Photo courtesy of The 40 Year Plan
The 40 year plans’ Ken Krayeske, remembered (except by some) for his arrest by local police for the alleged harrassment of our Governor, M. Jodi Rell, has done it again. After last night’s UConn Men’s basketball game against the University of South Florida, Ken got it in a tit for tat with UConn Coach Jim Calhoun. Well, it was more tit than tat as Calhoun shared his trademark temper and proceeded to blubber off some stuff.
The exchange is chronicled through Kens’ lens on his blog over here, but I prefer to see Calhoun huff and puff, so there’s a video link over here.
While I might that a post game interview is not the best time to confront Coach Calhoun with questions regarding his financial holdings, my question would be…when is? Coach Calhoun does not hold non-basketball related press conferences, and as a Coach he probably shouldn’t have to. But…he is a state employee in a state that is going through some seriously hard financial times. A state that has asked upper level managers to take unpaid leave to help us right the ship a little. Is it sacrilegious to ask the states highest paid employee how does he plan to help? One comment on ESPN’s board seems to agree:
The question is a good one. It’s absolutely ridiculous that coaches of collegiate players are making upwards of $2-million a year… even if his team is bringing in $12-million.
So, basically what Coach Calhoun is saying is that he deserves 1/6th of the revenue that his team brings to his state? He couldn’t live comfortably on half of what he makes, which is 800k-per-season? Same for Geno and Edsall… and basically every other head coach in the NCAA ranks.
Bill Stewart (head football coach of WVU) took a contract offer that was more than generous and told his university, “You know what? Keep some of that money so I can hire the staff that I want and we can take care of some things we need to take care of.”
Given, it’s not like Stew is making chump change nowadays, but… my point is that the three coaches at UConn are making a combined 4 million dollars next season, in a time of severe economic crisis. It’s a question that people SHOULD be asking.
Apparently, Coach Calhoun felt the need to get defensive about a journalist’s question, instead of being professional and actually taking a step toward earning some of that ridiculous contract… I just feel like Coach C is not showing conduct that is becoming of a Hall of Fame coach.
Calhoun points to how much the program brings to the University. I wonder if a Manager at the state DPH can say point to how many people did NOT die from West Nile virus as rationale to not give a day back?
I think people will focus on the obvious. The nerve/hubris/audacity/bolas of Ken Krayeske to dare ask the all mighty such a question. When, in fact, we should be thanking Ken for pointing to the big ass elephant in the room and saying “Hellooooooo!! What the hell is going on here?!” It also should not be characterized as a spontaneous attack just for the sake of publicity. On February 15th, Ken posted a blog entry critical of both the NCAA and the UConn coaches. Unfortunately, this will probably cost him a press pass for future UConn events, but that will end up showing more about Calhoun, the XL Center, and UConn than it will about Ken Krayeske. Rock on KK!!
“It also should not be characterized as a spontaneous attack just for the sake of publicity.”
Absolutely incorrect. If it wasn’t a grab for attention, it was an attempt to embarrass Calhoun. If he replied in a polite little British accent, “I do not believe I shall return anything, but thank you for asking,” would phony kenny have been satisfied?
I might have to agree with you on that one Walt. I heard from a reporter yesterday that this isn’t the first time he’s done this and usually Calhoun just ignores him.