Connecticut’s sports stories of the year
It was a year when sports stood still.
Sports fans and state athletes followed the words from the Department of Public Health more than anything said on ESPN. We grew accustomed to watching events played in empty arenas and we kept closer tabs on cancellations and postponements than wins and losses.
Bubbleville became part of our sports vocabulary.
What’s the sports story of year when it’s a year like no other? The Hearst Connecticut Media sports staff compiled a list of 10 stories, plus 10 honorable mentions that reflect 2020, the Year in Sports.
Let the debate begin.
GREENWICH’S COHEN GETS HIS TEAM
In February, Greenwich hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen made a bid for controlling interest in the Mets. That first deal with the Wilpons evaporated, but Cohen — already a minority owner — managed to complete the sale in September and he received approval from MLB owners two months later. Fans rejoiced as the beleaguered Mets fell under the ownership of Cohen, a lifelong fan who grew up on Long Island and founded the Stamford-based hedge fund Point72 Asset Management. And as he set out to rebuild his beloved franchise, Cohen took to Twitter to
engage his fan base, crowdsource ideas, and share some unexpected humor — this is hardly an eccentric, reclusive billionaire.
CIAC: FIRST IN THE NATION
As the coronavirus was spreading, the CIAC made a startling decision on March 10 — the winter tournaments would be canceled, depriving teams the opportunity to make state title runs. Reaction was swift and heated, as the CIAC was criticized by many because athletes and coaches felt the brunt of the decision. Yet public opinion turned within 24 hours. By the evening of March 11, the NBA suspended its season. A day later, the NCAA called off March Madness. Suddenly Connecticut’s high schools seemed prescient and the entire sport world came to a complete stop.
IVY LEAGUE: FIRST IN CANCELLATIONS
Also looking smart a day after halting winter postseason tournaments? The Ivy League, which canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournament on March 10. The Ivy was the first Division I league to cancel its basketball tournaments, but only by a few days as every other conferences followed before the NCAA Tournament was scratched. Like the CIAC, there was initial criticism as the league denied teams the opportunity to play for an NCAA Tournament bid. But within two days, there was no sports and the Ivy presidents seemed much wiser than their reactive counterparts across the country. In July, the league became the first conference to cancel fall sports, which meant no Yale football for the first time since 1918. And in November the league was again ahead of the country by canceling the winter season.
PAIGE, AZZI AND THE UCONN RECRUITING WAGON
Remember that chatter about Geno Auriemma losing his recruiting fastball? Nevermind. Paige Bueckers, the most celebrated recruit in the nation, committed to UConn last year and arrived in Storrs in 2020 as the most anticipated freshman since Breanna Stewart. As Bueckers was settling in as the new face of the program this fall, another highly-hyped recruit committed to the Huskies: Washington DC guard Azzi Fudd, a top prospect since sixth grade who has drawn comparisons to Maya Moore. Fudd and Bueckers are friends from playing together in the USA national program and each had their pick of schools. But after decades of securing the best talent the country, Auriemma proved he’s still a peerless recruiter.
NO SPRING SPORTS, NO FALL FOOTBALL
The CIAC was quick and decisive in canceling the winter tournament. When it came time to cancel the entire spring season, Connecticut was the last state in the country to take the step. The CIAC had already canceled the spring postseason tournament, but there was a thread of hope that some type of spring sports experience could be saved. But that ended in early May, when Gov. Ned Lamont announced that distance learning would remain in place for the remainder of the year. There were sports in the fall, but 11-on-11 football was canceled after months of debate and protests, as the CIAC followed guidance from the Department of Public Health . It was the first year without fullcontact high school football in Connecticut since 1884, although there were independent leagues staging games across the state and the CIAC kept the door open for football in the spring of 2021.
NO FOOTBALL AT UCONN
Another cancellation first from Connecticut: UConn became the first Football Bowl Subdivision team in the country to cancel its season when the school made the announcement on Aug. 5. The program had 10 players isolated or quarantined in the weeks leading up to the season opener and things only got worse throughout the fall, with 23 players testing positive for COVID-19 and 70 players landing in quarantine. This was to be UConn’s first season as an independent football program after the school’s athletic department moved into the Big East this summer. Instead, coach Randy Edsall had a fall to reboot the program and another year to prepare for a new schedule.
FINANCIAL STRUGGLES, NEW CONFERENCE FOR UCONN
The financial challenges can be traced back a decade, as the musical chairs of conference realignment left UConn without a seat at the Power 5 table. By 2019, the athletic department needed a $42 million subsidy to operate and the pandemic only made matters worse, with a the gap between revenue and expenses expected to be even higher in 2020. Charged with cutting 25 percent of the subsidy, UConn announced in June it was cutting men’s tennis, swimming and diving, cross country, and women’s rowing. The announcement came just weeks before UConn officially moved back to the Big East, a shift that provided hope with a burst of enthusiasm among fans and donors — the school’s fundraising department said it brought a one-year record of $89.5 million to the department for the fiscal year ending on June 30.
NAME CHANGE
The momentum has been strong nationally, with the NFL team in Washington and the Major League Baseball franchise in Cleveland both abandoning offensive Native American nicknames and mascots this year. The use of the names by Connecticut high schools has been debated for years, with a steady move toward abandoning the names and mascots. As 2020 comes to a close, the changes are flowing: Guilford went from Indians to Grizzlies in December, while Glastonbury shifted from Tomahawks to Guardians and Farmington announced it will change names. Earlier this year, RHAM changed from Sachems to Raptors and North Haven discussed moving on from the Indians name over the summer.
HALL OF FAMER STEPS AWAY
Rob Trifone, one of the most successful high school football coaches in the state, announced in January he was resigning as Darien coach. Trifone, who also coached at Brien McMahon, was 252-86-2, ranking sixth all-time in the state in career wins. His record in 13 years at Darien was remarkable: 129-26, four FCIAC and three state titles, seven appearances in state title games, and a three-year run as the No. 1 team in Connecticut (2015 to 2017). He is a member of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the FCIAC Hall of Fame, and he was named by various organizations Coach of the Year 16 times.
NEW CANAAN’S NIANG PICKED BY KC
After a standout career at New Canaan High — first-team New Haven Register All-State, Walter Camp All-Connecticut, CHSCA All-State, three-time state champion — offensive lineman Lucas Niang chose Texas Christian over Miami and Auburn. He thrived at TCU, starting 27 games and not allowing a sack over 18 games in 2018 and 2019. In April, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Niange was selected by Kansas City with the 96th overall selection (third round) in the NFL Draft on April 24. The next day, a parade of over 300 cars passed Niang’s home, beeping horns and flashing signs in support of New Canaan’s new NFL player. But the start of Niang’s career was put on hold when he elected to opt out of the season because of COVID-19 concerns.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
▶ Dustin Johnson won the Travelers Championship, but there were no fan at TPC River Highlands
▶ After an 0-5 start, the Connectict Sun advanced to WNBA semifinals inside the bubble
▶ COVID travel restrictions forced Toronto FC of the MLS to home games at Rentschler Field
▶ After a 13-year hiatus, UConn and Tennessee renewed the sport’s best rivalry with a Huskies win
▶ UConn, USA Basketball paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant during an exhibition in Hartford
▶ Redding’s Charlie Morton advanced to his second straight World Series while Hebron’s A.J. Pollock won a title with the Dodgers
▶ New Haven’s Tremont Waters played with Celtics and was All-NBA G League second-team
▶ It was a dismal year for the Red Sox, but Bethel’s Matt Barnes earned the closer role
▶ Trinity Catholic, with a rich sports history, closed its doors and left behind decades of memories
▶ Darien’s Spencer Knight was named starting goalie for Team USA at the World Junior Championships