Has Anyone Ever Sat Behind the Bench at a UConn BB Game? | The Boneyard

Has Anyone Ever Sat Behind the Bench at a UConn BB Game?

I

Improviser

Joined
Apr 16, 2020
Messages
2,015
Reaction Score
3,436
Or a few rows behind the bench, so that you were in earshot of any conversations on the bench?

If so , can you recall any memorable conversations or excerpts from conversations, between the head coach and an assistant, or between the assistants, or between the head coach and players, or between an assistant and a player, or between the players?

Or, if you were close enough, did you hear anything memorable from a huddle on the floor?
 
Sat behind the Bryant bench the first game of the title defense in 14-15. They were kicking our butts the first 30 minutes or so and really feeling themselves. Boat was very visibly frustrated with the squad but didn’t have to break a sweat to be the best player on the court. Purvis had to sit out his would be first game with us for playing summer ball or something. Sam Cassell Jr was our starting SG. We out scored them like 40-20 in the second half and won by a decent margin. Game signaled the beginning of the end of the KO era.
 
sat behind the uconn bench during an exhibition game in danny’s first season as coach. i was legitimately afraid of him and realized that he is not the type of dude you f around with.

got some great videos of his sideline histrionics though :)
 
Always as it isn't hard to compete with UCF and USF fans for seats in football or basketball. Only place to be. Two memorable ones were football - the last second field goal to put us in the bcs bowl game vs usf and when bryant sherrifs ribs got crushed and he could not continue. Right up on it.
 
Improviser said:
Or a few rows behind the bench, so that you were in earshot of any conversations on the bench?

If so , can you recall any memorable conversations or excerpts from conversations, between the head coach and an assistant, or between the assistants, or between the head coach and players, or between an assistant and a player, or between the players?

Or, if you were close enough, did you hear anything memorable from a huddle on the floor?
Expand ...
Yes. Once. It was actually at the Dunk in Providence during the 2004-2005 season. A guy I know got us the seats. I remember Calhoun swearing a bunch. I remember UConn won in OT and Ryan Gomes killed us. I don't remember much what was said between the players but it was very cool sitting that close to the bench.

I do remember seeing Villanueva after the game talking to 2 guys who I was told were agents. They followed him down the hallway to the locker room. I thought that was strange that UConn would let agents talk to the players in that setting. I was told that stuff happened all the time and it was O.K.
 
I remember being in middle school and sitting in the front row behind the UConn bench at a game at Gampel between UConn and Syracuse. UConn lost--I think it was their 6th loss in a row after starting the season 12-1. Needless to say, Calhoun was in rare form.

I must have been in like 6th grade and remember not being able to understand half of what Calhoun was saying, and the other half that I could understand, I knew I could never repeat again in my life without getting in huge trouble from my parents.
 
.-.
UConnSportsGuy said:
I remember being in middle school and sitting in the front row behind the UConn bench at a game at Gampel between UConn and Syracuse. UConn lost--I think it was their 6th loss in a row after starting the season 12-1. Needless to say, Calhoun was in rare form.

I must have been in like 6th grade and remember not being able to understand half of what Calhoun was saying, and the other half that I could understand, I knew I could never repeat again in my life without getting in huge trouble from my parents.
Expand ...
Any regional accent spoken at a rapid pace is hard for a person not from that region, to fully understand. Apparently the regional accent did not obscure the words you did understand.
 
Right behind the visitor's bench at Gampel the first 3 seasons or so it opened. Mostly enjoyed Rollie M. losing his mind and getting somebody in back of us ejected.
 
.-.
kobebeanbryant said:
sat behind the uconn bench during an exhibition game in danny’s first season as coach. i was legitimately afraid of him and realized that he is not the type of dude you f around with.

got some great videos of his sideline histrionics though :)
Expand ...
If you don't post them ...it never happened.
 
Had a connection to behind the bench seats during the JC era, and that dude was pure entertainment. Rather than swear at the refs or his players he would turn to the people behind the bench and curse us out. He was always serious, but after 10 eft bombs he would end it with a wink. Loved him for it. Total competitor. He always had the crowd and the kids behind him. Genius.
 
Once. Was sitting with Murray Williams, one of the years Rashad Anderson was on the team. And it was a game UConn was supposed to win easily but struggled and Calhoun was yanking guys off constantly to where some of them left the court without looking. I always wondered what JC was actually saying when he got agitated and was yapping as he paced, was he coaching? Was he just mad? Well almost everything he was saying that day was stuff like “Did you see that #%^^>< shot?” no real coaching. A real show. I asked Murray if the other team ever made a good play. He laughed and said no.
 
I have been lucky enough to sit behind the bench a few times over the years. One time that stands out was the exhibition game vs Brant in Hartford at the start of the 2006-2007 season. Me and my dad had the chair back seats right behind the UConn bench. That was the first time I had been that close to the bench, and I was excited because I thought Calhoun would be a little more animated than usual seeing how this was a young team playing one of their first games. Sure enough, Calhoun was revved from the start. The one thing that stands out is when the first half was coming to a close, we had the ball with about 30 seconds to go and the shot clock turned off. Calhoun was yelling out to Wiggins I believe to hold for one shot. We pushed it and attempted a shot and missed, but luckily we got the offensive rebound. Calhoun was not happy, and as the game clock was counting down 15..14..13..12, Calhoun just threw his hands up, shook his head in disgust, and started walking back to the locker room and didn't look back. I think he was already through the tunnel by the time the buzzer sounded. It was absolutely hilarious.
 
I was actually considering springing for good seats one game at some point. Not this year now obviously but how hard is it to get those seats? I.e. is it for friends and family only? Season ticket holders, etc?
 
our Gampel season tickets used to be 8 rows behind the bench
Calhoun was always hard to understand at first but after a while the language came through
It's not a place I would want anyone under the age of 15 to be - he was colorful to say the least
Howie was equally as bad but he was aware his voice carried so when he was swearing he would try to muffle and it came out like a smokers rasp - the players used to crack up and Howie would give them a smile
Dave L was very quiet but once in a while he would lift his foot up and stomp so loud/hard you could feel the vibration in your seat
When my Dad passed I moved the seats back quite a few rows so the view of the whole court is better
To be honest I like watching the opposing coach - the cameras always show Jay Wright as Mr Calm but he is far from it - always thought Jamie Dixson was going to have a heart attack and Pete Gillen was just as wound tight as Dixon. The best - Louie C - comical as hell
Have to admit - watching Dan Hurley is a hoot - he can coach but his antics are - just say, a bit on the juvenile side but thats Dan Hurley - even his mother shakes her head
 
.-.
3 or four years ago the night of the USF game (the game that Terrence Samuel came back ) I got a notification that the athletic department was letting anyone into the game free. As soon as work was let out me and a friend drove 40 mins through the storm to get to the game. No one was in the arena and after the first half of making all the people who got in free sit in the second level, they let us down. Sat behind a KO bench which was pretty uneventful but definitely have good memories of that night. Anyone else there?
 
At Gampel I've sat on the baseline, behind the hoop, right by the end of the UConn bench many times. Right where Conor sits while the action is going on and directly behind the cheerleaders.

It 100% adds to the experience. Being able to hear and see exactly what the coaches and the bench are saying and doing adds an element to the game atmosphere. You feel so much more invested in the game, and occasionally a player or the ball will end up in your lap.
 
Had first row seats under the basket in front of the UConn bench for years. Could hear players and referees a little. Heard Calhoun many times with some colorful language. Sat in the first row behind the bench for the Arizona game in 2002. That was a real treat. Calhoun was great, he was pure entertainment.
 
I had season tickets 6 rows behind the bench at the HCC .I remember Calhoun MFing all the time . That year when Henifield hit the 3 pt shot against Syracuse (I think ) he turned to curse at some Syracuse fans .Calhoun was excitable then .
 
I loved when JC would turn to the fans and complain to them about how bad the ref was, or how bad we were playing.
 
.-.
In Maui during the 2010 game against MSU, we were 2 or 3 rows behind the bench. Combs-McDaniel got pulled for some reason and was not happy. Threw a towel. It happened to be a TV timeout. Calhoun went ballistic. Coach dropped a few F bombs, and he (Calhoun) had to be physically restrained. Calhoun also screamed something about transferring to Central. We did not expect to see Jamal Coombs-McDaniel on the bench the next day, but he was there.
 
Not behind the bench but across from the bench for years. I remember one tirade by JC when they were playing Fairfield. Antric Klaiber threw the ball inbounds with like 4-5 seconds but Fairfield steal the pass, maybe John Tice, and score at the buzzer. JC let Klaiber know that he should go into the Fairfield locker room.
 
XLCenterFan said:
At Gampel I've sat on the baseline, behind the hoop, right by the end of the UConn bench many times. Right where Conor sits while the action is going on and directly behind the cheerleaders.

It 100% adds to the experience. Being able to hear and see exactly what the coaches and the bench are saying and doing adds an element to the game atmosphere. You feel so much more invested in the game, and occasionally a player or the ball will end up in your lap.
Expand ...
I've been reading through this thread stewing in jealousy at all you lucky and/or rich bastards who had such good seats. It didn't occur to me until you mentioned the cheerleaders that I literally sat ON THE COURT for dozens of home and tournament games as a cheerleader. So weird the way the mind works (or doesn't).
 
Get a Job said:
I've been reading through this thread stewing in jealousy at all you lucky and/or rich bastards who had such good seats. It didn't occur to me until you mentioned the cheerleaders that I literally sat ON THE COURT for dozens of home and tournament games as a cheerleader. So weird the way the mind works (or doesn't).
Expand ...
I am extremely lucky. My dad and his buddies have the seats I was mentioning. Only when I go with them do I have the privilege of sitting close. Being a cheerleader is a good gig - especially if you’re a hoops fan.
 
Not exactly the UConn bench, but I was once right next to the opposing teams bench. Back when I was a student in 1992. A floor mate was harassing Rollie Massimino the whole game. At the end of the game when they were leaving the court, he yells at Rollie "You Lost, you meatball", and Rollie goes beserk. Jay Wright had to wrestle him out of the stands and he was swinging. Only loss to that point was at the Villanova. It was a real old Big East Battle. I think the ref Valentine walked by a little later and said what did you guy say ?, laughed and walked away.

1/27/1992
ESPN		No. 6VillanovaW 72–5816–1 (7–1)Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (8,241)
Storrs, Connecticut
 
1598693792001.png
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,540
Messages
4,581,502
Members
10,491
Latest member
7774Forever


Top Bottom