These UConn fans put up a Dan Hurley scarecrow at night. By morning, 'the whole world knew'

Wethersfield’s Scarecrows Along Main event has exploded in popularity over the past half-decade, with over 170 straw-stuffed figures popping up around the historic downtown this week.

Ryan Lawlor and Jeff Bottaro joined this wave of new entrants, eager to get in on their town’s fall-themed festivities, but the two friends struggled to agree on a design for their inaugural scarecrow. Bouncing around ideas, Lawlor, a UConn men’s basketball “superfan,” eventually floated a scene seared into the collective consciousness of Huskies nation for several months: Dan Hurley’s iconic headbutt of referee Roger Ayers in last year’s Elite Eight.

Bottaro initially balked at the idea, concerned that capturing Hurley’s menacing glare could prove too challenging for the novice artisans. But after “way-too-many hours,” mad dashes in and out of hardware stores and a few callous-inducing cuts on their fingertips, Lawlor and Bottaro erected their scarecrow outside of The Charles restaurant Wednesday evening.

By Thursday, their design had captivated the UConn community and exploded into a national phenomenon. Hurley quickly took note of his likeness despite a busy morning at Big East Basketball Media Days, and a photo of the scarecrow attracted millions of impressions on social media after just a few hours, including coverage from ESPN, Yahoo! Sports and Bleacher Report, among various national outlets.

“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.”

Friends Ryan Lawlor and Jeff Bottaro built a scarecrow depicting Dan Hurley’s famous headbutt of referee Roger Ayers in Wethersfield, Conn. (Courtesy of Ryan Lawlor)

Hurley and Ayers’ iconic clash of craniums was replicated with styrofoam heads from Michaels and a skin-toned burlap sack that tucked nicely into the UConn coach’s famous navy-blue suit. The scarecrow’s location outside of The Charles proved serendipitous luck of the draw, with the New American restaurant recognized as one of the town’s more popular establishments – Lawlor said that Hurley, who lives across the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, frequents The Charles.

The design has become the most recognizable entry in the 31st annual Scarecrows Along Main event, which draws thousands of visitors to Wethersfield each year. Fans can vote for Lawlor and Bottaro’ design, or any of the other 170 entries around the small town, via the link here.

UConn’s legendary victory over Duke and Hurley’s ensuing headbutt capped off a rare Huskies moment that Lawlor watched from his couch, as the Ansonia native owns season tickets and attended UConn’s last three Final Four appearances. The 36-year-old could’ve hardly imagined hopping on an Indianapolis-bound flight as the Elite Eight commenced, with Duke roaring to an early 19-point lead and holding a 44-29 advantage at halftime.

However, Hurley’s squad slowly chipped away at this deficit in the nation’s capital, and a Silas Demary Jr. free throw with 10 seconds remaining clawed the Huskies back within just two points. UConn’s hobbled point guard also managed to force a deflection during a chaotic full-court pressure sequence on the ensuing inbound, allowing the Huskies to find star freshman Braylon Mullins near mid-court for an unforgettable, game-winning 35-foot heave.

“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!”

The two fathers are quick to credit the help of their families in realizing their viral vision, with both of their wives and three sons between them also dedicating numerous hours over the past month. Still, the scarecrow design must remain standing through Halloween, with Bottaro and Lawlor both concerned about the possibility of swirling winds and heavy rain as the calendar flips to October.

For now, the two friends tiptoed around television cameras for a celebratory dinner at The Charles Thursday evening to celebrate a “surreal” day at the center of the college basketball universe. With the Huskies waiting another 11 days to tip off against Syracuse in their first exhibition game, Lawlor and Bottaro have trained their basketball focus exclusively on the Wethersfield Draft League, hoping to extend their 3-0 start with a win 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.”

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This article originally published at These UConn fans put up a Dan Hurley scarecrow at night. By morning, ‘the whole world knew’.

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