I'm on the fence. I remember way back when ISU's basketball team surprised everyone with a NCAA tournament win against UCLA. I remember the 70's and 80's when all three Idaho schools were competitive in the Big Sky Conference. The stands were packed, the crowd was loud and it seemed that things couldn't be better for the Bengals. I've been to the Mini-Dome (now Holt Arena) when BSU came to town where it was standing room only, taxing the ventilation system to the max. Some of those former players mentioned in the article were a part of those experiences.
On the other hand, the timing of this letter and article is suspect. Why not bring this up in the spring after graduation ceremonies? That would give the school and these names an opportunity to work thru the points that they mention.
With that said, my thought on the subject is that Vailas and Tingey are not the problem here. But they could be the solution. The competitiveness as a whole has fallen over a number, I mean a number of years. And, it's not going to fixed in a year or two.
The president should know that athletics is typically the face of the university. He needs to find a way to leverage the athletic program to benefit the school by attracting more students. Tingey needs to bring in coaches and thru them, the players to make steady improvements in their success on the field or in the gym as well as the classroom. If he can't, then Vailas needs to make a business decision and find someone that can. They both need to reach out to the business community to see how they can partner with the university to achieve the improvements needed. And not necessarily the same dozen or so businesses. New blood, new money. If they can have measured success in the next few years, everyone looks like geniuses. If not, the school needs to find the leadership that can move the athletic programs forward.
The fans need to embrace the program. Negative attitudes will dampen any enthusiasm. No disrespect intended, but "Write a check or..." is not the attitude of just one individual in Eastern Idaho. All of the fans, including these guys have to be a part of the solution, too.
Just my thoughts... Fire away with comments.