My Anti-Courant Pledge

[whaler11]

I post this understanding that I'm viewed as a contranian I don't expect anyone to follow.

Like many people my age who grew up in Central Connecticut I spent my pre-teen years delivering the Courant.

I owe many hours of Nintendo games to the income I earned delivering the paper.

I read 95% of what Jeff Jacobs wrote on the Whalers beat. I felt bad for him when the Flyers wanted to kill him.

I believe newspapers provide an essential service to our democracy. It pains me when people celebrate their demise.

That being said I am a one issue voter. That issue is the legitmacy of the football program at the University of Connnecticut.

That Jeff Jacobs saw fit to lend legitimacy to the faction that wants the football Huskies to go away leaves me no choice.

I will never again read the Hartford Courant. I will not read it in digital form, I will not read it in analog form.

As they appear in my twitter timeline I will unfollow every Courant employee. Mike Anthony. Dom Amore. Chistine Dempsey.

I will not knowingly follow a link to a Conner blog or a Jacobs piece.

I won't as so much toss my neighbor's Sunday copy in the Tuesday garbage.

I am somewhat sorry that Jeff saw fit to write a story that would end our long relationship - but I can not forgive a story that gives fuel to anyone who wants to eliminate the Football Huskies.

(insert Silver stealing my post joke here)

 

[RedSoloCup]

I am hovering at the same point. I have already stopped reading their sports, I am considering a move to the JI and New Haven papers for my local news.

 

[Hoophound]

If you live in the footprint of the JI, it is better for local sports and town news anyway. The Courant is better for state, Hartford and world news. I haven't lived in CT for a long time but the first thing I do when I visit is get a coffee and a JI. The JI was always a must for a UConn or Whaler fan.

I realize that there is good reason to boycott the Courant but you'd be better served to drop Jacobs a line now and then and nicely ask him to cool it. He's a decent guy but he's gotta write stuff that will get readers and get them talking. The Courant is an institution and by Nutmeggers boycotting it, they will aid in the demise of yet another tradition.

 

[Uconnalliance]

I also read jakes article, what a kick in the balls was trying to put the season behind me and I gotta read that shacocka and the throw in the empty seats to boot

 

[J187Money]

And then add a paywall? Ugh.

 

[coachcap]

My take is that Jacobs achieved his objective. We on the 'Yard are fully aware of the stakes at hand. Jacobs' article was a bell ringer to the public at large of the dire straits that UConn Football is in at this juxtaposition in time. The problem is that that trash piece won't attract new season ticket holders into the seats at the RENT.
Boycotting the Courant seems a little harsh. Des Conner actually gives incite into the program. Jacobs is no longer a beat reporter. His columns are supposed to be thought provoking. Mission accomplished.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The drama queens need to settle down. My reaction:

1) All Jacobs is saying is that UConn needs to consider all options.

2) Jacobs needs to stop stealing my posts.

 

[Bonehead]

The drama queens need to settle down. My reaction:

1) All Jacobs is saying is that UConn needs to consider all options.

2) Jacobs needs to stop stealing my posts.

Consider all options - reminds us what the options were that Jeffy had said in article?

 

[whaler11]

The drama queens need to settle down. My reaction:

1) All Jacobs is saying is that UConn needs to consider all options.

2) Jacobs needs to stop stealing my posts.

If you care so little about the survival of the UConn football program why do you post here?

 

[Waquoit]

I'm not giving up the bridge column.

 

[CTMike]

Jacobs is Nelson... Nelson is Jacobs?

 

[Husky25]

Jacobs is Nelson... Nelson is Jacobs?

 

[chapwilvaug72]

the currant current thought John Gwynn was an integral moving part of the 1988 NIT titlist that stopped THE Ohio State Universitayitis

reality was that ol John was a high steppin high skooler in Wash dc burbs in '88, ha ha

and dont forget the caption under bazz that said boat, ha ha ha

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If you care so little about the survival of the UConn football program why do you post here?

If you care so much about UConn football, why do you promote an option that is guaranteed to result in failure? UConn in the AAC = failure of the entire athletic program, including football.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If you care so much about UConn football, why do you promote an option that is guaranteed to result in failure? UConn in the AAC = failure of the entire athletic program, including football.

UConn in the hoops Big East = failure of the entire athletic program. There's one option. Get into a P5 conference. That's it.

 

[whaler11]

If you care so much about UConn football, why do you promote an option that is guaranteed to result in failure? UConn in the AAC = failure of the entire athletic program, including football.

Not having a football program at all doesn't seem to be a solution.

Is your solution for someone who can't pay their rent to commit suicide?

 

[gioff23]

If you've been reading the Courant for news around UConn football, positive or negative, I'd be interested to hear what you learned. I'm not born and bred here, but I've always been shocked by the paucity of news around the only major sports programs in the state. I canceled my print subscription awhile back, as I long ago gave up on them as a source for breaking news around UConn sports.

 

[John]

I post this understanding that I'm viewed as a contranian I don't expect anyone to follow.

Like many people my age who grew up in Central Connecticut I spent my pre-teen years delivering the Courant.

I owe many hours of Nintendo games to the income I earned delivering the paper.

I read 95% of what Jeff Jacobs wrote on the Whalers beat. I felt bad for him when the Flyers wanted to kill him.

I believe newspapers provide an essential service to our democracy. It pains me when people celebrate their demise.

That being said I am a one issue voter. That issue is the legitmacy of the football program at the University of Connnecticut.

That Jeff Jacobs saw fit to lend legitimacy to the faction that wants the football Huskies to go away leaves me no choice.

I will never again read the Hartford Courant. I will not read it in digital form, I will not read it in analog form.

As they appear in my twitter timeline I will unfollow every Courant employee. Mike Anthony. Dom Amore. Chistine Dempsey.

I will not knowingly follow a link to a Conner blog or a Jacobs piece.

I won't as so much toss my neighbor's Sunday copy in the Tuesday garbage.

I am somewhat sorry that Jeff saw fit to write a story that would end our long relationship - but I can not forgive a story that gives fuel to anyone who wants to eliminate the Football Huskies.

(insert Silver stealing my post joke here)

The Courant is fishwrap. I canceled my subscription years ago, and it felt great doing so, much like a giant Mexican food dump after a night of feasting and drinking. So Long. Good Riddance.

 

[Johnny Mac]

I too, remember delivering the Courant as a teen. I vividly remember listening to Brad Davis on my transistor radio announce that there seems to have been a hole developed in the roof of the Civic Center caused by the weight of a heavy snow over night. I started reading newspapers back in those days and I've read 2 or 3 newspapers a day ever since. There are a lot of reasons to dump the newspaper these days but not because Jeff Jacobs wrote, "Don't get it wrong. This is not a call to drop to a lower division or kill the sport...". If you want to protest, simply avoid Jacobs, but keep the Courant. As bad as it has become, it's still light years better than most local newspapers in the country. It deserves your support. The newspaper where I live seems to be written by a 3rd grader channeling Rush Limbaugh.

 

[Dooley]

I have never figured a way through the Courant's paywall so I never read his piece (nor will I). But I'm with @whaler11, I'm incredibly disappointed in him. Coming from a guy who refuses to give up on the dumbfounded "NHL in Hartford" dream, the suggestion of nailing UCONN's athletic department's coffin shut by shutting down football program does nothing but fuel the angry mob contingent.

What the program needs is wagon circling pieces, not quitters pieces. The fanbase needs to rally together and these types of pieces/suggestions only drives the inexplicable wedge between basketball and football fans even deeper.

 

[Dooley]

And yes, I delivered the Courant too. I will never forget the morning that I was greeted by 100 front pages that Ed Johnston traded Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson for a bag of toothpicks. I was so distraught that I convinced my dad to call me out of school that day so I could pout. Turns out, I could have stayed home from school for a decade and the shock of that horrendous trade would have never worn off.

 

[jackl]

UConn in the hoops Big East = failure of the entire athletic program. There's one option. Get into a P5 conference. That's it.

I used to crave watching College Football and Basketball on TV and in person as a 12 year ST holder for UCONN football. Now I have found that I am not interested in watching it on TV. I've got the time but not the desire since I am retired now just a little over 3 years. This CR with UCONN relegated to the back of the bus by the powers that be has done it for me. MONEY, GREED, MONEY and More GREED to pay those coaches and administrators to keep them from moving on. $king Treadmill that will not slow down. The old Glory Days of the Big East are long gone to the point were UCONN has fallen into a deep chasm where they might not be able to get out. It sucks big time. Having a hard time deciding if I should renew my 2 ST for football.
Just reading the negative banter on the BY or in the Courant doesn't help either. I looked forward to the signing day get together. It is amazing how just a couple of people could throw the whole University into such a quagmire. Depressing!!! Thank God that spring is just around the corner with days getting noticeably longer. Excuse me for the rant but at my age I hope to be around long enough to be able to see the HUSKIES scale the walls of this chasm. Some P5 conference has to throw a lifeline.

 

[whaler11]

I have never figured a way through the Courant's paywall so I never read his piece (nor will I). But I'm with @whaler11, I'm incredibly disappointed in him. Coming from a guy who refuses to give up on the dumbfounded "NHL in Hartford" dream, the suggestion of nailing UCONN's athletic department's coffin shut by shutting down football program does nothing but fuel the angry mob contingent.

What the program needs is wagon circling pieces, not quitters pieces. The fanbase needs to rally together and these types of pieces/suggestions only drives the inexplicable wedge between basketball and football fans even deeper.

Yes, if someone said they would bring the NHL back if the state spent $500 million and signed a terrible lease guess who would be leading the charge.

Which is fine but let's be consistent.

 

[Johnny Mac]

...I will never forget the morning that I was greeted by 100 front pages that Ed Johnston traded Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson for a bag of toothpicks...

Hey! Zarley Zalapski had a blistering slapshot!

 

[Dooley]

Yes, if someone said they would bring the NHL back if the state spent $500 million and signed a terrible lease guess who would be leading the charge.

Which is fine but let's be consistent.

Exactly. You can't advocate for making large investments for what is, realistically, a NHL pipe dream (at best) and then turn around and say that UCONN should stop investing in the sport that will help it get out of mid-majordom. UCONN is closer to a P5 invite than Hartford is to spending $500M to build a new arena and try to lure a NHL team back to the city. All this program/school needs is 1-2 winning seasons to show everyone, again, that UCONN can succeed and be competitive in the college cash cow sport.