Conversation with Benedict

[RedStickHusky]

On another note, as an athlete, I know what athletes go through not wanting to sit out or miss time. Unless its really apparent (a player is knocked out cold) anyone on the outside has no idea if a concussion has happened. A lot of these "injuries or head injuries" need to be called by the players on themselves. My head has hit the hardwood on a basketball court more than a handful of times. Knocked me silly, but I bounced back up to continue. A competitive athlete not wanting to sit would never call a concussion on themselves if it meant missing time. Sure some responsibility lies on the coaching and medical staff, but a lot lies on the athlete for the more non obvious concussions.

For instance, how does Cochran sustain 12 concussions in his career and no one made a deal about it? 12 concussions. And it seems he was never out of harms way for more than a game. 4 years of HS and 3 years of college and he had 12 concussions. How many do you think his coaches even knew about?! To me, that's scary. Athletes are putting themselves in harms way and their brains in jeopardy. How can anyone else be held reliable unless they were certain something was wrong?

I've been thinking (hoping?) that kids (and coaches) today are a little smarter than they were in my day (the 70s). "Play through it", "Rub some dirt on it", "don't give the guy wanting your spot a chance to see the field" that was football culture - with a lot of deferred consequences later in life... We were also taught that tackling involved planting your face in a ball carriers chest -- shoulder tackles would get you benched.

 

[jdb50]

Whitmer and Cochran never played for BD. And It's never been reported that BS played with a concussion. Messed up ribs yes, but he sat out after concussions.

Casey got his last football concussion playing for Diaco in the opener of 2014 against BYU. Chandler played his last snaps against Army that same year.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Casey got his last football concussion playing for Diaco in the opener of 2014 against BYU. Chandler played his last snaps against Army that same year.

So his last pass was that 100 yard pick six? Ouch.

 

[jdb50]

Yes tough way to end his career.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Ask him yourself. I'm telling you. He's very approachable. Besides what do I have to gain by making it up? I've been around here for a while, @BrassBonanza and I don't care for the insinuation that I'm lying. I support him so far. I appreciate him not blowing smoke.

I don't mean to call you a liar, but you can see where my skepticism lies in that not a single journalist in the state can get a quote out of DB that Diaco is returning, but a random fan can walk up to him at a basketball game and get that info?

 

[BNich]

I've been thinking (hoping?) that kids (and coaches) today are a little smarter than they were in my day (the 70s). "Play through it", "Rub some dirt on it", "don't give the guy wanting your spot a chance to see the field" that was football culture - with a lot of deferred consequences later in life... We were also taught that tackling involved planting your face in a ball carriers chest -- shoulder tackles would get you benched.

I ask all of the past football players from decades past ( I say this as kindly as I can) please share your thoughts about your own head injury concerns or instances. How did you feel and what did you do?

 

[BNich]

Casey got his last football concussion playing for Diaco in the opener of 2014 against BYU. Chandler played his last snaps against Army that same year.

That wasn't my point. It's those that hide head injuries wanting to continue to play instead of missing time.

 

[Chief00]

I'll say this... It's always refreshing when Jarhead posts on this board (avatar is the best by far)...

But I think the toughest part about all of this as fans is being THE WORST out of all FBS schools at something. THE WORST... when 5/6 years ago we were in a bowl game vs. OU in the Fiesta Bowl... How could this happen? We were bowling pretty much every year and, although our passing game wasn't too good, we were aggressive, physical on both sides of the ball and we produced... This year, once the UCF game happened, it seemed all the momentum to succeed died on the field of play. We're 3 years in with recruits under him too. Tough tough pill to swallow being a laughing stock... Right now guys like funny looking Paul Finebaum, used to be chubby man Mark May, bad knees Robert Smith are tickled to death that we suck because that's what they thought all along... That I hate....

Fact: Diaco is here for another season at least. Hopefully, some soul searching will allow him to not let his ego get in the way of putting this team back on the winning track... The stuff he's doing doesn't work, at all. Not on the field of play at least....

The problem is now he has lost the team off the field and that was his one strength.

 

[Chief00]

Do you really believe that if the truth was "he would have been fired on Halloween if the board approved my incurring the $5 million cost" he would have said that instead of some boiler plate answer for this situation?

Thank you - glad you came around to my thinking on Susan Herbst.

 

[Stainmaster]

The problem is now he has lost the team off the field and that was his one strength.

What you're saying contradicts my eyes and ears inside practice.

 

[jdb50]

That wasn't my point. It's those that hide head injuries wanting to continue to play instead of missing time.

I know, was just pointing out they both did play for BD. I think we have turned the corner on taking concussions seriously and hope athletes don't hide it anymore. Played in the 70's got my bell rung, no problem era.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Thank you - glad you came around to my thinking on Susan Herbst.

I don't believe I have. I'm of the opinion that she is as good as we've ever had at the position and if she got the job decade earlier we would be in the B1G today with a 60,000 seat Rent, AAU status, a top ten public academic ranking and a $1 billion endowment.

My guess is that you don't view her quite as highly as I do.

 

[Chief00]

I don't believe I have. I'm of the opinion that she is as good as we've ever had at the position and if she got the job decade earlier we would be in the B1G today with a 60,000 seat Rent, AAU status, a top ten public academic ranking and a $1 billion endowment.

My guess is that you don't view her quite as highly as I do.

Correct - Both Hogan and Austin were more liked and connected in the Presidents club.

 

[Chief00]

What you're saying contradicts my eyes and ears inside practice.

My sources are very good.

 

[Stainmaster]

My sources are very good.

Has your source worked for the AD for over 50 years? How many NCAA tournament appearances have they directly presided over? Do they have a 100% attendance rate at all of the practices during Diaco's tenure?

I want the guy fired as much as you do, but for the love of god stop making up stuff and pretending you're clued in. It's pathetic as all heck.

 

[BNich]

I know, was just pointing out they both did play for BD. I think we have turned the corner on taking concussions seriously and hope athletes don't hide it anymore. Played in the 70's got my bell rung, no problem era.

Neither played for BD. DID you not get th

 

[Jarhead_1775]

I don't mean to call you a liar, but you can see where my skepticism lies in that not a single journalist in the state can get a quote out of DB that Diaco is returning, but a random fan can walk up to him at a basketball game and get that info?

Did they even try?

 

[Chief00]

Has your source worked for the AD for over 50 years? How many NCAA tournament appearances have they directly presided over? Do they have a 100% attendance rate at all of the practices during Diaco's tenure?

I want the guy fired as much as you do, but for the love of god stop making up stuff and pretending you're clued in. It's pathetic as all heck.

When I said he lost the team - my sources could only be in one population.
Not some paper pusher for 5o years in a state bureaucracy.

 

[Stainmaster]

When I said he lost the team - my sources could only be in one population.
Not some paper pusher for 5o years in a state bureaucracy.

Wow, your reading comprehension is atrocious.

Try someone who coached UConn teams to Big East Championships and NCAA tourney births.

If you knew who this guy was, I'd love to see you go up to him at the Rent next year and call him a paper pusher to his face. He has done more for UConn athletics than some guy who clung on a coach's coattails could ever dream of.

 

[whaler11]

Did they even try?

It looks as though AD David Benedict is rejecting all requests for interviews from the media.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

He actually said that about the Fiesta Bowl season? Wow, I'm done with Benedict right now. The No. 1 person who's supposed to be promoting our entire athletic dept. is making comments like that to a complete stranger who's a UCONN fan? That is mind blowing.

How can we expect this guy to represent the athletic program if even he's not sold on it? What a joke. I'd have rather he lied about it than say something like that to a UCONN fan he'd never met before.

I've never bought into the crap about how we backed into the BCS bowl game. Yes it was perhaps a down year for the whole Big East Conference, but we beat WVU and won the games we had to win down the stretch to make it. Why is it our fault that the league wasn't particularly strong nationally? You play the teams on your conference schedule. It's not like you get to pick and choose those teams.

That's the answer I would prefer to hear from ANY current UCONN AD, not that we "backed in". When your own AD thinks your prior biggest accomplishment in football is a joke, I cannot express in words how much I loathe the idea of this guy representing us.

Truth hurts , huh?
And it's a fan he never met? Not really. Go back to the OP, page 1. The guy speaks truth. You'd rather some fancy fish cake scented smoke blown up your bung hole? Haven't we had enough of that? You ask him a question, he gives you a straight answer. I don't like the answer, but I admire him for being a straight shooter.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

I don't mean to call you a liar, but you can see where my skepticism lies in that not a single journalist in the state can get a quote out of DB that Diaco is returning, but a random fan can walk up to him at a basketball game and get that info?

Sure sounded like you questioned his integrity, at the very least...but it certainly sounds more like you called him a liar.
Thin ice, Brass Ballz.

 

[J187Money]

Agree - is a year of additional Hell worth being able to say we fired Diaco after 4 years vs 3 years. Will that make us better perceived.

If the reputation out there is that this is a tough place to win, yes. This might be one of those "no win" jobs. I have no idea what coaches think but it is possible that our reputation hurts us.

 

[Chief00]

Wow, your reading comprehension is atrocious.

Try someone who coached UConn teams to Big East Championships and NCAA tourney births.

If you knew who this guy was, I'd love to see you go up to him at the Rent next year and call him a paper pusher to his face. He has done more for UConn athletics than some guy who clung on a coach's coattails could ever dream of.

I will take Jim Calhoun's coattails. My sources on this don't have 50 years at UConn as Andy does but they do by definition have 100% attendance at practice. Quite frankly, Bob Diaco's has lost the team and up until a month ago I wouldn't have said that.

 

[Stainmaster]

I will take Jim Calhoun's coattails.

Your disrespect for UConn athletics is noted.