UConn “Telling Our Story” CT Insider Article

[uconnyankee]

If they haven't already tried, Uconn should try to get the Fox pregame / College Gameday crews on campus for a definitive profile.

When the BE split and the AAC started, those blowhards on College Gameday did much to shape the perception of the conference and Uconn football - and not in a good way.

UConn should invite the Big12 Presidents! Come see our campus, the facilities, the resources.

 

[uconnyankee]

I understand the need for paid journalism. I subscribe to The Athletic and am happy to do so (although their quality has really declined)

It just seems counterintuitive to have an article that is clearly designed to have broad reach, stuck behind a barrier.

Not following. I read the article with no problem

 

[CL82]

Part of me thinks it might be easier at this point to find allies than convert foes. People like Tramel aren't going to change.

Yeah, I agree but if you tag him, he's got a lot of associated views with him. I'm not much of a Twitter guy, but I think that's how it works.

 

[UDann]

So glad we’re finally going on the offensive to shape the narrative instead of letting people like Tramel write BS with no consequence.

Agreed but we have that fine School of Business across from Gampel. Why were they not helping the marketing of our fine institution years ago? Regardless better late than never. UConn has a great story to tell but beating NC State or giving them one great game will go a long way in shaping perceptions.

 

[king conn]

Instead of the same woe is me articles coming from our Connecticut writers, why aren't they on the attack writing about the stupidity of doubling down on the same markets in Arizona and Utah?

And how pointless in general the additions were. Was it about football? They took in 3 lousy football schools. No better than ours. Was it overall athletic dept? We have them all beat on a G5 budget. Academics? They lose again

Make the Big 12 look really stupid for doing this.

Honestly if our own state can't stick up for us, how can you expect the national media to be any better

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Instead of the same woe is me articles coming from our Connecticut writers, why aren't they on the attack writing about the stupidity of doubling down on the same markets in Arizona and Utah?

And how pointless in general the additions were. Was it about football? They took in 3 lousy football schools. No better than ours. Was it overall athletic dept? We have them all beat on a G5 budget. Academics? They lose again

Make the Big 12 look really stupid for doing this.

Honestly if our own state can't stick up for us, how can you expect the national media to be any better

Since those schools are already in, it is no point bashing them. We will need their support if we want to join in the future.

 

[Patman]

Its kind of telling that UConn's perception degrades as it expands beyond the region out west, yet for some reason a school like SMU, SDSU and Cal are seen as viable for traditionally eastern conferences....

I still think if you look at all the schools being added since Louisville beat UConn (Utah the weird exception) its about TV market size to cram conference networks into regions not recent program success. The Big12 liked the 4 corners because ESPN and Fox told them to like$$$ the 4 corners.

look, UConn is an outcast, the dumpy kid, so on. football is going to have to punch them in the face before there's any respect

 

[UCFBfan]

They mentioned how the state subsidizes a chunk of the AD budget yet from articles I've read, Cal and I believe another left over PAC school has a higher subsidy. I wish they had mentioned that in there. It's not attacking those schools, it's just fixing the narrative that is always out there.

 

[JohnFSilver]

TBH, and I'm hope and believe I'm wrong, this article paints DB in the same light as Warde. Sitting on the sidelines and hoping we'd land where we should be. The difference is that DB was basically hoping Yormack could win out and he didn't. It sounds like DB is ok with our current position and just hopes to get people to notice us. News flash, not sure what more we can do to make that seem. How hard did Dave work here? I'm hoping it was more than just watching his phone like the start of the article mentioned.

Guys. Don’t let the Tom Jurich hustled his way into ACC self serving BS.

Louisville was taken because acc was afraid if fsu and Clemson leaving. It is same dynamic now.

Jurich didn’t do a Mr Smith goes to Washington plea while Warde ate donuts in Bahamas.

UConn was in, until fsu and Clemson gathered support to make it 8-4.

Louisville has fallen off the map once jurich’s charade was over.

And. The Media. Totally. Ate. It. Up.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Part of our issue is how the State itself is viewed in the West and the South... "In Texas we call that a county" kind of stuff.

 

[Sea Goat]

UConn should invite the Big12 Presidents! Come see our campus, the facilities, the resources.

They visited - I would have thought they would have been impressed.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Part of our issue is how the State itself is viewed in the West and the South... "In Texas we call that a county" kind of stuff.

Article does a pretty bang up job of confirming the rest of the countries preconceived notions about UConn fans.

 

[uconnyankee]

They visited - I would have thought they would have been impressed.

All the Presidents visited, or just Yormark?

 

[Slick]

UConn should invite the Big12 Presidents! Come see our campus, the facilities, the resources.

They won't come

 

[jostar1]

All the Presidents visited, or just Yormark?

Aaron Torres said that some of the Presidents were on campus. He didn't say how many.

 

[jostar1]

Terrible article. The title of the article is :

'Telling our story': How UConn will react after being bypassed again in Power Five conference realignment

Based on the title, I thought I was going to get some info on how UConn was going to react, but there was nothing, other than the usual we need to improve football.

So Benedict says: "We need to do a better job of telling our story. We need to do a better job of communicating the unique things that happen here.”

I'm sorry, but after all of these years of realignment, that is a weak-ass response by the AD.

Question for the author, Mike Anthony: Did you ask him how they were going to do that? Is there a plan? What is the plan?

 

[JMick]

Terrible article. The title of the article is :

'Telling our story': How UConn will react after being bypassed again in Power Five conference realignment

Based on the title, I thought I was going to get some info on how UConn was going to react, but there was nothing, other than the usual we need to improve football.

So Benedict says: "We need to do a better job of telling our story. We need to do a better job of communicating the unique things that happen here.”

I'm sorry, but after all of these years of realignment, that is a weak-ass response by the AD.

Question for the author, Mike Anthony: Did you ask him how they were going to do that? Is there a plan? What is the plan?

To be fair to Dave, all the damage was really done before he got here. I think he's now realizing he should have done more when he was hired but it's also hard to get your name out there when your programs aren't doing well. It's a lot easier to beat the drum coming off another national title and lining up what should be a very competitive football season.

 

[Patman]

To be fair to Dave, all the damage was really done before he got here. I think he's now realizing he should have done more when he was hired but it's also hard to get your name out there when your programs aren't doing well. It's a lot easier to beat the drum coming off another national title and lining up what should be a very competitive football season.

and how do you do it without being meek and not looking like "you don't know your place" or looking like a clown? I'm sorry, those that think they're better than you have a lot of means of reinforcing their beliefs.

You want UConn to be better guys? How about talking to your state rep about investing in UConn to get to AAU status?

 

[UConnJim]

To be fair to Dave, all the damage was really done before he got here. I think he's now realizing he should have done more when he was hired but it's also hard to get your name out there when your programs aren't doing well. It's a lot easier to beat the drum coming off another national title and lining up what should be a very competitive football season.

I like Dave. But, some damage was done during his tenure. Rehiring Edsall and shutting down football in 2020. I hope Dave stays at UConn for a long time as I think he is the right guy to lead the athletic department. But, if Dave leaves before we are in a power conference, then the next AD should be a sports minded ex financial services CEO/hedge fund guru from Fairfield County who has the connections to raise big money for the AD. Have competent athletic administrators manage the various sports on a day to day basis, but we need a rainmaker if we are not making P5 money.

 

[JMick]

I like Dave. But, some damage was done during his tenure. Rehiring Edsall and shutting down football in 2020. I hope Dave stays at UConn for a long time as I think he is the right guy to lead the athletic department. But, if Dave leaves before we are in a power conference, then the next AD should be a sports minded ex financial services CEO/hedge fund guru from Fairfield County who has the connections to raise big money for the AD. Have competent athletic administrators manage the various sports on a day to day basis, but we need a rainmaker if we are not making P5 money.

Shutting down the football activities in 2020 was the right move and the only reason other people didn't is because of pure greed.

I think edsall was a booster call and he was hoping edsall could be competent on the cheap. I don't totally blame him for edsall checking out completely but he should have been fired after year 1

 

[jostar1]

To be fair to Dave, all the damage was really done before he got here. I think he's now realizing he should have done more when he was hired but it's also hard to get your name out there when your programs aren't doing well. It's a lot easier to beat the drum coming off another national title and lining up what should be a very competitive football season.

He was hired in 2016. He's been at UConn for 7 years.

To say NOW, "We have to get our story out" is lame.

And for Mike Anthony not to ask the question is lame.

Just tell me what the plan is, Dave.

 

[superjohn]

Shutting down the football activities in 2020 was the right move and the only reason other people didn't is because of pure greed.

I think edsall was a booster call and he was hoping edsall could be competent on the cheap. I don't totally blame him for edsall checking out completely but he should have been fired after year 1

Shutting down football was a ridiculous decision. It signified we're about as serious about football as Brown is.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I think UConn thought they could generate some positive PR by shutting football down at the cost of maybe 3 or 4 games as given an Indy schedule they would have been limited somewhat.

Instead like with everything UConn athletics it made us look smalltime and like we just simply don't get college football.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I like Dave. But, some damage was done during his tenure. Rehiring Edsall and shutting down football in 2020. I hope Dave stays at UConn for a long time as I think he is the right guy to lead the athletic department. But, if Dave leaves before we are in a power conference, then the next AD should be a sports minded ex financial services CEO/hedge fund guru from Fairfield County who has the connections to raise big money for the AD. Have competent athletic administrators manage the various sports on a day to day basis, but we need a rainmaker if we are not making P5 money.

Your describing Paul Pendergrass who while not from Fairfield County, fund raising was his forte. He did not stay for very long.

 

[JMick]

Shutting down football was a ridiculous decision. It signified we're about as serious about football as Brown is.

Nah it was the right thing to do. The players are still student athletes and not professionals. They shouldn't have been put at unnecessary risk.

Football literally shouldn't be that serious. The fact that it is treated so seriously is insane. Football is going to be a dead sport in 30 years.

 

[KingAG]

Nah it was the right thing to do. The players are still student athletes and not professionals. They shouldn't have been put at unnecessary risk.

Football literally shouldn't be that serious. The fact that it is treated so seriously is insane. Football is going to be a dead sport in 30 years.

While I agree, this thought process is shared by the majority of north easterners and it’s why we aren’t wanted. It has to be

 

[Waquoit]

Just tell me what the plan is, Dave.

Don't you have a cloud to yell at?

 

[superjohn]

Nah it was the right thing to do. The players are still student athletes and not professionals. They shouldn't have been put at unnecessary risk.

Football literally shouldn't be that serious. The fact that it is treated so seriously is insane. Football is going to be a dead sport in 30 years.

Nobody is forced to do anything, if a player had comorbidities or didn't feel comfortable playing for other reasons they obviously woudn't have been forced to play. They wanted to play and everyone around the country played except for UConn...You've posted over and over that UConn hasn't taken football seriously enough, Big East is not where UConn should be, and football is what matters in getting UConn a seat at the table. Nothing they've done has made them look as Mickey Mouse as that decision did. It was the wrong decision and added to UConn not looking like a place that's serious about football.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

The Nutmeg State has a rich history in terms of a strong Yankee work ethic and ingenuity. But, telling our story and marketing haven't been a strong suit and UConn is guilty of this as well. The BOT, the President's office, and the Athletic Department need to share the blame. Unfortunately there has been major turnover in the President's Office and moderate turnover in the AD's office. The BOT failed the University. The Board really needs to be looked at to see if they are serving the AD well enough. Money obviously helps, but strategic thinking is a must because if we have the right marketing strategy then our work ethic and ingenuity will lead to the promise land.

 

[Hamms30]

Nobody is forced to do anything, if a player had comorbidities or didn't feel comfortable playing for other reasons they obviously woudn't have been forced to play. They wanted to play and everyone around the country played except for UConn...You've posted over and over that UConn hasn't taken football seriously enough, Big East is not where UConn should be, and football is what matters in getting UConn a seat at the table. Nothing they've done has made them look as Mickey Mouse as that decision did. It was the wrong decision and added to UConn not looking like a place that's serious about football.

I don't remember the timeline of the rules, but I thought the non starter was the fact that if they team traveled out of state or any team traveling into the state had to quarantine for a week or something like that. It wasn't 100% the football team didn't want to do it. With the rules in place, a good portion of the season was just impractical to pursue.