One Writer's Opinion about HCBD Controlling the Message

[ScottBonz]

Lot's of discussion on twitter this morning about the subject from @UconnFB_Andrew (Andrew Callahan), @NoEscalators, @JohnFSilver, and the Boneyards own @MattSchonvisky, among others. The old school guys have their opinion and the new schools guys have theirs.

The issue I have here is that its 8/20/14 and Ken Davis needs to hold the duck up. Diaco is not only trying to change the team but the culture. That takes work and I think he needs to make that new culture unbreakable before he can open it up to outside influence. That takes time and lots of it. I think the Horde is due for a culture change. Too many years of resting on their laurels of right puff pieces with easy quotes. The fans are starting to demand in-depth, knowledgeable reporting. Andrew Callahan did some of the best if not THE BEST reporting I've ever seen on Uconn Football. He had film breakdown, formations, etc. The Horde writes opinion pieces, this kid writes actual football articles.

The Horde might need to start changing its culture along with Uconn. Starting manning up and transform the way you write and report. Go and out and get a story instead of asking one handed to you. Write about something I care about. I don't care about you rehashing the QB. Write knowledgeable articles that teach me something new.

 

[UConnJim]

We have to give Diaco some slack. He inherited a team that had 3 losing seasons in a row that was run by two guys that were beyond their expiration dates. And, the team had an interim coach who was likeable and the team through 3 starting QBs. Plus, the previous coaches had an offense that had the QB running for his life and then started an unready freshman QB who should have been redshirted. It looked like the senior QB was ready to quit and the freshman QB was probably upset with blowing his redshirt.

IMHO, in college, QB is the most important position. Diaco has kept all three legacy QBs on board, convincing the senior to come back, the sophomore to redshirt, and he has brought in a transfer QB. Has UConn ever had this type of depth at QB? I don't think so.

I think his handling of the QB situation has been ver positive. By bringing all of the QBs out to the press conference, it was very clear that he wanted to be straightforward with each QB's position on the team.

 

[pepband99]

No UConn fans go to that website. How many fans of other teams do you think frequent there? More importantly, do they matter?

The fact you see more random fanbase fans than posts from UConn people sort of proves my point. Even worse is the sole poster is pretty much the village lunatic.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

The Day columnist is imploring people to buy tix. Might be a first for the state's sports journalists.

http://www.theday.com/article/20140820/SPORT01/308209978/-1/SPORT

 

[Palatine]

A little more open? A little more publicity? Seriously? The guy has been everywhere since he arrived. Short of open-ing his fly, what more would you like him to do - lay out the plays he will call and schemes he plans to set for BYU?

He keeps all the practices closed. It's one of the ways he controls the information flow. How manages the story and keeps info close to the vest.

Although I appreciate your incredulous, I stand by my previous post.

 

[BlueMAB]

Dear Ken Davis

The rationale behind Diaco's decision is simple. Coach Diaco believes the team is better, and therefore more likely to win games, with Casey Cochran starting at QB and Whitmer coming in from time to time to run certain packages.

It's not rocket science Ken, coaches will start the players they believe give them the best chance. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. Going over specific strengths and weaknesses and giving detail on what packages they will run 10 days out of the first game will give the opposition an idea of what to prepare for. If they know that Whitmer will be brought in to run the read option, they can prepare for that. Coach Diaco doesn't want BYU to know what to prepare for. The more they have to be prepared for, the tougher it will be for them to prepare.

 

[Pudge]

Can you list some of those and tell us why they are great? Or are they just great in comparison to PP?

He talks a good game about commitment and accountability and added what appears to be a very competent strength and conditioning coach (how the team holds up during the season will be the actual proof of that), but beyond that, there is nothing that has been shown to the public or the media except what he wants them to see or hear. Not that there is anything wrong with that but as they say, talk is cheap.

Number ONE ... and this comes from watching assemblage of staff at UConn; and at BC, Syracuse, Rutgers, etc ... GREAT is the way he pulled together a top credentialed staff quick and efficiently. ALL targeted to our (UConn & CT) place in the world. We need guys that know NJ, PA, NE, VA and can recruit Florida, Georgia. He is there. He got guys - all of whom except Foley - that he knew and coached with before. He filled this with a nice balance of age/experience and youth/passion. I like the stories of virtually all of these guys. (and always thought Foley was the highlight of the last 5 years of UConn staffing in Football).

I contrast this with Edsall; with Schiano; with Pasqualoni; with (disaster) Greg Robinson; with (disaster) Dave Kragthorpe; with Addazio; with Frank Spaziano; with Flood. Diaco ... came out of the hiring strong.

This then translated into a really solid first 7 months of recruiting. And this - to me - emphasizes a culture he did install.

ALL just the beginning ... but I think I give him high grades contrasting him with others.

Again, let's see what translates on the field. I, however, would love to talk to Ken Davis when we are bowl bound after that pre-emptive strike on 8/18.

 

[fgbrault]

Davis complains about lack of information, but I have never known a coach to provide so much information on his thinking regarding his selecting starting and backup quarterbacks.

I am very happy that the media can’t provide us with ” any impression of this team or the schemes Diaco might use in the opener”, as they would also be providing that to BYU. One advantage in having a new coaching staff, is for that first game a least,, it is more difficult for the opposition to prepare for us.

 

[gioff23]

CT HS football coaches? Have you been reading all the articles being put out? He's been touring the state visiting every high school football program there is and inviting everyone to their football camp

it was a joke, or intended as such. If you believe the CT HS FB coaches are supportive of this program, you're nuts. They're still whining about PP's firing and that the staff did not attend a coaches clinic in a snowstorm this winter.

 

[Srqhusky]

That'll help sell tickets.

Winning sells tickets.

 

[Husky25]

Who?

Is this the same guy who (allegedly) stayed at home during the Maryland game (or some sort) and the linked to an article on his own blog about how crappy attendance was for the Maryland game? Then when he was supposedly called out on it, The blog post was miraculously edited?

Same guy? I don't remember all the details. Someone else may have a better recollection than I.

 

[huskymedic]

Who?

Is this the same guy who (allegedly) stayed at home during the Maryland game (or some sort) and the linked to an article on his own blog about how crappy attendance was for the Maryland game? Then when he was supposedly called out on it, The blog post was miraculously edited?

Same guy? I don't remember all the details. Someone else may have a better recollection than I.

Nope - different guy.

 

[Husky25]

Mr Davis is clearly an egomaniac with hurt feelings. He should take his ball and go home.

New Canaan needs a beat writer. Lou Marinelli hasn't been stroked since last September 30.

 

[Husky25]

Being a little more open would not kill Diaco. Publicity is a good thing.

Publicity gave Clubber Lang the belt. Rocky didn't win it back until he got down to business. Rocky didn't win it back until he looked like a middleweight (Wait that was rocky IV after the greatest training montage sequences ever!!). Remember, Apollo never managed a fighter before Rocky. How'd that turn out? Rocky beat the snot out of Mr. T. That's how.

 

[metsfan2323]

That'll help sell tickets.

Giving the media extra access so they can write an article on our offensive formations in practice isn't going to sell any tickets, neither is a one on one player interview with the QB.

As someone else said, winning will sell tickets.

Print media is dead. No new fans coming our way via the local newspaper.

 

[jackl]

New Canaan needs a beat writer. Lou Marinelli hasn't been stroked since last September 30.

Who is Ken Davis anyway, does he have any credentials or is he a wanabe blogger? I was confusing him with Ken Duffy of the Connecticut Post.

 

[kemba]

I don't know if the press conference was a good idea or not, it probably doesn't matter in the long run, but I don't see how its an example of not giving the media enough access. He sat there for 10 minutes and broke down the strengths and weaknesses of all the QB's. What other coaches are that insightful?

Yea he's controlling the message, that's what he should be doing. But he's very open and insightful when he speaks. I've learned more about the program from reading/watching his interviews than I ever did with Edsall or PP.

As far as practice access, yea, as a fan I'd rather have more updates about whats going on. But the people who want to read that stuff aren't the people who need to be convinced to buy tickets. I'm ecstatic with the way Diaco's promoted the program so far.

 

[huskyblooz]

Ken Davis? Isn't that the State Capitol reporter on Channel 8? What's he whining about?

Bob Diaco has driven to everywhere in the state to promote this program. Spoken at breakfasts, Wild Wing promotions etc.
The guy is out hustling his butt every day. Speaking to everyone. But this lazy journalist wants Diaco to write his blog for him!

 

[dsturdy5]

Who is Ken Davis anyway, does he have any credentials or is he a wanabe blogger? I was confusing him with Ken Duffy of the Connecticut Post.

That's Kevin Duffy and he just left the Post to work for Mass Live covering the Pats.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

A well known CT columnist told me in the early nineties that he pretty much thought Calhoun was a jerk (his word was worse), so it wasn't just the later years.

The part about him being a positive example for dealing with the media probably caused JC to laugh himself into a ruptured spleen.

 

[Husky25]

Who is Ken Davis anyway, does he have any credentials or is he a wanabe blogger? I was confusing him with Ken Duffy of the Connecticut Post.

I don't know. I asked the same question. I literally don't know who the man is.

 

[freescooter]

I am not particularly concerned with how he deals with the media, though I have to admit I would love a bit more information on what/how things are going besides Diaco happy talk about how some things are better than they were yesterday but not as good as tomorrow. On the other hand, he isn't the first football coach to try and keep everything closed and controlled. If they fired you for that, there would be maybe 2 guys still coaching. The thing that does worry me, and I'm in the same camp as tdhusky here which is worrying in its own right, is that he almost seemed to be apologizing for naming Cochran. He could have made that an easy choice even if it wasn't. In fact, I think Cochran was the guy almost from day 1 and Boyle was #3 almost from day 1. But even if that wasn't the case, just say Cochran is the starter. I mean, I hope he doesn't have to use all 3 time outs and then get a delay of game penalty trying explain to the left tackle why he decided to run over right tackle on 3rd and inches...one difference between being the head coach and being the coordinator is sometimes you need to make the call, even overrule your coordinators and you can't and don't have time to explain. Just do it as a certain shoemaker (and lousy logo designer) says.

 

[huskymedic]

I don't know. I asked the same question. I literally don't know who the man is.

http://kendavisfiles.com/about-ken-davis/

 

[UkonCornelius]

I think the program, including HCBD, needs to spend more time coddling both the local media and the CT HS FB Coaches, as both have proven invaluable allies and fully committed to seeing State U. compete on a national stage. We should care very much about their opinions and views.

not

 

[gioff23]

not

it was a joke. have some more folger's