State effort to keep Whale > effort to land new conf home

[ruskin]

Seemed to be a lot of government and press energy (and self-congratulation) devoted to something that really isn't THAT big a deal. Heard about the companies and state agencies involved, yada yada yada. Big whoop. Talk to me when the NHL comes back.

Where is all this public-private-academic partnership and full-court press about something which is of much more importance to the state's sporting future? Right now it is a leaderless, rudderless, unfocused blob of a mess. Ask yourself who is in charge and responsible for getting UConn into a better place? Malloy? Herbst? Manuel? BOT? Someone who has stones like Jim Calhoun and can say "we will be in a better place in a year"? OK, I get this game is one that's being played in what used to be smoke-filled back rooms, but Susan and Warde's tiresome, repeated lame pronouncements do not inspire confidence that this will end well. This "our fans will support us no matter what" line is getting old. The BOT is sitting back and keeping their hands clean and letting Herbst do the legwork. Other BOTs in the "big-time" have a much more public face in athletic matters (and not just Penn State). Meanwhile, UConn and the state combined have far more resources that their disposal than either Louisville or Cincinnati, yet has already been beaten by UL and seem to be falling behind Cincy.

The only positive thing I've heard in the last six months is Calhoun's.. But suggest that Calhoun play ANY role in this - working behind the scenes with heavy hitters like Phil Knight, and all you get is a bunch of this self-loathing Judases saying "everyone hates Calhoun". So what? A lot people hate Nick Saban, too. I hear reasons why things can't be done - everyone hates Blumenthal, everyone hates Calhoun, everyone hates Herbst.

Playing nice, being reactive and making excuses has put UConn in purgatory. Somebody needs to step up and say they are going to lead on this issue instead of implying that people have to eat a sandwich and like it. If this state can put together a concerted effort for something as inconsequential as AHL hockey, they sure as hell should do it for CR.

 

[sportsart]

HFD has hijacked ruskin's account.

 

[whaler11]

HFD has hijacked ruskin's account.

All those capital letters...

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

The difference between keeping the Connecticut Whale here and getting UConn into a major conference is that the government can actually influence one of them.

Remind me again how attempting to sue the pants off the ACC worked out in the long-term for Connecticut?

 

[ruskin]

Yes loop let's keep that urban myth alive that it's the Blumenthal's lawsuit is keeping UConn from landing in the right spot. Maryland's lawsuit against the ACC makes ours looks like People's Court.

For starters, Utah, West Virginia, Louisville and Virginia Tech all got where they are now with "government influence". Go back and read some history on how the SEC and ACC were originally formed. Government influence.

If you think government and politics has zero influence in this process you are living in the same kind of dream world where George DeLeone had no influence on how poor UConn's football offense was last season.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The difference between keeping the Connecticut Whale here and getting UConn into a major conference is that the government can actually influence one of them.

Remind me again how attempting to sue the pants off the ACC worked out in the long-term for Connecticut?

UConn would have been in a mid-major conference 10 years ago if Blumenthal didn't.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Yes loop let's keep that urban myth alive that it's the Blumenthal's lawsuit is keeping UConn from landing in the right spot. Maryland's lawsuit against the ACC makes ours looks like People's Court.

I never said it prevented us from landing in the right spot. I'm asking you how that lawsuit helped us. Feel free to provide evidence.

 

[businesslawyer]

The difference between keeping the Connecticut Whale here and getting UConn into a major conference is that the government can actually influence one of them.

This. What is the point of the original post -- that the Government should not work on doing anything to make the State better until conference realignment is solved? That it shouldn't take credit when it accomplishes anything?

 

[Huskyfan990411]

UConn would have been in a mid-major conference 10 years ago if Blumenthal didn't.

I would love to hear more details on how Blumenthal's lawsuit saved UConn from being a Mid Major?

 

[Waquoit]

I don't know any specifics, but the lawsuit put the breaks on the ACC raid and gave the Big East time to regroup.

 

[UConn9604]

This. What is the point of the original post -- that the Government should not work on doing anything to make the State better until conference realignment is solved? That it shouldn't take credit when it accomplishes anything?

It's also at least indirectly related to conference realignment. Without even an AHL team, a new arena is a non-starter, but with an AHL team, at least we can have that conversation -- and a new arena will only help our conference realignment standing.

I don't think this will have even the slightest effect on downtown Hartford's empty storefronts (only slashing an 80 mill tax rate can do that), but this is actually a moderate positive for our ultimate realignment end game, which is a good thing.

 

[RS9999X]

It's time for a new logo and name. "The Hartford Whalers" and "Hartford: The Rising Star of New England" are so yesterday.

I'm thinking we can replace the Hartford Whale with this:

The Hartford Snail.

New Slogan: "Hartford: Progressing Slowly"

 

[TRest]

The same people have teamed together to get UConn Hockey played at the xl center in front of 250 fans. That should scream big-time to our doubters.

 

[Waquoit]

I like going to Whale games and I'm glad they are staying. What this has to do with CR I have no clue.

 

[Durks07]

I would love to hear more details on how Blumenthal's lawsuit saved UConn from being a Mid Major?

It means that the ACC is a mid-major. We really should thank Blumenthal for all of the nothing he accomplished in the lawsuit. We would be lost in a crappy conference if it weren't for that. Oh, wait....

 

[Husky25]

One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. The State cannot realistically force the hand of the Big Ten or the ACC for an invite. Global Spectrum won the bid for one reason and one reason only: Maintain and (in time) improve the utilization of the two primary sports and entertainment venues owned by the state...period.

MSG's contract with the XL Center expires upon the conclusion of the Whale's 2012-2013 season and there was a chance, given the goingson with WSE last summer, that the Rangers would pull their affiliate out of Hartford. This would lower XL's utilization by at least 38 dates (not counting playoffs) unless GS was able to secure another franchise in short order (Could have happened, but unlikely and definitely would not have happened if AEG or the Bushnell won the bid).

The article in the Day that I referenced in another thread tried to frame the State and GS as being all for the Whale, who draws about 4,000 people/game and against UConn, who draw 3x as many as well as provide almost as many dates as the AHL (counting MBB, WBB, and Ice hockey). The reality is that the situation is about neither UConn nor the AHL. Regardless of opponent, UConn's contracts to play at XL don't expire in the short term and the terms are pretty well established.

 

[ruskin]

The State cannot realistically force the hand of the Big Ten or the ACC for an invite.

Respectfully disagree, which is the point of the OP. The "state" - and that means its representatives in Washington as well as the Governor, Legislature, etc , and even the private sector (hello, ESPN & NBC Sports, our First Five buddies) -- should be able to muster the same or more resources that got Utah and West Virginia in a better place and sure as hell should be able to outdo anything Louisville, not a flagship state university (as our friend Jim Delany might say), can.

UConn is not going to get anywhere near 3x Whale size crowds at the XL Center unless it lands in a better conference. So not only do we have $150 million of football infrastructure at risk because of CR, we also have 20-plus UConn hoop Hartford dates and the financial benefits it bring also at risk. And the sooner that Malloy wakes up to this and puts it on the front burner the better.