How did you become a UConn fan? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

How did you become a UConn fan?

1994.

Jerk of a 4th grade teacher had a shockingly nice idea one day to wheel the TV into the class to watch the start of the UConn/Rider game. Thanks Dave/David (?) I recall the 77 to 36 beat down of Virgini earlier and watched games here and there but rider and on was where it took off.

Was hooked from there, Florida stung a week later though, freakin missed FT, still kind of remember it.

(Started as a basketball fan maybe two years earlier with MJ and the Bulls.)
 
I actually grew up a St John’s fan. Loved Chris Mullen, Walter Berry and Louie C.

But then I went to UConn as an undergraduate starting in 1989. Dream Season locked me in for life. I always say UConn is the only team I’ve ever changed allegiance to, but I think being an alumni is a worthy reason.

Met my wife at UConn and my daughter recently graduated from there, so it’s been a big part of our lives
 
I grew up in state in Litchfield County. Our family got the Waterbury Republican newspaper, and I used to see news about Tony Hanson while he was at Holy Cross. Then, when he want to Storrs, I would listen to UConn games on WTIC with him and Joey Whelton and later Jim Abromaitis. I was at Wamogo with Chuck Aleksinas, and by the time he transferred in, I was already a fan, but that cemented my loyalty.

I never would have imagined the decades of success that I've been able to enjoy since. What JC built and the school and Dan Hurley have been able to reinvigorate is just amazing.
 
CT born and raised
When I was young there were a bunch of Duke fans that were in my neighborhood and school. I watched the 99 final and just happened to be dropped off at the Waterbury mall with my brother about an hour before the team showed up and signed autographs. The entire mall (it was still new and had real shoppers) stopped and cheered them all the way to the signing. This is where I lucked out, without planning it; I received a full team signed championship T-shirt.

Also Jake Voshkul gave me a high five and actually talked to me a bit and at 12 years old he became one of my favorite Huskies ever.
 
ConnEd said:
I grew up in state in Litchfield County. Our family got the Waterbury Republican newspaper, and I used to see news about Tony Hanson while he was at Holy Cross. Then, when he want to Storrs, I would listen to UConn games on WTIC with him and Joey Whelton and later Jim Abromaitis. I was at Wamogo with Chuck Aleksinas, and by the time he transferred in, I was already a fan, but that cemented my loyalty.

I never would have imagined the decades of success that I've been able to enjoy since. What JC built and the school and Dan Hurley have been able to reinvigorate is just amazing.
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Also grew up in Litchfield County and got all my news from the Republican American. My dad went to Holy Cross with Tony Hansen and UConn as well. Chucks son went to Wamogo with my little brother. UConn family was inevitable.
 
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Parents went to UConn. Oldest brother and sister went there too in the 70s. Talked about Tony Hanson, Earl Kelly Corny Thompson. Them JC showed up and everything was next level.
 
I have been a UConn fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Guilford, CT and my grandmother lived one town over in Madison. She graduated from UConn which is where she met my grandfather who was enrolled in the Law School.

My grandmother and I bonded over UConn basketball. She would call me on game days and we would discuss the lines and bet each other in ice cream sundaes. I miss her for lots of reasons, but talking basketball, learning how to pick apart a gambling line, and victory ice creams are 3 of the best memories I have.
 
My parent moved us to Connecticut right before my freshman year of high school from Long Island. Came in a St Johns fan, but then the dream season happened and I was hooked. Went to UConn and graduated in 96. Been a nutjob fan ever since.
 
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My parents were UConn students when I was born at Windham Hospital, so from birth I think? I knew I'd be going to Storrs as well, as many other family members did.

I remember listening to Husky games on the radio with my father, we have come a long way since then!
 
CL82 said:
Not to be all Internet tough guy or anything, but ...if someone took a pom-pom, or whatever, from my kid and broke it in half, he'd be spitting out Chiclets. What an asshat that guy was!

(Just a guess, but it was probably Deepster.)
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Back in the mid-70s, I was at a Red Sox game in Yankee Stadium with my dad. There were fights everywhere and we were in the upper balcony. Some drunk guy ripped a Sox pennant out of the hands of a little kid, lit it on fire and gave it back to him. That memory will be engrained in my head forever.

Similar to others, my love for UConn basketball began with Corny Thompson, Mike McKay and Chuck Aleksinas.

BTW, as a Brown grad, I didn’t love your earlier comment. :)
 
Punkbo said:
Corny Thompson, Mike McKay and Chuck Aleksinas.
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[Insert obligatory "if Jim Calhoun had coached these guys" comment]
 
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I grew up in Coventry, CT. I remember my dad taking me to see Gampel Pavilion right after it was built but before it opened. I remember crying when Christian Leattner hit that shot against us in the Elite 8.

I was fan ever since then. I was on campus for the 99 title and the 04 title because engineering school at UConn is hard.

I'm in forever.
 
I grew up in Bristol and my older brother brought me to some of the Connecticut Mutual Classic games. It was the first time being introduced to basketball to guys who could actually play and even just watching Tony Hanson, Joey Whelton and the team warm up was mesmerizing. They were so good. I followed the team ever since. I did attend UConn in the Perno years. Soccer was king. Basketball was fun too especially pulling off the occasional BE upset but UConn wasn’t threatening to win the conference or anything.

I noticed someone mentioned Bobby Dulin so I’ll add this story. We’re hanging out at Chippy’s, the bar across from Muzzy Field when Bruce Kazinski (the first UConn center from Bristol Central) and Dulin walk in. Not a minute later Dulin is threatening my friend for looking at his girl. WTF. He was way wrong and I never liked him after that. Ha ha.
 
Grew up out of state and wasn't a basketball fan at all. Transferred to UConn in the fall of '04 and still avoided basketball fandom (the motor city bowl was a bigger deal to me than the '04 championship). If I had to pinpoint the switch it probably started with the 6OT syracuse game and was solidified with Kemba's run in '11. Still holding out hope for UConn football's rise, and will go up to see them play at least once a season.
 
I passively followed starting in 6th grade, because my brother went to UConn in 1965 and raved about Toby Kimball and Wes Bialosuknia. I became a fanatic in the early 70's when they were awful. I felt they had achieved Mt. Rushmore when the won the NIT in 1988. Little did I know. I have been following the Women's ream just as passionately since 1993. UConn is college basketball heaven. Go Huskie!!!
 
Grew up in Trumbull. In the 70's Fairfield U with Joey DeSantis and Fred Barakat were a bigger deal then UConn in the area. My dad and my uncle were UConn alum. I was a ballboy at the Schoolboy Classic at the Bridgeport JCC and got to see Corny, McKay, John Garris, Rafael Addison, John Bagley and others play. Watching games on staticky Channel 20 and with Karl Hobbs and Corny and McKay we competed and won some games against the Cuse and Gtown, etc. The Big East was huge then and I was hooked. I remember watching a game Cliffy's freshman year and calling my cousin and telling him, you gotta see this guy, he is going to be a real player! I got to campus the year after the NIT. I think any student could get season tickets back then, and then the Dream Season happened. It's hard to put into words how magical that year was. Opening night at Gampel; going to my first Big East Tourney and getting to see us win our first. I was behind the basket in the student section at the Meadowlands for the Shot, and then for the heartbreak two days later. We were already planning on driving out to Denver....
 
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TrueBlue22 said:
I’m sure this has been done before, but what better time to reminisce than now.

For me it was after the ‘99 title. We had a student teacher who was a manager for the team, seeing the pictures and hearing his stories were mesmerizing. It felt like I could touch it, like I was a part of it too.

Caron Butler lured me further, only for the ‘03 and ‘04 squads to lock me in for life. I was hooked. I would sneak college basketball magazines, and newspapers into class and read them religiously. I started writing my own college basketball previews, and spending free time drawing terrible tracings of said magazine covers.

After the latter Ollie years, I remember wondering if we had already been blessed with the best years of UConn basketball many of us would see in our lifetimes.

I never imagined that the best was yet to come

Cheers.
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It was January 15 1990 i was 14 in jr high and for a couple weeks a few friends just kept talking about Uconn. Uconn this and Uconn that and i asked what was a Uconn? They roasted me for not knowing and explained it was the University of Connecticut in college hoops and that they were really good and that they were playing a huge game that night against Syracuse and that i should watch. So i watched and it was the most exciting thing i had ever watched. It was nonstop relentless action and they won the game and i was absolutely hooked. Have been a fan ever since.
 
Lifelong fan. I grew up in CT and have followed UConn ever since I can remember. First player I remember well was Chris Smith. I’m 46, so Cliffy was a little before my time. Basically have watched 99% of the games since I became a fan. I joke around on here a lot but I bleed UConn Blue.
 
Born in 1980, student at the Waterbury branch 99 and 2000, Storrs from 01-02. Tate George’s shot is what set the hook for me. My old man came to CT from north jersey and needed a sports team and caught Huskymania.

At the time the clearest television we owned happened to be in my bedroom. My mother and father were sitting on the floor at the foot of my bed. I was along the side of the bed with my head covered in a garfield sleeping bag when Scotty heaved it to Tate. I didnt see it until the replay but im pretty sure my pops hit the ceiling when it went in. I dont think ive missed a game in 25 years. Its the glue that holds me and my dad together.

My son is 11 and ive been taking him to games since he was 6. Hes not an every game watcher yet but im hoping i get to share our time together watching the Huskies like me and my dad. I started dating 2 years ago after my wife passed in 2000. The girlfriend caught the bug after i took her to the Villanova court storming game.
 
My dad’s side of the family made it a a habit to watch all the men’s and women’s games together. The ‘04 season was particularly special watching Emeka and Diana. .
 
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