Good bye Boneyard

[StongingtonBob]

I started coach in 1988 (different sport). The team was terrible, and had been for years. My first move was to have a free bbq for home games. We had a big turnout for each game and got our first big win in years, finishing above .500.

You ar comparing a crappy high school team to a college team that has won national championships.

Get back to me when you’ve won it all.

 

[Purple Stein]

Totally agree. I was just commenting on poor attendance. We are bad, the teams we play are bad, and there is no emotional investment. Even in a down year, we would always show better vs a Syracuse, Pitt, or BC. Other schools, in more stable conferences, have at least the emotional investment.

Rivalries also come with time and context. When the Big East was formed, it was a big deal. It was exciting. And we played knock down, slugfest, epic games with Syracuse and Pitt. They became part of the rhythm of what we thought was "UConn Basketball" -- a bunch of independent teams coming together to form something greater than themselves. A bunch of teams that developed their identities and personalities alongside each other.

This time around, we feel like we got stuck with a conference. The Big East gave us a conference where the future was bright with opportunity, but, for many, the AAC is a conference where we wander in the darkness, dwelling on what we've lost. The psychology of the Big East's demise -- and the AAC's emergence -- has not been a hopeful one for UConn fans.

But, given time, the AAC could become a powerful conference, and long-term rivalries will develop. There will be great games with Houston and with Memphis. There will be great, overtime battles with Tulane or with Tulsa or with UCF in tournament games, and this will all become a part of what we think of as "UConn Basketball." When Tulsa comes to town in 2022, we'll be thinking about that double overtime thriller in the 2021 tournament.

Right now, people are more often looking backward rather than forward. People are looking at ECU and saying "That isn't St. John's." And you know what? That's true. The Big East was a gathering of regional independent powers, and the AAC feels like a gathering of national castoffs -- it fees like the Goodwill of conferences. And maybe that's exactly the chip we need to carry on our shoulder, just like the Big East -- and JC -- always did in the good old days. We shouldn't focus on what we've lost, but on who we can now become, especially if we're doubted. For most of the Calhoun days no one thought UConn was good enough, and that's when we were at our best.

For the games to ultimately be meaningful, though, that chip on our shoulders --and the mindset we bring to our conference -- won't be enough. To "shock the world" again, it's going to come down to great coaches, great players, and yes, great fans, too.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

"A warning for calling someone an Scalitoing Ashole? What are you, 5 years old? I’m done.”

The irony of this is delicious!

 

[Chief00]

Complete nonsense.

I get that you’re not a diehard, but there’s an awful lot of people who’ve lived and died with this athletic department for a long, long time.

For them to be accused of being “crappy fans” because they’re unhappy that Kevin Ollie is destroying the program is pure garbage.

Think more, post less.

I agree the “casual fans” live in a different World. They also probably haven’t invested in priority seating points or season tickets. But that’s really secondary, what’s important is the UConn MBB culture or standard that KO preaches but yet we see us play 95% of the minutes in a pedestrian style zone. That’s not the UConn culture that Jim Calhoun built. We also need to recruit shooters - that’s how you win games - scoring more points.

 

[temery]

More the merrier.

It's just the humor when someone says "I'm gone" quite often it means they come back. It's a fun way to track it.

This is the first lurker farewell thread.

More the merrier.

It's just the humor when someone says "I'm gone" quite often it means they come back. It's a fun way to track it.

My favorite are those who post their manafesto, then a see a new user registration alert even before I can finish reading their farewell address.

 

[raf46]

Good bye boneyard. I’m done with this site. The trolls have finally won. The people who started to poison the UConn well way before this season has finally gotten to me. I’m sick of being a fan of UConn and having to sort thru all the negativity to actually find out something here. For that reason I’m done with the site. Let it implode as I feel like some people want UConn to. It’s funny that for years it felt like it was UConn vs the world and that was great because when we were on top there was no better feeling. But now it’s just UConn vs it’s fans and a bunch of entitled ones at that. When your loyal you stick with something thru good times and bad. The fans of this site just want to turn their back to the program when times got tough. For that I’m out. Enjoy the eventual implosion.

Sincerely,

One less boneyard member

This is when the loyalist are needed the most! Hold firm.

 

[Hankster]

Make sure you buy something from Amazon on the way out.

LOL!!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

EDIT: English teachers are notorious potheads. My guess is they loved Auggie.

Yeah but it was because he was their supplier. Due to that they would happily overlook sentence fragments, vague pronouns and dangling participles.

 

[QDOG5]

This place is my guilty pleasure. I like talking UConn sports, sports in general, beer and music. I get that all on the BY. I'm not going anywhere.

 

[superjohn]

We’ve lost two home games and both had 15,000-plus in the stands, so I’m not sure where those wins are coming from. Clapping won’t replace an offense.

Watch any of the large football programs...when they’re not winning, the fans are Staying home and demanding that someone get fired. If Ollie did this as the coach of Auburn or Alabama or Notre Dame, he’d have been fired already

If they didn't have to figure out the contract mess KO would have been fired already.

 

[gtcam]

Dude, you have a point. I also find most of the recurring negativity tiresome and demoralizing. It's really rather overwhelming at this point. I come on to read and/or post and it is predominantly a s%%tshow. There are many frequent posters that just keep saying the same s%%t over and over and over again. Their same opinion repeated ad nauseam. To what end, I am not sure. At some point or another it is just repetitive b%tch%ng which is just no way for men to act.

Everyone has their opinions and this is a fairly open forum. As some have stated, just because they wish to see major changes happen does not mean that they don't support the Uconn program. In fact, this is a very valid opinion, shared by many, and also opposed by many. Many very knowledgeable posters have shared their opinions in both respects, with solid reasoning, and potential outcomes of one course of action or another. All very readable and worthwhile posts.

What makes the Boneyard a not enjoyable experience at times, and especially lately, is basically the abusing of the Boneyard format, free expression, by a dozen or so of the most prevalent posters, all sharing a common, terribly negative outlook when posting. Facts and accuracy are fairly arbitrary; there is so much B.S. interwoven into their arguments, so much speculation passed off as the truth to be, that it makes their posting that much weaker and insignificant. It is just resoundingly negative with no upside.

There is no reason to share your same opinion over and over. It damages the integrity of the Boneyard, and the overall experience that most of us hope to find when we check in here.

WELL SAID SoR WELL SAID

 

[gtcam]

Would be nice if Coach K decided to say goodbye.

What does Puke have to do with this?

 

[LIuconn]

Right? A player like Bagley or Zion wont play here until we get our house in order

 

[gtcam]

You ar comparing a crappy high school team to a college team that has won national championships.

Get back to me when you’ve won it all.

your reply is beyond negative a stupid
You are an arse

 

[gtcam]

I agree the “casual fans” live in a different World. They also probably haven’t invested in priority seating points or season tickets. But that’s really secondary, what’s important is the UConn MBB culture or standard that KO preaches but yet we see us play 95% of the minutes in a pedestrian style zone. That’s not the UConn culture that Jim Calhoun built. We also need to recruit shooters - that’s how you win games - scoring more points.

I agree about the shooters

 

[gtcam]

It means the fans are not to blame but we have a crappy fan base.

AW - why explain?
Sometimes those who proclaim genius show their true colors in their posts

 

[August_West]

AW - why explain?
Sometimes those who proclaim genius show their true colors in their posts

It's pretty simple. There are schools who have down years that still put 15k in a game in hoops. There are schools that put 80k in football stadiums who suck real bad. We don't measure up as a rabid college sports fan base even when winning. We won two national titles at the beginning of this decade in 3 years. Go look at the 15 and 16 attendence numbers. Should be up, right? If people want to maintain that people come out with winning, how can you do better than 2 titles in a few years? We are a lethargic fan base when it comes to supporting this team in numbers that others rabid college fan bases do.

 

[UConnDan97]

Good bye boneyard. I’m done with this site. The trolls have finally won. The people who started to poison the UConn well way before this season has finally gotten to me. I’m sick of being a fan of UConn and having to sort thru all the negativity to actually find out something here. For that reason I’m done with the site. Let it implode as I feel like some people want UConn to. It’s funny that for years it felt like it was UConn vs the world and that was great because when we were on top there was no better feeling. But now it’s just UConn vs it’s fans and a bunch of entitled ones at that. When your loyal you stick with something thru good times and bad. The fans of this site just want to turn their back to the program when times got tough. For that I’m out. Enjoy the eventual implosion.

Sincerely,

One less boneyard member

This is when the loyalist are needed the most! Hold firm.

Hang in there, 10922! Husky Nation needs you.

I'm hoping that your exodus from the Boneyard is just a "Superjohn Farewell" where you come back to post on Monday...

 

[Hugo]

They're not being labeled crappy fans because they're unhappy that Kevin Ollie is destroying the program.

They're being labeled crappy fans because of how they treat other UConn fans.

Any attempt to have a discussion here that isn't hostile, bitter, and antagonistic towards Kevin Ollie in some way is quickly derailed and the poster is attacked, and his intelligence insulted. And you seem to encourage this.

Some posters just want to talk basketball. Is there really something wrong with that? This is a place only for the angry, immature, and embittered?

Have you and Tom talked much about this?

I agree with you most of what you say, but why would the BY be any different than our current angry, immature and embittered society. We reflect the culture and society that we have today. I wish it wasn't so, but unfortunately it is.

 

[NowInStorrs]

 

[intlzncster]

Can we have a self-proclaimed graveyard with a tombstone, date of declared leaving and a tracker of how soon it is they return as a logged on user?

I thought about changing my avatar to a tombstone, but felt that would be too melodramatic. I really liked my old avatar.

 

[intlzncster]

More the merrier.

It's just the humor when someone says "I'm gone" quite often it means they come back. It's a fun way to track it.

Some do that and don't even leave...

 

[intlzncster]

Personal attacks are out pacing intelligent criticism by a wide margin. I got a ridiculously nasty email this morning, “A warning for calling someone an Scalitoing Ashole? What are you, 5 years old? I’m done.”

Tom's immediate reaction:

 

[intlzncster]

It's pretty simple. There are schools who have down years that still put 15k in a game in hoops. There are schools that put 80k in football stadiums who suck real bad. We don't measure up as a rabid college sports fan base even when winning. We won two national titles at the beginning of this decade in 3 years. Go look at the 15 and 16 attendence numbers. Should be up, right? If people want to maintain that people come out with winning, how can you do better than 2 titles in a few years? We are a lethargic fan base when it comes to supporting this team in numbers that others rabid college fan bases do.

The north east, Connecticut especially is the land of the Wine and Cheese crowd. I mean, you kind of have to accept that's part of the equation.

 

[August_West]

The north east, Connecticut especially is the land of the Wine and Cheese crowd. I mean, you kind of have to accept that's part of the equation.

Fine. So let's not take offense being called on it.