cto
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... because it sums up so much about the man (his intensity, his salty language, his focus on winning everything, be it a game or an argument). The following is a verbatim excerpt from an email I sent to some friends on 1/24/12, the night after we won the game at Cincy without Fab Melo. And yes, I do like JC (I've worked on charity events with his wife), and I will certainly miss him at future games.
A friend here in CT invited me and a guest to an upscale event tonight featuring Bill Raftery as MC ... and Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and and a bunch of former UConn players for a UConn "cultivation" event. I thought my friend Jay might enjoy the evening so I invited him. I had no interest in talking to the UConn guys, but I saw Bill Raftery, standing alone, as soon as i walked in the door, so I start talking with him. Bill and I were discussing Syracuse stuff when my friend Jay showed up. So the three of us, in a crowd of about 100 UConn supporters, were talking SU and college ball when Calhoun arrives. Calhoun makes a bee-line to Raftery, laughs when he sees me there (he knows me), and the four of us start talking -- which we do for maybe 30 minutes. Calhoun is intently lobbying Raftery regarding the Boatwright eligibility situation, which is kind of amusing. Eventually, the cocktail hour ends, and the formal program begins. The entire "meet and greet" part of the program (which was for UConn fans to meet and mingle with Raftery and Calhoun) was spent with the two of them ... talking with only me and Jay.
It was fascinating. Both Raftery and Calhoun said they thought SU was best team in the nation. Raf... who did the game last night... said he thought we were good with or without Melo. Calhoun was a piece of work as he worked Raf on the Boatwright issue. He used the F word about 100 times, looking at me each time, to make sure I was not offended (kind of hard to explain the dynamics of it, but I was not about to pretend I was shocked because I wasn't). Anyhow, the formal (fund-raising) program began, with Raftery and Calhoun having spoken to no one all night except for Raf, me and Jay -- all because of JC's focus on lobbying Raftery about Boatwright. At that point, Jay and I left to grab a bite at a local restaurant.
A friend here in CT invited me and a guest to an upscale event tonight featuring Bill Raftery as MC ... and Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and and a bunch of former UConn players for a UConn "cultivation" event. I thought my friend Jay might enjoy the evening so I invited him. I had no interest in talking to the UConn guys, but I saw Bill Raftery, standing alone, as soon as i walked in the door, so I start talking with him. Bill and I were discussing Syracuse stuff when my friend Jay showed up. So the three of us, in a crowd of about 100 UConn supporters, were talking SU and college ball when Calhoun arrives. Calhoun makes a bee-line to Raftery, laughs when he sees me there (he knows me), and the four of us start talking -- which we do for maybe 30 minutes. Calhoun is intently lobbying Raftery regarding the Boatwright eligibility situation, which is kind of amusing. Eventually, the cocktail hour ends, and the formal program begins. The entire "meet and greet" part of the program (which was for UConn fans to meet and mingle with Raftery and Calhoun) was spent with the two of them ... talking with only me and Jay.
It was fascinating. Both Raftery and Calhoun said they thought SU was best team in the nation. Raf... who did the game last night... said he thought we were good with or without Melo. Calhoun was a piece of work as he worked Raf on the Boatwright issue. He used the F word about 100 times, looking at me each time, to make sure I was not offended (kind of hard to explain the dynamics of it, but I was not about to pretend I was shocked because I wasn't). Anyhow, the formal (fund-raising) program began, with Raftery and Calhoun having spoken to no one all night except for Raf, me and Jay -- all because of JC's focus on lobbying Raftery about Boatwright. At that point, Jay and I left to grab a bite at a local restaurant.
