Freelance journalist confronts Jim Calhoun, who channels Drew Rosenhaus

And your political correctness and constant apologizing for liberal hypocrisy is not going to allow you to get away from answering the question -- if this liberal activist is so interested in asking about salaries of coaches in times of economic strife - why is he not asking women's coaches since it is well documented that only two of those programs make money?

 

He's the Babe Ruth of Connecticut.

 

Because women and their sports are leaching away our precious bodily fluids, that's why.

 

The best part of that clip is the end: "Print it five times."

 

Thought I should chime in--Calhoun is ornery, to be sure, but he tried to take the question lightly before he was badgered. The Gomes question was probably appropriate, but I really don't think this one was. And sure, I think it's completely out of whack that he's the highest paid state employee, but he does bring in money to the university, and obviously he does his job well. I certainly won't defend everything the guy does, but I think he was really provoked this time. Despite his cantankerousness, I think he's a pretty good guy. Geno, on the other hand...

But given the cozy relationship between the media and UConn round these parts, I don't think anyone's calling him out.

 

Just watched that video. That "reporter" or "journalist" or whatever is a giant douche bag. I don't care what he was getting at, whether it was a timely issue or not. He's a douche.

 

Haven't bothered looking at the video.
Generally speaking, the highest paid state employees are coaches and professors at the public medical school.
Head football and basketball coach generally go one and two, then you have the medical school dean/chancellor and then, depending on the program, a surgeon or two. Like the heart transplant guy or gal. Every now and then again, it gets reversed.
I don't know how Conn. handles it, but I assume, the coach gets a chunk of state money and the income is supplemented by a private foundation.
Interesting question is why aren't those foundations subject to FOI, but that's for another day.
I'd also bet that the guy tried to talk to Calhoun and couldn't get calls returned, so he went to a press conference to ask his questions. Doesn't matter if the presser is a post-game one or a regular weekly meeting.
Calhoun is made public to the media.
He's a public figure and a state employee.

 

FWIW, I had a chance to see the afternoon talkfests on ESPN today, and both weighed in on it.

ATH: Ryan and Marriotti said Calhoun was in the wrong; Paige kinda sided with Calhoun, Adande was squarely in the Calhoun camp, saying it was wrong place wrong time for the question. Nobody really criticized the blogger.

PTI: Wilbon totally ripped on the blogger, and Kornheiser supported the coach, too, although Tony didn't like that Calhoun said "Shut up!"

 

Not to mention it elicited a great reaction and, once Calhoun cooled off, a decent explanation.

 

Says here: http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstDetails.aspx?756e697469643d31323930323026796561723d32303037267264743d322f32332f3230303920383a32323a313320504d the program brings in $7.3 million, not $12 million. And it has $6.1 million in total expenses.

 

Here's a question. Has there been a story in which UConn had to cut employees. If so, then it could be a story, but not in that forum. If not, then it's not even a story of any sort.

And to threadjack for just a moment, I'm getting sick of these comments about the economy — ''Considering the fact that this country is in the worst economic shape it's been since the 1930s,''

There's no doubt that the economy is in bad shape and could get much worse before it gets better. But we're not anywhere near the shape the economy was in back in the late '70s when there was double-digit inflation (10-12 percent, maybe higher), double-digit unemployment (10 percent or higher) and double-digit interest rates (18 to 20 percent). Out of those three, only unemployment is a problem and the worst predictions I've read say unemployment could reach 8.8 percent -- high of course, but still under 10 percent.

 

The problem is the questioner seemed more interested in grandstanding.