Saturday:Important in so many ways...

[coachcap]

1. A win ensures a non-losing Season AND makes the team bowl eligible
2. It's Senior Day-we thank our Seniors for sticking with this program-they haven't had the luxury of playing in the post season.
3. Last home game of 2015-there are no excuses allowed for poor attendance-this team is young & exciting. it's the weekend BEFORE the holiday season starts (so no holiday shopping sale excuses), Youth league fall sports are over & those high schools that play on Thanksgiving are off on Saturday.
4. Nationally televised game against a Top 20 opponent: A huge & raucous crowd acts as the "12th Man" & shows the rest of the football world that UConn is serious about supporting 1-A football.

We NEED close to a full house , but it doesn't look promising. According today's Courant sports page, UConn reported tickets sold for Saturday's game at 23,000. Still, I'm hopeful of at least 30k by game time.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I just looked at the maritime forecast for block island sound. Unless the football gods and mother nature pull something out of the hat, it's going to be a clear, cold and windy up there on the runway. steady wind 10-15 knots on the water with gusts up to 20 knots on the water that are going to get stronger as it gest dark. Be dressed for wind chill up there.

Ideally - everybody in the stadium that makes it - will funnel themselves down into the lower bowl by halftime when it gets dark, and it can get really loud, rather than huddled in the alleys but while it's still daylight, most people will find their way into the sunlight that's there while it's there for some bit of warmth.

Hopefully Diaco has learned something about the field, and it's characteristics, because if the wind gust are what I think they are - I'm reminded of the last home sell out against Cincy. Zach Collaros tries a long ball down the middle and the wind gusted and stopped it almost dead in the air.

Punts - are going to be huge in this game - hidden field yardage. Field goal tries, and any ball that goes up in the air high on a pass is something that everybody needs to be ready to clos on fast.

We will have the sun on our team in the first half, on the sides, while they're in the shade of the tower freezing their butts on the bench. Need to play hard with that and hit hard on the field.

Wish I could be there, they've earned the opportunity to do something big. University of New Jersey came to Rentschler not too long ago, with big intentions on the horizon, and in the words of a former Husky hoops player - left with a bad taste of UCONN in their mouths.

GO HUSKIES.

 

[Carl Spackler]

@ seoulhusky

You'd appreciate this - what I just typed reminded of talking with a friend of mine that is retired USAF just a few days ago. We were just shooting the and talking about the weather. We were in Colorado many years together at about this time of year, on a standing around for a while runway and it was blowing hard. Cold. One of the new guys had gloves on, was wrapped up in every bit of gear he had. My buddy looks at him and says - "You better take some of that stuff off." Guy says, "Are you kidding me?" Reply- "Yeah, you better take the gloves off and put some of that stuff away - what are you going to put on in February when it's really cold?"

LOL.

The thing I loved most about TJ Weist, was is absolute defiance of weather, and the will to wear short sleeves. We might not have rain, snow and ice to play in this weekend with the guys from Texas - but it will be cold.

I'm out - have a nice day.

 

[junglehusky]

I just looked at the maritime forecast for block island sound. Unless the football gods and mother nature pull something out of the hat, it's going to be a clear, cold and windy up there on the runway. steady wind 10-15 knots on the water with gusts up to 20 knots on the water that are going to get stronger as it gest dark. Be dressed for wind chill up there.

Wait, the game has been moved to Block Island now?

 

[businesslawyer]

Wait, the game has been moved to Block Island now?

I read Carl talking about Block Island sound and all I can think of is whether the game would count if it was at altitude.

 

[IMind]

Does the score not count of it was wind aided? Like track and field? How come they don't mention when an event is wind hampered? Are 400m and 800m events ever wind aided? Don't they have to go both with and against the wind? Against the Wind was a great song.. Bob Diaco should play that before the game if it's windy.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Its good stuff isnt t BL? I hope people from Houstan are reading and wondering WTF any of it could possibly means. Elevation of rentschler airfield is about 20 M - which puts the field itself at sea level.

Makes me feel like philosophizing with Socrates. Dust - wind - dude.

I really wish I could go to this one. I would like to see what this team's got in November with something to play for at home with my own eyes. It's looking like a good day to go out and play some UCONN football.

 

[NYUConn]

My buddy is getting married in NYC on Saturday afternoon so I am giving my ticket to a friend.

This marriage better last...

 

[RedStickHusky]

Lol, I remember my big brother coming home on leave from Florida in Oct and complaining about the cold. It doesn't take long to get used to living elsewhere. Bigger question for me is whether wind alone can raise HCBD's hair performance anxiety factor.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Lol, I remember my big brother coming home on leave from Florida in Oct and complaining about the cold. It doesn't take long to get used to living elsewhere. Bigger question for me is whether wind alone can raise HCBD's hair performance anxiety factor.

LOL - sometimes there are things that you just don't ever get used to though. I have no idea why this little warning label was where it was, but WTF is this supposed to mean? Don't eat the baby? I guess in some places in the world - non-smoking signs and warning labels for consumer products are a step above normal behavior.

I need some sleep.

 

[businesslawyer]

Does the score not count of it was wind aided? Like track and field? How come they don't mention when an event is wind hampered? Are 400m and 800m events ever wind aided? Don't they have to go both with and against the wind? Against the Wind was a great song.. Bob Diaco should play that before the game if it's windy.

I would feel much better about HCBD if he had Segar on his play list as opposed to the crap he has.

 

[Srqhusky]

Wish I could be there but to show support I have changed my Facebook photo to this

 

[IMind]

Its good stuff isnt t BL? I hope people from Houstan are reading and wondering WTF any of it could possibly means. Elevation of rentschler airfield is about 20 M - which puts the field itself at sea level.

Makes me feel like philosophizing with Socrates. Dust - wind - dude.

I really wish I could go to this one. I would like to see what this team's got in November with something to play for at home with my own eyes. It's looking like a good day to go out and play some UCONN football.

By the way I think the argument that pizza crusts taste better in CT because it's at sea level is garbage. I live just outside of Philly and there are tons of Italians and it's at sea level and the pizza crusts taste like cardboard and is incredibly chewy. I NEVER have this problem in CT. It's got to be the water... or the quality of Italians.

 

[uconnphil2016]

23K??? Man, that's embarrassing. Makes me think that we're never going to recover the lost fans until we play in P5. They won't come out regardless of the circumstances of the game, rank of opponent, success of the team...

 

[businesslawyer]

23K??? Man, that's embarrassing. Makes me think that we're never going to recover the lost fans until we play in P5. They won't come out regardless of the circumstances of the game, rank of opponent, success of the team...

How can you use the word "never" on a program that is in its first year out of hell and hasn't even made it to .500 and a minor bowl yet. Seriously dude -- never does not mean before you finish your next six pack.

 

[Dooley]

23K means the following things:

1. Coach Diaco and staff will not only have to get his guys ready for their toughest opponent of the season...they will also have to coach them up to expect thousands of empty seats and not be disappointed when they run out of the tunnel to a half empty stadium. Nothing more deflating for a team playing a HUGE game on Senior Day with this many empty seats;

2. the ESPN telecast will surely make a few comments on national TV - not good exposure for UConn. For a fanbase that loves to beat its chest about how power conference worthy we are, the announcing team will remind everyone/anyone watching (i.e. most of the AAC) that we really aren't ready for that jump up yet;

3. we will all be able to get home in 15 minutes;

4. our AD and Ticket/Marketing departments should be working on a 2016-beyond season ticket campaign that will help prevent embarrassments like this from happening again while we try to establish that we can support big-time sports.

 

[epark88]

We NEED close to a full house , but it doesn't look promising. According today's Courant sports page, UConn reported tickets sold for Saturday's game at 23,000. Still, I'm hopeful of at least 30k by game time.

I've been holding my tongue on this, but I'm just gonna put it out there:

When I wrote my 'A Fan's View' entry several weeks back, the Courant edited out every instance where it appeared as if I was encouraging folks to attend UConn football games in person. The editors apparently had a problem with me doing that... but they also have no issues reporting low ticket sales and printing pics of empty stands?

I'm sorry, but Kitty be damned - that's rather disingenuous. More to the point: it sucks out loud...

 

[uconnphil2016]

How can you use the word "never" on a program that is in its first year out of hell and hasn't even made it to .500 and a minor bowl yet. Seriously dude -- never does not mean before you finish your next six pack.

I don't think it's that absurd of an assertion. In 2012, we were 5-7 and facing an unranked Cincy team in front of 33,112 in a season following a 5-7 record. We weren't where we are now, but by no means were we a good football team. Even still, we managed a crowd that will trump this crowd by several thousand while this game is more important to the program's health and against a far more exciting opponent with an outside shot to head to the CFB playoff. I'm not saying we'll never see attendance rise at all again, but what I am saying is that we're seeing a long-term downward trend in attendance that has to do with much more than simply a losing product on the field.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't think it's that absurd of an assertion. In 2012, we were 5-7 and facing an unranked Cincy team in front of 33,112 in a season following a 5-7 record. We weren't where we are now, but by no means were we a good football team. Even still, we managed a crowd that will trump this crowd by several thousand while this game is more important to the program's health and against a far more exciting opponent with an outside shot to head to the CFB playoff. I'm not saying we'll never see attendance rise at all again, but what I am saying is that we're seeing a long-term downward trend in attendance that has to do with much more than simply a losing product on the field.

That's absurd. We got worse year after year for four years. This year's sales, hopefully, are where we bottomed out. Anyone (and I include myself) was a masochist to buy season tickets this year after the last two. Not so much after this year.

If we don't go up 16 versus 15, then make your point. But I guaranty you that no matter what is the announced attendance, there will be more people in the building at the end of this year than there were at the end of last year. I was one of about seven idiots watching from 241 last year. I know there will be many more than that Saturday.

 

[businesslawyer]

I've been holding my tongue on this, but I'm just gonna put it out there:

When I wrote my 'A Fan's View' entry several weeks back, the Courant edited out every instance where it appeared as if I was encouraging folks to attend UConn football games in person. The editors apparently had a problem with me doing that... but they also have no issues reporting low ticket sales and printing pics of empty stands?

I'm sorry, but Kitty be damned - that's rather disingenuous. More to the point: it sucks out loud...

Seriously? The Courant, for appropriate reasons, wants UCOnn to have to pay to advertise in their paper -- not to give them advertising for free in guest columns.

 

[uconnphil2016]

That's absurd. We got worse year after year for four years. This year's sales, hopefully, are where we bottomed out. Anyone (and I include myself) was a masochist to buy season tickets this year after the last two. Not so much after this year.

If we don't go up 16 versus 15, then make your point. But I guaranty you that no matter what is the announced attendance, there will be more people in the building at the end of this year than there were at the end of last year. I was one of about seven idiots watching from 241 last year. I know there will be many more than that Saturday.

Again, I'm not trying to say that in 2016 there won't be more fan interest than there has been in 2016. Instead, I'm trying to say that a better on-field product isn't, in my opinion, going to translate to the attendance numbers we saw in 2005-2010. We're simply not going to sell out all six home games (as we did in 2004 & 2005--including games against Buffalo and Liberty) or 2008 when 38k watched us play Akron. Let me remind you, we won 5 games in 2005 and after reaching the apex of our success in 2010 we didn't see an attendance increase at the beginning of the 2011 season. That shows that the team being good doesn't mean tons of people show up. If the numbers do show anything, it's that attendance has been on a downward trend since about 04/05 and I'd attribute that way more to folks in CT having very short attention spans when it comes to sports more so than our team not being as good recently. The same attendance phenomenon has happened across the board for CT sports programs--look at basketball even. Look at the numbers for say the 03/04 year and compare with 2013/14. Both championship teams, drastic difference in attendance. People in CT get tired of sports attractions very quickly, lose interest and stop coming.

Now, I'd totally like to hear your side and some reasons/evidence as to why attendance is instead governed by winning beyond just calling my argument absurd over and over. Your tag says you're a lawyer and I'm trying to go to law school so I want to test your argumentative skills!

 

[huskypantz]

Seriously? The Courant, for appropriate reasons, wants UCOnn to have to pay to advertise in their paper -- not to give them advertising for free in guest columns.

Wait, in a guest column that was written FOR FREE the courant would expect to receive revenue for any references that may be construed as advertising? Sounds reasonable.

 

[CTMike]

Seriously? The Courant, for appropriate reasons, wants UCOnn to have to pay to advertise in their paper -- not to give them advertising for free in guest columns.

The Fans View has been an online only feature.

Edit: hasn't it?