Connecticut Football

[FfldCntyFan]

I am all ears as to suggestions as to how to make those (our) voices louder.

I wish there were an easy answer to this.

I remember nearly thirty years ago writing a few rebuttal letters to the Courant (even though I lived 90 miles SW of Hartford at that time) when some older fans of the men's hoops program complained that the problem wasn't the HC (Perno) but rather the foolish idea that we should be competing with Georgetown, Villanova, St John's et al instead of URI, BU & the rest of what once was the Yankee Conference. I know that my few letters (which likely never were included in the paper) played any role but the there had to have been many more fans who felt as I did (which was that we could compete and should at least try to do so instead of giving up without even trying) and this was why we were able to keep a coach the quality of Jim Calhoun.write

Maybe if you a stray essay on the men's & women's hoops board when they have a thread questioning the logic of trying to field a football program could help. I've been bringing friends and coworkers to games (I normally have a few extra tickets) for years and I have been able to get a couple of people to buy season tickets of their own.

Perhaps a stray letter to the athletic department, recommending a promotion or marketing strategy to improve our reach in an area where we should be able to reach more fans. Hopefully some creative minds can come up with other, better ideas. There aren't ant easy answers and there won't be ant quick solutions. That doesn't mean we should give up. I'm in my early 50's at the moment and I at least hope 25-30 years left to enjoy life, which will include watching my alma mater's football games, hoping to one day be able to match up against a Texas or Ohio St, viewing it as no more or less of a mismatch as watching our men's basketball team play Kentucky in the final four 2 1/2 years ago. I remember the days when the idea of playing (and beating) Kentucky in the final four in men's hoops would have had people laughing for hours. I won't give up on the future of the football program as long as I am still breathing. Hopefully there are enough with the same outlook that we can make a difference.

 

[Srqhusky]

Alright the most positive lobgest whaler post i ever read

Either

He left his computer up and spackler typed it

He was hacked by soackler

Consoiracy kitty cannot be left out

New nedication is working. What is it i want some

 

[whaler11]

Alright the most positive lobgest whaler post i ever read

Either

He left his computer up and spackler typed it

He was hacked by soackler

Consoiracy kitty cannot be left out

New nedication is working. What is it i want some

The irony of someone who can't type a coherent thought talking about someone else's 'nedication' is rich.

 

[whaler11]

I wish there were an easy answer to this.

I remember nearly thirty years ago writing a few rebuttal letters to the Courant (even though I lived 90 miles SW of Hartford at that time) when some older fans of the men's hoops program complained that the problem wasn't the HC (Perno) but rather the foolish idea that we should be competing with Georgetown, Villanova, St John's et al instead of URI, BU & the rest of what once was the Yankee Conference. I know that my few letters (which likely never were included in the paper) played any role but the there had to have been many more fans who felt as I did (which was that we could compete and should at least try to do so instead of giving up without even trying) and this was why we were able to keep a coach the quality of Jim Calhoun.write

Maybe if you a stray essay on the men's & women's hoops board when they have a thread questioning the logic of trying to field a football program could help. I've been bringing friends and coworkers to games (I normally have a few extra tickets) for years and I have been able to get a couple of people to buy season tickets of their own.

Perhaps a stray letter to the athletic department, recommending a promotion or marketing strategy to improve our reach in an area where we should be able to reach more fans. Hopefully some creative minds can come up with other, better ideas. There aren't ant easy answers and there won't be ant quick solutions. That doesn't mean we should give up. I'm in my early 50's at the moment and I at least hope 25-30 years left to enjoy life, which will include watching my alma mater's football games, hoping to one day be able to match up against a Texas or Ohio St, viewing it as no more or less of a mismatch as watching our men's basketball team play Kentucky in the final four 2 1/2 years ago. I remember the days when the idea of playing (and beating) Kentucky in the final four in men's hoops would have had people laughing for hours. I won't give up on the future of the football program as long as I am still breathing. Hopefully there are enough with the same outlook that we can make a difference.

If you'd like to get a message across...

In the day of social media, you'll need a lunatic like HFD. You'll also need some student leadership.

Someone savvy with internet marketing needs to produce a site that outlines realistic expectations. Then through Twitter and Facebook you create a dynamic where you control the conversation.

The school should have done it for Conference Realignment. It's a huge opportunity for someone who can generate some buzz and wants a great item on their resume.

 

[Carl Spackler]

There is no easy answer is right. The best case scenario is that we somehow start putting the act together and win games, compete for championships and win them. But you need people in place, administraiton, coaches, and players who can make that happen. The only way you know you have people that can make it happen, is that they actually make it happen when given the opportunity.

I think the best case scenario, to really have a voice, would be to really put together a football student/athlete alumni combined with a student fan alumni document, demanding a clear mission and goals for where this program is headed. Are we planning on filling the stadium to seams so that it has be expanded? Are we looking to compete nationally? At what level? I think I want it in writing, and I think I want the university administration and athletic department accountable for acting on it.

I'm not talking about a petition to get somebody fired, that's asinine grade school. I'm talking about alumni demanding to know what our university is planning to do about the current state of affairs and what we aspire to for the future.

I completely agree - the concept of UCONN basketball competing with Kentucky in the final four - 25 years ago - was a pipe dream not far away, from UCONN competing with Miami, or Notre Dame, or Michigan on the gridiron.

The only thing that can hold us back, from reaching such goals, is ourselves. I trully believe that.

 

[whaler11]

There is no easy answer is right. The best case scenario is that we somehow start putting the act together and win games, compete for championships and win them. But you need people in place, administraiton, coaches, and players who can make that happen. The only way you know you have people that can make it happen, is that they actually make it happen when given the opportunity.

I think the best case scenario, to really have a voice, would be to really put together a football student/athlete alumni combined with a student fan alumni document, demanding a clear mission and goals for where this program is headed. Are we planning on filling the stadium to seams so that it has be expanded? Are we looking to compete nationally? At what level? I think I want it in writing, and I think I want the university administration and athletic department accountable for acting on it.

I'm not talking about a petition to get somebody fired, that's asinine grade school. I'm talking about alumni demanding to know what our university is planning to do about the current state of affairs and what we aspire to for the future.

I completely agree - the concept of UCONN basketball competing with Kentucky in the final four - 25 years ago - was a pipe dream not far away, from UCONN competing with Miami, or Notre Dame, or Michigan on the gridiron.

The only thing that can hold us back, from reaching such goals, is ourselves. I trully believe that.

I'd say two goals:

1. Convince people attendance is critically important in this time of conference realignment. Can a grass roots group help marginally drive attendance?

2. Get a realistic vision of Connecticut Football into the public awareness that is a stretch goal but not so ridiculous that it draws laughter.

I can see a benefit - if we make enough noise on the internet and show some passion maybe it makes the job more desirable to the next coach.

 

[whaler11]

Thinking a few steps down the line: get some momentum and get someone on WTIC in AM and PM drivetime. WPOP. WILI. Blanket the Courant chats. Beat on the beat guys on Twitter.

Jacobs would write multiple columns on an effort that got legs.

It's no different than any political campaign. A half dozen talking points and beat them to death.

 

[upstater]

The student sections were full, the sections in the rest of the stadium looked like swiss cheese.

What I'm really referring to is this: bring a lot more students to the games.

 

[huskymedic]

Thinking a few steps down the line: get some momentum and get someone on WTIC in AM and PM drivetime. WPOP. WILI. Blanket the Courant chats. Beat on the beat guys on Twitter.

Jacobs would write multiple columns on an effort that got legs.

It's no different than any political campaign. A half dozen talking points and beat them to death.

3 well placed billboards:

one on each side of I-84 in the vicinity of Exit 68 (UConn exit) message point specific and one of PP smiling directly across from Burton's office window w/ what the buyout$$ is

 

[CL82]

In 1987 when I was 13 I had my appendix out. When I recovered my uncle took me to my first UConn game at Memorial Stadium. They got beat by Colgate but I was hooked. Looking back he was happy to have someone else who liked going - feeding me a little wine from the thermos only helped entrench me.

Paul Pasqualoni is not UConn Football. Randy Edsall was not UConn Football. It might seem like that at times, but it's not the case.

UConn football is CoachCap. It's FCF. It's Bizlaw. Waylon, Pudge, Spackler, the UConn Dans.

Things look bad and they might get worse for the next three months. There are some players here. Des is a tool, but he's right about one thing. If this season is saved it's going to be because of players like Steve Greene and Yawin Smallwood - it's going to be saved from within.

If you care about UConn football I'd urge you to do a few things. Do not give up yet - they can beat Maryland. Do not stop coming to the games. Nothing sends a stronger message than a fanbase who represents in hard times.

90+ kids chose UConn and even if you hate the AD and the coach and the staff - please don't stay home. If they are going to fix this your support will only help. If you live in Connecticut do you really have something better to do?

Just think some day when you are on a bowl trip in a nice city and everyone home is freezing you can be the type of fan who can draw real satisfaction because you hung with the team and stayed strong in 2013.

Holy crap Whaler, who slipped you a happy pill? That was surprisingly upbeat. Nice post.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I can't believe no one had written it yet, so I suppose I was meant to - so here goes:

UCONN Football is all you too Whaler.

(and everyone else, named or unnamed, that has been thrown into a downward spin in the past weekend)

We will recover. We will act.

 

[UConnDan97]

In 1987 when I was 13 I had my appendix out. When I recovered my uncle took me to my first UConn game at Memorial Stadium. They got beat by Colgate but I was hooked. Looking back he was happy to have someone else who liked going - feeding me a little wine from the thermos only helped entrench me.

Paul Pasqualoni is not UConn Football. Randy Edsall was not UConn Football. It might seem like that at times, but it's not the case.

UConn football is CoachCap. It's FCF. It's Bizlaw. Waylon, Pudge, Spackler, the UConn Dans.

Things look bad and they might get worse for the next three months. There are some players here. Des is a tool, but he's right about one thing. If this season is saved it's going to be because of players like Steve Greene and Yawin Smallwood - it's going to be saved from within.

If you care about UConn football I'd urge you to do a few things. Do not give up yet - they can beat Maryland. Do not stop coming to the games. Nothing sends a stronger message than a fanbase who represents in hard times.

90+ kids chose UConn and even if you hate the AD and the coach and the staff - please don't stay home. If they are going to fix this your support will only help. If you live in Connecticut do you really have something better to do?

Just think some day when you are on a bowl trip in a nice city and everyone home is freezing you can be the type of fan who can draw real satisfaction because you hung with the team and stayed strong in 2013.

Whaler? Is that you???

As one of the 16 possible UConn Dans on this site, I wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be fighting the good fight with you. Mr. "13-0" is just going to settle for being Mr. "12-1" for 2013. In the immortal words of a great UConn man, "In trying times, you can't stop trying"...

 

[Johnny Mac]

In the last few days we've seen on the basketball board there certainly is a faction of our basketball fan base who'd love the football program to crawl into a hole and die. There were certainly plenty who never wanted to dip their toes in the water. They still don't get the risk.

Luckily Perkins understood the only way to sustain basketball was to get serious about football - yet some still can't grasp that.

The Big East Conference begs to differ. Time will tell.

 

[weyuo]

The Big East Conference begs to differ. Time will tell.

Yeah that's right... time will tell... tell everyone just what boat anchors Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Depaul and just about everyone but Marquette and Georgetown are to a conference. It's just a damned shame that UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, W. Virginia, Rutgers, BC, VT, Temple and Miami didn't cut the Catholics loose years ago.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Yeah that's right... time will tell... tell everyone just what boat anchors Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Depaul and just about everyone but Marquette and Georgetown are to a conference. It's just a damned shame that UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, W. Virginia, Rutgers, BC, VT, Temple and Miami didn't cut the Catholics loose years ago.

On the same page as you here... like the term boat anchors.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Seriously, if our fan base was told that the best we could hope for in terms of men's hoops is spending the next twenty years replicating what Georgetown and Nova have accomplished over the past twenty years (which was without question the best that any of those schools did accomplish) would they view it as a good thing or bad?

I like our prospects a lot better if our aspirations are to end up among the big boys, even if it does end up out of our reach.

 

[upstater]

Seriously, if our fan base was told that the best we could hope for in terms of men's hoops is spending the next twenty years replicating what Georgetown and Nova have accomplished over the past twenty years (which was without question the best that any of those schools did accomplish) would they view it as a good thing or bad?

I like our prospects a lot better if our aspirations are to end up among the big boys, even if it does end up out of our reach.

BAD.

G'town went 20 years with just one Final 8 appearance.

I'm hoping for a Final 8 appearance THIS YEAR!