Here’s the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail when it comes I want to wail MAIIILLLLLLL…
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Jon Scannell asks: How should student-athletes be paid? Would schools offer higher pay to get recruits? Or would pay be determined by the NCAA?
I’m not sure there’s a right answer here. In my ideal world, the NCAA and university management (presidents, athletic directors) would negotiate with a body representing the interests of the players to determine appropriate compensation, health care and other benefits. While athletes being unpaid garners the most attention in this debate, most of the inequities in the process are borne through a lack of representation by the athletes themselves in the decision-making process.
Your question about paying more for recruits is what scares a lot of people, I think. The thought that big money schools will be able to purchase their way to championships at the expense of low revenue schools occupying the middle-to-bottom of Division I. It’s a fair point, but I think there’s a good argument that it’s already happening, just with the money going towards coaches, recruiting budgets, facilities and a bevy of other enticements to lure recruits to campus. For a longer read on our thoughts, check out this piece we wrote way back in 2013 that included some other ideas for how to promote fairness and equality in college basketball.
Matt asks: What is the correct number of beers to drink before, during, and after attending a UConn game in person?
Well, if you’re drinking during the game, that means you’re at the XL Center as UConn does not serve booze at Gampel (terrible). So, two tall Naughty Nurse’s at City Steam should be the pre-game move. (Or hit up Trumbull Kitchen for their excellent bourbon selection.) That gets a nice layer of boozy warmth for game time. I like to do a beer per half at the game because that beer is very expensive. Also, you don’t actually want to be drunk at the game. You want to be able to enjoy the game and also remember it later. If there’s a win, then you should be out and about celebrating. Post game depends totally on your tolerance and whether you are driving (don’t drive drunk, it’s bad and stupid). If they lose, drown your sorrows and Uber home.
Dan asks: With UConn’s second half rallies in the last three games, what are some of the greatest second half comebacks in UConn history?
I watched this game in my dorm room senior year at UConn (I’m old, yes) and I remember it more as being the most frustratingly awful half of basketball in all of time than as the insane comeback it was. I was basically homicidal during the first half, and my dad and I had a WTF-is-happening? convo at half time, and we were both irate and there were lots of profanities. This was a team with both Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, and they looked like they had literally never heard of the game of basketball. They scored nine points in the first half. Nine. It was the hottest garbage you’ve ever seen. (This is a good reminder when we see the team not getting its shit together now that Calhoun teams also sometimes played like dogshit for long stretches.)
Two minutes into the second half, UConn was down by 25 to fucking UMass, and it looked like the whole thing was over. But then it wasn’t. UConn ripped off six straight threes, a pair each from Gordon, Slash and Denham Brown. They instituted that classic Calhoun move: the full court press. The faster the pace, the faster the comeback, and those Calhoun teams had that down. Defense turned into offense (one Gordon steal in particular was huge). I would LOVE to see Ollie using a real full-court press when they’re down. He has the personnel for it, with plenty of very fast guards who can play very good defense. Anyway, UConn came back by scoring boatloads of threes and going on a 22-0 run. They ended up beating UMass by 11, on 16 points from Slash. This game is interesting, because Okafor was a total non-factor, and the team found a way to win with a bunch of pieces not working. Something to think about.
– Meghan
Also, if you have some free time, go back and read Russ’s recap of this game during his epic #RussWatchesUCHG marathon. Actually read all of them. This note was written by Russ.
