Whether coincidence or irony, the same week - this week - in which consultants unveil their findings for the future of the XL Center, the first shovels went into the dirt, breaking ground for Hartford's new minor league baseball stadium.

Perhaps this news is Granny Smiths and Valencias. (Apples and oranges). The baseball stadium is a mostly Hartford-centric undertaking, while the XL Center, whose future is a statewide function, merely sits in Hartford. Perfectly reasonable to believe that, mostly because it's true.

And irrelevant. Because the perception will be this: bad enough taxpayers are going to get whacked with this new stadium thing … then the state's going to ask for more to fix the XL Center, too? You can hear the arias and theory-mongering from the entire spectrum: the frauds who feign destitution and horde their money to the real folks who can't afford higher taxes and certainly cannot endorse something as frivolous as a sports arena.

SCI Architects of New York and officials from the Capital Region Development Authority meet Thursday to discuss future options for the XL Center. Even before the meeting's conclusion, we know this much: It's not about whether we pay, but what we pay for.

A story in Sunday's Hartford Courant unearthed four options for the future of the building: fix the arena from within, expand it to Trumbull/Church Streets (or both), raze it and start over or do nothing and watch it fade into irrelevance.

Then came this line: "Moving the arena elsewhere isn't an option, under the SCI study. The city has said it wants the arena to stay where it is, rather than leave a big, gaping hole downtown. The new location that would have made the most sense, (CRDA executive director Michael) Freimuth said, is off the table: Downtown North, where ground (was) broken Tuesday on a minor-league baseball stadium."

Again, this stadium. I can't stand it. This stadium that will house a minor league baseball team - a minor league baseball team - somehow merits more immediate attention than the building whose primary tenants are the defending national champions of men's and women's college basketball and an aspiring big-time hockey program.

Ask yourself the question: To whom should the state of Connecticut cater greater: the flagship university whose athletic programs are nationally relevant or a minor league baseball team? I know, I know: Technically, the projects are mutually exclusive. But not perceptually.

I find this shortsighted, if not disrespectful to UConn.

The Courant reported Freimuth wants a decision on state funding within the next 12-18 months "so work could begin in the next three to five years."

Three to five years.

But boy, this baseball stadium sure got done in a hurry, didn't it?

SCI Consultants asked many of us who care about the XL Center and its future our opinions. Mine:

Raze the building. In its place goes a tribute to modern architecture that has more bells and whistles than the Super Bowl halftime show. UConn is the state's primary sporting passion. It deserves a building befitting two programs that have won 13 NCAA basketball championships in the last 20 years. Hartford isn't likely the first choice for National Hockey League expansion or realignment; hence its building mustn't leave any doubts.

Moreover, I'd like to explore mechanisms to connect the building to other parts of downtown Hartford, via the underground (many Canadian cities use tunnels) or skywalk. It would give Hartford the same advantage as Mohegan Sun: Park in one spot and walk here, there and everywhere under cover and warm.

Example: If I'm going to a UConn game, I might want a pregame burger and a beer at, say, City Steam on Main St. I could park in the Church St. garage next to the XL Center, sure. And then walk several blocks on a cold winter night? I don't think so. But then, you'd have to pay to park near City Steam, eat, leave and then pay to park again closer to the XL.

Imagine if you could park once, pay once and walk around safe and toasty warm to the many eateries near the arena?

I have no idea if that's possible. But it should be explored.

It is for this reason I'd like to see Freimuth and CRDA recommend the best building possible. New, new, gloriously new. There would be backlash, sure. But my ongoing education has revealed this much: bellyachers are the vocal minority. The same 37 people perpetuating their misery. And we're dumb enough to think they somehow speak for the regular, forward-thinking folks who simply don't have the time to sit at their computers all day and violate Warriner's English Grammar and Composition.

I'd like to think that, even with this baseball stadium obstructing more important progress, the people of Connecticut understand the XL Center's overall importance to UConn and Hartford.

Or we could all go watch Double-A baseball players instead.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius