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The gentleman wearing the shorts and the blue pocket T-shirt stood up against the protective screen behind the plate at the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies, Bright House Field, in Clearwater, Fla.
There was a small, brown leather covered notebook stuffed into his pocket, along with a cigar. The gentleman appeared to be in his mid- to late-60’s with a neatly trimmed white beard. When I saw the name on his press credential, I immediately walked over and spoke to him.
“Pat Jordan?” I asked.
“Yes,” came the reply.
“The Pat Jordan who wrote the book, ‘Chase the Game?’
“Yes.”
To anyone that lived in Bridgeport between 1963-65 (or somewhere in that time line) the name Pat Jordan is a very familiar one. The book, ‘Chase the Game” is about three city basketball players in the early 1970’s, Walter Luckett, Frank Oleynick and Barry McLeod and perhaps the greatest high school game in the city’s history (93-92 Notre Dame of Bridgeport over Kolbe Cathedral in 1972).
For the next 10 minutes, we spoke about all things Bridgeport, including his playing career for former Post-Telegram sports editor Emmitt Spillane and the Savoy’s semi-pro basketball team, about getting hired by Spillane at the Sunday Herald (wasn’t sure if he meant the Telegram, but …), so he could earn money to finish his college career at Fairfield University. He asked about Luckett and how things were in the Park City and eventually we went our separate ways.
If you’re interested in catching up (a little) with Pat, head to his web site:

http://www.patjordanstories.com/index.asp

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Just in case you didn’t know. Friday night’s crowd at the Webster Bank Arena was the third largest crowd in the history of the Arena.

TOP FAIRFIELD MEN’S BB CROWDS
March 18, 2003 6,585 vs. Boston College (NIT)
Nov. 22, 2006 5,627 vs. Georgetown

Feb. 25, 2011 5,287 vs. Siena

Nov. 30, 2003 5,277 vs. St. John’s
Jan. 23, 2003 5,251 vs. Manhattan
Nov. 17, 2007 5,018 vs. Sacred Heart
Nov. 18, 2008 4,959 vs. Sacred Heart
Feb. 2, 2002 4,864 vs. Manhattan
Feb. 4, 2011 4,094 vs. Iona
Feb. 18, 2004 4,091 vs. Canisius
Feb. 26, 2005 3,924 vs. Loyola
Nov. 28, 2005 3,777 vs. Providence

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To all the Fairfield students – and the 5,287 total — that came out Friday night to show their support for the men’s basketball team Friday night against Siena …
I salute you.
I hear there was at least one sign “welcoming” me to “Stags Country” (the Post’s Bill Paxton was nice enough to snap a picture and send it to me).

And Lynn Carlotto, who had been the general manager of the Webster Bank Arena, but is leaving for greener pastures, sent me a photo of the red-shirted (and jam-packed) student sections, with a note saying, ‘Where are you? Look what you’re missing?”

The pictures were great.
I was missing because I was in Florida (and still am) to witness the liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery. Being a space geek (I probably started seriously following the space program back in the days of Gemini, which was before all of you Stag students were born). I had actually gone down in November but the launch was scrubbed. Getting a second chance in late February, I had to go.
Sorry I missed the game.
My only hope is that this isn’t a one-time thing. OK, so the game was on TV and it was a Friday night, great, but don’t make that the sole criteria to come to a game. That Wednesday night game against Lowly Marist? You have to be there. That Sunday afternoon game against an average St. Peter’s team? You have to be there. Those games during Thanksgiving break or Christmas break against that non-conference opponent? Try to get there (at least those that live in the region).
Head coach Ed Cooley has done an incredible job this season. At 23-5 with a game at Iona on Sunday (Boy, that would be nice to see some Stags students make the trip to New Rochelle, N.Y. and cheer on their team) before the MAAC tournament, it would be great to see this kind of support not only through the tournament, but all through next season (and beyond) too,
Remember, the Stags are going to be even better in 2011-12. Rakim Sanders (a 6-5, forward, transfer from Boston College) and Desmond Wade (a 5-10 point guard, transfer from Houston) will join the team, along with three other freshman.
Derek Needham will be back. So will Colin Nickerson, Ryan Olander, Maurice Barrow, Keith Matthews and Jamel Fields. Man, is that going to be fun to see.
Off to Tampa today to check out the 2011 Yankees spring training.
See you at the MAAC tournament.

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And the mail keeps coming regarding my column on the (what I felt) has been the terrible Fairfield student attendance this season.

This from Attila:
Good afternoon Chris, I totally agree with your assessment of the Fairlield student body lack of support of the Stag basketball program in the Sunday CT POST. I am an alumni ‘71 a huge fan and have been since my student days when my friends and I would do road trips such as to see Fairfield play Iona in a high school gym before they had their own gym, up to last week when we visited both Manhattan and St Peters in N.J. I also have spread that love of Stags BB to my daughters who, though their undergraduate work was not at Fairfield, go to all games with me at least when I am not teaching because I also am an adjunct at FU. Last year, my daughters picked me up after work, and we drove to Albany for the MAAC Finals (long night and ride home but we all made it to work the next day). Yes there are fans, too bad the FU students don’t care.
As far as Saturday’s game. I was very disappointed by the half time. Fairfield totally dropped the ball. My friends and I all came to see the tribute to Fred. B. (Barakat). The old players came on the court. Who were they?? Would it have killed some one to quickly introduce them? We all have aged over the past 30 some years and my friends and I would have loved to see who was who. Plus the video camera shot from the back was very poor. From our seat (right behind you) we saw little of what we came for at halftime.
Keep up your good work.

From the column:

Pathetic. Simply pathetic.

Nice job, “Stags in the Stands.” Way to show up, people of the “Herd,” or whatever you call yourselves. With the Fairfield men’s basketball team on the verge of winning its first outright MAAC regular-season championship in 25 years on Wednesday night, what do you do? You sit at home and watch TV.

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From the column:

Pathetic. Simply pathetic.

Nice job, “Stags in the Stands.” Way to show up, people of the “Herd,” or whatever you call yourselves. With the Fairfield men’s basketball team on the verge of winning its first outright MAAC regular-season championship in 25 years on Wednesday night, what do you do? You sit at home and watch TV.

Read more

And the (occasional hate) mail keeps on coming regarding my column blasting the Fairfield students not showing up to cheer on their 22-5 Stags this season (save for the Iona game, that is)

Here are some more comments:
(If only Megan had spelled my name right)

Dear Mr. Ellsberry,
As an executive board member of Stags in the Stands and die-hard Fairfield basketball fan, I was deeply offended by your article in the Connecticut Post, as were other students. You made a mockery out of our school and the great strides that have been made in increasing school spirit on campus. There is a core group of students who do attend every game and do support Coach Cooley and the team. While you may say there is no excuse for poor attendance at the game vs. Marist, the reality is that it was a Wednesday night. I can guarantee you that if that game had been on a Friday night the student attendance would have been much greater. With the budget and resources Stags in the Stands has been given, the presidents have done an incredible job increasing student support and school spirit at our basketball games. I challenge you to come to Fairfield University at some point this week and see first hand all of the hard work that students put into promoting these games. Why don’t you come and help promote the game?
Sincerely,
Megan Vigliotti
Fairfield University ’13

And this from Mike:
Chris,
I just read your article on the turnout last Wednesday night. I completely agree. I graduated in 1997, loved the team than and have loved them since. I have been to four home games at the new Arena this year ( I live in New Jersey), and it is depressing to see the student turnout. There are plenty of off campus venues across the country that get unbelievable turnouts. The arena is simple to get in and get out, no traffic, great parking situation, etc., etc. Any excuse the students could make, is just that, an excuse. I was a student last time they went to the tourney and it was thrilling, some of my fondest college memories were watching that team get healthy and make a run at the end of the season, make the tournament and almost upset North Carolina in the first round. I am glad you came out and wrote what you wrote. It needed to be said. I brought my wife and three kids last Saturday, the first thing my wife said was: “What a great arena, but the crowd is depressing”.
You are right, every team deserves support, whether you win 10 games or 22 games, but all the years to come out and support an up and coming program, this is the one.
Great article, I wish you could post this in all the dorms on campus to try and shame them into coming to these games. These will be the same kids who show up Monday, March 7 and root for their team to make it to the dance for the first time in 14 years. Little do they know it would be a lot sweeter if they went along for the entire ride from beginning to end.
Thanks Chris and keep up the great level of journalism.

And this from Joe:
Hi Chris
Read your columns faithfully and up until the Marist game I always felt that the fans will come once the stags prove themselves with a consistent winning team.
You were right and I was wrong.
I am a graduate of FU, class of ’69, having seen the Stags rise to glory, first under Bisacca, then under Barakat as a season ticket holder both as a student and alumnus. After the Barakat years, my personal life was disrupted but then in the last 10+ years, I have returned to be a season ticket holder.
I often think of my undergraduate years, when we waited patiently for season tickets to go on sale and be sure to get them before they sold out. Then the Barakat years, when the gym was sold out for every game, Channel 8 and Dick Elliott doing the play by play. It was so great to go to Stag games. Full house. Spirit up the wazhoo.
But the long drought after the Barakat years, made me think the students would only return once a consistent winning tradition was reestablished.
I entered the Marist game last week and thought to myself, ‘You got to be kidding me.’ On top of the MAAC, and this is all we have for the student and general attendance.
I know I am an old (blank). When I went to Fairfield, there was one pay phone on each floor, and guys would line up with rolls of quarters to make a what amounted to a public call with 5-10 guys standing behind them waiting in line to get to the phone.
Today, every thing is instantly accessible. And maybe there are just too many distractions to root for your school. . But what hurt was that after I got home from the FU/AP game, and went to my DVR to watch the FU/AP game DVR recording, I had also recorded the Iona/Liberty game just in case the FU/AP went into over time. I had never heard of Liberty but that place was rocking with students and fans. And compared that to Andy Katz explain on ESPNU that Fairfield stated the reason the student atttendence was down was due to a three day weekend and ski trips.
I can only fondly reflect about what used to be for FU basketball. [Of course at my age, that is true about a lot of things]
I blame the University for not going into the Big East when invited, for the decline in FU statewide importance. But regardless, this is the year to be proud of Coach Cooley, the team, the university. But no one cares.
Just wanted to let you know I couldn’t have agreed with your column more.
My main fear now is that Cooley will say ‘what’s the use of staying here if he and the team gets no appreciation. I know he will get offers after this season, but there was this idealist part of me that said if the U treats him well, and he and his family are content in the area, this could be the start of a long and beautiful relationship, sort of like coach Loos has with AP.
But I would only encourage him to move on now, and i am at a loss why the students don’t embrace this team and the coach. I know my main motivation in my career and personal relationship is and has been to be appreciated. Cooley ain’t getting that from the students.

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Here’s the NCAA report:

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has penalized the University of Connecticut for violations in its men’s basketball program.
The case includes more than $6,000 in improper recruiting inducements, impermissible phone calls and text messages to prospective student-athletes, failure to monitor and promote an atmosphere for compliance by the head coach, failure to monitor by the university, and unethical conduct by the former operations director, among other violations.

Penalties include suspension of the head coach for three conference games during the 2011-12 season, scholarship reductions for three academic years, recruiting restrictions, permanent disassociation of a booster and three years probation. As a part of the disassociation of the booster, the university will not be able to accept financial contributions, recruiting assistance or provide him with any benefit and privileges. In addition, the former operations director received a two-year show-cause order that limits his athletically related duties. The public report includes additional details.

As stated in the committee’s public infractions report, this case centers on the “extraordinary steps” taken by the university to recruit a top prospective student-athlete to its men’s basketball program. The director of athletics stated it was the “most intense” he has ever seen the head coach about the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete. The committee found that in his “zeal” to get the prospect admitted to the university and eligible to compete, the head coach allowed a booster, who was a certified agent by the National Basketball Association, to be involved in the recruitment process. Further, the committee found that the head coach “overlooked indications” that this booster might be breaking NCAA rules. Specifically, the booster provided the prospect with impermissible inducements, including the payment of at least a portion of the expenses for the young man’s foot surgery; the cost of his enrollment at a basketball academy; the registration fee for the SAT; as well as strength, conditioning and basketball training.

The men’s basketball staff was aware of the booster’s status as an agent and his relationship with the prospect. In fact, the coaches had frequent contact with the booster through approximately 2,000 phone calls or text messages with the agent throughout the recruitment process. Despite this regular contact, the men’s basketball coaching staff did not question the booster about his relationship with the prospect. In fact, the staff was sharing information about the prospect’s recruitment with the booster, knew of the booster’s frequent contact with the prospect, and was aware that the booster hoped to someday serve as an agent for the prospect.

In addition, members of the men’s basketball staff exchanged 150 impermissible phone calls and sent 190 impermissible text messages to prospective student-athletes. The majority of these were sent to the high-profile recruit at the center of this case.

Additional violations occurred when members of the coaching staff provided 32 impermissible complimentary men’s basketball game tickets to individuals responsible for teaching or directing activities with prospective student-athletes.

Further, during the investigation, the former operations director violated the principles of ethical conduct when he provided false and misleading information to NCAA enforcement staff during two separate interviews.

Based on the scope and nature of the violations, the committee found the head coach failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance and failed to monitor the program regarding phone calls, text messages and inducements provided by the booster.

Further, the committee found the university failed to monitor the conduct and administration of the men’s basketball program when it failed to monitor the booster’s conduct and his relationship to the prospect. The committee also noted the university failed to review the staff’s phone records to ensure they were not making impermissible phone calls and did not review the discretionary tickets provided to men’s basketball staff.

In determining the penalties, the committee considered the university’s self-imposed penalties, corrective actions, and cooperation. The penalties, some of which were self-imposed by the university and adopted by the committee, include:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Three years of probation from February 22, 2011, through February 21, 2014. The public infractions report further details the conditions of this probation.
• The head coach must be suspended from all coaching duties for the first three conference games of the 2011-12 season. He cannot be present in the arena where the games are played and cannot have contact with the coaching staff or student-athletes during the games.
• Two-year show-cause order for the former operations director (Feb. 22, 2011, through Feb. 21, 2013). The public report further details the conditions of this penalty.
• Permanent disassociation of the involved booster. The public infractions report includes further details.
• Reduction of men’s basketball athletics scholarships from 13 to 12 for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.
• Ban on men’s basketball recruiting calls during the 2011-12 academic year until 30 days after the first day that phone calls are allowed.
• Reduction in the number of men’s basketball coaches allowed to make phone calls from three to two, not including the head basketball coach, for six months after the university’s response to the notice of allegations (self-imposed by the university).
• Reduction of the number of men’s basketball off-campus recruiting days by 40, from 130 to 90, for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 recruiting periods.
• Limit of five official paid visits for men’s basketball for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.
• The head coach, assistant coach and all members of the compliance staff must attend the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar.

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I’ve received several e-mails this week regarding the column I wrote after basically no one … well, just 1,596 showed up … to see the Fairfield men’s basketball team defeat Marist to clinch its first outright MAAC regular season championship since the 1985-86 season – 25 years ago – at the Webster Bank Arena.

Several of those e-mails were in agreement with the feeling that the student turnout was horrible and aside from the Iona game, has basically been terrible all season. Others were upset that I also singled out the Fairfield “die-hards” in that brush stroke of disappointment. Some of those long-time Fairfield fans said that they were at the game. Point taken. I apologize for that.

But there isn’t any excuse for this lack of student turnout. None. I’m sorry, but don’t say it was because Marist stunk or it was a Wednesday night or that you had to watch TV or go bowling or anything like that. Head coach Ed Cooley and the team deserves the support of its student body. Period. Nothing anyone can say will change my mind about that.

Roy Brown, the head of marketing at Fairfield, has busted his butt to try and make it easy for students to get to and from the game. There are free buses, free t-shirts, free food vouchers. What more do these kids want?

This team is 22-5 and to look up at all those empty sections in the Arena and to see all those empty seats in the new section that Gene Doris finally got the Arena to set up behind the basket, it’s EMBARRASSING!!

And don’t blame the Connecticut Post for its coverage. I have written columns this season about Fred Barakat, Greg Nero, Derek Needham, the Connecticut 6, the Sacred Heart game and the Loyola game (ripping Patsos), among others. I have gone on the road to Rutgers and Manhattan to write game stories and have been to 15 of the Stags games so far this season. And Bill Paxton has covered every home game except one (Army on New Year’s Eve)

The Post has also written a MAAC preview story, a Taryn Johnson feature, we did a game story on the women versus Marist… Yes, we should do more of Joe Frager’s team, I agree, but the coverage on this year’s Fairfield team is probably better than it’s been in several years.

It’s not our fault that the students don’t show up. But if I can light a fire under some of them to try and make them show up and support their basketball teams, then so be it.

As for those e-mails:

Here’s one from Henry,

Dear Chris:
I agree with your article entitled: “ELSBERRY On historic night, Stags crowd an embarrassment,” except for one thing. Your inclusion of the diehards in your scathing remarks was totally out of line. We diehards were at the game. I am a major contributor to the FU basketball blog. The bloggers are very disturbed by your inclusion of them in your comments. If you read the blog, you already know this. You were totally out of line and owe the diehards an apology!!!

And Roger,

It’s funny how the school hands out shirts to the kids that say “Fear the Deer”. Perhaps they should print some that say “Where’s the Deer.” Kidding aside, did you ever stop to think about how the school has changed over the years? In the past, Fairfield’s student body (which had been all male), was still dominated by men, while today the student body is 60 percent female. There was a time when students were playing basketball on every available court on campus (inside and out) and you had to wait for “next”. Walk around campus now and tell me what you see?

And Ken,

I enjoyed your article about Fairfield University basketball and Webster Bank Arena. If you have visited the campus, as I have with students from my school, and viewed the student body, you would quickly see that these are the most “perfect” looking kids on a college campus, with plenty of financial backing from parents in the tri-state area. It’s a lot different from the Fairfield University that I knew growing up in the 60′s, when my mother worked as the secretary in the Campus Center. These are not the type of students who are going to venture into downtown Bridgeport on a winter night in the middle of the week. I think this fact has been proven over the years since Fairfield started playing in Bridgeport. Fairfield University officials refuse to admit that they’ve made a mistake in playing at Harbor Yard. You might have tied in a bit of history in your article, since Fairfield honored Fred Barakat on Saturday at the Austin Peay game. Ironically, one of the reasons that Barakat left Fairfield in the early 1980′s was the lack of support from the university in building an on-campus facility to play their basketball games. He had come off several successful seasons as the Stags coach, and it was the perfect time to build a field house. But, the Fairfield hierarchy did not support it. Ed Cooley is seeing for himself that this Webster Bank Arena arrangement is not working, and it will ultimately lead to him leaving for greener pastures, like Fred Barakat did.

And Kkofwh (e-mail address)

Although I agree with your comments on the lack of crowds at the Arena on Wednesday and for the majority of the games, I take insult to your last sentence “Too bad no one was there to see it”.
I have been attending the games for 39 years. No, I am or was never a student, but grew up off of Mill Plain Rd in Fairfield and walked to the games at 15 years old. I am now 54 years old and have faithfully attended the games. I sit in the front row and have had season tickets for years.
And guess what, Chris, I was there Wednesday night. I guess you consider long time loyal fans “nobody”.

And Frank,

Chris, Great coverage today on Stags. I especially agree on your comments about the pathetic attendance. I graduated in ’66 and came back in Fairfield in ’72. I’ve devoted a lot of time to my alma mater and seen a lot of b-ball. Yesterday I sent a letter to the Mirror on campus chiding the students on their lack of support of a great team. They just don’t get it. Basketball, especially winning b-ball, can be a terrific part of your college experience. It also raises the visibility and national prestige of a regional school like Fairfield. The present generation of students have too many mindless distractions like Facebook, reality tv, etc. Now that we’re on a roll, the thought of an arena on campus should be given serious re-evaluation, but that’s another topic I know you’ve addressed before. Continue the Stag coverage.

And salernodw (e-mail address)

What is so hard to understand? It has been proven over and over again! No one wants to go to Harbor Yard. It is simple.

And RFord (e-mail address)

I agree that the attendance at the Stag game Sat night was pathetic. The Team and Coach Cooley deserve better. I don’t think the problem is solvable as long as they play in the Arena. I wouldn’t go there. The place is just too big and too remote. I attended the New Year’s Eve game at Alumni Hall vs. West Point. Standing room only. The place was alive. Better the old gym than the Arena. A new gym would be good. Until then boost the old one.

And this from Andrew, head of “Stags in the Stands”

Mr. Elsberry,
In regards to your article about the student and fan apathy of Fairfield Basketball, I am pretty insulted. I am the co-president of the group you made an effort to call out in Stags in the Stands. The time and effort my co-president and myself have put in this year to making students even aware of games has been above and beyond. You made several points of calling out Stags in the Stands for not showing up to games but there have definitely been more fans at games this year than in recent past. If you can recall, a lowly Manhattan team drew a lot of fan support from the students and Iona was a very successful turn out as well. UConn is a state school in the Big East who has a history of winning and will draw support because of their conference, strength of schedule, and size of their student body. We are in the MAAC, have no history of winning and don’t even have a fourth of the student body UConn has. While I was in attendance to watch the Stags clinch the regular season title and was too embarrassed to see no one cheering them on you have to look at the bigger picture. It was a Wednesday night against a bad Marist team. It’s a hard sell no matter how you look at it, even if they clinched a number one seed. Rather than bash the fans for not coming out, why not encourage them and tell the average fan about the teams amazing accomplishments this year and the great program Coach Cooley has built here at Fairfield. I’m not a brain washer and I cannot force students to go to games but I have honestly done my best in giving Fairfield Basketball the hype it deserves and I have seen results. While I’m not making excuses for anyone, I am pointing out that success will not happen over night but we are truly doing our best to expedite this process. With all due respect, I really hope you are wrong about Friday night and i hope to see the largest crowd of the year cheer on their very good basketball team.

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Lost in the shuffle of Fairfield’s win over Marist last night, is that if the Stags happen to be upset in the MAAC tournament is that Ed Cooley’s team will be guaranteed a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. The NIT has had a rule in place since 2006 that gives the regular season winner (if they lose in the conference tournament, that is) an automatic spot in the 32-team field.

And in case you were wondering, Fairfield has been to the NIT five times: 1972, 1973, 1978, 1996 and 2003 and to the NCAA tournament three times: 1986, 1987, 1997. Fairfield participated in the CollegeInsider.com tournament in 2010.