The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Big 12 expansion could be UConn’s last chance
For president Susan Herbst and UConn, Register columnist Chip Malafronte says the proposed expansion in the Big 12 could be the Huskies last shot at joining a Power Five conference.
After watching the Republican convention, I’ll say this for the Trump family: what an incredibly fashionable bunch. From the stunning dresses of Melania and Ivanka to the slick stylings of Don Jr. and Eric. They say if you want to make a grand impression, you have to coordinate. The Trumps took it to the next level. Even the Donald himself got into the act, obtaining the precise shade of orange to match his hair with his spray tan.
• The Big 12 says it’s finally ready to hear proposals from potential expansion candidates. It needs a conference championship game and a TV network and can maximize dollars by adding two, perhaps four teams.
So a college football version of “Shark Tank” is about to get underway, with Bill Bowlsby and a bunch of college presidents from tornado alley playing the roles of Mark Cuban, Mr. Wonderful and the like.
UConn administrators had better be prepared to make the pitch of a lifetime. Because this may well be its last shot at the truly big money of the Power Five.
• If the Big 12 decides to add four new members, UConn’s chances for inclusion would seem to be pretty good. The school’s commitment to athletics, strong academics, sizeable television market and overall track record for national success speaks for itself.
Should the league decide to expand by only two, it gets dicey.
BYU and Houston bring Big 12-ready football programs and appear to be the early favorites of the league’s football coaches. Cincinnati and UConn are probably the only others who’ll get serious consideration.
UConn has a few things working in its favor to crack the top two. BYU refuses to compete on Sundays, a hindrance for nonfootball sports, and, reportedly, is difficult to work with at the administrative level. Houston is a major TV market with perhaps the best young football coach in the nation. But the Big 12 already has four Texas schools and may be eager to expand its reach, especially into the desirable New York market.
• Willie Mays is the greatest living baseball player. But who’s next in line? We’ll give the edge to freshly minted Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. over Barry Bonds, for defensive prowess and, as far as we know, not resorting to steroids.
• Rob Gronkowski needs to loosen up and have a little fun for a change.
• Quinnipiac signed Rand Pecknold to a new contract Friday that runs through 2021, though at this point it’s no secret Pecknold essentially has a lifetime deal. Barring a catastrophic collapse or scandal, he’ll be coaching the Bobcats as long as he’s willing and able.
• David Price certainly isn’t a bust, but he’s far from an ace. The real question is whether he slopes toward the former or latter down the stretch.
• You know you’re out of shape when you wake up with sore arms following an afternoon of shooting hoops in the driveway.
• The Hartford Yard Goats lost season won’t do much for the financial situation of ownership. But from a public relations perspective, it’s probably for the best. Starting fresh and completing a full slate will go a long way toward helping forget a disastrous year. As long as the city and developers can rectify differences and have the park ready by opening day, and that’s hardly a guarantee.
• We’ll miss Branford’s Rich Balzano, who retired this week after a dozen wildly successful years coaching summer baseball. Only one Connecticut program, Bristol, has reached the American Legion World Series three times since the national tournament was instituted in 1926. Balzano led Branford to four in his first nine seasons.
• Strong programs don’t break tradition to sell a bit more merchandise, so it was nice to see Yale not mess with Old Blue despite its new deal with the most innovative apparel company in the business. However, it might be nice to designate a game or two to turn back the clock to the days of Larry Kelley and Clint Frank. Maybe Under Armour can conjure up throwback uniforms? How about the plain blue jerseys with nothing but white numbers, to go with the gold pants?
• New Haven super welterweight boxer Jimmy Williams is now 12-0-1 after a unanimous decision victory at Foxwoods on Friday night.
• Rob Manfred is considering imposing a limit on the number of relief pitchers used in games, because pitching changes take too long and today’s relievers are too good. Aside from feeling a bit like a slo-pitch softball league that allows only three home runs per game, it strikes rather to limits a manager the full use of his roster.
• Garry Marshall, who died this week at age 81, had a hand in countless classics during his long career in TV and movies. I’ll remember him for producing the entertainment of my childhood in “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley,” and “Mork and Mindy,” a remarkable run of success.
Over the course of a few years he created the Fonz, one of television’s most iconic characters and discovered Robin Williams, perhaps the most versatile entertainer of a generation. That in itself is an almost unimaginable legacy; one almost every other writer on the planet would sell his soul to achieve.
• And since we’re on the topic of Marshall’s creations, Lenny and Squiggy were one of the most underrated comedy tandems in sitcom history, right up there with Cliff and Norm of “Cheers” and the two old guys who heckled everything on “The Muppet Show.” Tip for the day: say “Helloooo” in Squiggy’s trademark dopey voice every time you enter a room. Even if no one else gets the reference (and they probably won’t) it’s still a fun way to make an entrance. Maybe Bill and Hillary can try it at this week’s convention.
Chip Malafronte, the Register sports columnist, can be reached at cmalafronte@nhregister. com. Follow Chip on Twitter @ChipMalafronte.