The Horde's Failure

[ZooCougar]

Other than Kevin Duffy, Neil Ostrout, (Not too sure about Ed D since he is so non committal) most of the writers in CT gave Pasqualoni a pass until it was obviously hours from the end.

Even the acerbic Jeff Jacobs who is not a beat writer, was slow to pull the trigger and openly question the Pasqualoni regime, I think he started chipping away at it last season when he had that big interview with GDL (Ok?), maybe Jeff didn't see it happening this fast and the team being this bad and he was playing the long game.

The Horde blew it. I was really disappointed in them. Even after last season when I asked John Silver questions he reminded me that Paul Pasqualoni can coach, simply on the basis of NFL experience and the recruitment of Ray Rice.

John Silver is a pretty good writer and smart as a whip, but it took the utter sinking of SS UConn Football this season before he was critical of the coaching.

I don't expect the beat writers to be investigative reporters working to help us lynch these guys. But at least they could have made the observation that the Emperor had no clothes when that became plainly obvious last season.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I was thinking the same thing today. The beat reporters chose to act smug and talk down to fans who criticized PP or called for a coaching change. Maybe they were so happy to have a coach that didn't treat them with disdain(like RE did), that they cut PP way too much slack.

 

[Palatine]

They are an extremely passive bunch.

Edsall could have gone 6-6 for the next ten years and the horde would have been critical of the fans for wanting more.

 

[Pudge]

We call this an Agency Problem ... when you talk at the Finance Department meetings. The Horde's job is highly dependent on a few people. The Head Coach ... and the UConn Assistant Director for Media Relations (football). They are always reluctant to ask tougher questions and pursue this topic.

And, then we had Calhoun. I believe Jim Calhoun regularly battled with Horde reporters (*and National guys). To the point that some (Adrian Wojdnaroski) carried that antipathy for decades later. PP would not have done that. He would have froze them out though. Thus, they would have a far harder time to do their job. The Horde, today, wants easy.

 

[Skiblets]

Beat writers walk a fine line between access and providing opinion. They are dismissive of the crazies on here yet often base their stories on what we're discussing. The reality is that most beat writers really don't know much about how a football team operates, their critical success factors and the importance of respect throughout the chain of command. They're more likely to hang their hats on previous jobs, who's hired coaches previously etc/

Horde knows hoops but does not know football. It's that simple

 

[Carl Spackler]

Beat writers walk a fine line between access and providing opinion. They are dismissive of the crazies on here yet often base their stories on what we're discussing. The reality is that most beat writers really don't know much about how a football team operates, their critical success factors and the importance of respect throughout the chain of command. They're more likely to hang their hats on previous jobs, who's hired coaches previously etc/

Horde knows hoops but does not know football. It's that simple

Horde knows hoops but does not know football. YES!

This is definitely the case. We need reporters who know football as well as the reporters we have know basketball. We need reporters that can look at an offensive series or defensive series and see what all 11 are doing, just as quickly as they can break down who's doing what on a basketball court. There are only 6 more players to pay attention to in any given play. The media, in this sport, is integral. Many sports purists, use that fact, as their primary reason for disdain toward college football, but the sports media and college football, are linked at the hips. You need the media pumping your program, and you need your program to pump the media. For the football people, in the real world, standing up in front of the Connecticut sports media, is probably the most telling thing, that says - NOT big time yet.

We can only hope that they all now realize it as well, and will start actually watching the game and trying to understand what they are seeing, so that the coaches that they need to talk to regularly, can actually have meaningful interactions.

I've brought this up before, but Randy Edsall, later in his tenure, actually brought media members into film rooms to try to explain what was happening on the football field.

How many other successful division 1A football programs can say they've felt the need to do that?

 

[IMind]

I don't buy the Horde giving Edsall a pass for decades. They were WAY tougher on Edsall than they were on PP. It's the whole access thing. Edsall was closed mouthed and bad with the media... PP gave them way more access... so they were less likely to turn on him. Being friendly with the press can buy you an awful lot of room to make mistakes. I also do think there's something to the whole not knowing football thing.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

What became clear over the past couple years is that these guys know almost nothing about the inner game of football. They just didn't understand what was happening on the field or why. Most of these guys were not football guys, they were basketball guys and were regurgitating what the well spoken PP was telling them. Since he was a breathe of fresh air compared to dealing with Edsall and his closed door policies. Plus, the high school coaches liked him!