Wojo locked in until 2022-2023?

[MU82]

I feel like people have been saying that for 3-4 years now....

I feel like none of the people who actually have a part in the decision-making process have been saying it at all. Otherwise, Wojo would already be gone.

[MU82]

Conspiracy.

You just wait until 5Cent uncovers that Wojo has been running a child-sex ring in the basement of Comet Ping Pong pizza in D.C.

Then we'll see who has the last laugh!

[5DollarPitcher]

How loony?! Reporters given access to the men’s basketball team at the sole discretion of the University are encouraged to stay positive about that very same men’s basketball team! My alma mater would never! What crazy conspiracy theory could be next?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

How loony?! Reporters given access to the men’s basketball team at the sole discretion of the University are encouraged to stay positive about that very same men’s basketball team! My alma mater would never! What crazy conspiracy theory could be next?

What you're missing is that saying "Reporters...are encouraged to stay positive about the men's basketball team" is very different from:

Anybody that doesn’t think there is some form of censorship, crafting, wordsmithing, propagandizing, or whatever you want to call it going on with regards to coverage of the men’s basketball team

Call it a conspiracy, but it’s just more proof of the administration protecting Wojo.

I'm sure student reporters are encouraged to stay positive. I'm also certain that that they have always been encouraged to stay positive and that's not unique to Wojo or Marquette. That is not censorship, propagandizing, or protecting Wojo. That's pretty standard media relations.

[willie warrior]

Sure glad that the Admin, by bringing Wojo-Dukiet back next year has signalled that unacceptable results and mediocrity warrants their blessing. The program is doomed for the abyss because MU basketball is not elite, not even average, but is poor and that is OK with the powers that be. Very, very, very disappointing. Time to downgrade to D3, or at least join the Missouri Valley and be a middle roader in that conference.

[5DollarPitcher]

What you're missing is that saying "Reporters...are encouraged to stay positive about the men's basketball team" is very different from:

I'm sure student reporters are encouraged to stay positive. I'm also certain that that they have always been encouraged to stay positive and that's not unique to Wojo or Marquette. That is not censorship, propagandizing, or protecting Wojo. That's pretty standard media relations.

Where’s the MJS article questioning what happened to MUBB? Or the article wondering how this season turned into such an utter disappointment? Or the article dissecting Wojo’s tenure through seven(!!!!) years. Seems like something like that could have easily been written at this point. But I don’t recall a single critical article from the MJS either. Just milquetoast recap-style pieces that are hard to differentiate from one another.

That’s not to say Lovell somehow has editorial powers over the MJS. But I do think it’s “understood” that Steele write positive or neutral columns if he wants to continue his access to the team (which is part of him making his bread).

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Bitcher, have you been paying attention to local media lately?  No one is going to write that story.  You want Ben Steele to do that? 

It just doesn't happen.  Local media will ask hard questions about the professional teams in town and maybe the Badger football team, but even that's doubtful.

What you are complaining about isn't a Marquette issue - it's a media issue.

[5DollarPitcher]

Bitcher, have you been paying attention to local media lately?  No one is going to write that story.  You want Ben Steele to do that? 

It just doesn't happen.  Local media will ask hard questions about the professional teams in town and maybe the Badger football team, but even that's doubtful.

What you are complaining about isn't a Marquette issue - it's a media issue.

Thanks for a logical rebuttal. I’ll keep an eye out. You might be right.

[MU82]

Where’s the MJS article questioning what happened to MUBB? Or the article wondering how this season turned into such an utter disappointment? Or the article dissecting Wojo’s tenure through seven(!!!!) years. Seems like something like that could have easily been written at this point. But I don’t recall a single critical article from the MJS either. Just milquetoast recap-style pieces that are hard to differentiate from one another.

That’s not to say Lovell somehow has editorial powers over the MJS. But I do think it’s “understood” that Steele write positive or neutral columns if he wants to continue his access to the team (which is part of him making his bread).

Isn't Steele the beat writer? I don't read that newspaper, but do beat writers at the MJS routinely write columns?

Isn't Lori Nickel the sports columnist for the MJS? If so, she's the one who normally would be writing the kind of column you crave.

Why she doesn't, I have no idea ... but I seriously doubt it's because Marquette tells the MJS what columns its sports columnists can write. Nor do I think it is because the MJS sports editor is afraid that if his columnist writes a negative column the newspaper will get shut out of covering Marquette.

If you do not feel there is any chance the MJS will produce the kind of column you crave, I strongly suggest you write a letter to the editor -- or even better, an op-ed piece -- saying exactly what you feel about the Marquette basketball program, Wojo, and administration as it relates to the basketball program.

I am 100% serious.

[Lennys Tap]

Define that.

I think “trajectory’ is key. 8-12 in the BE, 16-15 overall, bubble NIT team will mean Wojo’s “trajectory” is once again on the upswing. Seashells and balloons, baby!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Thanks for a logical rebuttal. I’ll keep an eye out. You might be right.

To give an extreme but true example,  the local paper in Lansing was given multiple tips about Larry Nassar going back years. They never acted on them. Ultimately,  an Indianapolis newspaper was the one to break the story because they had no need to stay on MSUs good side.

Companies and institutions have no motivation to give a journalist access to their program if they are going to write negative articles about them. It's not a conspiracy to protect Wojo, it's how media relations works

[Blackhat]

Why hasn’t  the MJS put heat on Wojo?  Because nobody cares anymore. 

Everyone knows this bb program sucks now and the admin is complacent (complicit?) in the face of the program’s demise.

[wadesworld]

The Journal Sentinel doesn’t put the heat on Wojo because nobody reads the Journal Sentinel.

[Blackhat]

That doesn’t really make sense.  But I’ll roll with it.

[MU82]

To give an extreme but true example,  the local paper in Lansing was given multiple tips about Larry Nassar going back years. They never acted on them. Ultimately,  an Indianapolis newspaper was the one to break the story because they had no need to stay on MSUs good side.

Companies and institutions have no motivation to give a journalist access to their program if they are going to write negative articles about them. It's not a conspiracy to protect Wojo, it's how media relations works

It's not how it works at journalistically sound newspapers.

[real chili 83]

Trouble is, they don’t exist anymore.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Trouble is, they don’t exist anymore.

Not since the last great one was given the old hEAve ho back in '08.

[Small Orange Soda]

I think “trajectory’ is key. 8-12 in the BE, 16-15 overall, bubble NIT team will mean Wojo’s “trajectory” is once again on the upswing. Seashells and balloons, baby!

"Duke Lite"
"Sustained Success"
"Compared with K's record at Army"

[TheREALwrk]

Hey 5$, it's deleted now, but are you the same guy who, just yesterday, wrote the unhinged post on the Marquette subreddit about Samantha Pfefferle is a far-right groomed crisis actor?

Wish I took a screen-shot, we could have compared grammar.

[dgies9156]

Why she doesn't, I have no idea ... but I seriously doubt it's because Marquette tells the MJS what columns its sports columnists can write. Nor do I think it is because the MJS sports editor is afraid that if his columnist writes a negative column the newspaper will get shut out of covering Marquette.

If you do not feel there is any chance the MJS will produce the kind of column you crave, I strongly suggest you write a letter to the editor -- or even better, an op-ed piece -- saying exactly what you feel about the Marquette basketball program, Wojo, and administration as it relates to the basketball program.

I am 100% serious.

Brother MU is right on the money.

Marquette wishes it had that kind of control in Milwaukee. If it did, Wisconsin Avenue would be a pedestrian promenade now rather than a street through the middle of campus.

Gang, I'm going to say it again -- Coach Wojo aint going anywhere this spring, except to the recruiting trail. Between Covid-19, young players and disrupted schedules that put the team on the road for six games, there's enough excuses to keep Coach Wojo firmly in blue and gold until he's 90. Plus, we have a supposedly halfway decent recruiting class coming in this fall.

The tipping point for Coach Wojo will be money. If we have a significant loss of senior ticketholders next summer (likely) and if overall ticket revenue falls (likely) because there's no light at the end of the tunnel (except for that oncoming train), then and only then will the heat under Coach Wojo's seat be turned up. In that vein, I would expect next year's requirement will be at least one and ideally two NCAA tournament wins, plus a really good recruiting class for 2022-2023.

Do I think this could happen? Possibly, if there were some material and noticeable changes.

Therefore, I'd expect three things will happen. First, look for at least one immediately available "transfer-in" who is perceived to be a difference maker. He'll replace Dexter Akanno on the roster and complement Stevie Mitchell and Kameron Jones and hopefully fill the Koby role more consistently and with fewer turnovers. Secondly, look for some coaching turnover. We need a much more solid bench coach than anything we have now and Coach Wojo's butt is soooo on the line that, noon basketball be damned, he'll make the change that matters. Thirdly, I'll expect to see Coach Wojo more into marketing the program. He'll be meeting people, out-front in selling MU basketball and come up with some hook that says, "we're in a  new beginning..." Yeah, I know it's crap but if Coach Wojo does not address the revenue decrease, he's out of Milwaukee so fast, he'll leave cheese on his table.

 

[Galway Eagle]

Hey 5$, it's deleted now, but are you the same guy who, just yesterday, wrote the unhinged post on the Marquette subreddit about Samantha Pfefferle is a far-right groomed crisis actor?

Wish I took a screen-shot, we could have compared grammar.

That thing was absurd

[PBRme]

It's not how it works at journalistically sound newspapers.

I think Mencken died in the 50's

[Viper]

The Journal Sentinel doesn’t put the heat on Wojo because nobody reads the Journal Sentinel.

correct. MJS is nothing more than a regional USA Today rag.

[Shooter McGavin]

correct. MJS is nothing more than a regional USA Today rag.

I don’t read anything but the MU sports columns.  Overall I think Steele does a good job.  He tells it like it is.  He is there to report not tell the readers the coach should be fired.

If he was slanting his coverage that way he would have less journalistic integrity not more.  Report the facts.  Let the reader decide if Wojo should be fired based on those facts.

[Silent Verbal]

I don’t read anything but the MU sports columns.  Overall I think Steele does a good job.  He tells it like it is.  He is there to report not tell the readers the coach should be fired.

If he was slanting his coverage that way he would have less journalistic integrity not more.  Report the facts.  Let the reader decide if Wojo should be fired based on those facts.

I generally agree with this.  Beat writers like Potrykus and Haudricourt absolutely try to slant their coverage to put the Badgers and Brewers in a better light, and it makes them look like hacks.  Steele is alright.

Agree with others who’ve said it’s a columnist’s job to call for coach firings.  I haven’t subscribed to the MJS in a while and am not sure if they even have a regular sports columnist anymore.