Calling Out the Fans

[amory]

It's ridiculous and stupid to "blame the fans" for that display. That was the worst UConn football game I've ever attended and they deserved every boo and every empty seat at the end of the game.

As people have remarked, it wasn't that they lost to Towson, it was how they lost. I stayed to the end, but I'm not really sure why. UConn football is a product, and right now it's a $hitty product that I don't blame people for not buying.

 

[formerlurker]

I'm proud to say that I'm not lumped in this group of fans. Afterall, I left way before the 3 minute mark.

Which is it? Are you "Bleed Blue Bill" or proud to say you left early?

Can't be both.

 

[weyuo]

Attendance is down in all sports across the country. I was listening to the radio the other day and even the Red Sox with their good season are not filling the bleachers. NASCAR attendance is down to the point where there is deep concern. But.... in saying that if UConn puts a good, exciting product on the field, promotes it right(how about some marketing down in lower Fairfield County please) they have a captive 3 million plus audience... at least. Come on Coach P, I believed in you...now it's time to produce.

 

[minidarren]

Which is it? Are you "Bleed Blue Bill" or proud to say you left early?

Can't be both.

Sure it can. Just because one leaves early does not mean they are not committed to the team. What we witnessed last Thursday was an abomination to the biggest degree. I wouldn't blame anyone that left or booed.

As for the booing, I'm all for it. These are not kids. They are getting paid to play a sport. Not by dollar bills being placed in their hands, but by the 10s of thousands of dollars that goes towards their education. There should be a reasonable expectation to perform and they have not.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

I stayed to the end as usual. But I can't blame those who left. This game was unwatchable.
Plus it was a Thursday night and I'm sure some that left had work/school on Friday.

You would have had a better time slamming your head into a brick wall.

 

[Waquoit]

I have a new policy. Instead of responding to these "fans" who don't go to games but still badmouth those real fans that buy tickets, show up and support the program; I'm just putting them on "ignore". They aren't worth dealing with.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Let me get this right: Some dipsh!t watching on TV is criticizing the people who left the stadium.

Here is who gets to criticize the people leave. The people who stay.

Yeah the difference between Clemson Georgia and UConn is only the fans. Not the dozen plus NFL players on their rosters. If only we cheered louder Whitmer would turn into Boyd.

Matt is a UConn grad and lives in the Hartford area, mid 20's
Had to look him up, I mean how many Matt Schonviski " could be out there. double , where is Carl's "Debbie Stick"

 

[uconnell]

Hate to say it, but it's true. I still think one of the biggest factors in us being passed over by the so-called larger conferences is us only bringing 4,000 or so fans to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. I understand it was an expensive trip and long flight and in many individual circumstances not do-able but I think the football nation noticed. I will say up through 2007 or 2008 fans stuck around much more than now. This is why our next coach needs to be someone who can bring excitement to the program in the form of a high octane offense...

Did you go to the Fiesta Bowl? I did, it took 17 hours door to door. There was more than 4,000 fans. How many times do we need to explain that many people bought discounted tickets from stub hub?

 

[HomeKing93]

The "4K Husky fans that went to the Fiesta Bowl" is one of those zombie false stats - hard to kill.

I usually stay until the end of all the games I attend, but I have to admit, this game was an exception.

 

[mike012]

Didn't RG3 say the Rent was the loudest place he played at during his Baylor career... over OK and TX and all those big 12 stadiums. So if Uconn shows up with a good team playing a good team. The fans show up as well. SIMPLE as THAT> Also I stayed till the end we were on the score board dancing to Cotton Eye Joe!!!!! First time ever on the board

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Matt is a UConn grad and lives in the Hartford area, mid 20's
Had to look him up, I mean how many Matt Schonviski " could be out there. double , where is Carl's "Debbie Stick"

I guess the 10 minute drive and the free ticket he could've picked up in the parking was just too much effort for the kid. Maybe he didn't want to pay for parking.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Attendance is down in all sports across the country. I was listening to the radio the other day and even the Red Sox with their good season are not filling the bleachers. NASCAR attendance is down to the point where there is deep concern. But.... in saying that if UConn puts a good, exciting product on the field, promotes it right(how about some marketing down in lower Fairfield County please) they have a captive 3 million plus audience... at least. Come on Coach P, I believed in you...now it's time to produce.

P has produced alright. A big steaming pile from day one. You and srq could turn off the lights when you're done clearing his office.

 

[CodyJ.]

Got a point - no support at all...

http://ghandination.blogspot.com/

Take it an shove it UConn07. Did you go to school? if so, did you learn anything? You pay for and support garbage? If I pay for cable tv and only get 3 fuzzy channels I'd be pissed. You can stay all game and watch that garbage. Keep me interested. Show me what I paid for and make it worth my dollar and I'll stay. Otherwise, there are more interesting things going on in the parking lot.

 

[epark88]

I got to my seat early, and stayed till the bitter end.

Thing is, I used to be 'that guy': sitting at home, yelling at the screen and dumping on the fans for showing up late/leaving early. But to be honest, the game was so FUBAR that multiple times I felt the urge to just get up and leave. By the 4th quarter, I mostly kept my head down. I did get to cheer a bit during the last TD drive and the D's last 3-and-out...and then Lemelle muffed the punt.

Head down again. Till the bitter end.

So now that I'm actually in the stands, all the complaining and the bitching that folks do about why the Rent crowd is what it is seem to have some merit. But I also have this thing I like to do called the 'Verb Test': use a title, occupation or personality as a verb, and see if it applies to you. So:

Winning coaches win when they coach.
Losing coaches lose when they coach.
Leaders lead.
Fighters fight.
Quitters Quit.
Complainers complain.
Bitches bitch.
Diehards die hard.

The Verb Test helped me to stay rooted in my seat last week. If I really wanted to wuss out on my team, I could've just left early and blogged about how bad the crowd was or something...

 

[epark88]

Got a point - no support at all...

http://ghandination.blogspot.com/

No support, huh?

I'd go to war with this support. (Now if only we were being led into battle by Patton instead of Custer...)

 

[SubbaBub]

We could have been coming off a 13-0 season and people would have left that mess early. Towson on Thursday.

We'll see vs. MD where this fanbase is. You would expect a loud Sat. night sell-out like the "old" days.

 

[John]

I can't remember, did the stadium vacate for the Navy game a few years ago? That was the only other game where I was as remotely disappointed/angry/upset at what I was seeing on the field.

 

[UConn07]

Take it an shove it UConn07. Did you go to school? if so, did you learn anything? You pay for and support garbage? If I pay for cable tv and only get 3 fuzzy channels I'd be pissed. You can stay all game and watch that garbage. Keep me interested. Show me what I paid for and make it worth my dollar and I'll stay. Otherwise, there are more interesting things going on in the parking lot.

Believe it or not, Cody, I did! Called UConn home from 03-07 and then again from 09-13. I'll tell you this. The players notice the fans. It affects them. Just like if someone was over your shoulder while you are sitting in your office desk telling you that you suck over and over again for an hour straight and booing the hell out of them, only multiply that by thousands.

And I was there til the final whistle. The game got fun at the end after UConn started driving down 16. Place would have been rocking after the two point conversion and Towson backed up had the fans actually let the team WIN or LOSE a game this season before throwing in the towel. Let an ENTIRE game play out before calling a team out. Had they pulled it out and the punt wasn't dropped and went on to win, it would've been one of the most epic comebacks seen ever. Too bad that didn't happen. Would've enjoyed the quotes coming out of Storrs from the locker room this week about the lack of support. In reality, it wasn't very far from happening...

 

[CodyJ.]

Believe it or not, Cody, I did! Called UConn home from 03-07 and then again from 09-13. I'll tell you this. The players notice the fans. It affects them. Just like if someone was over your shoulder while you are sitting in your office desk telling you that you suck over and over again for an hour straight and booing the hell out of them, only multiply that by thousands.

And I was there til the final whistle. The game got fun at the end after UConn started driving down 16. Place would have been rocking after the two point conversion and Towson backed up had the fans actually let the team WIN or LOSE a game this season before throwing in the towel. Let an ENTIRE game play out before calling a team out. Had they pulled it out and the punt wasn't dropped and went on to win, it would've been one of the most epic comebacks seen ever. Too bad that didn't happen. Would've enjoyed the quotes coming out of Storrs from the locker room this week about the lack of support. In reality, it wasn't very far from happening...

Hey, go for it. Stay and watch a garbage product. If they play well, fans will stay. If they dont, fans will leave. The boos are for PP and his coaching staff. And if these young adults cant take the heat, then they can get their out fo the kitchen

 

[minidarren]

I happen to agree with you CodyJ.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Hey, go for it. Stay and watch a garbage product. If they play well, fans will stay. If they dont, fans will leave. The boos are for PP and his coaching staff. And if these young adults cant take the heat, then they can get their out fo the kitchen

I'm searching for the word to describe fans like you. Bandwagon is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[CodyJ.]

I'm searching for the word to describe fans like you. Bandwagon is the first thing that comes to mind.

Bandwagon. oh geeze. here we go. I buy season tix every year. Thats not bandwagon. I choose to go grill a burger and drink a beer instead of watching us get our butts kicked. By the end of the 3rd quarter. If i'm putting palm to face, im outta there.

 

[Husky25]

I'm in search for a word to describe the blogger.

How can one call out the fans in attendance when that "fan" is not in attendance himself AND he presumably lives so close to the known not-sold-out-stadium?

 

[huskymedic]

I'm in search for a word to describe the blogger.

How can one call out the fans in attendance when that "fan" is not in attendance himself AND he presumably lives so close to the known not-sold-out-stadium?

Tool works for me...

 

[Husky25]

Bandwagon. oh geeze. here we go. I buy season tix every year. Thats not bandwagon. I choose to go grill a burger and drink a beer instead of watching us get our butts kicked. By the end of the 3rd quarter. If i'm putting palm to face, im outta there.

You make a point, Cody. At the end of the day, football is entertainment, A patron is not obligated to stay in the theatre for the entire 3 hours of The Postman? Theatre goers (who pay significantly more on Broadway for the privilege to attend than a UConn football game) are not required to sit through what they perceive to be a dumpster fire of a play? A TV viewer is not forbidden from changing the channel when the first hour of Battleship or the Red Dawn remake gives such an overwhelming feeling of underwhelming expectations as compared to the build up.

On the other hand, I personally would (and did) stay until the game was much later and chances to come back were more remote. Answer this: Did you turn on 1080AM when you got back to the car? What's the difference between that and staying a little longer?

@UConn07...The place would have been rockin' following the two point conversion, but here's the thing: There was no indication throughout the previous 57 minutes of game time that a two point conversion would even remotely take place. When Towson scored their second to last TD, the math really wasn't hard to compute. It's much more unclear with 15 minutes to go. At least during the 2OT win vs. Pittsburgh, UConn showed some life in the 4th Quarter. That feeling just wasn't there on Thursday.

I'm searching for the word to describe fans like you. Bandwagon is the first thing that comes to mind.

All due respect Jimmy (and you know I do), the later one stays at a game or the tally of games attended cannot even remotely be considered a measure of fandom.