As a long-time follower (but not member) of these message boards, I finally decided to join to add my 2 cents to this discussion. I was born/raised in Wyoming and am a proud graduate of UW, where I got a heck of an education. Like many others, lack of career opportunities in my field led me elsewhere (New York, and now Chicago). I haven't actually been (physically) back to Wyo since '85, before my parents moved east, but I still follow my 'Boys religiously. THE WYOMING COWBOYS remain my connection to the university, the state, and the mindset. Without the sports teams to root for, it would be very easy to just forget Wyoming even exists, except as maybe a pleasant distant memory. I'm sure there are a lot of UW grads scattered across the country who probably feel the same way. So I never can understand the reluctance of the state legislature there to invest - yes, invest - in things that can tie all of us residents and expats alike together, over all of the long years. I'm not a sports-crazed person - rarely follow pro sports of any kind - and am actually in education and the arts. But I see the HUGE importance of UW sports in the long view, and think that the typical short-sighted, tragically tight-fisted, parochial attitude of many (thank God, not all) of Wyoming's "ruling class" to be just plain stupid. It's a big country, and because of Wyoming's small population and location, it's really, really easy for the state to be completely ignored. Why make it even worse? I have planned a fairly decent gift to UW as part of my estate, but why is that? As I said before, I haven't been back to Wyo since '85, so why should I even feel any connection to the university and state at this point? UW football and basketball are what keep me still connected. Ya gotta' get (and keep) your brand out there!!!
