Jack’s Blog

This season, nearly everyone agrees that the Big East is the toughest conference in Division I men’s basketball (excluding anyone who’s connected with the other conferences, as is the case every year).  They have more teams ranked in the AP poll than any other league (two of the top four, four of the top ten, five in the top 15/20 and six in the top 25).  

What better place for a grandstander to “make a statement” than at a post-game press conference following a win by the then #1 team in the land (soon to change due to their loss to #4, Pitt, a fellow Big East member).  The free lance reporter attention-seeking clown, Ken Krayeske, who fraudulently obtained a press credential by claiming he was a photographer (although, surprise! no one saw him with a camera) attended the press conference because he no doubt sees himself as a true, red-blooded American patriot & do-gooder, a watchdog for society (as many a media member proclaim they are). Although, as a member of society, I can’t ever recall asking anyone, including any member of the fourth estate to serve in such an exalted capacity.  When I first heard this claim (in the early 1980’s), I asked many people I knew (and even some I didn’t), if they may have requested at some time for the media to act as a watchdog for our society and have yet to find one soul who has given me a positive response. 

This bit of misplaced behavior wasn’t the first time Krayeske acted like the complete schmuck he so evidently is.  After being highly critical of Connecticut’s governor, he was arrested for approaching her at a parade in an aggressive manner and then not disclosing his intentions for his actions.  He was labeled as a “possible threat” to the governor, arrested for civil disobedience (which is a criminal offense) and placed in jail for “breach of the parade route.”  

I have fallen into his transparent trap of mentioning his name, which is naturally what he really craves more than what he refers to himself as - a reporter and political activist for a newspaper rag called the Hartford News.  What others call him, especially after last night’s fiasco, isn’t nearly as kind but, I am sure, is more accurate and much less flattering.  He managed to open the press conference with a question regarding Calhoun being the highest paid employee in the state of Connecticut (quoting his salary of $1.5 million, which Calhoun immediately corrected by saying it was more than that), a state which is facing a budget deficit (not exactly placing them in an exclusive club in this day and age) which, in itself was totally improper and made Krayeske guilty of, if nothing else, bad timing - as in wrong place, wrong event, wrong time. 

What did the second coming of Mighty Mouse (”Here I come to save the day!”) expect? -Calhoun to say, “Hey, you know, you bring up a good point.  The only decent act for me to take is to give back a portion of my salary.  Exactly what percent do you think is appropriate?  And, while we’re on the subject, is there going to be a matching gift by you - not in total dollars, of course, but in percentage?  You obviously feel very strongly about this, so let’s get the ball rolling.  Who cares about some old basketball game anyway?  The real reason we have these press conferences after the game is to try and fix the problems of the state.  So now the cat’s out of the bag and maybe other coaches can address your very important question too.  I’m sorry, I never gave you a chance to respond to my question of how much you are planning to donate to the cause - or do you think my giving back would suffice?”  Author’s aside: I am also sorry - but for an entirely different reason. I feel the need to apologize to Mighty Mouse for mentioning him and Krayeske in the same sentence.  They really don’t have anything in common.  One’s a mouse and the other’s a rat.

I’ve never met Mr. Krayeske - and I’m sure that, if he were to read this, we’d each have the identical comment - PTL!  Considering what UConn spends for Jim Calhoun and the men’s basketball program, compared to what it brings in (according to the coach, $12 million), the program is a bargain!  If all other state programs had the results UConn men’s basketball program did, the state would have a major surplus.  Krayeske disrupting the post-game press conference was just another example of what people like him do: solve a problem by putting the burden on someone else.   

One of my closest friends at my place of employment (Buchanan High School) is one of our art teachers, Albert Van Troba.  In fact, Albert is the one responsible for setting me up with the amazing artist who does the C.U.T.E. Baby Gifts - my latest endeavor into the world of business, which, by the way, is receiving rave reviews.  To check it out, simply go to the Home Page of this website and click on the link (www.CuteBabyNameGifts.com) - or click on the link right here!  A line Albert coined a few years back applies to the Ken Krayeskes of the world:

“Some people go through life standing in line at the complaint counter.”