding as anyone…
atlkeith
August 23rd, 2011
7:30 pm
Classy as always Mark,,,thank you!
felix the cat
August 23rd, 2011
7:35 pm
Tough article to write Mark. From the Dawg Nation Good Luck and Get well soon Pat!
bamaguy
August 23rd, 2011
7:40 pm
When women’s basketball started being profitable, big name schools turned to male coaches. Pat Summit took them all on and kicked their a*s.
I bleed crimson, but my hat, and my heart, are off to the classiest person to grace NCAA athletics in my lifetime. God be with you, Pat.
NCMtn Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:43 pm
I will pray for you Coach Summit. When the UGA men’s team was looking for a new coach, I thought of her and said “why not?” That lady has been a blessing and a role model for so many women. We could all be better by trying to live up to your example. Godspeed and good luck next season!
BC VOL
August 23rd, 2011
7:45 pm
The VOL NATION is behind you, Pat. Be strong and fight hard. We need you and love you.
DougsMugs
August 23rd, 2011
7:49 pm
I am so sorry. We have had this in our family and it is devastating for everyone.
Research for cures to diseases that are no-fault, is where our billions should be spent, instead of spending so much for diseases that are brought on by our own behaviors or trillions for wasteful Obamacare.
yearofthedawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:49 pm
I’m as big a UGA fan as there is, but this saddens me no end. Pat came to Buford last year to watch Andraya Carter and was gracious enough to take the time to have a picture made with my daughter. Its been a pleasure watching her teams over the years, even though they wear the wrong colors. Prayers to her and her family.
S'paw_99
August 23rd, 2011
7:51 pm
Another very good piece (Ernie Sr) Mark. I think she’s one Coach that everyone respects, regardless of what team you’re for.
And she Definitely could Coach Men if she wanted. Most of the time, I’m not sure the guys would listen to a lady, but her Resume speaks for itself. I already heard that when she walks in while the guys are practicing, the place goes silent.
wagster1969
August 23rd, 2011
8:01 pm
The BULLDAWG NATION is behind you as well Coach Summit. My thoughts & prayers are with you.
Timbo
August 23rd, 2011
8:08 pm
very nice article.
Summitt legacy extends far past court – ESPN | Phoenix AZ News and Weather
August 23rd, 2011
8:14 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
RememberDuaneAllman
August 23rd, 2011
8:15 pm
God bless Coach Summitt…..from a Georgia Bulldog to all of you the Vol nation…..she has made all of us in the SEC proud…..I feel her best is yet to come!!
Summitt legacy extends far past court – ESPN | Latest News Wall
August 23rd, 2011
8:18 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
local coach
August 23rd, 2011
8:20 pm
I coach local high school ball and had the honor of meeting Coach Summitt for the first time this past winter when she and Coach Warlick came to watch one of our kids…she was charming, funny, and sharp as a tack. We sat in our office for a good half hour and the conversation, one not about basketball or X’s and O’s, but about life was insightful and quite humorous. Here I was, nervous to meet her, and she and Coach Warlick made me feel like an old friend.
Alzheimers is a nasty disease. Mr. Bradley described it well. My grandmother has it, and simply put, she’s not my grandmother as I’ve known her anymore. I hope Coach Summitt fights this thing like she’s fought everything else…how amazing would a championship run be this year…
Great lady…may God bless.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 23rd, 2011
8:24 pm
Mark , it’s sad that you’re writing theses types of pieces lately, but I, for one are glad that you are.
Roll Tide
August 23rd, 2011
8:27 pm
Best article I’ve read in a LONG time. This article reminds me of the many reasons I love the state of georgia. Good luck to all the Dawgs and Jackets this year !
collegeballfan
August 23rd, 2011
8:29 pm
Wonderful piece of writing Bradley. Probably your best since the 7/09 piece on Greg Maddox.
I also am familiar with dementia/Alzheimer’s. We lost both my mother-in-law and father-in-law to this destructive disease. My heart goes out to the Summit family.
Pat Head Summitt is one of the few great coaches in basketball history.
Two statements on her records need to be noted:
1. Since Summitt became Tennessee’s coach in 1974, every Lady Vol basketball player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has received a college degree or is in the process of completing degree requirements.
2. 50% of her wins have come against Top 25 competition.
Jordan
August 23rd, 2011
8:33 pm
Dimentia is a heartbreaker for the sufferer’s family-my grandpa has it, and it is very hard to deal with. My hopes and prayers are with Pat and her family
Fred
August 23rd, 2011
9:05 pm
Haha mark writes an article about heyward and why he stinks and he just hit a grand slam. great timing bradley
catlady
August 23rd, 2011
9:16 pm
God bless this woman and her family. Her accomplishments are incredible, and she has had an unimaginable effect on women’s sports and basketball. She has done much good, may even more come back to her! Thanks to other bloggers for their classy comments.
rabundog
August 23rd, 2011
9:22 pm
Have a sister in law that’s had it for several years – she’s only 58 – hard to watch her go down slowly – wish Pat the best – One of a few really class acts – Great person – God bless her
Bo in North Carolina
August 23rd, 2011
9:22 pm
Your are in our prayers coach. Thanks for showing us all what real class is.
What a lady!
August 23rd, 2011
9:23 pm
May she be the first to win against this horrible disease. I will pray for her and all whose light slowly dims. As she faces this formidable foe, my money is on her. She is one incredible woman and an inspiration. My God be with her.
flagboy?
August 23rd, 2011
9:24 pm
. . .As a Dawg fan of any UGA sports team, I always disliked Summitt, for the same basic reasons that I hate/hated Spurrier. . . they were both damn good and consistently beat UGA.
This stuff cuts through all of the sports and fandom though.
Best wishes to Coach Summitt and her family. I’m sure she will manage this in the same way she’s handled her program for over 30 years. . with class.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 23rd, 2011
9:26 pm
I hate all things UT, but when I heard this news I felt sick. So much respect for all her accomplishments and now to be stricken with this is such a devestating blow to not only her but her family. Best wishes and I now know what my first UGA female basketball game will be, next yeat UT vs. UGA. I gotta go watch a great coach in person before she retires.
Monroe's first Redcoat
August 23rd, 2011
9:31 pm
For what seems like forever, Pat Summit has been the coach that SEC women’s hops fans love to hate. We are dealing with dementia in our family right now. Nobody deserves to go through this. Best wishes and prayers for Summit in the times to come.
d.j. mase
August 23rd, 2011
9:39 pm
Nothing but best wishes for u pat and safe to say that u can call on millions for help if needed….. u helped all of us and if there is a favor to return, then don’t hesistate….
Billy Wasden
August 23rd, 2011
9:45 pm
an awful disease , harder on the family than the person with it , my prayers are with her God bless
Kevin
August 23rd, 2011
9:50 pm
As a Knoxville native and a Tennessee grad, I want to thank the posters on the board for showing such grace and compassion. We may compete, but we’re a common Southern family, and it’s heart-warming to see families lifting up our own in trying times. May God bless Coach Summit and her family.
Illini78
August 23rd, 2011
9:50 pm
Pat Summit is an icon. All we can hope is this disease progresses very slowly for her. It is so devastating to any family when a member has dementia. One of the worst days of my life was when my grandmother no longer recognized me. My heart breaks for Pat Summit. Great article and tribute to her, Mark Bradley.
Fred
August 23rd, 2011
9:51 pm
Over the years people have often wondered if the great women’s coach would have succeeded coaching men, and the answer has always been easy: She’d have won coaching fire ants. She’s that good at what she does.
Amen Mark, what a nice line. I don’t care a hoot about women’s basketball, but I know who Pat is. I know what Uconn did. This is the worst news I have heard all week. How sad.
wnc vol
August 23rd, 2011
9:52 pm
Thanks Mark for a great story. And thanks to all the great UGA and SEC fans for your support of Pat.
IBleedOrange
August 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
Pat Summitt is THE best. Will be praying for her and her family. She is picture of courage.
Vol in Cumming
August 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
When I saw this headline today and saw the name Summitt, it never occurred to me that I would be reading about Pat. Such a young age for this horrible illness but, she is as tough as they come.
Great article Mark and thank you to all the SEC fans for your support and prayers for Pat.
God Bless.
BIOMASS
August 23rd, 2011
10:02 pm
Horrible situation. I watched my father finally succumb to Alzheimer’s.
Every time I see the metaphor “battled” when applied to a fatal illness, it bothers me. It’s a sports/war term wrongly applied to the situation. One seeks treatment, and hopes for the best. There aren’t any drawn swords against the microscopic entities that are involved here. It just a hackneyed quip that is tiresome and a overused by lazy writers.
I hope the new drugs available now can help this poor woman, and all of the many in her situation.
Gen Neyland
August 23rd, 2011
10:04 pm
Thanks to all the Dawg fans and others for showing their support.
That Guy
August 23rd, 2011
10:16 pm
I am a high school boys basketball coach. I have found that I pull for coaches more than I pull for teams. I had the opportunity one of my first years coaching to hear Dean Smith speak at a clinic. I was shocked at the lack of memory then and that was not quite ten years ago. i believe I may have to go listen to Coach Summitt speak. Legends only come around so often, and she is without a doubt, legendary. I am not typically one to watch or follow women’s basketball, but I will be pulling for UT this year and as long as she is at the helm.
Dawglasville
August 23rd, 2011
10:17 pm
I’ve always been amazed by the huge support Vol fans have for womens basketball. Coach Summitt has held the hearts of Tennessee fans for many, many years. I pray for healing, peace and comfort for the Summitt’s and the entire Vol family.
Jacket44
August 23rd, 2011
10:17 pm
Pat Summitt IS the best. I have always wanted to catch a Lady Vols game…I will need to now before Coach Summitt steps aside. To one of the greatest coaches to ever walk the hardwood…may God keep His hand upon you as you take this disease head on. Praying for you daily.
Treat this roadblock as you have treated your competition. Look it straight in the eye and say “bring it on”. God bless Coach and the entire Vol Nation.
Steve - B.
August 23rd, 2011
10:24 pm
My grandfather had Alzheimer’s, it was pretty hard on him and his wife. I know it’s a cliche but you have to live life to the fullest. You never know what the future brings.
Good luck to her.
Brad
August 23rd, 2011
10:48 pm
While a student at UT, I got to staff several of Pat’s alumni events. I’ll never forget…we were working an event in Johnson City, my hometown. I casually mentioned that I was from the area, and my parents were coming to the event. Pat immediately made sure they could come back to the green room and visit with all of the coaching staff. She really went out of her way to make sure everyone felt more than welcome, but that they felt special. She’s a remarkable woman, and, if anyone can whip this, it’s her.
RW-(the original)
August 23rd, 2011
10:53 pm
Best wishes and all of my prayers to Mrs. Summit and her family. Nice article Mark
Wendy
August 23rd, 2011
10:53 pm
great lady. One of the best coaches of all time. Tears in my eyes, damn this disease. My prayers are with her, her family, the basketball/athletic nation. Such a trooper.
RW-(the original)
August 23rd, 2011
10:55 pm
Well except the part about the alphabetical list. In the alphabet I learned Knight comes before Krzyzewski.
RW-(the original)
August 23rd, 2011
10:57 pm
hmmmm…blog gods…was it something I said?
Anyway the list isn’t quite alphabetical
Denise
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
Excellent article. Makes me sad to hear of Coach Summit’s coming struggles. She is truly excellence personified. God bless her and her family.
Give over Coach K being called great.
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
Coach K is not a great coach. Look at how many times he took a top 5 team into the ncaa tournament only to bomb out before the final four. Like Bobby Bowden 14 11 win seasons, 5 NC games and only 2 NC. What!
There are few great coaches in my book.
No disrespect.
August 23rd, 2011
11:03 pm
What’s his name with the Huskies has a better winning %. A man can simply out perform a woman even when coaching women.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 23rd, 2011
11:05 pm
Oh and one of the NC games Bowden has to his credit was over Stoops, another highly over ranked coach that has a dismal record in BCS games. Yeah Bowden beat him but so has practically every one else of BCS caliber.
Erika
August 23rd, 2011
11:06 pm
May God bless her!!! May her journey be long and pleasant. Hopefully, the research will bear positive fruits for her and this fight.
Erika
August 23rd, 2011
11:07 pm
No disrespect, you are VERY disrespectful!!!
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 23rd, 2011
11:10 pm
What the hell? I am on drugs. All this time I though FSU won 13-2. Who else did Bowden beat? Vick and …..google time.
athdog
August 23rd, 2011
11:21 pm
How many times has Coach Pat broken our hearts here in Athens when Landers had what looked to be a championship team? She is a great basketball coach. Not a great womens’ coach, a great COACH, period. May the prayers of Vol nation and the rest of us be answered.
By the way, Mark, nice column. I was shocked, though, that the ‘Baron of the Bluegrass’ was not on your list of all time greats.
Larry
August 23rd, 2011
11:40 pm
What a fine person she is, and this Dawg couldn’t have more respect and admiration for a coach!
This is just another reminder that the death rate for all mankind–even the famous, the great and the unparalleled is still 100%. Enjoy every single moment of every single day, ans as Tim McGraw wrote of his late father, “live like you are dying,” for we all surely are from the first moment of conception.
Physically speaking, that is, and that’s the great promise from He whom gave us his life to save ours!
JacketNation
August 23rd, 2011
11:41 pm
I was a senior in high school back in 1979 when Pat came to a basketball camp at Oglethrope Universtiy (Georgia). She was amazing and the love she showed each of us high school students then was even more amazing. She was always teaching and encouraging us during this camp and I’ve followed her career ever since. Such sad day for a great lady. She and her family will be in my thoughts and prayers daily. God bless you Pat!
AuburnGuy
August 23rd, 2011
11:43 pm
War Eagles and Vols don’t usually get along all that well but I think that I can say for most if not all War Eagles that we are pulling for you Coach Summitt and wish only the very best of outcomes for you. You have our greatest respect.
Troy Baker
August 23rd, 2011
11:48 pm
Mark, there’s many ‘columns’ you’ve written. Many I’ve loved, many I’ve hated (the “mark” no pun intended, of a blessed writer) This one is by far one that reached down deeper because of my profession. An incredible job! Thank you for offering your thoughts in a market that is not a part of ‘VOL NATION’ but truly recognizes the resume’ of a TRUE PROFESSIONAL in our line of work.
vol gal
August 24th, 2011
12:20 am
Thanks for a great article. I have cried alot today. Coach Summitt has been an inspiration for Vol fans….and really college fans for many years. I am so proud of her and pray for her and her family at this time.
GO DAWGS!
August 24th, 2011
12:21 am
God bless you Coach Summitt, This Bulldog is saying a prayer tonight for you tonight
The most moronic post on the blog goes to....
August 24th, 2011
12:22 am
Give over Coach K being called great.
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
Coach K is not a great coach
———-
Krzyzewski is tied for #2 all time in Final Four appearances (with 11) behind John Wooden. As a point of comparison, this is the same as Tom Izzo (6) and Bob Knight (5) combined.
Dr. John Trotter
August 24th, 2011
12:51 am
Good article, Mark.
flatrock
August 24th, 2011
12:57 am
Very nice piece, Mr. Bradley. God bless Pat and Tyler. Tell dementia to bring lunch- Pat won’t quit without one helluva fight…
PatFan
August 24th, 2011
1:24 am
Pat Summitt is one of the sharpest, classiest, most impressive people I have ever met. She treats everyone she meets with the utmost respect. She not only is one of the greatest coaches ever in any sport, she wins the right way and represents her university and her players well at all times. Best of luck to her.
Sue Henson
August 24th, 2011
1:34 am
Enter your comments here
Who's Your Daddy
August 24th, 2011
1:58 am
Mark that’s an article your Daddy would have been proud of!
Ginger
August 24th, 2011
2:49 am
Very grave diagnosis. Prayer is very needed. Dementia is a global term and Alzh. is more disease specific. Parkinson’s can have a memory loss component as well. Nevertheless–any of these neurological diseases that can affect memory among other things are just terrible. Prayer is needed. One of the smartest things Coach Summit can do is form a prayer group that she gives regular email updates to for specific prayers and when she is unable to update the group on prayers needs–have a family member do this. There are meds that help some–but as the disease progresses the meds don’t help as much. I have seen cases 1st hand where the patient improved because of specific need based prayers–not cured mind you, but prayers answered in a way by God that improved daily living for the patient and all of those around the patient. She should include as many people as possible in this prayer group….Maybe she should do a blog or web page…The sports world is wonderful with lots of good folks that can send up prayers…It will be a rough road for her.
-Ville Ranger
August 24th, 2011
3:14 am
My dad fought in WWII, raised 8 children and was tough as nails. He had Alzheimers the last 8 or so years of his life. There is NOTHING to compare to watching a proud independent person you love lose their dignity and waste away in fear and confusion…it’s heart breaking.
Summitt’s diagnosis: Onset of dementia | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-08-24 – Philadelphia Inquirer | What's New US
August 24th, 2011
5:01 am
[...] With Alzheimer'sNPR (blog)Summitt plans to fight diseaseFOXSports.comPeople Magazine -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -Yahoo! Sports -CBSSports.comall 1,021 news [...]
Eveeryday Joe
August 24th, 2011
5:10 am
One of the strong person of character, anyone can admire. Prayers and thoughts are with you, Coach.
how2fish
August 24th, 2011
7:03 am
I’d like to wish the best to Coach Summit and her family, our prayers will be with them and the Volunteer Nation . God’s speed Coach.
Zacky from Tennessee
August 24th, 2011
7:05 am
As a person blessed by going to church with Pat Summitt and knowing her from a distance, I fully agree with the statements of her being an amazing, classy and inspiring person. She fully appreciates all of our prayers.
God bless you Pat, you have done, and will do, marvelous things with your life.
Marvin Mangrum
August 24th, 2011
7:15 am
The story did not bother me until I read your story. Man I am so sick of you, sorry, so sorry, it is difficult typing with tears in my eyes.
Herschel Talker
August 24th, 2011
7:19 am
It’s sad to see anyone come down with this. The Bulldog Nation wishes her and her family the best.
Andrew
August 24th, 2011
7:39 am
Mark,
I’ve enjoyed your writing since you were in my hometown at the Lexington Herald-Leader. Very sad news about Pat Summitt… we will say prayer indeed. I’ve got to take exception, however, to your list of the ‘half-dozen’ greatest coaches. No way you can have this list without Adoph Rupp. My money says bump Coach Knight, replace with “The Baron” and then I think you’ve got it right. No question that Ms. Summitt belongs on that list, perhaps at the very top next to Coach Wooden. Great lady.
Too Easy
August 24th, 2011
7:49 am
Tough luck; took my mother. And, KY homer guy: Where’s Rupp?
Dave
August 24th, 2011
7:53 am
My grandfather had the disease your title of the article says it all.
Buzz 2011
August 24th, 2011
7:59 am
The GT nation will pray for Pat………….
AU Tiger
August 24th, 2011
8:22 am
Very well done, Mark.
Pat at the Summit
August 24th, 2011
8:31 am
Coach Pat has reached the Summit dozens of times but this will be her most difficult climb according to medical experts. Let us all pray for a cure within the next 2-3 years. My mother has it and my mother in law died from it. Please support the Alzheimers Association.
Rickster
August 24th, 2011
8:38 am
Mark – This is a column that would make Furman Bisher proud.
SalChristy
August 24th, 2011
8:49 am
Dear Coach Summitt,
As a GSU alum, just want to let you know that I have admired you for so many years for your ability to be at your task, season in and season out. You are an inspiration to all of us, including those not from the world of sport. It is heartening to see Atlantans & Georgians shower you with praise, gratitude & best wishes. It invigorates me to see hope & faith in fellow Georgians, something we need a lot of in these tough times.
I also want to thank Mr. Bradley for an incredible job in updating us on Ms. Summitt’s condition & also, your column on Ernie Johnson, Sr. It feels good to know that our town has a writer who can give the best blokes in our nation, a run for their money. Kudos to you, sir. Your column on Coach Summitt has inspired me to learn more on this affliction & take stock of my health & my life.
HernDawg
August 24th, 2011
8:50 am
Mark,
With all due respect, Alzheimer’s is awful but ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease is hideous too. In that case the mind stays but the body goes. It usually ends in paralysis and death by suffocation and teh patient is totally aware but can do nothing about it. So, to me, ALS would be the scariest. Just one guys opinion.
Bless Coach Summitt and her caregivers, it will be a long, tough journey.
Dawg Trainer
August 24th, 2011
8:54 am
Excellent read. My dad has dementia. There’s good days, and then there’s the bad days. No matter. EVERY day he’s still here is a bonus day for me. Seems like 2011 has been a rough year for us Vols, and now comes the cruelest blow of all. But if anyone can show us how to shoulder the yoke and carry on…it’s Pat.
bornlive&dieallvol
August 24th, 2011
9:00 am
The rock of Tennessee Athletics. Pat Summit is Tennessee.
No import.
She is the modern General Neyland.
No,nevermind
she is TENNESSEE.
God wiil keep U strong coach.
Gator Mike
August 24th, 2011
9:04 am
Mark, very good article. This is truely sad. I have always admired Coach Summit who is all class. Watching her and her Lady Vols is always entertaining. She has done more for women’s sport than anyone.
She is in our prayers.
phil
August 24th, 2011
9:06 am
A sad, sad thing to hear for this Dawg fan too. I’ve always respected this lady for what she’s been able to accomplish, even at our expense year after year after year.
There is nothing that can be done, in spite of what you hear about this and that. Early onset can often be rapid as well, but with any luck, perhaps hers won’t be. Regardless, if she gets through one more season, or even two, her coaching career won’t be much longer. It is what it is.
I’m sorry for her most of all and her family…
Call it like it is
August 24th, 2011
9:16 am
Wow words escape me. In a world where we read about players doing this and doing that, bringing shame to their school, you never saw that with Pat or her players. She “is” one of the greatest coaches the game will every see or know. I was really hoping she would become AD of Tennesse. Man this just sux. Fight on lovely lady, fight on.
bucket
August 24th, 2011
9:23 am
Great article about a great lady and coach. Our prayers are with Coach Summitt.
DawginLex
August 24th, 2011
9:24 am
She is way too young to be hit with this.
There is a lot of work going on toward a cure and even a pill to take to prevent it.
My prayers go out to her.
A Brave in Minnesota
August 24th, 2011
9:31 am
Reading stuff like this just sickens my heart…….very sad news to hear!!
I am a Georgia Bulldawg fan, but as a true fan of sports, this is news you don’t ever wanna hear about such a wonderful coach and one of the best there ever was.
To Coach Summitt, her family and all of the friends and fans of the University of Tennessee……my thoughts and prayers go out to you all!
Larry Munson
August 24th, 2011
9:36 am
She has pimentos?
I don’t get it.
Lou Gerhig
August 24th, 2011
9:46 am
I died of Lou Gerhig’s disease……Imagine those odds.
Joey
August 24th, 2011
9:47 am
Good stuff, Mark.
Also congrats on your reverse jinx on Heyward. Perfect timing! 3 for 4 with a grand slam!
UK Hoops Fan
August 24th, 2011
10:09 am
Growing up in Kentucky it is hard to not always bleed blue. However, I grew up a Pat Summitt fan and have always admired what she has done, and continues to do, for women’s basketball. It is with pride that I, and many other fans, give her a standing ovation every year when she walks on that court in Lexington. She is a living legend..in a class all by her self. Fight hard, Coach Summitt, the prayers of many in the Bluegrass State will be with you. Excellent article, Mark…proud to say I am from your hometown!
bob
August 24th, 2011
10:30 am
Well done Mark! I was fortunate enough to see Coach Summitt’s work up close while working in the media in the early 80s. This woman is Bobby Knight in a dress. She is a tremendous coach, a tremendous leader, and a tremendously strong willed woman. We can only hope that medical science can offer her some relief for this terrible disease.
MountainDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:42 am
May God bless Coach Summitt & her family during this tough time. She’s one of the best basketball coaches of all time.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
10:42 am
Hey DA,
Yeah 11 appearances and how many teams has he had ranked in the top 5 that did not make the final four. It’s percentages you idiot. He is not a great coach.
joe
August 24th, 2011
10:47 am
Godspeed Coach Summitt, if anyone can handle this, it’s you.
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
10:48 am
Stop with the prayers and the blessing form god to her and her family. If this god you all worship were so good, would he/she allow this to happen?
You really want to help? Put science back in public schools. Get kids interested in it so one day, they might be able to find a cure for this.
Religion never cured a disease……Science has.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
10:53 am
Didn’t she have a large impact in IX passage. Isn’t that where the revenue producing sports (what people are most interested in seeing, that is men stuff) having to share it with the lower revenue producing sports, women stuff).
Now I like women’s gymastics and volleyball because I am a man, not because they could hold a candle to the man’s game. Here is the problem. Watching women is like watching Andy Roddick, a proven 2nd tier player that has consistently flopped when playing higher ranked opponents. Hey Pistol Pete your prognostication was way off.
Large Orange
August 24th, 2011
10:53 am
Mark….thanks for a nice article on Pat. She is a great coach and a wonderful person. I know she will fight this “thing” with her last ounce of energy. If anyone can beat it…. its her.
dean
August 24th, 2011
10:57 am
At the nursing home a man visited his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife every day. She did not know who he was. The man was asked, “Why do you visit her every day? She doesn’t remember you.” The man replied, “But I remember her.
I hope someone remembers Coach Summit.
Prayers from a Dawg.
God is Good
August 24th, 2011
10:59 am
@ The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
You must be one lonely empty individual. Obviously your parents did not love you enough to take you to church and give you a solid moral religious foundation. By the way, “bedpan” sure sums you up.
Hmmmmm
August 24th, 2011
11:01 am
The article negelted to mention that Coach Summitt also has RA, a debilitating disease in it’s own right. Read the WAPO article by Sally Jenkins. It will make you cry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/pat-summitt-tennessee-womens-basketball-coach-diagnosed-with-alzheimers-disease/2011/08/23/gIQADEuDZJ_story.html?hpid=z3
Larry Munson
August 24th, 2011
11:05 am
I announced the UGA games for 20 years with advanced Alzheimer’s and did just fine. Did I mention that I announced the UGA games for 20 years with advanced Alzheimer’s?
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
11:07 am
Hey God is good.
Ask the Bahamas about god after Irene (a lowly Cat 3) storm passes over. Ask Mexicans who got hit by Hurricane Mitch about God. Will take parts of country 50 years to recover. Yep, a loving god.
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
11:10 am
@ God is Good….
Typical christian hypocrisy. Passing judgement on someone you don’t know.
We didn’t need church to learn morals and love. It is in the human soul. We only needed church to pass judgement cast hate on those we did not understand.
LaTavius J.
August 24th, 2011
11:15 am
@ The Human Bedpan.
So if you or a family member is in a terrible accident, and barely clinging to life with no hope, will you just tell the Dr’s. to pull the plug? Say hello to Lucifer for me. Sounds like someone pulled your plug many years ago.
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
11:16 am
What is your point?
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
11:18 am
Besides another christian passing judgement?
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
11:19 am
It appears my remarks are being censored?
LaTavius J.
August 24th, 2011
11:24 am
@ The Human Bedpan
My point is that you are obviously an empty callous person. Sure there is lots of suffering in the world. But there are lots of good beautiful things too. Do you think this whole orbiting rock (Earth) just happened? Do you think the millions of species that LIVE on the earth just happened? This is an article about someone having a horrible disease and all you can do is throw daggers. You are probably short, bald, and ugly. No wonder you have such a cynical outlook on life.
dean
August 24th, 2011
11:26 am
As well they should be Bedpan. Have a great day.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
11:29 am
So LaTavius, because we can’t fathom that stuff happens we create silly Gods?. Tricks are for kids, so are gods.
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
11:31 am
LaTavius J.
August 24th, 2011
11:24 am
@ The Human Bedpan
My point is that you are obviously an empty callous person. Sure there is lots of suffering in the world. But there are lots of good beautiful things too. Do you think this whole orbiting rock (Earth) just happened? Do you think the millions of species that LIVE on the earth just happened? This is an article about someone having a horrible disease and all you can do is throw daggers. You are probably short, bald, and ugly. No wonder you have such a cynical outlook on life.
________________________________________________________________________________
Again, passing judgement on me. What is wrong with being bald? That’s a bad thing? And short? You really want to pick on someone because they are short?
Who’s throwing daggers? Not me. I just suggested that instead of praying, make an effort to promote science so these horrible things can be treated and cured. You can’t do that with prayer. If it makes you feel better, good for you, but it is not the solution. Your response is to insult short, ugly and bald. Is that what a true christian does? If so, your god totally sucks.
Larry Munson
August 24th, 2011
11:33 am
I saw a movie once and in it
tloutn
August 24th, 2011
11:43 am
To all of you, thank you very much for the kindness and respect you have shown to Pat. Since first hearing of the news yesterday I’ve read many articles on her and many of the comments left have left me angry and bitter that such cheap shots could be taken at such a wonderful person. All of you have shown such class and dignity. Thank you!
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
11:48 am
How did this go from paying respect to Pat Summit to her being a wonderful person? Come on. She has made a zillion dollars at UT. That was her true motivation. Not some molding girls into whatever.
AlwaysAVol
August 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
Mr. Bradley, excellent article. I grew up in East Tennessee and I can remember no one before Coach Summit involved with women’s athletics. Coach Summit, along with Coach Dooley (thank you Georgia) are two of the classiest, finest people you could ever meet. They are more than coaches, they are teachers. Coach Dooley has introduced a “Vol For Life” program that should be mandatory on every campus on every school across the nation. Coach Summit has one of the highest graduation rates for her players of any sport in all of college. The main quality that shines through in both of them is that while they care deeply about being competitive and being the best at their sport, they care more about what they teach their “kids”. My dear Momma found out last year she has Alzheimers, as did her mother. My dad and her sister can’t even say the word. I feel I lose her a little at a time, a bit more each day. I have always heard God doesn’t lay on us more than we can handle and that everything happens for a reason. It is sad to see someone so vibrant as Coach Summit get such a terrible disease, but if there is anyone who can beat it, anyone who can face it fearlessly heads on, Pat Summit is the one to do it. And I bet we all learn something from her along the way. God bless Pat, God bless my Momma, and God bless any and all whose family is affected by this despicable thief. GO VOLS!!! GO DAWGS (in all but one game)!!!!
Partisay
August 24th, 2011
12:11 pm
Excellent piece. As a Lady Vol season ticket holder, of course, it makes me sick to think about. But it’s great to see all these fine remarks on here. We all like to beat each other’s brains in when we play each other but I think, for most, there is the utmost respect for the pioneers that helped our teams be where they are today. I have always had so much respect for Coach Dooley over the years even though I am born and raised in Tennessee. And Hugh Durham was one of my favorites.
Of course, there is always the idiots who want to get on here and run their mouth. Deadpan, of all times, wants to argue religion. And then you have an ignorant idiot like Get Over Coach K (stupid names also, for both – that says alot right there) who says Pat’s motivation is money, not molding girls into “whatever”. Nice choice of a word. Again, says alot. It’s the last I will speak of those two yahoos because I am not going to spend this topic arguing with someone that Pat Summitt is not a wonderful person. There are many wonderful people all over this country that help all kinds of people throughtout life. How sad their lives must be to get on here at this time and type the things they do.
Thanks again Mark. Classy. As are the Dawgs.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
12:27 pm
Mark,
Say what. Stage 3 or 4 lung or pancreatic cancer (the inoperable kind) would clearly be more dreaded to the person who has it. Dementia would be more dreaded by the people around her.
LaTavius J.
August 24th, 2011
12:35 pm
@ Human Bedpan & Get over Coach K ( obviously the same person )
You “both” have been flushed. You are obviously the SAME person. How weird is that? Do you talk to each other? Is one a boy and one a girl? Do you all wear each other’s clothes?
Larry Munson
August 24th, 2011
12:39 pm
Dear Pat. Just wait until you get to the diaper wearing stage. Reached that milestone 2 years ago. No fun.
Reminds me of the time
Old Dawg
August 24th, 2011
12:41 pm
We lost my father 19 years ago to Alzheimer’s. It truly is an odd journey, especially when the person is talented. My father asked me numerous times “how long will I be like this?” during the early stages of the disease. I never knew how to answer the question. I still don’t.
Pat Summitt is royalty in Tennessee. Like Peyton Manning, folks name their children after her and pray openly that their daughters will be able to play for the Lady Vols. Though her reign at UT is slowly fading, the dream will always be in the hearts of UT fans.
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
August 24th, 2011
12:41 pm
See? Another so called christian casting stones. I’m an idiot? I just ask that people focus their efforts on science more then praying and something good may come of it. And I managed to say that without hurling insults.
You christians never stop do you?
Dr. Anthony G Beck
August 24th, 2011
12:54 pm
I’m shocked that such a Champion would just throw hands up and accept that “Alzheimer’s” is her fate and that to “try medication and “mental exercises” is anywhere close to a winning strategy. Contrary to popular belief….both Dementia and Alzheimer’s can be reversed and I’ve done it. What has to happen is getting to the ROOT of what is causing the dysfunction and yielding these so called symptoms. It’s my sincere hope she would look into Functional Medicine and it’s approach to curing chronic diseases. I’d be more than happy to team up.
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
1:09 pm
lol at the Munson chap on here that can’t complete the entire
NC Dawg
August 24th, 2011
1:24 pm
Class. We need more Pat Summitts coaching our kids.
Al Ciraldo
August 24th, 2011
1:31 pm
I own you Munson.
VOLinATL
August 24th, 2011
1:42 pm
Being a UT alum and from Knoxville, I have had the chance to meet Pat several times. Once, many years ago, I played a game of racquetball agaist her. She was more competitive than anyone I had ever gone against. But once the game was over, she was a gracious as could be. God Bless her in her fight!
Get over Coach K being called great.
August 24th, 2011
1:45 pm
Peyton Manning is royalty. What? TN is 22-1 against Memphis. Guess who was QB on that TN team.
Fact is, he never won the SEC and only has 1 SB to show for all his greatness. Here’s an analogy. Vanderbilt at times has had teams that could move the ball up and down the field. To look at the stats you think they were great. Manning has great stats BUT WHERE ARE THE RINGS. He as as many NCs as Ryan Leaf and only 1 more SB than Ryan Leaf. And both have no heismans
DIT
August 24th, 2011
1:47 pm
Not a Vol fan, but if you can’t respect what she has done for women’s basketball you have been on another planet! Sad news.
Ryan Leaf
August 24th, 2011
1:55 pm
Wait, I did win my schools first conference championship and took WSU to its first Rose Bowl in 67 years.
Larry Munson
August 24th, 2011
2:19 pm
I believe some day we will find a cure for Alzheimer’s and that we will put a man on the moon. Don’t laugh both will happen.
Making baby Jesus cry for over 2000 years.
August 24th, 2011
2:41 pm
So you all really thing praying will help?
LaTavius J.
August 24th, 2011
2:51 pm
@ baby Jesus
Guess not……I prayed you would go away and it did not work apparently.
Bishop Eddie Long
August 24th, 2011
3:00 pm
I pray for more fine young men.
wiseoldawg
August 24th, 2011
3:06 pm
Great coach. Great competitor. Greater lady. God bless you Coach Summit
Pat Summitt’s dementia: How will it affect the Lady Vols? (The Week) | Breaking News Today
August 24th, 2011
3:38 pm
[...] at times last season — and she’ll obviously have to rely on her assistant coaches more, says Mark Bradley at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As she continues on, “she’ll be viewed in a way no coach has ever been.” For [...]
Andy
August 24th, 2011
4:23 pm
Well done Mark.
Mark Bradley
August 24th, 2011
4:29 pm
Thanks, Andy. And thanks to all.
The iron-willed Pat Summitt faces the scariest diagnosis there is | Mark Bradley « Poetry & Poverty
August 24th, 2011
10:15 pm
[...] — Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley, writing about the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball coach, Pat Summitt, in a very moving column, “The iron-willed Pat Summitt faces the scariest diagnosis there is | Mark Bradley.” [...]
Vietnam Vet
August 25th, 2011
1:42 am
“Memento mori”
Pat Summitt’s dementia: How will it affect the Lady Vols? (The Week) | Get News | Breaking News
August 25th, 2011
11:42 pm
[...] times final deteriorate — and she’ll apparently have to rest on her partner coaches more, says Mark Bradley at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As she continues on, “she’ll be noticed in a approach no manager has ever [...]
Bama Fan#2
August 26th, 2011
4:49 am
Pat Summit could coach your favorite team and beat UT with them and
turn around beat your favorite team with her UT team. The lady is a
living legend and very nice person who loves her school and state.
Brent Bagley
August 28th, 2011
10:13 am
Our thoughts and prayers to one fine lady and a heck of a coach.
Virginia Lawing
August 29th, 2011
10:55 pm
When I heard the news I had to fight back the tears! Womens basketball owes Coach Summitt many thanks! Coach Summitt is one of the most down to earth person that I have ever met! She truly loves coaching and appreciates her fans. It will be a very sad day when Coach Summitt has to step down. I pray for only the best for her and her family. May God bless you Pat. We love you.