Don't patronize me Susan

[UCFBfan]

Ten years of laziness and a lack of vision are the greatest problem. UConn's issues are almost entirely self-made.

That's a big ALMOST. UConn can only do so much in order to get an invite to a bigger conference. They can't do anything about that. What could they have done differently? The only thing I can see is upgrade to FBS many years earlier but who, honestly, would ever have thought they'd be in this situation back in the mid-90's when the decision was made to move up?

No one knows what happened or didn't happen behind closed doors in regards to getting into the ACC over Louisville or getting an invite sooner. So that's all hypothetical thinking.

I just can't say that UConn's current situation is it's own fault. Could their facilities be better? Sure. But would you be trumpeting these facility problems had UConn gotten into the ACC over Louisville? The answer is no. They'd be mentioned as things needed upgrading but that's all.

 

[upstater]

They also had a unique national TV deal. It was the perfect intersection of time and opportunity when the Big East and ESPN did that deal.

What now? What's unique now? There's a million channels, it's just hard to sell UConn-SMU when you have Syracuse-UNC or even Syracuse-Wake on another channel.

It's typical of how everything is getting swallowed up now. Remember when the MAAC had a couple of NCAA-caliber teams every year? The MAC? The CAA? The Sun Belt? All of them are way down, talent getting swallowed up by the major conferences, who have cash to splash on facilities and high-profile TV games.

UConn has a decrepit municipal arena 30 miles from campus. And an arena on campus where the roof is LITERALLY FALLING APART.

Ten years of laziness and a lack of vision are the greatest problem. UConn's issues are almost entirely self-made.

ESPN used to be bass fishing, college basketball, rodeo, bass fishing, sports center, deer hunting, etc. ESPN was nowhere near what it is today, nor did everybody watch it. It hit big around 1985 or 1986. For sure, it had the BE on Monday nights before that and that was huge. But otherwise, the channel was pretty moribund. No pro sports whatsoever other than tennis.

At the time, I actually used to watch a CNN sports show hosted by Nick Charles and Fred Hickman. It was the same as ESPN but just ran more during the day. Think about that, ESPN was going toe-to-toe with CNN Sports back in the day.

 

[uconnfan68]

ESPN used to be bass fishing, college basketball, rodeo, bass fishing, sports center, deer hunting, etc. ESPN was nowhere near what it is today, nor did everybody watch it. It hit big around 1985 or 1986. For sure, it had the BE on Monday nights before that and that was huge. But otherwise, the channel was pretty moribund. No pro sports whatsoever other than tennis.

At the time, I actually used to watch a CNN sports show hosted by Nick Charles and Fred Hickman. It was the same as ESPN but just ran more during the day. Think about that, ESPN was going toe-to-toe with CNN Sports back in the day.

Now they just screw UConn 24x7.

 

[Waquoit]

Why did she lower academic standards then when she could have made an even bolder PR statement by upping admissions standards?

To what end?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Cincy.
But what you forget about Perno's teams is they lost. Again and again and again. And they were embarrassing at times. Earl Kelley!!! And I assure you more than 8,000 fans showed up at those games.

It's amazing what winning can do.

To quote Susan Herbst, "Just win, baby!"

Calling BS.

We are one of the most successful programs of the past 20 years anc coming off a National Title in 2011 and Gampel/XL were morgues for the majority of games. I went to every single home game that season and aside from the 'big' games the crowd was nonexistent.

You think going 24-7 with a C-USA schedule is going to sell out the building to a pretty awful fanbase?

For crying out loud we come off a ranked road win to play #1 Ville at home andthe upperdecks behind the baskets are empty. Im sorry but that was a pathetic showing by the fanbase.

 

[upstater]

Calling BS.

We are one of the most successful programs of the past 20 years anc coming off a National Title in 2011 and Gampel/XL were morgues for the majority of games. I went to every single home game that season and aside from the 'big' games the crowd was nonexistent.

You think going 24-7 with a C-USA schedule is going to sell out the building to a pretty awful fanbase?

For crying out loud we come off a ranked road win to play #1 Ville at home andthe upperdecks behind the baskets are empty. Im sorry but that was a pathetic showing by the fanbase.

Calling BS on the fact that we had lots of fans when we lost during the 1980s? That's what I wrote.

 

[upstater]

To what end?

What are you asking? I'm saying she could have upped standards by admitting better students.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Calling BS on the fact that we had lots of fans when we lost during the 1980s? That's what I wrote.

No. Calling BS on the "that its amazing what winning can do"

We need killer ooc opponents on our home - not preseason or neutral court.- to try and get peopleto come out.

 

[upstater]

No. Calling BS on the "that its amazing what winning can do"

We need killer ooc opponents on our home - not preseason or neutral court.- to try and get peopleto come out.

You're going to be surprised. UConn will be ranked high with the wins and it will bring people out. You watch.

 

[zls44]

ESPN used to be bass fishing, college basketball, rodeo, bass fishing, sports center, deer hunting, etc. ESPN was nowhere near what it is today, nor did everybody watch it. It hit big around 1985 or 1986. For sure, it had the BE on Monday nights before that and that was huge. But otherwise, the channel was pretty moribund. No pro sports whatsoever other than tennis.

At the time, I actually used to watch a CNN sports show hosted by Nick Charles and Fred Hickman. It was the same as ESPN but just ran more during the day. Think about that, ESPN was going toe-to-toe with CNN Sports back in the day.

ESPN went from nothing to national basically overnight. So, yes, that contract was a HUGE deal.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

You're going to be surprised. UConn will be ranked high with the wins and it will bring people out. You watch.

I have all the faith in the world in Coach Ollie in keeping UConn in the national conversation most seasons.

I just don't have much faith in our fellow UConn fans packing the building.

All I can is I hope you're right.

 

[uconnell]

No. Calling BS on the "that its amazing what winning can do"
We need killer ooc opponents on our home - not preseason or neutral court.- to try and get peopleto come out.

Watched NC-VA and MD women's games and the stands were empty and i mean empty for both games.

 

[upstater]

ESPN went from nothing to national basically overnight. So, yes, that contract was a HUGE deal.

You are putting way too much emphasis on that contract. ESPN became a big deal much later after snagging the BE. It built up in the mid 80s with pro sports and college sports. Was not the BE. once it started bagging bass fishing, it replaced it with pro sports (NBA, NHL, and live sports talk shows).

 

[methodology]

Calling BS.

We are one of the most successful programs of the past 20 years anc coming off a National Title in 2011 and Gampel/XL were morgues for the majority of games. I went to every single home game that season and aside from the 'big' games the crowd was nonexistent.

You think going 24-7 with a C-USA schedule is going to sell out the building to a pretty awful fanbase?

For crying out loud we come off a ranked road win to play #1 Ville at home andthe upperdecks behind the baskets are empty. Im sorry but that was a pathetic showing by the fanbase.

The upper deck that was empty was the extended student section. The section behind the hoop on the visiting team side (lower and upper) are student section only. UConn had not begun spring semester yet and students were still on vacation. Other than that one upper section XL center was pretty packed and the atmosphere during the 1st half was the best its been in a while at the XL Center.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The upper deck that was empty was the extended student section. The section behind the hoop on the visiting team side (lower and upper) are student section only. UConn had not begun spring semester yet and students were still on vacation. Other than that one upper section XL center was pretty packed and the atmosphere during the 1st half was the best its been in a while at the XL Center.

The UConn side upper deck was empty as well.

Even being winterbreak that's BS for students not being there. Its CT
Everything is what, 1 hour from everywhere except Fairfield.

I just don't know what to say. A legitimate blue blood rival program comes into our house ranked #1 and we have 2,000 empty seats.

I know Im preaching to the choir here, but that is just pathetic.

 

[methodology]

There are a ton of people who live in MA, NY, NJ and even PA.

They aren't going to drive up a week early to putrid Hartford and drive back home when they can watch it on the HDTV at home. Are you going to pay them their gas, parking, food, and toll money?

Not every student gets tickets. They changed the ticket system years ago and they no longer go to the hardcore fans who actually want to be at the games. They stopped the camping out of tickets and now use a lottery system. That is bogus. If you want the tickets and want to support your team camp out that way the people who actually want to be at the games get the tickets instead of random people just entering the lotto just ot give tickets to a friend who starts selling them.

I have 4 sets of season tickets at XL center including uppers behind the hoop on UConn side. My cousins said it was fairly packed up there. I was sitting in 105 and the UConn end uppers were much more packed than the opposite end. Not full capacity but not barren either.

Louisville is not a blueblood program. They are one of the greatest programs in the country but not blueblood. UCLA, UNC, Kentucky, Indiana, Duke are hte only bluebloods

 

[Nostical]

One mans Blue Bloods are another's wanna be's, but I would put Kansas in that Blue Blood group

 

[Waquoit]

What are you asking? I'm saying she could have upped standards by admitting better students.

Again, to what end? L'Ville to the ACC proves that academics don't really matter. We got APR'd because we didn't play the game. Now we do. The key is recruiting players that can play.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

There are a ton of people who live in MA, NY, NJ and even PA.

They aren't going to drive up a week early to putrid Hartford and drive back home when they can watch it on the HDTV at home. Are you going to pay them their gas, parking, food, and toll money?

Not every student gets tickets. They changed the ticket system years ago and they no longer go to the hardcore fans who actually want to be at the games. They stopped the camping out of tickets and now use a lottery system. That is bogus. If you want the tickets and want to support your team camp out that way the people who actually want to be at the games get the tickets instead of random people just entering the lotto just ot give tickets to a friend who starts selling them.

I have 4 sets of season tickets at XL center including uppers behind the hoop on UConn side. My cousins said it was fairly packed up there. I was sitting in 105 and the UConn end uppers were much more packed than the opposite end. Not full capacity but not barren either.

Louisville is not a blueblood program. They are one of the greatest programs in the country but not blueblood. UCLA, UNC, Kentucky, Indiana, Duke are hte only bluebloods

80% of UConn's undergrad population lives in Connecticut. If you're a real fan, you're coming to 'putrid' Hartford to see UConn play the #1 team in America. If you're not making that drive, you're just not a real fan. People can be casual fans, that's fine and nothing wrong with that. Just cut the excuses.

Don't give me the bogus money excuse. Any student can get Hartford (upper level) tickets if they want for $5 a game. Come on.

It was not fairly packed up there. XL seats 16,200 and the attendance was around 14,200.

Look you can make excuses for absolutely anything. The bottom line is that this is just a microcosm of the UConn fanbase right now.

Spoiled. Entitled. Indifferent and not to be bothered.

All of about 2-3 programs in America would KILL for our success the past 20 seasons and our fans can't even fill the building to play #1. That's pathetic.

Give me a ducking break.

 

[CL82]

They also had a unique national TV deal. It was the perfect intersection of time and opportunity when the Big East and ESPN did that deal.

What now? What's unique now? There's a million channels, it's just hard to sell UConn-SMU when you have Syracuse-UNC or even Syracuse-Wake on another channel.

It's typical of how everything is getting swallowed up now. Remember when the MAAC had a couple of NCAA-caliber teams every year? The MAC? The CAA? The Sun Belt? All of them are way down, talent getting swallowed up by the major conferences, who have cash to splash on facilities and high-profile TV games.

UConn has a decrepit municipal arena 30 miles from campus. And an arena on campus where the roof is LITERALLY FALLING APART.

Ten years of laziness and a lack of vision are the greatest problem. UConn's issues are almost entirely self-made.

I think it was naiveté. Well that and having an in state broadcasting company that was built upon Big East basketball make the business decision to tear the Big East apart. So naiveté and the greed of in state company who was willing to gut a conference to the detriment poor old "lazy" state u.

That's okay ESPN can't pretend that it acted benignly anymore. There is no way it gets anymore Connecticut taxpayer dollars. We should never subsidize those bast*rds and they should be held to letter of the law, for zoning, traffic laws whatever. ESPN didn't declare war on us but they sure as heck didn't care if we were destroyed well they tried to maximize profit and destroy competition. That should never, ever be forgotten.

 

[upstater]

Again, to what end? L'Ville to the ACC proves that academics don't really matter. We got APR'd because we didn't play the game. Now we do. The key is recruiting players that can play.

You may be missing the context here. The claim I'm responding to is the one which says Herbst is deliberately downgrading the athletics program to adopt an Ivy League approach. I'm responding that, if she wanted to that, she could have upped the admission standards.

 

[Gurleyman]

I may be overstating it, but the one event which maybe turned the tables for ESPN and made it into a viable network was, of all things, sailing. They had in-depth coverage of the America's Cup with exclusive cameras on Dennis Connor's boat to provide never seen before footage. People became riveted to the coverage and it got absurd ratings.

I think people woke up to the potential of what dedicated sports coverage could do.

 

[RMoore1999]

80% of UConn's undergrad population lives in Connecticut. If you're a real fan, you're coming to 'putrid' Hartford to see UConn play the #1 team in America. If you're not making that drive, you're just not a real fan. People can be casual fans, that's fine and nothing wrong with that. Just cut the excuses.

Don't give me the bogus money excuse. Any student can get Hartford (upper level) tickets if they want for $5 a game. Come on.

It was not fairly packed up there. XL seats 16,200 and the attendance was around 14,200.

Look you can make excuses for absolutely anything. The bottom line is that this is just a microcosm of the UConn fanbase right now.

Spoiled. Entitled. Indifferent and not to be bothered.

All of about 2-3 programs in America would KILL for our success the past 20 seasons and our fans can't even fill the building to play #1. That's pathetic.

Give me a ducking break.

Completely agree. Was thinking the same thing at the game that night. Surprised this is even a debate.

 

[Hoophound]

Completely agree. Was thinking the same thing at the game that night. Surprised this is even a debate.

The postseason ban has a role in it. We play for championships. Many fans don't have quite the passion and love for UConn that posters here do. With no ability to win titles they won't come out.

 

[CL82]

Kevin Ollie pulling together a pretty good team that plays hard night in and night out, notwithstanding the inablility to play post season and the fact the team was gutted by transfers and early departure, all his first year, without head coaching experience and following a HOF coach is a great, great story. I'm having more this year than I have in a longtime (post season 2011 and Maui excluded).

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Kevin Ollie pulling together a pretty good team that plays hard night in and night out, notwithstanding the inablility to play post season and the fact the team was gutted by transfers and early departure, all his first year, without head coaching experience and following a HOF coach is a great, great story. I'm having more this year than I have in a longtime (post season 2011 and Maui excluded).

So true. So very true.

I am so proud to be a UConn fan/alum with Kevin Ollie patrolling the sidelines and the effort and heart the kids play with this season. I couldn't ask for anymore than that this season.

This will be my last post on attendance, because I'm already beating a dead horse, but go out and support these guys.

The 'value packages' through UConn to Gampel and XL are an absolute bargain. Season tickets that come out to around $15/game, where are you beating that? And for the remainder of the season, the 3 game mini plans are a great deal too.

 

[Waquoit]

The postseason ban has a role in it. We play for championships. Many fans don't have quite the passion and love for UConn that posters here do. With no ability to win titles they won't come out.

I'm not buying the passion baloney. Too many posters you are crediting with "passion" came on board after UConn got good and don't go to games. And too many folks you are calling out are passionate fans, they were there BC. And they hate all the BS that's happened to the program. Not just the post-season ban, some here like to pretend that laptops, recruiting violations, restraining order violations, suspensions, loss of scholarships, academic violations never happened. But it did and we lost a ton of longtime ticket holders. This program is like a Greek tragedy. I used to think that JC's career was the Greek tragedy. But thanks to the miracle year of 2011, JC got away clean. It's the program's elite status that is approaching it's demise.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

Again, to what end? L'Ville to the ACC proves that academics don't really matter. We got APR'd because we didn't play the game. Now we do. The key is recruiting players that can play.

The "game" is hiring a real coach. The coach is 90% of a college sports prgram. People forget that Alabama was a joke just two years before saban came on board. UNC sucked after Dean Smith. UMiami went downhill as their coaches got worse. Its all about the coach. UConn lost out on realignment when they hired PP. There have been other factors, but if they went and hired a big-name coach and brought national interest to the program rather than an old man with outdated ideas, they might not be in this mess. Even Cincy was smart enough to hire Tuberville. That makes them more attractive than Uconn.

That hire was a potential death blow to UConn athletics.

 

[Adios]

It's the program's elite status that is approaching it's demise.

I really think Ollie is the right man to uphold that status. He pushes it and backs it up. With barely any front court.

 

[pj]

You may be missing the context here. The claim I'm responding to is the one which says Herbst is deliberately downgrading the athletics program to adopt an Ivy League approach. I'm responding that, if she wanted to that, she could have upped the admission standards.

She did up the admission standards. Basketball lost two recruits this year to higher academic standards, and football lost a couple also, notably Lance Burlingame.