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Fire Mike Eaves?

Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

There was an article in the WSJ on Wednesday. Eaves said something like he wasn't worried about being fired, but if they didn't improve the university might not extend his contract by one year next summer. Given Barry's success hiring a football coach and then coaching the football team to a big win over Auburn in the Outback bowl, I am thinking he is feeling a bit invincible right now. And that means standing by Eaves. As fans, we may need to prime the pump a bit to up the pressure/make sure Barry fully understands how we feel. Pick a national game and have everybody start wearing bags over their head? Instead of Lets Go Red cheer Lets Fire Eaves? Rather crude but they get the point across while providing significant negative attention. Maybe this is my frustration talking but I am starting to feel like nobody is really listening in the AD.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Scottyp said:
There was an article in the WSJ on Wednesday. Eaves said something like he wasn't worried about being fired, but if they didn't improve the university might not extend his contract by one year next summer. Given Barry's success hiring a football coach and then coaching the football team to a big win over Auburn in the Outback bowl, I am thinking he is feeling a bit invincible right now. And that means standing by Eaves. As fans, we may need to prime the pump a bit to up the pressure/make sure Barry fully understands how we feel. Pick a national game and have everybody start wearing bags over their head? Instead of Lets Go Red cheer Lets Fire Eaves? Rather crude but they get the point across while providing significant negative attention. Maybe this is my frustration talking but I am starting to feel like nobody is really listening in the AD.
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a better way to get BA's attention might be for larger numbers of people to just dump their season tickets. the only thing Barry Alvarez understands is football and money.
 
solovsfett said:
a better way to get BA's attention might be for larger numbers of people to just dump their season tickets. the only thing Barry Alvarez understands is football and money.
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Yep, can also call, email, or write the AD or Barry directly and state very clearly and rationally that you love UW and UW athletics and all the success that they have had but the current state of the hockey program is an embarrassment to its history and traditions and to all the hard working student athletes and great coaches who have helped built it up to on of the nations most storied programs. And say that is the status quo remains that you will have to re-evaluate is your entertainment dollars are well spent supporting the men's hockey program.

It may not make any difference, but I have to believe that letters like that will carry a lot of weight, particularly from long time tick holders/donors.
 
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Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
Yep, can also call, email, or write the AD or Barry directly and state very clearly and rationally that you love UW and UW athletics and all the success that they have had but the current state of the hockey program is an embarrassment to its history and traditions and to all the hard working student athletes and great coaches who have helped built it up to on of the nations most storied programs. And say that is the status quo remains that you will have to re-evaluate is your entertainment dollars are well spent supporting the men's hockey program.

It may not make any difference, but I have to believe that letters like that will carry a lot of weight, particularly from long time tick holders/donors.
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Make sure you include the quote by Eaves, channeling his inner Dennis Green, after last nights game saying "I think that power play goal by Zulinick was the prettiest goal I've seen in a month. We will build on that as we try to get this thing going in the second half." :confused:You guys deserve better.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Scottyp said:
Pick a national game and have everybody start wearing bags over their head?
Click to expand...

I'm going to say that this specific part is frustration talking. It's one thing to do that sort of thing at a pro venue but it's completely different and IMO inappropriate at a college game. That sort of action doesn't differentiate between any support for the amateur student athletes on the ice and non-support for the professional coaching staff. It might grab attention, but the sort of attention it would get from me is that I'd rather a Badger fan that would take that sort of action just not be at the game.

Letter writing is definitely the correct way to get the AD's attention, but I'm not sure that a large enough contingent of fans are willing to, or are even convinced yet that Eaves must go. 4000 letters delivered for example would demand a response. 72 letters isn't really going to so there would need to be an organized effort. I still think there are quite a large number that remain willing to give Eaves at least another year.

As far as a replacement goes, I'm thinking outside the box and drumming up some support for this former Caps coach and Lodi native:

<a href="http://imgur.com/hF6DKKN"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/hF6DKKN.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Why not Chris Walby's Mullet behind the bench? How about some Old Time Hockey, eh!?
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

captain beefheart said:
Make sure you include the quote by Eaves, channeling his inner Dennis Green, after last nights game saying "I think that power play goal by Zulinick was the prettiest goal I've seen in a month. We will build on that as we try to get this thing going in the second half." :confused:You guys deserve better.
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It's not Dennis Green, it's Bob Johnson. He tells a story about playing for Bob in Calgary in the post game presser starting at about 2:50.
 
Wisko McBadgerton said:
I'm going to say that this specific part is frustration talking. It's one thing to do that sort of thing at a pro venue but it's completely different and IMO inappropriate at a college game. That sort of action doesn't differentiate between any support for the amateur student athletes on the ice and non-support for the professional coaching staff. It might grab attention, but the sort of attention it would get from me is that I'd rather a Badger fan that would take that sort of action just not be at the game.

Letter writing is definitely the correct way to get the AD's attention, but I'm not sure that a large enough contingent of fans are willing to, or are even convinced yet that Eaves must go. 4000 letters delivered for example would demand a response. 72 letters isn't really going to so there would need to be an organized effort. I still think there are quite a large number that remain willing to give Eaves at least another year.
Click to expand...

Assuming that season tickets are down by 50% since 2007 report is correct and attendance has fallen off a cliff in the past two seasons, I'd say that many, many people have already spoken about what they think of the current on-ice product.

If they don't remove Eaves after this season, they may as well just have the men play at LaBahn starting next season because things are not going to get better attendance wise, fans have become far to jaded of the wild swings between ups and downs.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
Yep, can also call, email, or write the AD or Barry directly and state very clearly and rationally that you love UW and UW athletics and all the success that they have had but the current state of the hockey program is an embarrassment to its history and traditions and to all the hard working student athletes and great coaches who have helped built it up to on of the nations most storied programs. And say that is the status quo remains that you will have to re-evaluate is your entertainment dollars are well spent supporting the men's hockey program.

It may not make any difference, but I have to believe that letters like that will carry a lot of weight, particularly from long time tick holders/donors.
Click to expand...

THIS. Your idea is much more logical and less knee-jerk emotional reaction than mine.

I have Barry's email and will take some time to ponder and then write a considerate, reasoned yet impassioned plea regarding the state of the UW Men's Hockey team.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
Assuming that season tickets are down by 50% since 2007 report is correct and attendance has fallen off a cliff in the past two seasons, I'd say that many, many people have already spoken about what they think of the current on-ice product.

If they don't remove Eaves after this season, they may as well just have the men play at LaBahn starting next season because things are not going to get better attendance wise, fans have become far to jaded of the wild swings between ups and downs.
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You may be (usually are) completely right, but I don't see 3-4k or more former ticket holders saying if they fire Eaves they will buy tickets next year either. So it's a little bit more you are where you are right now and you're looking at what presumably is your core fan base that have kept tickets, and how to build from here.

From the AD's point of view it's probably all on whether or not you believe in whatever Eaves plans are to build another contender, and to contend more consistently in the future. Obviously 2007 was the peak following the NC, so we believe winning cures all. Whatever Eaves says privately as to what that plan is, is something we're not really privy to, so it's hard for me to judge how believable it is in the eyes of the AD.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
Assuming that season tickets are down by 50% since 2007 report is correct and attendance has fallen off a cliff in the past two seasons, I'd say that many, many people have already spoken about what they think of the current on-ice product.
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Just one other observation: Season tix sales maybe down 50% but paid attendance is down somewhere between 20-25% from it's peak. I assume season tix sales are driven partly by the desire to secure good seats. There's a tipping point somewhere between what paid attendance is now (about 10k?) and what it was then (13k+) where you can't just buy seats to games you want to see and you purchase season tix to secure those good seats. If that makes sense. On-ice product drives demand for seats, and demand for seats in part drives season ticket sales is I guess what I'm getting at.
 
Wisko McBadgerton said:
You may be (usually are) completely right, but I don't see 3-4k or more former ticket holders saying if they fire Eaves they will buy tickets next year either. So it's a little bit more you are where you are right now and you're looking at what presumably is your core fan base that have kept tickets, and how to build from here.

From the AD's point of view it's probably all on whether or not you believe in whatever Eaves plans are to build another contender, and to contend more consistently in the future. Obviously 2007 was the peak following the NC, so we believe winning cures all. Whatever Eaves says privately as to what that plan is, is something we're not really privy to, so it's hard for me to judge how believable it is in the eyes of the AD.
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My point is that if enough of your fan base is disaffected by the current situation I don't seen anything that Eaves can do that will re-energize the fan base short of four consecutive frozen fours. Even that would result in people asking when the inevitable downturn will happen.

Attendance doesn't fall by 1/3 overnight and it goes up much, much slower. It takes much more to regain a ticket holder than to retain one.
 
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Wisko McBadgerton said:
I'm going to say that this specific part is frustration talking. It's one thing to do that sort of thing at a pro venue but it's completely different and IMO inappropriate at a college game. That sort of action doesn't differentiate between any support for the amateur student athletes on the ice and non-support for the professional coaching staff. It might grab attention, but the sort of attention it would get from me is that I'd rather a Badger fan that would take that sort of action just not be at the game.
Click to expand...

I'm not the sort of fan that would boo his own team or wear a bag, so I agree with you sorta.

That said, I'm not sure this group of student athletes deserves the respect that you would afford them. From a source that's in the locker room (quite high up on the totem pole, btw), it sounds like a spoiled and me-first group.

As far as Walby, my boy has been coached by both Walbys, and as much as I like them, Steffon is the better coach and even he wouldn't get my vote for this job.

The mullet is sweet though and is probably a big hit in the iron range.
 
Re: Fire Mike Eaves?

Almington said:
My point is that if enough of your fan base is disaffected by the current situation I don't seen anything that Eaves can do that will re-energize the fan base short of four consecutive frozen fours.
Click to expand...

Very legitimate and I see what you mean. I'm somewhat questioning though whether or not one can take season ticket sales as a direct measure of how disaffected the fan base is in total, when presumably a couple thousand more ticket sales in general would tip season ticket demand upward, if you see what I'm getting at.

In any case, I'll take the four consecutive frozen fours, please.
 
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