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Bone-Scorpion
I love Jimmy Calhoun
February 25, 2009 at 04:15AM View BBCode
Who needs Bob Knight tirades when you have Jim Calhoun!!!
Bone-Scorpion
I can tell you from personal experience that Calhoun is a very approachable guy. I do not doubt that he would have been more calm if the guy had chosen the right venue to make a PERSONAL attack on Calhoun.
The things that the basketball programs at UCONN have done for the school are amazing. Back in the 80's the school was an absolute dump. Buildings falling down, half filled classes and empty buildings. I used to wonder how in the beginning Calhoun got ANYBODY to commit. Some say that the state cleaned up the school so that more recruits would choose the school. So what didnt everybody benefit? The school has been almost completely renovated and has come along way. The basketball programs may not be the only reason but they sure did help. Without Calhoun or Geno UCONN would probably still be a dump.
February 25, 2009 at 04:30AM View BBCode
Absolutely the guy deserved what he got. Its funny how Calhoun was starting to calm down until he realized he had the room on his side, thats when he really went nuts. Talk about working a crowd.I can tell you from personal experience that Calhoun is a very approachable guy. I do not doubt that he would have been more calm if the guy had chosen the right venue to make a PERSONAL attack on Calhoun.
The things that the basketball programs at UCONN have done for the school are amazing. Back in the 80's the school was an absolute dump. Buildings falling down, half filled classes and empty buildings. I used to wonder how in the beginning Calhoun got ANYBODY to commit. Some say that the state cleaned up the school so that more recruits would choose the school. So what didnt everybody benefit? The school has been almost completely renovated and has come along way. The basketball programs may not be the only reason but they sure did help. Without Calhoun or Geno UCONN would probably still be a dump.
FuriousGiorge
Maybe, but there have been stories floating around for years that Calhoun is.....prickly. And going after the guy in a public forum like that is embarrassing to the university.
[Edited on 2-25-2009 by FuriousGiorge]
February 25, 2009 at 04:38AM View BBCode
Originally posted by Bone-Scorpion
I can tell you from personal experience that Calhoun is a very approachable guy.
Maybe, but there have been stories floating around for years that Calhoun is.....prickly. And going after the guy in a public forum like that is embarrassing to the university.
[Edited on 2-25-2009 by FuriousGiorge]
Bone-Scorpion
February 25, 2009 at 10:48AM View BBCode
Which is more embarrassing, Calhoun going off or the person that gave a press pass to a grandstanding blowhard? I honestly dont think that Calhoun has anything to be embarrassed about. The budget defecit in Connectiuct has NOTHING to do with UCONN basketball or Football (well maybe the new football stadium but I am unsure of the public funds that went to build the field). Lets not forgot that Chris "Fanny Maye is doing fine" Dodd has been a CT senator for years.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 02:46PM View BBCode
Jim Calhoun is paid all that money in part to represent the university and act like a professional at press conferences. While it may have been an unfair question, that's not an excuse to act like a petulant child.
Bone-Scorpion
February 25, 2009 at 06:46PM View BBCode
Um I disagree, how to do you stop it from happening again? You make sure that all individuals know that it wont be allowed. Being nice and polite wouldnt get that point across.
dirtdevil
February 25, 2009 at 06:50PM View BBCode
unless there's more to it thahn the clip i found on utube, i really don't see any issue with his behaviour.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 06:56PM View BBCode
You think yelling at some reporter is okay behavior for a guy who is essentially the face of your university?
dirtdevil
February 25, 2009 at 07:21PM View BBCode
i don't really see that he's yelling all that much. the guys asked a retarted question, had that pointed out fairly civily, and wouldn't drop it. i don't blame calhoun for getting annoyed, really. i mean if the program does bring in 12 mil per year to the school you could make the case that calhoun is actually underpaid, as his program is (in effect) subsidizing the tuition of thousands of students. to be honest, with all the hullabaloo i thought he'd pulled a hal mcrae or something. the clip i found was relatively innocuous, i thought.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 07:35PM View BBCode
Have our standards really fallen so far that we consider it acceptable for a state employee to yell at a reporter? The reporter wasn't yelling at Calhoun.
dirtdevil
also, to say calhoun is an employee of the state is a bit of a stretch. he's an employee of the university. the university happens to be owned by the state i guess, but unless things at uconn are completely different than any similar system i have any experience with, 'state of conneticut' is not what it says on the top of his paycheck.
February 25, 2009 at 07:57PM View formatted
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maybe they have i guess. but my question would be when did we decide that basketball coaches are required to indefinitely humour ax-grinding public agitators anyway? the 'reporter' was clearly being unreasonable. he didn't seem to want to accept the answer he was given or to let the subject drop when it became apparent he wasn't going to get a different one. given that he seems to be more of an activist than an actual reporter, i'd say that his goal wasn't so much to report the news or to conduct an interview somuch as to provoke a reaction. he got one, so cudos to him.
also, to say calhoun is an employee of the state is a bit of a stretch. he's an employee of the university. the university happens to be owned by the state i guess, but unless things at uconn are completely different than any similar system i have any experience with, 'state of conneticut' is not what it says on the top of his paycheck.
FuriousGiorge
[Edited on 2-25-2009 by FuriousGiorge]
February 25, 2009 at 08:04PM View BBCode
That's nit-picking, but it doesn't really matter. Calhoun is paid for more than just his ability to recruit and coach, he's also paid to be a press agent for the basketball team. I mean, we would never accept this censored from a politician. Some censored is asking an unreasonable question, you firmly but politely tell him that you're just not going to answer it. Screaming at him about how you drive a Dodge Stratus is counterproductive, and reflects poorly on you. I'm not going to take Calhoun to the woodshed, because it really is a completely dickish question, but neither am I going to allow that it's okay for someone to yell at a reporter. A little decorum, that's all I ask.[Edited on 2-25-2009 by FuriousGiorge]
dirtdevil
for me the bottom line is the guy was being as ass, and probably got less than he deserved. was it the type of behaviour i'd like to show my kids? no. would i have enjoyed it more if he'd popped the guy in the nose? probably.
February 25, 2009 at 08:48PM View BBCode
we wouldn't accept it from a politician, but then again he's not a politician. he's a basketball coach, and for me anyway, who signs his paycheck is about as relevant as who cleans his office. his deal isn't out of line for the industry by any means, and the truth is, his conduct wasn't really either. i mean as was pointed out, can you imagine what would have happened had bob knight recieved the same question? (i know, that's not a very tough standard to beat)for me the bottom line is the guy was being as ass, and probably got less than he deserved. was it the type of behaviour i'd like to show my kids? no. would i have enjoyed it more if he'd popped the guy in the nose? probably.
happy
Also, basketball is purely for entertainment. A comparison to politics, where the person is running the government, doesnt really fly. The entire reason for the interview is for increased entertainment, nothing more. I'd rather have someone who flies off the handle every once in a while than someone who gives boring generic interviews that wastes everyone's time.
February 25, 2009 at 09:37PM View BBCode
Why do reporters get some kind of amnesty from being yelled at? The reporter needs to speak to the coach to make money, not vice versa. If the reporter cant conduct himself in a reasonable manner, he shouldnt be allowed back. Problem solved. Certainly Calhoun could have handled it better, but in my mind, a reporter acting in this way is much more out of line than a basketball coach.Also, basketball is purely for entertainment. A comparison to politics, where the person is running the government, doesnt really fly. The entire reason for the interview is for increased entertainment, nothing more. I'd rather have someone who flies off the handle every once in a while than someone who gives boring generic interviews that wastes everyone's time.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 10:25PM View BBCode
I don't understand how you think the reporter "acted". He asked questions. Were they unfair questions? Sure. But he acted like a professional, which is more than one can say for Calhoun, who started off snarky and ended up in full-blown tirade mode. And it's not like he was doing something selfless, like that OSU coach who was defending his player. He was defending making a lot of money. Which is his right, because this is America and no one forced UConn to sign the contract. But good Lord, his behavior was embarrassing. Which is what the governor of Connecticut called it.
dirtdevil
February 25, 2009 at 10:31PM View BBCode
yeah, i read that. i think 'embarassing' is a bit over the top. 'unneccesary' would be a more appropriate judgement i think. also i don't really think i'd label the reporter's conduct as professional. he acted like someone who was deliberately trying to provoke his subject, rather than interview him. i mean it was a post-game press conference, yes? that's hardly the proper venue for a salary question to lead off. if the guy really wanted to discuss that issue with calhoun, a sit-down interview (which calhoun even offered a couple of times before he really blew up) would have been a much more effective and appropriate forum. that he instead chose to ambush the coach in a post-game press conference smacks more of sensationalism and grandstanding for his cause than actual reporting.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 10:47PM View BBCode
Fair enough. His behavior was borderline, and this guy is obviously a rabble-rouser. But come on, Calhoun's behavior was pretty childish. "I make more than that." Like I said, this isn't out of leftfield - there are a lot of stories that Calhoun is difficult to deal with. He doesn't get along with Auriemma, he and Calipari always butted heads when Cal was still at UMass, and he's been feuding with the Courant over their reporters for years. Fair or not, if this had been, say, Tony Dungy, I would have immediately asked how much of a dick this guy had to have been to get him angry. But Calhoun? All you have to do is look at him cockeyed and he hates you.
dirtdevil
February 25, 2009 at 10:55PM View BBCode
actually, i have to admit that i laughed at the "i make more than that" line. i thought he was more putting the guy in his place with that, or at least trying to. but absolutely calhoun could have handled things better. i think if he'd just waited a touch longer the other reporters would have handled the guy and calhoun would have come off looking reasonably well. as you say though, that may not be in his personality.
FuriousGiorge
February 25, 2009 at 11:03PM View BBCode
No. Also, making jokes. You may have laughed but believe me, Jim Calhoun has no idea why. This is what Jim Calhoun thinks a smile looks like:
happy
Here's the fact, I dont even think he was being that mean. Do we really need to be this thin skinned all the time? Extreme oversensitivity of what is said by figures in the public is a trend that needs to stop. If he was a normal guy in a normal conversation, if anything he would have been told that he needed to say more.
February 26, 2009 at 12:35AM View BBCode
aw crap, deleted my post by mistake. Whatever.Here's the fact, I dont even think he was being that mean. Do we really need to be this thin skinned all the time? Extreme oversensitivity of what is said by figures in the public is a trend that needs to stop. If he was a normal guy in a normal conversation, if anything he would have been told that he needed to say more.
FuriousGiorge
February 26, 2009 at 01:29AM View BBCode
Talk to one of your co-workers like that, see what happens.
Bone-Scorpion
Comparing Calhoun and a reporter to Co-Workers is a poor choice.
Jodi Rell had to put a positive spin by calling his actions "embarrasing" because she is a politician. She already succeded a corrupt Governor. She is currently dealing with a horrible budget defecit not to mention a current scandal with the Mayor of Hartford. Oh yea lets not forget that Hartford is the insurance capital of the United States. I wonder who gets hit hard in poor economics? Insurance sure does. There is a lot on her plate, she doesnt need this garbage to get out of control. Lets not forget also that this idiot reporter was arrested at I believe the CT governors mansion protesting her. Dont you think she enjoyed every minute he got berated.
I know you are in college FG. I have no doubt that you are probably more intelligent then me, but lets look at the real world which being older I have more experience in. Bosses yell at their employees, because so many dont get it if you ask nice (trust me on this one). People are not nice, nobody owes anybody anything. If you say to your child that the stove is hot they wont listen, but sure as hell if you yell "HOT" they will listen. This reporter did not get it when Calhoun said "hot" he didnt get it when he said "HOT" what more did you want? Nobody deserves to have their salary questioned if they run a successful business or program. I would say that all parties involved with CT Basketball are happy and that the program is successful.
I bet you if the Huskies had a cheaper coach who made the NIT occassionally they wouldnt have the revenue stream that they have. You can question exactly what the basketball program legitimately provides the University financially but you cant question that it is more with Calhoun then it would be with some cheaper and most likely weaker coach.
[Edited on 2-26-2009 by Bone-Scorpion]
February 26, 2009 at 03:10AM View BBCode
So let me see if I have this straight. Calhoun or any coach that works for a state run University is not allowed to yell or be sarcastic at anybody because they are a State Employee and in some cases the face of the University. Does this include referees? Does this include the kids that they are coaching?Comparing Calhoun and a reporter to Co-Workers is a poor choice.
Jodi Rell had to put a positive spin by calling his actions "embarrasing" because she is a politician. She already succeded a corrupt Governor. She is currently dealing with a horrible budget defecit not to mention a current scandal with the Mayor of Hartford. Oh yea lets not forget that Hartford is the insurance capital of the United States. I wonder who gets hit hard in poor economics? Insurance sure does. There is a lot on her plate, she doesnt need this garbage to get out of control. Lets not forget also that this idiot reporter was arrested at I believe the CT governors mansion protesting her. Dont you think she enjoyed every minute he got berated.
I know you are in college FG. I have no doubt that you are probably more intelligent then me, but lets look at the real world which being older I have more experience in. Bosses yell at their employees, because so many dont get it if you ask nice (trust me on this one). People are not nice, nobody owes anybody anything. If you say to your child that the stove is hot they wont listen, but sure as hell if you yell "HOT" they will listen. This reporter did not get it when Calhoun said "hot" he didnt get it when he said "HOT" what more did you want? Nobody deserves to have their salary questioned if they run a successful business or program. I would say that all parties involved with CT Basketball are happy and that the program is successful.
I bet you if the Huskies had a cheaper coach who made the NIT occassionally they wouldnt have the revenue stream that they have. You can question exactly what the basketball program legitimately provides the University financially but you cant question that it is more with Calhoun then it would be with some cheaper and most likely weaker coach.
[Edited on 2-26-2009 by Bone-Scorpion]
Bone-Scorpion
February 26, 2009 at 03:25AM View BBCode
Correction the guy was arrested at Rell's inaugaration parade. I visited his website and I find it ironic that while he claims that he was put on a list of potential threats to Rell. He claims it was all because he was part of an opposing political party and that there was no merit. But he knew that he was on the list before he attended the parade, and still went anyways. Thats just plain ignorance. Whether he believes it was right or wrong he should abide by local law enforcement.
FuriousGiorge
I'll remind you, my first response here was to point out what a dickish question it was. And it was that. But there are two people who turned this into a big thing.
February 26, 2009 at 04:43AM View BBCode
He's an agitator. He got the response he was looking for. And Calhoun can do whatever the censored he wants, but when he acts like a petulant child because he got a question he didn't like, I will call him a petulant child. I'm telling you, it is amazing that we've gotten so desensitized to these sports figures constantly screaming at everyone that we consider it acceptable when they scream at a reporter. I just can't think of a single other profession where it would be acceptable to do that.I'll remind you, my first response here was to point out what a dickish question it was. And it was that. But there are two people who turned this into a big thing.
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