The End May Be Nearing

[Marty Jackson]

Do you root against the Huskies so a 3-9 gets PP the boot, or do you hope for a 6-6 which may be enough to keep PP for next year.

At 3-4, I don't see this team better than 6-6. If nothing else, would just like to see some fresh thinking on offense. I could live with PP as coach, just not GDL as OC.

Granted Holgerson has Geno at QB, but isn't this his second year as well? If we had 1/5th their offensive firepower we could be a top 20 team. How is it that he could transform their offense in two years, but we're regressing in ours?

 

[Nostical]

No one is calling for a midseason firing. Where did that idea come from in this thread? The thrust is there are five games left and the results of those games will and should be determinative of P's future as our head coach.

 

[huskymedic]

Do you root against the Huskies so a 3-9 gets PP the boot, or do you hope for a 6-6 which may be enough to keep PP for next year.

At 3-4, I don't see this team better than 6-6. If nothing else, would just like to see some fresh thinking on offense. I could live with PP as coach, just not GDL as OC.

Granted Holgerson has Geno at QB, but isn't this his second year as well? If we had 1/5th their offensive firepower we could be a top 20 team. How is it that he could transform their offense in two years, but we're regressing in ours?

 

[Husky25]

That's right Husky, but where are the local media guys who want to break out of the mold and make a name for themselves? This isn't Watergate, but it still requires a call to action. That often means swimming against the current of polite compliance with the status quo..

In due time, my friend.

This is UConn football. Watergate shook the country to its core and forced the Most Powerful Man in the Free World to resign. I have a basic understanding of jobs in journalism (From my roommate in 1996-97): Beat writers report, Columnists opine, and Bloggers (didn't exist back then) speculate. Is Desmond a blogger? May be (I would argue no), but he puts food on his table by reporting.

 

[Nostical]

How is it that he (Holgerson) could transform their (WVU's) offense in two years, but we're regressing in ours?

That's the real question Marty. Differences in achievment separate successful folks from the "might have beens". Go ahead WVU, fire Bill Stewart and hire Coach P and GDL. Now UConn, you replace Randy Edsall with Holgerson. Care to predict how each team would look right now? That's why it's tough to buy the current willingness of our media to excuse our performance.

 

[Husky25]

That's the real question Marty. Differences in achievment separate successful folks from the "might have beens". Go ahead WVU, fire Bill Stewart and hire Coach P and GDL. Now UConn, you replace Randy Edsall with Holgerson. Care to predict how each team would look right now? That's why it's tough to buy the current willingness of our media to excuse our performance.

IIRC, Stewart exceeding expectations by winning the Bowl game when RichRod went to Michigan and the AD made an emotional hire. Very few down there liked the hire, and many national pundits found it an odd move as well. That said, maybe Coach Pasq. is our Bill Stewart and the next coach will work out better. See? Silver lining...

 

[ZooCougar]

IIRC, Stewart exceeding expectations by winning the Bowl game when RichRod went to Michigan and the AD made an emotional hire. Very few down there liked the hire, and many national pundits found it an odd move as well. That said, maybe Coach Pasq. is our Bill Stewart and the next coach will work out better. See? Silver lining...

Well, the Bill Stewart thing was the hiring equivalent of drinking and dialing. Hathaway was stone cold sober the day he hired P and let Dummy DeLeone come along for the ride.

 

[mattp]

Fair point but lets look at it this way. Don't people read newspapers, online or off, to find out what's going on in the world? Don't they want the truth? Don't they want to feel like honest questions are being asked?

If fans have fair and reasonable questions in their mind isn't it the job of the reporter to know what people are thinking and ask these reasonable but tough questions?

Not only are we far behind in the sense of tradion and fan support in CT our beat writers are behind as well.

Do you think beat writers for LSU, Alabama, and other big time programs print fluff and don't ask tough questions? Actually don't have an answer to that one.

I guess we look for different things from our reporters in general. I prefer to see as little opinion as possible as I prefer reporters to be an impartial provider of facts. Obviously impartiality is not that important for sports reporting compared to "real journalism", but I prefer to have the facts reported to me as they happen, and then I'll draw my own conclusions. Believe me there's not very many places I look for news as a result. Pretty much every news lens is tinged nowadays and I think it's a shame. If I want opinions, which I often do, I'll read an editorial or blog. I think part of the problem is you have reporters trying to wear the hat of blogger as well, and I think there's an inherent clash between the two jobs because one should be objective and one subjective, and it's impossible to do both without affecting the other.

 

[Husky25]

Well, the Bill Stewart thing was the hiring equivalent of drinking and dialing. Hathaway was stone cold sober the day he hired P and let Dummy DeLeone come along for the ride.

The streamers were out, floats decorated, marching bands lined up, and the 100 foot ballons of Papa Smurf and Garfield were inflated...Thanks a heep, Zoo, for raining on my parade!!!!!

 

[FAIRTIDES]

To be fair, you can't really blame the press for not putting pressure on P. That's Warde's job and I guess also Susan's job. A reporter getting themselves blackballed doesn't really go anybody any good.

It's just not that easy anymore. It's no secret that "print" is in it's death throes. What we're seeing, I think, is an entire industry walking on eggs. As far as our state is concerned, one of the few things people will still buy, in print, is news about UCONN athletics. I would be willing to bet that the business types and Publishers are reviewing everything written about UCONN athletics and toning down any criticism that might harm the UCONN/Paper relationship.

Within the present environment there are young guns who are, no doubt, straining at the restrictions. There are probably daily arguments about what journalism is supposed to be vs. what it has become. In the end, it comes down to one basic fact. Unless a young newspaper person has a significant following that ports over to the internet, he/she needs a newspaper. It has become about "not biting the hand..."

 

[Doggie Style]

You do realize these post game interviews occure in a corner of the locker room and the same whispered tones are the same for all the interviews (coach and players). Listen this week...

You know what..... I didn't. I made an improper assumption that they would be conducted outside the locker room or at least in P's office. I saw Lutrus give an interview outside the locker room a few years back but never a coach. I will say that there was a huge difference in the way Coach P responds compared to how the questions were asked. I will have a listen
Friday night. Thanks for pointing that out though Medic

 

[B1GEast]

A very well written piece Nostical

 

[Uconnalliance]

No, it was me. But thanks for the compliment.

Well written now we can only hope someone with some balls sees it and puts it to print.

 

[gars44]

Yes you can.

In places like Alabama and FL, they don't accept mediocrity. They put pressure on the coaches if they don't perform. Logically, it doesn't make sense, but in a practical world, it tends to work. Pressure leads to results. See, George Steinbrenner.