Manuel waves the white flag

[uconNYC]

I was one of the guys who was pushing for expanding the Rent to 55K ASAP a year ago. I thought to be big time you have to act like it. RU did it. UL did it. We are stuck at 40K and is viewed as small time. Some people said we need to have a waiting list to expand. I said BS because going 50K+ shows we are committed to the football program. As it turns out, perception is everything and we are paying for these mistakes. Horrible oversight by our administration.

maybe expanding the stadium would have forced the AD to market the football program harder.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

If Lew Perkins was still the AD we would be going to the ACC.

This is what you get when you hire your AD from Buffalo.

 

[CTGoonie]

Relax guys. The only reason the ACC took Louisville is to keep them away from the B12. They knew they could always get Cincy and Uconn later since neither is a B12 target. The B1G is not staying put at 14.

 

[amory]

We did not beg hard enough.

 

[upstater]

Great point. That has been evident in the past few weeks when reading all the comments by media and fans touting UL's athletic department and facilities compared to UConn.

UL hasn't even built its football facilities yet. They built the stadium first.

 

[uconndogs]

https://twitter.com/jacobscourant/status/273658325579747328


Jeff Jacobs ‏@jacobscourant
Per report ACC vote in am and Louisville likely to win, UConn AD Warde Manuel said, "I think we are the best choice by far but I am biased."

I have know way of knowing whether Susan or Ward played their hand the best it could be played. Simply don't know, so I won't make assumptions.

But, Ward, com'on man......you are not biased we are the better choice!....jeesh.......

 

[amory]

I was more than willing to accept the "oh they're being quiet so that signals confidence" angle while all this stuff was going down. But the fact that they've been quiet the whole time and DIDN'T get our asses out of the big east just makes it look like they don't care enough.

 

[BobbyPs Ghost]

UL hasn't even built its football facilities yet. They built the stadium first.

They built the Trager Center (indoor football facility) at the same time as the stadium. Also with the stadium, they built the Schnellenberger building (coaches' offices & recruiting center) as well as brand new weight room ad training facilities.

 

[8893]

Manuel's quote confirms that it is the worst-case scenario for us. We got beat out by Louisville and the ACC is treating us likely sloppy fifths, yet he still wants in. And that's the worst part, because he just confirmed that we have no other options. If the B1G was still even a long shot for us, he would have simply repeated another version of his stupid "we're monitoring the changing landscape to see what it means for us" mantra, which is all he's said since he got here.

I guess, you know, lobbying for a slot turned out to be a good strategy for Louisville after all. The Virgin Islands/silence ploy was a good one though.

 

[ZooCougar]

I cannot believe he said "but I am biased" does that mean without his bias he would see it differently?

What the hell was he thinking?

 

[junglehusky]

What the duck* do you guys want him to say???

 

[tduconn]

I agree with UConndogs. It's unconscionable to think Herbst and Manual were not working the phones/faxes/emails etc hard behind the scenes. You think the Trustees weren't on the case every day, every minute? You think individuals at higher levels of government were not trying to exert some influence?

Just because they didn't publicize their strategies like a "daily soap opera" doesn't mean a "full court press" or "blitz" wasn't happening. Everyone knew the score!

The failure doesn't rest with the president, AD, or trustees.

Lets be honest with ourselves........the most important selling point, UConn FB, is horrible. And squeeking into a BCS bowl by "default" when the BE league was horrible does nothing to enhance its image.

Its a tough sell to promote a team in the bottom 10% of FBS and a program that's had a high national negative perception for years. Have you ever heard any sports commentator suggest UConn FB is irrelevant?

Also, empty seats at the beginning and end of games really gives the grand impression of UConn being Big Time.

Herbst, Manuel, the trustees and those at higher levels did not loose this opportunity! The lack of performance on the field and in the stands did.!

My heart has been ripped out, but looking at the decision from the lens of ACC administrations and fans, I can see why the vote went as it did.

 

[noeynox]

Don't say anything like he did all along. Continue on monitoring the situation. That's not what Louisville did they went on the offensives. What a Moroni.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I agree with UConndogs. It's unconscionable to think Herbst and Manual were not working the phones/faxes/emails etc hard behind the scenes. You think the Trustees weren't on the case every day, every minute? You think individuals at higher levels of government were not trying to exert some influence?

Just because they didn't publicize their strategies like a "daily soap opera" doesn't mean a "full court press" or "blitz" wasn't happening. Everyone knew the score!

The failure doesn't rest with the president, AD, or trustees.

Lets be honest with ourselves........the most important selling point, UConn FB, is horrible. And squeeking into a BCS bowl by "default" when the BE league was horrible does nothing to enhance its image.

Its a tough sell to promote a team in the bottom 10% of FBS and a program that's had a high national negative perception for years. Have you ever heard any sports commentator suggest UConn FB is irrelevant?

Also, empty seats at the beginning and end of games really gives the grand impression of UConn being Big Time.

Herbst, Manuel, the trustees and those at higher levels did not loose this opportunity! The lack of performance on the field and in the stands did.!

My heart has been ripped out, but looking at the decision from the lens of ACC administrations and fans, I can see why the vote went as it did.

You realize that UConn just beat Louisville in football, right?

 

[ZooCougar]

What the duck* do you guys want him to say???

Unequivocally state that we are the better choice.

 

[buckley503]

I agree with UConndogs. It's unconscionable to think Herbst and Manual were not working the phones/faxes/emails etc hard behind the scenes. You think the Trustees weren't on the case every day, every minute? You think individuals at higher levels of government were not trying to exert some influence?

Just because they didn't publicize their strategies like a "daily soap opera" doesn't mean a "full court press" or "blitz" wasn't happening. Everyone knew the score!

The failure doesn't rest with the president, AD, or trustees.

Lets be honest with ourselves........the most important selling point, UConn FB, is horrible. And squeeking into a BCS bowl by "default" when the BE league was horrible does nothing to enhance its image.

Its a tough sell to promote a team in the bottom 10% of FBS and a program that's had a high national negative perception for years. Have you ever heard any sports commentator suggest UConn FB is irrelevant?

Also, empty seats at the beginning and end of games really gives the grand impression of UConn being Big Time.

Herbst, Manuel, the trustees and those at higher levels did not loose this opportunity! The lack of performance on the field and in the stands did.!

My heart has been ripped out, but looking at the decision from the lens of ACC administrations and fans, I can see why the vote went as it did.

Stop with the melodramitic whine already.
Do you watch a Pitt game, a Syracuse game, a BC game, Wake Forest, Duke hell even Miami?? Kind of puts your performance on the field and fans in the stands theorey to rest.
Louisville, for what ever reasons and there are dozens I'm sure, is the prettier date for the dance.

 

[Rumrunner]

Yeah, let's not blame the people in charge. That would be irresponsible. That whole accountability thing is so passe.

Let's blame the team, or the fans, or the facilities, or the fact that there is only one dunkin donuts on the west coast.

How silly of me to think that UConn's president and athletic director had more than a year to prepare for this day. Thank god their vacation in the virgin islands watching a girl's team play helped rejuvenate them for the grand push.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yeah, let's not blame the people in charge. That would be irresponsible. That whole accountability thing is so passe.

Let's blame the team, or the fans, or the facilities, or the fact that there is only one dunkin donuts on the west coast.

How silly of me to think that UConn's president and athletic director had more than a year to prepare for this day. Thank god their vacation in the virgin islands watching a girl's team play helped rejuvenate them for the grand push.

It really doesn't look great when you put it that way now does it.

 

[dogpause]

A few thought:

I don't think the score of the latest football game was a factor. Entry into the ACC was never a Gladiator type of contest.

Conferences are going after football dollars and Louisville, and even Rutgers, looks better than we do in the eyes of these conferences.

The ACC needed to appease it's southern flank, which is another reason why UL will get the nod.

This game is not over, there are more movesw to be made. UConn will rise again.