BIG fan here: let's keep hope alive

[Gfunk]

Yes, this thread can be viewed as wishful thinking & maybe even delusional, but it's better to be hopeful and not cynical.

Foremost, many of you know I truly endorse UConn to the BIG. I've been slighted and ridiculed by fellow BIG fans on sites such as FranktheTank, Scout and Rivals. Outside of AAU arguments, I find most BIG fans counterarguments dull, money centric and football skewed. Yeah like BIG football has been a force on the NC stage over the past decade. Until other regions adopt the southeast's approach to prep football, all other BCS conferences will be chasing the SEC, or unlucky to be second tier within the same footprint (see many ACC schools).

I am a basketball fan, above and beyond other sports. Soccer and hockey come next, then football enters my top five, albeit women's volleyball is right there next to pigskin. Sorry, sex appeal matters when I watch certain sports, W. Volleyball > W. Basketball.

I am quite concerned football will lose some of its power in the ensuing decades - when all is said and done, it's just too unhealthy for most who play it. It will require significant rule changes and technological adaptation to allay parental concerns, fans as well.

Basketball has certainly hit road blocks in its popularity, but its upside remains. If football's popularity does decline, basketball can capitalize on such a reality and surge again.

I loathe the fact that the ACC will have Louisville, Syracuse and to a much lesser degree, Notre Dame & Pitt in their basketball world. GD the BIG can change this in one phone call: UConn. Throw in another phone call: KU and wham, bam, thank you mam - BIG is at least on par with the ACC. Let the ACC take Cincy, who cares at that point. The fierce conference rivalry will be set & we'll whoop em, more often than not.

As for the other sports mentioned: UConn can play soccer and Yale proved a team from CT can win a hockey NC. I don't know how much you care about volleyball. As for AAU status, I got to think UConn is on the short list and such a distinction will come within a decade.

Keep hope alive, keep hope alive - yes, for some God awful, satirical reason I'm channeling Jesse Jackson : ).

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Yes, this thread can be viewed as wishful thinking & maybe even delusional, but it's better to be hopeful and not cynical.

Foremost, many of you know I truly endorse UConn to the BIG. I've been slighted and ridiculed by fellow BIG fans on sites such as FranktheTank, Scout and Rivals. Outside of AAU arguments, I find most BIG fans counterarguments dull, money centric and football skewed. Yeah like BIG football has been a force on the NC stage over the past decade. Until other regions adopt the southeast's approach to prep football, all other BCS conferences will be chasing the SEC, or unlucky to be second tier within the same footprint (see many ACC schools).

I am a basketball fan, above and beyond other sports. Soccer and hockey come next, then football enters my top five, albeit women's volleyball is right there next to pigskin. Sorry, sex appeal matters when I watch certain sports, W. Volleyball > W. Basketball.
Amen to that sentiment the guy who designed women's volleyball uniforms should have gotten a Nobel prize

I am quite concerned football will lose some of its power in the ensuing decades - when all is said and done, it's just too unhealthy for most who play it. It will require significant rule changes and technological adaptation to allay parental concerns, fans as well.

Basketball has certainly hit road blocks in its popularity, but its upside remains. If football's popularity does decline, basketball can capitalize on such a reality and surge again.

I loathe the fact that the ACC will have Louisville, Syracuse and to a much lesser degree, Notre Dame & Pitt in their basketball world. GD the BIG can change this in one phone call: UConn. Throw in another phone call: KU and wham, bam, thank you mam - BIG is at least on par with the ACC. Let the ACC take Cincy, who cares at that point. The fierce conference rivalry will be set & we'll whoop em, more often than not.

As for the other sports mentioned: UConn can play soccer and Yale proved a team from CT can win a hockey NC. I don't know how much you care about volleyball. As for AAU status, I got to think UConn is on the short list and such a distinction will come within a decade.
I agree with your sentiments Connecticut with ts compact nature and easy access to NYC and Boston will quickly become a favorite destination for B1G fans. I live in fringe Phoenix area yet its an hoursnd half to Cardinal Stadium. That time pretty much encompasses the whole state of Connecticut.
Keep hope alive, keep hope alive - yes, for some God awful, satirical reason I'm channeling Jesse Jackson : ).

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jimdish255]

Quinnipiac proved more than Yale imho but I agree UConn has established itself athletically and academically to be on par with most B1G schools while still having a substantial upside in sports like hockey and football.

 

[CL82]

).

I am a basketball fan, above and beyond other sports. Soccer and hockey come next, then football enters my top five, albeit women's volleyball is right there next to pigskin. Sorry, sex appeal matters when I watch certain sports, W. Volleyball > W. Basketball.

 

[BoatShow]

 

[Adios]

In the long run, the possibility of UConn being admitted to the B1G is not delusional. We will probably end up playing every sport the B1G sponsors, including lacrosse. We are located in a very desirable area of the country to live in. The Bos-Wash megalopolis shows no signs of becoming a ghost town anytime soon. People who whine about tradition fail to realize there's very likely plenty of years ahead in the future.

Unless the earth explodes within the next 100 years.

 

[The Funster]

I don't care about Tuxedo Dodo's midichlorian induced tweets. Nor do I care about the moonshine fueled tweets from West Virginia. I'm even going to look past the bone crushing, sober analysis of frankthetank.

UConn will be in the B1G

 

[djct1999]

The irony is that if UConn did join either the Big 10 or ACC they would immediately be in the upper echelon of pretty much every sport. And for football(the one that seems to matter), they have the resources, practice facility, nfl development, etc to be good in a hurry. If UConn joined the Big 10, my guess is within a few years, the only teams that would be consistently better are Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. In the ACC, only FSU, VT and Clemson............

 

[CL82]

I don't care about Tuxedo Dodo's midichlorian induced tweets. Nor do I care about the moonshine fueled tweets from West Virginia. I'm even going to look past the bone crushing, sober analysis of frankthetank.

UConn will be in the B1G

Frank's posts are interesting, not because of the validity of his arguments, which subtly wander from justification to justification, but because he's a very good example of a specific attitude about the University of Connecticut.

"Your academics are mediocre, oh wait they 're not? ...well you are only good in one sport - men's basketball, or oh I didn't know about all those other national championships... but, but uh, you don't penetrate the NYC DMA... what's that? The most populous part of your state is in the NYC DMA? Well show me the ratings....oh there they are... Wow few programs draw better than you in NYC... Well it's all about carriage fees and no one in your state really cares college sports, ....Wow, SNY got full penetration in your state just by carrying woman's basketball?? Crap, how does that happen?? ....uh, I mean you couldn't win against the programs with tradition in the old Big East like 'cuse and pitt and ville... Wait, your record is what against them? Wow, I didn't know that... Well it's all about the bowls, beat a SEC team in bowl and then you will be in the club...Huh? South Carolina? NFW?... Uh, um, well your academics...."

The thing is he is completely sincere, and not flaming, he just doesn't understand this state, and this university, our sports programs and their history. That is what we are facing, among a significant sub- group of college fans. Frank is an interesting peak into that mindset.

 

[MTHusky]

Your last paragraph is so true, and it's not just Frank, who I enjoy reading, who doesn't understand what UCONN would bring to the B1G.

 

[upstater]

Frank's posts are interesting, not because of the validity of his arguments, which subtly wander from justification to justification, but because he's a very good example of a specific attitude about the University of Connecticut.

"Your academics are mediocre, oh wait they 're not? ...well you are only good in one sport - men's basketball, or oh I didn't know about all those other national championships... but, but uh, you don't penetrate the NYC DMA... what's that? The most populous part of your state is in the NYC DMA? Well show me the ratings....oh there they are... Wow few programs draw better than you in NYC... Well it's all about carriage fees and no one in your state really cares college sports, ....Wow, SNY got full penetration in your state just by carrying woman's basketball?? Crap, how does that happen?? ....uh, I mean you couldn't win against the programs with tradition in the old Big East like 'cuse and pitt and ville... Wait, your record is what against them? Wow, I didn't know that... Well it's all about the bowls, beat a SEC team in bowl and then you will be in the club...Huh? South Carolina? NFW?... Uh, um, well your academics...."

The thing is he is completely sincere, and not flaming, he just doesn't understand this state, and this university, our sports programs and their history. That is what we are facing, among a significant sub- group of college fans. Frank is an interesting peak into that mindset.

What comes across mostly in those posts, from other fans as well, is this: you have been passed over again and again and again. Swofford and the ACC can't be wrong 3 times. You are not wanted. Your metrics suck because I refuse to believe Swofford would make the wrong decision 3 times in a row.

In other words, being passed over means Uconn doesn't have enough value. It's like a worker who has been passed over for promotion 3 times, a guy who has been dumped by a fiance 3 different times (well, that's a little harsh, I guess), etc.

People start questioning the value of the university.

And when we explain to Frank and others that UConn sports are the most popular thing going in the entire state, and that the carriage rates are sky high, and that there are multiple sports that get lots of fans, and that in the tri-state area and New England, UConn is the most popular of the 4 schools in the region, they can't come back with anything else but: you were passed over for a reason.

Only in the case of Rutgers is that reason logical.

 

[upstater]

Your last paragraph is so true, and it's not just Frank, who I enjoy reading, who doesn't understand what UCONN would bring to the B1G.

I for one am not even discussing the B1G. I agree with Frank's reasoning there, primarily about football and the AAu. If UConn were in the AAU however, then I'd disagree with him especially in regard to lowly populated Plains states like Kansas. In the mind of a lot of bball kids, UConn is every bit the national power that Kansas is, as we've seen over and over again for a few decades now. But Frank is an Illinois bball fan. Illinois lost a good coach to Kansas, which shows the pecking order.

 

[pj]

I for one am not even discussing the B1G. I agree with Frank's reasoning there, primarily about football and the AAu. If UConn were in the AAU however, then I'd disagree with him especially in regard to lowly populated Plains states like Kansas. In the mind of a lot of bball kids, UConn is every bit the national power that Kansas is, as we've seen over and over again for a few decades now. But Frank is an Illinois bball fan. Illinois lost a good coach to Kansas, which shows the pecking order.

UConn basketball has been outrecruiting Kansas basketball for two decades. Frank thinks that Kansas has broader fan appeal nationally, which might be true, but it may also be true that he is overgeneralizing from support levels in his area or from older fans. Among young basketball players, UConn's standing appears to be higher.

 

[Adios]

UConn basketball has been outrecruiting Kansas basketball for two decades. Frank thinks that Kansas has broader fan appeal nationally, which might be true, but it may also be true that he is overgeneralizing from support levels in his area or from older fans. Among young basketball players, UConn's standing appears to be higher.

In other words, who the heck wants to live in Kansas?

 

[upstater]

UConn basketball has been outrecruiting Kansas basketball for two decades. Frank thinks that Kansas has broader fan appeal nationally, which might be true, but it may also be true that he is overgeneralizing from support levels in his area or from older fans. Among young basketball players, UConn's standing appears to be higher.

Kansas has a much greater history, but UConn's national appeal is based in its production of NBA players, and that's what gets everyone's attention, not to mention the championships in recent years. If you talk to 50+ year olds, they might say Kansas. I started watching UConn in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s, they were doing pretty well in the best basketball conference in America. I've seen the team be nationally regarded in 23 of the 32 years I've been watching them, and in 4 of the other 9 years, they had a winning record in the BE (1980-1984).

I have no doubt Kansas has a history of great fans and great support, better than UConn, but there are not many of them in the Plains states, and they certainly don't deliver a TV market like Uconn does. I also think they are even in terms of national relevancy among kids in that sub 40 years old range. UConn has beaten them head-to-head for players; in fact, Calhoun did a double dip on Kansas when it grabbed Charlie Villanueva and Denham Brown. There are others.

 

[Adios]

More for myopic B1G fans. Sadly, they remind me of spoiled kids in school who'd think they world revolves around them and come up with the dumbest conclusions. The SEC is dominating football now. Have you seen Kentucky's football recruiting class for 2014??

More proof we have inroads into NYC, even in football.

http://www.the-boneyard.com/threads...-in-ny-post-sports-section.40359/#post-623165

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The irony is that if UConn did join either the Big 10 or ACC they would immediately be in the upper echelon of pretty much every sport. And for football(the one that seems to matter), they have the resources, practice facility, nfl development, etc to be good in a hurry. If UConn joined the Big 10, my guess is within a few years, the only teams that would be consistently better are Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. In the ACC, only FSU, VT and Clemson............

Agreed, UConn has some of the best football practice facilities (ranked #2 in the ‘old’ Big E behind Lousiville in 2012 by ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/tag/_/name/2012-facilities-rank)in the country and the program has somehow been able to turn out a number of NFL draft picks even with mediocre recruiting classes, at least according to those who rate the classes.​

What UConn football lacks are 1) I-A football history, 2) a stable, respected conference, 3) a ‘football is a religion’ state, 4) a large on-campus stadium, and 5) some of the more ‘colorful’ recruiting tools that the SEC powers and a few other schools utilize. Of the 5, UConn only has a degree of control over #4 and UConn is an education first flagship, research university so it is doubtful that #5 is nor should be accepted.​

Overall, it is unrealistic to imagine over the foreseeable future UConn ever being a consistent football power like Alabama, Ohio St, Southern Cal, Texas, etc. I just want UConn to have a place at the table of our peer schools and to be able to own schools like BC, Rutgers, and Syracuse, be competitive with the Penn States, UNC’s, etc. of the world and every once in a while upset a power team. Concurrently, UConn can continue to grow academically and rack-up national titles in Men’s & Women’s Basketball and Soccer and hopefully doe the same in Hockey and Lacrosse down the road.​

​

​

 

[upstater]

Agreed, UConn has some of the best football practice facilities (ranked #2 in the ‘old’ Big E behind Lousiville in 2012 by ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/tag/_/name/2012-facilities-rank)in the country and the program has somehow been able to turn out a number of NFL draft picks even with mediocre recruiting classes, at least according to those who rate the classes.​

​

​

That ESPN article is looking at total facilities, not practice facilities. Louisville has refurbished theirs, not built new ones. UConn has some of the best in the nation, and easily the best in the BE. With the new basketball facilities, UConn might even have the best combined practice facilities in the entire nation.

 

[connman]

What comes across mostly in those posts, from other fans as well, is this: you have been passed over again and again and again. Swofford and the ACC can't be wrong 3 times. You are not wanted. Your metrics suck because I refuse to believe Swofford would make the wrong decision 3 times in a row.

In other words, being passed over means Uconn doesn't have enough value. It's like a worker who has been passed over for promotion 3 times, a guy who has been dumped by a fiance 3 different times (well, that's a little harsh, I guess), etc.

People start questioning the value of the university.

And when we explain to Frank and others that UConn sports are the most popular thing going in the entire state, and that the carriage rates are sky high, and that there are multiple sports that get lots of fans, and that in the tri-state area and New England, UConn is the most popular of the 4 schools in the region, they can't come back with anything else but: you were passed over for a reason.

Only in the case of Rutgers is that reason logical.

we have been passed over because of BC not Swofford and they do not want us in the same league because we will do in football what we did to them in basketball

 

[The Funster]

Frank's posts are interesting, not because of the validity of his arguments, which subtly wander from justification to justification, but because he's a very good example of a specific attitude about the University of Connecticut.

"Your academics are mediocre, oh wait they 're not? ...well you are only good in one sport - men's basketball, or oh I didn't know about all those other national championships... but, but uh, you don't penetrate the NYC DMA... what's that? The most populous part of your state is in the NYC DMA? Well show me the ratings....oh there they are... Wow few programs draw better than you in NYC... Well it's all about carriage fees and no one in your state really cares college sports, ....Wow, SNY got full penetration in your state just by carrying woman's basketball?? Crap, how does that happen?? ....uh, I mean you couldn't win against the programs with tradition in the old Big East like 'cuse and pitt and ville... Wait, your record is what against them? Wow, I didn't know that... Well it's all about the bowls, beat a SEC team in bowl and then you will be in the club...Huh? South Carolina? NFW?... Uh, um, well your academics...."

The thing is he is completely sincere, and not flaming, he just doesn't understand this state, and this university, our sports programs and their history. That is what we are facing, among a significant sub- group of college fans. Frank is an interesting peak into that mindset.

Damn good post. I think, in general, unless you've spent some time in the tristate area, you just won't understand us. And, when it comes to UConn while we might "git er done" it's not in good ol boy way. For us it's "get out of our way, we got work to do" kind of way.

 

[CL82]

.​

Overall, it is unrealistic to imagine over the foreseeable future UConn ever being a consistent football power like Alabama, Ohio St, Southern Cal, Texas, etc. I just want UConn to have a place at the table of our peer schools and to be able to own schools like BC, Rutgers, and Syracuse, be competitive with the Penn States, UNC’s, etc. of the world and every once in a while upset a power team. Concurrently, UConn can continue to grow academically and rack-up national titles in Men’s & Women’s Basketball and Soccer and hopefully doe the same in Hockey and Lacrosse down the road.​

​

You know, I remember thinking exactly the same thing about basketball before it exceeded my wildest imagination. Just between the two of us, I wouldn't bet against us being a consistent football power if we get into a power conference. It wouldn't be easy and it sure wouldn't happen quickly but this university has shown me too much for me to bet against them.​

 

[NickyNewark]

What comes across mostly in those posts, from other fans as well, is this: you have been passed over again and again and again. Swofford and the ACC can't be wrong 3 times. You are not wanted. Your metrics suck because I refuse to believe Swofford would make the wrong decision 3 times in a row.

In other words, being passed over means Uconn doesn't have enough value. It's like a worker who has been passed over for promotion 3 times, a guy who has been dumped by a fiance 3 different times (well, that's a little harsh, I guess), etc.

People start questioning the value of the university.

And when we explain to Frank and others that UConn sports are the most popular thing going in the entire state, and that the carriage rates are sky high, and that there are multiple sports that get lots of fans, and that in the tri-state area and New England, UConn is the most popular of the 4 schools in the region, they can't come back with anything else but: you were passed over for a reason.

Only in the case of Rutgers is that reason logical.

@Yeah,in NJ were hanging in there from Xmas till Labor day waiting breathlessly to watch UConn football again!!So excited it's only a couple of month's away!!Well maybe not but I look forward to it!

 

[upstater]

@Yeah,in NJ were hanging in there from Xmas till Labor day waiting breathlessly to watch UConn football again!!So excited it's only a couple of month's away!!Well maybe not but I look forward to it!

No one watches any of it. That much is proven. Compare SNY's football for Rutgers and UConn to SNY's ratings for bball Just do it.

 

[NickyNewark]

Agreed, UConn has some of the best football practice facilities (ranked #2 in the ‘old’ Big E behind Lousiville in 2012 by ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/tag/_/name/2012-facilities-rank)in the country and the program has somehow been able to turn out a number of NFL draft picks even with mediocre recruiting classes, at least according to those who rate the classes.
What UConn football lacks are 1) I-A football history, 2) a stable, respected conference, 3) a ‘football is a religion’ state, 4) a large on-campus stadium, and 5) some of the more ‘colorful’ recruiting tools that the SEC powers and a few other schools utilize. Of the 5, UConn only has a degree of control over #4 and UConn is an education first flagship, research university so it is doubtful that #5 is nor should be accepted.
Overall, it is unrealistic to imagine over the foreseeable future UConn ever being a consistent football power like Alabama, Ohio St, Southern Cal, Texas, etc. I just want UConn to have a place at the table of our peer schools and to be able to own schools like BC, Rutgers, and Syracuse, be competitive with the Penn States, UNC’s, etc. of the world and every once in a while upset a power team. Concurrently, UConn can continue to grow academically and rack-up national titles in Men’s & Women’s Basketball and Soccer and hopefully doe the same in Hockey and Lacrosse down the road.

LOL!! Hilarious...owned? ha ha,do they know this?We better tell PP to let all the 4* recruits in on our secret!All the kids in the region will flock here!Well thank god Ped U at least has a small degree of respect from your post!

 

[NickyNewark]

No one watches any of it. That much is proven. Compare SNY's football for Rutgers and UConn to SNY's ratings for bball Just do it.

Oh yeah?Check the SNY page RU v UConn for followers!!What does it say?I think Matt Sugran covers BE college FB in the area...RU buries UConn in even FF cty let alone the NY/NJ demo!!Probably even here in Conn..don't be so arrogant because its a bad image we project!Whats next were the EQUAL of PSU too?BTW I'm also an upstater!