I was embarrassed by some UConn fans tonight

[shizzle787]

Let me be clear, we had a lot of support and most of the fans were supportive of the team. I thought a young and experienced and newly formed team played well after an awful start. They rallied, we cheered, and most of us were there to have a good time.

There were 6 or so "fans" sitting a few rows behind me that made me sick. They mocked Ollie throughout the game, yelling stuff like "take the stairs Ollie" and great call Ollie or nice clapping Ollie. They also hurled insults towards our players.

Then on the way out and onto to street I was near about 10 younger "fans" who did nothing but mock our kids and our program, and did so at the top of their lungs. probably drank too much.

Seriously, I would rather interact with Cuse fans than UConn fans like that. They're an embarrassment to our fan-base.

But I do want to thank them for one thing, they proved to me how wrong they are. they have no clue what's going on with the program, they have no idea we're rebuilding. they're just full of anger and hate.




PS: If that's how you're going to behave, STAY HOME, nobody wants you there. Not the team, and not your fellow fan-base and nobody else sitting there and observing such vulgar behavior either.

LOL. We are not rebuilding. We are re-exploding.

 

[willie99]

LOL,

 

[CTNative]

I am glad you posted this, because I think revisiting the pre JC days may be a valuable lesson for the current situation. As a fan from the 70's, and a student and alum during the Dom Perno days, I remember quite vividly the days leading up to Perno's firing and the subsequent hiring of one James Calhoun. We had just entered the Big East and were getting pasted regularly by Georgetown, St. Johns and the classic BE teams of the 80's. There was a fan segment just happy to watch UConn play, and lose, to Mullins and Ewings teams. It wasn't until some of us season ticket holders starting wearing bags over our heads to games (I was one of those fans, which also made the front page of the Courant sports section) that Perno was fired and Calhoun was hired. Some people seem to forget that it was a fan rebellion that started our run of recent success. It was NOT being quiet during games, and loudly and visibly protesting mediocrity that sowed the seeds of our success. As nice as Coach Perno was (and KO is), that in of itself doesnt become a reason not to vocally and visibly protest. Sometimes support comes in the fashion of facing hard truths head on.

Fantastic post. The fans whether they are alum, CT citizens or students MUST voice their opinion and not feel badly about hurting someone's feelings or needing unity, at least in the case of a head coach. If you look at recruits the last few years that haven't been that bad overall but Ollie just isn't doing the job to put a good team together. Every year that goes by there is more of a probability it will get worse as UCONN will be looked upon as a team degrading year after year instead of others on the rise. Let's face facts....the last National Championship was a product of heart by the team, an unheard of run and Calhouns recruits. It was a miracle, improbable run which had little to do with Ollie and since then it has been disaster. I don't know what it is specifically but Ollie just doesn't seem strategic and while has has plenty of passion, there is something missing in the x's and o's part of the equation. Time to rip off the band aid if possible but honestly I am not even sure that is the answer because we have to get a top notch coach and who wants to come to UCONN now that we are in a mediocre conference at best and the best years currently seem in the rear view mirror. Seriously, how would you recruit a kind to come to UCONN? Sure, the titles are nice but beyond that you have a different coach (for the most part), a different conference and horrible play as of late. Time to rip off the band aid and stop hoping that what we are doing now will somehow get a great result. History shows it likely won't.

 

[Jaker]

Publically berating our young players and coaching staff should never be tolerated. I don't care what our record is or the current state of the program.

 

[JMick]

Publically berating our young players and coaching staff should never be tolerated. I don't care what our record is or the current state of the program.

coaches get paid enough where it's part of the job. I agree about the kids, though.

 

[Jaker]

coaches get paid enough where it's part of the job. I agree about the kids, though.

BS, if you have a problem with the staff, write a letter to the AD and sign it like an adult.

 

[Huskybass]

It says something about the state of the program that people are reacting that badly. I don't agree with it, but it is telling.

 

[JMick]

BS, if you have a problem with the staff, write a letter to the AD and sign it like an adult.

I've done it before. No issue putting a name to it. Booing at sporting events has been a thing forever. The coaches need to deal with it, especially a head coach making $3mm/year

 

[Jaker]

I've done it before. No issue putting a name to it. Booing at sporting events has been a thing forever. The coaches need to deal with it, especially a head coach making $3mm/year

We are not talking about booing, the OP said fans were yelling obsenities. Huge difference.

 

[JMick]

We are not talking about booing, the OP said fans were yelling obsenities. Huge difference.

If it's racist garbage I agree. If it's "Ollie you %&$&% suck" it's a different story

 

[Saab04]

BS, if you have a problem with the staff, write a letter to the AD and sign it like an adult.

BS? Let’s act like an adult

 

[Saab04]

We are not talking about booing, the OP said fans were yelling obsenities. Huge difference.

Your soft bro

 

[huskiesnyc]

I’m embarrassed by the the supposed leaders of this team (Jalen and Terry) playing ZERO DEFENSE.

 

[Deadrody]

Let me be clear, we had a lot of support and most of the fans were supportive of the team. I thought a young and experienced and newly formed team played well after an awful start. They rallied, we cheered, and most of us were there to have a good time.

There were 6 or so "fans" sitting a few rows behind me that made me sick. They mocked Ollie throughout the game, yelling stuff like "take the stairs Ollie" and great call Ollie or nice clapping Ollie. They also hurled insults towards our players.

Then on the way out and onto to street I was near about 10 younger "fans" who did nothing but mock our kids and our program, and did so at the top of their lungs. probably drank too much.

Seriously, I would rather interact with Cuse fans than UConn fans like that. They're an embarrassment to our fan-base.

But I do want to thank them for one thing, they proved to me how wrong they are. they have no clue what's going on with the program, they have no idea we're rebuilding. they're just full of anger and hate.




PS: If that's how you're going to behave, STAY HOME, nobody wants you there. Not the team, and not your fellow fan-base and nobody else sitting there and observing such vulgar behavior either.

Look, I hate to break it to you, but those kind of fans have been around forever. When I first started going to games on season tickets, we were up in the row T area of the XL center and every single year there were jackasses talking crap about our team, and our players. Plenty of people are idiots and that has always been the case. That's not a new phenomenon.

 

[Deadrody]

Someone burns down your beautiful house.

He then starts to build you what looks to be a shed where the house once stood. It’s not even a very nice shed and it looks like it’s going to take him forever to figure out how to finish it.

Some people might not be so anxious to see how the shed turns out.

This is something you’re going to have get your mind around if you intend on interacting with other UConn fans going forward - they want the house back.

Watch out! That kind of bad attitude could get you banned!!!

 

[Deadrody]

At one point the house Ollie was building looked beautiful.... now not so much

Actually, that was the old house that hadn't burned down yet. The one the last contractor built.

 

[Deadrody]

I'm embarrassed by UCONN fans everyday. This board makes me sick and has seriously caused me to enjoy UCONN basketball less than when i didn't frequent it.

Well, that's why some don't come here much anymore. This board has really NEVER dealt with adversity well.

 

[Caronimo]

Ollie is making millions. If he can’t handle the fans yelling then he should step down. The players aren’t paid but do get a full scholarship and play in a state with no pro sports teams. High standards for the fan base and that’s how it’s gonna be.

 

[Robertelamin]

Or you could just act like a child and embarrass yourself by hurling insults from the crowd to your team's head coach. I'm not sure what exactly that accomplishes but you do you.

 

[Leebo]

The Boneyard is embarrassing every day these days.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

When your choices are a shed or a crappy shed, take the shed.

Well @temery , @Kitaman may need KO's shed for his snowblower.

 

[UConnNick]

If this season goes completely down the tubes, I'll be right there with the "Fire Ollie!" crowd at the end of the season, pitchfork in hand. The problem I see is where the heck is the 12 million $$$ buyout coming from? Even if you find another coach, we don't exactly have 12 million lying around somewhere. I'm afraid that AD Dave is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He apparently orchestrated some largely cosmetic assistant coach reshuffling during the last off season, which so far has resulted in zero improvement in any areas, as far as I can see.

Getting rid of the albatross that was Bobby Fiasco only cost 3.4 million, and we got a bargain on the other end because Randy Edsall is still the highest paid state employee in Maryland. The net cost long term therefore became almost negligible. We aren't going to have that luxury again, unless we can find a fired coach who's riding high on a recent buyout as well. But that begs this question: if he was fired then somebody else thinks there's something wrong with him. Otherwise, you have to pay big bucks to attract the kind of coach who's going to somehow miraculously turn around a complete snowshow. Those coaches don't exactly grow on trees, but if you get lucky there are a few of them out there. The trick will be picking the right one. So you're likely going to be paying long term on both ends. I'm not sure it's going to be economically possible, regardless of how much AD Dave might think it has to be done. Maybe he can work another monetary miracle, but this one is going to be much tougher to pull off.

As for fans berating the players at games, these are college kids who don't deserve that. They make a major time and physical sacrifice to play collegiate sports. Coaches are fair game, but if you're out there screaming at and berating the coach, it's obviously going to have a negative impact on the players as well if they're hearing that from the fans. If you go to pro sports events, the coaches and players are all fair game because they're professionals and you're helping to pay their salaries by attending games. Scream at them all you want.

 

[UConnDad]

That stuff is nonsense. I remember UConn fans being pissed that we missed on a PG recruit, although we thought the guy we got instead looked pretty good...and we had hope. His name was Kemba Walker.

I have no earthly idea what these guys can or will do. Carlton could be a first round draft pick. In two years you might see Diarra using that frame to hit 3s or attack the basket from the wing. I have been pleasantly surprised a lot of times in the last 30+ years of watching this team. Seen unknown Israeli guys show up and act like John Stockton. Seen McD All Americans who were so bad they couldn't really get on the court.

I'm not sure about Diarra hitting 3s. Did you see him shooting free throws?

 

[willie99]

Ollie is making millions. If he can’t handle the fans yelling then he should step down. The players aren’t paid but do get a full scholarship and play in a state with no pro sports teams. High standards for the fan base and that’s how it’s gonna be.

Who said anything about Ollie?

I said they're an embarrassment to ME and the fan-base and they embarrass themselves even more so, but I doubt they understand the later.

Another thing these brilliant and compassionate people that know what it takes to build a winner were yelling; In the closing minutes of the game when Adams was letting the ball roll up the court they were screaming "pick up the ball, pick up the ball, pick up the ball"!!!!!!! I don't have any idea why they thought that was appropriate, but maybe it's me, because I don't understand why they or anyone thinks such behavior is appropriate

 

[mauconnfan]

Who said anything about Ollie?

I said they're an embarrassment to ME and the fan-base and they embarrass themselves even more so, but I doubt they understand the later.

Another thing these brilliant and compassionate people that know what it takes to build a winner were yelling; In the closing minutes of the game when Adams was letting the ball roll up the court they were screaming "pick up the ball, pick up the ball, pick up the ball"!!!!!!! I don't have any idea why they thought that was appropriate, but maybe it's me, because I don't understand why they or anyone thinks such behavior is appropriate

Hey willie sorry on this one I was at home yelling pick up the ball too. I find with over 4 minutes left this idea you need to let the ball roll up court to be very stupid and again just Jalen being Jalen, must think it's cute or something. Im not concerned with anyone's disagreement on a play like that or a bad shot, things like that it's any obscenities, telling them they suck, get off the court stuff like that - players and coaches alike.