New Frank the Tank Post on Conf. Realignment

[Hoophound]

He has gone out of his way to degrade us and justify why far inferior schools were better CR choices. I’ve always felt that we needed better PR, better marketing and a greater willingness to get dirty in order to move up. Guys like Frank push us down and we rarely punch back. It seems to me that some schools, even G5 schools, make friends in the media and find ways to get their brand bolstered in public perception. We seem to let amateur journalists and bloggers ruin us in the public perception arena. The other day someone posted an article that basically said our basketball and football programs were shells of their former selves. I am so drained by it all that I took heart that the writer was willing to admit that our football was actually pretty good at one point. It is sad when you consider that a win, but honestly, it was nice to have someone outside of the Boneyard acknowledge it. It is rare.

 

[The Funster]

Frank is always trying to drive readers to his blog. Love/hate is part of the schtick.

 

[Adios]

Big Ten administrators do not care what Frank and his ilk think. So who cares?

 

[huskeynut]

Frank is a legend in his own mind.

 

[Exit 4]

Yes I gave him too much credit in my comment. But at the time I made it I was thinking more about the pseudo cottage industry he has always been trying to generate out of his CRA musings.

 

[Ha Who]

He's not a big believer in our brand. Never has been. We are on the outside looking in, so I suppose one could argue that he's right.

Careful. Some boneyarders (short haircut) still think there is a pending bidding war over us.

 

[CL82]

Careful. Some boneyarders (short haircut) still think there is a pending bidding war over us.

Well hope springs eternal. I've resigned myself to the reality of our current situation, but CR has been nothing if not unpredictable. Who knows maybe it will take another unpredictable turn.

 

[Ha Who]

Well hope springs eternal. I've resigned myself to the reality of our current situation, but CR has been nothing if not unpredictable. Who knows maybe it will take another unpredictable turn.

I agree logic dictates we should be in already. That was the reason I didn’t dismiss Big 12 possibilities. It made so little sense out of the two other alternatives that it might have been possible.

 

[The Funster]

Careful. Some boneyarders (short haircut) still think there is a pending bidding war over us.

We've been embroiled in a bidding war for years. The AAC keeps winning.

Go figure.

 

[frankthetank]

Big Ten administrators do not care what Frank and his ilk think. So who cares?

I'll just leave this here.

 

[Exit 4]

I'll just leave this here.

Obviously a fabrication and a crude one to boot.

 

[TRest]

I think Frank actually believes the opinions he puts forth, and isn't trading in fake insider rumors just to get traffic. Just because someone disagrees with our value in conference realignment doesn't make him wrong. So far the market has been speaking loud and clear.

 

[frankthetank]

Obviously a fabrication and a crude one to boot.

It's not a fabrication. A reporter sent it to me as a message he found as part of a FOIA request. People can (and do) disagree with my opinions and analysis all of the time, which is fine, but I'm pretty upfront that I don't make up stories (unlike some others out there).

 

[CL82]

I'll just leave this here:

I can't vouch for its authenticity but I think it speaks for itself.

 

[Exit 4]

It's not a fabrication. A reporter sent it to me as a message he found as part of a FOIA request. People can (and do) disagree with my opinions and analysis all of the time, which is fine, but I'm pretty upfront that I don't make up stories (unlike some others out there).

I would like to see what the rest of that email chain has to say. Looks like CL82 has it covered.

 

[Adios]

I'll just leave this here.

Looks like Delany's changed his mind as of now. Your view is so antiquated.

By the way, our traditional rivals were the Ivies, the Little Ivies and New England state schools. Sorry we're not living in corn fields.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think Frank actually believes the opinions he puts forth, and isn't trading in fake insider rumors just to get traffic. Just because someone disagrees with our value in conference realignment doesn't make him wrong. So far the market has been speaking loud and clear.

Agreed. I don't think he's doing it as an attention whore like the obvious twitter clowns. Nor do I think he's making stuff up.

What I do think is that his views reflect (naturally) a Big Ten region, midwestern bias. That includes some preconceived notions about football, flagship state universities, history etc. Unfortunately for UConn, I think Delaney and the B1G Presidents are quite likely to have similar biases. I'm originally from the KC area, went to Kansas law school after attending UConn and mostly growing up in CT, so I think I have a pretty good feel for this. People from the northeast have a pretty inaccurate view of much of the midwest, and people from the midwest have a pretty inaccurate view of the northeast.

Simply stated, I suspect that the B1G folks view things much as Frank suggests that they do. That doesn't mean that they aren't all wrong, and shouldn't be more open minded. For example, what Frank said about Syracuse is effectively a half truth. None of it is false, but it provides an incomplete and therefore inaccurate sense of what Syracuse means to the region vs. UConn and what each could bring to the league.

I think the ACC is the mostly likely P5 lifeline to UConn, if there ever is one.

 

[whaler11]

UConn to the Big Ten is a fantasy that exists nowhere but on this forum.

 

[Seaa Blue]

I'll just leave this here:
View attachment 31736
I can't vouch for its authenticity but I think it speaks for itself.

Delany spelled his name correctly, so it must be authentic.

 

[olehead]

I am not in Ct. and only occasionally read the Courant (though I do receive an electronic subscription), with that said two questions for the informed.

1) Is there a legitimate long-term commitment to the AAC for basketball and football, or is our affiliation simply serving as a stepping stone for P5 membership?

2) Who are the major players behind the push to grow the football program and this includes groups and individuals in and out of UConn's institution?

3) Is the football push primarily in the interest of P5 realignment?

4) To what extent will the University remain committed to the AAC, even if an inverse correlation could later be shown between AAC membership and a deteriorating men's basketball program?

 

[buddy]

I am not in Ct. and only occasionally read the Courant (though I do receive an electronic subscription), with that said two questions for the informed.

1) Is there a legitimate long-term commitment to the AAC for basketball and football, or is our affiliation simply serving as a stepping stone for P5 membership?

2) Who are the major players behind the push to grow the football program and this includes groups and individuals in and out of UConn's institution?

3) Is the football push primarily in the interest of P5 realignment?

4) To what extent will the University remain committed to the AAC, even if an inverse correlation could later be shown between AAC membership and a deteriorating men's basketball program?

To answer your question, in my opinion: The initial affiliation was by default and the "Old Big East" imploded and UConn was left essentially homeless. UConn administration falsely believed that they would be invited to the ACC and the administration and (likely ESPN) failed to aggressively assure their invite. The whole reason to push the football program was to remain in a BCS conference at that time and now to join the P5. This has failed miserably to this point. The football push was in the interest of P5 alignment, but that also failed. Once money runs out, the commitment to the AAC will be history as well. Clearly the conference is moving toward a south and west direction and away from the northeast. I suspect UConn will be left homeless again in the near future. No sense in spending money one doesn't have to be midmajor and have to travel all over the country for conference games.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am not in Ct. and only occasionally read the Courant (though I do receive an electronic subscription), with that said two questions for the informed.

1) Is there a legitimate long-term commitment to the AAC for basketball and football, or is our affiliation simply serving as a stepping stone for P5 membership?

2) Who are the major players behind the push to grow the football program and this includes groups and individuals in and out of UConn's institution?

3) Is the football push primarily in the interest of P5 realignment?

4) To what extent will the University remain committed to the AAC, even if an inverse correlation could later be shown between AAC membership and a deteriorating men's basketball program?

Anything we say will be a guess. Here are mine.

1) Yes to both. We have a long term commitment right up until we don't. They know we will leave if we can, but we know we might not be able to, so want to make the league as strong as we can.

2) No idea. Benedict. Edsall.

3) It wasn't originally, since we were in an FBS league. It was aimed toward the fact that the schools we wanted to emulate all have D1/FBS football (Michigan, UVA and Penn State were named I believe). Now? I am sure it is viewed as an essential factor in gaining any P5 invite.

4) You will see mixed opinions here. My guess is that if the door to a P5 invite closed, permanently and forever, we'd consider dropping football. I also don't think we'd consider independence in football and say Big East basketball, unless the income disparity and impact on basketball was much larger than it is now. It's possible the next AAC contract could pay more than the Big East. Also, with WSU joining the American, apart from Villanova, the difference in the leagues is not all that really.

 

[Adios]

UConn to the Big Ten is a fantasy that exists nowhere but on this forum.

Indiana:
THE BIG TEN SHOULD ADD UCONN. SERIOUSLY.
Ohio State (surprisingly):
Should the Big Ten add UConn?
Penn State:
Penn State, National Titles, and Big Ten Expansion

You were saying?

 

[Ha Who]

Indiana:
THE BIG TEN SHOULD ADD UCONN. SERIOUSLY.
Ohio State (surprisingly):
Should the Big Ten add UConn?
Penn State:
Penn State, National Titles, and Big Ten Expansion

You were saying?

Is Edwin Perkins your hero?

 

[CL82]

Indiana:
THE BIG TEN SHOULD ADD UCONN. SERIOUSLY.
Ohio State (surprisingly):
Should the Big Ten add UConn?
Penn State:
Penn State, National Titles, and Big Ten Expansion

You were saying?

I'd sign up for this in a heartbeat. Until someone is willing to pay for it, it will never happen.