Courage, Service, Respect, Loyalty, Duty, Honor, Leadership, Selfless, Commitment and Integrity were the ten words chosen to replace players’ names on the back of their jerseys for homecoming and military appreciation night.
They were meant to be words that represent values close to the heart of university of Wyoming athletics and values military personnel uphold.
It seems ironic then that as Coach Dave Christensen yelled expletives at Air Force Coach, Troy Calhoun, after the latter made a questionable ethical decision, Wyoming players with those words on their backs ran by exiting the field.
The story has since been picked up nationally, from the Chicago Tribune to MSN and USA Today. The video posted on YouTube has increased from 103,000 views three days after it was uploaded to 112,000 views one week later.
In the wake of Christensen’s rant, UW athletics director, Tom Burman, decided to fine the coach $50,000 and suspend him for one week. But in light of the negative national attention he has brought to the university, particularly on both homecoming and military appreciation night, this slap on the wrist is not enough.
To the average person, $50,000 is quite a bit of money. For some, an entire year’s salary. But let me break it down for how it affects Christensen. The Coach of Wyoming’s 0-3 conference record this season makes over $1 million per year, closer to $1.5 million. Christensen makes more than both UW President Tom Buchanan and Governor Matt Mead. To put it in perspective, for someone whose entire salary is $50,000 per year, it would equate to about a $2,000 fine.
$2000 for verbally assaulting another coach, and calling a serviceman, “Mr. Fuckin’ Howdy Doody” and “Fly Boy”.
I understand we need good coaching staff to develop a good program and entice more athletes to come to the university, but considering our record, I think it would be more fiscally responsible to spend that over $1 million salary of Christensen’s on scholarships for student athletes.
In addition to the fine, Christensen was suspended for one week, including the upcoming Boise state game Saturday, but one week hardly seems enough.
It seems UW’s football program is not interested in punishment for unsportsmanlike behavior. After Brett Smith was ejected from the Nevada game for two counts of unsportsmanlike conduct, Christensen was on the defensive.
True, Smith did not play in the next game against Air Force, but the official reason was he was healing from an injury and not being suspended for his behavior.
More importantly, was Christensen’s reaction to Smith’s unsportsmanlike conduct, stating to WyoSports.net, “The (official) said he swore. Do we think people don’t swear out there?”
No Christensen, we do not think people “don’t swear out there.” But we cannot condone that kind of behavior in our players, and as a coach you should not support it. Even if you are a self-proclaimed “hot head”. What kind of example is Christensen setting for the students he is leading?
Judging by Smith’s behavior at the Nevada game, a poor one.
What Calhoun did was dishonorable. And I agree with Christensen’s questioning Calhoun’s integrity. The problem is that because of Christensen’s blow up, now it is not Calhoun’s integrity or Air Force’s honor called into question, it is our coach and Wyoming Athletics.
He embarrassed our football team, our university and the Mountain West conference on a national scale and he deserves more than a slap on the wrist.
UW needs to take Christensen’s actions seriously and either redistribute some of that paycheck to more deserving players and assistant coaches, or take a hint from the officials at the Nevada game and eject him altogether.
