Picture Of Practice Facility?

[Mr. Wonderful]

Well, I didn't pull it out of my , so...

 

[CAHUSKY]

Well, I didn't pull it out of my , so...

I actually think you may have. At least you may have misinterpretted his comments. What I read was that he didn't think it was the responsibility the players to contribute. At no point and time did he say he wouldn't accept them. Id be interested in seeing that quote.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I'm looking for the quote. Whether my take is an incorrect interpretation or not, Calhoun made it sound like financial support from former players was not in the cards.

 

[Deadrody]

Jim Calhoun has publicly stated he refuses to accept any donations for the practice facility from his former players. It's his position that the fans should have to foot the bill.

feel free to post a link to this quote...

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

feel free to post a link to this quote...

You bet. Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't going to until you posted this. I don't know why it didn't occur to me. Again, thanks!

 

[CL82]

I thought Memorial Stadium was going to be made into a soccer stadium. It doesn't look like in the map.

 

[Walker11]

Yea, Mr. Wonderful, I know the quote which you are referring to and you are just "misremembering."

All Calhoun said is that the facility shouldn't be fully reliant on the NBA guys and that he would call them when we are getting closer.

 

[auggie22]

I thought Memorial Stadium was going to be made into a soccer stadium. It doesn't look like in the map.

memorial has always been the site for the basketball facility. what is surprising to me is the relocation of the softball field.

 

[Sportsman5]

Calhoun said he will not personally ask the players to contribute. He said this in a recent article and it was talked about on the boards. To my knowledge he never said he will not accept money. He will not call them, but if they call him it could be a different story.

 

[cto44]

Calhoun said he will not personally ask the players to contribute. He said this in a recent article and it was talked about on the boards. To my knowledge he never said he will not accept money. He will not call them, but if they call him it could be a different story.

in that case, whom does he think would call them? A university president whom they have never met? Fund-raising at that level is all about relationships. The largest contributors to the Melo Center were all former players and/or friends of Jim Boeheim. There was not a single big contributor who is not a friend of JB's. That is how the big gifts are raised by non-profits. It is all about who makes the ask ..... and what the relationship is between the asker and the askee. (I am on several non-profit boards and formerly headed a large foundation, so I speak from some experience in the field).

 

[tcf15]

Couldn't find a direct quote from Calhoun, but I have one here from Ray Allen, and it is a sentiment that Calhoun may share:

Of course, raising money for a facility may be difficult in a tough economic climate. Allen leads a list of former Huskies in the NBA earning millions, but he doesn't believe the program's alumni should be targeted for money.

"I believe there's other ways," Allen said. "Financially, the burden doesn't have to come on the players that are in the NBA. If you look at the football program, I don't know how many guys gave back to the football program and they were able to build the [practice] facilities. You look at it from the women's side, [professional players] don't make a great deal of money, but they still deserve [a facility] and they bring prestige to the university. All those things are worth their weight in dollars. We can find a way to get people to donate to the school so we can build it."

Link

 

[Sportsman5]

in that case, whom does he think would call them? A university president whom they have never met? Fund-raising at that level is all about relationships. The largest contributors to the Melo Center were all former players and/or friends of Jim Boeheim. There was not a single big contributor who is not a friend of JB's. That is how the big gifts are raised by non-profits. It is all about who makes the ask ..... and what the relationship is between the asker and the askee. (I am on several non-profit boards and formerly headed a large foundation, so I speak from some experience in the field).

UConn recently hired someone who's specialty is fundraising. The link is below. Other than that I'm not sure. Calhoun is pretty stubborn about things like this. Maybe with the two highest paid players in UConn history back on campus a lot this fall it will inspire them to contribute back to the school. Ray Allen has made the most and with Rudy Gay recently signing a 5 year $82 million contract he is number 2 I believe.

http://www.theday.com/article/20110518/NWS12/110519654/1047/rss01

 

[jleves]

UConn recently hired someone who's specialty is fundraising. The link is below. Other than that I'm not sure. Calhoun is pretty stubborn about things like this. Maybe with the two highest paid players in UConn history back on campus a lot this fall it will inspire them to contribute back to the school. Ray Allen has made the most and with Rudy Gay recently signing a 5 year $82 million contract he is number 2 I believe.

http://www.theday.com/article/20110518/NWS12/110519654/1047/rss01

According to basketball-reference.com:
Ray has made $168,037,360
RIP has made $85,666,043
Donyell has made $72,417,867
Cliff made $61,579,625
Butler has made $53,125,677
Oak has made $49,059,104
Gordon has made $42,917,019
Charlie has made $24,581,810
Gay has made $24,117,597
Travis made $22,622,500
Ollie made $20,131,418 (amazing he made less than Travis)
Jake made $12,321,407

Total for double digit guys is $636,574,430

Nobody else has cracked double digits in NBA revenue. I'm pretty sure Khalid has made double digits overseas.

You have to figure you can get a few bucks out of that group. I'm in the camp where it's unreasonable to expect them to or think they have an obigation to donate, but considering their character, relationship with the coach and they way they think of UConn as family, I would think most would break out the checkbook when the school comes calling.

 

[jleves]

Just for comparison, Carmello has earned $75,489,227

 

[Sportsman5]

If all else fails, maybe Drummond will donate money. 10 years from now he may have made more than any of them. If he pans out, his endorsements + salary should be $200 million or more by the time he's 30. Maybe he can name it after Mike Bradley as pay back

 

[CTEagle]

WOW! That is a very discouraging statement by Ray Allen. Pretty sad really when you look at the sum of those salaries. No wonder nothing is happening there with that indifferent mindset.
Kind of disturbing to me, I can't imagine how that makes the average UConn fan feel.

 

[jleves]

If all else fails, maybe Drummond will donate money. 10 years from now he may have made more than any of them. If he pans out, his endorsements + salary should be $200 million or more by the time he's 30. Maybe he can name it after Mike Bradley as pay back

Now that would be cool! The Bradley Sacrifice Facility

 

[cto44]

Just for comparison, Carmello has earned $75,489,227

Carmelo made his gift five years ago... after only a few years in the NBA. He had made a lot less money by then.

 

[jleves]

Carmelo made his gift five years ago... after only a few years in the NBA. He had made a lot less money by then.

True that he made less NBA money, but he probably had much higher endorsements than any UConn player ever. He was worth a lot more even in his first few years.

 

[cto44]

True that he made less NBA money, but he probably had much higher endorsements than any UConn player ever. He was worth a lot more even in his first few years.

The fact -- and my only point -- was that his gift (made after he was asked by JB) of $3 million got the ball rolling for the practice facility. Once he made it, other folks (including some other former players) then followed.

 

[pepband99]

Exactly. One of that astoundingly large list of multi-multi-millionaires steps up, and back up the truck.

 

[k9fanatic]

Not to be a cynic or anything, but Carmelo also had a reputation to repair, where to my knowledge, Ray does not. Didn't all of Carmelo's benevolence come after that idiotic "snitch" fiasco?

 

[cto44]

Not to be a cynic or anything, but Carmelo also had a reputation to repair, where to my knowledge, Ray does not. Didn't all of Carmelo's benevolence come after that idiotic "snitch" fiasco?

Carmelo's gift, pure and simple, was to show his appreciation for what Syracuse and Jim Boeheim had meant to him. (I don't want to get into an endless back-and-forth here. I am somewhat of an insider at Syracuse basketball -- and a friend of Carmelo's -- so you will have to trust me as to his motivation).

 

[CL82]

Carmelo's gift, pure and simple, was to show his appreciation for what Syracuse and Jim Boeheim had meant to him. (I don't want to get into an endless back-and-forth here. I am somewhat of an insider at Syracuse basketball -- and a friend of Carmelo's -- so you will have to trust me as to his motivation).

Agree Joyce. End of the day Camelo made the choice to give back to Syracuse. Whether or not anyone else decides to give back to their universities is their choice.

 

[CTEagle]

Bottom line: whatever the reason Syracuse alums got it done -UConn's have not!