End the Entitlement

[Uconn10922]

First off, I would like to thank the whole team and coaching staff for bringing us to this point and giving us a bright future to look forward to. When I think about what this team could be, not next year but the year after, I'm very excited about what's happening in Storrs. With that said....

I have to call out our fan base. We really have to stop with this sense of entitlement that we feel that somehow a magical run in the postseason is owed to us. I think what has really spoiled us are the 2011 and 2014 runs. We are so fortunate to have even one of those incredible runs let along two and now it's like some fans just assume that every UCONN team is going to turn into a world beater when the calendar changes in March. Those runs are outliers and should not be the norm at UCONN for years to come. A better way to have sustained success is to approach the program building process slowly and methodically. That's the only way to make UCONN the dominate force in the Big East and nationally. I don't want to say this but we do need to "take the stairs" and take our lumps before we become dominate again. The reason being is that UCONN is a great brand but it's never going to be a Kentucky, Duke or UNC. It's always going to have a chip on it's shoulder mentality that is willing to take on the world. That mentality thrives at UCONN. Calhoun built the program up progressively and after years of being known as the "best coach to not go to a final 4". Jay Wright had the same things written about him. Enjoy the process and stop comparing players and teams to the past. Those players and teams are not "walking thru" the proverbial door. Appreciate what these players and coaches are doing now because it's the start of something great. You never won a national championship, your teams did. You just sat on the couch and cheered them on.

 

[BlueDogs]

Thank you for reminding us we should lower our standards and expectations. We definitely ought not compare the coach and players to past models of success. They should just strive to do their best and that’s good enough. Usually successful programs work that way. They don’t hold people to standards of excellence. Really trying hard is the key. And yes, the folks that sit there week in and week out on their couches after pounding nails, driving trucks, working floors, etc. that are driving the viewership ratings, donating money, buying tickets. and buying merchandise should feel badly about criticizing the coach who gets paid millions from taxpayer dollars.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Thank you for reminding us we should lower our standards and expectations. We definitely ought not compare the coach and players to past models of success. They should just strive to do their best and that’s good enough. Usually successful programs work that way. They don’t hold people to standards of excellence. Really trying hard is the key. And yes, the folks that sit there week in and week out on their couches after pounding nails, driving trucks, working floors, etc. that are driving the viewership ratings, donating money, buying tickets. and buying merchandise should feel badly about criticizing the coach who gets paid millions from taxpayer dollars.

I don’t think you fully understood his point. There are many barometers for success of the program that do not involve winning a national championship. UConn fans like to make that the standard because it’s where we’ve had disporportionate success given our chances and seeds over the years.

Yes you should have high expectations for this team. Our history, facilities, recruiting footprint and resources to hire top coaching candidates mean we can get back to the mountain top.

But at the same time it’s not exactly easy. Indiana hasn’t been to the tournament in 5 years. Georgetown hasnt been to the sweet 16 since ‘07. These are storied programs.

We’ve been very fortunate and in fact continue to be. Getting back to the tourney in Hurley year 3 is on schedule. I recommend looking around at the other hires made that year and how those coaches are doing. Of course you’re allowed to criticize the coach, the question is not whether you can, it’s whether you should.

 

[BugsyCT]

Lower our standards? No. But let's be realistic. The Calhoun years are over. He's a Hall of Fame coach and built a championship brand here. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy to maintain that level as we have found out the hard way the past few years. This is Hurley's team now and he's still a relatively young coach that needs to grow into a good/great coach & recruiter. I think we're headed in the right direction again but we have to stay patient and temper overly lofty expectations.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Everyone gets a trophy culture.

Hyperbole

 

[Scoe]

It’s a message board the more you win the more people you attract thus a bigger chance of dirt bag fans, like having a successful business you attract more customers thus a higher chance of more dirt bag customers coming in. It comes with the territory.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Everyone gets a trophy culture.

It’s not “everyone gets a trophy culture”. It’s facing the reality that you can’t win every game and taking the loss like a good sport instead of being a whiny bi*** about it.

It is realizing that progress takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

[HooperScooper]

Yeah but this still doesn't help with us being upset that the team played horribly in a game they would have won if they just played mediocre. If they played well and lost then I'm confident I wouldn't be upset today. If they played well tomorrow and lost to Alabama I don't think anyone would be upset. UConn was a 7 seed for a reason.

 

[UC1995]

I don’t think we should aspire to be like every other fan base that hasn’t been there before. Good fan based can be disappointed but the last 12 + hours felt like a fan base that had foam flying from their traps as they were typing. We get enough of that with our society and politics.

 

[Scoe]

Is telling someone how they should feel a sense of entitlement just asking.

 

[Scoe]

Yeah but this still doesn't help with us being upset that the team played horribly in a game they would have won if they just played mediocre. If they played well and lost then I'm confident I wouldn't be upset today. If they played well tomorrow and lost to Alabama I don't think anyone would be upset. UConn was a 7 seed for a reason.

That’s it right there it’s fair to rip the teams performance as long as you don’t pile on players individually. I love our team but I didn’t like what I saw from them on the court. I’m sure they are disappointed more then their critics and I feel bad for them.

I don’t look at it as championship or bust but I do feel we played below expectations this year. I would say losing to Maryland as a disappointment is a fair assessment.

 

[UC1995]

Is telling someone how they should feel a sense of entitlement just asking.

I guess one has to look into why some fans are having such reactions to a loss. So many high seeded teams are getting knocked out. I think some people need perspective about where this fits into the grand scheme of things. I bet some of the reason that people are so angry is they lost some money yesterday.

 

[BugsyCT]

What was our best win this year? USC? Were we really that great?

Losing to Maryland wasn't that unexpected. Not nearly as much as the fact that we couldn't score or get any flow at all to our offense. Disappointing that we looked so bad, no doubt, but not shocked that we lost.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Yeah but this still doesn't help with us being upset that the team played horribly in a game they would have won if they just played mediocre. If they played well and lost then I'm confident I wouldn't be upset today. If they played well tomorrow and lost to Alabama I don't think anyone would be upset. UConn was a 7 seed for a reason.

No doubt hoop. We should have played better, it’s those that are extrapolating that into some long term inherent flaws that OP is attempting to reel in. Sulk away! You’re in good company.

 

[my2cents]

Hurley is the highest paid employee in the state of Connecticut. Expectations come with the pay. Getting into the tournament should be least of our expectations.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Is telling someone how they should feel a sense of entitlement just asking.

A lot of it is perspective and where fans think we should be in the process as a program. Personally, I am happy with where we are at and where we are going as a program under Hurley. I’m looking at the big picture and i see a bright future ahead.

That Maryland team was well seasoned as Hurley mentioned and we just didn’t have that same chemistry yet. We ran into the same issues against Nova and Creighton for the same reason.
They exposed our “freshness” if you will.

3 of our starters didn’t come into our program until this season. That’s a big deal. Hurley had do that to bring more talent into our program but it’s not easy to mesh all the new pieces especially during a Covid season.

He did a good job and the longer he has his guys together the better he will do.

 

[UCfor3]

Hurley is the highest paid employee in the state of Connecticut. Expectations come with the pay. Getting into the tournament should be least of our expectations.

This old chestnut. So he owes you? All major coaches make a lot of money. Deal with it. When was the UConn coach not the highest paid employee?

 

[UCDaveD]

Can I get a tldr?

 

[SubbaBub]

I don’t think you fully understood his point. There are many barometers for success of the program that do not involve winning a national championship. UConn fans like to make that the standard because it’s where we’ve had disporportionate success given our chances and seeds over the years.

Yes you should have high expectations for this team. Our history, facilities, recruiting footprint and resources to hire top coaching candidates mean we can get back to the mountain top.

But at the same time it’s not exactly easy. Indiana hasn’t been to the tournament in 5 years. Georgetown hasnt been to the sweet 16 since ‘07. These are storied programs.

We’ve been very fortunate and in fact continue to be. Getting back to the tourney in Hurley year 3 is on schedule. I recommend looking around at the other hires made that year and how those coaches are doing. Of course you’re allowed to criticize the coach, the question is not whether you can, it’s whether you should.

By any measure we came up at least one game short. Everyone can decide for themselves if that is acceptable. If you are just happy to make the NCAA and finish top 3 in the BE/BET, that's your prerogative. If you are satisfied with effort over results, that's also your prerogative.

Last night was a huge disappointment. If you ask the team they will tell you the same. Was the season the complete disaster of 2016-2018, no. That doesn't make it disapointing or acceptable, no matter if there were some nice moments and some genuine hope.

Everyone believed we were better than we showed in key games all season. This was the last chance to prove it and we failed. The best thing that csn happen now is to not lower expectations, make excuses, or convince ourselves it wasn't so bad. It was, because it's important enough for us to care.

 

[selles]

Everyone believed we were better than we showed in key games all season.

That depends how you define key games. There was a very key 6 game stretch to close the season during which we went 5-1 with every victory by double digits.

People are upset about last night and Creighton, understandably so. They were disappointing games and results.

But this team also won 10 Big East conference games by double digits. So while it's fair to be upset and criticize Hurley for a lack of adjustment to deal with the style that we saw from Villanova, Creighton, and Maryland, it's missing the forest for the trees to do so without also acknowledging that, as a program, we are light years ahead of where we were two years ago. And that we are clearly on the right track.

It's also important to acknowledge that getting to FInal Fours and winning Championships is extremely difficult, and that the process of building a program capable of those things involves a lot more failure than success.

The OP is about perspective, and there is a distinct lack of it - both after good wins and bad losses - on this message board.

 

[SportsFan88]

Thank you for reminding us we should lower our standards and expectations. We definitely ought not compare the coach and players to past models of success. They should just strive to do their best and that’s good enough. Usually successful programs work that way. They don’t hold people to standards of excellence. Really trying hard is the key. And yes, the folks that sit there week in and week out on their couches after pounding nails, driving trucks, working floors, etc. that are driving the viewership ratings, donating money, buying tickets. and buying merchandise should feel badly about criticizing the coach who gets paid millions from taxpayer dollars.

What he said went right over ya head SMH

 

[UCSouth]

I guess one has to look into why some fans are having such reactions to a loss. So many high seeded teams are getting knocked out. I think some people need perspective about where this fits into the grand scheme of things. I bet some of the reason that people are so angry is they lost some money yesterday.

If losing money is the reason for the b@#ching, I hope it was quite a bit.

 

[Palatine]

First off, I would like to thank the whole team and coaching staff for bringing us to this point and giving us a bright future to look forward to. When I think about what this team could be, not next year but the year after, I'm very excited about what's happening in Storrs. With that said....

I have to call out our fan base. We really have to stop with this sense of entitlement that we feel that somehow a magical run in the postseason is owed to us. I think what has really spoiled us are the 2011 and 2014 runs. We are so fortunate to have even one of those incredible runs let along two and now it's like some fans just assume that every UCONN team is going to turn into a world beater when the calendar changes in March. Those runs are outliers and should not be the norm at UCONN for years to come. A better way to have sustained success is to approach the program building process slowly and methodically. That's the only way to make UCONN the dominate force in the Big East and nationally. I don't want to say this but we do need to "take the stairs" and take our lumps before we become dominate again. The reason being is that UCONN is a great brand but it's never going to be a Kentucky, Duke or UNC. It's always going to have a chip on it's shoulder mentality that is willing to take on the world. That mentality thrives at UCONN. Calhoun built the program up progressively and after years of being known as the "best coach to not go to a final 4". Jay Wright had the same things written about him. Enjoy the process and stop comparing players and teams to the past. Those players and teams are not "walking thru" the proverbial door. Appreciate what these players and coaches are doing now because it's the start of something great. You never won a national championship, your teams did. You just sat on the couch and cheered them on.

Maybe the day after we lose to a LOWER SEED is not the day to make this point.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Is telling someone how they should feel a sense of entitlement just asking.

No

 

[husky429]

Hyperbole

People like to say "everyone gets a trophy culture!" but I have been coaching basketball, XC, and track for the past 6 years from the middle school, to HS level... from kids that can't run a lap to 8 kids that have gotten D1 scholarships for the various sports. I have yet to see "everyone gets a trophy culture" in action. It's a weird conservative talking point that has no basis in objective reality.