Big Blue Nation having a very normal Tuesday

[Hoophound]

I'm hearing that now, so that's an important piece of information.

We were still wildly outnumbered in Pheonix.

Accepting that Northeasterners don’t travel well is just part of life. It’s a cultural thing. People in the Midwest and South travel for college sports. People in the West and Northeast travel for culture and rest (and sometimes pro sports). It just doesn’t matter. Dan Hurley probably doesn’t travel well either. He’s from Jersey.

 

[Inyatkin]

I'm hearing that now, so that's an important piece of information.

We were still wildly outnumbered in Pheonix.

Not saying we weren't but the fact that we were in the Final Four last year, the women are in it almost every year, and the other teams (especially Purdue) had been waiting for this forever has to be accounted for. People only travel cross country so much

 

[jorge34]

It's a hard pill to swallow for some fans but we're not on that that elite tier of fan bases and may never be. Purdue is a massive public university with a wealthy alumuni and a massive endowment (probably something close to 8-10x Uconns). They're also basketball starved on the national stage from a state thats #1 in basketball obsessed culture. Unless the university suddenly picks up and builds a massive campus for 30k undergrads in Hartford we'll never have the reach of some of these other fan bases.

It’s 110,000 students and one of the largest universities in the nation

 

[Inyatkin]

Seems likely to end poorly. He's been in the SEC forever, but Kentucky is a national job. This is a Southern thing. He's not a Southerner. Maybe doesn't matter.

 

[tzznandrew]

It's a hard pill to swallow for some fans but we're not on that that elite tier of fan bases and may never be. Purdue is a massive public university with a wealthy alumuni and a massive endowment (probably something close to 8-10x Uconns). They're also basketball starved on the national stage from a state thats #1 in basketball obsessed culture. Unless the university suddenly picks up and builds a massive campus for 30k undergrads in Hartford we'll never have the reach of some of these other fan bases.

I mean, we can be. In the northeast it's really success that drives fanbases. Those down years from 2015-2020 and the AAC hurt. We just don't have the generations of fanbases behind us that some of the other bluebloods do, nor we have the bandwagoners. But that can really change. Continued success will bring in another generation of fans and playing this beautiful basketball and winning will bring in a more national fanbase. Also, UNC, Duke, Kentucky have lost some cache. Even back in the early 2000s you'd find people in CT who were Duke fans. I wonder if that's the same, or if that will continue going forward.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Uhh… what now?View attachment 99341

Man what are they making moonshine out of these days

 

[Travelman6]

Accepting that Northeasterners don’t travel well is just part of life. It’s a cultural thing. People in the Midwest and South travel for college sports. People in the West and Northeast travel for culture and rest (and sometimes pro sports). It just doesn’t matter. Dan Hurley probably doesn’t travel well either. He’s from Jersey.

I don't buy that. Northeasterners +New York probably have a higher percentage of adults with passports than the rest of the country. After all that's Boston and NYC and people from there are better travelled than a large majority of the country, maybe outside of California.

Plus I'd be willing to bet Northeasterners have more expendable income than much of the rest of the country, again, maybe outside of California.

 

[Verne]

It’s 110,000 students and one of the largest universities in the nation

Right it's simple school/alumni economics.

Big public school with lots of money is always going to have a bigger fan base to travel to a massive sporting event vs a smaller public university with less money.

 

[Lefty2one]

I love that their fanbase isn't aware that Syracuse alumni run ESPN and do more harm than good for UConn. It's been a thing for about 25 years now. Their fanbase is like the hayseed/unintelligent version of Knicks fans, talking about how great their fanbase is and how people would be insane not to come there to coach or play. Not everyone loves New York or wants to deal with that circus, same with Lexington.

That being said, it was a sad turnout last night at Gampel but the culture and values is different in the Northeast. I'm sure the parade will be bumping on Saturday.

 

[Lefty2one]

I don't buy that. Northeasterners +New York probably have a higher percentage of adults with passports than the rest of the country. After all that's Boston and NYC and people from there are better travelled than a large majority of the country, maybe outside of California.

Plus I'd be willing to be Northeasterners have more expendable income than much of the rest of the country, again, maybe outside of California.

I think he means travels for sports. I cannot fathom dropping the amount of money SEC/Big 10 fans do to go to a sporting event. I'd much rather take a nice vacation to Europe.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Seems likely to end poorly. He's been in the SEC forever, but Kentucky is a national job. This is a Southern thing. He's not a Southerner. Maybe doesn't matter.

If over the next half dozen years he does 85% of what he's done the past half dozen years at Kentucky they'll be thrilled.

 

[Travelman6]

I think he means travels for sports. I cannot fathom dropping the amount of money SEC/Big 10 fans do to go to a sporting event. I'd much rather take a nice vacation to Europe.

In that case, ya, Northeasterners probably differ from Southern and Midwest folks in that sense.

 

[Gurleyman]

I just love how the "blue bloods" are all clinging to consolation prizes and nonsense. Kansas on a December win, Duke on a recruiting battle, Kentucky on how big an imaginary celebration might be if they won again.

Meanwhile we are raising banners. This century, we have 5 titles and Kentucky has 1. We are 4-0 against them in tournaments, 2-0 in the Final Four, one in the Round of 32, and the Maui Championship. I look down on them. I'm in the older 'yard group, but too young to remember 1978, so I have seen 6 UConn titles and 3 Kentucky. I look down on them - I don't necessarily look down on Duke or UNC, but Kentucky has never been a UConn problem, and if they didn't hire Calipari, who I didn't like from his UMass days, they'd be pretty irrelevant to my basketball life.

And you know what ... if Hurley did leave, to the NBA or some other place for silly money, I feel confident that we'd keep it going now, and I didn't necessarily think that 5 years ago. Maybe Luke or Kimani is ready - or maybe we'd find the next up-and-comer. But we're a destination spot now.

 

[Mr. French]

I'm hearing that now, so that's an important piece of information.

We were still wildly outnumbered in Pheonix.

I gotta be honest, I’m stunned how many people ARE able to travel to phoenix or Houston in 2 days notice. I have kids, jobs, I can’t just up and go. I’m shocked that we get that many people going cross-country to the FF games.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If ESPN was “propping” us up we would be in P5(P4) conference already.

They kept us out of the acc

 

[JMick]

Dan Hurley probably doesn’t travel well either. He’s from Jersey.

Seth Greenberg said that he asked Dan how the trip to Monaco was going after the third day, and he said it was great but he missed the jersey shore.

 

[gsmooth]

Kentucky fans have no clue how close they are to becoming Indiana.


They wanted to throw Calipari out but they still want to brag about all the nba players they have each year even if they hate when they lose to Oral Roberts or Oakland.

Now Oats turns you down. Hurley says nope. Drew likes his life at a private Baptist college in Texas where he can do whatever he wants with no outside pressure...

Now where do you go? Mark Pope? Come on down. Welcome to becoming Indiana Basketball big blue nation.


Say whatever you want about Calipari but his teams (win or lose) are always relevant. The worst thing you can become is an after thought and Kentucky is a lot closer to that with the wrong hire than any of their fans are willing to admit.

Ahh yes, the Billy Gillespie years. What a time.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Multiple sources have Drew in Lexington as we speak, meeting with AD

 

[jorge34]

I just love how the "blue bloods" are all clinging to consolation prizes and nonsense. Kansas on a December win, Duke on a recruiting battle, Kentucky on how big an imaginary celebration might be if they won again.

Meanwhile we are raising banners. This century, we have 5 titles and Kentucky has 1. We are 4-0 against them in tournaments, 2-0 in the Final Four, one in the Round of 32, and the Maui Championship. I look down on them. I'm in the older 'yard group, but too young to remember 1978, so I have seen 6 UConn titles and 3 Kentucky. I look down on them - I don't necessarily look down on Duke or UNC, but Kentucky has never been a UConn problem, and if they didn't hire Calipari, who I didn't like from his UMass days, they'd be pretty irrelevant to my basketball life.

And you know what ... if Hurley did leave, to the NBA or some other place for silly money, I feel confident that we'd keep it going now, and I didn't necessarily think that 5 years ago. Maybe Luke or Kimani is ready - or maybe we'd find the next up-and-comer. But we're a destination spot now.

Sure will.

It’s crazy crazy money being tossed around….i mean….i wouldn’t really blame him if he took it.
Uconn would be more than fine with Murray

 

[DC-Husky]

Their message board is an absolute riot! This was one of my favorites:

"What has UConn got that UK hasn't?
Have they got better tradition?..... NO
Have they got better facilities?.......NO
Have they got a larger more passionate fan base?.... NO
Do they get more media coverage that UK?.... NO
Have they got more 5-Star recruits & future NBA players than UK?... NO

I mean what am I missing here. What have they got that we don't?"

 

[UCAlumDE]

Their message board is an absolute riot! This was one of my favorites:

"What has UConn got that UK hasn't?
Have they got better tradition?..... NO
Have they got better facilities?.......NO
Have they got a larger more passionate fan base?.... NO
Do they get more media coverage that UK?.... NO
Have they got more 5-Star recruits & future NBA players than UK?... NO

I mean what am I missing here. What have they got that we don't?"

I’ll go ahead and answer that for them: More championships over the past 50 years.

 

[Travelman6]

I just love how the "blue bloods" are all clinging to consolation prizes and nonsense. Kansas on a December win, Duke on a recruiting battle, Kentucky on how big an imaginary celebration might be if they won again.

Meanwhile we are raising banners. This century, we have 5 titles and Kentucky has 1. We are 4-0 against them in tournaments, 2-0 in the Final Four, one in the Round of 32, and the Maui Championship. I look down on them. I'm in the older 'yard group, but too young to remember 1978, so I have seen 6 UConn titles and 3 Kentucky. I look down on them - I don't necessarily look down on Duke or UNC, but Kentucky has never been a UConn problem, and if they didn't hire Calipari, who I didn't like from his UMass days, they'd be pretty irrelevant to my basketball life.

And you know what ... if Hurley did leave, to the NBA or some other place for silly money, I feel confident that we'd keep it going now, and I didn't necessarily think that 5 years ago. Maybe Luke or Kimani is ready - or maybe we'd find the next up-and-comer. But we're a destination spot now.

And fans of other teams say "Hurley whines a lot" or "he's on the floor more than some players"....it will never end. The price of success. (Nobody worries about providence, cincy or cuse after all.)

 

[Magic32]

Their message board is an absolute riot! This was one of my favorites:

"What has UConn got that UK hasn't?
Have they got better tradition?..... NO
Have they got better facilities?.......NO
Have they got a larger more passionate fan base?.... NO
Do they get more media coverage that UK?.... NO
Have they got more 5-Star recruits & future NBA players than UK?... NO

I mean what am I missing here. What have they got that we don't?"

Championships in the modern era

 

[uconnfan68]

It's absolutely insane how crazed they are. They view UConn as a basketball school propped up by ESPN with no fanbase whatsoever. They can't understand how UConn has won 6 titles in the past 25 years and see it as an anomoly. It's really quite humorous to read their site. Frankly, like you said, they reek of desperation right now and nearly all their posters (there are a few exceptions) believe the Kentucky job is far superior to the UConn job and think Hurley will eventually see the light. They get more delusional by the second.

2014 should have opened their eyes.

 

[Mots010]

Their message board is an absolute riot! This was one of my favorites:

"What has UConn got that UK hasn't?
Have they got better tradition?..... NO
Have they got better facilities?.......NO
Have they got a larger more passionate fan base?.... NO
Do they get more media coverage that UK?.... NO
Have they got more 5-Star recruits & future NBA players than UK?... NO

I mean what am I missing here. What have they got that we don't?"

UK has a larger fan base than Uconn, and they will outdraw us in any neutral site venue, including MSG. With that said, they'll outdraw just about ANY other school.

 

[uconnfan68]

Students are saying that the gampel crowd was limited and that the streets were lined.

They were saying on tv it was limited to 7000.

 

[uconnfan68]

If ESPN was “propping” us up we would be in P5(P4) conference already.

How is destroying the (old) Big East propping us up?

 

[uconnfan68]

I think he means travels for sports. I cannot fathom dropping the amount of money SEC/Big 10 fans do to go to a sporting event. I'd much rather take a nice vacation to Europe.

They have to something with their money from not growing crops.

 

[Inyatkin]

Multiple sources have Drew in Lexington as we speak, meeting with AD

Actually, Andre Drummond was in Oakland, Michigan last night with his Pistons teammates

 

[huskyjawz]

I gotta be honest, I’m stunned how many people ARE able to travel to phoenix or Houston in 2 days notice. I have kids, jobs, I can’t just up and go. I’m shocked that we get that many people going cross-country to the FF games.

Casual fan.