Game Cancelled

[gars44]

And for the record, I don't object to your opinion or anyone else's for that matter. But I do object to your sanctimonious self righteous bullcrap.

Jimmy, you said it best.

 

[gars44]

The anti-government crap that follows all disasters is mind numbing. If Katrina happens, everyone screams about government incompetency for looking impotent when the worst occurs. If Irene's effect on Connecticut, which other than power loss was not as bad as feared, doesn't appear life threatening, people criticize government for planning for the worse (picking the absolute best site for an operation regardless of the site's normal uses) when it turns out less is necessary and any site would have done (which, in this case, is certainly true).

Basically, you simply want the government to know the exact effect of the disaster before it happens and plan exactly for that. Hypocritical crybabies.

And if the game does not occur Saturday, shame on UConn for having no contingent plan. What if the Earthquake last week rendered the Rent unusable until a thorough inspection? Or if East Hartford was hit by a hurricane? UConn needs the game, and the win, under its belt. Play at Willowbrook Stadium. Play it at Strong. Absorb the financial hit (which is not material, by the way, to the total damage caused the the storm) and get the game in so we're ready for Vandy.

This is true. I think the Rent is the state emergency preparedness center or something to that effect. If this had been much worse, and the state had set up in the Stop n Shop parking lot, the criticism would have been severe. So you can't blame the state for planning for the worst. I do, however, think that by yesterday it was pretty clear that this was going to be not much more than a distribution operation that could have been set up at a lot of other places.

 

[uconnric]

One of the primary purposes of any government is the welfare of its people, not the playing of a football game. Blaming Malloy is pure lunacy. He has a lot more on his plate than a football game (like the safety and welfare of a large part of the state). So people get inconvenienced, and heaven forbid some may have to miss a game. The whining in this situation is pathetic.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

False choice and a strawman argument. Not one poster in these 8 pages, not one, even hinted that was the case.

It's not a false choice. If you want to move the operations out of Rentschler Field, then you necessarily lose efficiency in the move. Therefore, in order for the game to go on as scheduled, a sacrifice in relief efforts has to be made. It's a legitimate choice, and one many posters on this board have absolutely felt strongly about.

Furthermore, while nobody in these 8 pages speculated that CT, as a whole, supported this, the general consensus among many fans is that this was an obviously stupid choice to stage the relief efforts here, and I am willing to bet that these football message boards do not make up a very large portion of the overall Connecticut population, and, if we were to ask them, I think we'd find that most people were much more sympathetic to the relief efforts than the die-hards on this message board. So when you call for the head of the Governor, who represents more than just football fans, you aren't looking at the big picture, imo.

 

[BugsyCT]

We just had one of the worst statewide natural disasters in a generation. As of now there's still about 360k people in this state without power. The Rent has been a designated Emergency Operations Center for this State for several years. Sorry it's an inconvenience for us, but like people here have been saying, this takes precedence over a college football game or any revenue it might generate. Nobody outside the box of those who follow UConn sports (and there are a LOT in this state alone) would even think this is an issue.

Most likely the game will be rescheduled for Saturday anyway. If that means a few hundred or thousand less people can attend - tough.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We just had one of the worst statewide natural disasters in a generation. As of now there's still about 360k people in this state without power. The Rent has been a designated Emergency Operations Center for this State for several years. Sorry it's an inconvenience for us, but like people here have been saying, this takes precedence over a college football game or any revenue it might generate. Nobody outside the box of those who follow UConn sports (and there are a LOT in this state alone) would even think this is an issue.

Most likely the game will be rescheduled for Saturday anyway. If that means a few hundred or thousand less people can attend - tough.

360k people without power in late August when it is sunny and beautiful is an inconvenience. Half that number without power for 2 days after a noreaster is a disaster.

The Rent serves absolutely no purpose here. It is a distribution center for MRE's and water, and I have yet to read of a single town in this state that has any pressing need for those supplies. We have heard that they have handled a grand total of 20 trucks. This operation could be held anywhere, including one of 2 empty strip malls and an empty movie theater within 2 miles on the stadium. Or better yet, set up a center close to the people who are actually without power.

If you are going to cover the millions lost here, then you can lecture us. Otherwise, stop with your sanctimony.

You want to do something good for humanity? Clear the whole operation out and send them up to Vermont.

 

[KingNittany]

I have a friend who is a Sargent Major with the guard, he returned to work this morning and he gave me a discription of the events around the Rent this past week. First, the decision to use the Rent as a staging area was made by FEMA (the Rent is CT's emergency ditributon center per FEMA's long standing emergency action plan). The parking areas were used for big and small trucks to come in and out of and move the various supplies around the state for relief. They like the area because of its central location, easy access to highways and large open area for storage, parking, moving trucks around in, etc. They were moving a lot more then just water and MRE's and there were a lot more then just twenty trucks involved. He was one of the guys sleeping on the bunks in the concourse for the last several days, no one is happeir then him and his comrades to finally get out of there. It sounds as if the guard and FEMA are starting to pull out of the Rent so that the game can happen on Saturday (look for a late start time) although some of the parking areas may still be tied up. The field itself was not touched - he said the ground keeper threatened to use a machitee on anyone who stepped foot on it. The only damage was to the polls that are used to raise the nets behind the goal posts when kicks are made, they were bent over by the wind and were still laying on the benches when he left last night.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The anti-government crap that follows all disasters is mind numbing. If Katrina happens, everyone screams about government incompetency for looking impotent when the worst occurs. If Irene's effect on Connecticut, which other than power loss was not as bad as feared, doesn't appear life threatening, people criticize government for planning for the worse (picking the absolute best site for an operation regardless of the site's normal uses) when it turns out less is necessary and any site would have done (which, in this case, is certainly true).

Basically, you simply want the government to know the exact effect of the disaster before it happens and plan exactly for that. Hypocritical crybabies.

And if the game does not occur Saturday, shame on UConn for having no contingent plan. What if the Earthquake last week rendered the Rent unusable until a thorough inspection? Or if East Hartford was hit by a hurricane? UConn needs the game, and the win, under its belt. Play at Willowbrook Stadium. Play it at Strong. Absorb the financial hit (which is not material, by the way, to the total damage caused the the storm) and get the game in so we're ready for Vandy.

The earthquake did not damage the Rent, nor was East Hartford or Hartford badly hit by the hurricane. We also were not hit by an asteroid or a zombie apocalypse, although it is only 10 am on Wednesday, so that could change. Since none of those things have happened in East Hartford, and since most of the people out of power are in the far east of the state, or along the shoreline, a MRE and water distribution center at the Rent seems like a complete waste of resources. I have not heard of any town demanding more MRE's. Have you?

If you want to set priorities for this disaster, the East Hartford NG unit should pack their stuff up and head north on I91 to Vermont. Staying where they are now, doing what they are doing, is a total waste of time and resources, and will cost the university a lot of money.

 

[suzyq]

Moving the game to Saturday is bad. Canceling it would be a horrible for the team and the fans. Anyone know what the National Guard is distributing?

They're here to keep balloon knots from storming The Rent demanding a football game....

 

[junglehusky]

Valid points Nelson... but how were we supposed to know these things IN ADVANCE? There's a reason people say "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst".

 

[BugsyCT]

360k people without power in late August when it is sunny and beautiful is an inconvenience. Half that number without power for 2 days after a noreaster is a disaster.

The Rent serves absolutely no purpose here. It is a distribution center for MRE's and water, and I have yet to read of a single town in this state that has any pressing need for those supplies. We have heard that they have handled a grand total of 20 trucks. This operation could be held anywhere, including one of 2 empty strip malls and an empty movie theater within 2 miles on the stadium. Or better yet, set up a center close to the people who are actually without power.

If you are going to cover the millions lost here, then you can lecture us. Otherwise, stop with your sanctimony.

You want to do something good for humanity? Clear the whole operation out and send them up to Vermont.

Yeah, you're right. No time for any sanctimony here. Let's tell the NG to move their supply trucks out of the way because they're blocking the tailgaters.

Good to know our citizens have their priorities straight. (Oops, there I go lecturing again.)

 

[ArizonaHusky]

Positive 1 more week to plan for Vanderbilt, but negative is they will have butterflies out, and we don't know who we are yet. Do we an Fordham share an open date?

 

[Excalibur]

Do we an Fordham share an open date?

No. If the game isn't played this weekend it likely doesn't get played. If they do play this weekend, no harm no foul.

 

[BlueMAB]

Listen Wingnut, I never said the Hurricane didn't happen. I said the government prepared for a level of disaster that did not take place. We were spared from a Katrina like disaster. I'm very sorry about the three people who died in CT, but three people die every day in CT in car accidents. Maybe you think we should cancel all sports forever because someone might die on the way to the game. Do you think the sport of football should be banished because of what happened to the Rutgers player last year?

And if you think losing power for a few days is a disaster, then you don't know the definition of the word you idiot.

There's something new on the interweb, name-calling and strawmen.

You said we "prepared for a disaster that didn't happen." Now you want to claim that's not what you meant? Fine. If you think the government was "over-prepared" and ready for a Katrina like disaster, then how do you explain only having 100 soldiers at the Rent? Do you think 100 soldiers could have handled the Katrina aftermath?

Why can't you answer a simple question that has been asked? If no power, water, or access to food for 5+/- days is an "inconvenience", then what do you call changing your plans for a football game from Thursday to Saturday?

 

[BlueMAB]

One of the primary purposes of any government is the welfare of its people

No, no it's not. Protection from foreign invaders, yes. Welfare, no. Read the constitution, there's nothing in there about welfare.

 

[Samoo]

No, no it's not. Protection from foreign invaders, yes. Welfare, no. Read the constitution, there's nothing in there about welfare.

There's actually this little known part of the constitution called the preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

 

[businesslawyer]

Lighten up. You can't reasonably interpret that use of the word "welfare" to mean the payment of funds to people who are not working. It was clearly meant in a broader manner.

 

[BlueMAB]

There's actually this little known part of the constitution called the preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

I stand corrected based on that usage. The word "welfare" has taken on a different meaning for me. I was 100% wrong in my post if you think of "general welfare". That's not the type of welfare I was talking about.

 

[Gregory Koch]

No, no it's not. Protection from foreign invaders, yes. Welfare, no. Read the constitution, there's nothing in there about welfare.

Yeah. I'm a libertarian, so I don't think the government has any role other than to prevent individuals from instituting force or fraud against other individuals' life, liberty, or property. However, the fact is that Rentschler Field is owned by the State of Connecticut, and like any property owner, they have the right to do what they want with the land. Of course, that doesn't mean I approve of the government owning land in the first place. Then again, I don't approve of the government running schools either, which means no public University of Connecticut to begin with. And as for the Constitution, the states have the right to welfare per the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights (which says that any powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people). I absolutely agree federal welfare programs are unconstitutional (sadly, the courts differ). But while I disagree with state welfare programs (and think they should be done by private agencies, which are far more efficient), they're quite Constitutional.

Edit per the crossed post above me: I am interpreting welfare to mean any program to provide for the social being of the people, whether they are in trouble due to unemployment, disaster, poor financial planning for retirement, or anything else that is not the direct consequence of another person's illegal actions (what I mean by "illegal" is "violating life, liberty, or property" not necessarily what IS illegal). But I'm not going to turn this into a political flame. Just don't make up lies about the Constitution.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I think this is a super appropriate place to debate the fundamental role of government's place in its citizens' lives.

 

[BlueMAB]

Gregory-read the post above yours.

I see both sides of this issue. I think they should be able to move this relatively small operations, but don't think the football game is more important. I think the Rent is a great location for these operations, understand why it was chosen first, but don't see why alternative arrangements can't be made with a few days notice for a small operations. We're not talking about thousands of soldiers, just 100. But I am most troubled by the people who minimize the disaster, who keep complaining about money when the game is postponed, not canceled (as of today), who rant and rave about the incredibly traumatizing effect of going to a game on Saturday instead of Thursday, while claiming 300,000+ people without power for 5 or more days is nothing more than an inconvenience.

 

[Samoo]

I stand corrected based on that usage. The word "welfare" has taken on a different meaning for me. I was 100% wrong in my post if you think of "general welfare". That's not the type of welfare I was talking about.

But it was exactly the type of welfare he was referencing - and that you argued wasn't in the constitution - the welfare of the people (well being, safety, prosperity). No where did he even hint at payments to the poor (which you appear to believe are unconstitutional).

 

[BlueMAB]

Lighten up. You can't reasonably interpret that use of the word "welfare" to mean the payment of funds to people who are not working. It was clearly meant in a broader manner.

Well said. It also reads "promote" the general welfare. Not "finance" the general welfare.

 

[BlueMAB]

But it was exactly the type of welfare he was referencing - and that you argued wasn't in the constitution - the welfare of the people (well being, safety, prosperity). No where did he even hint at payments to the poor (which you appear to believe are unconstitutional).

What part of "I stand corrected" and "I was 100% wrong" is confusing to you? I misinterpreted his post.

 

[Gregory Koch]

Gregory-read the post above yours.

I see both sides of this issue. I think they should be able to move this relatively small operations, but don't think the football game is more important. I think the Rent is a great location for these operations, understand why it was chosen first, but don't see why alternative arrangements can't be made with a few days notice for a small operations. We're not talking about thousands of soldiers, just 100. But I am most troubled by the people who minimize the disaster, who keep complaining about money when the game is postponed, not canceled (as of today), who rant and rave about the incredibly traumatizing effect of going to a game on Saturday instead of Thursday, while claiming 300,000+ people without power for 5 or more days is nothing more than an inconvenience.

I don't want to make this a whole Constitutional debate, but it's still unclear whether "provide general welfare" is being applied to the states, the federal government, the people, or some combination. It's also unclear if the Preamble is meant to be considered equally valid to the rest of the Constitution, or if it is just a summary. For instance, even though it states "establish justice" there are specific regulations set out to determine who gets to establish justice how, and when "justice" cannot be established (for instance, I may consider hate speech unjust, but it has to be legal). But that's enough of that.

For the pertinent issue, I don't have access to State Documents, an without filing a request under FOIA, I can't know the full details. (On a side note, perhaps someone should file a FOIA request to determine why it can't be moved from Rentschler. I'm not a CT resident so I can't legally do it). But I'd assume they had more than one possible site. And they could have used one of those. That being said, once they start using one site, it's not so easy to pick up everything and move on a whim. And if on Tuesday UConn says to move, there's no guarantee they'd get the place completely cleared out in time for a 7:30 kickoff Thursday night. That being said, I would like to know what (if anything) is being done, which is why someone should file a FOIA request. And unless there's a reason I'm not aware of, they shouldn't have used it in the first place. But assuming they are making a reasonable effort to satisfy all parties, what's done is done, and I understand where they're coming from.