Spring Break
From Daily Campus to best-selling sports writer
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Focus
Former Daily Campus sports columnist John Frascella will appear at the Co-op today from 4:00-5:30 to give a brief talk about his newly released book, "Theo-logy: How a Boy Wonder led the Red Sox to the Promised Land."
Frascella is not - nor has he ever been - afraid to speak his mind. Especially if it means defying popular opinion when it comes to the sports world - an attitude that often draws more detractors than fans.
"When you write something controversial, you have to believe in it," said Frascella. "I'm willing to put my knowledge up against anyone's. Your perspective has to show that it's different."
The Oceanside, N.Y., native was a featured columnist for The Daily Campus' Sports section during his junior and senior years at UConn. He graduated in May 2008 with a double major in journalism and English.
With his columns, Frascella provided spirited commentary on both the professional and collegiate sports ranks, with some of his most polarizing work centered on the UConn men's basketball and football teams. He ripped apart football coach Randy Edsall's conservative play-calling in 2007's 66-21 loss to West Virginia at Rentschler Field. When the men's basketball team, playing as a No. 4 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, were sunk in the first round by a less-talented San Diego team, he penned a memorable column entitled "UConn basketball losing its luster." In the column, Frascella pondered if UConn's best basketball days were numbered after the season's disappointing conclusion.
Readers of The Daily Campus' online edition vilified Frascella in the comments section. One poster called himself "Frascella sucks" and proceeded to insult him personally. Some questioned his integrity, suggesting that the motivation behind his unabashed hammering of their beloved Huskies was to serve his own ego. Others agreed with his insights and appreciated the frankness of his work. In either case, Frascella accomplished his goal: he weighed in with what he believed to be the truth, and it got people talking.
Frascella is not - nor has he ever been - afraid to speak his mind. Especially if it means defying popular opinion when it comes to the sports world - an attitude that often draws more detractors than fans.
"When you write something controversial, you have to believe in it," said Frascella. "I'm willing to put my knowledge up against anyone's. Your perspective has to show that it's different."
The Oceanside, N.Y., native was a featured columnist for The Daily Campus' Sports section during his junior and senior years at UConn. He graduated in May 2008 with a double major in journalism and English.
With his columns, Frascella provided spirited commentary on both the professional and collegiate sports ranks, with some of his most polarizing work centered on the UConn men's basketball and football teams. He ripped apart football coach Randy Edsall's conservative play-calling in 2007's 66-21 loss to West Virginia at Rentschler Field. When the men's basketball team, playing as a No. 4 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, were sunk in the first round by a less-talented San Diego team, he penned a memorable column entitled "UConn basketball losing its luster." In the column, Frascella pondered if UConn's best basketball days were numbered after the season's disappointing conclusion.
Readers of The Daily Campus' online edition vilified Frascella in the comments section. One poster called himself "Frascella sucks" and proceeded to insult him personally. Some questioned his integrity, suggesting that the motivation behind his unabashed hammering of their beloved Huskies was to serve his own ego. Others agreed with his insights and appreciated the frankness of his work. In either case, Frascella accomplished his goal: he weighed in with what he believed to be the truth, and it got people talking.
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