B1G

[pj]

I like the guy. I wish we could be in his conference and see him regularly after we beat his team.

 

[GopherHawk]

For our B1G friends, this is the mentality of the Rutgers fans you've saddled up with:

Its like watching two kids from the orphanage. The good looking kid that maybe isn't quite as nice or smart just got adopted. Now he is telling the left overs how great it is going to be at his new home while the other kids are still at the orphanage.

UCONN has nothing to be ashamed of. The list of decisions through the years that could have changed this outcome are long. The Big East should have been successful if setup correctly. Not having FBS football until recently doesn't mean it was the wrong decision either.

 

[pj]

The Big East needed to invite Penn State. Once it lost PSU it lost its chance to be solid on the football side. ... But, I don't think two B1G-ACC superconferences that overlap in the northeast is that bad. As long as we're in the B1G.

 

[Waquoit]

You have a short version of history. UConn made 3 Sweet 16s and a Final 8 in that period. The fanbase for bball was in-built, despite what you say. UConn packed the Civic Center. To say UConn bball was like UMass FB today is ridiculous. UMass isn't appearing in any BCS bowl game.

And UConn was selling out Big East games in the Civic Center before Pitt was in the Big East. If UConn was merely solid in the 90's as UPitt contends, what does that make Pitt in their best years? Something less than solid.

 

[Waquoit]

The spark that grew UCONN's fan base was beating Ohio State University in the 1988 NIT championship game.

Not quite. My first live UConn game was in 1973. The Field House was SRO for a Yale game. Joining the Big East took the fan base to another level. UConn hosted a sold-out Big East Tournament in 1982 for cryin' out loud. Attendance waned when an overmatched, uninspired coach who was allowed to hang on too long slowly drained the life out of the program. Kinda like football now.

 

[upstater]

And UConn was selling out Big East games in the Civic Center before Pitt was in the Big East. If UConn was merely solid in the 90's as UPitt contends, what does that make Pitt in their best years? Something less than solid.

Yes, this is what I've been saying. If the measure is fanbase, then UConn comes out looking good. No matter that it had no national following.

 

[GopherHawk]

Yes, this is what I've been saying. If the measure is fanbase, then UConn comes out looking good. No matter that it had no national following.

If your the B1G, you have two types of schools to add.
1) National Brand (Nebraska)
2) Potential (Rutgers & Maryland)

UCONN is in the 2nd category. I have no doubts that if UCONN was in the B1G that it would have the same potential as Rutgers. Rutgers got the nod first because it was already in the AAU. If UCONN had been in the AAU and Rutgers wasn't the shoe would be on the other foot.

The problem with potential is any school in a large metro area has potential. Houston has potential. SMU has potential. UCONN has potential. Rutgers has potential. The institution and type of fans will determine if the potential can be reached.

What I disagree with is the concept that the NE is so full of rabid pro fans that it makes it hard for schools to be big time. My comment is that the reason it will work is the fans are rabid. The shear number of schools and types of schools has not lent itself to the B1G model. I know UCONN fans don't want to hear this, but if Rutgers shines athletically they can capture fans. UCONN could too. This board points out the "Pro" issue all the time and in the next post you point out how well your basketball brand does. That is a contradiction. There are tons of pro basketball teams in the region. If you formula for fan apathy was true it would be the same for UCONN basketball.

Passionate fans make for great potential. The B1G believes that passion can involve college sports as shown in the rest of the B1G footprint. The type of fan we want is in the NE. We just need to get them to watch a few great games and the next thing you know they will be tuning in more regularly and after 10 years or so they will be rabid fans of the B1G teams as well as the Yanks, Mets, Giants, Celtics etc.

 

[Husky25]

So??? Would you like to trade places?Just shut up and do it on the field!!Are you a child?We'll sir,your certainly acting the part!!If Ru's gonna get slaughtered how do you justify UConn?

So let me get this straight:

You interpolate yourself into a civil discussion where the involved parties did not need, nor request your input on a message board devoted to an athletic program of which you are not a fan, a graduate, nor with which you are otherwise associated merely to admonish one of the contributing parties for stating facts, about which you assert no one cares (See the proper use of the word, “your?”).

Do you see the irony? Just by hitting the "Post Reply" button indicates that YOU care (No “r” or “‘re” this time) about what is said...on an opposing team's message board.

Second, after you’re summarily dismissed with further fact, you resort to name calling, thereby conceding the argument, because a poster whom you originally interposed upon to begin with on an opposing team’s message board, misspells a word (“You’re” is used as a contraction. We combine the words “you” and “are” with an apostrophe to form “you’re,” but it means the same as “you are.” Now run along and try it ten times to make sure you really get it.). What is more amusing is that you made a few mistakes of your own and the only taunt you are able to muster concerns my perceived age. Where’d you learn to taunt? (Wow. There’s that contraction thing again.). I thought it was a pastime in Jersey (Should we discuss pronouns?).

You know what’s also funny, now that I think about it? I left my office for the day around 5:20 or so yesterday to meet a friend - who I haven’t seen in 3 ½ years - for drinks. I went home and played with my son, put him to bed, and flipped channels between the end of the Red Sox, Western Conf. NHL Finals and the NBA Finals. I finally went to bed and had eight hours of restful slumber. All the while, I did not giving Nicky a first thought, let alone a second. Only this morning did I feel compelled to address his nonsense...on an opposing teams message board.

How was your night? It couldn’t have been very good because it seems like you had The Boneyard on the brain. You proceed to post eighteen more messages on an opposing program’s message board, while drumming up thin and easily refutable reasons about why the opposition (us) is so bad and the program which you support is so much more superior. Don’t you have anything better to do at 3:42 in the morning? Did your Internet muscles get a good workout last night? I sure do hope so.

So again, I bid you adieu. You are dismissed.

 

[itgoeslike]

Not quite. My first live UConn game was in 1973. The Field House was SRO for a Yale game. Joining the Big East took the fan base to another level. UConn hosted a sold-out Big East Tournament in 1982 for cryin' out loud. Attendance waned when an overmatched, uninspired coach who was allowed to hang on too long slowly drained the life out of the program. Kinda like football now.

Joining the BE was a major milestone. But up until then UCONN was perceived as a regional power and indeed Yale was considered one of our rivals (Tailgating at the Yale Bowl was always fun). However, winning a "national championship" against a Big Ten school at Madison Square Garden helped catapult UCONN to the national stage and future conference success.

 

[UPitt]

Yes, this is what I've been saying. If the measure is fanbase, then UConn comes out looking good. No matter that it had no national following.

Why do posters continue to bash me for recognizing the success Uconn had the past 15 years and correlating it to growth in the fanbase?

It has been stated by many Uconn posters on this board that it is important for the Uconn fanbase to grow and reach new demographics (ie locations, age, sex, race, etc). As I previously said, I am not questioning the loyalty or support of the Uconn fanbase. I did not say that Uconn didn't have a fanbase or winning seasons prior to 1999. I stated that I see 1999-present as an important time frame for reaching new demographics. I then stated that these new fans will create another spike in fanbase in another 10 years when they pass the fanbase support on to their children. I do not think anyone can argue that Uconn did not reach new demographics during this time frame.

 

[upstater]

Why do posters continue to bash me for recognizing the success Uconn had the past 15 years and correlating it to growth in the fanbase?

It has been stated by many Uconn posters on this board that it is important for the Uconn fanbase to grow and reach new demographics (ie locations, age, sex, race, etc). As I previously said, I am not questioning the loyalty or support of the Uconn fanbase. I did not say that Uconn didn't have a fanbase or winning seasons prior to 1999. I stated that I see 1999-present as an important time frame for reaching new demographics. I then stated that these new fans will create another spike in fanbase in another 10 years when they pass the fanbase support on to their children. I do not think anyone can argue that Uconn did not reach new demographics during this time frame.

Why are you interpreting it as bashing? I was simply disagreeing with how you framed it. I mean, the dynamic you're describing, of expanding the fanbase to younger people, goes on everywhere else too. It's no big deal really.

 

[upstater]

If your the B1G, you have two types of schools to add.
1) National Brand (Nebraska)
2) Potential (Rutgers & Maryland)

UCONN is in the 2nd category. I have no doubts that if UCONN was in the B1G that it would have the same potential as Rutgers. Rutgers got the nod first because it was already in the AAU. If UCONN had been in the AAU and Rutgers wasn't the shoe would be on the other foot.

The problem with potential is any school in a large metro area has potential. Houston has potential. SMU has potential. UCONN has potential. Rutgers has potential. The institution and type of fans will determine if the potential can be reached.

What I disagree with is the concept that the NE is so full of rabid pro fans that it makes it hard for schools to be big time. My comment is that the reason it will work is the fans are rabid. The shear number of schools and types of schools has not lent itself to the B1G model. I know UCONN fans don't want to hear this, but if Rutgers shines athletically they can capture fans. UCONN could too. This board points out the "Pro" issue all the time and in the next post you point out how well your basketball brand does. That is a contradiction. There are tons of pro basketball teams in the region. If you formula for fan apathy was true it would be the same for UCONN basketball.

Passionate fans make for great potential. The B1G believes that passion can involve college sports as shown in the rest of the B1G footprint. The type of fan we want is in the NE. We just need to get them to watch a few great games and the next thing you know they will be tuning in more regularly and after 10 years or so they will be rabid fans of the B1G teams as well as the Yanks, Mets, Giants, Celtics etc.

I agree with almost all of this. I'm also not one to make the pro argument. The link I gave another poster about the Horde shows that UConn in the past was the #1 attraction in the state. Heck, SNY charges every cable subscriber $2+ a month, and that's not because of the Mets popularity. We might disagree on Rutgers a bit. I tend to think that Rutgers failing in the B1G will hurt UConn in terms of the B1G's outlook on northeast schools, the same way that BC in the ACC hurt the perception of UConn when it came to expansion. Plus, many of us are not so concerned about football recruiting in the AAC because UConn has been finishing at the bottom of the recruiting rankings of BCS schools for some time, and it still develops a lot of talent for the NFL. It can continue to do this. The only question is, will BC and Syracuse start taking more recruits from UConn. Because UConn actually competes with these schools. For some reason, UConn has not competed with Rutgers so much in the past. I don't know why. It's pretty bizarre. For every Connecticut kid that UConn doesn't take interest in (take WR M. Harrison who recently just left Rutgers) and who ends up at Rutgers, there is a New Jersey kid who is ignored by Rutgers (RBs Donald Brown or Andre Dixon) and ends up at Uconn. The schools don't go head to head often. Cuse and BC are much more involved with UConn targets (in New England, Maryland, New York state and Pennsylvania).

 

[UPitt]

upstater said: ↑

You have a short version of history. UConn made 3 Sweet 16s and a Final 8 in that period. The fanbase for bball was in-built, despite what you say. UConn packed the Civic Center. To say UConn bball was like UMass FB today is ridiculous. UMass isn't appearing in any BCS bowl game.​

And UConn was selling out Big East games in the Civic Center before Pitt was in the Big East. If UConn was merely solid in the 90's as UPitt contends, what does that make Pitt in their best years? Something less than solid.

First, Upstarter's response was with respect to a Rutgers fan comparing Uconn to Umass. So why drag me into it?

Secondly, Uconn was a founding member of the Big East in 1979, but Pitt became a member shortly after in 1982. The remaining members didn't join until 1992, 1995, and 2005. You sound as if you are lumping Pitt with the later additions.

Third, if you read my posts I never compared Pitt BB to Uconn BB. I will say it again, Pitt has had some recent success at BB, but lacks a strong BB fanbase and has very little history outside of Jerome Lane breaking a backboard at a game in the late 80s.

Fourth, I'm sorry I used the word "solid". Please feel free to insert a better word but I thought solid would bring the point across. I stated that Uconn I associate Uconn dominance from 1999 going forward because of my age and that is when they won the NC and reached national attention. I used the word "solid" to try and differentiate the past 8 to 9 years as being more important because the Uconn women BB continued to grow, football was added to D1, and BB won two more NCs.

 

[UPitt]

Why are you interpreting it as bashing? I was simply disagreeing with how you framed it. I mean, the dynamic you're describing, of expanding the fanbase to younger people, goes on everywhere else too. It's no big deal really.

And UConn was selling out Big East games in the Civic Center before Pitt was in the Big East. If UConn was merely solid in the 90's as UPitt contends, what does that make Pitt in their best years? Something less than solid.

There have been a few other quotes that seemed more like jabs than open conversation. I have tried my best to be respectful and think I deserve it in return.

 

[Husky25]

I agree with almost all of this. I'm also not one to make the pro argument. The link I gave another poster about the Horde shows that UConn in the past was the #1 attraction in the state. Heck, SNY charges every cable subscriber $2+ a month, and that's not because of the Mets popularity. We might disagree on Rutgers a bit. I tend to think that Rutgers failing in the B1G will hurt UConn in terms of the B1G's outlook on northeast schools, the same way that BC in the ACC hurt the perception of UConn when it came to expansion. Plus, many of us are not so concerned about football recruiting in the AAC because UConn has been finishing at the bottom of the recruiting rankings of BCS schools for some time, and it still develops a lot of talent for the NFL. It can continue to do this. The only question is, will BC and Syracuse start taking more recruits from UConn. Because UConn actually competes with these schools. For some reason, UConn has not competed with Rutgers so much in the past. I don't know why. It's pretty bizarre. For every Connecticut kid that UConn doesn't take interest in (take WR M. Harrison who recently just left Rutgers) and who ends up at Rutgers, there is a New Jersey kid who is ignored by Rutgers (RBs Donald Brown or Andre Dixon) and ends up at Uconn. The schools don't go head to head often. Cuse and BC are much more involved with UConn targets (in New England, Maryland, New York state and Pennsylvania).

Dwayne Gratz grew up across town and I don't think he was even offered by Schiano.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Why are you interpreting it as bashing? I was simply disagreeing with how you framed it. I mean, the dynamic you're describing, of expanding the fanbase to younger people, goes on everywhere else too. It's no big deal really.

The in state fan base actually reached its peak in 1999
The previous decade had been the decade of huskymania
In Ct. Too much success breeds complacency.
Upitt is correct the NC brought a national character to UConn sports.
The NC brought expections that anything less was failure to the hsrdcore. Hudkie fan for 60 years.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Waquoit]

In Ct. Too much success breeds complacency.

Unfortunately true.

 

[upstater]

The in state fan base actually reached its peak in 1999
The previous decade had been the decade of huskymania
In Ct. Too much success breeds complacency.
Upitt is correct the NC brought a national character to UConn sports.
The NC brought expections that anything less was failure to the hsrdcore. Hudkie fan for 60 years.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

No question 1999 made UConn a national contender. We were simply talking about the development of the fanbase (and the initial comparison was with Rutgers). In that context, the question of UConn's bball history and tradition prior to 1999 is entirely appropriate.

 

[NickyNewark]

Dwayne Gratz grew up across town and I don't think he was even offered by Schiano.

@He wasn't ,Funny thing but the recruits from the home states that are overlooked or not offered by their home state seem to make a greater effort to say "this is what you missed" to the state they felt snubbed them ala Don Brown or Mark Harrison!!What bothers me is SU and especially BC have seemed to step it up in recruiting this year!!Dougie was actually a crummy recruiter but could find occasional hidden gem's!We were better off when he was there!

 

[upstater]

And UConn was selling out Big East games in the Civic Center before Pitt was in the Big East. If UConn was merely solid in the 90's as UPitt contends, what does that make Pitt in their best years? Something less than solid.

There have been a few other quotes that seemed more like jabs than open conversation. I have tried my best to be respectful and think I deserve it in return.

So what in the comment causes offense or disrespect?

I've made it evident I disagree with you.

 

[NickyNewark]

Hard to believe you've been giving grammar lessons to others on this board. You got on someone for "semantics."

Personally, I like winning and trophies and national championships. I'd rather have that than be a perpetual cellar dweller.

Your post basically shows where the Rutgers mentality is. You guys are so used to losing, you make fun of the concept of winning national championships.

It's bizarre, pathetic!!!!

Perpetual cellar dweller?Is this the hoop's board?Check the standing's a little closer and even in hoop's with terrible coaches we've finished in the lower middle of the pack!Since "06" how often did you finish higher or with a better FB record!

 

[specialisthusky]

Perpetual cellar dweller?Is this the hoop's board?Check the standing's a little closer and even in hoop's with terrible coaches we've finished in the lower middle of the pack!Since "06" how often did you finish higher or with a better FB record!

Since UConn has been in the league it has finished above RU 3 years below 4 years and tied 1 year.

Congrats on being lower middle of the pack in basketball. NJ salutes you.

 

[upstater]

Perpetual cellar dweller?Is this the hoop's board?Check the standing's a little closer and even in hoop's with terrible coaches we've finished in the lower middle of the pack!Since "06" how often did you finish higher or with a better FB record!

The trophies keep me feeling warm inside.

 

[NickyNewark]

Admittedly I had a few and was up all night and might have been a bit testy! I apologize for that but as I've stated before I'm not here as a RU fan but as a fan of eastern FB !I'm concerned CR is deregionalizing FB and breaking up great relationship's and rivalries!In your case I pointed to 1 misspelled word and you counter with attacking my grammer instead of issues/arguments in most ot yours!Is this not a blog?Or an English class?Please,as long as you get the message try being polite as I attempt too!Thank you.

 

[NickyNewark]

Since UConn has been in the league it has finished above RU 3 years below 4 years and tied 1 year.

Congrats on being lower middle of the pack in basketball. NJ salutes you.

@How nice of NJ to salute a Connecticut resident RU fan!I tip my hat to the spokesman for the AAC! The B1G commend's YOU !

 

[GopherHawk]

How about for the next 100 pages of this thread we get back to wild scenario's of B1G expansion.

 

[The Funster]

OK, UConn and UConn/Stamford to the B1G!

 

[NickyNewark]

JC played a huge role. However, UCONN has won 15 Division 1 National Championships since 1980. 12 were in sports other than Mens Basketball.

Pardon me guy's,I had a few to many last night!I may have gone a little overboard!!Please accept my humble apology's!

 

[NickyNewark]

Since UConn has been in the league it has finished above RU 3 years below 4 years and tied 1 year.

Congrats on being lower middle of the pack in basketball. NJ salutes you.

@What's your record against RU the last 10 year's?I do remember our fumbling Schiano's "11" game away but other than that unfortunate (for RU) game I don't remember much heart break?

 

[GopherHawk]

OK, UConn and UConn/Stamford to the B1G!

I still think the wildest of all is Buffalo or Toronto to the B1G. I don't know if Stretch Armstrong can make it that far.

Focus on UCONN as #16 because of all the positives and the $2B deal with the state.

Hope Rutgers has success, but not to much. Enough success to deliver NJ, but not enough to deliver NYC DMA by themselves. This would show the B1G that they are on the right path and just need UCONN to push it over the top.

Hope that the ACC gets aggressive with MSG and it stirs the B1G to make a blocking move. If UCONN is in the B1G it would effectively put the ACC no closer than arms length from NYC DMA and the B1G would be on top of it.