Pause

This tells you all you need to know about why many, many fans have lost the Panther pride. We lost all trust in the AD: https://uwmpost.com/sports/remorse-over-jeter-firing-spread-across-uwm-and-milwaukee

You can read the emails for yourself: https://tinyurl.com/y62lgkbl πŸ˜ΆπŸ˜”

Oh, and for context, Coach (Jeter) beat Wisconsin and Minnesota in '15-'16. His firing wasn't performance related; it was personal. Now, Braun has made it personal for us, the fans, whom she has been happily ignoring since arriving on campus. In fact, AD Braun actively prevented the '15-'16 Panthers from participating in a post-season tourney that was going to be paid for by a booster.

Oh and, that booster is no longer a booster. Many boosters have boosted outta here. Not just David Gruber.

An artist rendering of the practice facility that has been requested as part of some future budget (2020?)

We have to rebuild what the AD has tried to destroy. You don't intentionally torch each and every bridge with numerous (then active) players, players parents and former players, and sabotage (then active) coaches and expect not to have interest vanish.

We are left with a heavy friggin' lift.

We have to care and be vocal. We all need to contribute in whatever way we can (Fb, Twitter, sports blogs) to move beyond the petty leadership decisions and keep the legacy of the Milwaukee Panthers alive and well. I'll be back blogging a bit and back to the Arena for more games next year and I hope you will too. By turning away from this program none of us accomplish anything. AD Braun wins and furthers the devolution. Everyone who is part of this shared connection to the Panthers loses.

If the current AD is truly as malevolent as it seems, how could anyone walk away and not be part of the fight to keep Milwaukee Panther Basketball relevant in Wisconsin and the nation?

A rendering of the inside of a potential Panther basketball practice facility

We are fortunate that- (credit where due if he was in fact her top choice)- the AD hired a high character, experienced (he was PG and later assistant coach at Northwestern) basketball coach in Pat Baldwin. He has 2 years now of head coaching under his belt and his recruiting ability has already borne fruit that has potential to transform the face of this basketball program.

We'll pick up where we left off here soon. Until then- let's get more experience and hope for on-campus practice facility funding that is needed to give this program the boost it so badly needs. The time is now.

I have a hunch that there is no way anybody is going to be able to ignore the Milwaukee Panthers next season.

PS: Always remember this: we fans will be here following the Panthers long after Braun and her short-sighted, cold-hearted, bitterly divisive, Machiavellian ways have run course.

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