Coach Calhoun's crystal ball

[The Viking]

I was at an event today where Coach spoke and he took Q&A's afterward.

I asked him 10 years from now what conference he thinks we will be in. He gave a nice long response, but I'll cut it down to size for you. He said right now he would have to say the B1G.

Said because they are clearly trying to move East/Northeast and that in his opinion that they will likely not succeed by just taking Rutgers. He went on to talk about TV sets, eyeballs being important, etc. It was a good response like I said but I probably forgot half of it because I was like, holy I just took the mic and asked the greatest coach of our generation a question.

Also partly surprised that it seems he has given up on the idea that we will be with our former BE rivals. He didn't once mention the ACC conference in his 3-4 minute response.

Anyway, got to shake the man's hand, got a picture with him and got to thank him for everything he's done for CT.

All in all a pretty damn good day.

 

[husky99]

Thanks.. acc is ten years will be picked over

 

[BearJWS]

I was at an event today where Coach spoke and he took Q&A's afterward.

I asked him 10 years from now what conference he thinks we will be in. He gave a nice long response, but I'll cut it down to size for you. He said right now he would have to say the B1G.

Said because they are clearly trying to move East/Northeast and that in his opinion that they will likely not succeed by just taking Rutgers. He went on to talk about TV sets, eyeballs being important, etc. It was a good response like I said but I probably forgot half of it because I was like, holy I just took the mic and asked the greatest coach of our generation a question.

Also partly surprised that it seems he has given up on the idea that we wont be with our former BE rivals. He didn't once mention the ACC conference in his 3-4 minute response.

Anyway, got to shake the man's hand, got a picture with him and got to thank him for everything he's done for CT.

All in all a pretty damn good day.

I was hoping to go to this same event today, but couldn't make today due to a family Dr's appointment. Very cool you got to meet Calhoun. I was looking forward to going & hearing what he had to say.

 

[8893]

Thanks for that. B1G definitely seems to be the present administration's long-term plan, and I think it's a better fit and a smarter plan, albeit one that still requires a lot of patience, work, faith and luck imo.

 

[The Viking]

Bear, I wasn't one of the 5 who won the meet and greet, but as luck would have it I was one of two winners of the raffle that was going on. The winners got to go up and get the prize and do the handshake/pic with him.

Oh, anyone want to buy a signed Magic Johnson jersey from me LOL. If it was Bird I would be wearing it outside shooting hoops in 20 degree weather.

I did miss out on teh other prize, which was a basketball signed by maybe former UConn players? Calhoun signed it when the winner went up. THAT'S what I was hoping for...but beggars cant be choosers.

 

[8893]

Bear, I wasn't one of the 5 who won the meet and greet, but as luck would have it I was one of two winners of the raffle that was going on. The winners got to go up and get the prize and do the handshake/pic with him.

Oh, anyone want to buy a signed Magic Johnson jersey from me LOL. If it was Bird I would be wearing it outside shooting hoops in 20 degree weather.

I did miss out on teh other prize, which was a basketball signed by maybe former UConn players? Calhoun signed it when the winner went up. THAT'S what I was hoping for...but beggars cant be choosers.

If it was a Bird jersey Calhoun would have grabbed it from you.

 

[BearJWS]

Bear, I wasn't one of the 5 who won the meet and greet, but as luck would have it I was one of two winners of the raffle that was going on. The winners got to go up and get the prize and do the handshake/pic with him.

Oh, anyone want to buy a signed Magic Johnson jersey from me LOL. If it was Bird I would be wearing it outside shooting hoops in 20 degree weather.

I did miss out on teh other prize, which was a basketball signed by maybe former UConn players? Calhoun signed it when the winner went up. THAT'S what I was hoping for...but beggars cant be choosers.

LOL - I'll look for your picture on the front page of the company's website tomorrow! But how cool it that!

 

[The Viking]

If it was a Bird jersey Calhoun would have grabbed it from you.

Yeah, if it was Bird I would have had JC try to sign it as well. He did try out for the Celtics once, why the hell not.
He also spoke very fondly about John Thompson. In fact they were roommates briefly - If I remember right it may have been when they were both trying out for the Celtics but not positive.

 

[buddy]

I was at an event today where Coach spoke and he took Q&A's afterward.

I asked him 10 years from now what conference he thinks we will be in. He gave a nice long response, but I'll cut it down to size for you. He said right now he would have to say the B1G.

Said because they are clearly trying to move East/Northeast and that in his opinion that they will likely not succeed by just taking Rutgers. He went on to talk about TV sets, eyeballs being important, etc. It was a good response like I said but I probably forgot half of it because I was like, holy I just took the mic and asked the greatest coach of our generation a question.

Also partly surprised that it seems he has given up on the idea that we wont be with our former BE rivals. He didn't once mention the ACC conference in his 3-4 minute response.

Anyway, got to shake the man's hand, got a picture with him and got to thank him for everything he's done for CT.

All in all a pretty damn good day.

Ten years is too long to wait for some of us.

 

[The Viking]

Ten years is too long to wait for some of us.

I hear ya. I would have asked shorter term, but I didn't want him to fall back to the easy answer of AAC. Had to make it more of a long term.

Hey, you never know

 

[UConn Hoops1]

Great day for you! Fortunately I've had several autograph/photo ops with JC over the years starting with the recruiting of Edmund Saunders when I went to Holy Cross games in the NVL in Waterbury. He was always very accommodating and friendly. I am thrilled that he thinks the B1G is our ultimate destination. Having home and homes(hopefully not an unbalanced schedule) with Michigan,MSU,Ohio State,Iowa,Indiana,Wisconsin,Illinois, etc. would be wonderful.

I'm not a football fan but I would imagine those among you who are would have thought they'd died and gone to heaven watching the Huskies take the field in the B1G. Let's hope it happens much sooner than later!

GO HUSKIES!!!
BEAT THE CARDINALS!!!

 

[The Viking]

Just spitting out more info as it comes to me..he thinks Purvis could be special. Thinks Amida could be as well.

 

[The Viking]

He said he wasn't interest in pay for play. Did mention some kind of idea that sounded interesting in that you set up a trust fund of sorts for a kid that he can receive if they were to graduate (or stay through their junior year at the very least, can't recall exactly)

He was responding to someone who had asked what to do with players who fall short of the NBA when that's their focus so much in college rather than getting an education.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

Ten years is too long to wait for some of us.

that's a lot longer than most of us waited for UConn to make the Final 4 / win a championship

 

[Adios]

Also partly surprised that it seems he has given up on the idea that we wont be with our former BE rivals. He didn't once mention the ACC conference in his 3-4 minute response.

They hate Calhoun with a passion. Don't be surprised.

 

[Vuce]

Not to be a wet blanket but remember, JC did say 18 months to 2 years ago that Uconn would end up in a good spot "within a year" or something to that effect. I don't think he was talking about the AAC at that point.

All we can do is keep supporting the school and going to the games. I hadn't gotten season tickets in several years - mostly because of being busy with my kids activities - but I made a point to get season tickets to both football and hoops this year because I think that is the only way we, as alumni and fans can really have any kind of impact on all this realignment. And maybe that doesnt even have much of an impact.......but at least watching the games is fun!

 

[Yonick]

Not to be a wet blanket but remember, JC did say 18 months to 2 years ago that Uconn would end up in a good spot "within a year" or something to that effect. I don't think he was talking about the AAC at that point.

All we can do is keep supporting the school and going to the games. I hadn't gotten season tickets in several years - mostly because of being busy with my kids activities - but I made a point to get season tickets to both football and hoops this year because I think that is the only way we, as alumni and fans can really have any kind of impact on all this realignment. And maybe that doesnt even have much of an impact..but at least watching the games is fun!

Two things happened that Calhoun couldn't see coming regarding the ACC. First, Deflippo blocking our ACC entrance when UConn and Syracuse were preferred over the SU/Pitt combo that was chosen.
Second, when Louisville was chosen over UConn, Fla. State & Clemson threatened to leave the ACC if UConn was chosen. Obviously, these two football schools weren't too impressed with our FB program.

 

[metsfan2323]

Not to be a wet blanket but remember, JC did say 18 months to 2 years ago that Uconn would end up in a good spot "within a year" or something to that effect. I don't think he was talking about the AAC at that point.

JC didn't say it would take 10 years, the question was where would we be in 10 years.

BTW UCONN's focus on the B1G is also the best way to get into the ACC. If the ACC thinks the B1G will eventually take us, they might try to beat the B1G to the punch. If BC and Cuse are worried about being on the same level as us, they should really be worried about looking up at us when we are in the B1G.

 

[WestHartHusk]

It's really a tough choice for Cuse and BC. Look up to us in the B1G, ACC or AAC?

 

[The Viking]

JC didn't say it would take 10 years, the question was where would we be in 10 years.

BTW UCONN's focus on the B1G is also the best way to get into the ACC. If the ACC thinks the B1G will eventually take us, they might try to beat the B1G to the punch. If BC and Cuse are worried about being on the same level as us, they should really be worried about looking up at us when we are in the B1G.

Exactly. I asked 10 years out in part because if I said 2 years out he'd probably just give boilerplate AAC pro-stuff. I have to say though I was pleasantly surprised he leans B1G. It mirrors what we're seeing from Herbst in terms of how she is moving the univeristy forward. And I hate the confederate conference as I'm sure JC does by now. Like I said, he didn't mutter the word ACC once in his answer. I'm sure that wasn't a mistake.
And I'm sure it eats him up all this Cuse stuff about how everything now is for real, greatest regular season game ever, blah blah blah. Cuse doesn't seem to embrace the BE the way Jimmy always did. Damn, I wish I had a chance to go buy him a few beers and get his take on a lot of stuff. I probably couldn't print a lot of it here though!


He's a fan of Herbst, talked positively about her again. And I'm sure he's on board with doing what we can to get a B1G spot.

Again, it's only his conjecture. He has more inside knowledge than we do, but that doesn't mean it's anything ironclad by any means.

 

[7774]

that's a lot longer than most of us waited for UConn to make the Final 4 / win a championship

Um, what?

 

[CAHUSKY]

Um, what?

Meaning lots of fans waited a heck of a lot more than ten years for us to make a final four and win a championship. Anyone who was a fan prior to 1989 qualifies. We waited that long for a final four, we can wait that long for a big10 invite.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

Meaning lots of fans waited a heck of a lot more than ten years for us to make a final four and win a championship. Anyone who was a fan prior to 1989 qualifies. We waited that long for a final four, we can wait that long for a big10 invite.

It's nice to have someone who understands

 

[Adios]

JC didn't say it would take 10 years, the question was where would we be in 10 years.

BTW UCONN's focus on the B1G is also the best way to get into the ACC. If the ACC thinks the B1G will eventually take us, they might try to beat the B1G to the punch. If BC and Cuse are worried about being on the same level as us, they should really be worried about looking up at us when we are in the B1G.

If you tell a BC fan the B1G is checking us out, a look of horror shows in their faces. True, sad comedy.

 

[intlzncster]

It's nice to have someone who understands

I think the other guy was commenting on the grammar:

Ten years is too long to wait for some of us.

That's a lot longer than most of us waited for UConn to make the Final 4 / win a championship

You typed "longer", instead of "shorter", which implies that 10 years is a longer time period than most waited for the first FF4. Which for the middle age+, is obviously not the case. The statement also wouldn't make any sense in that, "how is waiting longer helpful here?" Pedantic, I know.

I could care less and know what you were trying to say, but that's why he was confused.