Annual Lacrosse rant 20013... | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Annual Lacrosse rant 20013...

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Carl Spackler said:
Right or wrong, lacrosse is a sport that does come with a stereotype, and it is the stereotype of the rich, elite, prep school kids. You don't find a lot of public school systems, and/or city youth athletic leagues for lacrosse, adn the sport is pretty much non-existent at points father west, than say - Washington D.C.

I'm pretty sure what Dan is trying to say - in much better literary fashion than in the past BTW - must have been away, practicing writing......like it :-) .....but what I think he's trying to say, is that by investing in men's lacrosse, and developing a top 25 program, would benefit the school, by creating that stereotype for UCONN in the general population of the east coast and north east in general. If that's the message, it's actually a message I agree with. I can't imagine that a men's lacrosse program would involve a great deal of money to invest in, aside from paying a good coach. I have no idea how big a roster is, or how many scholarships it would take. But it's a sport that's played on open fields, and we've got plenty of them. Don't need to build any new facilities. The biggest cost would be the added scholarships, and whatever affect it would have on keeping women's sports balanced with men's.
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This is part of it Carl. The northeast for years was dominated by private schools and still somewhat is. We're the big rising public who's trying to join big boy athletics while privates continue to die mostly athletics wise. The problem in ct is that a 4.o student can go to Boston schools, ny schools, ivys etc. in Iowa they go to Iowa or Neb etc. it's a different game. So lax can help us with student popularity for recruiting students who are good at school from wealthy towns. I'm not the guy to lay this out, but u know where I'm going with it. The problem is our leadership can't put these things together because they don't care.

I am not a lax fan don't. I think they wave sticks around and run hard. But I see opportunity and I hate watching it not be jumped on. No one here has told me why cross country, tennis or swimming are played by uconn. What talent pool are they bringing in? How many postseason are on ESPN for brand tv power? How many kids do we recruit for those sports from wealth areas in the tri state?
 
HuskyfanDan said:
This is part of it Carl. The northeast for years was dominated by private schools and still somewhat is. We're the big rising public who's trying to join big boy athletics while privates continue to die mostly athletics wise. The problem in ct is that a 4.o student can go to Boston schools, ny schools, ivys etc. in Iowa they go to Iowa or Neb etc. it's a different game. So lax can help us with student popularity for recruiting students who are good at school from wealthy towns. I'm not the guy to lay this out, but u know where I'm going with it. The problem is our leadership can't put these things together because they don't care.

I am not a lax fan don't. I think they wave sticks around and run hard. But I see opportunity and I hate watching it not be jumped on. No one here has told me why cross country, tennis or swimming are played by uconn. What talent pool are they bringing in? How many postseason are on ESPN for brand tv power? How many kids do we recruit for those sports from wealth areas in the tri state?
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Dan - we compete in multiple varsity sports, including sports like tennis and swimming, because athletics is part of our mission as an educational institution, and we can afford to support those programs. We support many, and diverse division 1 level varsity sports, many intramural programs for our student body, because athletics is part of our mission as an educational institution. We don't bend over, and turn ourselves into whores, shackled to the bed, and being pimped for TV money that you have no control whatsoever about, because it is NOT a part of your mission as an educational institution. Through everythign that's happened in the past 2 years, I have not heard one whisper of any danger when it comes to UCONN, that say a school like Rutgers or Maryland had, when it came to funding their athletic department, and having a complimentary academic and athletic mission.

In fact, it's the one thing that has quietly kind of gnawed at me about the Big 10 and how Jim Delany has operated the league. Perhaps targeting schools like MAryland and Rutgers, that are in such very bad financial and economic states, was part of the plan - or perhaps it was just coincidence. No way for anybody but the decision makers to know.

I completely agree with the concept, regarding lacrosse, as I've laready stated, that upgrading lacrosse to a scholarship sport at UCONN, is a good idea, simply becuase it elevates the public perception of the athletic department in our area of the country in a small, but I think, significant enough way to warrant it, and I"ve already stated it. My only thing, is that it's a minor issue right now. Upgrading lacrosse, is something that can be achieved at any time, and the cost/benefit doesn't make sense now, we've got football to invest in, heavily right now, and at the same time, a new basketball facility under construction to complete. Upgrading lacrosse right now, does nothing to help that, and the cost of scholarships can significnatly take away right now.

As for the youth movement in lacrosse, I'm already on record saying that I think there is going to be a rebound effect. The popularity of the sport will dip in coming years, you watch. It will level out at a spot higher than it was 10 years ago, but it cannot sustain the growth it's had at the youth level over the past 10 years.

Big 10 men's lacrosse? I'd like UCONN to be a part of it, but I don't believe for a second, that upgrading our lax program right now to men's varsity is going to make that happen.

But then again, you look a school like Maryland and Rutgers (Maryland cutting what 7 varsity sports in 2011 including swimming and track? and getting a Big 10 invite.

And somewhere, I have to wonder - what were they really thinking in the Big 10 and what is Jim Delany really trying to do? Bad logic though, to think that cutting sports, is going to help things in the future.

THe last thing we want to do though, is think that if UCONN decides to go fiscally berzerk to the point where we have to cut multiple varsity sports programs just to run a program, is going to do anythign positive for us in the future.
 
The Big 10 and Delany are clearly looking to make as much money as possible so they can compete with the SEC in football. They won't in the long run outside of a few schools but it's not like their motives are tough to figure out.
 
I'm all for adding LAX, but would think this is not on WM's Top 10 to-do list. For those in favor - have you assessed Title IX implications?
 
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gioff23 said:
I'm all for adding LAX, but would think this is not on WM's Top 10 to-do list. For those in favor - have you assessed Title IX implications?
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Yes kill all the sports that don't have either profit, profit potential or brand value. Tennis, and swimming are those.
 
LIUCHusky said:
They certainly have value to those participating though.
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That's nice. They can go play that sport elsewhere. Those sports don't make money. The championships aren't piling up. The post seasons are not on tv. They have no profit or brand value. They are a loss. Play sports that help uconn in some way. I don't see uconn with pro tennis players and swimmers on ESPN.

If we get a invite and make millions a year in tv? Fine play a couple extra sports and be happy. Right now is not the tip to spend $500 on a tennis net. That $500 should be for football.

Football, bball, soccer, puck, baseball, lax and track are good. Match that up with bball and softball girls wise then fill in from there title 9 wise. Lax, field hockey, puck I and soccer girls wise I imagine fill a good % of that. Then track and so on until it works out.

Playing sports for the sake of nothing is what morons do. So I imagine several here support having a tennis team vs a profit or brand potential team. Times are tuff and tight. Lets start acting like its a struggle and start making quality decisions to rise out of it and prosper. It's worked for several other schools.
 
If UConn is only playing sports they make money on it's just going to be two basketball teams.
 
How will lacrosse ever become the third most popular collegiate sport in the Northeast? Is it passing basketball, football or hockey?

If you like lacrosse super. If you support UConn adding lacrosse super. Can we stop pretending it has anything to do with criteria the Big 10 is going to use for new members.
 
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I never said or thought lacrosse is a must to become part of the B1G. I just came across these articles and remembered this thread.
 
Butch said:
I never said or thought lacrosse is a must to become part of the B1G. I just came across these articles and remembered this thread.
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I was referring to Duffy and what he wrote.
 
gioff23 said:
I'm all for adding LAX, but would think this is not on WM's Top 10 to-do list. For those in favor - have you assessed Title IX implications?
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My view is add it fine, but not at the expense of an existing sport. It is even more of a niche sport than hockey at this point. Only draws fans to the Championship game. Regular season games draw crickets if they happen to be in the field...othwise not.
 
I want UConn to add Lacrosse, because it will be fun to watch Whaler have a stroke over it.
 
ZooCougar said:
I want UConn to add Lacrosse, because it will be fun to watch Whaler have a stroke over it.
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I really don't care. I don't know why people have a hard-on for it. I understand liking it, I don't understand not understanding it's a niche sport.

The athletic department needs to put every resource they have into football. Any time or money spent on lacrosse is wasted and could be better spent.
 
whaler11 said:
I really don't care. I don't know why people have a hard-on for it. I understand liking it, I don't understand not understanding it's a niche sport.
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Every sport offered by the NCAA is niche, with the exception of Football, Basketball, and to a lesser extent Baseball and Hockey.

The athletic department needs to put every resource they have into football. Any time or money spent on lacrosse is wasted and could be better spent.
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They need to hire a better coach first, or all the time and money in the world won't mean .
 
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whaler11 said:
I really don't care. I don't know why people have a hard-on for it. I understand liking it, I don't understand not understanding it's a niche sport.

The athletic department needs to put every resource they have into football. Any time or money spent on lacrosse is wasted and could be better spent.
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don't forget sending the ad to ncaa tea lunch ins is also ok vs giving a crap about fball....

networking at a ncaa meeting is like going to the blockbuster and networking. its old news
 
intlzncster said:
Every sport offered by the NCAA is niche, with the exception of Football, Basketball, and to a lesser extent Baseball and Hockey.




They need to hire a better coach first, or all the time and money in the world won't mean .
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Yeah more specifically every cent should go to the football coaching staff.

There are people who can't impact the results on the field that do impact marketing. They need to be focused on football.
 
whaler11 said:
I really don't care. I don't know why people have a hard-on for it. I understand liking it, I don't understand not understanding it's a niche sport.

The athletic department needs to put every resource they have into football. Any time or money spent on lacrosse is wasted and could be better spent.
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Everything but football and basketball is niche.
 
Kevin Duffy has an article about this subject. It's funny, well-written and well-sourced article.


"Scenario A: The Big Ten wants to add UConn as an all-sports member on the condition that it starts a men's lacrosse program.

I imagine Warde Manuel hanging up the phone, throwing on some goalie gear, sprinting around campus to round up kids and personally holding tryouts outside of Gampel Pavilion. Score on Manuel, you're on the team. Misfire, you're off."

http://www.ctpost.com/uconn/article/Kevin-Duffy-In-changing-conference-landscape-4589058.php
 
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