JUST SAYING……

[Wolf777]

This is a bit of a ramble but I'm posting it anyway.

I've been thinking about this a lot. Bobby specifically and the job Haslam is doing. I wonder how much of our athletic programs "struggling" has to do with how the University itself is struggling. I wonder how much the dominance we enjoyed at all sports but especially for womens basketball under Rob Selvig and the Football team from 95-2009 is clouding our vision today of what the University of Montana really is. I worry that somewhere along the way we became complacent and arrogant. And we think that we deserve to be at the top of everything in the Big Sky conference because We Are Montana and we are the best. I don't know how true that is anymore.

MSU lived in our shadow for 40 years. They were the ultimate little brother school. They have clearly outgrown that label now and nobody wanted to admit that the writing was on the wall for the last decade. So what do we have in place now? Enrollment is way behind. Local support for the University in general is pretty low, especially compared to Bozeman. Haslams record speaks for itself. The only sport we have with any sustained success at all is the Soccer team. The Lady Griz are dumpster fire right now. The last two coaches are suing the school and shoving female assistants. The men's basketball team finally got back last year but still TBD if that's sustainable otherwise they've been forgettable. The softball team is laughably bad. Volleyball has been bad forever. What exactly are the Griz good at? If we have the best school with the best facilities, the most fan support, and the richest tradition why are we so mid at everything? Maybe the answer we don't actually have any of those things. What happens if the Washington family decides to turn off the tap. Do we have literally any other plan?

In regards to Hauck specifically. What if the football team at it's core is what the rest of the programs are right now. 3rd to 6th place team in the conference that'll make the playoffs most of the time but no real threat. That's exactly what we were under Stitt and Phlugrad and Delaney. What if the only thing keeping us up here is the fact that Bobby actually is extremely good at his job? Or is his arrogance and the famous We Are Montana attitude the thing keeping us from reaching the top. I don't know.

I guess to finish my rant I'm just honestly not sure if we need to clean house top to bottom and bring in some fresh perspectives at every level in the University. Bodnar on down. Get rid of the ole boy nepo network and bring in some people that can take advantage of the inherent advantages the Montana name brings. Orrrrr are our expectations just so out of wack that we should really be grateful to be as good as we are right now. How many schools would trade their athletic department with ours out there? 90% Maybe even more? Are we just victims of the arrogance too? Can any AD overcome the root issues within the community and the university. I really don't know.

The last time the cats made a run things were in motion for the new stadium, new movements were started to make sure we could compete at the top of the 1-AA level. Vision and leadership that led to the greatest period of sports collectively in the university’s history. That same passion, forward thinking and drive needs to happen now on all fronts.

I don’t understand how it is continually pointed out to the university that we are not doing enough in recruiting students. Years and years and we are still falling short.

 

[Sport]

This is a bit of a ramble but I'm posting it anyway.

I've been thinking about this a lot. Bobby specifically and the job Haslam is doing. I wonder how much of our athletic programs "struggling" has to do with how the University itself is struggling. I wonder how much the dominance we enjoyed at all sports but especially for womens basketball under Rob Selvig and the Football team from 95-2009 is clouding our vision today of what the University of Montana really is. I worry that somewhere along the way we became complacent and arrogant. And we think that we deserve to be at the top of everything in the Big Sky conference because We Are Montana and we are the best. I don't know how true that is anymore.

Just because we may not be the best in the Big Sky doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive to get back to that status. I think President Bodner recognizes the value of the athletic dept. The value of athletic success goes way beyond the dollars allocated in the budget. Enrollment, national exposure, season ticket sales, merchandising etc. These all bring exposure that is not measurable in dollars. The fact that the recent playoff viewership between UoM and msu was 2.8 million indicates that we still have national drawing power. I have it on good authority that of that 2.8 over 2 million tuned in to watch the grizzlies. (Ok so I made that up). However in past years the highest NC Neilson rating was 2.4 million viewers.

MSU lived in our shadow for 40 years. They were the ultimate little brother school. They have clearly outgrown that label now and nobody wanted to admit that the writing was on the wall for the last decade. So what do we have in place now? Enrollment is way behind. Local support for the University in general is pretty low, especially compared to Bozeman. Haslams record speaks for itself. The only sport we have with any sustained success at all is the Soccer team. The Lady Griz are dumpster fire right now. The last two coaches are suing the school and shoving female assistants. The men's basketball team finally got back last year but still TBD if that's sustainable otherwise they've been forgettable. The softball team is laughably bad. Volleyball has been bad forever. What exactly are the Griz good at? If we have the best school with the best facilities, the most fan support, and the richest tradition why are we so mid at everything? Maybe the answer we don't actually have any of those things. What happens if the Washington family decides to turn off the tap. Do we have literally any other plan?

In regards to Hauck specifically. What if the football team at it's core is what the rest of the programs are right now. 3rd to 6th place team in the conference that'll make the playoffs most of the time but no real threat. That's exactly what we were under Stitt and Phlugrad and Delaney. What if the only thing keeping us up here is the fact that Bobby actually is extremely good at his job? Or is his arrogance and the famous We Are Montana attitude the thing keeping us from reaching the top. I don't know.

I guess to finish my rant I'm just honestly not sure if we need to clean house top to bottom and bring in some fresh perspectives at every level in the University. Bodnar on down. Get rid of the ole boy nepo network and bring in some people that can take advantage of the inherent advantages the Montana name brings. Orrrrr are our expectations just so out of wack that we should really be grateful to be as good as we are right now. How many schools would trade their athletic department with ours out there? 90% Maybe even more? Are we just victims of the arrogance too? Can any AD overcome the root issues within the community and the university. I really don't

It is a fact that winning breeds confidence, arrogance and an attitude. Isn’t that better than the opposite of those attributes? Do you think filling the football stadium every Saturday people come to witness a loss? It’s part of our culture. Do you really think the meek will inherit the earth? Just because 90% of all FCS athletic programs want to be like us shouldn’t we strive to make that 100%? Mediocrity has no place in athletics.
Do I think we need to clean house in the athletic dept, probably. Is there a chance we don’t rchoose right, maybe, but I don’t feel doing nothing is the right course.