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Fire Mike Eaves?

Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

sweatpants said:
Well according to Andy Baggot(Wisconsin hockey beat writer) Eaves isn't close to being fired. He also said they have lost 4,000 season ticket holders in the last 6 years, but said not all of it can be attributed to on-ice performance.
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That's complete BS. While I'm sure that the economic situation has ACCELERATED the downward trend (Q: Well, Honey, we have to cut something. What should we cut? A: How about the hockey tickets? They have sucked lately and we'll always be able to get season tickets in the future if we want them again. Sometime in the future: Q: Hello, I am calling from the UW Athletic Department with a survey on why you didn't renew your Hockey season tickets. A: While I loved having the tickets, it was completely an issue of us having to cut something because of the cost. Q: So, on-ice performance had nothing to do with it? A: Not really, it was all about us having to cut costs.) if the team had been winning regularly I think that many of those people would have cut something else and kept the hockey tickets.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Timothy A said:
I would have loved to see that interview. 4000 season ticket holders over a 6 year period is a mass exodus. I have to believe based on the attendance the last 2 years that this trend has more leaving the last 2 years than the first 4 combined.

There's a serious issue with the fanbase being turned off by the team's performance. My hockey hardcore eldest son wanted me to turn off the game Friday and watch something else but we stuck it out. I can't say that I blame him. If hardcore fans are turning their backs, there's trouble in river city.
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I think the interview was during Saturday nights game. But in any case, you're absolutely right about it being a "mass exodus". You're spot on when you say there is a serious issue with the fanbase being turned off by the teams performance. And I'll add style of play to that mix. Other than when they are rolling and cycling the puck, the system Eaves plays is hard to watch when scoring is at a premium. And while I'm at it (on soapbox) maybe add a 2nd power play system to the mix. While Eaves' pp has proven successful at times, I think other teams, and fans, would crap their pants if the PP unit suddenly shifted into an unbrella or two D on top who shoot and 3 forwards crash the net....not all the time, just now and then.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

TUSCHWI - thanks for the re-cap, I REALLY hope this part attributed to Baggot is correct "they are being evaluated and bottom line this team needs to start winning this year."

I don't think there's anything unfair about that. 3 years out from a frozen four appearance and you're looking at a 3rd consecutive year on the outside looking in. At some point you need to re-load, not re-build all the time
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

solovsfett said:
TUSCHWI - thanks for the re-cap, I REALLY hope this part attributed to Baggot is correct "they are being evaluated and bottom line this team needs to start winning this year."

I don't think there's anything unfair about that. 3 years out from a frozen four appearance and you're looking at a 3rd consecutive year on the outside looking in. At some point you need to re-load, not re-build all the time
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You're welcome. I may be off by a word or two but that sentence was Baggot's final thought before they went to break, which is why it stuck in my head.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Looks like Eaves is close to landing a few high-end MNHS players. Both forwards. Both are Juniors and one of them is arguably the best Junior in the state after Connor Hurley (Notre Dame commit). The other isn't far behind. Both have been ripping it up so far this season. Both project to be (in my opinion) 3-4 year players because of size.

Don't give up yet :)
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

JDUBBS1280 said:
Looks like Eaves is close to landing a few high-end MNHS players. Both forwards. Both are Juniors and one of them is arguably the best Junior in the state after Connor Hurley (Notre Dame commit). The other isn't far behind. Both have been ripping it up so far this season. Both project to be (in my opinion) 3-4 year players because of size.

Don't give up yet :)
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Are you referring to the two I've been talking/tweeting about lately?
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

TUSCHWI said:
I saw the Baggot interview too. He did say that, but I thought PB then followed up with a question/comment that the hockey program isn't currently being evaluated? Baggot replied something to the extent that "they are being evaluated and bottom line (I think he used that phrase) this team needs to start winning this year."
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Yes, but the whole vibe of the interview was Baggot saying what is negatively going on in the program and pointing out that there doesn't seem to be any kind urgency coming from the athletic department. I think the question PB asked was something like "So you don't see any change coming at all?" in which Baggot gave the vague answer of "he's being evaluated." Well, he's evaluated every year. Then towards the end Baggot said he got the impression that the athletic dept. wouldn't let a coach go that's been to 2 NCAA championships in 7 years. According to the AD that wouldn't be grounds for dismissal. After I listened to it, I'm about 95% sure Eaves will be back next year, unless something EXTREMELY drastic happens.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

JDUBBS1280 said:
Looks like Eaves is close to landing a few high-end MNHS players. Both forwards. Both are Juniors and one of them is arguably the best Junior in the state after Connor Hurley (Notre Dame commit). The other isn't far behind. Both have been ripping it up so far this season. Both project to be (in my opinion) 3-4 year players because of size.
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How is it that two of the best junior forwards in the state eschewed playing for the Gophers?
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Timothy A said:
I would have loved to see that interview. .
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I wish I would've taped it. I usually record every game, but forgot this time. I then decided to record the 11:30 replay and was going to type the interview word for word to see what others thought, but they skipped over it.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
That's complete BS. While I'm sure that the economic situation has ACCELERATED the downward trend (Q: Well, Honey, we have to cut something. What should we cut? A: How about the hockey tickets? They have sucked lately and we'll always be able to get season tickets in the future if we want them again. Sometime in the future: Q: Hello, I am calling from the UW Athletic Department with a survey on why you didn't renew your Hockey season tickets. A: While I loved having the tickets, it was completely an issue of us having to cut something because of the cost. Q: So, on-ice performance had nothing to do with it? A: Not really, it was all about us having to cut costs.) if the team had been winning regularly I think that many of those people would have cut something else and kept the hockey tickets.
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I didn't see any winky icon so you are serious? You are saying performance has been a bigger impact than the economy on attendance?
 
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Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

sweatpants said:
I wish I would've taped it. I usually record every game, but forgot this time. I then decided to record the 11:30 replay and was going to type the interview word for word to see what others thought, but they skipped over it.
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I saw it and you two have it right from what I remember.

The gist of it was that Eaves is not currently being looked at, but at the same time, things needed to turn around this season, whatever that means.

The most that will happen this season, imo, is that he won't get a year added to his rotating extension.


EDIT: This article talks about it but doesn't make the comment about winning this year that Baggot made on TV.

http://host.madison.com/sports/coll...cle_5047e80c-3fff-11e2-add0-0019bb2963f4.html
 
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Gurtholfin said:
How is it that two of the best junior forwards in the state eschewed playing for the Gophers?
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One of the two I think (can't confirm) we have/had interest in, but not sure on the other one. I know we offered 3 high school forwards recently, but neither of these two were included. That doesn't mean Gophers weren't aren't interested though. Especially since Hurley took Notre Dame's offer instead of Minnesota's.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

I've many DU-Wisconsin games at the Kohl Center in the past five years and what always struck me was how old the fans were in the prime "between the blue-lines" seats. That and the lack of kids whipping around the arena between periods.

Lots of possible reasons to explain this, but at the end of the day it appears to an outsider that Sconnie had an aging fanbase & wasn't able to attract enough younger families to replace the attrition that was occurring.

Most likely these issues are outside the responsibility of the hockey coach.
 
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Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

dggoddard said:
I've many DU-Wisconsin games at the Kohl Center in the past five years and what always struck me was how old the fans were in the prime "between the blue-lines" seats. That and the lack of kids whipping around the arena between periods.

Lots of possible reasons to explain this, but at the end of the day it appears that Sconnie had an aging fanbase, that wasn't able to attract enough younger families to replace the attrition that was occurring.
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I've made a point before that I think touches on a similar vane, namely that the demographics of a Badger hockey fan has indeed changed. I think it is rooted in where hockey fits into the hierarchy of Badger sports. For a long time basketball and football were in the range of aweful to mediocre at best. For now approaching 2 decades, both have been generally very good and I think the result has been a lost generation of Badger hockey fans that were more interested/captivated by basketball/football then prior generations. I suspect it has even trickled down to youth hockey as the Madison Capitals are a shadow of what they were a decade ago.
 
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