It's Time To Get Over College Football. Heres Why. (Daily Campus)

[businesslawyer]

I think the answer is like this:

Elan, I was very disappointed to read your thoughts about the football program. It is invariably true that our basketball programs have achieved a level of success that our football program has not achieved and, in fact, is unlikely to ever achieve. But as you grow up, my wish for you is that you learn that life is not only about celebrating achievements at the things that you are lucky enough to always have go well. Life is also about perserverence, and patience, and the satisfaction one gets by taking small but satisfying steps forward in life. The fact that you will never have the looks of Brad Pitt doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud when, working out, you achieve a better level of fitness than you had. The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves. And the fact that you are unlikely to ever be on Oprah with the world celebrating your role eventually as a husband and father doesn't diminish the satisfaction you will feel when you know that you have strived every day to be a slightly better husband and father.

You see, those of us who have followed UConn football have been able to enjoy the emotional engagement that comes from not always having your way in life, but wanting to always make things better. We had the joy that saw us go from the Yankee Conferenence to a football school that could compete on equal terms with the Syracuse's, BCs and Pitts of the world. We shared the joy of a program that suffered three straight gut wrenching defeats trying to honor the life and death of a fallen comrade, and then in the most unlikely of scenarios finally getting that gift to the comrade in OT at South Bend. We saw an improbable run from a frustrating 3-4 start to the 2010 season to the Fiesta Bowl. And we had to learn to deal with the sadness, frustration and hurt of watching the program take massive steps backward while the conference world was disintegrating around us.

I can tell you as a lifelong Yankees fan, born in the Bronx, that there is much to admire about Red Sox fans my age (57) and older. They didn't get to sit there and say "this sucks because we're not winning championships -- I'll just care about the Celtics." They had to learn to deal with their frustration, and take small joys from small victories, hope for a better future, and ultimately got to their pinnacle of success in a way that was much more meaningful to them than the repeated championships I got to watch my Yankees have. I find it sad that, as of this point in your life, you aren't willing to show the patience and perserverence that is necessary for human beings to make the most of their life, and that you can only focus on those things more likely to bring you satisfaction today. I hope for you, your family and those who will work with you that you grow out of it.

Have a good day.

 

[mauconnfan]

Sadly, this is red meat to many posters on our basketball board.

Not to Deepster Jimmy, haven't you been reading - veggies and fish? LOL

Anyway not at all. I'm still hoping and football is a huge distance from my basketball fandom. But i care and want them to be good. If it means keep UConn basketball alive and near the top of that world to go to the BE then by all means they have to. But for now I only hope what we saw last weekend was a team trying to find themselves, although by now you would hope the coaches found themselves and instead looked very very lost especially OCFV. I mean please, show me you care about the fans and do something with the ball this week. Do they even watch today's teams and games you need to score the ball, trickery whatever. Offense is required, you may be able to put yourself in position to win the game against Maine but that's out pretty much the remainder of the year.

I have hope still but admit from a huge basketball fan's POV I'm scared it will just never be more than the occasional bowl program. Let's see

 

[huskymedic]

I think the answer is like this:

Elan, I was very disappointed to read your thoughts about the football program. It is invariably true that our basketball programs have achieved a level of success that our football program has not achieved and, in fact, is unlikely to ever achieve. But as you grow up, my wish for you is that you learn that life is not only about celebrating achievements at the things that you are lucky enough to always have go well. Life is also about perserverence, and patience, and the satisfaction one gets by taking small but satisfying steps forward in life. The fact that you will never have the looks of Brad Pitt doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud when, working out, you achieve a better level of fitness than you had. The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves. And the fact that you are unlikely to ever be on Oprah with the world celebrating your role eventually as a husband and father doesn't diminish the satisfaction you will feel when you know that you have strived every day to be a slightly better husband and father.

You see, those of us who have followed UConn football have been able to enjoy the emotional engagement that comes from not always having your way in life, but wanting to always make things better. We had the joy that saw us go from the Yankee Conferenence to a football school that could compete on equal terms with the Syracuse's, BCs and Pitts of the world. We shared the joy of a program that suffered three straight gut wrenching defeats trying to honor the life and death of a fallen comrade, and then in the most unlikely of scenarios finally getting that gift to the comrade in OT at South Bend. We saw an improbable run from a frustrating 3-4 start to the 2010 season to the Fiesta Bowl. And we had to learn to deal with the sadness, frustration and hurt of watching the program take massive steps backward while the conference world was disintegrating around us.

I can tell you as a lifelong Yankees fan, born in the Bronx, that there is much to admire about Red Sox fans my age (57) and older. They didn't get to sit there and say "this sucks because we're not winning championships -- I'll just care about the Celtics." They had to learn to deal with their frustration, and take small joys from small victories, hope for a better future, and ultimately got to their pinnacle of success in a way that was much more meaningful to them than the repeated championships I got to watch my Yankees have. I find it sad that, as of this point in your life, you aren't willing to show the patience and perserverence that is necessary for human beings to make the most of their life, and that you can only focus on those things more likely to bring you satisfaction today. I hope for you, your family and those who will work with you that you grow out of it.

Have a good day.

Spoken like a true dad!

My initial reaction was clueless snot nosed little bastard

 

[Samoo]

Spoken like a true dad!

My initial reaction was clueless snot nosed little bastard

Kid's gonna feel pretty shatty when he reads that one.

 

[Adios]

We might have the worst 'fan base' on the planet.

And worst journalists.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the answer is like this:

Elan, I was very disappointed to read your thoughts about the football program. It is invariably true that our basketball programs have achieved a level of success that our football program has not achieved and, in fact, is unlikely to ever achieve. But as you grow up, my wish for you is that you learn that life is not only about celebrating achievements at the things that you are lucky enough to always have go well. Life is also about perserverence, and patience, and the satisfaction one gets by taking small but satisfying steps forward in life. The fact that you will never have the looks of Brad Pitt doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud when, working out, you achieve a better level of fitness than you had. The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves. And the fact that you are unlikely to ever be on Oprah with the world celebrating your role eventually as a husband and father doesn't diminish the satisfaction you will feel when you know that you have strived every day to be a slightly better husband and father.

You see, those of us who have followed UConn football have been able to enjoy the emotional engagement that comes from not always having your way in life, but wanting to always make things better. We had the joy that saw us go from the Yankee Conferenence to a football school that could compete on equal terms with the Syracuse's, BCs and Pitts of the world. We shared the joy of a program that suffered three straight gut wrenching defeats trying to honor the life and death of a fallen comrade, and then in the most unlikely of scenarios finally getting that gift to the comrade in OT at South Bend. We saw an improbable run from a frustrating 3-4 start to the 2010 season to the Fiesta Bowl. And we had to learn to deal with the sadness, frustration and hurt of watching the program take massive steps backward while the conference world was disintegrating around us.

I can tell you as a lifelong Yankees fan, born in the Bronx, that there is much to admire about Red Sox fans my age (57) and older. They didn't get to sit there and say "this sucks because we're not winning championships -- I'll just care about the Celtics." They had to learn to deal with their frustration, and take small joys from small victories, hope for a better future, and ultimately got to their pinnacle of success in a way that was much more meaningful to them than the repeated championships I got to watch my Yankees have. I find it sad that, as of this point in your life, you aren't willing to show the patience and perserverence that is necessary for human beings to make the most of their life, and that you can only focus on those things more likely to bring you satisfaction today. I hope for you, your family and those who will work with you that you grow out of it.

Have a good day.

As a Red Sox fan...I got misty eyed there towards the end.

As a guy who went to law school at Kansas, and enjoyed D1 football for the first time I wanted to tell his kid...it's a hoot! They were actually pretty good in my years, but we still lost to Nebraska, but man those were some fun games. I was even there to see the crowd tear down the goalposts and joined as they carried them to a local bar. The crowd was insane. So much fun. That is the downside of the off campus stadium I fear, it can't quite be the same in East Hartford but can still be great fun.

 

[Drew]

As a Red Sox fan...I got misty eyed there towards the end.

As a guy who went to law school at Kansas, and enjoyed D1 football for the first time I wanted to tell his kid...it's a hoot! They were actually pretty good in my years, but we still lost to Nebraska, but man those were some fun games. I was even there to see the crowd tear down the goalposts and joined as they carried them to a local bar. The crowd was insane. So much fun. That is the downside of the off campus stadium I fear, it can't quite be the same in East Hartford but can still be great fun.

not changing the topic being discussed here in the slightest but I do agree its nearly impossible to re-create the environment that having the stadium/tailgating located on campus in Storrs would provide.

That being said- we can still have a good time at the Rent and people can and will and have shown up to the Rent. You can still have a very enjoyable experience at the Rent. But being so far away is nearly impossible to re-create the same "feel" that having it on campus would.

 

[freescooter]

Well written bl.
What gets me is the supposed basketball fans who just don't get that since 1984 there have been exactly 2 National Champs why don't also play football. Three if you count 1999 UConn which began its transition 2001. Perhaps we can follow the writer's advice and in 2048 UConn can win another.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

Give a young man a girl's name and things go awry.

 

[HartfordHank]

The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves.

My favorite part!

 

[champs99and04]

Without having read any of the responses, this is the type of dude that gives the basketball-first fans - and, more broadly, the younger generation - a bad rep.

I knew what type of guy I was dealing with when in one of his first paragraphs he cited fantasy football as one of the main reasons he loves the NFL. There are two types of football fans, people who love football and people who love fantasy football and kind of like football. I've grown increasingly irritated by the latter camps influence.

Second...man, the entitlement. You're not going to be a national program in every sport like we are in basketball. Don't watch it, fine, but that does not make it a joke. Blaming the football team for our realignment woes is just as silly as blaming the basketball team for not being good at football instead. It's a macro problem.

Maybe this is an old man take, but sometimes old man takes are right, especially when they aren't being given by old people.

 

[whaler11]

Without having read any of the responses, this is the type of dude that gives the basketball-first fans - and, more broadly, the younger generation - a bad rep.

I knew what type of guy I was dealing with when in one of his first paragraphs he cited fantasy football as one of the main reasons he loves the NFL. There are two types of football fans, people who love football and people who love fantasy football and kind of like football. I've grown increasingly irritated by the latter camps influence.

Second...man, the entitlement. You're not going to be a national program in every sport like we are in basketball. Don't watch it, fine, but that does not make it a joke. Blaming the football team for our realignment woes is just as silly as blaming the basketball team for not being good at football instead. It's a macro problem.

Maybe this is an old man take, but sometimes old man takes are right, especially when they aren't being given by old people.

It's a bit odd when you say you can't watch college football because of the scandals but don't have an issue with the NFL's own scandals, dirtbag owners and convicted felons.

 

[businesslawyer]

Kid's gonna feel pretty shatty when he reads that one.

Feel free to forward it, or repost it on his space.

 

[freescooter]

It's a bit odd when you say you can't watch college football because of the scandals but don't have an issue with the NFL's own scandals, dirtbag owners and convicted felons.

Or college basketball for that matter. Has he not heard of UNC or Louisville's hookers? Just to name the bigger ones.

 

[Bomber36]

Nothing worthwhile was ever easy. Most of today's CFB powers didn't start at the top. Some of them have had pretty down years recently. This kid is typical of of a lot of people today. They need instant gratification. Many of us are willing to take their gratification a little at a time, because when things get really good and they will, we'll be proud to say We hung in there. This kid will be leaping onto the bandwagon then, that's for sure. Many of us have been critical of the direction that the program took when Edsall left and for good reason. But we didn't give up and here we are. We are not far from some good things and this kids moronic ranting doesn't change that.

 

[huskymedic]

This kid is typical of of a lot of people today. They need instant gratification.

Hmmm... "We live in a microwave society, everyone wants it immediately."

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Hmmm... "We live in a microwave society, everyone wants it immediately."

Prototype statement.

 

[huskymedic]

Prototype statement.

Someone needs to check to see who his grandfather is....

 

[Bomber36]

Sorry...read his article and posted without reading the other posts. I'm sure I repeated some things. I guess a lot of us think alike.

Hmmm... "We live in a microwave society, everyone wants it immediately."

 

[gopher2]

Maybe the kid just has an advanced case of Conference Realignment Syndrome?

 

[huskymedic]

Sorry...read his article and posted without reading the other posts. I'm sure I repeated some things. I guess a lot of us think alike.

You're good... inside BY joke. The quote was once uttered by a coach who's name shall not be mentioned.

 

[Bomber36]

You're good... inside BY joke. The quote was once uttered by a coach who's name shall not be mentioned.

Ahh....and I shall not mention it. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[HuskyHawk]

not changing the topic being discussed here in the slightest but I do agree its nearly impossible to re-create the environment that having the stadium/tailgating located on campus in Storrs would provide.

That being said- we can still have a good time at the Rent and people can and will and have shown up to the Rent. You can still have a very enjoyable experience at the Rent. But being so far away is nearly impossible to re-create the same "feel" that having it on campus would.

It's kind of hard for students to ignore a game on campus. It's impossible when Nebraska is the opponent. They invade like a Mongol horde.

 

[NorwalkHusky]

I think the answer is like this:

Elan, I was very disappointed to read your thoughts about the football program. It is invariably true that our basketball programs have achieved a level of success that our football program has not achieved and, in fact, is unlikely to ever achieve. But as you grow up, my wish for you is that you learn that life is not only about celebrating achievements at the things that you are lucky enough to always have go well. Life is also about perserverence, and patience, and the satisfaction one gets by taking small but satisfying steps forward in life. The fact that you will never have the looks of Brad Pitt doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud when, working out, you achieve a better level of fitness than you had. The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves. And the fact that you are unlikely to ever be on Oprah with the world celebrating your role eventually as a husband and father doesn't diminish the satisfaction you will feel when you know that you have strived every day to be a slightly better husband and father.

You see, those of us who have followed UConn football have been able to enjoy the emotional engagement that comes from not always having your way in life, but wanting to always make things better. We had the joy that saw us go from the Yankee Conferenence to a football school that could compete on equal terms with the Syracuse's, BCs and Pitts of the world. We shared the joy of a program that suffered three straight gut wrenching defeats trying to honor the life and death of a fallen comrade, and then in the most unlikely of scenarios finally getting that gift to the comrade in OT at South Bend. We saw an improbable run from a frustrating 3-4 start to the 2010 season to the Fiesta Bowl. And we had to learn to deal with the sadness, frustration and hurt of watching the program take massive steps backward while the conference world was disintegrating around us.

I can tell you as a lifelong Yankees fan, born in the Bronx, that there is much to admire about Red Sox fans my age (57) and older. They didn't get to sit there and say "this sucks because we're not winning championships -- I'll just care about the Celtics." They had to learn to deal with their frustration, and take small joys from small victories, hope for a better future, and ultimately got to their pinnacle of success in a way that was much more meaningful to them than the repeated championships I got to watch my Yankees have. I find it sad that, as of this point in your life, you aren't willing to show the patience and perserverence that is necessary for human beings to make the most of their life, and that you can only focus on those things more likely to bring you satisfaction today. I hope for you, your family and those who will work with you that you grow out of it.

Have a good day.

Man you have a way better shot of getting a Pulitzer Prize then this Elan Clown

 

[tduconn]

I wonder how this student will fare in the job market economy. How would he answer this basic interview question?

If hired, what are your goals? Where do you see yourself in the company's hierarchy in the future?

Answer: " What do you mean? I have to start at the bottom and work my way to the top? You mean I have to compete with fellow employees who have more experience and developed skills? If I can't start at the top from the beginning, I don't want to waste my time supporting your company's efforts to compete against well established competitors"

Over the last few decades, UConn has become a fine academic institution in a wide range of areas. Some were easier to do than others. . How would it sound to a potential student for the School of Engineering (or any other discipline) if an Administrator stated "We are an agriculture school and always have been. Have no interest in putting in an effort to be well rounded in a wide range of academics"

This is one university....UConn.

I wish you the best, kid.