. ESPN going to feature the conflict

[Dooley]

next year we bring that thing to UCF, beat them like rented mules, drag that thing to the center of the field as soon as the game is over, douse it in lighter fluid and flick a match into it.

We should double down on the trophy. Bring this one AND create a new "Free Beer" trophy in honor of UCF's 2015 season. Then light 'em both up on their 50 yard line and shotgun a beer.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I thought this was the best idea Red Pants has had since he arrived. But, true to form, Bizzaro Midas turned it into mud.

I am really starting to hate this dude.

 

[Skiblets]

You gotta listen to the whole thing on the this is uconn country's thread. He's completely unhinged.

 

[cheech63]

UConn (fans) have no interest whatsoever in a rivalry with UCF either. This is 100% fabricated by our head coach who was desperate to force a r1valry with literally *anyone* to use as a motivator for his players/program. Now it is a complete, national joke.

I hope this will put an end to this nonsense. I could not care less about UCF and am beyond frustrated that we opened ourselves up to be completely embarrassed by a school and program that is so much further down on the potential P5 food chain.

The only rivalry Uconn really ever had was against Rutgirls.The fans hated each other, and the games were always close.There will never really be a rivalry against anybody in this conference.

 

[BlueandOG]

F ESPN. You guys put us in a rinky-dink league and now you have to kick us while we're down?

The American is a stupid conference with no regional identity. Diaco tried to make a rivalry game to hype up his kids and have a little fun, and ESPN says "LOL look at this guy, trying to be like the P5. No no, UConn, just play your games against your weird new opponents and quiet down"

And F Diaco for not following through with the stupid thing he created. Bring that piece of crap to midfield after your loss and hand it to the other guy. Make him take it. Make this a thing, if you really want it to be a thing.

I totally agree. The idea was creative and brave and, like many creative and brave ideas, it failed pretty spectacularly. However, Bob had to do three things:
1. Come up with a cool looking trophy for the ConFLiCT, like a sledge hammer that had the team names and years of wins on either side of the handle.
2. Run onto the field swinging that thing around like you're hammering the last stake in the Union-Pacific railroad. After the loss, make them take it at mid field.
3. MOST IMPORTANT, check with the other guys before you go public to make sure their cool with the idea.

Now I think we have a real rivalry with UCF because they disrespected us so much. The only problem, similar to our rivalry with BC, it is only 1 way. A big deal to us, not so much to them.

 

[amory]

I think its less about ESPN and more about the fact that UCF had no interest whatsoever in a rivalry with uconn. Why force it?

We'll never know if UCF would've taken the trophy if Diaco had given it to them. All we know is that they didn't run over and get the thing themselves, which isn't surprising.

I dunno. It was definitely a dumb thing, but ultimately I thought it was kind of a cool idea on Crazy Bob's part. Too bad it never got fully implemented

 

[epark88]

Next year, I honestly don't care so much if we win or lose against UCF as I care if we obliterate anyone in gold/black attempting to run with a football. Win or lose, I want them to completely despise The University of Connecticut before we leave Orlando. I hope HCBD has the testicular fortitude to pull that off.

But first things first: publicly dispose of/destroy that damn trophy, and promise to bring the hurt in 2017...

 

[epark88]

Yeah, and about our "TV Partner:"

These Bristol slights against UConn have been happening, in various forms and outlets, since 2003. It used to be clandestine and underhanded, but now it's much more blatant. Bad UConn news in the forefront, good UConn news either ignored, downplayed or tethered to past bad UConn news.

Say what you want about me or my often-stated personal feelings about the Bristol Cartel, but look: is this stuff really just some crazy conspiracy theory if it's actually happening?...

 

[Showballot]

Next year, I honestly don't care so much if we win or lose against UCF as I care if we obliterate anyone in gold/black attempting to run with a football. Win or lose, I want them to completely despise The University of Connecticut before we leave Orlando. I hope HCBD has the testicular fortitude to pull that off.

But first things first: publicly dispose of/destroy that damn trophy, and promise to bring the hurt in 2017...

What if he has the, "Testicular fortitude" but we don't have the players to 'pull that off?'

 

[whaler11]

It's not ESPN's fault UConn gave them something to make jokes about. It wasn't even that mean spirited.

Van Pelt I can't remember ever going after UConn for anything and Stanford Steve said he was going to the UCF game on his podcast.

 

[zls44]

Say what you want about me or my often-stated personal feelings about the Bristol Cartel, but look: is this stuff really just some crazy conspiracy theory if it's actually happening?...

Yes. It really, really is.

 

[gtcam]

It was really stupid for HCBD to even start this
BUT I am on ESPN bandwagon - they didn't need to do it
I hope the whole ESPN complex gets sucked into a sinkhole and takes all those cuse grads with it

 

[epark88]

Van Pelt I can't remember ever going after UConn for anything and Stanford Steve said he was going to the UCF game on his podcast.

Well, there was that time in '06 while doing UConn highlights on SportsCenter when he cracked, "There's Rudy Gay - he was worth the money." Other than that, I guess he hasn't been too bad-mouthy about us...

 

[Caronimo]

Watching the World Series. A news after the game preview just informed me they'll discuss Diaco being mocked on social media and it then cut to him stating "I don't understand how it was a bad idea." Yikes.

 

[zls44]

Watching the World Series. A news after the game preview just informed me they'll discuss Diaco being mocked on social media and it then cut to him stating "I don't understand how it was a bad idea." Yikes.

FOX 61 IS OUT TO GET UCONN!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111

 

[epark88]

Yes. It really, really is.

-__-

It is NOT my intention to get bogged down with this crap anymore - I choose to live a happy life both within and outside of UConn Sports.

But man, you gotta open your eyes, open your mind, and most importantly learn to read and comprehend sentences to their completion. ESPN takes every opportunity it can, across all its various media outlets, to overtly and covertly denigrate and devalue the University of Connecticut, and it has been happening for over a decade. It is not a conspiracy, because it is currently. taking. place.

You are welcome to have the last word on this - I'm finished...

 

[Marty Jackson]

You know what creates a rivalry... Beat them.
Then beat them again. Bad.

 

[UConnNick]

Well, there was that time in '06 while doing UConn highlights on SportsCenter when he cracked, "There's Rudy Gay - he was worth the money." Other than that, I guess he hasn't been too bad-mouthy about us...

Understandable...he went to Maryland and is a huge fan of the Twerps. He makes no attempt to hide that fact on air. Gary "Flopsweat" Williams still hasn't gotten over losing Gay. He thought he had him in the bag, and Calhoun cheated to get him.

 

[zls44]

-__-

It is NOT my intention to get bogged down with this crap anymore - I choose to live a happy life both within and outside of UConn Sports.

But man, you gotta open your eyes, open your mind, and most importantly learn to read and comprehend sentences to their completion. ESPN takes every opportunity it can, across all its various media outlets, to overtly and covertly denigrate and devalue the University of Connecticut, and it has been happening for over a decade. It is not a conspiracy, because it is currently. taking. place.

You are welcome to have the last word on this - I'm finished...

Can't fix stupid.

 

[uconnbill]

I am on ESPN bandwagon.

How can you reside - and since I am NOT a taxpayer nor citizen of the fine state of Connecticut (but a stakeholder in the University) these are call on your legislators - and think you will never draw fire for the repeated disdainful behavior of this deserving State University. Many have said on the BY over the years that Government shouldn't be involved at this level ... why the hell not. Be a Public Servant and stand up to Bristol. It's time.

I have called my legislature's and have gotten the run around from.them in how we need ESPN to stay in Connecticut. I have said let them stay without taxpayers footing the bill. I would rather the money went to UConn then to a corporation that has been a thorn in our side for the past seven years or more.

 

[amory]

You know what creates a rivalry... Beat them.
Then beat them again. Bad.

But rivalry games are a thing and they're cool. And in rivalry games you play for a trophy.

Look, I get it. We didn't ask for this, and he's nuts, and a rivalry with UCF makes zero sense, and....he's nuts.

But at the same time, the groundwork was laid. Whatever embarrassment we'd have to endure already happened. UCF isn't the powerhouse they were when the trophy was created, so they're certainly not above a rivalry with UConn anymore. Everyone in this conference now knows they're stuck here. The garbage trophy Diaco went out and bought at Things Remembered has its own mythos. There's a story there.

And you know, if we can't keep this rivalry game then we're never going to have a rivalry game, because this is how any rivalry game we're in will have to be formed. Like it or not we can't go back in time and make a rivalry game that's actually based on something, and even if we could we probably wouldn't be in the same conference as that other team today.

It's a damn shame if they call it all off now. It is!

My girlfriend went to Northeastern so she didn't have a football team when she was in school, and she's been coming with me to UConn games and has adopted it as her team. There was nothing terribly special about going to a game against a mediocre team in the cold and rain, but I told her about the backstory surrounding the ConFLiCT and she was all about it.

"So Diaco created this out of thin air, like, just for fun?"
"Yep"
"And it's just called the conflict?"
"Well, he capitalized the FL and CT for Connecticut and Florida."
"That's actually pretty good. So we've won it every time?"
"Uh, sort of...Yeah. Well they beat us the first game but Diaco didn't put that game on the trophy for some reason."
"That's hilarious.....this is kind of awesome, we have to win."
"Yes, yes we do"

Long live the damn ConFLiCT.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't understand how it was a bad idea either.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I don't understand how it was a bad idea either.

Seriously?

As I have said...it doesn't really bother me that BD tried to make this work..i like that he is trying to build some excitement within the fan base. I like outside the box thinking.

But...how can you not see this is a bad idea? What other example do you have where a school created a rivalry with another school THAT THEY HAD NOTHING IN COMMON WITH other than they were forced into a conference together a few years ago? If he tried this with natural rivals...people would love it BC....RU...Cuse...even Temple. But he picked a school that UConn has virtually no history with. UConn even has more history with USF. And the school is over 1200 miles away from UConn. Usually rivalries have a local flavor.

It's just odd....it didn't work...but...really..who cares. Credit to him for trying..i just wish he picked a school that had more relevance.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

At the time UCF by all appearances was the biggest kid on the block and for us to publicly claim we were going after them (considering where we were at the time) was a very bold move and a statement to the entire team as to what he was aiming for.

The bulk of this was lost once UCF's 2015 season turned into a dumpster fire but at the time Diaco went public with this, nobody thought UCF was about to take the nose dive they ended up with.

 

[Bomber36]

Remember how it felt walking into the Rent when we played Rutgers? That was a rivalry. We don't have that feeling with a single team on our schedule, so why would ESPN make light of this? I thought it was silly, but it makes more sense in the context of trying to recapture some of the excitement that we've lost these last few years.