The Hartford Courant and it's hockey "coverage" | The Boneyard

The Hartford Courant and it's hockey "coverage"

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So UConn is having probably the best run its had in its 6 years a member of one of the top hockey conferences in the country.
It's a run that has put them from likely not even qualifying for the 8-team Hockey East playoff to a position where they now control their destiny to host a 1st round game and only 3 points out of 1st place with 3 games to go. Making the playoffs is now virtually a lock as they have built up a 5 point lead over #9 UNH and a 3 point lead over Providence (with a game at hand).

The fans are starting to notice. Two weekends ago vs UNH they drew 8,100. This Friday at home they drew at least 5600. Next weekend - probably the biggest weekend in UConn's hockey history thus far - against #2 UMass with a whole lot on the line - a fair estimate would be anywhere from 6000-8000.

And coming off a weekend of an exciting comeback win on Friday and maybe its best singular effort in its HE existence, on the road against a legit team like BU, the Courant shoves them all the way down to the bottom 2 inches of the 5th page. .

Put the front page aside for a second. They put the hockey coverage past pages dedicated to MLB spring training, the scoreboard page - where people stop to check out the NBA and NHL standings I guess along with the auto racing standings??? - past the non-UConn college basketball round up, past another full page dedicated to the UConn women (after the front page dedicated a large swath of land to them above the fold), and finally at the very bottom of the 5th page.

The front page had legit UConn women's game articles, but then prime real estate below the fold was was dedicated to high school track & field. Mike Anthony's column was dedicated to Paige Bueckers and her final HS game on Friday night - good idea for a column no doubt - but why put it in today? Why not yesterday or Monday? Why doesn't Anthony fly from Minnesota to Boston to cover last night's game? Or fly home and hop in a car for a night game in Boston? He's a hockey guy.

Quite frankly the Courant has had a lack of interest in the hockey program for years. But its times like this where at some point you just have to call them out. Here's the deal, if budget cuts are forcing them to ignore the hockey program when it's on a huge upswing and thousands of people are coming out to see them, than it probably is up to courant subscribers like myself to just dump the paper and rely solely on online content like the UConn blog, etc.

I like supporting newspapers. I wrote for the Daily Campus sports section for 2 years (Ostrout was my boss), interned at the JI for a year and then worked there for a year before I went elsewhere. I've held on to the Courant a lot longer than a lot of people I know because I have a soft spot for newspapers....but at some point there will be a tipping point.

I'll be interested to see where Anthony is this weekend. There are no excuses. The hoops teams as far as I can tell are on the road. This should be a big hockey weekend for the Courant. I want something above the fold on Saturday morning or else.
 

Bomber36

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Well said. Could not agree more. This team deserves some coverage.
 
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For comparison... there is nothing in the Sunday print edition of the New Haven Register. State Track Championship, SCC Girl HS Basketball and UConn Women above fold.

The Anthony “Paige” article is in Sunday paper because it has the largest statewide distribution of all the Courant editions.
 
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They could have left the Buecker column up there if they wanted for Sunday but still have him or putterman or someone else cover the game last night.
It's not hard to drive to boston and file a story off a game that ends around 930.
For chrissakes we would do that at the daily campus
 
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The Courant is a shell of its former self. Basically the corporate overlord is sucking every penny out of it. And that means minimal coverage for anything but men’s and women’s hoop. Everything else is wire service. Heaven help you if you are a fan of another local school. It’s impossible to find info on any of them.
 

zls44

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Quite frankly the Courant has had a lack of interest in the hockey program for years. But its times like this where at some point you just have to call them out. Here's the deal, if budget cuts are forcing them to ignore the hockey program when it's on a huge upswing and thousands of people are coming out to see them, than it probably is up to courant subscribers like myself to just dump the paper and rely solely on online content like the UConn blog, etc.

Yes, nothing would help the Courant cover hockey more quite like...dumping your subscription.

JFC think a little bit people.
 

Bomber36

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Yes, nothing would help the Courant cover hockey more quite like...dumping your subscription.

JFC think a little bit people.
It’s not helping them now.
 
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This isn’t Boston, I get that. College hockey isn’t at that level. The Boston Herald has a very thorough report. I didn’t check the Globe but would guess they had something too. But really Friday was at the XL and drew a good crowd. It got wire service coverage, really less than Saturdays game which at least got a decent headline. UConn basketball is always going to get the prime coverage but a few important games when the hoopsters are idle ought not be too much for them
 
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Yes, nothing would help the Courant cover hockey more quite like...dumping your subscription.

JFC think a little bit people.
This weekend coming up should be an easy decision for the editor on hockey coverage - especially the Saturday morning paper. One of the biggest games in the program's history on Friday night with no hoops to speak of until Saturday - both of those teams on the road against lackluster opponents.
I mean if they don't give them much time of day this Saturday AM then I hate to break this to you but nothing will "help" the Courant cover hockey, the die will be proven to have been cast...whether I have a subscription or not.
But as I just said I think they will finally be FORCED to cover them because they literally have nothing else to do of significance other than a few previews of meh hoops games.
 
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The Courant will get on the bandwagon once the casual husky fan jumps on the bandwagon, unfortunately I think that is next year when UConn makes the NCAA tournament.
 
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You would think that there would be a little more splash after what was arguably the best weekend in UConn's Hockey East history. In the end, it matters not! Just keep playing with determination and that great sense of urgency boys!
 
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We're 7-1 in our last 8 in HE.. I'm not surprised about the Courant, but what's up with Buccigross? Guy was all in on UConn hockey and yet hasn't shoutout UConn once during this impressive stretch?
 
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So he's posted once about UConn all season, regarding Johnny Evans 2nd hat trick. Defintely not on the IceBus but he's basically going out of his way not to recognize us at this point..
 

Waquoit

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UConn almost outdrew the Wolfpack last weekend.
 
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It’s not just hockey coverage you all. We have lived in other small cities and the Courants coverage of the minor league teams, as well as high school sports and the secondary college sports is by far the worst. I have railed against the Courants coverage of minor league baseball and hockey as well as high school sports for years. In other small cities I see things like player profiles and actual write ups of games which I have never seen in Hartford. I have always thought that would be ripe for another local paper [like the new Britain or Bristol papers] to pick up but they never have.
 
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Can someone help me find the preview for the big game tonight. I cant seem to find it anywhere.
 
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Can someone help me find the preview for the big game tonight. I cant seem to find it anywhere.

That's because it's nowhere to be found. Once again Uconn hockey coverage is shutout. The Hartford courant is worthless showing high school girls basketball as the feature article. Give me a break.
 
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That's because it's nowhere to be found. Once again Uconn hockey coverage is shutout. The Hartford courant is worthless showing high school girls basketball as the feature article. Give me a break.
Like it or not, women’s basketball is a top sport in this state. Actually I think about half of our states population is women. They get nowhere near half the sports coverage. What is over covered is spring training baseball. Give me a break!
 
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Like it or not, women’s basketball is a top sport in this state. Actually I think about half of our states population is women. They get nowhere near half the sports coverage. What is over covered is spring training baseball. Give me a break!
Do half the women read the sports page?
Women that I've met in my life couldn't give 2 about sports
 
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Any guesses where this epic victory turns up.in the sports page in Saturday am.
Is Anthony still working on his War and Peace adaptation about Paige Bueckers.or does he cover the team?
 
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Is Anthony still working on his War and Peace adaptation about Paige Bueckers.or does he cover the team?

FWIW: Mike Anthony hasn’t been a beat reporter for a few years... he took the Jeff Jacobs columnist/opinion job when Jacobs bolted for Hearst.
 
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FWIW: Mike Anthony hasn’t been a beat reporter for a few years... he took the Jeff Jacobs columnist/opinion job when Jacobs bolted for Hearst.
Jesus christmas I'm aware of this.
If Jacobs was at the Courant they would cover hockey more than they are now.
Anthony I would assume has leeway in terms if what he covers. That's a great thing about being the lead columnist.
 

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