Where we have come from

[gimber]

It was 38 degrees on the afternoon of December 7 when the few Uconn football fans (17,086) who managed to survive the program’s 3-year decline last entered The Rent.
We witnessed a big victory, but sadness filled the air. Could we ever come back from this? How?
Like a bolt from heaven, on December 12 a savior arrived in Storrs. Most of us remember thinking…..what? Did that really just happen?
Emotion, energy, vision, belief, pride, accountability have returned. There will be disappointments ahead, but the dark clouds of apathy have been lifted.
We are 2 days from a new beginning. We are in desperate times. Success and sellouts are mandatory. We shall see………

 

[CTMike]

I thought you were going to say "trailers"...

But I too am very excited for the new era of UConn Football.

 

[coachcap]

Last season saw confusion on the field & side lines until PP & GDL were purged from the system. The ship started to be righted immediately by their extraction, but it was too late to save the season. I expect, & have already seen signs of, huge improvements in demeanor & focus in the players under Coach Diaco's leadership. I'm confident that it will bear positive results on the playing field & scoreboard.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

We are charting dangerous waters if we're setting the bar for success/failure on sellouts. We need to stop doing that. It's not going to happen overnight. I think Diaco is going to be good. But this may take some time to undo the damage from the last 3 years.

Let's just keep supporting the team, recruit new paying customers, and have patience with the new staff. Let's stop setting the bar at measurables that we're not going to achieve.

 

[BlueMAB]

We are charting dangerous waters if we're setting the bar for success/failure on sellouts. We need to stop doing that. It's not going to happen overnight. I think Diaco is going to be good. But this may take some time to undo the damage from the last 3 years.

Let's just keep supporting the team, recruit new paying customers, and have patience with the new staff. Let's stop setting the bar at measurables that we're not going to achieve.

Energy Vampire.

The OP said success and sellouts are mandatory. They are a part of the equation if we want out of this conference. The OP didn't say success will be measured by our sellouts.

Just by getting rid of PGDL we won 3 games in a row. PGDL couldn't win 2 games in a row.

There's no reason why we shouldn't expect immediate improvement. We have talent, we have better coaches, we have a manageable schedule. The coaches and players demand success of themselves, we should demand success from them as well. We have to show up, be loud and proud, and have patience over the inevitable speed bumps. But Diaco has high standards, and so should we.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Energy Vampire.

The OP said success and sellouts are mandatory. They are a part of the equation if we want out of this conference. The OP didn't say success will be measured by our sellouts.

Just by getting rid of PGDL we won 3 games in a row. PGDL couldn't win 2 games in a row.

There's no reason why we shouldn't expect immediate improvement. We have talent, we have better coaches, we have a manageable schedule. The coaches and players demand success of themselves, we should demand success from them as well. We have to show up, be loud and proud, and have patience over the inevitable speed bumps. But Diaco has high standards, and so should we.

Well if sellouts are mandatory, then what are the consequences if we don't sellout?

Also, other than Nebraska, which team scooped up in the recent rounds of CR consistently sold out games? Maybe TCU? Rutgers, Ville, WVU, UMD: nope.

 

[BlueMAB]

Well if sellouts are mandatory, then what are the consequences if we don't sellout?

Also, other than Nebraska, which team scooped up in the recent rounds of CR consistently sold out games? Maybe TCU? Rutgers, Ville, WVU, UMD: nope.

Every team you just mentioned has larger stadiums than UConn, and larger season ticket bases. Ville's average attendance wasn't a sellout, but it was still more fans than UConn can fit in our stadium. So for UConn, sellouts become more important. Not the only factor, but important.


I've had this argument with others and I agree with you that sellouts aren't the deciding factor. But they are part of the equation. The consequences are remaining in this conference. But yes, there is more to it. My main point was, we should demand success now. I'm not saying fire him if we go 5-7, but we should expect success. Winners expect to win. Losers make excuses.

 

[uconnell]

Let's just keep supporting the team, recruit new paying customers, and have patience with the new staff. Let's stop setting the bar at measurables that we're not going to achieve.

We won't know if we don't try.

 

[Husky25]

Yeah, but most of us expected Narduzzi or Lembo, or the other guy from the MAC who I can't remember his name. A few people mentioned Diaco, but then dismissed him.

I for one was one of the many who Diaco won over on the cold day in December. It warmed up right quick...

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'll anoint Diaco a "savior" if he wins 6 games this season.

Pumped for the new era of UConn football, but come Friday the image and talk will mean far less.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Last season saw confusion on the field & side lines until PP & GDL were purged from the system. The ship started to be righted immediately by their extraction, but it was too late to save the season. I expect, & have already seen signs of, huge improvements in demeanor & focus in the players under Coach Diaco's leadership. I'm confident that it will bear positive results on the playing field & scoreboard.

I agree, I'll be in the head having a nervous pee, if anyone is looking for me.

 

[gioff23]

I think sellouts are a reach. I recall the BCS year being played in front of less than sellout crowds.

What we need to do first and foremost is win. We can sell out and go 2-10 and we'll forever be in the AAC. Consistently win on the field, play a 13th game, and get kids in to the NFL and we'll be fine, even if we are at 35K. We've proven that if you bring in a big name opponent the place will be filled, even when we stink. But go 4-8 and expect folks to give up a saturday to see Temple or Memphis or anyone else from this conference, and you're crazy.

I love the energy this staff brings. I love that we are all proud to be associated with the program, again. However, I am trying to temper my enthusiasm as while I think we are on the road to seeing great things here, I look at the depth chart and see a very thick line between the 1s and 2s across the board, with a lot of of the 2s having the letters FR after their name. Think about it, we might have John Greene at CB, a true frosh at OG, or Paul Nwokeji at OT and on and on. If we stay healthy, if we fight thru the challenges we will face in weeks 1 and 3, if the team can continue to grow physically, emotionally and experientially, if we can learn to possess the ball, if we can learn how to win on the road, if we can fight thru adversity, if ..... we should be bowl eligible. That's a lot of if's. In other words, i see this as year 1 on the road to salvation. I have full confidence in the administration, the AD, the HC, the staff and the players here and those being brought in. But, I was there in December (and it sure as heck felt colder than 38) and i remember just how far we had fallen, despite the win. I want to believe we can coat over the last 3 years just as easily as we added a fresh coat of paint on the walls, but I believe this is a progression we are on and I am optimistic about the future, and patient (meaning I want us in the conversation for a conf title in 15 and every year thereafter).