Colin McEnroe: ‘UConn athletic teams are on welfare.’

[Ha Who]

He is drunk on the leftward shift of his party. His kind can’t stand any spending on anything that might entertain the people who work for a living

 

[BlueDogs]

Colin is a columnist for newspapers and is a radio host for CT Public Radio. Nothing against him, but maybe he needs to be asked about how most major state research universities also have competitive sports programs -- mostly in Power 5. Also, the college he attended, Yale, gave up its engineering and applied science school many decades ago. If Yale kept it in place, it would have helped the state's economy. Now it's up to UConn to regenerate the state's economy. He is being shortsighted like UConn's interim board chairman Tom Ritter.

Yale blew it in engineering and computer science, as did UConn, focusing on life sciences and getting it half right. It’s a lightweight in tech and inevitably will start feeling the effects of its poor decisions. Cornell, Princeton, Columbia. Brown and Penn are playing in big boy tech. As far as UConn is concerned, they aren’t even in the game, while UMass has carved out high ground as one of leading AI programs in the country. In the mid nineties, CT could have invested heavily bolstering computer science, but was too busy chasing the hydrogen evening fad which never panned out.

 

[whaler11]

The columnists in this state are so underwhelming. And have any of them left the state? Small minds abound.

good lord dan haar has a decent thought or two over the years by my gawd piling onto that trainwreck?

 

[Redding Husky]

The older, more established Ivies and Liberal Arts colleges have made the concept of a state flagship U tough to figure out. Small size of NE states and availability of great U's within a 3-4 hour driving radius have made it tough for any New England state U to be "the university" in the state.

You have to get to Penn St or UVA to find a state U which is looked upon within the state's population as a top choice of HS students.

It’s the “Northeastern” disease.

• Lots of elite private schools.

• Lots of well entrenched pro teams with rabid followings.

• The parochial belief that big-time college football is a culturally inferior Midwest and Southern thing.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Not quite true. Yale operated for years with a “Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences.” They offered several engineering degrees but were not at the same level as other schools within the university. About 10 years ago (shockingly mere months after Harvard made a similar move), engineering was upgraded to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.” It’s grown since then but it is still only a small part (maybe 10%) of the university’s enrollment. They could do more. They certainly don’t seem to have made the most of the old Bayer campus (now “Yale West”) in West Haven. It seems highly under utilized and thus not contributing greatly to the state’s recovery.

Yale dumped the Sheffield Scientific School in the 1950s. Lots of true applied science and industrial admin. courses. The program now is not too helpful for the state's business community. The old one was. UConn has to get proper funding for its engineering program and ensure there are commercial applications. The new president is likely to push us in this direction given his own background.

 

[uconnbill]

Neither is a sports writer...

Agreed but neither is a good writer period.

They should stick to what they know.....still wondering what that is.

 

[storrsroars]

It’s the “Northeastern” disease.

• Lots of elite private schools.

• Lots of well entrenched pro teams with rabid followings.

• The parochial belief that big-time college football is a culturally inferior Midwest and Southern thing.

You're ignoring that the first two make dumping tens of millions into "big time football" a sink hole for taxpayers and students. Money that could be going into a better engineering program or other academics is simply used to feed booster egos.

As far as the public goes, it's hard to create a market where there isn't one. The "disease" is pretending that CT, or any other northeastern state, can afford it. That a guy like Saban makes $7 million plus AND has boosters buy him a house while the kids make nothing (ok, some get cars and houses and whatnot)... that's kinda disgusting, IMO.

No thanks. You can keep "big time football" as most markets where it's huge don't have pro alternatives. But I'll concede that tailgating is fun!

 

[Redding Husky]

You're ignoring that the first two make dumping tens of millions into "big time football" a sink hole for taxpayers and students. Money that could be going into a better engineering program or other academics is simply used to feed booster egos.

As far as the public goes, it's hard to create a market where there isn't one. The "disease" is pretending that CT, or any other northeastern state, can afford it. That a guy like Saban makes $7 million plus AND has boosters buy him a house while the kids make nothing (ok, some get cars and houses and whatnot)... that's kinda disgusting, IMO.

No thanks. You can keep "big time football" as most markets where it's huge don't have pro alternatives. But I'll concede that tailgating is fun!

We have two options. We can become the University of Michigan or the University of New Hampshire. Both are good schools.

If I had a choice, I'd prefer the Michigan model. But it appears the people of Connecticut and our administration have chosen the New Hampshire model. I can live with that. We just need to pick a plan, stick with it, and make it work.

 

[whaler11]

We have two options. We can become the University of Michigan or the University of New Hampshire. Both are good schools.

If I had a choice, I'd prefer the Michigan model But it appears the people of Connecticut and our administration have chosen the New Hampshire model. I can live with that. We just need to pick a plan, stick with it, and make it work.

You are living in a fantasy world. Step out of it.

UConn will be neither - no matter how may times you stupidly say this.

 

[Redding Husky]

You are living in a fantasy world. Step out of it.

UConn will be neither - no matter how may times you stupidly say this.

80%+ of the money and public attention is in football, especially P5 football. The AAC was building momentum. They had one foot in the door. We walked away from it and lowered our relevance.

Maybe my hyperbole was over the top, but my point is valid.

 

[whaler11]

80%+ of the money and public attention is in football, especially P5 football. The AAC was building momentum. They had one foot in the door. We walked away from it and lowered our relevance.

Maybe my hyperbole was over the top, but my point is valid.

I get that you are far away and have no idea what is going on here - but your point is not valid in any way shape or form.

Also the AAC sucks and has zero feet in any door.

 

[Hoophound]

I get that you are far away and have no idea what is going on here - but your point is not valid in any way shape or form.

Also the AAC sucks and has zero feet in any door.

The AAC had a couple toes in the door and ESPN stomped on them and slammed the door shut.

ESPN will pay AAC schools 4-5 million per year net so they can compete with schools making 30-55 million per year net. That is the most emphatic rejection of the P6 claim one could possibly expect. That deal needed to be 10 million to keep the AAC together and 15 million to truly give the AAC a chance to compete and continue to grow.

 

[Irishfan]

You're ignoring that the first two make dumping tens of millions into "big time football" a sink hole for taxpayers and students. Money that could be going into a better engineering program or other academics is simply used to feed booster egos.

As far as the public goes, it's hard to create a market where there isn't one. The "disease" is pretending that CT, or any other northeastern state, can afford it. That a guy like Saban makes $7 million plus AND has boosters buy him a house while the kids make nothing (ok, some get cars and houses and whatnot)... that's kinda disgusting, IMO.

No thanks. You can keep "big time football" as most markets where it's huge don't have pro alternatives. But I'll concede that tailgating is fun!

Saban makes $7million. Geno makes $2.4 million. I bet Alabama football generates a lot more money than Uconn women’s basketball. Which salary do you think makes more sense. Or, to use your terms, which is less disgusting.

 

[Slick]

He is drunk on the leftward shift of his party. His kind can’t stand any spending on anything that might entertain the people who work for a living

Unfortunately for Colin without his family money he would be on real welfare.

 

[willie99]

Snarky liberal commentator who thinks he’s wittier than he actually is. Couldn’t cut it on radio or for the Courant. Has been wannabe

Here's a chart of his career

 

[storrsroars]

Saban makes $7million. Geno makes $2.4 million. I bet Alabama football generates a lot more money than Uconn women’s basketball. Which salary do you think makes more sense. Or, to use your terms, which is less disgusting.

Fair question. Best answer I can give is I believe the entire college sports environment is broken. And any "values system" of a society that's OK with that is also broken.

Guess I'm turning socialist in my old age... I'm deep into some depressing books like "The Arm" and "Winter Is Coming" that discuss abuse of youth in athletics (former) and decay of morality in support of oligarchs and dictators (latter). So maybe I just need to start drinking earlier in the day to numb myself.

 

[uconnfan68]

It’s the “Northeastern” disease.

• Lots of elite private schools.

• Lots of well entrenched pro teams with rabid followings.

• The parochial belief that big-time college football is a culturally inferior Midwest and Southern thing.

The same disease that brought home over 1/3 of the mens basketball NCs in the last 20 years, and 1/2 of the womens?

 

[uconnfan68]

Saban makes $7million. Geno makes $2.4 million. I bet Alabama football generates a lot more money than Uconn women’s basketball. Which salary do you think makes more sense. Or, to use your terms, which is less disgusting.

All of which begs the question as to why Alabama is such a poor state.

 

[BlueMAB]

No thanks. You can keep "big time football" as most markets where it's huge don't have pro alternatives. But I'll concede that tailgating is fun!

Michigan only has the Lions
Ohio only has the Bengals and Browns
Texas only has the Texans and Cowboys
Florida only has the Dolphins, Jags, and Bucs
Georgia only has the Falcons

Have you not seen any men's college basketball news for the last 2 years??

Notices of allegations coming after hoops scandal

2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal - Wikipedia

Who’s on Trial in the College Basketball Scandal? Not the Big Names

 

[Irishfan]

All of which begs the question as to why Alabama is such a poor state.

Alabama football made a profit of $48 million last year. There are probably many reasons that Alabama is a poor state, but I doubt it has much to do with Alabama football. Compare the profits generated by Alabama football and the financial performance of UConn women’s basketball, and it appears that maybe Saban is making a fair wage compared to Geno.

 

[DefCONNOne]

Being outside of CT and not a Courant subscriber, this is first I've heard of Burton's company's bankruptcy and Herbst's board position there. Read some other articles on Burton this morning. Sounds like a mini-Trump vis a vis sleaze & nepotism (he was that way well before being potus, so that's a non-political statement). Which I guess is what FB-first fans want.

I like watching college football. But I hate SEC-quality booster sleaze and influence peddling. Call me naive, but this crap only adds to an already bad look.

Sad. Just sad.

You won and you still feel the need to take cheap shots at those of us who see this move differently than you.

 

[storrsroars]

Sad. Just sad.

You won and you still feel the need to take cheap shots at those of us who see this move differently than you.

I never saw, nor currently see, this as a zero-sum game. And I believe my opinion on this is easily justified by comments on the many threads from the pro-P5 faction. Keep on spending like a drunk sailor, damn the issues that would result from that.

I'm taking a long view and I hope FB comes out of it in some form that's still entertaining, although unlikely to result in an NC (which, let's face it, wasn't ever going to happen).

Lots of economic and other problems in your state (my former home) that UConn could participate in helping to solve. But putting lipstick on a pig of a FB program ain't one of them.

 

[storrsroars]

Michigan only has the Lions
Ohio only has the Bengals and Browns
Texas only has the Texans and Cowboys
Florida only has the Dolphins, Jags, and Bucs
Georgia only has the Falcons

Have you not seen any men's college basketball news for the last 2 years??

Notices of allegations coming after hoops scandal

2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal - Wikipedia

Who’s on Trial in the College Basketball Scandal? Not the Big Names

What's your point? I've said multiple times that college sports is broken, football and hoops.

Oh, and Massachusetts only has the Patriots.

 

[uconnfan68]

Alabama football made a profit of $48 million last year. There are probably many reasons that Alabama is a poor state, but I doubt it has much to do with Alabama football. Compare the profits generated by Alabama football and the financial performance of UConn women’s basketball, and it appears that maybe Saban is making a fair wage compared to Geno.

Just wondering where $48million in PROFIT came from. Couldn’t be all tv money.

 

[BlueMAB]

What's your point? I've said multiple times that college sports is broken, football and hoops.

Oh, and Massachusetts only has the Patriots.

The point was you were wrong. Not only about the "most markets" idea, but your mischaracterization of "football first" fans. But don't let the facts get in the way.