Badgers under Bono

Started by Hungus, February 11, 2023, 05:24:33 PM

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walden_hiker

Quote from: BuckyMatt on March 24, 2023, 10:03:03 AM
Quote from: asdf on March 22, 2023, 10:43:43 PM
Quote from: honestabe on March 22, 2023, 08:41:36 AM[quote author=scrambledeggs link=msg=675837 date=1679173673


5 years at a program seems like a long enough time to add your own recruits and develop young guys on the roster in my honestabe opinion, but looking at the roster he has been utilizing the recruits that were brought in by the former regime or using the portal to fill spots. Saying "once he gets all the older guys out of the program and his own guys in then it will be different, you're talking about half of the line up this year that are not "his recruits". Guys Like Mark Gray at Cornell, or Damian Hahn are doing just fine with the former regime's "guys" Just seems like with the evidence at hand I don't see any big change in the level the Badgers will compete at amongst the rest of the field which isn't ideal.



Best post on here in a long time.  None of the Kool-Aid drinkers will even acknowledge it.

Kool Aid Drinkers!!  Gotta love name callers! 

Barnett, Lamont, Zargo, Gomez, Hamiti, Otto, Amos were Bono recruits.

Model, Dow and Hilger were Davis recruits but in fairness, both Garrett and Trent decided to stick around for their 6th year on campus, 5th year competing.  If they didn't like Bono and company, if they didn't feel that they were getting developed, if they didn't love the environment and team, why not 1) grad transfer 2) move on with their lives and start their careers.  Both obviously love and appreciate Bono and staff.

As far as Bono using the Portal, EVERYTEAM is using it: Penn State had three starters 2021/2022 (Dean and Hildebrant, Kerk), Iowa consistently has multiple starters from the portal (Lugo, Desanto, Eirman, Woods). Find me a team that doesn't have transfers on it?  Wisconsin had 3 total transfers this year (Meicher, Gomez, Lamont); most other schools had more, including Missouri with 5. It's (fortunately or unfortunately) the way of the sport right now but to imply Bono uses it more or less than others is disingenuous.





+1
I completely understand constructive criticism and there is a place for it, but when there is an obvious agenda it becomes silly. I was excited when this regime came in and it appeared headed in a positive trajectory and then COVID hit and it halted the momentum. I'm not ready to give up on this regime but I'm not drinking kool-aid either. I am an outside observer who sees more excitement in the field house and more excitement around this team. I also notice some concerns, but some of these "constructive criticisms " are disingenuous. The whole transfer stuff is ridiculous!

Healthy and happy

Quote from: Grapl on March 24, 2023, 08:56:55 AM[/quote
Generally speaking when you are in a chat forum like this you hopefully have a desire to support the University and a program, you call it Kool-aid drinking.  To each his own. If you always like to think and look negatively at things then you go ahead and drink the pond water.  Kool-aid is a little better tasting for me. We all have a choice.

Support can come in many ways....constructive criticism can be considered a positive or a negative.  Just depends on your perspective.
I will concede that constructive criticism can be considered positive but only if it followed up with some type of solution/idea to solve what they think the problem is. You dont see much if any of that, so with nothing to offer kinda think your comments are just hateful in nature

wrestle03

novice wrestler, unfortunately you dont make the rules of a chat forum.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you dont like it move on.  This program is in no better shape than it was under Davis.  Bono is a good used car salesman and that is all. 

bigoil

Quote from: wrestle03 on March 24, 2023, 01:35:23 PMnovice wrestler, unfortunately you dont make the rules of a chat forum.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you dont like it move on.  This program is in no better shape than it was under Davis.  Bono is a good used car salesman and that is all. 
You sure defended wrestlers during the Davis era, my post above was your exact words from that time frame.

wrastle63

Quote from: wrestle03 on March 24, 2023, 01:35:23 PMnovice wrestler, unfortunately you dont make the rules of a chat forum.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you dont like it move on.  This program is in no better shape than it was under Davis.  Bono is a good used car salesman and that is all. 
The program is in better shape. Attendance, excitement, and the atmostphere at dual meets is sky high compared to BD era, social media presence increased, UW coaches are going to HS meets and hosting camps, and just had 2 world team members in Amos and Gross. What has gotten worse??? I want the results to get better and am not satisfied, but to say it is in no better shape is just plain stupid.

vsmf2010

Quote from: wrastle63 on March 24, 2023, 02:01:05 PM
Quote from: wrestle03 on March 24, 2023, 01:35:23 PMnovice wrestler, unfortunately you dont make the rules of a chat forum.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you dont like it move on.  This program is in no better shape than it was under Davis.  Bono is a good used car salesman and that is all. 
The program is in better shape. Attendance, excitement, and the atmostphere at dual meets is sky high compared to BD era, social media presence increased, UW coaches are going to HS meets and hosting camps, and just had 2 world team members in Amos and Gross. What has gotten worse??? I want the results to get better and am not satisfied, but to say it is in no better shape is just plain stupid.

100%. I have been to pretty much every dual in the last 10 to 15 years and this season has been by far and away the the most exciting and enjoyable at the field house. I do not even remember how many of the home duals they won this year because that is not what this is all about.

They also have the most exciting lineup I can remember. Lots of guys who just flat out wrestle and wrestle for all 7 minutes or more. Gomez and DJ are definitely 2 of the most exciting wrestlers in the country if not the 2 most exciting. On the NCAA tourney broadcast every time Austin was up the PA announcer would comment that you hear the oohs and ahhs it means Austin Gomez is on the mat. Joey Zargo wrestles with a pace that is amazing regardless of the score. This is good stuff!

With all due respect to Andrew Howe. He was really good and an NCAA champ but that was tough to watch at times and is not going to bring any new fans to the sport. I will take the guys we have right now regardless of the results.

wrestlemania

Quote from: Pilot on March 24, 2023, 09:24:21 AMI think Bono is a good coach and I think Barry Davis was a good coach. However as Wrestlemania pointed out several pages ago, Wisconsin is very lacking in its wrestling facilities. Google wrestling facilities at Minnesota and Missouri and compare them to the old wrestling practice room at Camp Randall that has pillars in it. My local high school has a much better practice and training facility than the Badgers.

Russ Hellickson had as deep of Wisconsin roots as any Badger coach and he left Wisconsin to go to a better coaching situation at Ohio State. If I was a top notch high school wrestler and saw the Badger wrestling facilities, I would question the school's commitment to wrestling.

Recruiting advantages Wisconsin has are being a Big Ten school and strong academics. But other Big Ten schools are just as strong academically and have better facilities. Until facilities are improved, UW wrestling coaches will be recruiting with one hand tied behind their backs.

A potential positive is new football coach Luke Fickell, who is a strong wrestling backer. There is talk of building a new football practice facility on the site of the Camp Randall shell. The wrestling community should be encouraging to include a new wrestling practice room in that facility or else include it in a remodeling of the McClain Center.


Smartest post in this thread so far. If Bono does nothing else, fixing the wrestling room situation is absolute must during his tenure and hopefully he'll get that opportunity in a remodeled McClain Center because what they go through now is just ridiculous and should have been fixed a long time ago. Heck, I would have set up mats in the Shell myself or go to one of the Madison high schools to practice if that what I was forced to use as wrestling room and then dare UWAD to fire me for it.

So Bono is "used car salesman" eh? For people to complain that Davis never promoted or "sold" the program I find it a little rich that when a coach comes on board who actually does what we want as far as promotions go and now find it a negative. Interesting. All I'll say to the wrestle03 and asdf and other designated Bono bashers, when he does leave, so will you from these boards. There were any number of posters who basically posted nothing but bad stuff about Davis like JaguarWrestler and Lizard King and others and when Davis stepped down, suddenly, they disappeared. Can't bash a coach who not around anymore, can you? What fun is that?

Since we're all being constructive here, let me offer my take: As far as the little things go around program such as promotion, social media and public outreach, UW is far better off now than in 2018. As far as results go, about the same, but at least they're no worse. One negative however, is the deteriorating relationship between Bono and certain club coaches in the state since he became head coach. This will affect recruiting no question and Bono is going to have to overcome this no question. But if you think simply replacing him is going to fix the situation think again. No D-I coach worth their salt will take the UW job if he's required to kiss butt. That will not happen. You may find a coach they are not hostile towards but that's the best you'll probably get until they retire. It may well be that Bono decides it's not worth his trouble if he has to continue to deal with this problem or he may just say screw em' and just keep on keeping on. It will be interesting to see how he plays it. 

But the bottom line is, I'm willing to care less about results if Bono can simply fix the things he does have the opportunity to fix: 1). Better facilities, 2). Sustainable fundraising and support and 3). A working RTC that can draw wrestlers to train and help UW wrestlers without the UWAD getting anal about it. If he can do these things, the results can take care of themselves or be the foundation for another coach to take to greater heights. Bono's the fourth head coach since Kleven and he has the opportunity to do for the program what the other three couldn't because one bolted, one cheated and the other just kept his mouth shut, shrugged his shoulders and didn't make waves so he could stay for 25 years. What kind of coach will Bono be when it's all said and done? That's the question...