Ten (10) Questions With Wyoming AD, Tom Burman
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:50 am
I have a feeling the "common folk" don't like it, but there are probably more cushy people who don't want to sit outside in the elements who have more influence (kinda like the chairbacks)LanderPoke wrote:I thought there was generally a negative reaction to the tailgate park being moved inside. I don't see why they can't look at the weather and put it outside on the nice days and inside on the crappy days.
Agree with you completely on this LP. The athletic department claims that the move inside has been met with overwhelming approval, however, I can't see tailgating inside as a more rewarding experience than being outside.LanderPoke wrote:I thought there was generally a negative reaction to the tailgate park being moved inside. I don't see why they can't look at the weather and put it outside on the nice days and inside on the crappy days.
Really enjoying your new site, Dino.Yabadabadoo wrote:http://pokesradio.com/index.aspx
Thank you very much, I appreciate the encouraging and kind words.phxpoke wrote:Really enjoying your new site, Dino.Yabadabadoo wrote:http://pokesradio.com/index.aspx
It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.ragtimejoe1 wrote:His comments about market size and reliance upon the State and University are the root of many complaints about him.
To what level is that "our reality"? To listen to Burman, there is no or very little room for upward mobility in our budget from sources outside of the State and/or University.
IMO, if Burman is right, we are screwed at least from the perspective of what I'd like UW athletics to be. If Burman is 100% correct, then I've had nothing but unrealistic expectations of where the UW could go. Our State and University can't keep pace with those that generate a lot of revenue through marketing, success, or charging large student populations.
So, is this our reality or is this the reality Burman built?
Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I guess I see this a little bit differently, guys. Meaning that if there are inherent and non-negotiable disadvantages that the university has as an athletic department (never mind as a university in total), and we are in agreement on what some of those barriers are, then what, short of waving a magic wand, is Burman able to do that he is not already doing?ragtimejoe1 wrote:His comments about market size and reliance upon the State and University are the root of many complaints about him.
To what level is that "our reality"? To listen to Burman, there is no or very little room for upward mobility in our budget from sources outside of the State and/or University.
IMO, if Burman is right, we are screwed at least from the perspective of what I'd like UW athletics to be. If Burman is 100% correct, then I've had nothing but unrealistic expectations of where the UW could go. Our State and University can't keep pace with those that generate a lot of revenue through marketing, success, or charging large student populations.
So, is this our reality or is this the reality Burman built?
Same here. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk but I never let that stop me!joshvanklomp wrote:Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I think it's important to recognize the limitations that you have to deal with, but those limitations should never actually hinder you.
For example, I was born with a disability. While I know that to be true and recognize how the disability creates more challenges, I would like to believe I've never let my disability hold me back from what I can do. Sometimes I have to be a little creative, but I get things done.
Wyokie, I have no idea how or why my post was repeated and I apologize. If you can delete the follow-ups I'd appreciate.Wyokie wrote:Same here. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk but I never let that stop me!joshvanklomp wrote:Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I think it's important to recognize the limitations that you have to deal with, but those limitations should never actually hinder you.
For example, I was born with a disability. While I know that to be true and recognize how the disability creates more challenges, I would like to believe I've never let my disability hold me back from what I can do. Sometimes I have to be a little creative, but I get things done.
Just deleted all 3 or 4 of them. And before you say, "Thank you",....your welcome.Yabadabadoo wrote:Wyokie, I have no idea how or why my post was repeated and I apologize. If you can delete the follow-ups I'd appreciate.Wyokie wrote:Same here. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk but I never let that stop me!joshvanklomp wrote:Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I think it's important to recognize the limitations that you have to deal with, but those limitations should never actually hinder you.
For example, I was born with a disability. While I know that to be true and recognize how the disability creates more challenges, I would like to believe I've never let my disability hold me back from what I can do. Sometimes I have to be a little creative, but I get things done.
You da man!Wyokie wrote:Just deleted all 3 or 4 of them. And before you say, "Thank you",....your welcome.Yabadabadoo wrote:Wyokie, I have no idea how or why my post was repeated and I apologize. If you can delete the follow-ups I'd appreciate.Wyokie wrote:Same here. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk but I never let that stop me!joshvanklomp wrote:Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I think it's important to recognize the limitations that you have to deal with, but those limitations should never actually hinder you.
For example, I was born with a disability. While I know that to be true and recognize how the disability creates more challenges, I would like to believe I've never let my disability hold me back from what I can do. Sometimes I have to be a little creative, but I get things done.
Well....I AM a living legend, of course!Yabadabadoo wrote:You da man!Wyokie wrote:Just deleted all 3 or 4 of them. And before you say, "Thank you",....your welcome.Yabadabadoo wrote:Wyokie, I have no idea how or why my post was repeated and I apologize. If you can delete the follow-ups I'd appreciate.Wyokie wrote:Same here. I have cerebral palsy and can't walk but I never let that stop me!joshvanklomp wrote:Agreed.Wyovanian wrote:It's the reality he accepts and therein lies the problem.
I think it's important to recognize the limitations that you have to deal with, but those limitations should never actually hinder you.
For example, I was born with a disability. While I know that to be true and recognize how the disability creates more challenges, I would like to believe I've never let my disability hold me back from what I can do. Sometimes I have to be a little creative, but I get things done.
He does OK at keeping the department afloat, but I'm not sure he's ever going to be the AD to take the department to the next step. I'm not even talking crazy talk like the Power 5, but even just sitting atop the MWC in more than one sport at a time. Maybe we catch lightning in a bottle for a season or two, but can we sustain it? If we do, it's more to do with the job coaches are doing than what Burman is doing.Yabadabadoo wrote:I guess I see this a little bit differently, guys. Meaning that if there are inherent and non-negotiable disadvantages that the university has as an athletic department (never mind as a university in total), and we are in agreement on what some of those barriers are, then what, short of waving a magic wand, is Burman able to do that he is not already doing?
In a previous story I wrote on http://pokesradio.com/TheDCSpin.aspx I did mention that my one criticism of Burman was in his lack of 'dynamic appeal' if you will. Having the PT Barnum personality to go out and to electrify a constituency. However, I quickly followed that thought up by mentioning that something like that can't really be a fault of Burman's...it's just who he is.ragtimejoe1 wrote:Well, Dino, let me put it this way, if I see a heart surgeon whose patients typically die, I sure as hell can't tell him every detail of what to fix because I'm no heart surgeon. At the same time, I can sure as hell tell the heart surgeon is doing something wrong and I wouldn't let that sawbones cut on me.
Outside of 1 tournament run, the heart of athletics is dying. Bball attendance used to be upper end in the nation and then Burman killed it with his buddy hire. Sure DC was a media favorite kind of hire but Burman's job is to determine if that is true. Burman said we needed a high paced offense and utilize the spread to mask our talent deficiencies since we can't recruit to Laramie. Then he switches to the Cowboy tough rah rah stuff and hires Bohl. I like Bohl but I think his hire highlighted Burman's lack of vision and conviction.
I think he is quick to throw coaches and the state under the bus to mask his own shortfalls. He uses coaches as shields for criticism against the athletic department.
His main sales pitch is "well if you want D1athletics, then give me your tax money. He does very little on highlighting what successful programs can do. Rather than generate passion and excitement to get people to follow, he uses the chicken little approach. The overall atmosphere is that of a tomb rather than big time athletics. I would venture to guess that there a big chunk of WYO folks follow another NCAA sports program more closely than WYO. Burman hasn't captured what market he has. Hell, it might be even worse now.
We are heavily state subsidized and our position within the MWC relative to budgets has been stagnant to slightly worse despite losing the big dogs. During Burman's tenure we've largely failed to compete in revenue sports despite a weakened MWC.
So, Dino, I'm no AD, but there are damn sure some concerning symptoms of a dying department.