The Dawn of the Dead

Our peaceful trip to the 2006-2007 season has been interrupted by the waking dead.

A day after providing syrup for the megalomaniacal waffle who called the MU/UW-M deal "dead" just a week ago, we're rolling out zombies this morning. In case you missed it, the inimitable Bud Haidet held a 'stunning' press conference yesterday to announce that his mid-major program would indeed sign MU's offer of a 4 for 1 series. The deal is now un-dead, I guess.

Today the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel offers two articles on the pending Marquette-UW-M basketball contract. In the first, Todd Rosiak was forced to collaborate with Bobbo Roquemore, intrepid scibe. Michael Hunt also offers a fun read today, slapping both sides in the face for dragging this one out.

Haidet's antics monumentally embarrassed UW-M. Here's an AD who, based on his own actions yesterday, proved that he should have signed the MU contract weeks ago and moved on. Instead, he postured through the media, overplayed his hand with Marquette and was turned into the laughingstock of Milwaukee sports. Incredibly he made Marquette, never the people's choice in town, into the sympathetic protagonist on this issue. That my friends was no small feat.

After adding some luster to MU's image, Haidet stumbled back a week later to sign the deal in an effort to save face. Haidet's explanation? He wanted to announce that UW-M benefactors, whom he could not name, came forward with $20K to offset any perceived financial shortfall for the Panthers.

Funny thing is, common sense says that Haidet could have secured this same financial backing quietly while signing MU's initial contract. That Bud Haidet had to wait until his university was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion before making the right move speaks volumes.

Folks, its the Dawn of the Dead in Milwaukee.