Connnecticut Sacred Cow Meets the New Media

Jim Calhoun is making
$1.6 million this season to coach the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team. That’s more than Connecticut governor Jodi Rell makes.

And while Calhoun’s salary is public knowledge, it hasn’t been talked about even with the Nutmeg State suffering from some severe financial woes. But a political activist and blogger brought his salary to the public’s attention Saturday – in a place the mainstream media could not ignore.

Ken Krayeske’s delivery may not have been flawless (as seen in the below video) but the result sent shockwaves across the Internet.

Here’s why the Blogger of the Hour did what he did. Here’s the reaction from one political blog in Connecticut, My Left Nutmeg. And at least one UConn beat writer was mad at Krayeske’s comment about mainstream reporters not being courageous enough to ask the salary question (and you could hear the beat writers groaning about the comment, too).

Heck, video of the exchange went up on YouTube very quickly. It was headline news on the Connecticut television stations (how DARE anyone challenge Jim Calhoun, no matter what an arrogant jerk he’s been to the media in the past!). The Sporting News is blogging about it. And who knows exactly how many hits Krayeske’s blog has got since the heated exchange.

So what will this mean? My guess is there’s going to be a few weeks of debate regarding coaching salaries at the collegiate level. Yes, Calhoun says the basketball program brings $12 in revenue to the State of Connecticut, but how much does the state spend to promote and put on UConn games?

And more important, where exactly does Calhoun’s salary come from? Is it the same fund used to support in-state programs that are being cut due to Connecticut’s budget deficit?

Connecticut is not alone, according to Krayeske:

Considering that President Obama just suggested that salaries for bank executives should be capped at $500,000, society may be rethinking its executive compensation.

Obama’s brother in law, Craig Robinson, is the head men’s basketball coach at Oregon State University, agreed to a six-year deal worth more than $5 million in April 2008.

Calhoun told Krayeske to do his homework. And if the mainstream media doesn’t follow up, then even new media won’t be able to grill a sacred cow.