Jim Calhoun & the fight tomorrow.

[Carl Spackler]

What do Lou Holtz, Steve Spagnuolo, Tom Jackson, Ray Forzano, Skip Holtz, John McNulty, John Toner, Kirk Ferentz, and that's just off the top of my head - have in common? Either played or coached football prior to and up through the 1980s - at UConn, before moving on to different things.

What else do they have in common? Every single one of them will tell you that the only thing that prevented UConn from being a major, championship calibre institution, was the commitment from the top down in the university - to make it so.

Until Jim Calhoun (and at the same time - with women's athletics Geno), the athletic department, with a loyal following, was a middling thing, middle of the road athletic department.

Jim Calhoun's simple, undeniable, and unstoppable will to win, changed everything. It ignited the local fan base. It engulfed the university, from the top down, and without that change created by the men's b-ball program in the late 1980s through the early 1990s, there is no way that UConn - is where we are now, as both an athletic and academic institution.

We owe it all to Jim Calhoun, and his will to win. It's that simple. I hope that his name is forever imprinted on the Gampel pavilion floor, sooner than later.

So Jim - thanks. No matter what you decide to do in the next 2 weeks. Basketball season will be begin again in a few weeks thereafter, and no matter how it ends up this year, we are what we are a university now and moving forward, because of you.

Now - on to football. Jim Calhoun was a football player before he was a basketball player, if I'm not mistaken. He was pretty good too, as the stories go, and that wouldn't be surprising, because he deserves a spot in the encyclopedia, under the heading "fighter".

In the SI article (ironically - Blaudshun again?) yesterday, there's what I personally found to be a funny story b/w Ray Allen And Calhoun and Blaney, on a tweaked ankle of Ray Allen and whether or not he was able to play. You don't earn this man's respect if you can't pick yourself up the floor when you get knocked around a bit. No Jaguars on the court for Jim Calhoun. Ray Allen goes down in a practice, with a sprained ankle. Calhoun simply walks the other way and tends to something else on the court far away, until he gets up. Nobody gets hurt in basketball practice. It's that simple. My favorite basketball moment of all time, unfortunately, ended up in a suspension, but it was Rod Sellers driving Christian Laettner's head into the hardcourt........you better be the definition of 'tough' and 'loyal' if you're going to play ball for Calhoun, but I digress. One of Calhoun's favorite players, I think he'd tell you off the bat, is Jerome Dyson. Dyson was a high school football player, and Dyson played with a fighter's toughness and carried a team on his back through everythign his body went through, in the way that made Jim Calhoun respect you. Anyway, basketball and football - two very, very different sports - but the spirit of competition, the will to win, the ability to play through pain and adversity, the absolute necessity to be able to pick yourself up, and fight harder.......SAME.

Fighters. The will to win.

Tomorrow, our mix of young pups and old dogs enter the ring with NC State, and some experienced players. Like throwing a young fighter in the ring with a seasoned champ prize fighter. The matchups will be all over the place. In both directions, our young against their old, our old against their young.

It's the only way to see what people are really made of. Where we're at.

The competition of the fight, the will to win, the ability to get up when you get knocked down, and fight harder until your opponent does not get up.

I can't wait for tommorrow, and to see who's standing when it's over.

 

[CL82]

What do Lou Holtz, Steve Spagnuolo, Tom Jackson, Ray Forzano, Skip Holtz, John McNulty, John Toner, Kirk Ferentz, and that's just off the top of my head - have in common? Either played or coached football prior to and up through the 1980s - at UConn, before moving on to different things.

What else do they have in common? Every single one of them will tell you that the only thing that prevented UConn from being a major, championship calibre institution, was the commitment from the top down in the university - to make it so.

Until Jim Calhoun (and at the same time - with women's athletics Geno), the athletic department, with a loyal following, was a middling thing, middle of the road athletic department.

Jim Calhoun's simple, undeniable, and unstoppable will to win, changed everything. It ignited the local fan base. It engulfed the university, from the top down, and without that change created by the men's b-ball program in the late 1980s through the early 1990s, there is no way that UConn - is where we are now, as both an athletic and academic institution.

We owe it all to Jim Calhoun, and his will to win. It's that simple. I hope that his name is forever imprinted on the Gampel pavilion floor, sooner than later.

So Jim - thanks. No matter what you decide to do in the next 2 weeks. Basketball season will be begin again in a few weeks thereafter, and no matter how it ends up this year, we are what we are a university now and moving forward, because of you.

I really enjoyed the quoted portion of your post. It may be better placed on the bball board, but well said and spot on. It can't be stated enough exactly what Calhoun has meant to UConn men's basketball and the university as a whole. His impact was huge. We are lucky to have him.

 

[metsfan2323]

Bravo!

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Great post.

I cannot agree more the court at Gampel should be named after JC. Hopefully the powers that be do it sooner rather than later.

I for one will be very sad if JC hangs them up. Regardless of how good we are going forward. It will NEVER be the same.

In the early days JC having UCONN play David to the Big East Goliaths(CUse, Johnnies and GTown), those two magical nights at the Civic Center beating the Cuse and Gtown are part of UCONN lore. The CC rocked like it never has.

JC stalking the sidelines , jacket off tie undone working the officals for every call fighting for UCONN pretty much sums up our HOF coach. No one will ever do it better.

This has been a hellava ride for the last 26 years. I knew the last couple years this day was coming but tried to not think about it.

No one could have told me in the late 70's-early 80's that we would have 3 National Titles and stand as one of the elite programs in America.

Thanks JC !!!!!

 

[Carl Spackler]

We're suiting up somewhere around 65-70 players or so tomorrow, that are charged with carrying that very same fighting spirit for UConn, on to the football field against North Carolina State.

 

[CL82]

I've been stumping for this solution for years:

1. Rename Hillside Road in front of Gampel "Calhoun's Way"
2. Name the court at Gampel "Hall of Fame Court"
3. When Auriema retires rename Stadium Road "Auriema Avenue"

Mandatory camera shot of the two street signs for every home game broadcast "We're here on the Hall of Fame Court in Gampel Pavillion located at the corner of Calhoun's Way and Auriema Avenue."

One consideration is that the new basketball practice center would eventually be on Auriema Avenue. I still think it's better to have the main drag named after Jim.

 

[CTMike]

We like to give you a hard time Carl, but I gotta admit, I always check to see what you come up with next. Haha

 

[weyuo]

A couple of thoughts. I watched that game vs Duke, taped it even. I saw Rod give it BACK to Laettner as CBS would never show what was going on that led to Sellars bouncing his head off the floor a couple times. Laettner had elbowed Sellars a couple times(almost positive it was up near his head). I was so pissed that Billy Packer and CBS only showed one side of that altercation that I actually called CBS(I never get that worked up but that day I did). The day Billy Packer stopped announcing mens basketball games I cheered.

Jerome Dyson- saw the game where he slammed his face on the floor and knocked out a tooth. He didn't give up.....look for an ice bag or whine to anyone. He slammed his fist on the floor and marched on.

Jim Calhoun- I've been following UConn basketball and football since I was in high school(early to mid 70's). When I was in the military I'd grab a newspaper on Sunday morning and go right to the back page where they would put all the college scores. UConn would always be mixed in with all the east scores and that's all you would see... UConn, the team they played and the score. UConn never moved off of those back pages(outside of CT) till Jim Calhoun came along. So thanks Jim for bringing some pride to a tiny state and getting us off that back page.