: I’ve been holding off the past week or so (1) anticipating Mary Willingham & Jay Smith’s book being “out”; and (2) an unrelated MEGA surprise you know nothing about yet. Both (1) and (2) are still another week or so away. I can’t wait any longer to tell you what you oughta be thinking about some stuff.
WolfNation is euphoric having finally beaten Ol’ Roy in Dean’s Dome. Conversely, Tru Blues are incensed at Ol Roy today for having lost to NC State in said Dean’s Dome. Reminding us all of the Fan’s Golden Rule. “We” share in our team’s Ws; but the Ls are always the coach’s fault and/or crooked referees.
Meanwhile Mary “settles”….. and Fan Mobs rear their ugly head AGAIN.
With my ever-dwindling interest in ACC Basketball…. I watched the final ten minutes last night. I know UNC has a Marcus Paige and NCSU has a kid named “Cat”. The teams could switch uniforms at the half and I would not know the difference. I “used to know” entire rosters of every team. Sigh.
A 3rd reason I have been silent for a spell was the extended mourning period for Coach Smith. It came up ten days short of the celebrity mourning record held by Princess Di. I have made my opinion clear on “extended mournings” be it for princesses or coaches. Similar to the use of curry or garlic…. when “more” becomes too much, it’s too late.
Did you notice all the tributes promoted by Triangle-area media who, so we’ve been told, are always “out-to-get” all things UNCCH ???? I did not attend the public ceremony on Sunday so I can’t say if Dan Kane was there.
My earlier question of “where has Coach Smith gone?” can never be answered. Robert Seymour’s new-age theology does not include a Heaven or a Hell.
There was a slim chance that “The Book” would be out by now but the weather has delayed getting copies in book stores around the world. “By the 2nd week of March” is now the forecast. Had “the book” come out in the middle of the you-know-what it would have created some interesting choices for story placement by regional and national media. Its best for all concerned that the two events will be separated by a week or so. Don’t you agree?
A settlement of Mary’s lawsuit versus UNC-CH has now been announced as much as it likely will be. I “spoke” with Mary on Tuesday and she is satisfied, all things considered. That means she is getting some $$$$ for the way in which certain “high-level UNC officials” very stoopidly mistreated her. These settlements usually come with “gag orders” but, as noted, Mary is satisfied. She was never seeking “big bucks”.
IMO, Mary would have preferred that UNC actually address the issues she blew the whistle about which involved (1) “eligibility majors” and (2) not really giving a damn that too many young men (of a football and basketball persuasion) leave UNC as functionally uneducated as the day they arrive. Not 100s of young men are doing so but certainly enough “to matter”. You’d think? Yes, it is a common issue across the Big Time College Sports landscape, but UNC-CH could have fixed their part….. had they chosen to do so.
The simple solution would have meant creating a GED-Academy curriculum. The coaches could still recruit the same semi-literate “blue-chippers” they have been recruiting but those young men would leave after 2-3-4 years less semi-literate than how they are now arriving…. and currently leaving.
Mary’s primary concern has never been the “paper classes” scheme, but rather the administration’s lack of concern that The University fulfill its mission to actually educate its students, not simply “keep’em eligible”. Braggin’ Rights for Blue Zone / Lower Level Fat Cats being, apparently, a much higher priority.
More on all this when “the book” comes out in a coupla weeks.
Meanwhile, yet another warning that a really nasty Fan Mob Disaster is a matter of when, not “maybe”. Jackass fans “stormed the court” at K-State this week after they defeated hated-rival Kansas. KU’s Bill Self and several KU players narrowly escaped injury or worse. All accounts say it was “very scary”. LINK!….
K-State officials have “apologized” but admit “well, golly, there’s not but so much we can do…..”. Have they never heard of barbed wire, high-pressure fire hoses, tasers, guard dogs or snipers in the rafters?
Twelve or fourteen years ago there was a nasty “storm the field” episode at The Carter after a big win. I don’t recall the specifics. I do recall several serious injuries to students and other fans. I also recall a flaming jackass board monkey saying “No big deal….. that’s the price you pay to have a winning football program”. I’ve often wondered if that moron has ever fathered a child or voted. I hope not. There are plenty of his sicko ilk at every big-time school in America.
Blame it on “the ubiquitous them” or blame it on whichever political ideology you despise or any/all “authority figures”. Whatever you do don’t imagine it could ever happen “at your school”. If your school has rabid board monkeys and “hated rivals” and “big games” then the “mob gun” is loaded with a hair trigger.
“Just college kids letting off steam and having some fun” is a common excuse. OK, so long as the damage to people or property is confined to the actual perps and to the institution that “thought it could never happen here”.
Putting the students near the court so they can “be a part of the game” has a very dark component to it.
But hey…. I don’t go to games any more, so “when” it happens I probably won’t know any of the victims. Like not knowing any of those semi-literate blue-chippers that Mary was so naïve to think anyone actually cared about…. those Christians that were beheaded by ISIS…. or the ones burned in those cages. ….. OK. Enough buzz-kill.
I’m listening to a terrific series these days featuring Agent Aloysius Pendergast. The author-duo is Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The quite eccentric Pendergast is a combo of Sherlock Holmes and Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt…. his ineffable politeness and unerring intellect imbue him with an irresistible charm or enigmatic sense of danger if the occasion should call for it. …. I’m thru Book 8 of the 16+ series. Check it out.
BobLeeBuddy, UNC J-School Alum (2010?) and Pinehurst’s – Kristin Balboni – has left the staff of ESPN’s Mike & Mike to join FoxSports1. She’ll have both an on-air and on-line presence. Give’em Hell Kid. …… UNC remains very well represented at The Worldwide Leader.
