[jwplayer jF5wU66N-sNi3MVSU]
Dear Craig Bohl, Try A New Way To Silence Your Doubters
Wyoming’s offense continues to struggle
Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire
Craig Bohl deflects blame and criticism on underwhelming production
You didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know the Challenger exploded on its way to space. You don’t need to be Nick Saban or Bill Belichick to know that Wyoming’s offense has been downright embarrassing since 2017. It’s even likely that the average youth baseball player at LaBonte Park or Cowboy Field could tell you that the Pokes have struggled to score points.
Your offense isn’t working and your quotes that insult Pokes Nation are getting old. Out of respect to all of us armchair quarterbacks that you believe your fanbase to be, I’m not going to fill this piece with the heaps of evidence that support my thoughts.
Here we go…
https://twitter.com/DavisEPotter/status/1336100602535837698?s=19
We don’t want to call your plays
Most Wyoming fans I’ve spoken to don’t care what kind of offense we run as long as we score points. We don’t want to tell you what plays to call, we want you and your staff to acknowledge that the product has been hot garbage and make a noticeable adjustment or admit that you don’t have the staff to turn it around and make a change. It’s been three years!
There is a certain segment of the fanbase that has embraced the #FireVigen movement and while that is extreme, it’s hard to argue when the same poor product is produced year after year. It’s not our job to know the X’s and O’s of this disaster, it’s yours and it appears that you don’t have an answer.
Gratitude
We are grateful for the stability you have brought to the program. The way you and your staff develop talent is incredible, your ability to find diamonds in the rough is spectacular, the pride you’ve returned to the program is inspiring. Your lack of humility when challenged on shortcomings within the program is appalling.
As a coach and a leader, you should know better than anyone that the players get the credit after wins and the coaches take the responsibility after losses. Your deeply loyal fanbase that has witnessed a multi-year catastrophe on the offensive side of the ball has nothing to do with it.
With great support comes great expectations
You are one of the only coaches in the country that has the support of an entire state. We all want to see you and the Pokes do well and we have your back. You’ve seen the sea of Brown and Gold follow you to Texas, Lincoln, San Diego, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, and Fort Collins just to list a few. In exchange, we want you to show your appreciation by being a straight shooter.
You’ve embraced “Ride For The Brand” but are you also willing to accept “Be Tough, But Fair” or “Do What Has To Be Done”?
The offense is taking a lot of heat and has been for a while but you can’t honestly believe that we aren’t fair to feel this way. We know how competitive you are; it isn’t good enough for you even if you’re not willing to admit it out of respect for your colleagues and friends. Belittling your dissatisfied supporters isn’t going to reverse this train wreck. Your leadership and football knowledge will and believe it or not, we still believe in you even though the frustration and disappointment is getting louder and louder. What are you waiting for?
Dissatisfaction with mediocrity isn’t disrespectful to the players or the team
Fans are entitled to be upset when their team struggles. I’m sure you sell the passion of the fanbase when you are sitting in your recruit’s living rooms. You have to accept it when things get rough as well. We have a very patient football fanbase, there are even pockets of fans that fail to see how repulsive the offense has been over the last few years.
As a community, we can not accept any personal attacks at players on social media but it is fair to criticize a player’s or coach’s performance just as it’s acceptable to heap praise. There are some members of Pokes Nation that need to stop with the personal attacks and we need to check them and weed them out.
These players and coaches have agreed to come to Laramie and they will always be Cowboys, win or lose. They have families that care deeply about them and their success and the fact that they are willing to wear the Brown and Gold should always be considered when speaking about them. With that said, they are not immune from being critiqued. Keep it respectful!
Will you see this?
It shouldn’t be a hot take to say that Wyoming’s offense has been mostly ineffective during the majority of your tenure and you shouldn’t be offended by it because you are a Division 1 football coach and you already know it. The support you have is pretty remarkable and you need to be appreciative of that even when we are showing our disappointment.
While the world would probably be a better place if all of us volunteered to coach Little League, there are simply not enough teams for that to be possible. Instead, we will be forced to criticize your offense until you shut us up with your results on the field and not with lazy insults.
For the sake of all Cowboys fans, please make us shut up!
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