A UConn scarecrow that started as a local fall entry in Wethersfield turned into a national talking point almost overnight.
Ryan Lawlor and Jeff Bottaro built their first scarecrow for the town’s Scarecrows Along Main event, which has grown into a sprawling tradition with more than 170 straw-stuffed figures spread around historic downtown this week. The two friends initially bounced around different ideas, but Lawlor - a UConn men’s basketball superfan - eventually pushed the one image Huskies fans have not forgotten: Dan Hurley’s headbutt of referee Roger Ayers in last year’s Elite Eight.
Bottaro wasn’t sold at first. He worried that matching Hurley’s intense glare would be too much for two beginners. Still, after “way-too-many hours,” a bunch of trips in and out of hardware stores and a few cuts on their fingertips, the pair got the scarecrow up outside The Charles restaurant Wednesday evening.
By Thursday, it had taken off.
Hurley noticed the likeness during a busy morning at Big East Basketball Media Days, and the photo raced across social media, pulling in millions of impressions in just a few hours. ESPN, Yahoo! Sports and Bleacher Report were among the national outlets that picked it up.
“It’s incredible,” Bottaro told CT Insider. “What’s cool about it is how quickly everyone gravitated toward it.
You think about like how long ago the basketball game was - maybe it was out of everyone's mind - and then now it's almost like a statue of the moment, right? I think the fans are going crazy for it because they love how intense Hurley gets, and that moment just shows you just how absolutely intense he gets.
It's so good.”
The scarecrow recreates the Hurley-Ayers collision with styrofoam heads from Michaels and a skin-toned burlap sack tucked into Hurley’s familiar navy-blue suit. Its spot outside The Charles may have helped too. Lawlor said Hurley, who lives across the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, often goes there.
That location helped turn the entry into the most recognizable display in the 31st annual Scarecrows Along Main event, which brings thousands of visitors to Wethersfield each year. Fans can vote for Lawlor and Bottaro’s design, or any of the other entries, through the event link.
For Lawlor, the image traces back to UConn’s win over Duke and the headbutt that followed. He watched that game from his couch as an Ansonia native with season tickets and a history of attending UConn’s last three Final Four runs. At the start, a trip to Indianapolis did not seem likely, especially with Duke jumping out to a 19-point lead and taking a 44-29 halftime edge.
But the Huskies kept grinding. Silas Demary Jr. hit a free throw with 10 seconds left to pull UConn within two, then UConn’s hobbled point guard forced a deflection on the next inbound during a frantic full-court press. That opened the door for star freshman Braylon Mullins to catch the ball near mid-court and launch the game-winning 35-foot shot.
“I was watching [the game] with my son; he was kind of not paying attention,” Lawlor recalled. “I went, 'Oh my god!' And he just got so scared because I jumped up and down and I started freaking out.”
“Of course, at that time, I wasn't like, 'I'm going to do a scarecrow of this.' But when I started thinking of ideas, I'm like, 'Wait, this would be perfect. They can be leaning in together, and it's kind of easy - it's harder than we thought, but oh my god!”
Lawlor and Bottaro said their wives and the three sons between them spent plenty of time helping over the past month. Even with the viral moment in hand, they still have to keep the scarecrow upright through Halloween, and both men are watching the forecast as October approaches, wary of wind and rain.
They ended Thursday with dinner at The Charles, still trying to process how fast the whole thing blew up. UConn’s next exhibition game against Syracuse is 11 days away, so for now their basketball attention has shifted to the Wethersfield Draft League, where they hope to keep their 3-0 start going Sunday morning.
“Now's the time,” Bottaro said. “You've got to ride the wave, the peak.
We could be at peak right now, but it's going to be out there for a month. The fact that we literally put [the scarecrow] in right before it got dark [Wednesday] night, and by 10:30 [Thursday] morning the whole world knew about it, is crazy to me.”
In Other News...
UConn Fans Turned One Dan Hurley Moment Into A Must-See Scarecrow
Wethersfields annual Scarecrows Along Main display has become a fall draw for thousands of visitors, and this years edition features more than 170 creations lining the towns streets. Among the most talked-about entries is a UConn-themed display put together by Ryan Lawlor and Jeff Bottaro, a nod to the basketball program that is impossible to miss for anyone who follows the Huskies closely.
The piece has already gotten plenty of attention well beyond central Connecticut, giving the event a little extra shine in a season when UConn fans are always tuned in to whatever happens around Dan Hurley. Visitors can vote on their favorite scarecrows, and this one has turned a local community tradition into a reminder of how deeply the Huskies can still shape the conversation, even in the most unexpected places. [Read more 🡒]
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Syracuse comes in with quarterback decisions adding another layer to the matchup. Fran Brown is sticking with Steve Angeli to start despite recent interceptions, while Amari Odom is also expected to see the field, leaving the Orange with some uncertainty under center as they try to steady a team already battling through mistakes. For UConn, the opportunity is obvious: if the Huskies can play a cleaner game than they have for much of the fall, they may be able to turn a frustrating problem into a very real advantage. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Could Land A Rare National Spotlight For A High Stakes Game
UMasss strong start has given the upcoming meeting with UConn a little more juice than a typical fall nonconference game, and it now has the kind of buzz that can pull in an outside audience. The Huskies have had a mixed run so far, but the matchup is drawing attention beyond the usual campus circles because of the stage it could create in Hartford.
Dave Portnoy, who fronts the Barstool College Football Show, has shown interest in taking the show to Hartford for the UMass-UConn game, and UConn athletic director David Benedict has already welcomed the idea publicly. For a program still trying to build momentum and visibility, the possibility of a national pregame spotlight adds another layer to a game that already carries some intrigue. [Read more 🡒]