Accepting of mediocrity

[ragtimejoe1]

It takes a major situation like we're seeing to expose it. If something doesn't happen with Burman and PBJ, there can be no clearer definition or example of accepting of mediocrity. Well, I guess except it might be lessened to accepting of shit shows.

 

[stymeman]

Medocrity U is what we will always and forever be...playing for nothing but meaningless bowls and maybe a conference championship every 50 years or so(if we are lucky)...smh

 

[Wicks]

Spot on, as I've said on the last few postgames, Burman is part of the problem not the solution. This only changes if UW leadership lets go of Burman and even then the new AD probably gives Sawvel another season. Unless Burman is canned in the next few weeks I don't think anything changes.

 

[307bball]

It takes a major situation like we're seeing to expose it. If something doesn't happen with Burman and PBJ, there can be no clearer definition or example of accepting of mediocrity. Well, I guess except it might be lessened to accepting of shit shows.

Are we convinced that Burman and Sawvell could do better but choose not to? How do we know that they are not doing everything they can?

I guess this is the difference between "accepting" mediocrity and having it thrust upon you. The term "accepting mediocrity" seems to imply something like the following: "I have the ability or resources to do better than I'm currently doing but for some other reason, I accept this mediocre outcome".

 

[307barracuda]

What we had was mediocre to above average, this, this is a crime scene…

 

[TheRealUW]

Are we convinced that Burman and Sawvell could do better but choose not to? How do we know that they are not doing everything they can?

I don't think we really know the answer to this question because the UW athletics department has applied the same old approach over the past 15+ years, even in the face of monumental shifts in college athletics over the past few years.

Maybe this really is the best UW can do. Maybe Burman has truly maximized the potential for UW athletics given our resources, location, TV market, etc. That is certainly possible. But we don't know, because nothing different has been tried.

It's pretty clear that if we continue with the same approach, college athletics is going to pass UW by. Why not at least try a different approach? If it doesn't work, it gets you to the same place as keeping the status quo would.

It's the final round of a 10 round fight and we are losing 8 rounds to 1. We can trot out there in the 10th round with the same approach we did in the first 9 rounds and, at best, lose 8-2. Or we can go for the haymaker and look for the unlikely KO. It's time for UW to go down swinging.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Are we convinced that Burman and Sawvell could do better but choose not to? How do we know that they are not doing everything they can?

I guess this is the difference between "accepting" mediocrity and having it thrust upon you. The term "accepting mediocrity" seems to imply something like the following: "I have the ability or resources to do better than I'm currently doing but for some other reason, I accept this mediocre outcome".

We are on different wavelengths on this one. Do you think Svoboda could do better but chooses not to? How do we know that he is not doing everything he can? Perhaps he is the best option at the moment, but accepting mediocrity is moving forward with him next season vs. finding a portal option.

This decision is above Burman and PBJ. If the University doesn't step in and move on from these guys, then that is accepting the job they are doing which is now worse than mediocre. Bball is a disaster. Football is a disaster. If they are the front porch, the University is looking terrible. Allowing it to continue is accepting mediocrity (really worse than mediocrity).

 

[307bball]

I don't think we really know the answer to this question because the UW athletics department has applied the same old approach over the past 15+ years, even in the face of monumental shifts in college athletics over the past few years.

Maybe this really is the best UW can do. Maybe Burman has truly maximized the potential for UW athletics given our resources, location, TV market, etc. That is certainly possible. But we don't know, because nothing different has been tried.

It's pretty clear that if we continue with the same approach, college athletics is going to pass UW by. Why not at least try a different approach? If it doesn't work, it gets you to the same place as keeping the status quo would.

It's the final round of a 10 round fight and we are losing 8 rounds to 1. We can trot out there in the 10th round with the same approach we did in the first 9 rounds and, at best, lose 8-2. Or we can go for the haymaker and look for the unlikely KO. It's time for UW to go down swinging.

I think this is the best analogy. Going down swinging seems like all there is left at this point. When the dust clears...you still end up on your back though.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

We are on different wavelengths on this one. Do you think Svoboda could do better but chooses not to? How do we know that he is not doing everything he can? Perhaps he is the best option at the moment, but accepting mediocrity is moving forward with him next season vs. finding a portal option.

This decision is above Burman and PBJ. If the University doesn't step in and move on from these guys, then that is accepting the job they are doing which is now worse than mediocre. Bball is a disaster. Football is a disaster. If they are the front porch, the University is looking terrible. Allowing it to continue is accepting mediocrity (really worse than mediocrity).

With the massive university budget cuts that will be coming with the freedom caucus legislature, what other option does the university have until the exit fee money comes rolling in June 2026!?!?!? To my knowledge - there are no $5 million athletic accounts socked away for problems like this.

 

[307bball]

We are on different wavelengths on this one. Do you think Svoboda could do better but chooses not to? How do we know that he is not doing everything he can? Perhaps he is the best option at the moment, but accepting mediocrity is moving forward with him next season vs. finding a portal option.

This decision is above Burman and PBJ. If the University doesn't step in and move on from these guys, then that is accepting the job they are doing which is now worse than mediocre. Bball is a disaster. Football is a disaster. If they are the front porch, the University is looking terrible. Allowing it to continue is accepting mediocrity (really worse than mediocrity).

The "accepting mediocrity" line just doesn't really say anything about the causes of the downfall of UW athletics, and it implies some things about people that I really don't think is accurate. I think it's more accurate to say the people in charge are in over their head or that they are operating from a fear of failure or something.

Whatever the administration and higher-ups do at the end of the season...the foundation of this debacle is deep and layered. It also extends to forces far outside of the control that anybody at UW could ever expect to control or even exert influence upon.. If they end up not firing anybody after the season it seems reasonable that somebody is making the judgement that they are on the hook for the $$ either way and if you are likely to suck either way than save the money you would pay the new guy (who we can't afford to pay anything so they'll be some retread that nobody wants). I'm not saying that is a good strategy but it's logical and it probably costs slightly less over the course of the next few years.

I would like to see them send Burman down the road though....not because I think he "accepts mediocrity"....just want to get a different voice in that position. Again...circling back to hire'em and fire'em. Keep shuffling until you hit. Wyoming should employ a high variance strategy here. Kind of like a bball team that isn't that good but they shoot a lot of three's...they lose a lot but when they get hot you can beat a team that is much better than you are.

 

[rocket city poke]

I don't think we really know the answer to this question because the UW athletics department has applied the same old approach over the past 15+ years, even in the face of monumental shifts in college athletics over the past few years.

Maybe this really is the best UW can do. Maybe Burman has truly maximized the potential for UW athletics given our resources, location, TV market, etc. That is certainly possible. But we don't know, because nothing different has been tried.

It's pretty clear that if we continue with the same approach, college athletics is going to pass UW by. Why not at least try a different approach? If it doesn't work, it gets you to the same place as keeping the status quo would.

It's the final round of a 10 round fight and we are losing 8 rounds to 1. We can trot out there in the 10th round with the same approach we did in the first 9 rounds and, at best, lose 8-2. Or we can go for the haymaker and look for the unlikely KO. It's time for UW to go down swinging.

The best analogy i can see is when Reggie Minton was the basketball coach at Air Force. He was there for 15 years and Air Force consistently did nothing and was easily beaten. Other coaches , the media and administrators talked about how "challenging" that job was and how Minton was "getting everything he could out of that situation." Minton himself embraced this. I think he was even named coach of the year a couple of times. The truth was other programs just liked the two easy wins every year in conference games. Finally, in like 2001 they brought in new coach. Air Force found some success shortly thereafter and since then has had some ups and downs, but the program has improved. Not saying that a change would positively bring better results, but can it do much worse? UW probably wouldn't need to pay the new AD 551k a year either.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

The "accepting mediocrity" line just doesn't really say anything about the causes of the downfall of UW athletics, and it implies some things about people that I really don't think is accurate. I think it's more accurate to say the people in charge are in over their head or that they are operating from a fear of failure or something.

Whatever the administration and higher-ups do at the end of the season...the foundation of this debacle is deep and layered. It also extends to forces far outside of the control that anybody at UW could ever expect to control or even exert influence upon.. If they end up not firing anybody after the season it seems reasonable that somebody is making the judgement that they are on the hook for the $$ either way and if you are likely to suck either way than save the money you would pay the new guy (who we can't afford to pay anything so they'll be some retread that nobody wants). I'm not saying that is a good strategy but it's logical and it probably costs slightly less over the course of the next few years.

I would like to see them send Burman down the road though....not because I think he "accepts mediocrity"....just want to get a different voice in that position. Again...circling back to hire'em and fire'em. Keep shuffling until you hit. Wyoming should employ a high variance strategy here. Kind of like a bball team that isn't that good but they shoot a lot of three's...they lose a lot but when they get hot you can beat a team that is much better than you are.

I bought this to an extent with byu, tcu, and Utah. It resonates much less in the current MWC and doesn't resonate at all in the mwc 8.

Burman sold this narrative or self-fullfilling prophecy for damn near 2 decades. Reality is that he was a big part of exacerbating the challenges. It has taken major conference realignment to shed light on the truth. UW has a people problem and administration accepts it.

This group can't compete in the MWC8. All the bs excuses are gone. If you aren't competitive in the MWC 8 because of some mythical challenges, UW might as well fold the entire athletic department which also means firing Burman.

Back to the original point. If UW does nothing, then that is accepting worse than mediocrity.

 

[307bball]

I bought this to an extent with byu, tcu, and Utah. It resonates much less in the current MWC and doesn't resonate at all in the mwc 8.

Burman sold this narrative or self-fullfilling prophecy for damn near 2 decades. Reality is that he was a big part of exacerbating the challenges. It has taken major conference realignment to shed light on the truth. UW has a people problem and administration accepts it.

This group can't compete in the MWC8. All the bs excuses are gone. If you aren't competitive in the MWC 8 because of some mythical challenges, UW might as well fold the entire athletic department which also means firing Burman.

Back to the original point. If UW does nothing, then that is accepting worse than mediocrity.

What if UW moves on from Burman but not Jay?

 

[307bball]

Burman sold this narrative or self-fullfilling prophecy for damn near 2 decades. Reality is that he was a big part of exacerbating the challenges. It has taken major conference realignment to shed light on the truth. UW has a people problem and administration accepts it.

What narrative? Is this in response to something I said?

 

[OrediggerPoke]

What if UW moves on from Burman but not Jay?

That’s the only financially realistic option this year. The provost was fired a month ago so maybe it’s being considered.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

What narrative? Is this in response to something I said?

Not necessarily but the narrative of external uncontrollable factors as the root cause of WYO's troubles. It's now apparent we've had a people problem who couldn't navigate among peers much less those more well-resourced peers.

The cost to do nothing and allow the train wreck to progress, will cost far more than doing nothing. I haven't read the contract so pure speculation but I don't know if the buyout is a lump sum. If not, we can find a mill or so per year and can then both.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

That’s the only financially realistic option this year. The provost was fired a month ago so maybe it’s being considered.

Is it lump sum or due annually? Most times it's due annually. That's 2 mill to get to the departing buyouts. Not insurmountable even if paying a new coach.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Is it lump sum or due annually? Most times it's due annually. That's 2 mill to get to the departing buyouts. Not insurmountable even if paying a new coach.

No one knows because the trib article was silent on the buyout timeline particulars. I’ve seen it both ways in various coach contracts.
But that’s still about $4.8 million on the books for Sawvel and then I can’t imagine a decent new coach will be less than $1.25 million per year. Plus the assistant contracts and hiring of assistants. Assuming best case scenario that it’s paid out over the contract - you’re still looking at an additional about $2 million per year chargeable to the football program that wasn’t budgeted…and rather than paying the monies to CJC (who can actually help defray the costs), donors are being directed to pay players on a soon to be 2-10 team.

There’s estimates of budget cuts university wide anywhere from 10-50 percent once the freedom caucus controls the purse (which starts January).

You were the one saying that taxpayers are paying the football program. Please let us know where all these extra dollars are going to come from? Mick and Maury have passed.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

No one knows because the trib article was silent on the buyout timeline particulars. I’ve seen it both ways in various coach contracts.
But that’s still about $4.8 million on the books for Sawvel and then I can’t imagine a decent new coach will be less than $1.25 million per year. Plus the assistant contracts and hiring of assistants. Assuming best case scenario that it’s paid out over the contract - you’re still looking at an additional about $2 million per year chargeable to the football program that wasn’t budgeted…and rather than paying the monies to CJC (who can actually help defray the costs), donors are being directed to pay players on a soon to be 2-10 team.

There’s estimates of budget cuts university wide anywhere from 10-50 percent once the freedom caucus controls the purse (which starts January).

You were the one saying that taxpayers are paying the football program. Please let us know where all these extra dollars are going to come from? Mick and Maury have passed.

With the pending buyout money, there are options. 1 example is loan(s) from foundational account(s) (probably the best option). The terms of the loan can be back-loaded. Another is redistribution within the ad budget and matching from other university accounts. A couple mill over 2 years isn't insurmountable.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

With the pending buyout money, there are options. 1 example is loan(s) from foundational account(s) (probably the best option). The terms of the loan can be back-loaded. Another is redistribution within the ad budget and matching from other university accounts. A couple mill over 2 years isn't insurmountable.

It’s over 4 years unless you’re counting the exit fee money scheduled to begin to come in June 2026.

I already know how this show plays out though. We finish 2-10 with blowout losses to Washington State and Boise State, Burman makes some end of the season BS statement about how he talked with Sawvel and Sawvel knows the increased expectations next year yada yada. Nothing happens until the end of next season when we go 1-11 or 2-10 again and then Burman (to save his own ass) touts his ‘excellent’ work to obtain exit fees to allow us to bring in a new staff.

The right move is effective May 2025 - which I believe is the contract date for Burman - is to let him go. Conduct a national search for an AD. Let the new AD utilize the exit fees dollars to bring in a new coach for the 2026 season.