The View From Section 241

[uconnbill]

So Edsall is going. I did not think I was going out on a limb when I called him dead man walking. I do not think me giving up on him in 241 influenced anything -- yes, I'm an egomaniac but it's not like I'm Chief -- but if a calm and rational HCRE apologista gives up on the program completely, it means there was no hope left that HCRE II could turn this around.

I'm still not sure changing coaches gets me to not give up come next season, but I don't have to figure that out now.

I think he saw the writing on the wall or had that phone call from Dave and gave him the option to retire or be fired.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Not an infrastructure problem? Structurally it has good "bones"??

What evidence is there of that based on the completely unimpressive coaching candidates produced in the last 3 searches?

They had impressive candidates last time around when we got diaco. Warde missed.
Infrastructure as in equipment, facilities, academics, branding, medicine, food, marketing.

 

[John Greene]

We weren't getting invited by the Big 12, as they seem to be more interested in being a "heartland" conference. Leaving the AAC spared the school the bad optics of Cincinnati being invited to a P5 before UConn to some degree.

Gotta love how we have fans who think Syracuse, Pitt, UL, Cincy, Houston are all moves saying we're doomed. We weren't properly prepared for expansion on multiple occasions now. We just have to do the same as BYU has done till the next round or whenever. I don't even care to live to see it but know it's going to happen since we have a very strong market for collegiate athletics and tradition in New England

Agree with everything but the last line. In my opinion New England has not been a 'very strong market for collegiate athletics' for decades. There was a time when Yale regularly sold out the bowl, and HC v BC sold out Fenway every year but that was in the 1950's. It has been a pro sports market for 50 years. UConn caught lighting in a bottle with JC and Geno. They produced programs that were among the best in the country and in GA's the best in the history of the sport. They sold out games regularly, got tons of casual fan interest in CT and some in other parts of the region as well. But even their best years the Sox, Yanks, Mets, Pats, Giants, Jets, Celts, Bruins, etc. were far more important on the NE sports landscape.

 

[businesslawyer]

So let’s see. I got right that Edsall‘s career was done. I got right that DB was going to have to figure out if it made sense to do it immediately or towards the end of the season. And I got right that a new QB would be starting this week. You’re welcome.

I hope to God I’m not right about the long term pessimism that we can recover from the last ten years. But time will tell.

 

[noeynox]

Remember the Ron Cherry, Bobby Wallace years at Temple? That's what we are in the middle of. Horrible coaches and no institutional will or support to remedy the situation. Hopefully the next hire gets the assistant coaches salary pool needed. The next hire SHOULD BE an offensive minded hugh energy guy. No energy vampires please.

 

[Adios]

Agree with everything but the last line. In my opinion New England has not been a 'very strong market for collegiate athletics' for decades. There was a time when Yale regularly sold out the bowl, and HC v BC sold out Fenway every year but that was in the 1950's. It has been a pro sports market for 50 years. UConn caught lighting in a bottle with JC and Geno. They produced programs that were among the best in the country and in GA's the best in the history of the sport. They sold out games regularly, got tons of casual fan interest in CT and some in other parts of the region as well. But even their best years the Sox, Yanks, Mets, Pats, Giants, Jets, Celts, Bruins, etc. were far more important on the NE sports landscape.

The Ivy League and NESCAC circuits have strong support. Ever go to a Wesleyan football game against Williams or Amherst?

Somehow, the state of Connecticut sucks when it comes to endowments. Wesleyan has the 7th highest endowment in the NESCAC.

If UConn ever got into the Big Ten, Connecticut would develop a bandwagon fanbase instantly. And UConn would effectively fill the void left by the NHL.

 

[Adios]

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that the football program is now in a death spiral since going indy. The facts show it was a terrible move. Perhaps if we had stayed in the AAC and made a little noise in the standings, the Big 12 might have at least taken glance at us this week. We have nothing to offer any major conference as an entry for expansion as football is the major criteria along with hoops, but you gotta have both. Hopefully, there will be a mid-major home somewhere, but legit conferences will want football to expand. End of debate.

Again, I just post based on facts, and although that may confuse or discomfort you, I am amused by the creativity of your snide retort.

Then WHY are P5 schools scheduling us with almost as much respect they gave BYU? And where is BYU going now?

You posted fiction. Hope you typed that from a keyboard and not a phone.

 

[Pudge]

So let’s see. I got right that Edsall‘s career was done. I got right that DB was going to have to figure out if it made sense to do it immediately or towards the end of the season. And I got right that a new QB would be starting this week. You’re welcome.

I hope to God I’m not right about the long term pessimism that we can recover from the last ten years. But time will tell.

were you born & raised in Connecticut?

Pessimism is part of the citizenry zeitgeist. Fairfield County had a different vibe when I was in school ... and that probably has been retained. The Valley was a fun gritty folk. But the sunny sunny happy people I found at Will Rogers Beach never made the walk across UCONN campus ... or the trudge into the Rent in time for kickoff.

This - quite frankly - is stirred by these national media types who repeatedly ask about dropping the Program or retrenching to FCS. Like there never has been a decade long dog like Temple ... or Duke ... or Army struggling. in our recent lifetime. And Mike DiMauro the BCgenius or that Syracuse bum covering HS sports in Fairfield CTY. Am I certain of turnaround? Heck no. But ... I do love change. I have that in my business career with new things - new development. It is a NEW school year ... you wipe the kiss off from your Mom as you get on the bus and go take it on.

 

[businesslawyer]

were you born & raised in Connecticut?

Pessimism is part of the citizenry zeitgeist. Fairfield County had a different vibe when I was in school ... and that probably has been retained. The Valley was a fun gritty folk. But the sunny sunny happy people I found at Will Rogers Beach never made the walk across UCONN campus ... or the trudge into the Rent in time for kickoff.

This - quite frankly - is stirred by these national media types who repeatedly ask about dropping the Program or retrenching to FCS. Like there never has been a decade long dog like Temple ... or Duke ... or Army struggling. in our recent lifetime. And Mike DiMauro the BCgenius or that Syracuse bum covering HS sports in Fairfield CTY. Am I certain of turnaround? Heck no. But ... I do love change. I have that in my business career with new things - new development. It is a NEW school year ... you wipe the kiss off from your Mom as you get on the bus and go take it on.

Please my friend.

1. I’ve lived in CT continuously since 1977, and spent the first 18 years of my life prior to that living in CT every summer. If 45 continuous years in CT doesn’t qualify me to understand things, this board would be very limited.

2. More importantly, you’re arguing against yourself. Yes, as I said both originally and a moment ago, other programs recover from a decade or more of constant losing. But, there are things that make CT different. With all our athletic success, will the fan base support a program that goes over a decade at a time with constant awful performances? Were you there Saturday, on a glorious afternoon for football? The evidence says no — fans aren’t coming any more. Also, is there support there from the administration and ultimately the public for the state university to do what is necessary to compete in football? Everything from throwing money at it that will ultimately come from taxpayers to having long term Presidents of the University to being willing to take students who don’t belong in college academically to being willing for “bad” behavior from athletes not being shooting off pellet guns or scaring pedestrians from behind bushes but instead the violent crimes that other universities scream about but ultimately tolerate? I don’t know. Time will tell. But I’m not willing to conclude that there wasn’t a reason that our flagship institution was playing football in the Yankee Conference and Big Ten at a time when no state our size (excluding NY, which has some but not all similar issues) was doing so.

Hope you’re well.

 

[RioDog]

were you born & raised in Connecticut?

Pessimism is part of the citizenry zeitgeist. Fairfield County had a different vibe when I was in school ... and that probably has been retained. The Valley was a fun gritty folk. But the sunny sunny happy people I found at Will Rogers Beach never made the walk across UCONN campus ... or the trudge into the Rent in time for kickoff.

This - quite frankly - is stirred by these national media types who repeatedly ask about dropping the Program or retrenching to FCS. Like there never has been a decade long dog like Temple ... or Duke ... or Army struggling. in our recent lifetime. And Mike DiMauro the BCgenius or that Syracuse bum covering HS sports in Fairfield CTY. Am I certain of turnaround? Heck no. But ... I do love change. I have that in my business career with new things - new development. It is a NEW school year ... you wipe the kiss off from your Mom as you get on the bus and go take it on.

This X 1000. The one universal constant is change. Position the program with decisions that steer change in the direction desired. Have faith.