The XL Center is now People's Bank Arena. *nm*

[zls44]

Been to Hall of Champions, twice, you? - did you like it?

Also, I believe the question was a reasonable # of ... I tend to be an unreasonably optimistic dreamer like that

Classic deflection.

“Unreasonably optimistic dreamer” would also describe your former boss’s thoughts on kickbacks.

 

[Flipside]

Classic deflection.

“Unreasonably optimistic dreamer” would also describe your former boss’s thoughts on kickbacks.

yikes, who would that be?

 

[DD311]

Comedian Nate Bargatze at PBA in August 2026.

 

[jostar1]

Public pressure mounts behind efforts to keep Connecticut Sun as state reportedly submits new proposal

ESPN reported Thursday that the state of Connecticut submitted an additional proposal which would have the state enter into a limited partnership agreement with the tribe. The team would remain primarily at Mohegan Sun Arena with some games held at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. The proposal, which is still subject to league approval, reportedly involves state-affiliated funding and would have the state build and finance a practice facility in Hartford for the team to lease.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said in August that there had been preliminary conversations about potential sites for a downtown practice facility, notably the area around the western side of Constitution Plaza. Scanlon declined to comment on the proposed use of state funds.

Scanlon believes even a part-time move to Hartford could be transformative for the city, which hasn’t hosted a major professional sports team since the city’s NHL franchise, the Hartford Whalers, was relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina to become the Hurricanes in 1997. PeoplesBank Arena is already in the midst of a $145 million renovation, and the WNBA’s summer schedule would bring a spike in tourism to the arena and downtown Hartford during one of its slowest seasons.

https://www.courant.com/2025/09/04/public-pressure-mounts-behind-efforts-to-keep-connecticut-sun-as-state-reportedly-submits-new-proposal/

 

[Hoophound]

If the major issue is location because players don’t want to live down by the casinos, why keep the Sun at Mohegan at all? Just put them in Hartford. A WNBA player will have a nice life in the Hartford area. The players can live in places like West Hartford and Glastonbury and have a much more typical pro athlete experience with easy access to much more. There’s got to be value in playing pro ball in a women’s basketball hotbed. One of the best parts of celebrity is being adored by many. CT will give that to WNBA players in spades.

 

[CL82]

Scanlon believes even a part-time move (of a WNBA team) to Hartford could be transformative for the city

[eye roll]

 

[willie99]

If the major issue is location because players don’t want to live down by the casinos, why keep the Sun at Mohegan at all? Just put them in Hartford. A WNBA player will have a nice life in the Hartford area. The players can live in places like West Hartford and Glastonbury and have a much more typical pro athlete experience with easy access to much more. There’s got to be value in playing pro ball in a women’s basketball hotbed. One of the best parts of celebrity is being adored by many. CT will give that to WNBA players in spades.

I'm not sure the Mohegan Sun would like that. I believe they will still be part of the ownership group

So we need another hybrid model. It's Connecticut, it's tradition. We simply don't have any big cities. We want to play with the big boys, but we're not big enough

 

[StllH8L8ner]

[eye roll]

🙄. Here you go.

 

[Waquoit]

If the major issue is location because players don’t want to live down by the casinos, why keep the Sun at Mohegan at all? Just put them in Hartford.

Hartford can't support the Sun. It's a mistake.

 

[drayenob]

Hartford can't support the Sun. It's a mistake.

Post/handle byline

 

[Waquoit]

Post/handle byline

Just tells you how strongly I feel on the issue. They played a few games in Hartford when they began and nobody cared. The Sun has a loyal core but not enough for the PBA and I go to Sun games. Maybe they can turn a profit when they sell to Houston in a couple years.

 

[John]

Just tells you how strongly I feel on the issue. They played a few games in Hartford when they began and nobody cared. The Sun has a loyal core but not enough for the PBA and I go to Sun games. Maybe they can turn a profit when they sell to Houston in a couple years.

would you go to PBA Sun games?

 

[cellocgg]

Just tells you how strongly I feel on the issue. They played a few games in Hartford when they began and nobody cared. The Sun has a loyal core but not enough for the PBA and I go to Sun games. Maybe they can turn a profit when they sell to Houston in a couple years.

It's not 2003 anymore

 

[Platt81]

Just tells you how strongly I feel on the issue. They played a few games in Hartford when they began and nobody cared. The Sun has a loyal core but not enough for the PBA and I go to Sun games. Maybe they can turn a profit when they sell to Houston in a couple years.

The Wolfpack tarp off half of the arena for their games. I would argue they would draw as much if not more attendance than they do at Mohegan just simply due to being more centrally located. Also talking about attendance “when they began” discounts the overall increase in interest in the WNBA.

 

[Waquoit]

would you go to PBA Sun games?

I'm sure I'd go to a couple. I had a mini-plan before they started comping me. And what's a good crowd for the Wolfpack (6K) wouldn't cut it for the Sun, imo.

 

[Hoophound]

Just tells you how strongly I feel on the issue. They played a few games in Hartford when they began and nobody cared. The Sun has a loyal core but not enough for the PBA and I go to Sun games. Maybe they can turn a profit when they sell to Houston in a couple years.

The WNBA is way more popular now though and Mohegan Sun is very inconvenient to the population bases in CT. I would never go to a game at the casino but I'd go in Hartford and do my part now and then. The Sun would definitely need to have some UConn alums on the roster to maximize attendance, but that's doable. They'd need to block off parts of PBA. That's common.

 

[John]

I'm sure I'd go to a couple. I had a mini-plan before they started comping me. And what's a good crowd for the Wolfpack (6K) wouldn't cut it for the Sun, imo.

but an average UConn crowd would cut it.

 

[Waquoit]

The WNBA is way more popular now though and Mohegan Sun is very inconvenient to the population bases in CT. I would never go to a game at the casino but I'd go in Hartford and do my part now and then. The Sun would definitely need to have some UConn alums on the roster to maximize attendance, but that's doable. They'd need to block off parts of PBA. That's common.

Mohegan is less than an hour from Hartford or New Haven and all highway. I know your feelz is telling you that the casino is a negative but it really isn’t. They paper the house . And they have alums on the roster now. They have alums running the team. There is no pent up WNBA demand in this area that isn’t being served already.

 

[Hoophound]

Mohegan is less than an hour from Hartford or New Haven and all highway. I know your feelz is telling you that the casino is a negative but it really isn’t. They paper the house . And they have alums on the roster now. They have alums running the team. There is no pent up WNBA demand in this area that isn’t being served already.

I can't buy that. It takes forever to get to the casino from a lot of places that really love UConn basketball. Hartford is in the middle of a huge population comparitively.

We will be in CT in a few weeks and have friends asking us to go see Adam Sandler on 9/26 at Mohegan. I said I'd rather get a nice dinner around Hartford and see them the next day. My exact reasoning per my text to my wife yesterday, "Nah, the casinos are in the middle of nowhere." Her response, "Yeah, I'm good passing on that". We both love Sandler, the casino is just far enough and just desolate enough that it isnt worth it to us.

Yes, I know UConn alums are a big part of it and that needs to continue.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I can't buy that. It takes forever to get to the casino from a lot of places that really love UConn basketball. Hartford is in the middle of a huge population comparitively.

We will be in CT in a few weeks and have friends asking us to go see Adam Sandler on 9/26 at Mohegan. I said I'd rather get a nice dinner around Hartford and see them the next day. My exact reasoning per my text to my wife yesterday, "Nah, the casinos are in the middle of nowhere." Her response, "Yeah, I'm good passing on that". We both love Sandler, the casino is just far enough and just desolate enough that it isnt worth it to us.

Yes, I know UConn alums are a big part of it and that needs to continue.

And therein lies the problem. The definition of driving forever for CT sports fans seems to be at odds with the definition for the rest of the country.

 

[Hoophound]

And therein lies the problem. The definition of driving forever for CT sports fans seems to be at odds with the definition for the rest of the country.

Hey, as a fellow Floridian, I understand long drives, but long drives to the middle of nowhere, in winter and often at night, just aren't worth it to a lot of people. A nice dinner and a basketball game in Hartford and a 20-30 min commute home is much better.

 

[superjohn]

I can't buy that. It takes forever to get to the casino from a lot of places that really love UConn basketball. Hartford is in the middle of a huge population comparitively.

We will be in CT in a few weeks and have friends asking us to go see Adam Sandler on 9/26 at Mohegan. I said I'd rather get a nice dinner around Hartford and see them the next day. My exact reasoning per my text to my wife yesterday, "Nah, the casinos are in the middle of nowhere." Her response, "Yeah, I'm good passing on that". We both love Sandler, the casino is just far enough and just desolate enough that it isnt worth it to us.

Yes, I know UConn alums are a big part of it and that needs to continue.

Nothing in Connecticut takes forever travel wise. It's a 45 minute drive from Hartford to the casino. What am I missing here?

 

[Waquoit]

the casino is just far enough and just desolate enough that it isnt worth it to us...Hey, as a fellow Floridian, I understand long drives, but long drives to the middle of nowhere, in winter and often at night, just aren't worth it to a lot of people. A nice dinner and a basketball game in Hartford and a 20-30 min commute home is much better.

Thirty minutes is fine but 45 is out of the question? For an all-highway drive that has no traffic? Especially in winter, what roads are in better shape than the limited access highways? But that point is moot because the WNBA doesn't play in winter. And can you really call a place that has 25 or so restaurants desolate? You are trying hard but not making your case. What you are doing really is making a case for not playing any games in Gampel. Now that's a desolate drive for you, over 45 minutes if you live west of the river, on less safe roads. Especially in winter.

 

[Ha Who]

Nothing in Connecticut takes forever travel wise. It's a 45 minute drive from Hartford to the casino. What am I missing here?

View attachment 111448

We go there to see free shows at the Wolf Den or Comix Roadhouse Sometimes our friends get comp tickets for a good concert. We are going to see Eric Clapton later in the month. Is it as convenient as PBA? No But not going there smacks of fans who won’t drive to Storrs when Joe Furey predicts flurries.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

A 45 minute drive for a Connecticuter is like 2-3 hours for people elsewhere.