Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Ship

[drop_the_puck]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

At least with Bowling Green they didn't have a 15,000 seat arena that will look **** near empty and top three facilities in the nation that will be absolutely wasted. I've said it before, you have every advantage at Wisconsin outside of the actual playing/coaching hockey aspect. You should never be a bottom 5 program in the nation. expletive, expletive.

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Well I sent another email to Jason King. I don't think it will do any good, but the more that send them the better.

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

At least with Bowling Green they didn't have a 15,000 seat arena that will look **** near empty and top three facilities in the nation that will be absolutely wasted. I've said it before, you have every advantage at Wisconsin outside of the actual playing/coaching hockey aspect. You should never be a bottom 5 program in the nation. expletive, expletive.

your absolutely right. We have everything you need to be a top 5 program.....

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I think it's far more likely that the Senior Advisor to the General Manager of the St. Louis Blues Al MacInnis, who has a son that is a prominent star forward for the Kitchener Rangers, got into Opilka's head.

Yeah, but my version lets me be a sad, bitter, miserable bastard, which suits my mood as far as UW athletics goes.

At least with Bowling Green they didn't have a 15,000 seat arena that will look **** near empty

They have La Bahn, where we can finally sell out home games again.

[Almington]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

omg...if that's where this ends up...let's face it, UW is closer to following Bowling Green than winning 10 games, let alone 20.

I can't imagine that the rest of the B1G would allow that to happen with the conference needing 6 teams to maintain the autobid.

Barry may not care about the hockey program, but he does care about potentially ****ing off the rest of the conference, particularly UMI and OSU. Even Barry has to realize that it's one thing to push to F-over the non-BIG WCHA and CCHA teams, it's another to stick it to the other 5 BIG athletic departments. (of course I suspect that ND would be admitted as an hockey only member in short order, but that's a whole different issue). Because when the wholesale realignment comes to college athletics, UW cannot afford to be on the outside looking in (That's also a whole separate issue).

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Barry may not care about the hockey program, but he does care about potentially ****ing off the rest of the conference, particularly UMI and OSU. Even Barry has to realize that it's one thing to push to F-over the non-BIG WCHA and CCHA teams, it's another to stick it to the other 5 BIG athletic departments. (of course I suspect that ND would be admitted as an hockey only member in short order, but that's a whole different issue). Because when the wholesale realignment comes to college athletics, UW cannot afford to be on the outside looking in (That's also a whole separate issue).

I get what you are saying but let's be honest... the B1G really only has two programs that would really consider hockey as important (Minnesota and Michigan... I'll let you decide if you think UW qualifies because it appears like they don't from my perspective). Even Michigan is even somewhat questionable in that equation given that hockey is practically a non-revenue sport for them. I think the other B1G coaches don't want UW to be **** poor because it hurts the overall conference (although maybe a place like Penn State can step up and fill the gap to some extent) but I doubt most of the ADs at other schools pay much attention to it because it isn't a sport that makes their revenue engine hum. If anything, they probably relate more to Alvarez's perspective since he is more of a football/basketball focused guy.

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

They saw it. They just chose to partially ignore it.

I have 0 respect for Barry Alvarez at this point. It was his decision to partially ignore the problem. His, and his alone. He'll have to deal with 3,000-4,000 people showing up to games all of next season and eventually come to an understanding of just how ****ing stupid his decision was.

I can't fathom why Alvarez didn't just start fresh and fire the entire group. Even if the assistants are better, they are going to be fighting a major perception problem when recruiting against top programs for good players. Recruits are going to continually hear about the instability (whether real or perceived) at UW and then measure that against programs with a lot to offer but more stability in the coaching. It's just not a winning formula. You'd think a guy like Alvarez would understand that since he knows what it is like to be recruiting out there. Perception counts for a lot. IMO, keeping Eaves around has simply delayed the rebuilding another few years beyond what it already would have been.

From a Gopher perspective, it is easy to see the situation and take glee in it. At the same time, I also see it from a big picture perspective and a weak UW program doesn't help the conference. At least Penn State seems to be heading into a competitive situation faster than expected and seems committed to building an elite program so that helps fill the gap for UW's miserable state of affairs. Still, it would help all members if UW is on solid footing and competitive.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

I think it's far more likely that the Senior Advisor to the General Manager of the St. Louis Blues Al MacInnis, who has a son that is a prominent star forward for the Kitchener Rangers, got into Opilka's head.

Was told this is 100% accurate. I didn't realize this, but MacInnis is also a minority owner with Kitchener.

[Almington]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

I get what you are saying but let's be honest... the B1G really only has two programs that would really consider hockey as important (Minnesota and Michigan... I'll let you decide if you think UW qualifies because it appears like they don't from my perspective). Even Michigan is even somewhat questionable in that equation given that hockey is practically a non-revenue sport for them. I think the other B1G coaches don't want UW to be **** poor because it hurts the overall conference (although maybe a place like Penn State can step up and fill the gap to some extent) but I doubt most of the ADs at other schools pay much attention to it because it isn't a sport that makes their revenue engine hum. If anything, they probably relate more to Alvarez's perspective since he is more of a football/basketball focused guy.

You don't think that if UW just up and announced that they were dropping the program that the AD's wouldn't be ****ed that the conference would be risk of losing the auto-bid to the NCAA tournament? Sure that might be preferable if UW continues to be unable to beat anyone in NC play in the long term, but the short term headache that it would cause because they would have to focus attention and energy on fixing the issue that would be drawn away from their revenue sports. That is why I think they would not be happy with Alvarez, particularly since it was blowing up a program that was responsible for 5-10% of UW's AD revenue relatively recently that most of them would be happy to have.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Hopefully the fans leaving in droves will correct the issue eventually. If not, I don't know what we can do.

Perhaps snarky chants from the fans, directed at Alvarez? Phil Dzick dropping his tickets? A game where 8,000 tickets are sold and 7500 fans show up, but don't scan their tickets and mill around outside the Kohl Center in protest? Blackmail Barry? Burn the KC to the ground and blame Waukesha County separatists?

[Innova]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Love the "spin" on this article: http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-ho...070215aaa.html

Or maybe "ignoring the elephant in the room" would be a better way to describe it.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Not much else they could really say

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Love the "spin" on this article: http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-ho...070215aaa.html

Or maybe "ignoring the elephant in the room" would be a better way to describe it.

Not really spin, I'd say it's taking the high road.

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

You don't think that if UW just up and announced that they were dropping the program that the AD's wouldn't be ****ed that the conference would be risk of losing the auto-bid to the NCAA tournament? Sure that might be preferable if UW continues to be unable to beat anyone in NC play in the long term, but the short term headache that it would cause because they would have to focus attention and energy on fixing the issue that would be drawn away from their revenue sports. That is why I think they would not be happy with Alvarez, particularly since it was blowing up a program that was responsible for 5-10% of UW's AD revenue relatively recently that most of them would be happy to have.

I didn't see anything being said as drastic as dropping the program though. Even BG didn't do that. I was simply stating that the quality of the UW program probably doesn't hit home too much with other ADs because most of those ADs don't see hockey as a big deal to their bottom line. They care about it but not as much as a few other situations that they rely on. Not to mention, my suspicion is even if that doomsday scenario occurred, they would simply replace that team with an affiliate (and likely have a number of good programs willing to do it)

[solovsfett]

I can't fathom why Alvarez didn't just start fresh and fire the entire group. Even if the assistants are better, they are going to be fighting a major perception problem when recruiting against top programs for good players. Recruits are going to continually hear about the instability (whether real or perceived) at UW and then measure that against programs with a lot to offer but more stability in the coaching. It's just not a winning formula. You'd think a guy like Alvarez would understand that since he knows what it is like to be recruiting out there. Perception counts for a lot. IMO, keeping Eaves around has simply delayed the rebuilding another few years beyond what it already would have been.

From a Gopher perspective, it is easy to see the situation and take glee in it. At the same time, I also see it from a big picture perspective and a weak UW program doesn't help the conference. At least Penn State seems to be heading into a competitive situation faster than expected and seems committed to building an elite program so that helps fill the gap for UW's miserable state of affairs. Still, it would help all members if UW is on solid footing and competitive.

Yep, many of us are just incredulous/befuddled and more at why they didn't clean house. And as the days pass and more and more people realize how ****ed the program is I think there's a real possibility the KC crowds average 3-5,000 all season.

Who could imagined that when Wisconsin led the nation in attendance for something like 30 years?