Freelance journalist confronts Jim Calhoun, who channels Drew Rosenhaus

Calhoun had a much better year and gets higher approval ratings.

 

Actually, Calhoun, a state employee, reacted publicly very badly and his boss is calling him on it.
He should listen.

 

My salary and my wife's salary are both from tax dollars.

The food that I am cooking for my daughter was bought because someone gave (by law) part of their income.

Forgetting where that money comes from can be a very bad decision.

Being a wiseass (no mater how shitty the question) is never smart. The not a penny or not a dime comment was way out of line considering about 10% of this country does not know where their meals will come from in 6-12 months.

 

But Jodi just wants a good soundbite. Wasteful spending! Pass my budget!

 

Except Calhoun's salary is not dependent on tax dollars as it has already been fairly well documented that Calhoun's program pays for itself and then some.

Further, does the governor really want to engage in this kind of grandstanding at this point? I mean, if the governor is so interested in wasteful spending, well, let's start pointing the finger in government's direction......

Again, Calhoun, Peter Carroll, they are not the problem, they are not the reason for our financial state nor are they draining state's resources.

Oh but I forgot, they have big names and are on television a lot, so the "cause kooks" are doing their best to grandstand on their names.....

 

Bullshit.
He did not react very badly. He was set up by some asshole in an improper forum to ask about his salary. The sports reporters there were upset when the blogger called them out. Calhoun then reamed the guy. People who expect these coaches to be all kind all the time are out of line. Calhoun gave that ass what he deserved. He never threatened to punch him out or anything. He just called the guy out. The governor must be an attention whore. Guv is OUT OF LINE.

 

I've read all the posts and I understand what you've been saying, but I don't think you can make this statement.

Those numbers (whatever is included in them) say the men's basketball program brings in $1.2 million more than it spends. But if it's the only program out of 22 turning a profit, my guess is that profit is spread pretty thin around an athletic department that breaks even.

You're saying it's OK he makes that much because of how much money his program makes, and I'm not necessarily disagreeing. But does any of that money make it back to the taxpayers in any way besides entertainment? And how much of his salary comes from taxpayers and how much comes from other University funds?

I don't like the way the question was asked, but I don't think it's fair to say it's a stupid question just because his program is profitable.

 

It's a viable statement because the state has chosen to make entertainment a priority, whether the Enlightened like it or not. This isn't really a matter of whether college basketball should be more important than extra books in Psychology class; the decision appears to have been made.

They have chosen to make entertainment a priority, and Calhoun's salary pays for the entertainment his team provides. And it pays for the entertainment about 10 other UConn sports provide.

Krayeke can bite it.

 

A well-written rebuttal with one problem -- the assertions about how much money there is to be "spread around" are wrong, and not just wrong dead wrong.

How do I know this?

Because FACTS show that (a) the UConn men's basketball, women's basketball, football are all turning a profit and the bottom line on the athletic department as a whole is that it brings in about $110,000 more than it spends......

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstDetails.aspx?756e697469643d31323930323026796561723d32303037267264743d322f32352f323030392031303a34363a333920504d

So I'll say it one more time for the cheap seats and the pinheads in the peanut gallery -- Jim Calhoun is not the one who should be answering questions about his salary because his salary is a product of the value of the program he built from scratch.

And his work in the community and with autism and other similar causes are very real examples of a guy who does give back.

This was grandstanding of the worst kind and pandering to the lowest common denominator among kooks on the extreme end of the political left.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Completely agree.

Calhoun deserves every penny for what he has for that University, and more importantly, the state of Connecticut.

 

If not for Calhoun and, to a lesser extent, Auriemma's success, UConn athletics isn't close to breaking even. They pay for themselves, which is why smart ADs compete for the services of "impact" coaches and why the beancounters sign off on such deals - because they make financial sense.

Because someone doesn't understand this very basic economic concept and because it plays well to the ignorant masses, doesn't make the question legitimate. The clown was calling out an individual who has performed well beyond expectations and asking why he hasn't voluntarily broken his contract and made concessions.

I wouldn't dignify that type of question with a response and Jodi Rell should think before she talks because, in the end, Calhoun is probably the most popular and visible figure in the state.