There’s really nothing to discuss with the game because it wasn’t a game and the result was baked in the cake a month ago. A tragic ending to a great season. It should have never happened.
UConn never never never ever again should participate in a bowl game if our players do not want to go. Players made personal choices to put us in a position where we couldn’t win this game. And sorry this is competition. It’s about winning and losing. If we don’t want to compete. Don’t show up. And how is it that our program, in the precarious state it is in as an independent, thinks it’s too good for a bowl? Including a backup qb who fleeced Mike Burton out of 6 figures. Too good to showcase the best of the program on a Saturday on ESPN? Likely the biggest audience that saw us all year. We don’t play for a conference championship. So what are we playing for? What are the fans supposed to be invested in? Well I hope for starters we start holding UConn’s feet to the fire about getting into either the ACC or Big 12. I mean things are clearly going well for us as we feel comfortable enough to forfeit a bowl game and get worked by Army for 3 and half hours on ESPN. If the bowl doesn’t matter, something better for the fans to justify the support. Only getting us into a power 4 conference does so that should be the minimum expectation of the administration going forward. And no excuses on it this time.
Well let’s forget the fans for a second because we know us poor saps are not the focus during these times. How about what we did to our players?
Skyler Bell was trotted out to tell us he was playing and was trying to get others in the portal to play. Wall him! A hero! People wanted to build a statute for him over this news. The new Locked On UConn host gushed “this means UConn is going all in for win #10.” Well, That was never the case. Bell played one series and took his pads off. Was it done to rube fans to pay for tickets or throw off the opponent? Regardless, It was deceitful and he looks bad because of it.
Because of Bell’s warrior like decision to tell us he was playing (not true) Joe Fagano got smeared online (still going on today) as the sole quitter for 2 weeks while Bell got the statue built for him. He abandoned the team! I’m so mad at Joe! Turns out they both quit. Joe was just more up front about it.
The Candle era begins today and all will be forgotten with news of new hires and recruits. But it’s gonna be hard to forget about some of the selfishness and lies of the last month that robbed the fanbase from a proper send off for this worthy team. The fans and the team deserved better. It did not have to end this poorly.
