Of course that's never been the argument that was made in Warde's defense but sure if you want to make up a new one, fine. The argument at the time which has been firmly debunked since was that FSU and its little friend Clenson threatened to leave. They weren't going anywhere. UConn was penciled into the ACC slot. Warde and Susan mishandled it. Jurich did not. Susan has many other qualities to balance off that whiff. Warde not so much. Other than hockey name a program that's improved on his watch. Or one with a brighter future.
Exactly how did "Warde and Susan mishandle it.?" The only reason I'm asking is that you write with such assurance. The type of assurance that indicates inside knowledge. It also indicates that you know what SH and/or WM could have done; the exact steps they could have taken to cement UCONN's place in the ACC.
Maybe you're correct in feeling that FSU and Clemson were bluffing. Are you absolutely correct in assuming that other ACC schools were willing to call that bluff? And as long as we are dealing with "absolutes," exactly what could SH and/or WM done to change the opinions of Flipper and Shalala or the negative reactions (no vote, but opinions count) of Pitt and Cuse?
(Don't say WM should have abandoned/neglected already pissed-off (by Hathaway) Boosters in the Bahamas. That's a killing-the-bird-and-bush non-starter.)
If you want to believe a loudmouth, self-aggrandizing Jurich, that's fine. But the fact that not even the most ardent anti-UCONN "Journalists," like Jacobs or his cohorts, have blamed UCONN or produced any evidence that shows UCONN failed in any way. Believe me, if there had been evidence of Athletic Department inaction/negligence/ignorance, our Connecticut members of the 4th Estate would have been in full Pulitzer search mode . On the contrary, Jacobs' column pretty much concluded that UCONN never had a chance and that the people that had UCONN "penciled-in" were media types that seemed to lack political and situational awareness. The same media went from "
UCONN's the one" to
"reasons why UCONN was never the one."
Now, the thing is, you may be correct. Louisville instead of UCONN might be a f'ck-up of monumental proportions on the part of UCONN's management and `State's Politicians. If that's the case, tell us the who/what/where/when in terms of both what did, and what should have happened. WM and SH would probably like to know as well. The only reason I'm asking is,again, the assurance with which you speak/write about Warde's failures. All I can surmise is that you know stuff that most of us don't.
