Bear Down Wildcats

F*ck you Arizona administration. You can have my alumni recognition after you pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.

My daughter will be just fine at UCLA or Stanford. If not better. Friends, talk to you on Facebook. Otherwise, bye.

not me - hope you reconsider

I feel you, man. It's where I am too. Don't feel like wearing my Arizona stuff, supporting this administration or being part of the direction things are headed.

Outside of a Pastner hire, I will be here, just like I have been following the football team since I was a freshman in 1981. Just will have extremely low expectations of the basketball program now like I do the football program.

Yep I'm not going anywhere but it doesn't mean I'll actively pay attention or watch, much less give any money or go to games.

This is a good day to vent and to drink but I’m not holding anyone to anything they say today

G, I know the feeling. When AZ sports go bad there is no reading or looking at the articles, this board or anything else.

I just hope for better days ahead. The journey up is a fun one so we just have to hope the hire is a HR in performance because it probably won’t win the press conference

Merkin wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:20 pm Outside of a Pastner hire, I will be here, just like I have been following the football team since I was a freshman in 1981. Just will have extremely low expectations of the basketball program now like I do the football program.

I’m the same way. Pastner, nearly fired before the last 5 months, and I’m gone.

Tucson will forgive you for hiring a drunk for the HC job in football...but if you fuck up the mens (and now womens) BB program your ass is gone...Robbins has one shot at this and Lloyd better deliver from day one or him and heeke can go blow each other in some other town.

If the replacement coach is somehow able to retain a good chunk of our returning talent, I can see myself being OK in the long run.

If Pastner is that coach, or Damon to a lesser degree, I will have lost all interest in not just Arizona but all CBB.

I will always have interest in how they are doing but I will not financial support this program going forward. In the past I have been contacted about nice to haves (benches/graphics etc) that they want donations to help enhance the "college experience for our athletes and students". I have met Heeke and Bryne before at events in So. Cal.. I have sent Heeke an email this morning indicating that I will not contribute anything until both he and Robbins are gone. I have also let Kessler, Breslin and Iniguez know of this fact (they are the ones that have me in their database).

It will always be of interest how they are doing but that is a lot different than supporting the actions they have demonstrated.

I'm upset they let Sean go but what has me really upset is how they treat someone that has given 12 years to this job. You hold on to him till almost all good jobs are gone and quite frankly open ours up at a difficult time. You need to be held accountable for that and how you have sent mixed messages for more than a year.

Love Arizona...always will. Had talked my grand daughter into considering Arizona as a soccer player by sending her articles about the team and coaches. She is a freshman in HS starting on the varsity and has been chosen to be on a young Olympic development team. She has received "how you doing letters" from Stanford and other colleges. I sent her a note today saying she should probably keep looking and sending tapes to other teams.

I dropped my tickets when Brennan wasn’t hired but I told the department I was willing to reup if they extended Miller. Well the email has gone out that I won’t be a season ticket holder in football and I am dropping support off the women’s program, baseball tickets and volleyball. I sent those coaches an email explaining why. Robbins mismanagement has to know consequences and I am sorry they will be the programs that indirectly are caught in the crossfire

97cats wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:08 pm not me - hope you reconsider

With you here brother

Merkin wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:20 pm Outside of a Pastner hire, I will be here, just like I have been following the football team since I was a freshman in 1981. Just will have extremely low expectations of the basketball program now like I do the football program.

They're not going to hire Pastner.

97cats wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:08 pm not me - hope you reconsider

Yeah. I'm a lifer. It's hard right now, but we'll be back.

My grandparents up in heaven would be saying to me "it's not the kids' fault, and it's not the poor sap's fault that these boneheads hire either, they need our support more than ever now, especially the ones that decide to stay through all of this."

It's just too bad that by supporting the kids, it gives off the impression that we support the turds that are trying to wreck the program.

U.P. Zona Fan wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:07 pm It's just too bad that by supporting the kids, it gives off the impression that we support the turds that are trying to wreck the program.

Could not agree more. I was very happy watching the women's run and was ready to throw myself into more support of women's basketball because I was so impressed with what Barnes and the players have built.

Now I don't want to. The team and coach still totally deserve it, but I know financial support props up Robbins and Heeke and I can't bring myself to do that because they need to go.

Can't wait until I get a call soon from the alumni association. It's usually on a Sunday night -- a student phoning me about contributions.

I'm going to be very detailed about my message to the university: I'll be happy to donate to the university as soon as President Robbins and Heeke are terminated and frog marched out of town.

I suppose it would be untoward of me, at the next event where I’m in close proximity to Robbins and Heeke, that I go double barrel Barnes to their faces. I do hope when that even occurs, I haven’t been drinking...

Siempre Verde wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:01 pm I suppose it would be untoward of me, at the next event where I’m in close proximity to Robbins and Heeke, that I go double barrel Barnes to their faces. I do hope when that even occurs, I haven’t been drinking...

Please try to find a way to record this.

Can't wait until football season when the tailgating and socializing gets ramped up. There are a ton of fans that are going to boo the shit out of Robbins & Heeke every time they show their faces at an event. And I'll be cheering that on all day. They've shown their true colors. They're not Wildcats. They're hacks with no spine -- no different from some corporate CEO's who have no idea what a company and its employees are really about. They deserve every bit of public criticism and scolding coming their way. Every bit of it.

Well, as a silver lining, it’s nice to see a lot of posters here who had been absent.

Word. Nothing like a pandemic, post season ban and inept administrators trying their hardest to F this up to get us OG's to stop lurking and show ourselves. As for me I'm teaching on zoom to a bunch of burned out college kids with their cameras off while trying to manage 2 special needs kids at home and the ONE F-ING THING I turn to for a diversion is threatening to be irrelevant for the next decade. Just peachy.

Well, I'm employed and essentially can't get fired, I got my covid double tap in the shoulder and am frankly ready to get behind anyone that is willing to put in the effort to coach this team. Whether that's Lloyd, Damon, Josh, Musselman, Macho Man, the Rock, Shay Binion or Bill F-ing Frieder I just want them to sh!t or get off the pot and get this back on track. JW out!

JW_in_Boston wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:36 pm Word. Nothing like a pandemic, post season ban and inept administrators trying their hardest to F this up to get us OG's to stop lurking and show ourselves. As for me I'm teaching on zoom to a bunch of burned out college kids with their cameras off while trying to manage 2 special needs kids at home and the ONE F-ING THING I turn to for a diversion is threatening to be irrelevant for the next decade. Just peachy.

Well, I'm employed and essentially can't get fired, I got my covid double tap in the shoulder and am frankly ready to get behind anyone that is willing to put in the effort to coach this team. Whether that's Lloyd, Damon, Josh, Musselman, Macho Man, the Rock, Shay Binion or Bill F-ing Frieder I just want them to sh!t or get off the pot and get this back on track. JW out!

Holy hell first post in 3 years! Need you around more

I will never be done but my emotional attachment is certainly waning. The clowns in charge are killing my interest in arizona Athletics by the day.

I just want to know what can be done to get rid of Robbins. What are the steps that need to happen?

Hey E'rrybody.
Haven't been around these parts for a minute, but nothing like a dumpster fire wrapped in a shitshow surrounded by a disaster to bring people out of the woodwork.

Always be a fan, and will still rep UA and wear the gear, but my fanaticism will die as tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber inevitably fuck this up. They've already broken football for me to the point where I watch the games, most of the time, without much concern over the W or the L. I actually scared my wife when I was so apathetic over the FB results. She was legit concerned that I was depressed and might need to talk to someone. Nope. As a former co-worker use to always say, "I refuse to care more than management does." And that's that. Robbins wants to use Arizona Athletics as his play thing while he pretends he is Jerry Jones or something, cool, but don't expect me to be all in on that shit.

The football gameday experience has gotten so terrible, largely because of the P12 but with the help of our current "leadership"... and 2 small kids doesn't help, that I stopped going. But I was looking forward to giving my boys the same experiences I had with my Dad going to Arizona Stadium when I was younger. Maybe we go to a random game once a year if the kickoff isn't stupid late. But going to EVERY home game, nah.

And now basketball is heading in the same direction. Hated moving on Miller right now, just wasn't a good time. But assumed that there was some sort of plan in place. Assumed that plan was Lloyd, I mean all indications were that that was the plan. And with the hints Scheer was dropping about staff and the returning roster, I could totally get behind that move. I mean, not the best option, but here we are. With where this search is at right now, I can see a gutted roster leading to a lengthy down period. People talk about Arizona will never completely fall off, but I am not so sure. Arizona is not all that different from UNLV, sure more than one coach has won here, but there are some serious challenges that exist for UofA/ Tucson. And without booster support, which Robbins appears to have really alienated, those challenges become very real.

I'm just ranting. But I am actually a little depressed. They only silver lining I can come up with is that this will get those clowns run out of town, and hopefully we can nail the AD hire, bring back the the big money, and move on to a real coach before Arizona has fallen completely into the abyss.

Don't be a stranger phenom!

Throwing out a thought here. In today's world of political correctness, with DEI the big rave on college campuses....

Would it look bad for AZ to hire a white middle aged man, after firing a white, middle aged man? Especially one with zero head coaching experience.

I think that is where the hang up is. I think there is a very real pressure to hire a black coach, who actually has head coaching experience.

Was watching RJ and Gil chat about the coaches this morning. Gil dismissed Lloyd, and suggested Damon but also dismissed Pastner (because he already has a job). Well Damon has a job too.

I just think the way our world is today- it will be Damon. I'm alright with that I guess.

Whatever I stopped caring all that much. It just isn't much fun anymore.

Yea outside of great bright spots like the women's basketball team... college sports just aren't fun anymore.

I was here when Fisch was hired. His moves offseason have kept me from jumping off the ledge. Tough spot with Sean Miller..I didn't mind them ripping that band-aid. I am a waiting to see what gets done with the hire to decide where I am at but I will not say I am done. Too many good things happening with Women's bball, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Baseball, and the other sports.

Sorry to say it but we are gonna have to manage our expectations with Men's b-ball. We were spoiled by the LO years. Sean MiIller flew too close to the sun with the one and done and still never managed to get to a final four. It has been 20 years since we've made it to the Final Four!!

Now my kids and my friend's kids are choosing to go to UA so I will continue to support them and attend sports events. Just hope whoever we hire can keep us better than Tempe.

Yeah my love of college sports has taken a major hit through all this. But what really ticks me off is that my wife and I really fell in love with this past season's team. We liked the guys and we could see they were playing their asses off despite terrible circumstances. We were looking forward to the bulk of the team coming back to make a run at it next year.

Nope, Robbins had to take away that little joy I had left.

Bordercat wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:47 am Throwing out a thought here. In today's world of political correctness, with DEI the big rave on college campuses....

Would it look bad for AZ to hire a white middle aged man, after firing a white, middle aged man? Especially one with zero head coaching experience.

I think that is where the hang up is. I think there is a very real pressure to hire a black coach, who actually has head coaching experience.

Was watching RJ and Gil chat about the coaches this morning. Gil dismissed Lloyd, and suggested Damon but also dismissed Pastner (because he already has a job). Well Damon has a job too.

I just think the way our world is today- it will be Damon. I'm alright with that I guess.

Whatever I stopped caring all that much. It just isn't much fun anymore.

You're obviously unfamiliar with robbins if you think for one second he cares about hiring a person of color for this job.

Also, if you have a problem with DEI, that's on you.

pom...

I think I stayed rather objective on DEI.

and I think you’re being naive if you don’t think this is a factor in the hiring process right now.

I don’t have any problems with DEI.

Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

Bordercat wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:26 am pom...

I think I stayed rather objective on DEI.

and I think you’re being naive if you don’t think this is a factor in the hiring process right now.

I don’t have any problems with DEI.

so you're confirming that you're unfamiliar with robbins.

as for your objectiveness, by all means, keep "throwing out a thought" in regards to DEI, and show off how objective you are

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:31 am Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:31 am Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

diversity, equity and inclusion... And Robbins doesn't give a shit about DEI... which is why he is hated by many at the UofA

Alieberman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:33 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:31 am Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

diversity, equity and inclusion... And Robbins doesn't give a shit about DEI... which is why he is hated by many at the UofA

just one of the reasons he's hated

pom- go ahead call me a racist now.

geezus.

DEI is important only to the extent that the person hired is competent and experienced. UofA can't afford symbolic victories at this time.

With that said I think our moves should be as follows:

1. Hire Pitino or Belein (I prefer Pitino because he's won two titles at two different schools)
2. Offer them a short term contract (3 years max)
3. Stabilize the program
4.Fire Heeke and Robbins
5. Make sure that any future hires are merit based and NOT nepotistic (I want no Kevin Ollie situations)

I know Pitino said that he is 'done with the big time.' But the Arizona job is rarely open and the powers that be can suggest that he do it as a favor
to preserve Lute's legacy.

Outside of that, pull a Larry David and pretend that the firing never happened and offer Miller a brand new contract. Or worse yet, show up at his door with the ABOR, president and AD in tow and BEG, and I mean beg Miller to come back.

Alieberman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:33 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:31 am Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

diversity, equity and inclusion... And Robbins doesn't give a shit about DEI... which is why he is hated by many at the UofA

That's because Robbins is only interested in the merit of candidates and not liberal affirmative action...

Well, we all know that isn't true because Robbins doesn't consider merit. I tried to say it with a straight face, but couldn't get through it.

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:48 am DEI is important only to the extent that the person hired is competent and experienced. UofA can't afford symbolic victories at this time.

With that said I think our moves should be as follows:

1. Hire Pitino or Belein (I prefer Pitino because he's won two titles at two different schools)
2. Offer them a short term contract (3 years max)
3. Stabilize the program
4.Fire Heeke and Robbins
5. Make sure that any future hires are merit based and NOT nepotistic (I want no Kevin Ollie situations)

I know Pitino said that he is 'done with the big time.' But the Arizona job is rarely open and the powers that be can suggest that he do it as a favor
to preserve Lute's legacy.

Outside of that, pull a Larry David and pretend that the firing never happened and offer Miller a brand new contract. Or worse yet, show up at his door with the ABOR, president and AD in tow and BEG, and I mean beg Miller to come back.

I agree with you on Beilein. But you just cannot hire Pitino who got fired from Louisville for actually being on the FBI tapes discussing payments, WHILE HE AND THE SCHOOL WERE ALREADY ON PROBATION.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:57 am

Alieberman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:33 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:31 am Out of curiosity, what is DEI?

diversity, equity and inclusion... And Robbins doesn't give a shit about DEI... which is why he is hated by many at the UofA

That's because Robbins is only interested in the merit of candidates and not liberal affirmative action...

Well, we all know that isn't true because Robbins doesn't consider merit. I tried to say it with a straight face, but couldn't get through it.

btw... think about what I'm saying.

To have Damon, Terry, Simon all interested in the job but you don't even give them a look because Lloyd has some connection within the good ol boy network.

I'm just saying you don't get away with that shit in today's day and age. Even if Lloyd is the most qualified which is arguable considering he has zero head coaching experience.

It probably was sealed up and somebody called them on it.

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:48 am 1. Hire Pitino or Belein (I prefer Pitino because he's won two titles at two different schools)

Pitino, being around my age, Tucson has a much nicer climate than New Rochelle, and a fantastic city to retire to. My folks lived in Poughkeepise for a time, and those winters are brutal.

Even Larry Smith returned to Tucson to retire after his coaching career was over.

ekat wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:00 pm

RawleArenas wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:48 am DEI is important only to the extent that the person hired is competent and experienced. UofA can't afford symbolic victories at this time.

With that said I think our moves should be as follows:

1. Hire Pitino or Belein (I prefer Pitino because he's won two titles at two different schools)
2. Offer them a short term contract (3 years max)
3. Stabilize the program
4.Fire Heeke and Robbins
5. Make sure that any future hires are merit based and NOT nepotistic (I want no Kevin Ollie situations)

I know Pitino said that he is 'done with the big time.' But the Arizona job is rarely open and the powers that be can suggest that he do it as a favor
to preserve Lute's legacy.

Outside of that, pull a Larry David and pretend that the firing never happened and offer Miller a brand new contract. Or worse yet, show up at his door with the ABOR, president and AD in tow and BEG, and I mean beg Miller to come back.

I agree with you on Beilein. But you just cannot hire Pitino who got fired from Louisville for actually being on the FBI tapes discussing payments, WHILE HE AND THE SCHOOL WERE ALREADY ON PROBATION.

I'd be kind of into Pitino if only because if we can't have a good coach, maybe it would be fun to be a complete renegade, outlaw program.

Hiring Pitino would be like an extramarital affair at an Italian restaurant. Kind of fun for the 15 seconds it's happening, but you'll regret a lot of it afterwards.

Point of clarification - Tommy Lloyd isn't middle aged (he's 46), but he's definitely white and male. Some might argue that Sean Miller at 52 isn't either. Since Tommy's barely older than me and I don't intend on being middle aged for a long while, I just needed to clarify that point

My school is just starting to get started on DEI, and it's kind of precious to have an overwhelmingly white faculty, creating standards for an overwhelmingly white student population, to appease an almost gleamingly white administration group. I'm used to old school white folks saying we need to do something about our obvious lack of diversity at all levels, then doing little about it.

I want who will do the best job, but yeah, when I look at a pic of Tommy Lloyd, I get a strong good-ol-boy feel that concerns me (same with Josh P). If we are only seriously considering the white guys, and "interviewing" the black guys just for show that's not a good look and not what I want Arizona to represent.

Not just the current AD/Pres either. My old dept at U of A (AME) was all male and nearly all white (say 90%) in the mid 90s. When I look now I see a couple women and it's probably still 75-80% white and it's been 25+ years? That's some seriously slow "progress"!

I don't buy the argument in coaching that there is a shortage of non-white candidates, as that's a failure on the programs to not support and develop the many non-white assistant coaches, and to hire and support them as head coaches. We'll see, but if the "most qualified" candidate is nearly always the white guy, then there's a systemic problem.

I was the DEI facilitator for a while for my department. It was never hire a less qualified person of color over a white man, it was always to make sure that women and POC get in to be interviewed, and that the questions are fair.

Spaceman Spiff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:05 pm Hiring Pitino would be like an extramarital affair at an Italian restaurant. Kind of fun for the 15 seconds it's happening, but you'll regret a lot of it afterwards.

Good stuff JW. Btw I'm 47 so I guess not middle aged? And kudos to whoever had the Sienfeld reference.