Dannel Malloy ... where are YOU?

[Pudge]

Connecticut Governor/BC grad ... what have you done for your University? The Public State University of Connecticut.

Why vote for this POS? We have watched since 2003: this is one of the most important plays happening in State after State. In Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Kansas ... Governors & Senators have been directly out front or somewhere working the phones. What has Malloy done?

And ... he has HUGE leverage. Instead, he went the other way ... imho. He pushed all the sweeteners to ESPN he could. PILOT program; Grants; Job Training money; Infrastructure to Bristol. What are we getting for it? A serious debilitating crunch from that Corporate Citizen of Connecticut.

Governor Malloy ... what say you?

 

[uc1974]

Isn't he in China or in route back somewhere over the Pacific? I'll bet the Chinese are as impressed with him as we are.

 

[TRest]

Governor Rowland and Blumenthal really helped us out the last time around. Politicians should not be facking around in conference realignment matters. Anyone who thinks a 20million or whatever tax break to ESPN/ABC is some kind of leverage is mistaken.

 

[ZooCougar]

Democrats are like Italian cars. They always break down when you really need them the most.

 

[ScottVib]

he's busy riding the busway

 

[uconnric]

Connecticut Governor/BC grad ... what have you done for your University? The Public State University of Connecticut.

Why vote for this POS? We have watched since 2003: this is one of the most important plays happening in State after State. In Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Kansas ... Governors & Senators have been directly out front or somewhere working the phones. What has Malloy done?

And ... he has HUGE leverage. Instead, he went the other way ... imho. He pushed all the sweeteners to ESPN he could. PILOT program; Grants; Job Training money; Infrastructure to Bristol. What are we getting for it? A serious debilitating crunch from that Corporate Citizen of Connecticut.

Governor Malloy ... what say you?

Are you serious? You think all Malloy has to do is make a call or put some unknown force of political pressure on the ACC or ESPN and we get invited? Get real.

 

[Adios]

Virginia Tech and Baylor used political pressure.

http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=3998&q=479082

Just type "UConn to ACC" in the title.

 

[TRest]

Virginia Tech and Baylor used political pressure.

http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=3998&q=479082

Just type "UConn to ACC" in the title.

They pressured fellow in-state institutions. If Central Ct was in the ACC maybe this would work.

 

[CL82]

They pressured fellow in-state institutions. If Central Ct was in the ACC maybe this would work.

Thank you.

 

[Hoophound]

The pressure needs to be on ESPN.

 

[CL82]

The pressure needs to be on ESPN.

So, specifically, how would you preasure them?

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

So, specifically, how would you preasure them?

If a governor can't put pressure on a private business within its borders for actions that may significantly weaken one of the largest public investments in the state, then he's one sorry politician.

 

[The Funster]

I would prefer to see the politicos stay out of this for now.

 

[Adios]

You can pressure him with votes. ESPN is a multi-national corporation. They are above college athletics.

 

[Hoophound]

So, specifically, how would you preasure them?

Without first hand knowledge of the dynamics of the relationship, I can't say for sure. I would guess that getting in their face about looking out for UConn given their history together and the tax breaks given to ESPN by the state would be a start. How about threatening an inquiry into the matter given Gene 's statements? Maybe that threat would help.

On the less combative side (my preference), how about asking them to help get it done and offering more state incentives to do so? I'm not sure what that incentive would be but I am sure ESPN has some ideas. Politics is nothing more than convincing other people to do as you wish. You get in there and start imposing your will. If that doesn't work, you grease the wheels.

 

[CL82]

Without first hand knowledge of the dynamics of the relationship, I can't say for sure. I would guess that getting in their face about looking out for UConn given their history together and the tax breaks given to ESPN by the state would be a start. How about threatening an inquiry into the matter given Gene 's statements? Maybe that threat would help.

On the less combative side (my preference), how about asking them to help get it done and offering more state incentives to do so? I'm not sure what that incentive would be but I am sure ESPN has some ideas. Politics is nothing more than convincing other people to do as you wish. You get in there and start imposing your will. If that doesn't work, you grease the wheels.

Hoophound that is a more thoughtful analysis than many who advocate for this route. My instincts are the same as yours that "getting in their face" isn't likely to be successful. I'd be cautious about offering money for ESPN using their influence for a lot reasons. I think that your notion that you sit down with them and say gee we had such a great shared history, what do you think that we can do make ourselves more attractive is the right way to go. That is a thinly veiled way of saying, we'd like your help on this and we're watching what you are doing.

People like to play internet tough guy and suggest that you bully people to get what you want. In the real world, that route often isn't particularly successful. Far better to walk softly, particularly when you aren't carrying a big stick (or in this case, even a small one.)

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Democrats are like Italian cars. They always break down when you really need them the most.

So you were for big government before you were against it?

 

[ZooCougar]

So you were for big government before you were against it?

Nice straw man. I don't need him to create a new state agency, just be clever for once.

 

[UCFBfan]

I don't understand why people want to pressure ESPN into anything in regards to politics. Why would you threaten one of the most important business that's actually growing still in CT? This state is having enough problems and I feel that there are better matters that can be attended to than getting involved with this issue. You claim that Malloy is weak if he doesn't press this issue, what will you say if he presses too hard and ESPN says screw it, we're moving completely out to LA? Will you be happy when that huge campus in Bristol is empty and impossible to fill? I just don't see the whole pressuring a profitable business that employees a lot of people angle.

 

[junglehusky]

I bet the people who want Malloy to tell ESPN off are the same people who thought it would be good to give Notre Dame the "in or out" ultimatum.

 

[Pudge]

Well ...

This is a HIGHLY politicized cartel. You have ... using top of my head count ... 49 Programs that are IN. And we are not. In fact, while we are a Program that is fairly a newby in this, we represent a far underserved region of the country. And ... if you look at these contracts ... they are locking out an entire region; many states (big ones too); and major Universities ... from participating in one of the wildest cash revenue grabs in the history of Universities. For at least a decade.

Does anyone know why Baylor is in the B12 today? Why Duke/NC/Wake/NCSTate are in ... and a huge chunk with lots of population are not? Why VaTech got in the ACC in 2003?

Now some of the comments in this thread are Libertarian ... don't Tread on Me type. I get that & respect that. But, please don't be ignorant on what goes on at this level. Leverage is everything. And ... I can tell you with certainty ... YOU AIN'T MOVING the ESPN campus easily. I haven't seen it in years. But those buildings are NOT owned by a third party. They have far too much going on ... it's staying in CT. So, my point is that the Corporate Welfare we have given them ... oodles recently ... should have had strings.

There is NO doubt in my mind that G DeFillippo was right & continues to be right. ESPN has conspired with a competing league to decimate ours. We have been severely hammered for most of a decade; and it's setting up to happen again. We have leverage Governor. Boys & Girls ... this is the way these things work.

 

[Pudge]

I bet the people who want Malloy to tell ESPN off are the same people who thought it would be good to give Notre Dame the "in or out" ultimatum.

Tell him off? What is this ... a ballyard dispute? threaten them.

 

[junglehusky]

Tell him off? What is this ... a ballyard dispute? threaten them.

Same outcome.

 

[huskymedic]

Well ...

This is a HIGHLY politicized cartel. You have ... using top of my head count ... 49 Programs that are IN. And we are not. In fact, while we are a Program that is fairly a newby in this, we represent a far underserved region of the country. And ... if you look at these contracts ... they are locking out an entire region; many states (big ones too); and major Universities ... from participating in one of the wildest cash revenue grabs in the history of Universities. For at least a decade.

Does anyone know why Baylor is in the B12 today? Why Duke/NC/Wake/NCSTate are in ... and a huge chunk with lots of population are not? Why VaTech got in the ACC in 2003?

Now some of the comments in this thread are Libertarian ... don't Tread on Me type. I get that & respect that. But, please don't be ignorant on what goes on at this level. Leverage is everything. And ... I can tell you with certainty ... YOU AIN'T MOVING the ESPN campus easily. I haven't seen it in years. But those buildings are NOT owned by a third party. They have far too much going on ... it's staying in CT. So, my point is that the Corporate Welfare we have given them ... oodles recently ... should have had strings.

There is NO doubt in my mind that G DeFillippo was right & continues to be right. ESPN has conspired with a competing league to decimate ours. We have been severely hammered for most of a decade; and it's setting up to happen again. We have leverage Governor. Boys & Girls ... this is the way these things work.

Where the hell is Blumenthal when you need him...

 

[uc1974]

Why he's serving in Viet Nam. Chieu hoi, Dick.