Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 32

Thread: Yesterday I finally got my first contact from the administration

  1. #21
    I find it amusing that Fran is now being accused of chronic negativity after 11 years of "blind optimism and apology."

    Maybe he simply feels as if he's standing on principle?

  2. #22
    Shaun, I think you have missed Fran's entire point. It is quite plain what he has to say, if you pay attention.

    We were told Jeter HAD to go because his style (on and off the court) didn't sell tickets and he was not achieving at a high level (I remind you of the measures - Top 100 RPI and Top 3 in the Horizon).

    Fran's point is, and there is little to suggest otherwise at this point, LJ has the exact same style - off and on the court.

    Off the Court: He is a very nice and humble man. He is God fearing with high ethical standards. He is very knowledgeable about basketball and has a lot of experience as a D1 assistant, mostly in the Big 10. He is NOT (and neither was Jeter) a human billboard, full of pizzazz, he is not a rah-rah promoter, and he will never be confused for a Pearl-style program builder. We were told RIGHT AFTER THE FIRING that this was the type of guy we would hire and we needed. This hire is essentially what we were just told we didn't want.

    On the Court: LJ espouses tough defense and rebounding. He has spent his ENTIRE career playing and coaching in systems that DO NOT RUN (look it up) and play mostly half court set offenses, using a lot of shot clock and working for a good shot. He is also a head coach for the first time, so there is no realistic argument to be made that his presence alone will result in either Top 100 RPI's (which in the Horizon requires 25+ wins per season) or even perennial Top 3 in the Horizon League. He has no head coaching record to base either expectation on at all.

    Neither Fran, nor I, say this as any criticism to LJ. None of these things are "bad" at all. What they are is 180 degrees the opposite of what we were told BY AB we were going to hire. What we DID hire is a younger, cheaper version of Jeter after being told that Jeter was not good for the program.

    Which leads Fran and many others to the following: Jeter was fired because Jeter was Jeter, as a person, not as a coach or head of the program. It was personal, not professional. And it was happening for years before she finally scraped together the money to do this. It was the execution of a vendetta, not running an Athletic Department.

    Had she hired a coach with ample head coaching experience, championships to his credit, and an outgoing salesman and promoter, this criticism could not be levied. She didn't.

    She essentially traded in her 2005 Ford F-150 for a 2016 Ford F-150, in the same color, with the same options while telling the world the F-150 needed to go because we needed a Mustang GT 500. We are all now supposed to pretend that the 2016 F-150 is a Mustang GT 500, goes 0-60 in 4 seconds, and turns heads everywhere it goes.

    But, it's still a truck. Useful, reliable, and not at all flashy. And definitely not a Mustang GT 500.
    Class of 1998
    Lubar School of Business - BBA Management Information Systems
    Formerly known as Nighthawk
    The Dark Hawk arose in a time of great turmoil to fight for truth, justice and the Panther way.

  3. #23
    In addition to what 'Hawk posted, I think that it's also important to note that the Panthers posted two of the TEN 20-win seasons in the program's Division 1 history in their last two postseason-eligible years.

    That's decidedly not mediocre. It's amazing to me today how much Jeter gets his feet held to the flames for Seasons 2 through 4 and 8.

    Of course, his dismissal really wasn't about that.
    Last edited by dylanrocks; 04-12-2016 at 04:20 PM.

  4. #24
    Shaun, I call LJ a kid with no derogation. I was already beginning a professional career when he was yet to be born.

    Now, that aside, let's turn to your straw man argument. (Astute readers might say "Which one?" but I'm talking about the one that has you most excited.) I have said I am withdrawing my support (and have told that directly to the athletic administration and to the Chancellor). No more money. No more time taken out of an extremely busy schedule to work on department projects. No more season tickets. No more proselytizing the program to the rest of the world. Not until things change.

    But I am going nowhere. In fact, you can rest assured that I'll be here long after our current AD and even our new coach are gone.

    No one has outlasted me yet.
    "She would constantly try to throw [Coach Jeter] off and create distractions," said another source who worked in the athletic department and no longer is at UWM. "All the time. It was bad. I felt bad for him all the time. I told him, 'You're a bigger man than I am.' It was brutal. Sabotage was in the cards." -- From the JS story, March 17, 2016

    "Baldwin! Get in here and grovel!" "Right away Ms. B!!"

  5. #25
    Fran, you make to much sense to even converse with the blind like Shaun. You are right on with all your points. Braun made a grave mistake. If this was the Mafia, she'd be dead for she made it personal. This had nothing to do with business. Watch your back Amanda.

  6. #26

  7. #27
    Oh, one more thing:

    UWM has won as many as 25 games once in the history of the program.

    OK, you may continue.

  8. #28
    By the way, Fran, do you have any guesses who "B. Smooth" and "Pendleton" on the eunuch board are? i'm not asking for names, just do you recognize the posting style?

    But probably you have much more important uses for your time, so feel free not to waste any of it indulging my curiosity.

    i think Dark Hawk's summary of the situation is as lucid as it can possibly be.

    And Dylan, you make two excellent points.

    Well done, Sirs.
    A panther is like a leopard. Except it hasn't been peppered.
    Should you behold a panther crouch, prepare to say "ouch."
    Better yet, if called by a panther...don't anther (Ogden Nash "The Panther")

    Ceterum censo Amanda Braun debet esse accensa.

  9. #29
    No idea and it's not worth the time to figure it out. Someone who won't send me a Christmas card -- that I know.
    "She would constantly try to throw [Coach Jeter] off and create distractions," said another source who worked in the athletic department and no longer is at UWM. "All the time. It was bad. I felt bad for him all the time. I told him, 'You're a bigger man than I am.' It was brutal. Sabotage was in the cards." -- From the JS story, March 17, 2016

    "Baldwin! Get in here and grovel!" "Right away Ms. B!!"

  10. #30
    Here's my story about the athletic department...

    My family has had season tickets going back to the first time we played at MECCA (that's what it was called then - Fran, I know you remember those days). That's a span of over 25 years.

    Before this last season, I made the difficult decision to not renew my seats.

    Shortly before the season started, I received 2 sets of season tickets in the mail. (This was after Brian left, and a sign of transition pains or incompetence).

    I called the ticket office to tell them I had received the tickets, had not paid for them, was not renewing season tickets, and asked what I should do with the tickets received.

    "Oh, sorry, you can just shred them, throw them out, or send them back." Absolutely nothing about why I'm not renewing, etc.

    And they wonder why season ticket sales are down 60%.

Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •