In the "be careful what you ask for" department,  a case in point  
would be the Indiana University basketball coach that replaced Bobby  
Knight. He didn't get angry, though.

On Apr 1, 2008, at 3:13 PM, Hampton, Nathan E. wrote:

> This will take awhile because the answer is multifaceted.
>
> A successful hockey program is a function of (1) school record and  
> on-ice success (2) academic performance (3) alumni (contributions)  
> support (4) post Wildcat performance (5) NCAA compliance (no $400  
> left in hat on a desk chair) and (6) personality. To look at only  
> one of them (i.e. Record) may distort the measurement of the whole  
> hockey program. Furthermore, even point (1) which is the main one  
> everyone sees, school record and on-ice performance, is a multi- 
> product output: (1) you have to recruit good players, (2) form  
> those players into a cohesive whole making each of them a  
> contributing teammate with a clear role to play, (4) individual  
> practices must be geared to the big picture, (5) behind-the-bench  
> strategy must be successful even under pressure, and (6) off ice  
> conditioning, supporting academic programs, and front office must  
> all run very smoothly. No one is going to be good at all of these  
> aspects (and why most are best left to the specialists) and then  
> you add in the problem of monetary budgets and it is no wonder that  
> most programs struggle.
>
> Now even if Umile is weak in a few of these areas (has he had the  
> wrong players on the ice at the wrong time, has he recruited badly,  
> has he had teams that could not jell?), he may be very strong in  
> the others (academic performance, post-Wildcat representation, NCAA  
> compliance) and just because you eliminate him for those  
> weaknesses, is there any guarantee that he will be replaced by  
> someone better? Sometimes the devil you know is better than the  
> devil you do not know. I am not trying to vilify nor defend Umile,  
> but it is often important to "be careful what you ask for" because  
> it might not be any better. So being able to relax and enjoy the  
> game is important - control the things you can (your enjoyment) and  
> ignore the things you cannot (the record) change. Besides, what if  
> you do "WIN THE DAMN THING!!!!"? The only result will be higher  
> expectations and larger disappoints as reality sets in - do you  
> really want that?
>
> Just my two cents from a long distance away.
> Nathan Hampton
>
>
> On 4/1/08 11:53 AM, "Spreeman, Cathryn" <[log in to unmask]>  
> wrote:
>
> As a long time UNH fan, I have done some serious soulsearching in  
> the past several years concerning the track record of UNH hockey in  
> the post season.  I sometimes chide my husband over his attitude of  
> complete disgust -- he is one that says Umile definitely must go --  
> and I try to remember when we just went to a UNH hockey game to  
> enjoy the game.  Back in the days of Snively Arena, we just plain  
> had a great time watching a college hockey game.  For the past ten  
> years or so, we've had the experience of rising expectations.  Good  
> players, good records, post-season appearances, some successes (two  
> Hockey East tournament championship teams) and some excruciating  
> failures (two Frozen Fours lost in the championship game; losses in  
> the semifinals, losses in early rounds). Having grown up a Boston  
> Red Sox fan, I had good training to be a UNH hockey fan.  The Sox  
> broke their curse; what will it take for the Wildcats to break  
> theirs??  A new coach who knows how to win at that level? Once I  
> actually drafted a piece for the UNH student newspaper about being  
> tired of being "Umile-ated" every year.  I never sent it in.  Part  
> of me says, hey, just enjoy the game.  If they go to the  
> tournament, fine.  The other part of me says WIN THE DAMN THING!!!!
>
> Cathy Spreeman
> UNH '72
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List on behalf of  
> Deron Treadwell
> Sent: Sat 3/29/2008 10:05 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: UNH
>
>
>
> I'm curious to know what people (specifically UNH fans) think about  
> the latest first round exit for the University of New Hampshire.
>
> As Charlie's release mentioned earlier, UNH is now 4-8 in first  
> round games and I believe have lost in the first round in 3 of the  
> last 4 years (at least one of those games in Manchester, NH).  All  
> the while, UNH has had dominant regular season teams, winning or  
> near the top of HOCKEY EAST every year it seems.
>
> Almost shockingly, I've seen a few messageboard posts from UNH fans  
> saying that perhaps Dick Umile needs to go.  I think its an  
> interesting question, because there is no doubt UNH has the  
> facilities and they are getting the talent.  Is it time to make a  
> change in order to get over the top or is it something else?
>
> -Deron