The fickleness of our fanbase

[Carl Spackler]

If I found out a certain passive aggressive poster was really a woman I wouldn't be surprised.

Anyone who longs for the of death print media strikes me as someone in government who dislikes any check or balance.

Really? What a dinosaur. The print media can't even come close to providing the necessary check/balance that actual journalism, and freedom of speech, most definitely _ I BELIEVE WHOLE HEARTEDLY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO EXIST - to keep a government in control.

The problem, is that there are two few real jouralists, and writers out there that are fast enough, and motivated enough in things like technology, and business, and have had the foresight enough, to get up to speed, in the information business, and get away from the doing what they need to get the paycheck from their editor mentality...... and WAY too many bloggers, that have nothing more than a B.A. degree in general studies, and/or language arts, and a couple bucks to start up a website..... if they've even got a college degree.

The ability to critique information, evaluate it to it's merit, and draw conclusions from it - AND THEN WRITE ABOUT IT - is absolutely essential to keeping a government in check as long as you want to believe that somethign like freedom exists.

The sooner the print media dies, the faster the internet world will start to be cleaned up of the garbage information that spouts like a backed up sewer in a flood.

 

[Carl Spackler]

P.S.

Huskyfandan - this entire discussion, is one of those internet garbage information sources. The fanbase for UConn football, is no different than any other fanbase for any sport. We're all happy when we're winning, and we want to win more....and we're all pissed off and want everybody fired when we're losing.

Although season ticket sales have gone down in the past 2-3 years, the actual paid attendance, and fan base is not shrinking, in any measureable way that can be attributed to sources specific to the community alone - aside from the own athletic department years of incompetence. There is huge potential for growth. What we lack is anythign to generate NEW interest - right now, because we're 3-6 and losing.

UConn football is not a topic that is going to generate new interest right now, from 'casual' fans. Why? Again - we're 3-6, and haven't played well in a meaningful game, that "new" or "casual" fans can easily access and watch in going on two years now.

y guess, is that Friday, the stadium is going to have the same 35-38k announced attendance, that the stadium has had for the past three years, and the flow of people in and out of the stands will be the same way it's always been, and can be expected to be, when you've got a 3-6 team, playing a 4-5 team.

Mostly, becuase there are that many UConn football fans, that simply purchase the tickets,in one way or another, and enjoy going to games, and we have had only one home football game in the past six weeks of the college football season, that I think this will actually be a good crowd on Friday night.

The rest of this discussion is just internet BS.

What UConn football needs, for all of us fans, to realize the dreams we have for the program - is to start winning games.

Find me any fanbase that isn't "fickle" when your team is losing.

 

[Husky25]

What I'm saying is that for all the love people show Edsall... he left. Actually wanting to coach your team is an important quality in a coach. So people compare Edsall to Pasqualoni but forget the most important quality of all -- Pasqualoni actually wants to be here.

False analogy...one has nothing to do with the other. Pasqualoni wants to be here because the former Athletic Director blindly gave a 63 year old $1 million salary. He may want to be here, but he doesn't deserve to be here in my opinion.

 

[whaler11]

Well yeah they announce tickets distributed and workers in the stadium not who actually shows up and watches the game. So it's not like the announced attendance means much.

 

[Carl Spackler]

LOL - who else knew that response was coming from whaler?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

LOL - who else knew that response was coming from whaler?

Almost as funny as you claiming the fanbase has not shrunk. I think there will be somewhere between 30-35K in the stands Friday night. If you think that the crowd will be on par with what we've seen in the past, well, we will all find out Saturday morning who was right.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Almost as funny as you claiming the fanbase has not shrunk. I think there will be somewhere between 30-35K in the stands Friday night. If you think that the crowd will be on par with what we've seen in the past, well, we will all find out Saturday morning who was right.

All right, got me. The ticket buying fans, which is a measure of how engaged fans are - not a measure of how many fans there actually are - has gone down, by about 3k or so since 2009. Again - a trend that is not unique to UConn football, a trend that is not sport, location, or demographic specific, and a trend that is not specific to this coaching regime/AD. It spans. The current crew hasn't done anythign to reverse it or even halt it, but that's a different topic than what's being discussed.

The low point in 2010, was a night game against Pitt. Ironically, I don't think we go lower than we did against Pitt in 2010, for the simple fact that it's been a long, long time since we had a home game with this year's schedule, and Pitt - actually was an interesting team publicly a few days ago, and Northeast people will still be interested in a Pitt v. Uconn Big EAst game - because there is history, interesting history between the two programs in the short time we've had.

We hit a lower, low this year, against NC State than we did in 2010, and I believe (could be wrong) any time in 2011. Which tells you something about how interested the average Northeast / UConn football fans are in ACC football. We had more fans for the Buffalo game at the stadium than we had for NC State, and we had more for UMass and way more for Temple - than we had for NC State.

We'll allb e able to see the box score on Saturday.

 

[whaler11]

LOL - who else knew that response was coming from whaler?

Hey you like to misrepresent reality, I just like to point out to people when you do it.

And if you think the internet is going to replace the print industry God bless ya. I can't wait to see MSNBC and CNN at the Glastonbury Zoning Board meetings.

 

[whaler11]

Trying to extract interest level from specific attendances in individual games in a word is idiotic. Not that it would stop you from trying.

For UMass they distributed a ton of free tickets and had a huge UMass band and some local alums For Temple it was homecoming. Group sales at huge discounts drive the differences in 'attendance' on a week to week basis. Dig up the threads on the weather for the NCSU game - the huge storm that never came.

You know your point is horseshit but felt the need to try and make it anyway - bully for you. Yeah, people prefer Buffalo at the Rent over NCSU.

How many people show up for Pitt depends on the weather. Good maybe 33k. Bad probably 28k.

 

[Pudge]

Sh0w of hands ...

How many of us actually have been part of ANOTHER BCS level Program fanbase?

The issue in the title does not get to the reality of what UConn Football is about. Besides Fickle ... which every fanbase becomes in a losing dreadful season. (mine is UCLA) The UNIQUE thing about OUR Program is how young this Program is. That to me ... Warde are you listening ... means that it is Fragile. Families don't have 20-50 year traditions of Saturday games. They fell in love with a period of a few years. If we had compelling stories & some hope that PP had us moving towards a better day, that would be one thing. My fear for most every week this fall is that we are going to carve off a major slice of our fanbase & we would have trouble getting them back. What would Rentschler feel like at 18900?

Rutgers was at the end of the Terry Shea era when we first started looking at them in the late 1990s. They had been playing at a high level, at least in terms of opponents, for decades. They then had a whole bunch of 18-23,000 crowds through the early part of last decade. And worked hard with the "keep chopping" theme & pushing everything forward to 55,000 stadium. UConn, I think, cannot afford a 3-9 ... then a 2-10. We won't recover easily. A Program with a legacy of high level play has a better chance to rope back the families/customers that have grown up with the Sweatshirts/Game Jerseys/Hats.

As for disrespect thrown at Edsall? Please look at the contrast to the post-Edsall era. I don't think PP task was all that difficult: Take the foundation, well-laid by HCRE, and provide enhancements where needed. Saying he has no skill players is BS. He's had plenty of time & opportunity to put them in place.

 

[Nostical]

Saying he (PP) has no skill players is BS.

Absolutely right. It's ludicrous.

 

[ZooCougar]

Absolutely right. It's ludicrous.

That's what our idiot beat writers seem to be saying.

As for the non skill players, the line is not that inherently bad. They look confused out there, guys are running right by them, that's scheme or lack of comprehensible one.

This line is C+ at worst, but DeLeone is making them an F.

 

[Pudge]

What PP does not have is a running game.

On his staff today is the architect of the OLine that drew significant praise a few years ago ... and his buddy George. Lyle McCombs? Lyle is fine. But, fighting for Robbie Frey was incredibly important. Replacing a half decade of solid RBs & development of those kids (and that position does not take 3-5 years of strength training).

You can almost say that we have a better set of TEs & WRs; certainly comparable to others in the last 10 years. But ... how would you know? We can't run & our QB is not getting a nanosecond more to play.

 

[businesslawyer]

What PP does not have is a running game.

On his staff today is the architect of the OLine that drew significant praise a few years ago ... and his buddy George. Lyle McCombs? Lyle is fine. But, fighting for Robbie Frey was incredibly important. Replacing a half decade of solid RBs & development of those kids (and that position does not take 3-5 years of strength training).

You can almost say that we have a better set of TEs & WRs; certainly comparable to others in the last 10 years. But ... how would you know? We can't run & our QB is not getting a nanosecond more to play.

Lyle was more than competent last year. Not Donald Brown or Jordan Todman great, and maybe not even Andre Dixon or pre-benching Cornell Brockington really good, but more than competent. This OL absolutely may have been our weakest OL in a while this year with the loss of Petrus and Ryan, but guys who were earning time when we were good all of a sudden didn't become crap.

Our running game is as bad as is imaginable because either the schemes suck or the OL coach is unable to teach what he understands to the players or because the relationship between the OL coach and OC and the players sucks so badly that it is effecting play on the field. It very well might be all of these.

 

[huskymedic]

Lyle was more than competent last year. Not Donald Brown or Jordan Todman great, and maybe not even Andre Dixon or pre-benching Cornell Brockington really good, but more than competent. This OL absolutely may have been our weakest OL in a while this year with the loss of Petrus and Ryan, but guys who were earning time when we were good all of a sudden didn't become crap.

Our running game is as bad as is imaginable because either the schemes suck or the OL coach is unable to teach what he understands to the players or because the relationship between the OL coach and OC and the players sucks so badly that it is effecting play on the field. It very well might be all of these.

Masters Says UConn's Offensive Line Better Than It Has Shown
September 11, 2012|By DESMOND CONNER, dconner@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

STORRS — — Senior right guard Adam Masters, also a captain, broke down what's breaking down the offensive line: "Our offensive line, physically, is capable of competing with any defensive front in the nation. I honestly believe that," Masters said Tuesday. "The issue is, all it takes is one minor breakdown, one person missing his assignment and that can blow the play up. We've had that. We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds and that was basically the downfall of the game on Saturday."

I just can't for the life of me (besides the stock answer of GDL sucks) figure out why there has been no improvement and now with Master's down and out - worse than ever. Even the "thickest" of players would have some improvement. Maybe it is that they just said it.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Masters Says UConn's Offensive Line Better Than It Has Shown
September 11, 2012|By DESMOND CONNER, dconner@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

STORRS — — Senior right guard Adam Masters, also a captain, broke down what's breaking down the offensive line: "Our offensive line, physically, is capable of competing with any defensive front in the nation. I honestly believe that," Masters said Tuesday. "The issue is, all it takes is one minor breakdown, one person missing his assignment and that can blow the play up. We've had that. We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds and that was basically the downfall of the game on Saturday."

I just can't for the life of me (besides the stock answer of GDL sucks) figure out why there has been no improvement and now with Master's down and out - worse than ever. Even the "thickest" of players would have some improvement. Maybe it is that they just said it.

I mean it would take an unheard of level of denial to not acknowledge that GDL is a major liability at this point in time.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Trying to extract interest level from specific attendances in individual games in a word is idiotic. Not that it would stop you from trying.

For UMass they distributed a ton of free tickets and had a huge UMass band and some local alums For Temple it was homecoming. Group sales at huge discounts drive the differences in 'attendance' on a week to week basis. Dig up the threads on the weather for the NCSU game - the huge storm that never came.

You know your point is horse**** but felt the need to try and make it anyway - bully for you. Yeah, people prefer Buffalo at the Rent over NCSU.

How many people show up for Pitt depends on the weather. Good maybe 33k. Bad probably 28k.

And therein - is your actual definition of 'Fair-weather" fans.

You could have titled this discussion any number of things whaler, and you chose to write what you did. Our fanbase, is no different than other fanbase, when it comes to the basics.

We are 1-5 as a football team since winning at Maryland, in front of what is probably the largest traveling contingent of UConn football fans in the 110+ years of the program.

I think a word like fickle, doesn't describe the UConn fan base right now - PISSED OFF is more like it.

The fans went and made a huge statement in September, and it helped our players. The fans went to Maryland to see our program compete against the former head coach's new program - which he called his 'dream job' after 12 years at UConn. There was no guarantee we win that game, but we all went anyway.

The wheels have come flying off since. Shockingly so, we've had two home games in the 8 weeks since that day in early september, and nearly bed in one, and completely the bed in the other, and in the mean time, have lost every road game in between, which for whatever reason, we're all still pissed off about, even though strength on the road, has not been a stalwart of division 1 UConn football, at any time recently.

So - the uconn fan base,the real fan base, the die hards, are pissed off, and want the wheels back on, now, not next year, not in three years - NOW. Whatever it takes.

The discussion about fragility? Come on pudge. The only thing that frightens me about the UConn football fan base, is that we all kill each other before the team starts winning again. There's nothing fragile about it.

WHen attednance numbers going up or down, stop marching along in tune with the numbers of wins and losses and start getting inverted significnatly? Then we've got somethign to talk about and be concerned about.

Attendance is down in the past few years and trending down. We're also 32-30 overall including bowls since hitting our high water mark so far at this level at 9-4 in 2007, and we're trending down.

The only question is at what point to the decision makers in place above the coachign staff, decide to make changes to get the trends going back up.

The proper efforts (that weren't there before) in moving tickets - are now there - but the product (that WAS there before) is now gone. 1-5 since Maryland.

In the short existence of UConn football at the division 1-A level, we have yet to see both aspects (effective promotion/exposure and a good product) in action.

 

[Nostical]

I can't name the source, but what Adam said was more a politically correct attempt to cover for how badly GDL has screwed them up. Here's the truth of his statement:"Our offensive line, physically, is capable of competing with any defensive front in the nation. I honestly believe that" Here's the cover up: "The issue is, all it takes is one minor breakdown, one person missing his assignment and that can blow the play up. We've had that. We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds and that was basically the downfall of the game on Saturday. Here's what wasn't said.---That new O Line Coach has so messed with our heads we are not firing as one, nor picking up blitzes. We now cover areas instead of pancaking our opponents. It's a cluster ****.

I had the chance at Rutgers to sit in the stands with two of our past O Linemen--who were shaking their heads--and commenting about the tentative, lost look of our guys--- and I point blank asked them, as an observer, what was their perspective on our OLine troubles. They were pretty vociferous about the cause being scheme--not players. They basically said "if we had to play under that system we would have looked worse".

GDL has not only screwed with the O Line via his NFL prototype schemes, that have the arrogant ring of Charlie Weiss' "decided schematic advantage", he has also demoralized them with a demeanor and attitude that defies human description.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I can't name the source, but what Adam said was more a politically correct attempt to cover for how badly GDL has screwed them up. Here's the truth of his statement:"Our offensive line, physically, is capable of competing with any defensive front in the nation. I honestly believe that" Here's the cover up: "The issue is, all it takes is one minor breakdown, one person missing his assignment and that can blow the play up. We've had that. We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds and that was basically the downfall of the game on Saturday. Here's what wasn't said.---That new O Line Coach has so messed with our heads we are not firing as one, nor picking up blitzes. We now cover areas instead of pancaking our opponents. It's a cluster ****.

I had the chance at Rutgers to sit in the stands with two of our past O Linemen--who were shaking their heads--and commenting about the tentative, lost look of our guys--- and I point blank asked them, as an observer, what was their perspective on our OLine troubles. They were pretty vociferous about the cause being scheme--not players. They basically said "if we had to play under that system we would have looked worse".

GDL has not only screwed with the O Line via his NFL prototype schemes, that have the arrogant ring of Charlie Weiss' "decided schematic advantage", he has also demoralized them with a demeanor and attitude that defies human description.

Funny, I've talked to former OL's, and have gotten completely different perspectives on where we're at as a program, and whoever the OL's you were talking to at the Rutgers game are most likely not the same ones I was talking with, because the ones I was talking with barely made it into the stadium.

Go figure that - all the talk around here about showing up on time.....LOLLOLOLOLOL.......At the temple game, oh never mind.

Either way, I'm not a fan of George Deleone, and it's entirely about repeatedly shows up as a either a complete disregard and/or ignorance of the basic importance of developing momentum in moving the ball on offense. He's all about tactics, and no strategy. As has been discussed before. I don't give a rat's ass about his personality, and how players emotions are affected by their coach.

 

[sdhusky]

when you're watching what you built up being rapidly and completely destroyed

I don't see this massive difference.

In 2010, we got 325 yards per game. This year, 318 yards per game. 7 yards worst per game.

In 2010, we gave up 353 yards per game. This year, we give up 290 yards per game. 63 yards better per game.

The difference is that we are trying to build a passing attack with a first year QB and are losing the TO batttle.

In 2010, we won the TO battle because we mostly ran the ball with an offense that was pretty much set. We also had a kicker than made every clutch kick that year and everything bounced our way (see WVU & USF games).

I think our upside with our new offense is greater than what we could do under the old regime.

For us to make that leap, we need Whitmer to cut down on TO's, improve at turning yards into points (about what you expect from a maturing QB) & our D to stay the same.

That will get us to as high a level as we've ever been.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I don't see this massive difference.

In 2010, we got 325 yards per game. This year, 318 yards per game. 7 yards worst per game.

In 2010, we gave up 353 yards per game. This year, we give up 290 yards per game. 63 yards better per game.

The difference is that we are trying to build a passing attack with a first year QB and are losing the TO batttle.

In 2010, we won the TO battle because we mostly ran the ball with an offense that was pretty much set. We also had a kicker than made every clutch kick that year and everything bounced our way (see WVU & USF games).

I think our upside with our new offense is greater than what we could do under the old regime.

For us to make that leap, we need Whitmer to cut down on TO's, improve at turning yards into points (about what you expect from a maturing QB) & our D to stay the same.

That will get us to as high a level as we've ever been.

Give it up already, will you? Your post the other day about preferring P over Edsall because you like to win games will go down in BY lore as one of the most idiotic things ever said here. This post is a close second. Congratulations.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Give it up already, will you? Your post the other day about preferring P over Edsall because you like to win games will go down in BY lore as one of the most idiotic things ever said here. This post is a close second. Congratulations.

What sdhusky misses is that this year's Big East is better and UConn can't get away with winning some of the ways UConn won in 2010.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't see this massive difference.

In 2010, we got 325 yards per game. This year, 318 yards per game. 7 yards worst per game.

In 2010, we gave up 353 yards per game. This year, we give up 290 yards per game. 63 yards better per game.

The difference is that we are trying to build a passing attack with a first year QB and are losing the TO batttle.

In 2010, we won the TO battle because we mostly ran the ball with an offense that was pretty much set. We also had a kicker than made every clutch kick that year and everything bounced our way (see WVU & USF games).

I think our upside with our new offense is greater than what we could do under the old regime.

For us to make that leap, we need Whitmer to cut down on TO's, improve at turning yards into points (about what you expect from a maturing QB) & our D to stay the same.

That will get us to as high a level as we've ever been.

If you don't see the difference between 8-4 (5-2) and 3-6 (0-4), because you can find comparable stats in the two seasons, you're either an idiot or just being argumentative for its own sake. I'll leave that judgment to a higher pay grade than I.

 

[whaler11]

And therein - is your actual definition of 'Fair-weather" fans.

You could have titled this discussion any number of things whaler, and you chose to write what you did. Our fanbase, is no different than other fanbase, when it comes to the basics.

We are 1-5 as a football team since winning at Maryland, in front of what is probably the largest traveling contingent of UConn football fans in the 110+ years of the program.

I think a word like fickle, doesn't describe the UConn fan base right now - PISSED OFF is more like it.

The fans went and made a huge statement in September, and it helped our players. The fans went to Maryland to see our program compete against the former head coach's new program - which he called his 'dream job' after 12 years at UConn. There was no guarantee we win that game, but we all went anyway.

The wheels have come flying off since. Shockingly so, we've had two home games in the 8 weeks since that day in early september, and nearly bed in one, and completely the bed in the other, and in the mean time, have lost every road game in between, which for whatever reason, we're all still pissed off about, even though strength on the road, has not been a stalwart of division 1 UConn football, at any time recently.

So - the uconn fan base,the real fan base, the die hards, are pissed off, and want the wheels back on, now, not next year, not in three years - NOW. Whatever it takes.

The discussion about fragility? Come on pudge. The only thing that frightens me about the UConn football fan base, is that we all kill each other before the team starts winning again. There's nothing fragile about it.

WHen attednance numbers going up or down, stop marching along in tune with the numbers of wins and losses and start getting inverted significnatly? Then we've got somethign to talk about and be concerned about.

Attendance is down in the past few years and trending down. We're also 32-30 overall including bowls since hitting our high water mark so far at this level at 9-4 in 2007, and we're trending down.

The only question is at what point to the decision makers in place above the coachign staff, decide to make changes to get the trends going back up.

The proper efforts (that weren't there before) in moving tickets - are now there - but the product (that WAS there before) is now gone. 1-5 since Maryland.

In the short existence of UConn football at the division 1-A level, we have yet to see both aspects (effective promotion/exposure and a good product) in action.

You think that all fanbases are the same? Ok. That seems obviously fasle but whatever - you don't read anyway.

Some people are pissed off. Most just stopped paying attention at all a few weeks ago.

So now are you saying the published attendance for a single game might not mean that people wouldn't generally be more interested in playing an ACC team like NCSU than Buffalo or Temple? You reverse course faster than Waylon.

 

[Carl Spackler]

You think that all fanbases are the same? Ok. That seems obviously fasle but whatever - you don't read anyway.

Some people are pissed off. Most just stopped paying attention at all a few weeks ago.

So now are you saying the published attendance for a single game might not mean that people wouldn't generally be more interested in playing an ACC team like NCSU than Buffalo or Temple? You reverse course faster than Waylon.

Sooner or later, you'll figure out that I don't take discussion with you seriously.