Bill Johnson - Thanks for the memories, and for the honesty

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

For those who did not see it, please read the following post from Bill Johnson's Facebook Page.

To quote Groucho Marx "Hello, I must be going!"

Before the decision is made for me, I am officially announcing my retirement as the voice of Milwaukee Panthers Men's basketball.

I would say it's taking the last life boat off the Titanic, but that would be unfair to the crew of the Titanic.

Never have so many competant, talented people been run off by such a talentless group of entitled beaurocrats. No matter how much the coaches, players, and support staff care, they can't overcome incompetent administrators.

UWM leads the world in incompetent administrators.

I criticize awful athletic directors like Koonce, Costello, Geiger, and Braun. It's not their fault. Hell, if they elected me President I'ld take the job. If I suck at it, it's not my fault. I'm not qualified to be President.

Should Amanda Braun turn down an AD job just because she's horribly under qualified? Hell no. She's a bad AD, and a deplorable human being, but those are the cards she's been dealt.

Those in charge of the UW System have failed to hire effective administrators. Failed. F F F F!

It has been my pleasure to work with the wonderful players and coaches for 17 seasons. The players, coaches, parents and the fans have been like my family.

I will miss Panther hoops the rest of my life.

Best of luck to my friends that are still imprisoned at UWM Athletics. Fight on, brothers (and sisters.) Keep your heads low and make us proud.

Finally, best of luck to LaVall Jordan, his staff, and the players. As so often happens in the NCAA, it's not your fault. Win and get out quick, because long term is fatal at UWM Athletics.

Panther Nation, it has been my pleasure.Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/20531316728/posts/10154009990506729/

892

[dylanrocks]

God love you, Bill!!!

... and KABOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!

It's what those of us who discern and care have been saying for the last uncountable number of years!

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

Ahhhhh....we are all just upset Rob got fired because we are all his friends. In fact, I am golfing with him in Fantasyland next Wursday and then we are going on a double date with the wives to eat at a new restaurant on the moon.

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX0CbA4718A

[dylanrocks]

Bill's post is an excerpt of my phone conversation with D. Kelly every night, but we don't know as much about Panther basketball as those running UWM athletics and are merely blinded by emotion.

Burn, baby, burn!

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

How to start a dumpster fire:

893

[jhart05]

I just don't know what to say.

This is some crazy nightmare. Right?

I mean, this can't really be happening, can it?

Paul, please tell me this isn't happening to our university.

[dylanrocks]

Buckle your seat belt, JHart, there's more on the way!

[dylanrocks]

And like Bill, the Eunuch board has just gone off the air!

[BBF]

I hope Michael Poll is somewhere safe because the long knives are out for every shred of dignity and humanity this program has had.

How can any fan look at our program and be anything but sad and ashamed right now?

[jhart05]

That's pretty much what I was just saying to Paul about half an hour ago.

I'm embarrassed to say I graduated from this university.

[dylanrocks]

That's pretty much what I was just saying to Paul about half an hour ago.

I'm embarrassed to say I graduated from this university.

"What do you do when you're branded and you know you're a man?"

Instead of Mone Mouse, wouldn't it be great to have Chuck Connors as our chancellor right now?

[Skrapheap]

I figured that if half the things charged to Amanda Braun were true, someone leaving the program would speak out as Bill has done.

I figured most of those who left or were shown the door could not speak candidly because they had to find their next job. I suppose he's got other gigs.

Could we lure Bud Haidet out of retirement?

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

We could hire a homeless guy on Downer and it would be an upgrade.

Oh, and if it wasn't already bad enough.....the story is going national! http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball-news/4702053-uw-milwaukee-radio-announcer-rant-rips-basketball-program-resignation-panthers-instagram?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Way to go Amanda!!!! You got our name in the national media!!!!! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

I will now light myself on fire.

[dylanrocks]

You guys know what this means now, right?

It means that a Hall of Fame broadcaster can now join this board.

C'mon, Bill, the bridge is burned! Make the leap!

[Montana87]

I burned my degree/diploma last night! Threw away my letter jacket. Braun and Mone are beyond the title of 'embarrassment'. Thank you Bill Johnson. Keep up being our Paul Revere and warning the countryside of the travesty known as Amanda Braun.

[Jimmy Lemke]

I burned my degree/diploma last night! Threw away my letter jacket. Braun and Mone are beyond the title of 'embarrassment'. Thank you Bill Johnson. Keep up being our Paul Revere and warning the countryside of the travesty known as Amanda Braun.

I wouldn't go that far. These knuckleheads are just stewards of OUR program. WE are the owners. Let's keep fighting.

[jhart05]

Can we have shirts made up in case we go to a game or two while this Admin is still in place?

"I support the players and coaches. Not the Admin."

You think Gruber would sponsor that shirt?

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

Can we have shirts made up in case we go to a game or two while this Admin is still in place?

"I support the players and coaches. Not the Admin."

You think Gruber would sponsor that shirt?

Is it wrong to put the Dark Hawk logo on it? LOL

[Skrapheap]

Can we have shirts made up in case we go to a game or two while this Admin is still in place?

"I support the players and coaches. Not the Admin."

You think Gruber would sponsor that shirt?

it would take only one call to find out :)

[Skrapheap]

And like Bill, the Eunuch board has just gone off the air!

It's back online as of this morning.

[jhart05]

The former voice of UW-Milwaukee men's basketball Bill Johnson explains his decision to retire from that role.
(http://espn.go.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=15210421)

[jhart05]

https://youtu.be/e-M4WXov2lM

[BBF]

The press release from the Athletic Department is a shameful ad hominem attack on Bill. They can't dispute what he says so they tear down his character.

I'm beginning to believe there are no depths to which these people won't go to get what they want.

I am almost at the point of hoping that EVERY player on the roster leaves. It might take that to wake up the University administration.

A few weeks ago I remarked on the eunuch board that our program had become the laughingstock of college basketball and some objected. My God -- look where we are NOW. I'm sure the architects of this shameful purge of decent people have had it as their plan that the news cycle would move on and they'd simply get away with it all. They hadn't counted on their own callous ineptitude. They keep making it worse and it will NEVER get better. It's in their nature.

[jhart05]

Where is the press release?

[dylanrocks]

Here's what they could have said:

"Bill is a legendary broadcaster who has been on hand for nearly all of the program's greatest accomplishments. We thank him for his 17 glorious seasons behind the mic and wish him well in all his future endeavors."

But pettiness, insecurity and a personal agenda again intervened.

[Skrapheap]

Here's what they could have said:

"Bill is a legendary broadcaster who has been on hand for nearly all of the program's greatest accomplishments. We thank him for his 17 glorious seasons behind the mic and wish him well in all his future endeavors."

But pettiness, insecurity and a personal agenda again intervened.

After Bill expressed himself as honestly and as forcefully as he did, there's no way the Department was going to say anything so nice. Amanda Braun being as petty as she is, what we got was about what i expected.

[Jimmy Lemke]

After Bill expressed himself as honestly and as forcefully as he did, there's no way the Department was going to say anything so nice. Amanda Braun being as petty as she is, what we got was about what i expected.

If Tom Luljak or Kevin O'Connor were running the PR, or Chris Zills and Tim Prahl were making the decisions, I'm guessing dylanrocks' template is very close to what they'd have put out. But it's not those guys - it's Amanda Braun and Bill Behrns.

They know we suspect them of infiltrating message boards - so this is where you're going to see them fight their battles. In public. How perfect - I love how they keep playing into our hands. It's almost like they're working for the Rebellion.

[parkerj]

A few weeks ago I remarked on the eunuch board that our program had become the laughingstock of college basketball and some objected. My God -- look where we are NOW.

Still not there (thanks, Runnin' Rebels!)

[GVD]

Still not there (thanks, Runnin' Rebels!)

If you want to feel a little better about our program right now, go check out what's going on with the Loyola women's team.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-loyola-sheryl-swoopes-transfers-spt-0416-20160415-story.html

[parkerj]

I saw that!!! Crazy stuff going on in WBB right now

UNLV might be in a worse spot with it being their most high-profile sport that's dealing with the chaos and because it sounds like they'll have Academic Progress Rate issues as well as only having 3 guys on the team.

[StreakingPanther]

I just want to know where silent mark is on all of this?

[lutzow10]

I dream of the day Amanda gets what is comimg to her

[BBF]

Here is an excellent interview with Bill Johnson. It just infuriates me that someone so supportive of and loyal to the program is the latest victim of the purge.

http://onmilwaukee.com/sports/articles/panthersbilljohnsonamandabraun.html

By the way, in another interview Bill identified the "racially insensitive" remark for which he was suspended. In reference to the long beard on a YSU player he made a joke that the guy must have a tough time getting through airport security.

Let that sink in.

[dylanrocks]

My take is that at the airport, they now check for everything in the post 9/11 Era and that a long beard might indeed slow down the inspection process.

Having had at one point grown his facial hair fairly long and as one who spends a lot of time at airports, The Voice of The Panthers may even have been speaking from first-hand experience.

Maybe the A.D. and S.I.D. should have asked him what he meant before suspending him?

[Montana87]

That would have meant that the S.I.D. would have to work. That's a joke. He can't even do simple math. In his world, 8 plus 5 equals 14. Go back and read his press release on the Time Warner broadcast schedule for men's & women's hoops. For over one month his press release had headline announcing 14 broadcasts. His first paragraph in the release indicated that 8 men's games & 5 women's games would be televised. That release remained on their site for 3 months. And you all did notice he was taken off the men's basketball game day duties half way through the season? He's a joke. WTMJ radio asked ALL season for credentials and press releases and received NOTHING from him. WTMJ told me they received more assistance and information from the Milwaukee Wave and Arrowhead High School. That is your UWM athletic department, once again on the cutting edge of ineptness!

[dylanrocks]

Related to this, my friend huey from the Eunuch board asked a great question:

Did anyone actually complain about Bill's remarks?

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

Related to this, my friend huey from the Eunuch board asked a great question:

Did anyone actually complain about Bill's remarks?

Just Amanda Braun.