Zanor: Mora at UConn, Gronkowski at Mohegan Sun and 'Centerfold' over 'Dancing Queen'

Just thought I’d empty out my reporter’s notebook while still trying to figure out how ABBA is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while the mighty J. Geils Band is still on the outside lookin’ in.  I’m taking “Centerfold” over “Dancing Queen” every day …

*The Jim Mora Era at UConn begins on Saturday when the Huskies invade Logan, Utah to take on Utah State. The Aggies are 27.5 point favorites and I’m wondering why the number isn’t higher. Over the past three seasons the Huskies have gone 4-32. Go back five years and their record is 10-50. UConn has been one of the worst teams in the country with an historically bad defense.

But after watching new coach Jim Mora over the past six months, I can’t wait to see the Huskies compete this fall.

I met Mora at the Norwich Free Academy-New London contest last November and my first impression was - what the hell is he doing in New London on a Thanksgiving morning? I got my answer after a few short exchanges. There’s no other place on earth he’d rather be than on the sidelines of a football field. Like Bill Belichick, he’s the son of a football coach and the Xs and Os are in his DNA.

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Yup, Utah State will be a tough opener for the Huskies. They’ll also be fighting an uphill battle at home against Syracuse (Sept. 10), Fresno State (Oct. 1), and Boston College (Oct. 29). And climbing Mount Everest might be easier than battling Michigan in Ann Arbor (Sept. 17) and N.C. State in Raleigh (Sept. 24).

But I like Mora. The guy took the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC Championship game and proved to be a great recruiter at UCLA. He’s used the transfer portal this offseason to upgrade the Huskies roster.

I know it’s ancient history but this is a program that once played in the Fiesta Bowl. The Huskies last bowl appearance was in 2015, a 16-10 loss against Marshall in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

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Mora has a daunting task turning the Huskies into bowl contenders again, but I like his chances.

“I’ve never been a 27-point underdog in my life,” Mora told the Hartford Courant after a recent practice, “and I’m not real happy about it. If you’re a true competitor, you want to judge yourself against the best. (We’ve) got a whole locker room full of true competitors in there. Put it down and let’s play. And let’s see where we stand at the end of the game.”

*The 2nd annual Day of New London Classic is set for Dec. 19 at the Mohegan Sun Arena and it doesn’t get any better for high school basketball fans.

At 4 p.m. East Catholic and Notre Dame-West Haven meet in a rematch of last year’s Division I state championship game, won by the Eagles, 50-49. At 6 p.m., defending Division III champ Hand battles St. Bernard. The Tigers eliminated the Saints in the state semifinals last March. And in the nightcap, ECC rivals Norwich Free Academy and New London tip-off at 8 p.m. The Whalers beat the Wildcats on two buzzer-beaters last season.

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Someone save me a seat for this extraordinary high school hoops tripleheader.

Rob Gronkowski's retirement party at Mohegan Sun

*Ain’t Nothing But a Houseparty … The Mohegan Sun is hosting Rob Gronkowski’s Official Retirement Party on Saturday, Sept. 10. Yup, the greatest tight end in NFL history will be at the FanDuel Sportsbook to celebrate his four-time Super Bowl championship career.

The party will feature drink specials, complimentary appetizers, the one-and-only DJ Whoo Kid and the debut of the “Gronk Smash Burger.” Tickets are on sale now through ticketmaster and the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Following the retirement party, there will be an After-Party at Mohegan’s Avalon Nightclub beginning at 11:30 p.m.

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Party on Gronk. Sundays in the NFL aren’t going to be as fun without seeing Gronk spiking the ball in the end zone after a touchdown.

*STUCK IN THE ‘70s: On this day - August 21, 1977 - Aerosmith rolled into the Circus Krone in Munich, Germany during their Draw The Line Tour. The story of Aerosmith's demise at the end of the ‘70s - who remembers the Joe Perry Project? - and transformation to become sober MTV darlings and the world's biggest band in the 1990s is one of rock and roll’s greatest stories. The band is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a concert at Fenway Park on Sept. 8.

Jimmy Zanor can be reached at jzanor@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Zanor: From Jim Mora at UConn to Rob Gronkowski at Mohegan Sun