Before I stop ranting about this particular topic, on which I'm quite right.
Here's a story from ESPN.com about the kid from Rider who's turning heads. The writer takes a shot at Monmouth's Dungeon (I know those exercise bikes all too well), but note what the kid says about why he chose Rider."
"Before his senior season in high school, Thompson chose Rider over schools like Monmouth and Central Connecticut for its proximity to his Mount Laurel, N.J., home and the chance to contribute right away. He then led Lenape High School to a state championship."
Nothing about not liking Boylan or Detrick.
Here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=3164596
No. 1 reason for a better gym at CCSU is to develop visibility, a fan base etc.
ReplyDeleteMake CCSU a destination...gee, I took my kids to see Hannah Montana at CCSU, a nice place, maybe I will go to a basketball game
maybe more students will go to games.
will better crowds help with recruiting..maybe, maybe not.
Will greater visibility for the school help...most definitely.
it is only one piece of the puzzle --- good competition, good coaching, successful grads, more regional and national exposure and a lot of luck.
who does CCSU recruit against? Rider is in NJ - lots of Div. 1 candidates, near Philly - lots of Div. 1 candidates, Digger Phelps heritage, located in a nice suburb. Big Dance history about the same as CCSU.
Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart - neiher is one of those compass point schools...northwest conn. st.
one thing CCSU has that other schools lack is Matt Straub.Too bad is pearls are not seen beyond the bbq city.
A great new year to our astute blogger
Agreed with everything X (except how great I am).
ReplyDeleteA new building would do a lot of great things, I'm not against it at all, I'm just saying that it's not the reason Central will win or lose over the next 4 years.
Matt
ReplyDeleteyou are the best thing going at the old gray lady of Herald Square.
why -- you have a passion for what you are doing.
that said.
For CCSU to become a consistent winner, a lot of good things have to happen once. Most of all, Howie may have to uncover some hidden gems...players overlooked, late bloomers, etc.
then he will have to convince them to come to a city that may be dying. Best thing that could happen to NB is for it to be chopped up and divided among its neighbors. It is a city based on an industrial model that is not going to work in the 21st century. Rockcats, BBQ restaurants won't do the trick.
Best hope may be to build on its health facilities..CCSU has to become closely wed wit these to move forward.
The Straub-Pipke Institutes for Health could become the catalyst for a new New Britain.
Matt, I agee with a lot of things you say, if you accept CCSU for what it is now, staying within inself...and not moving towards the future. Whereas the NEC has been good for CCSU th last 12 years, I can't believe that the NEC is where fans, alumni, or schol adminstrations want CCSU 10 years from now. Not knocking any of the NEC schools, but as an alumnus, I want to see CCSU playing regional public University's. This may sound like a tangent, but it is all related to the whole new conference, new building, and bigger recruiting topics taht many fans talk about. All thise components need to be present for CCSU to move toward the "future". I as an alumnus am tired after 20+ years of D-I watchin people talk of CCSU in a contect as though they are new to D-I. "They are building a program", "Their facility is inadequite", "They are undersized". These are statements you hear about "newbies to D-I", not 20+ year veterans in D-I. So yes, I agree with many of your comments, but those are the same comments peple have been making for 20 + years. "Accept who you are"...and as an alumnus, I have bigger and better dreams for CCSU then they have achived in 20+ years of D-I. I'm not just oging to settle for winning the NEC, I want CCSU to win some quality OOC games. I'm not just going to settle for CT neglecting CCSU as Kaiser ages and becomes one of the oldest college sports venues in D-I. CCSU has already missed 12 years of golden opportuites under Howie to move it's porgram forward in visablity and promanacne. Conference, Buildings, Scheduling, and recriting are all tools that can move CCSU up in the world. Peopele can sit back and say "okay, we're only CCSU, lets accept who we are"....but I double any other D-I schools that entered D-I after CCSU decdied tehy woudl just coast along. Many ohave surpased CCSU. CCSU deserves better, CCSU has earned better..and as an alumnus I refuse to short change my alma mater and "stay within myself". "Start with a dream, finish with a future". That means you don't accept standing still for 20+ years.
ReplyDeleteBigBlue,
ReplyDeleteLove the passion, and I agree with everything in terms of goals... as a reporter I'd love to cover those big conference games in a beautiful new venue as much as you'd love to attend them.
But you're making it sound like Central is turning down chances to get there. It's not like it turned down an offer from the A-10 recently or turned down some huge donation.
If you can help them find the money to build a new arena and get them the fans to fill it, then maybe you can talk bigger conference. And even that's a maybe. QU has been kind of public with its dreams, but it's not always as simple as wanting something and getting it to happen.
The Gonzaga building we were talking about today cost $25 million if I remember my research today correctly. If you know anyone who wants to donate that, let me know and I'll give him the appropriate phone numbers. College sports now more than ever are about the money, and private schools with big donors and state schools with government backup are always going to have more than schools like Central.
Fair enough Matt. CCSU is neither a private school or a public school with adequite goverment backing. That is a very strong statement, and when CCSU officals talk of new facilites, that is the type of statement I'd like to hear form CCSU. I believe this whole topic / arguement was started more on the fact that CCSU fans don't recieve any information or direction. A statement like yours from CCSU officials would put everything in prospective for you "fringe" fan or distant alumni. I attended 6-8 MBB games a year. I see the hard work, the passion, and the commtitment on the court. I dont' question CCSU's will or desire to imporve or move forward. I only question their willingness to get the fans, alumni, and community involved in moving the program forward by providing them with a vision for he future. Maybe CCSU needs to start taking the approach of a private school on this issue. Can they as a state school? I found several articles about MU's 10 year process of achieving the goal of their new facility. If you could ask CJ Jones one question about a future new facility, whether it be 10 or 20 years downt eh road I would ask him this quesiton. Is the process in motion, is anything in the works or on the table to move towards a new facilty? What are CCSU's plans to move through this long and difficult process? Okay, that's two questions, but you get the point. Hope you had a nice holiday and I enjoy reading everything you write.
ReplyDeleteMatt, you are on point. Fact is a recruit picks a school based on a number a factors, including:
ReplyDeleteLocation
Academic Programs
Coaches
Facility
Conference/level of play
TV/media exposure
reputation/historic success
All these things weigh differently to different players. So IMO we try to improve our weakness, and promote our strenghts.
In any case we've done a great job in recruiting over the years in ALL sports. Just look at conference award winners in every sport.
What is frustrating is the "hype," positive exposure/attention, and all around bull$hit that comes out of Hamden becasue of a single building. I can only imagine the bravdo that will come from that administration after they actually win something of worth.
I for one think CCSU has the best program in the NEC and one of the top in the region. But, Matt I'm sure you can understand many fans do have a big chip on our shoulde since CCSU made the move to D-I in 1986.
Yes we have the big prize (3 NCAA appearances), but we don't forget Hartford got the local conference invite and we got snubbed and left to fend as an Indy or the old Mid-Con. Fairfield has a long history and plays in the MAAC/Harbor Yard Arena. And now upstart QU is ranting that they want to join the A-10 and boast how they are conference mates with Yale and Harvard in the ECAC.
I'm sure you understand how some of that can get under our skin a little.