Salary Questions Irk Jim Calhoun

Jim Calhoun getting ticked off at questions at a post-game press conference is generally not surprising. It generally is not news. If he does not get irritated, it generally means that the Huskies won easily and someone spiked his water with sedatives.

So, that Jim Calhoun was annoyed and yelled at someone asking questions after an easy win over South Florida was not exactly news in and of itself. It was that the questions were not about the game or his players. It was a line of questions about his salary.

A local freelance journalist, political activist and former campaign manager for the Green Party candidate for Connecticut governor in 2006, Ken Krayeske, attended the press conference. He wanted to question Calhoun about all the money he makes at the state university even as the state budget faces a nearly $1 billion deficit.

"Not a dime back," Calhoun joked as Ken Krayeske asked about Calhoun's salary and the state's budget deficit, which is estimated at $944 million for the current fiscal year and up to $8 billion over the next two years.

When Krayeske continued the line of questioning, Calhoun got angry.

"My best advice to you is, shut up," said Calhoun, who offered to talk to Krayeske after the news conference, in which Calhoun was discussing the top-ranked Huskies' 64-50 win over South Florida.

"If these guys covered this stuff, I wouldn't have to do it," said Krayeske, who had been granted a photo pass to attend the news conference.

Classic Sports Tirades

Faced with irritating questions about his salary, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun fires back at a freelance journalist during a postgame news conference Saturday. "My best advice to you is, shut up," said Calhoun.
Click through to see more classic sports tirades.

Karl Walter, Getty Images

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When: Jan. 31, 2009
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Who: Jim Zorn
When: Oct. 26, 2008 during a press conference after the Redskins win over the Lions.
Apparently annoyed by a reporter's actions during one of his answers, Zorn snapped at the journalist, shouting "You keep rolling your eyes and I'm getting ticked off!" Watch the video.

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Who: Mike Singletary
When: Oct. 26, 2008 following San Francisco's loss to Seattle.
Singletary produced fireworks in his first postgame press conference as a head coach, laying into Niners tight end Vernon Davis, whom Singletary sent to the locker room for a second half penalty. Watch the video.

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When: Jan. 13, 2008 after Dallas' playoff loss to the Giants.
T.O. could not keep his emotions in check following the Cowboys early playoff exit last year, launching into a tear-filled defense of quarterback Tony Romo. Watch the video.

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Who: Kevin Borseth
When: Feb. 28, 2008, moments after the Michigan women's basketball team lost to Wisconsin.
Borseth opened his press conference by slamming the game's stat sheet onto the podium, yelling "That's how I feel! I'm damn sick and tired of getting outrebounded!" Watch the video.

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Who: Mike Gundy
When: Sept. 24, 2007 during a postgame press conference.
Angered by a newspaper reporter's column criticizing quarterback Bobby Reid, Gundy unleashed a fiery rant that included the soon-to-be-famous words: "I'm a man! I'm 40!" Watch the video.

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Who: Avery Johnson
When: June 18, 2006 after Johnson's Mavericks lost an NBA Finals game to Miami.
Following a question about a foul against the Mavs, Johnson refused to answer, instead repeatedly - and increasingly angrily - asking the reporter for his thoughts on the play in question. Watch the video.

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Who: Dennis Green
When: Oct. 16, 2006 following an Arizona loss to Chicago.
Another press conference meltdown that instantly tagged a one-liner: "They are who we thought they were!" Green shouted that gem in the midst of a rant about the Bears. Watch the video.

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Who: John L. Smith
When: Oct. 15, 2005 as ABC's Jack Arute interviewed Smith at halftime.
Smith, who also gained fame by slapping himself repeatedly in a press conference, answered a question by screaming about how the Spartans' coaches were blowing their game at Ohio State. Watch the video.

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According to Krayeske's own version of the events, the local media audibly groaned at that statement. Probably because that's his common complaint when he attends the post-game of UConn basketball to ask questions.

While I waited to interview Boone, a beat reporter scolded me for asking my question, saying I took valuable deadline time away from daily writers.

"If you asked the question a long time ago, I wouldn't have to do it," I said. He stomped away.

My problem with Krayeske's questions was that, as Jim Calhoun told him, he really didn't have anything.

"Quite frankly, we bring in $12 million to the university, nothing to do with state funds," Calhoun shouted back. "We make $12 million a year for this university. Get some facts and come back and see me ... Don't throw out salaries and other things.

"Get some facts and come back and see me. We turn over $12 million to the University of Connecticut, which is state-run. Next question."

While the University of Connecticut is a state-supported university, the athletic department is self-supporting. Much like many major Division I athletic departments. This means, that while Calhoun does have his salary approved by the trustees at UConn, the money does not come from the school or state funds.

Even Krayeske conceded in his own story that he didn't know what the gate was that day, and he could not actually dispute whether the $12 million figure Calhoun tossed out was accurate or not. His own version failed to note where Calhoun's salary falls in the comparison of other top coaches nationally.

It appears that Krayeske was trying to make some sort of point that in difficult economic times, the extremely well-compensated should take a pay cut for the greater good, especially if they are some sort of government employees.

Even a small pay cut could help the athletic department sustain more programs for college students. But, in Jim Calhoun's world, a comfortable retirement is more important than scholarships and equipment for young athletes who happen to excel at a sport that doesn't attract a national television audience.

Unlike the bank executives to which Krayeske tries to draw an analogy, he can't claim that the pay to Calhoun or other college coaches has been out of proportion to the success, profit and attention they have helped bring to their programs.

UPDATE: Here's the video from the press conference.