LanderPoke
Well-known member
Addazio is gone
-
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Sheep fire their coach
- Thread starter LanderPoke
- Start date
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
Damn, was hoping they keep him another couple of years.
bladerunnr
Well-known member
J-Bone said:
3 million dollar buyout for Addazio. Plus, they paid a big buyout for Bobo.
I hope they don't do something smart like hiring Gary Patterson.
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
bladerunnr said:
It's CSU. They will do something that will leave everyone shaking their heads.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
bladerunnr said:
My exact concern. Patterson at csu would not be good for us.
303cowboy
Well-known member
I think it'll be Tony Alford, maybe Matt Lubick (son of Sonny) but here's an interesting candidate mentioned by Denver Post's 13 possibilities:
Brent Vigen, Montana State head coach: Craig Bohl’s former right-hand man at Wyoming has North Dakota State roots, knows the Mountain West and is 8-1 in his first season with the Bobcats.
Brent Vigen, Montana State head coach: Craig Bohl’s former right-hand man at Wyoming has North Dakota State roots, knows the Mountain West and is 8-1 in his first season with the Bobcats.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
laxwyo said:
I think so too. I'm betting they go all in to try to jump conferences.
One of these days, CSU will get it right and they will leave us in the dust. When they do, we will jealously decry their move to a different conference or P5 status and talk about how they are undeserving.
The reality is that Fort Collins and the Front Range lend themselves to moving well beyond us - just in terms of geography, diversity and opportunity. We can make fun now - because they have screwed the pooch with their last several hires - but even they can't miss every time.
Given our penchant for not only accepting mediocrity, but in a lot of ways celebrating and cloaking ourselves in it, we will grumble as they leave us in the dust someday. We will wax poetic about lost rivalries and how they will "get killed" in their new conference, like a newly divorced spouse that got left behind for a hot young exciting new partner. But you know what? It will mostly be our fault. Because we accept being blah. Our admin and most fans like being 6-6 and going to the lowest of lower tier bowls to chortle about being in the post-season and spending a lovely pre-Christmas vacay in lovely downtown Boise or Albuquerque. Yippee.
As I have said in other circles, I think being middlin and milquetoast is actually worse than losing. It lets you get lulled into a false sense that all is well (or at least ok enough), while slowly, you are being left behind. In this day and age, with the transfer portal, NIL and other never-before-seen accelerators of change, I fear it will be a sudden and ugly fall from the cliff - like Wiley Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon...we will find ourselves over open air and the little sign that will show right before we plunge into the chasm will say "oh well, at least I went to the Tater Bowl once..."
I am jealous as hell of the opportunities in front of CSU. They suck and they might suck for a while longer - but at least they have a shot at being something. Unless we change - as a state, university and athletics program, we will become that middle aged, depressed once-was high school QB that walks with a bit of a limp to remind folks of his time as "the man" who pines for the good ol' days over a beer at the local watering hole, while the barkeep pats him on the back and tells him how great he was.
Sorry to be negative - but Wyoming, UW and our football program are in significant decline, and way too many people are way too ready and happy to simply plow a fresh path to the nursing home. We could be so much more, but likely won't. We could be the next Gonzaga. We could be the next Cincinnati. And it frustrates the hell out of me.
The reality is that Fort Collins and the Front Range lend themselves to moving well beyond us - just in terms of geography, diversity and opportunity. We can make fun now - because they have screwed the pooch with their last several hires - but even they can't miss every time.
Given our penchant for not only accepting mediocrity, but in a lot of ways celebrating and cloaking ourselves in it, we will grumble as they leave us in the dust someday. We will wax poetic about lost rivalries and how they will "get killed" in their new conference, like a newly divorced spouse that got left behind for a hot young exciting new partner. But you know what? It will mostly be our fault. Because we accept being blah. Our admin and most fans like being 6-6 and going to the lowest of lower tier bowls to chortle about being in the post-season and spending a lovely pre-Christmas vacay in lovely downtown Boise or Albuquerque. Yippee.
As I have said in other circles, I think being middlin and milquetoast is actually worse than losing. It lets you get lulled into a false sense that all is well (or at least ok enough), while slowly, you are being left behind. In this day and age, with the transfer portal, NIL and other never-before-seen accelerators of change, I fear it will be a sudden and ugly fall from the cliff - like Wiley Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon...we will find ourselves over open air and the little sign that will show right before we plunge into the chasm will say "oh well, at least I went to the Tater Bowl once..."
I am jealous as hell of the opportunities in front of CSU. They suck and they might suck for a while longer - but at least they have a shot at being something. Unless we change - as a state, university and athletics program, we will become that middle aged, depressed once-was high school QB that walks with a bit of a limp to remind folks of his time as "the man" who pines for the good ol' days over a beer at the local watering hole, while the barkeep pats him on the back and tells him how great he was.
Sorry to be negative - but Wyoming, UW and our football program are in significant decline, and way too many people are way too ready and happy to simply plow a fresh path to the nursing home. We could be so much more, but likely won't. We could be the next Gonzaga. We could be the next Cincinnati. And it frustrates the hell out of me.
Asmodeanreborn
Well-known member
LawPoke said:
I mean, how do you propose we change things? We like to make fun of Fort Fart, but it IS a great area in terms of quality of life just like you pointed out. How is Laramie to overcome that? Is it even possible for Laramie to become a tech hub the way large parts of the Front Range have? Is it even something that Laramie would want, considering the culture change that comes with that?
Asmodeanreborn said:
GREAT question. As I said, it will mostly be our fault. We can't change the climate or geography.
However, we can change our outlook and our priorities. I think the tech hub schtick has left us behind. We can talk about blockchain and supercomputers and all of those buzzwords, but they aren't transformational in my mind. I have asked over 50 smart people to explain Bitcoin, blockchain and crypto to me...and the whole thing still smells like a Ponzi scheme.
Diversity will come with opportunity. We won't all like it, but it is essential to growth and not being left behind.
So how is opportunity created? Well, it starts with recognition that we are being left behind and don't want to be. I honestly don't think most people believe we are being left behind and, even if they do, don't care that we are. Perhaps a good test would be to put a tax on the next ballot to go whole hog into some economic development effort or other progressive (not Democrat progressiveness, mind you - but more in the "we need to advance ourselves") concept. Whether it fails or passes - we at least know who we are.
Assuming we can cross the Rubicon of actually agreeing that we give two shits, we have to embrace what we are and what we are good at - like the people of Santa Poco in the Three Amigos movie (dumb, but not wrong). We are diggers, drillers, hunters, fishermen/women, reclaimers, in neat small towns where we all know each other and know what we can and can't do, etc. Then we have to acknowledge where we fall short - and be honest. Shortcomings aren't bad - they can actually be turned into strengths. We are hard-headed (demanding and not gullible). We are a tinge mean (don't cross us, deal with us honestly or we'll crack you). We don't like outsiders (we are proud of who we are, so don't be quick to try to change us). We are paranoid (we are skeptical and worried about what you are trying to do to us). We don't really like our neighbors to succeed (we are a bit jealous and don't like show offs). We talk about being good capitalists that are entrepreneurial, but that's hooey (we know how to take advantage of federal and state pork and let others pay our bills - we aren't stupid). We think we like education, but don't - we like buildings and new schools and to look like we know what the hell we are doing (we have nice facilities - they are empty, but they are nice). Knowing who and what you are, and more importantly, what you aren't, you can maybe build something.
No matter what we are, we have to change our institutions to reflect what we really need today. Our government, University and nearly every other institution are geared to existing in 1956. We still have a fleet of guys that run around inspecting cows before they are sold off the ranch to stop cattle rustling. We still have county extension agents talking about what Mother Mable should plant and when. We still have degree programs with less than 20 enrollees. We can't afford it and we don't need most of it.
While we are working on that, we need to invest in liveable communities. Good hospitals or a regional network of them. Good schools. Clean, welcoming downtowns. Technologically connected. Etc. Wyoming is not investment grade or investment worthy right now - as a product, not as a bond rating.
Finally, we can't be seen as rubes. Investment does not flow to rubes. Confidence does not extend to rubes. Much of what I see coming out of our politics (from the Dems and the GOP), thinking, approaches, and University...makes us look like small time rubes (being honest).
I adhere to the adage that being small is a strength. It is easier to get 500,000 people rowing in the same direction than 2 million people. We can adapt more quickly. We can change quickly. The question is: do we want to in the interest of growth and COLLECTIVE prosperity?
This is less Laramie specific - but I see the issue as being much less about Laramie, than it is about the state and university.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
That's a lot just to fix a football team.
LanderPoke
Well-known member
Lawpoke: what industries specifically would you like to see become more developed in the Cowboy state?
WestWYOPoke
Well-known member
ragtimejoe1 said:
That's a lot just to fix a football team.
Agreed, but I think Law Poke is spot on...in order to keep up with a program like CSU, you need more changes than just a new head coach.
They have a brand new stadium (in a ton of debt yes, but the state won't let them fail), they are in an area that (even though many of you disagree) is very attractive to live for a lot of people. They are only an hour from a major airport and metro area. And biggest of all, they have the biggest football budget in the MWC. It is insane how inept they are with everything they have going for them.
Not trying to toot CSU's horn here, but these are all reality. If we don't do something to address these issues now they will become enormous disparities in the future.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
WestWYOPoke said:ragtimejoe1 said:
That's a lot just to fix a football team.
Agreed, but I think Law Poke is spot on...in order to keep up with a program like CSU, you need more changes than just a new head coach.
They have a brand new stadium (in a ton of debt yes, but the state won't let them fail), they are in an area that (even though many of you disagree) is very attractive to live for a lot of people. They are only an hour from a major airport and metro area. And biggest of all, they have the biggest football budget in the MWC. It is insane how inept they are with everything they have going for them.
Not trying to toot CSU's horn here, but these are all reality. If we don't do something to address these issues now they will become enormous disparities in the future.
That ship has sailed. We'll be in whatever becomes the lowest level of FBS (if any major changes) no matter what is done. WYO has drastically improved facilities, salaries, budgets, etc relative to conference mates. Some of that is by investment and much of that is by subtraction of larger budget teams. Regardless, overall success or lack of has remained constant. Apparently all those shiny things aren't what make teams win.
WYO has an undergrad population more similar to the University of Northern CO and a state population closer to 2 or 3 city blocks in Denver.
That's not going to be overcome relative the college athletic arms race let alone jockeying to enhance WYO's overall economy. Just reality.
