FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Sounds like Alvarez is trying to get UW on the same page as every other DI university. When you have FACULTY members quoting procedures from the 30's, you realize that you are dealing with pissy professors who feel like they are losing power.

Depression era athletic procedures are so in vogue and relevant these days.

Go Barry!

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 09:01 AM ET  05.12 by GatorBaitor

Sounds like Alvarez is trying to get UW on the same page as every other DI university. When you have FACULTY members quoting procedures from the 30's, you realize that you are dealing with pissy professors who feel like they are losing power. Depression era athletic procedures are so in vogue and relevant these days.Go Barry!

Absolutely true! I'll go with Alvarez over someone who knows very little about sports.

Not really that interested in Sconsin Athletics except I sure do wish they'd bring back the retro helmets with the big W on the front of the shell. Those are some of the coolest helmets ever.

Hiring/Firing by a board/committee? No wonder Bucky suffered until Barry came along. Why even have an athletic director if you are not going to let them make the personel decisions. There needs to be checks and balances to keep athletics from going overboard, but that is the chancellor's job to make a good hire for the AD. And the faculty/athletic board can still provide oversight in keeping the athletic department in good standing with all the NCAA rules. Even as adults, the faculty geeks still have an inferiority complex towards the jocks.

Once again, the faculty of a University thinks just because they have a college degree and teach some classes, that they are qualified to make decisions on who should coach athletic teams. Unless Alvarez and the previous AD were running things on the shady side, let things go the way they have been.

The biggest problem With UW sports is they hold the athletes to the same standards as the students unlike every other school in the Big 11 even Northwestern has easier admission standards for athletes. Its pretty amazing what they have done despite that. That is the thing they really need to change

If Bielema can't turn things around soon enough, hiring him would be the first bad move on the part of Barry Alvarez. That guy has been a godsend to UW-Athletics. I do agree though the board should have some say in those matters.

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 09:50 AM ET  05.12 by Jcwisco

The biggest problem With UW sports is they hold the athletes to the same standards as the students unlike every other school in the Big 11 even Northwestern has easier admission standards for athletes. Its pretty amazing what they have done despite that. That is the thing they really need to change

Be careful what you wish for. I am not so sure I want them to dumb down our athletic admissions. I would prefer to have our current overall athletic department then turning into a quasi pro team for football and basketball like some of the SEC schools (you bring a greater chance of adding the negatives that come with that approach). Look where we fare in the Sears Director Cup standings every year. Always near the top, often in the top five. Usually the best of the big ten schools. We may not win national championships in the big 2 of football and basketball, but we are usually a top 15 school in those 2 and compete for national championships in other sports.

I taught in the system. Trusting faculty to do oversee athletics is way out. They can't even stop their own from dating their students.

Why can't we return to the way things were at Wisconsin, when football games were drunken orgies and the faculty had a firm grasp of control and were apparently okay with that? Seriously though, this is probably more about Bielema than people think. He is not doing so well and some, out of reverence for Alvarez, won't cross the now-AD but others want to stop the slide before they give-back all the respectability that Alvarez built. . .and yeah. . .maybe Alvarez is too egotistical to admit that Bielema is failing.

Doesn't sound like there is much of a power "struggle" going on here. A few faculty members are whining but Alvarez is pretty much doing as he pleases. Not much of a struggle...

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 09:50 AM ET  05.12 by Jcwisco

The biggest problem With UW sports is they hold the athletes to the same standards as the students unlike every other school in the Big 11 even Northwestern has easier admission standards for athletes. Its pretty amazing what they have done despite that. That is the thing they really need to change

So let me get this straight, Wisconsin is so so so good, that they are able to accomplish what Stanford, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Northwestern, cannot? Wisconsin has been able to stay relevent while not comproising standards for athletes? Someone has sold you a load of crap and you're spreading it here. No thanks. I'm not buying it.

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 10:13 AM ET  05.12 by MadCityHoops

If Bielema can't turn things around soon enough, hiring him would be the first bad move on the part of Barry Alvarez. That guy has been a godsend to UW-Athletics. I do agree though the board should have some say in those matters.

It seems there is a patern of bad decision by rouge ADs that have led to some shoddy HC hirings at a couple of higher profile Big Ten schools. RR was brought in under the radar at Michigan too and many internally were not happy. I'm sure some UM fans will chime in and give us the ****-ba-ya version though, spinned for the benfit of the stupid. . .but don't let them fool you.

You cannot use policies that date back to the 1930's. This program has been stuck in the same place for the last ten years. We can't seem to break into a big bowl unless we win the Big Ten and it's the Rose Bowl. Granted that is the biggest, but until recruits see Wisconsin on the same level as Michigan and Penn State in their own conference we won't get many of those blue chip kids. The board should have say, but if something has to be done Alvarez and the chancellor should be able to make a quick decision.

I've got an idea.. let's get Obama involved.. he's our savior, he can fix ANYTHING!

As an alum, I think Barry has been an amazing leader for Wisconsin athletics and should be entrusted with the power to hire and fire coaches. He put Wisconsin sports on the map, and not just in football. Why are we looking at policies from the 30's? why are we not updating our policies? I agree that I want the high academic standards to stay in place but I don't think the power of hiring/firing coaches will affect that in any great ammount. Barry is/has been good for the university of Wisconsin.....let him continue to lead the way.

Sorry folks , I'm a huge sports fan but I can tell you removing board over site is a huge mistake here. If you don't see the problem of giving one person sole power in these matters you are myopic in how you have viewed the college sports scene the last few years . The truth is that all these decisions on hiring and firing are not time sensitive an. Too many bad decisions on these types of issues have led to problems elsewhere . Follow the old rules they were put there by wise men for a reason . Lack of over site and the concentration of power only leads to trouble in the long run . A single ego with excessive power can ruin decades of good work if not properly controlled .

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:42 AM ET  05.12 by MrBuckeye3

So let me get this straight, Wisconsin is so so so good, that they are able to accomplish what Stanford, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Northwestern, cannot? Wisconsin has been able to stay relevent while not comproising standards for athletes? Someone has sold you a load of crap and you're spreading it here. No thanks. I'm not buying it.

To get into UW-Madison you need at least a 26 on the ACT and you need to be in the top 25% of your graduating class and those are bare mins.

QUOTE(#15):

Originally posted 11:08 AM ET  05.12 by HuskerTx

I've got an idea.. let's get Obama involved.. he's our savior, he can fix ANYTHING!

well duh everyone knows that maybe he can work on world hunger after he fixes Wisconsin.

Faculty at a univeristy or college should not be involved in the hiring procedures of the athletic department. In fact if they have the time to be involved in this, they are shirking more important duties.

My wife is on faculty at a large D1 uni, and she barely has time for her classes, her masters students, phD students, her writing/publications, research and fund raising let alone her own family.

And you have a uni where faculty wants involvement? Dare I say those folks are not pulling their weight in other areas?

Tenure is the biggest scam in the working arena.