Another misinformed Letter to the Editor

[WestWYOPoke]

This is starting to get out of hand. Someone at the university or in the AD needs to get ahead of this or there will be a problem.

http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/use- ... 9d7cf.html

[ragtimejoe1]

It will only grow louder in the coming year(s). Guaranteed.

If Bohl flops and the oil industry hasn't rebounded significantly, it is going to get bad. I'm just thankful that they haven't taken the "Sternberg report" and ran with something like "UW AD is okay with just being mediocre but demands millions at the expense of K-12 in order to be competitive".

I've said it a million times, but BURMAN PICK IT UP. You need to convince people who are losing jobs and a state that is entering significant financial hardship why it is so important to continue to fund athletics. This is 100% the AD's job.

[Lost Poke]

I've said it a million times, but BURMAN PICK IT UP. You need to convince people who are losing jobs and a state that is entering significant financial hardship why it is so important to continue to fund athletics. This is 100% the AD's job.

Not entirely true - the President has to agree with the budget request and has to advocate for it. We will have to see if she is interested and strong enough to do that.

[ragtimejoe1]

Burman should have a rebuttal with stats, economic impacts, etc. He should have a letter to the editor in every major WYO newspaper. He should extend that message through TV and radio interviews.

A president should certainty reiterate this message when discussing budgets but a president doesn't have time to for a media campaign for one facet of the university.

If Burman stays silent it will speak volumes about him.

[Lost Poke]

Burman should have a rebuttal with stats, economic impacts, etc. He should have a letter to the editor in every major WYO newspaper. He should extend that message through TV and radio interviews.

A president should certainty reiterate this message when discussing budgets but a president doesn't have time to for a media campaign for one facet of the university.

If Burman stays silent it will speak volumes about him.

It would not be a winning strategy for the athletics director to lobby over the head of his boss. That would get him fired.

You are correct about building the case, he should own that, but the President has to be the face of the University.

[ragtimejoe1]

Burman should have a rebuttal with stats, economic impacts, etc. He should have a letter to the editor in every major WYO newspaper. He should extend that message through TV and radio interviews.

A president should certainty reiterate this message when discussing budgets but a president doesn't have time to for a media campaign for one facet of the university.

If Burman stays silent it will speak volumes about him.

It would not be a winning strategy for the athletics director to lobby over the head of his boss. That would get him fired.

You are correct about building the case, he should own that, but the President has to be the face of the University.

ADs in other states do it all the time. Naturally the president is kept in the loop and approved the message. However, it is not unprecedented for an AD to bang the drum for athletics.

I'm holding out hope that Burman rises to the occasion. He was all cameras and back slapping when cash was flush.

[ragtimejoe1]

Burman needs more of this but with more meat and addressed to a larger audience:

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/lo ... 2ff61.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He needs to avoid saying things like this:

“If this gets zeroed out, I don’t know what we’d do. We’d have to go to the students.”

He needs to bang this kind of drum but more in depth and more examples. Real metrics of how successful athletics help UW.

“The logic for it is that a strong intercollegiate athletics program brings people to campus, creates spirit and goodwill and enthusiasm that helps donors contribute to the institution, helps get Legislative support for the institution, and creates a branding mechanism nationally.”

“Student applications increased by 40 percent, but equally important, student retention increased to 75 percent compared to 63 percent before they started investing in football,” he said. “And it’s not because of football — it’s because of the pride of being at Boise State.”

Develop the latter message. Put more teeth into, more meat on the bone, or whatever cliche' you want to use. Develop it and get the message out to the people of Wyoming!

[LawPoke]

These folks complain about $8 million for athletics (which actually reflects a two year REDUCTION of $2 million over current expenditure levels) but don't bat an eye that the state is forking out $300-400 million for the Capitol renovation. Nothing like several hundred million for Legislators and Lobbyists to play in posh luxury 60 days every two freaking years. The athletic reduction is a drop in the bucket...and a classic strategy to draw attention away from the real money that is sailing out the back door to gold-plate the Capitol.

[HiCountryCowboy]

If Burman stays silent it will speak volumes about him.

I know I'm pretty much preaching to the choir with you, but damn, how much more evidence do you need to know he is inept as a D1A athletic director?

[SnowyRange]

Jesus Christ, grow up.

Burman, and the rest of the UW team, are talking to legislators. Constantly. How do you think the opposition to the $8mm was beat back? Not with letters to the editor.

If some of you think this game is played in the funny papers then, by all means, get off your dead asses and start writing.

[ragtimejoe1]

Because they had communication with legislatures to secure the money (good work by Burman), there is no need for him to address the folks who actually pay the money?

So you are saying WYO athletics is all about appeasing politicians and shouldn't concern themselves with the peasants err I mean citizens of this great state.

Actually, maybe you've hit on something here.

[WestWYOPoke]

Because public opinion and the mindset of the voters doesn't shape what the politicians do?? Come on, if a legislator thinks his ass is on the line because of something like this, he will change his vote. It's about educating the populace so that they don't lose their poop over something they shouldn't. Politicians can be peer pressured just as easy as anyone else, maybe more so.

[J-Rod]

Are these newspaper's printing a counter perspective to these guest opinions? Or this is starting to feel slanted?

[Lost Poke]

Well, they printed this letter to the editor from a brilliant guy and credit to UW Alumni everywhere. Wish there were more like him.

http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/uw-a ... 4e97d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lost Poke]

And by publishing this editorial, they simply prove that the original story was part of their own agenda.

http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/fund ... 41b6a.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seriously, what a bunch of clowns.

[303cowboy]

This is starting to get out of hand. Someone at the university or in the AD needs to get ahead of this or there will be a problem.

http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/use- ... 9d7cf.html

http://www.wyosports.net/university_of_ ... 764ab.html