UConn may compete in Spring

[Chief00]

What information was missing? Who could have foreseen and/or promised that the NCAA would grant a universal exemption on fall 2020 sports regardless of playing time. I think most expected some sort of limit to prevent a "double dip" so to speak. With the possibility of a wasted year of eligibility fully off the table it opens things up for UMass and others to toy with playing 1, 2, 5 or whatever number of games they can book.

So you think the universal waiver or some variation of that should have been a complete surprise? To get such an absolute result, there had to be an abundance of tea leaves. Another thing was the expectation that others would not play, so we really had no choice and we were merely making the decision before it was made for us. Now we see all kinds of teams have put together some kind of season, not perfect seasons, but much better than none at all.
I think if we were just honest about messing up that would make some difference with the players. Right now it’s not a good situation no matter what people say here.

 

[Exit 4]

So you think the universal waiver or some variation of that should have been a complete surprise? To get such an absolute result, there had to be an abundance of tea leaves. Another thing was the expectation that others would not play, so we really had no choice and we were merely making the decision before it was made for us. Now we see all kinds of teams have put together some kind of season, not perfect seasons, but much better than none at all.

As of early Aug conventional wisdom was that the NCAA would allow players to play either this fall or sit out to get an extra year. I don't think many thought we would get the best of both - unlimited fall/spring play and an extra year.

They didn't lead astray, they guessed wrong.

 

[Chief00]

Well then they are more than welcome to transfer to any of the FCS schools that recruited them.

Your type of mindset doesn’t help. You play with and appreciate the players that you have.

 

[Chief00]

As of early Aug conventional wisdom was that the NCAA would allow players to play either this fall or sit out to get an extra year. I don't think many thought we would get the best of both - unlimited fall/spring play and an extra year.

They didn't lead astray, they guessed wrong.

When players depend on adults either voluntarily or involuntarily to make decisions that impact them - and then those adults mess up - at least call a meeting and apologize. Say we did the best we could, but got things wrong.

 

[uconndogs]

When people speak in absolutes I am very suspect. Certainly some things are absolute. Right and wrong are well defined and the path clear. But, many decisions are not like that.

Then their are those that speak in absolute terms often with imperfect knowledge or an agenda to promote. I dismiss their dialogue and if I am in a position to do so, I dismiss them.

Credibility and trust are just so important and very difficult to establish.

 

[Goatmeat]

Your type of mindset doesn’t help. You play with and appreciate the players that you have.

This coming from the guy who says “all programs of significance are moving forward this season,” knowing full well that UConn is not moving forward this season. Give it a rest.

 

[Chief00]

This coming from the guy who says “all programs of significance are moving forward this season,” knowing full well that UConn is not moving forward this season. Give it a rest.

It’s not a good moment for us. Chief doesn’t sugar coat things. That’s not how you improve. Look what we have done on the basketball side by being honest with ourselves and Grinding.

 

[BlueDogs]

It’s TBD if UCONN made the right move or not in respect to Covid, however I don’t buy for a second that the players really wanted this. They simply accepted the reality that they had no schedule to speak of and put on a brave face. At the end of the day players want to play. It’s why you see kids in The MAC and MWC pushing their administrators to get something done.

Putting aside all arguments for or against, this is the most incisive indictment of the innate silliness of the decision made.

 

[HardFacts]

It’s not a good moment for us. Chief doesn’t sugar coat things. That’s not how you improve. Look what we have done on the basketball side by being honest with ourselves and Grinding.

Agree It is not a good moment! I said all along play the games 4,5,6 whatever was available. Players want to compete and if not we have real problems! A year of no real competition will actually set us back. AD and Randy jumped the gun and they thought everyone’s seasons would fall apart.

 

[HardFacts]

The idea some had of playing in the spring is ridiculous. We could have kept UMass, Liberty, Army, and added a couple of games. A six game season with spacing between games would have been perfect for development.

 

[Chief00]

Yes. Option theory teaches us that the option has inherent valueand you never exercise it until you absolutely have to. When the crisis hit, it was obvious that it would impact the season. By pulling the plug, they took away the option of playing ANY games in the Fall.

Unlike members of the B10 and P12, Uconn has no real ability to put together a schedule at this point.

Instead of shutting things down, UConn should have been working with experts on a plan to play/train safely. The AD should have been working to build a schedule with the knowledge that games might be cancelled or postponed.

Basically, UConn’s leadership needed to be flexible- it was not.

I agree it could have been done but figured it wasn’t worth the effort. I feel they looking for a 5th year Mensah, Vandermark and Rose. Looking for a more mature OLine QB and rest of team. 2020 is a desperate season but yes it could have happened.

You are assuming the transfer doors aren’t going to open wide. There’s an inherent trust when a player signs that the school is committed to playing football and all that it means. We have a lot of work to do to restore that trust. I am not sure if Randy is the guy who can do that after most of what he told and guided the team to do, proved to be wrong, at best.

 

[Chief00]

UMass player pushing

This could have been written by 90% of our players, except for that one incident since 7/1. The Spring nonsense is an unspoken acknowledgement that we got it wrong but that energy should have been directed towards a fall season.
Chief is doing no victory lap about being right about this, at this point can we play 2 or 3 teams twice that also made the wrong decision and maybe pick up a random game or two? We need a new state agency, separate from our disaster of a Health Dept, focused on playing outdoor sports - it’s a very low risk activity and should actually be encouraged vs. anything inside.
I hope I am wrong, but Chief doesn’t see Randy as being the guy flexible enough to navigate this. Chief sounded the alarm in August and early September and the pushback Chief received was blind to the college football environment driven by southern schools. People here made fun of the Bama President who marched on despite 1,200 positive tests and said we are going to make it work and figure it out. As it turned out, he drove things nationally. You can agree or disagree with him, what he did took courage and he turned the Tide at a national level so that everyone else started reversing themselves except the UConn’s of this World.

 

[ktuck911]

UConn UMass in the spring? as an exhibition game? Would that count as a 2020 game, or would it impact the schedule for 2021?

It shouldn't impact 2021 whatsoever one would think...Heck it'd be kinda like what Middle Tenn State and Troy are doing this year, playing twice, but there's a loooong break from Spring to the Fall...

 

[Nextmanup]

Someone mentioned the team is meeting tomorrow.. Maybe we get some info after the meeting on the possibility of playing a few games this fall.
A few games could be beneficial..
I am not a fan of a spring season .. or even 3-4 games played then.. too close to the fall .. And injuries could hamper our fall season in 2021.. not worth the risk.

 

[BlueDogs]

This could have been written by 90% of our players, except for that one incident since 7/1. The Spring nonsense is an unspoken acknowledgement that we got it wrong but that energy should have been directed towards a fall season.
Chief is doing no victory lap about being right about this, at this point can we play 2 or 3 teams twice that also made the wrong decision and maybe pick up a random game or two? We need a new state agency, separate from our disaster of a Health Dept, focused on playing outdoor sports - it’s a very low risk activity and should actually be encouraged vs. anything inside.
I hope I am wrong, but Chief doesn’t see Randy as being the guy flexible enough to navigate this. Chief sounded the alarm in August and early September and the pushback Chief received was blind to the college football environment driven by southern schools. People here made fun of the Bama President who marched on despite 1,200 positive tests and said we are going to make it work and figure it out. As it turned out, he drove things nationally. You can agree or disagree with him, what he did took courage and he turned the Tide at a national level so that everyone else started reversing themselves except the UConn’s of this World.

This should be a lesson that group think is powerful social force that can distort the judgment of the best intentioned. Lots of folks flying under the banner of “science” when the don’t know the first principles of it.. hypothesis, measurement and repeatability. They confuse expert opinion (hypothesis) with fact. The data says it’s relatively safe. Many experts said was safe. But, too many were invested in their own narrative to actually practice what they preach. The UMichigan President is classic as was the PSU expert who got his data wrong. The greatest sin of all is pride and refusing to admit when you’re wrong. UConn needs to reverse course.

 

[kibblesnbits]

This should be a lesson that group think is powerful social force that can distort the judgment of the best intentioned. Lots of folks flying under the banner of “science” when the don’t know the first principles of it.. hypothesis, measurement and repeatability. They confuse expert opinion (hypothesis) with fact. The data says it’s relatively safe. Many experts said was safe. But, too many were invested in their own narrative to actually practice what they preach. The UMichigan President is classic as was the PSU expert who got his data wrong. The greatest sin of all is pride and refusing to admit when you’re wrong. UConn needs to reverse course.

The problem is that in the real world people have to make decisions before tests can be conducted. You mocked those that made decisions based on limited data and expert opinion and then declared, based on limited data and expert opinion, that it is safe. Hardly scientific. If you want science we are in the process of seeing it play out. You have some executing the test scenario (playing) and some as a control group (not playing). Only after the fact will you be able to draw appropriate scientific conclusions.

 

[Chief00]

This should be a lesson that group think is powerful social force that can distort the judgment of the best intentioned. Lots of folks flying under the banner of “science” when the don’t know the first principles of it.. hypothesis, measurement and repeatability. They confuse expert opinion (hypothesis) with fact. The data says it’s relatively safe. Many experts said was safe. But, too many were invested in their own narrative to actually practice what they preach. The UMichigan President is classic as was the PSU expert who got his data wrong. The greatest sin of all is pride and refusing to admit when you’re wrong. UConn needs to reverse course.

Excellent post.

 

[Chief00]

The problem is that in the real world people have to make decisions before tests can be conducted. You mocked those that made decisions based on limited data and expert opinion and then declared, based on limited data and expert opinion, that it is safe. Hardly scientific. If you want science we are in the process of seeing it play out. You have some executing the test scenario (playing) and some as a control group (not playing). Only after the fact will you be able to draw appropriate scientific conclusions.

You can do both - play and make appropriate adjustments as you go. We do that in business 24/7.
UConn there is no shame in reversing course. The shame occurs if you hold to an untenable position against the facts on the ground. Identifying and responding favorably to change isn’t a Randy strongpoint.

 

[uconnbill]

I dont think players did not want to play I feel they wanted to protect they’re eligibility. They should of made some effort to pull off a 8-10 game season especially now since kids won’t lose they’re eligibility now. They should look into throwing something together now. Seems to be working out for 98 percent of the NCAA

How do you know that? My guess is most the players wanted to play as that is how athletes think is playing and competing.

 

[kibblesnbits]

You can do both - play and make appropriate adjustments as you go. We do that in business 24/7.
UConn there is no shame in reversing course. The shame occurs if you hold to an untenable position against the facts on the ground. Identifying and responding favorably to change isn’t a Randy strongpoint.

We also cancel investments or furlough resources when operating doesn't make sense. The least successful businesses are often the ones that refuse to cut bait and continue lines that limp along because no one wants to make the tough call. In this case we might be able to play a half-assed schedule of a handful of games while being the on-call substitute cheap hook-up when the big boys can't get the regular date that they actually want to be seen with.......

 

[Chief00]

We also cancel investments or furlough resources when operating doesn't make sense. The least successful businesses are often the ones that refuse to cut bait and continue lines that limp along because no one wants to make the tough call. In this case we might be able to play a half-assed schedule of a handful of games while being the on-call substitute cheap hook-up when the big boys can't get the regular date that they actually want to be seen with.......

I can’t emphasize enough what an unpopular call this is with the players. There will be consequences and with recruiting as well.

 

[pepband99]

You can do both - play and make appropriate adjustments as you go. We do that in business 24/7.
UConn there is no shame in reversing course. The shame occurs if you hold to an untenable position against the facts on the ground. Identifying and responding favorably to change isn’t a Randy strongpoint.

...says the guy who met with Drummond and touted a zoom call that didn't happen yet, and mocks anyone who reminds him. You were saying?

The cancelation numbers are bad enough to support UConn's position, but you won't admit it.

 

[Hornet22]

I can’t emphasize enough what an unpopular call this is with the players. There will be consequences and with recruiting as well.

The entire team??? Players in how many? Have they all met and in unison griped????

 

[huskymedic]

 

[gioff2323]

In this case we might be able to play a half-assed schedule of a handful of games while being the on-call substitute cheap hook-up when the big boys can't get the regular date that they actually want to be seen with.......
[/QUOTE]

You mean avoid the kind of schedule a regional independent will see in normal times?

 

[Chin Diesel]

The more teams that choosing to play in the fall means fewer teams willing to play in the spring.

 

[UConnJim]

Today is September 23 and we have already had 21 FBS football games cancelled/postponed/rescheduled due to COVID and that is without the SEC and Big 10 having played a game. If a second wave of COVID comes, we will see more games cancelled. And, the Big 10 has a 21 day medical leave requirement for anyone who tests positive for COVID so potentially there will be many more games disrupted.

Teams in the AAC have had 11 games cancelled so far including a few AAC conference games. In total AAC teams have 12 wins and losses so far this year so the cancelled/postponed/rescheduled rate is close to 50%.

I'm in favor of playing sports right now, especially town and youth sports, but college sports are a unique challenge due to the social nature of college life. The NBA/PGA/MLB/WNBA/NFL have shown us that sports can be played safely with the appropriate safety measures, but it seems difficult to implement the safeguards for college football teams due to the number of people involved, living arrangements, and the college environment. Some schools will handle COVID better than others. Given how UConn is an independent, I find it hard to see how they could have completed a schedule this year, but I am in favor of playing a game against UMass this fall.

 

[Chief00]

The more teams that choosing to play in the fall means fewer teams willing to play in the spring.

The Spring schools are basically the ones that screwed up Fall football and that’s a diminishing number.

 

[Chief00]

Today is September 23 and we have already had 21 FBS football games cancelled/postponed/rescheduled due to COVID and that is without the SEC and Big 10 having played a game. If a second wave of COVID comes, we will see more games cancelled. And, the Big 10 has a 21 day medical leave requirement for anyone who tests positive for COVID so potentially there will be many more games disrupted.

Teams in the AAC have had 11 games cancelled so far including a few AAC conference games. In total AAC teams have 12 wins and losses so far this year so the cancelled/postponed/rescheduled rate is close to 50%.

I'm in favor of playing sports right now, especially town and youth sports, but college sports are a unique challenge due to the social nature of college life. The NBA/PGA/MLB/WNBA/NFL have shown us that sports can be played safely with the appropriate safety measures, but it seems difficult to implement the safeguards for college football teams due to the number of people involved, living arrangements, and the college environment. Some schools will handle COVID better than others. Given how UConn is an independent, I find it hard to see how they could have completed a schedule this year, but I am in favor of playing a game against UMass this fall.

The point is the social nature of college continues irrespective of playing football, so why not play it? No one is dying from doing that.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Today is September 23 and we have already had 21 FBS football games cancelled/postponed/rescheduled due to COVID and that is without the SEC and Big 10 having played a game. If a second wave of COVID comes, we will see more games cancelled. And, the Big 10 has a 21 day medical leave requirement for anyone who tests positive for COVID so potentially there will be many more games disrupted.

Teams in the AAC have had 11 games cancelled so far including a few AAC conference games. In total AAC teams have 12 wins and losses so far this year so the cancelled/postponed/rescheduled rate is close to 50%.

I'm in favor of playing sports right now, especially town and youth sports, but college sports are a unique challenge due to the social nature of college life. The NBA/PGA/MLB/WNBA/NFL have shown us that sports can be played safely with the appropriate safety measures, but it seems difficult to implement the safeguards for college football teams due to the number of people involved, living arrangements, and the college environment. Some schools will handle COVID better than others. Given how UConn is an independent, I find it hard to see how they could have completed a schedule this year, but I am in favor of playing a game against UMass this fall.

With the SEC and B1G getting ready to kick off their seasons, the ratio of games played to miss will increase. Waiting it out til the end of September or beginning of October was done to minimize having those early September games cancelled. Plus, these bigger conferences have more resources to test aggressively and avoid some of the contamination we all highly suspect has happened and is happening at lower end D1 schools.