The State of Mississippi

[Vowelguy]

And there also is a reason why we are in our current conference realignment plight.

As long as the lion's share of UConn alumni (and state residents for that matter) believe that it is beneath them to be actual college football fans we'll be looking up at P-5 schools.

Newsflash: Connecticut is never going to be like the South.
The Big10 and Pac12 offer models of being big CFB fans that are alternatives.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Newsflash: Connecticut is never going to be like the South.
The Big10 and Pac12 offer models of being big CFB fans that are alternatives.

There is a reason nearly every B1G bowl affiliation is with a New Years day bowl game. Tens of thousands of alumni from those schools plan a mini-vacation every year for the bowl game. In bad years B1G schools still reach attendance numbers that we can never dream of approaching yet these alternative models are something that you believe we can match?

PS Newsflash: the P-12 will never be an option for us.

 

[Vowelguy]

There is a reason nearly every B1G bowl affiliation is with a New Years day bowl game. Tens of thousands of alumni from those schools plan a mini-vacation every year for the bowl game. In bad years B1G schools still reach attendance numbers that we can never dream of approaching yet these alternative models are something that you believe we can match?

PS Newsflash: the P-12 will never be an option for us.

You completely missed the point.
You said that UConn fans needed to emulate SEC fans as a path to success. And I agreed with John that that never was going to happen, nor should it. And I pointed out that real CFB fans did actually exist outside the SEC.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

You completely missed the point.
You said that UConn fans needed to emulate SEC fans as a path to success. And I agreed with John that that never was going to happen, nor should it. And I pointed out that real CFB fans did actually exist outside the SEC.

1 - you completely missed my point

2 - I never said we needed to emulate the SEC and I never implied (nor gave anyone any reason to infer) that the SEC is the only plav where there are football fans.

We have too many fans who view attending games against less than name competition, while we are less than a highly successful program as beneath them. Many of these people ridicule fan bases (or at least find excuses to belittle them) that actually do support their programs.

The reality is that if we continue to behave as if we are not doing something wrong by not supporting the program will won't have a program to support in another decade.

We have quite a few fans of the basketball program who behave as if it makes them better basketball fans by professing they don't care about the football program (some go so far as to claim they believe we would be better off without football and dislike the football program because of that). We have fans who openly state that if the football program approaches levels similar to where the basketball program was from the mid 1990's they then would support it. This attitude is a problem and it could well be the death knell of our entire athletic department.

Your comment on the B1G & P-12 should have been towards this guy

There's a distinct cultural difference between the South and Southern New England. That culture won't fly up here.

or this guy

there's a reason they're like that in football, and they are not good reasons.

 

[huskymedic]

ESPN reports the goal posts were not only walked to the Grove but ended up in a student's apartment.

Good stuff.

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/10/4/6909047/ole-miss-goalposts-oxford-mississippi-alabama

 

[CTBasketball]

1 - you completely missed my point

2 - I never said we needed to emulate the SEC and I never implied (nor gave anyone any reason to infer) that the SEC is the only plav where there are football fans.

We have too many fans who view attending games against less than name competition, while we are less than a highly successful program as beneath them. Many of these people ridicule fan bases (or at least find excuses to belittle them) that actually do support their programs.

The reality is that if we continue to behave as if we are not doing something wrong by not supporting the program will won't have a program to support in another decade.

We have quite a few fans of the basketball program who behave as if it makes them better basketball fans by professing they don't care about the football program (some go so far as to claim they believe we would be better off without football and dislike the football program because of that). We have fans who openly state that if the football program approaches levels similar to where the basketball program was from the mid 1990's they then would support it. This attitude is a problem and it could well be the death knell of our entire athletic department.

Your comment on the B1G & P-12 should have been towards this guy


or this guy

I'm confused. From a festive fan base perspective, we'll never have that SEC/Big12/PAC-12/Big10 effect as long as we're in the AAC. If we get into the Big10 it might happen to a lesser extent.

One thing is that people in the South throw away their life savings to go to Alabama games and Ole Miss games. Not many people up here would be interested in dropping very serious cash to watch UConn/Temple or UConn/UCF. The average price for an Iron Bowl ticket last year was around $550. And people pay that. That price would likely be higher in Connecticut too. Not many would pay for that up here. For $550 dollars you can buy 27 tickets to the BYU game earlier this season.

But in my opinion, the biggest problem with fan turnout and dedication is that we have no tradition. We play our home games 25 miles from campus, have been D1 for like 14 years...you name it. The real only dedicated football fans are the ones who buy season tickets every year and post here on the Yard.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm confused. From a festive fan base perspective, we'll never have that SEC/Big12/PAC-12/Big10 effect as long as we're in the AAC. If we get into the Big10 it might happen to a lesser extent.

One thing is that people in the South throw away their life savings to go to Alabama games and Ole Miss games. Not many people up here would be interested in dropping very serious cash to watch UConn/Temple or UConn/UCF. The average price for an Iron Bowl ticket last year was around $550. And people pay that. That price would likely be higher in Connecticut too. Not many would pay for that up here. For $550 dollars you can buy 27 tickets to the BYU game earlier this season.

But in my opinion, the biggest problem with fan turnout and dedication is that we have no tradition. We play our home games 25 miles from campus, have been D1 for like 14 years...you name it. The real only dedicated football fans are the ones who buy season tickets every year and post here on the Yard.

Yes, we have zero tradition. The thing is that we cannot use that as an excuse for our fanbase (which actually is far better than conditions warrant) without accepting the role that lack of tradition plays in our stature as a football program in the eyes of those who have tradition.

Serious question for you, do you go to football games? If not, I have two tickets for you for the UCF game (gives you plenty of time to make plans and cost will not be an excuse). You can even tailgate with my friends and me (there is always plenty of food and drink).

 

[CTBasketball]

Yes, we have zero tradition. The thing is that we cannot use that as an excuse for our fanbase (which actually is far better than conditions warrant) without accepting the role that lack of tradition plays in our stature as a football program in the eyes of those who have tradition.

Serious question for you, do you go to football games? If not, I have two tickets for you for the UCF game (gives you plenty of time to make plans and cost will not be an excuse). You can even tailgate with my friends and me (there is always plenty of food and drink).

Creating tradition is not a job for the casual fan.

Me and my dad already have our tickets to the UCF game, thanks though. If its an afternoon game I won't make the tailgate. Going hunting in the morning and getting out of the woods just in time so I can drive to East Hartford and just make kick off.

 

[John]

We have quite a few fans of the basketball program who behave as if it makes them better basketball fans by professing they don't care about the football program (some go so far as to claim they believe we would be better off without football and dislike the football program because of that). We have fans who openly state that if the football program approaches levels similar to where the basketball program was from the mid 1990's they then would support it. This attitude is a problem and it could well

maybe they just don't like football (???)

 

[FfldCntyFan]

maybe they just don't like football (???)

That is quite possible. I imagine that there may be a sport or two that the school sponsors that at best I could care less about, at worst I don't like at all. That said, there would be absolutely no reason for me to go around knocking that sport, publicly claiming we should not be fielding a team or reveling in lack o success.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

God there's nothing worse than a bunch of northeastern snobs looking down their collective noses at the south.

 

[mets1090]

God there's nothing worse than a bunch of northeastern snobs looking down their collective noses at the south.

I can think of one thing worse. The south for one.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I can think of one thing worse. The south for one.

I lived down south. I absolutely loved it.

 

[John]

I lived down south. I absolutely loved it.

did you live in the deep south though?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

What is defined as the "deep south"? I lived in rural Georgia and Pensacola, FL.

 

[UConnNick]

For every football season since 1979 (yes, 1979) at least one SEC school has been on some form of probation (or at least under some sanctions) for football violations. The conference wears that as a badge of honor.

That means they're doing something right. The NCAA's enforcement of its rules is one big joke. 44 investigators for a membership of well over 1,000 institutions. That would be about like having 44 cops for all of metro NYC. Can you spell anarchy?

 

[John Greene]

I lived down south. I absolutely loved it.

A lot of the comments that show up here about the South remind me of some of my cousins back in CT when we first moved to Birmingham almost 30 years ago. " redneck country" "middle of nowhere", etc. CT was great and they would not want to move. Once they came to visit it was a different story. As their kids got out of school and on their own the kids all moved out of CT. Two to NC, one to GA, one to AL and one to the FL panhandle after a stint at Eglin AFB. My generation is just waiting to retire before they join them.

 

[ctchamps]

God there's nothing worse than a bunch of northeastern snobs looking down their collective noses at the south.

It's always a better club if we're in it and a worse one when we're not.

 

[Excalibur]

A lot of the comments that show up here about the South remind me of some of my cousins back in CT when we first moved to Birmingham almost 30 years ago. " redneck country" "middle of nowhere", etc. CT was great and they would not want to move. Once they came to visit it was a different story. As their kids got out of school and on their own the kids all moved out of CT. Two to NC, one to GA, one to AL and one to the FL panhandle after a stint at Eglin AFB. My generation is just waiting to retire before they join them.

Love Birmingham. Great small city, very underrated bar and dining scene. Still wouldn't want to live there.

As far as I'm concerned, CT remains a great place to live and work, provided you can afford it. If economics or the fact that you hate winter drives you out, I get it.

 

[John Greene]

Love Birmingham. Great small city, very underrated bar and dining scene. Still wouldn't want to live there.

As far as I'm concerned, CT remains a great place to live and work, provided you can afford it. If economics or the fact that you hate winter drives you out, I get it.

Where one chooses to live is certainly a very personal decision. No one in the family was " driven out" by either economics or hate of winter, they could have stayed but chose not. All are college grads, two of them UConn and two of them with MBA's. Because they had seen how my family lived here, they expanded their definitions of "acceptable" places to live. When they graduated they just saw what they thought were better opportunities with very attractive life style choices. Charlotte, Greensboro, Savannah, Huntsville and Destin were what they selected. So their reasons were a combination of life style and jobs.

By the way "provided you can afford it" is one of the lamest comments that I hear some of my CT friends make when they get a little defensive about where they live.

 

[UofMemphis]

I spent two years in the south going to games. I've never been to Ole Miss but it looks incredible.

There is something limiting about have an off campus stadium. It's great traffic and convience wise - but it also gives it a professional feel that makes what you are talking about harder. The whole experience has a different vibe.

It's also different when you are bad and hosting SEC or even ACC teams and when you are bad and hosting Temple and Memphis.

Memphis plays off-campus, but the Liberty Bowl is only 2 miles from campus...moreover, most of our students live off campus.

 

[rich1122]

I can think of one thing worse. The south for one.

Blue states suck. Time to move on.

 

[rich1122]

Where one chooses to live is certainly a very personal decision. No one in the family was " driven out" by either economics or hate of winter, they could have stayed but chose not. All are college grads, two of them UConn and two of them with MBA's. Because they had seen how my family lived here, they expanded their definitions of "acceptable" places to live. When they graduated they just saw what they thought were better opportunities with very attractive life style choices. Charlotte, Greensboro, Savannah, Huntsville and Destin were what they selected. So their reasons were a combination of life style and jobs.

By the way "provided you can afford it" is one of the lamest comments that I hear some of my CT friends make when they get a little defensive about where they live.

Yes everybody should just continue to pay outlandish property and income taxes.

 

[rich1122]

Love Birmingham. Great small city, very underrated bar and dining scene. Still wouldn't want to live there.

As far as I'm concerned, CT remains a great place to live and work, provided you can afford it. If economics or the fact that you hate winter drives you out, I get it.

Greenville SC fastest growing city in the country especially to retire.

 

[Excalibur]

By the way "provided you can afford it" is one of the lamest comments that I hear some of my CT friends make when they get a little defensive about where they live.

Not sure what's lame or defensive about it . . . we all know the political/economic situation here.