My Anti-Courant Pledge

[Fishy]

To ALL of the Basketball posters who want UConn football to go away answer me this..... What proof/guarantee do you have that UConn dropping football would lead to the big east begging for UConn to join? Sounds like the bbal board is living on a prayer

First, no one on the basketball board is advocating that.

It's basically Nelson posting 23,000 times about it.

There's always a chance that the Big Eat would want UConn back, but honestly, I can see Providence and St. John's and the like taking a Boston College/Syracuse-like approach. Why would they want UConn running around kicking over all their furniture again?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

First, no one on the basketball board is advocating that.

It's basically Nelson posting 23,000 times about it.

There's always a chance that the Big Eat would want UConn back, but honestly, I can see Providence and St. John's and the like taking a Boston College/Syracuse-like approach. Why would they want UConn running around kicking over all their furniture again?

Actually, my argument is that almost anything is an upgrade over the AAC. By "almost anything", I mean anything short of the Sun Belt for all sports or the MAC for basketball. Big East/Independent. A10/Independent, A10 or Big East/MAC, spinning off Temple, Cincinnati, whoever, whoever, and forming a new league, whatever. I have a pretty open mind as long as it isn't staying in a southern mid-major.

My point about football is that the "stay in the AAC" folks like Whaler are hastening football's demise.

 

[CTBasketball]

To ALL of the Basketball posters who want UConn football to go away answer me this..... What proof/guarantee do you have that UConn dropping football would lead to the big east begging for UConn to join? Sounds like the bbal board is living on a prayer

The basketball board is falling apart yes. We got people saying the team runs a brothel the night before games to the Big East is a better football conference than the AAC. And don't even look at the women's board, they're still stuck in 2004...

 

[junglehusky]

Actually, my argument is that almost anything is an upgrade over the AAC. By "almost anything", I mean anything short of the Sun Belt for all sports or the MAC for basketball. Big East/Independent. A10/Independent, A10 or Big East/MAC, spinning off Temple, Cincinnati, whoever, whoever, and forming a new league, whatever. I have a pretty open mind as long as it isn't staying in a southern mid-major.

My point about football is that the "stay in the AAC" folks like Whaler are hastening football's demise.

All those slashes are supposed to indicate combinations of bball in one conference, football in another right? The MAC wouldn't let UMass park their football in A10 and play football in the MAC. All in or out. So the question should be should UConn join the MAC, downgrade to the CAA in all sports, or drop football and join the Big East. Independence is basically a prequel for a guaranteed downgrade. If you think the AAC is a money loser, independence basically taking that trickle of revenue and turning the spigot completely off. Can't have your cake and eat it too. Or in this case, crappy crappy cake. For argument's sake, I'll agree, the AAC is hastening UConn football's demise. But it's not as hasty as independence or any other conference we could put all sports in.

I do think exploring ways to bring back the western G5 teams (BYU, Boise, SDSU) might be worth it but I don't think it would come out of a bunch of schools leaving the AAC, it would be the MWC and AAC sort of merging if ESPN or Fox wants that product.

 

[TheJerk]

I have never figured a way through the Courant's paywall so I never read his piece (nor will I). But I'm with @whaler11, I'm incredibly disappointed in him. Coming from a guy who refuses to give up on the dumbfounded "NHL in Hartford" dream, the suggestion of nailing UCONN's athletic department's coffin shut by shutting down football program does nothing but fuel the angry mob contingent.
.

this is an early favorite for post of the year.

 

[TRest]

this is an early favorite for post of the year.

Jacobs basically said anyone who was against building the new minor league park in Hartford was just ignorant about the issue and not qualified when pointing out why it's going to be a state-financed fiasco down the road. He is always on the side of giving the Courant more sports to latch onto.

 

[sub legacy]

As far as Jacobs article goes, I'm about done listening to the "end the program" rhetoric, even if it's supposedly hypothetical. If anything, this CFB Playoff has me yearning success for UConn even more. Does Kansas and Iowa State entertain this type of logic every time they have a bad season or stretch?

 

[TheDoggPound]

$500M is a little exaggerated. 350-400M would get the job done. It'll be interesting to see what the CRDA's decision will be on the future of the XL Center/new arena come the end of the month.

 

[John]

Whaler management, at the time, pointed the finger at the lack of playoff success and claimed the franchise needed to go in a different direction.

so they went in a different direction, except it was towards sucking eggs rather than the direction they were thinking. That makes sense. Kind of like the "next level" people talked about with Edsall - so we got a coach that took us to the next level. Down.

 

[TheJerk]

$500M is a little exaggerated. 350-400M would get the job done. It'll be interesting to see what the CRDA's decision will be on the future of the XL Center/new arena come the end of the month.

is that supposed to come down that soon? wow, here's to hoping a new barn is on the way

 

[FrostyNuggets]

can someone refresh me on why that trade was made? Was it a salary dump?

Rick Ley stripped the C from Francis then made Francis address the team to tell them he was no longer their captain. Samuelson was the one guy who went on the record saying it was stupid. Ley convinced EJ to get rid of em both.

I get viscerally pissed every time the #2 in the rafters catches my eye.

 

[jostar1]

And then add a paywall? Ugh.

The answer is here:
http://the-boneyard.com/threads/mik...t-made-a-decision-bad-for-its-business.71015/

 

[RedSoloCup]

There are a lot of reasons to dump the newspaper these days but not because Jeff Jacobs wrote, "Don't get it wrong. This is not a call to drop to a lower division or kill the sport...". If you want to protest, simply avoid Jacobs, but keep the Courant. As bad as it has become, it's still light years better than most local newspapers in the country. It deserves your support. The newspaper where I live seems to be written by a 3rd grader channeling Rush Limbaugh.

I'm not sure they 'deserve' my support, it is such an overused word these days.

They have to earn my support. In this crappy state where costs are high and taxes higher, if I spend money on their rag, it should have quality writing, good research, and thoughtful opinions.

I am not paying for a bunch of hacks to spew nonsense and belittle what I choose to invest my time and hard earned dollars on.

Suddenly I feel like a 90 year old version of myself... and you kids get off my lawn!

 

[willie99]

I stopped reading the Courant years ago, political bias sickens me. The OP correctly points outs how important papers are to a democracy, the media is supposed to be the protectors of a democracy, but they've morphed into a cancer.

Even in sports, it's more about sensationalizing nowadays. It's about controversy and lies and gotcha moments. It's about turning mole hills into the Rocky Mountains and ignoring the substance that doesn't support your cause. It's about impugning reputations.

As for JJ, I put him on ignore even when I was still reading the paper. At best, he benefits from the broken clock syndrome, that's about it in my view.

Our football program was doing just fine before one horrific hire by one horrific AD who's has stupid as JJ. When we start winning again, all ills will be cured. We will probably never be Ohio St or Bama, but we can win games and participate in Bowl games over the Holidays.

I remember when the brilliant minds like JJ argued we should drop out of the Big East in the 1980's. We can't compete in that conference. Inner-city hoops talent will never choose Storrs over NYC, DC, Boston, Philly, Pitt, PC or even Cuse. How smart were they then? Great call boys. Jimmy came in and made UConn the brand name that it is today.

Did the womens' basketball universe take UConn serious in 1995? Nope, we didn't belong. Plus all the real talent will never go to the hoops challenged BE, it was all the power conferences plus ODU that controlled that world. Geno went out and made the whole damn conference good.

Dare I say that nobody believed we would win national titles in hoops and that maybe just maybe the right coach can change that perception in football too? What if we land or have landed the next Urban Meyer or JC or GA? I don't think we can compete at that level either, but I'm smart enough to know I've been then before and I'm blessed to have been wrong, so wrong.

just win baby

 

[Marty Jackson]

I post this understanding that I'm viewed as a contranian I don't expect anyone to follow.

Like many people my age who grew up in Central Connecticut I spent my pre-teen years delivering the Courant.

I owe many hours of Nintendo games to the income I earned delivering the paper.

I read 95% of what Jeff Jacobs wrote on the Whalers beat. I felt bad for him when the Flyers wanted to kill him.

I believe newspapers provide an essential service to our democracy. It pains me when people celebrate their demise.

That being said I am a one issue voter. That issue is the legitmacy of the football program at the University of Connnecticut.

That Jeff Jacobs saw fit to lend legitimacy to the faction that wants the football Huskies to go away leaves me no choice.

I will never again read the Hartford Courant. I will not read it in digital form, I will not read it in analog form.

As they appear in my twitter timeline I will unfollow every Courant employee. Mike Anthony. Dom Amore. Chistine Dempsey.

I will not knowingly follow a link to a Conner blog or a Jacobs piece.

I won't as so much toss my neighbor's Sunday copy in the Tuesday garbage.

I am somewhat sorry that Jeff saw fit to write a story that would end our long relationship - but I can not forgive a story that gives fuel to anyone who wants to eliminate the Football Huskies.

(insert Silver stealing my post joke here)

Newspapers are valuable to our democracy as long as they subscribe to your ideals?...

 

[whaler11]

Newspapers are valuable to our democracy as long as they subscribe to your ideals?...

The concept that newspapers are important and there is a specific one that I'm no longer supporting are mutually exclusive.

I would hardly say that this is a decision based on them not supporting my ideals. At least not any definition I can find of ideals.

I've posted for a few years that I think this is going to become a very real battle. It's going to be us versus them. I've just decided that the Courant is them.

I guess that could change in the future if they become a huge proponent of my point of view.

 

[EJHarrington]

Stopped buying 6-7 years ago; my neighbor was out of town in December and I was getting her Courants. When I read them, I remembered why I stopped buying it.

 

[John]

Stopped buying 6-7 years ago; my neighbor was out of town in December and I was getting her Courants. When I read them, I remembered why I stopped buying it.

I get the same reminder when I visit my mom and read her's.

 

[CL82]

To ALL of the Basketball posters who want UConn football to go away answer me this..... What proof/guarantee do you have that UConn dropping football would lead to the big east begging for UConn to join? Sounds like the bbal board is living on a prayer

...and why do you think that getting the games broadcast on a tiny step up from local access channels is a positive for UConn?

 

[BlueDogs]

I stopped reading the Courant years ago, political bias sickens me. The OP correctly points outs how important papers are to a democracy, the media is supposed to be the protectors of a democracy, but they've morphed into a cancer.

Even in sports, it's more about sensationalizing nowadays. It's about controversy and lies and gotcha moments. It's about turning mole hills into the Rocky Mountains and ignoring the substance that doesn't support your cause. It's about impugning reputations.

As for JJ, I put him on ignore even when I was still reading the paper. At best, he benefits from the broken clock syndrome, that's about it in my view.

Our football program was doing just fine before one horrific hire by one horrific AD who's has stupid as JJ. When we start winning again, all ills will be cured. We will probably never be Ohio St or Bama, but we can win games and participate in Bowl games over the Holidays.

I remember when the brilliant minds like JJ argued we should drop out of the Big East in the 1980's. We can't compete in that conference. Inner-city hoops talent will never choose Storrs over NYC, DC, Boston, Philly, Pitt, PC or even Cuse. How smart were they then? Great call boys. Jimmy came in and made UConn the brand name that it is today.

Did the womens' basketball universe take UConn serious in 1995? Nope, we didn't belong. Plus all the real talent will never go to the hoops challenged BE, it was all the power conferences plus ODU that controlled that world. Geno went out and made the whole damn conference good.

Dare I say that nobody believed we would win national titles in hoops and that maybe just maybe the right coach can change that perception in football too? What if we land or have landed the next Urban Meyer or JC or GA? I don't think we can compete at that level either, but I'm smart enough to know I've been then before and I'm blessed to have been wrong, so wrong.

just win baby

If the Courant ever wants to restore its stature and readership, it has to stop being the official mouth piece of liberals and start producing balanced thoughtful discourse. Otherwise, their relevance will continue to wane. It is not an honest broker of information.

 

[huskysupporter]

If the Courant ever wants to restore its stature and readership, it has to stop being the official mouth piece of liberals and start producing balanced thoughtful discourse. Otherwise, their relevance will continue to wane. It is not an honest broker of information.

Yep, that will get its readership back.

 

[whaler11]

There is a fairly simple reason why newspapers are 'liberal'.

The people writing them make nothing. They get laid off in incredible numbers. Of course they identify with liberal causes.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I was at a cocktail party like that when I wrote the op. Assuming one person drinking alone is a 'party'.

LOLOLOL. First thing I thought of reading that OP? Whaler is hammered. HAMMERED.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Personally, I'm disappointed in Jacobs for not following up on the Pudge convo about Boston College and rivalry in New England intercollegiate athletics in Division 1A. Here's a guy that with the mighty pen could rally all of UCONN country and perhaps make great positive change through journalism and accurate historical writing with contemporary commentary. I basically laid a roadmap to Andy Talley's office at Villanova.

Oh well. No balls I guess to take on Boston media.

The funny thing about Jacobs and CT sports media in general don't seem to realize is that the only reason their negative and controversial writing works, is because UCONN wins so much. We win.

So, its no surprise that a Jacobs would reach the point of questioning if football is "worth it". Why? Because for the first time in 15 years of top level coverage, the program does suck. So, the kind of writing he's conditioned to, that depends on winning, championship programs, for decades, doesnt work, and it seems easier for him to just suggest the program quit, rather than write something really provocative regarding football. College football. In Connecticut. In New England. IN UCONN COUNTRY.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There is a fairly simple reason why newspapers are 'liberal'.

The people writing them make nothing. They get laid off in incredible numbers. Of course they identify with liberal causes.

Great point. The media industry just became liberal a few years ago when it started dying.