The Confidential

The ACC Sports Blog

Archive for the category “Correspondents”

20 Feb 2013
3 Comments

Taking Action on Conference Realignment- Contact Information for Fans

UPDATE- With recent rumors  that UNC, GT, UVA and FSU are leaving, please focus on those schools, Jim Delany, John Swofford and ESPN if you are going to contact someone on this list. Unfortunately, I could not find email addresses for John Swofford, Jim Delany and John Skipper. If you DO find them, please post them to the comments section, and I will edit this post. It appears that the greatest need can be found with these parties. We deserve a say in this too. This is OUR conference. I’ve included my original message below. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN THE PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on my latest article regarding conference realignment. I really appreciate it, and this type of discussion is why I enjoy Atlantic Coast Confidential so much. While I plan discuss issues such as television ratings and academics in the near future, I wanted to provide everyone with a comprehensive list of individuals with a significant stake in the ACC’s future.   While this is all public information, please respect the time and position of these individuals, if and when contacting them.

I truly believe that the ACC has a bright future in college athletics. Yes, many changes can be, and need to be made, for the league to reach its full potential. But this is why I have provided the information below. Joining another conference is a short-term solution without a long-term vision. While football is driving the flow of money right now, its future is in doubt due to rule changes, governmental intervention and increasing awareness of injuries. Baseball was once America’s past time, but was replaced by football. Ice skating and boxing were once among the most popular sports in the country. If, and of course there are many factors involved, football ceases to be on top, where would you want your school?  Would you want to be geographically and culturally isolated, playing very few of your longtime rivals, or would you like to be in a group based off of common geographic, athletic, academic and social characteristics? No other conference has better media markets, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, soccer and academics than the ACC. Our football is undeniably on the way up. There is more potential in the ACC than any other conference. Please share this with your friends, retweet it, post it on Facebook, or whatever you need to do. By working together, and having our voice heard as fans, I believe that we can make a difference.

Boston College
Father William P. Leahy, S.J. (william.leahy@bc.edu)
Office of the President
140 Commonwealth Ave.
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Bradley J. Bates (brad.bates@bc.edu)
Director of Athletics
140 Commonwealth Ave.
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Clemson University
Dr. James F. Barker, FAIA (jbarker@clemson.edu)
Office of the President
Clemson University
201 Sikes Hall
Clemson, SC 29634

Dan Radakovich (athldir@clemson.edu)
Director of Athletics
Jervey Athletic Center
PO Box 31
Clemson, SC 29633
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Duke University
Dr. Richard H. Brodhead (president@duke.edu)
Duke University
207 Allen Building
Box 90001
Durham, NC 27708

Kevin White (kwhite@duaa.duke.edu)
Director of Athletics
Box 90555
Durham, NC 27708
____________________________________________________________________________________
Florida State University
Dr. Eric J. Barron (ebarron@fsu.edu)
Office of the President
600 W. College Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32306

Randy Spetman (rspetman@fsu.edu)
Director of Athletics
PO Box 2195
Tallahassee, FL 32316
____________________________________________________________________________________
Georgia Tech
Dr. G.P. Peterson (bud.peterson@gatech.edu)
Office of the President
Georgia Institute of Technology
North Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30332

Paul Griffin (njameson@athletics.gatech.edu)
Acting Athletic Director
150 Bobby Dodd Way, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30332
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

University of Louisville
Dr. James Ramsey (jrrams02@louisville.edu)
Office of the President
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292

Tom Jurich (tom@GoCards.com)
Director of Athletics
Athletics Department
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
________________________________________________________________________________________________
University of Miami
Dr. Donna E. Shalala (dshalala@miami.edu)
Office of the President
University of Miami
PO Box 248006
Coral Gables, FL 33124

Blake James (dgentile@miami.edu)
Director of Athletics
University of Miami Athletics
5821 San Amaro Drive
Coral Gables, FL 33146
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
University of North Carolina
Dr. Holden Thorp (chancellor@unc.edu)
Office of the Chancellor
103 South Building
Campus Box 9100
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Bubba Cunningham (bubba.cunningham@unc.edu)
Director of Athletics
UNC Athletic Department
P.O. Box 2126
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
__________________________________________________________________________________

North Carolina State University
Dr. Randy Woodson (Chancellor@ncsu.edu)
Office of the Chancellor
Campus Box 7001, A Holladay Hall
Raleigh, NC, 27695

Deborah A. Yow (d_yow@ncsu.edu)
Weisiger Brown Building
2500 Warren Carrol Dr.
Campus Box 8502
Raleigh, NC 27695
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

University of Notre Dame
Rev. John I Jenkins, C.S.C. (president@nd.edu)
Office of the President
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Jack Swarbrick (tinkham.1@nd.edu)
Director of Athletics
University of Notre Dame
C113 Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Mark A. Nordenberg (norden@pitt.edu)
Office of the Chancellor
University of Pittsburgh
107 Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Steve Pederson (spederson@athletics.pitt.edu)
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Athletics
PO Box 7436
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Syracuse University
Dr. Nancy Cantor (ncantor@syr.edu)
Office of the Chancellor
900 S. Crouse Avenue
Crouse-Hinds Hall, Suite 600
Syracuse, New York 13244

Dr. Daryl Gross (Djgross@syr.edu)
Director of Athletics
Manley Field House
1201 E. Colvin St.
Syracuse, NY 13244
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

University of Virginia
Dr. Teresa A Sullivan (jdb4d@virginia.edu)
Office of the President
PO Box 400224
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Craig Littlepage
Director of Athletics
McCue Center- PO Box 400846
Charlottesville, VA 22904
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Virginia Tech
Dr. Charles W. Steger (president@vt.edu)
Office of the President
210 Burruss Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Jim Weaver (weaverj@vt.edu)
Director of Athletics
Virginia Tech Athletics Department
Jamerson Athletic Center/Cassell Coliseum/Merryman Center
Virginia Tech (0502)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Wake Forest University
Dr. Nathan O. Hatch (nhatch@wfu.edu)
Office of the President
211 Reynolda Hall
P.O. Box 7226
Winston-Salem, NC 27109

Ron Wellman (halldf@wfu.edu)
Director of Athletics
PO Box 7265
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
John Skipper
President- ESPN
ESPN Plaza
Bristol, CT 06010

John Swofford
Commissioner
Atlantic Coast Conference
4512 Weybridge Lane
Greensboro, NC 27407

Jim Delany
Commissioner
Big Ten Conference
1500 West Higgins Rd
Park Ridge, IL 60068

Larry Scott
Commissioner
Pac-12 Conference
1350 Treat Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA

Mike Slive
Commissioner
Southeastern Conference
2201 Richard Arrington Blvd. North
Birmingham, AL 35203

Bob Bowlsby
Commissioner
Big 12 Conference
400 East John Carpenter Freeway
Irving, TX 75062

 

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, Conference News, Conference Realignment, Football, UNC Correspondent
19 Feb 2013
25 Comments

Ending Conference Realignment- The Role of the Fans

UPDATE- I will be posting contact information for all future/current ACC school Presidents and ADs (except for Maryland), as well as information for ESPN and all major conferences tomorrow morning (2/20)

Maryland’s Short-Term Fix, Destroys a Long-Term Vision

As realignment rumors heat up in the WVU circles, I wanted to continue my series on conference realignment. Today, I wanted to touch on the fan’s role in all of this. At times, it seems like our opinions don’t matter at all. When Maryland first announced their intentions to join the Big Ten, prominent alumni spoke out against President Wallace Loh’s practically singular decision. He claimed that due to the confidential nature of the talks, he was unable to involve more people in the decision-making process. Basically, this meant only one thing in common speech- He wanted to do what he wanted to do. He didn’t care what anyone else thought. Any responsible school president would have realized that a decision of this magnitude, one that uproots a school from its athletic conference of over 60 years, needs more than an outsider’s input and opinion. Big decisions have big implications. That’s why even though the benefits of the Charlotte Bobcats rebranding as the Charlotte Hornets are painfully obvious, they’re still conducting serious research to determine the best move going forward. For a team coming off of the worst season in NBA history, it’s pretty telling that they’re willing to make this kind of investment. They want to know how the fans feel because they know that this will affect the bottom line. Maryland didn’t care, they just acted. Fans weren’t given an opportunity to speak, and when they did, it was too late. Don’t let this happen to your school, or your conference.

Since Maryland’s Big Ten announcement, many fans and alumni have publicly reversed their opinion on the subject. And why not? They can’t change anything so they may as well be happy. Or at least convince themselves that they’ll be happy. But it won’t work. After all, who in the Maryland administration can say that  games against Iowa and Minnesota will be as exciting as the one against Duke last Saturday? They can’t. The only reason they can sell the “academic superiority” and “financial benefits” of a move to the Big 10 is because they have an inferiority complex stemming from their complete financial mismanagement and athletic mediocrity. They have to say something, even if it’s justifying “exciting new matchups” against “traditionally strong” teams like Wisconsin (last NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1941), Ohio State (1960) and Indiana (1987), teams that they have far less history against than members of the ACC. And that’s just basketball. If the Maryland football team was struggling with support when they played local rivals, how many tickets do they think they’ll sell for games against Indiana and Iowa? Will fans really show up for an Ohio State game, if they didn’t show up for  Florida State? Wallace Loh can say yes all he wants, but history points to no. The problem isn’t your opponents Maryland, the problem is YOU. You mismanaged your own budget, you devalued your own rivalries and you were the one putting unbelievably mediocre teams on the field and court for the last decade. You got yourself into this problem and the answer isn’t to join the Big Ten.

Proposed Expansion Disaster- UNC to the Big Ten

As a fan of an ACC school often rumored to be leaving, I know one thing for certain. If MY school joined the Big Ten, I would never care about it in the same way again. In fact, it would all but ruin college athletics for me. It takes decades for rivalries to develop and bonds to be formed. I don’t have 100 years to sit around and wait for games against Nebraska to suddenly and magically become interesting. I’m still not sold on BC and they’ve been in the league for 10 years. History and tradition DO matter and any forward-thinking school president can see that this. Think long-term, not short-term. Rivalries develop because of commonalities and any amount of money cannot change that. Maryland will soon find this out. UNC-Michigan is NOT a rivalry. Maryland-Iowa is NOT a rivalry either. Schools can’t change conferences and expect the perceived “benefits” to outweigh the drawbacks when the drawbacks are rooted in decades of history. The University of North Carolina is a Southern school with Southern traditions and Southern rivals. We’re in the conference that we’re in because of characteristics that transcend more than anything the Big Ten Network can give us. UNC joining the Big Ten would make every game a Boston College game for me. In other words, I really wouldn’t care to watch them.

Fan of a School vs. Fan of a Conference

People say that they’re a fan of a school not a conference, but let’s not pretend that it doesn’t matter who you play. Would Ohio State fans really be happy with a Mountain West schedule? No, they wouldn’t. Would Clemson fans be happy with a CUSA schedule? Absolutely not. The conference that a school is in is just as important as the school itself. A win over Bowling Green would not be as exciting to me as a win over Duke. A conference is the school’s identity. It determines over 60% of matchups in each sport. Schools grouped together to begin with because they had common goals and characteristics. That’s why I wouldn’t be happy with my school in the Big Ten. I’d rather be in the Big 12, SEC or Pac-12 than the Big 10 because honestly, there are more interesting opponents in each of those conferences. We have more in common. But above all, I want to stay in the ACC because that’s where we belong.

What Can Fans Do? Let the ADs, Commissioners and TV Execs Know What You Think

So what can we do as fans? I want to encourage you to write to Commissioner Swofford and conference ADs and presidents. Share your ideas with them. Share your vision. Tell what you like about the conference and tell them about what you don’t. Even contact Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney, Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick and ESPN President John Skipper. They will certainly have a say in all of this before it’s done. Sharing your ideas doesn’t take very long and it’s worth a shot before it’s too late. I’ve done it before and heard back within weeks. At a time when our conference is in such a state of flux, it’s important for the fan’s voice to be heard. Your school BELONGS in the ACC and the ACC NEEDS to stay together. More money won’t solve your problems, I promise. You’ll end up as a misfit pariah like Maryland for the next 50 years. Think about it this way. Being rich doesn’t make Lil’ Wayne and Donald Trump any more similar. In fact, they could not be more different.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Conference News, Conference Realignment, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized
18 Feb 2013
7 Comments

FSU News: The Monday Chop

Latest news on everything FSU

FSU holds junior day:  FSU is in the middle of two big recruiting weekends.  Jimbo got a commitment from Kamryn Pettway, who is a 220 pound junior running back.  It is clear Jimbo is trying to find the next Lonnie Pryor.  Pryor played an enormous role in Jimbo’s offense, even as a “fullback” so I don’t think it’s a hard job to sell.  Jimbo is also pursuing QB JJ Cosentino pretty hard.  JJ tore his ACL in his sophomore year, so he might be a little underrated.  He comes from the same school as Dan Marino and… Sal Suneri.  Sal’s impact on the coaching staff, just from a recruiting standpoint, has been immense.  On the other side of the ball, all he pretty much has to say is that he coached Julius Peppers.

Looking forward to spring:  There will be many position battles this spring–the most important being at quarterback.  The candidates are Clint Trickett (an undersized coach’s son who knows the playbook in-and-out), Jacob Coker (an underrated QB out of high school with all of the physical tools), and Jameis Winston (a two-sport star who was the top dual threat QB in 2012).  One thing I’m worried about is the fact that Jameis Winston is playing baseball and does a good deal of pitching.  Pitchers get all sorts of elbow and shoulder injuries.  Wear and tear aside, the effect this can have on his throwing motion is unknown.  Folks have cited to the fact that Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson both played, at a high level, football and baseball.  Yes, but neither Sanders nor Jackson played QB.  This will be a story line to watch going forward and count me in the Coker camp.  Less wear and tear, one more year in the system than Winston, and a sole focus on football.

The lack of news on FSU’s new offensive coordinator:  The last public bit of knowledge about FSU’s offensive coordinator position was that Jimbo would be interviewing candidates.  Last week, we heard of two candidates, the former UCLA OC Mike Johnson and the current USC WR coach Tee Martin.  No other candidates have surfaced.  This could mean a few things–Jimbo liked one of them and is working on a contract or Jimbo was upset that information was leaking and is trying to do things more covertly.  My preference is still Chris Weinke to come in and be the QB coach.  It’s a bit delusional to think Jimbo would defer coaching QBs to Weinke, but it would be in the best interest of the program.  It is one thing to bring in recruits and show them sealed lockers of FSU greats.  It is another thing to actually have one of those greats on the sideline and recruiting.  Chant Rant was the first to float this idea, so I will give them due credit, but this just seems like a no-brainer move.

In other news:  Mario Cristobal, the former FIU head coach and current (well, no longer current) UM offensive line coach, has accepted a position with Nick Saban as their offensive line coach.  A lateral move in title, sure, but a tremendous opportunity for Cristobal.  Cristobal was on the UM staff for all of two months.  He even helped court former FSU OC James Coley to UM.  This won’t likely have any real long-term effect on UM, but for FSU fans, it’s a bit of a consolation prize to see Cristobal up and leave.  Also, and quietly, UM has lost a considerable amount of coaches this off-season.

Speaking of coaching changes:  FSU almost lost another assistant.  This time around it was Lawrence Dawsey.  Noles247 reported that NFL teams have called Lawrence Dawsey.  I really can’t speak to Dawsey’s coaching prowess–to be honest, I have expected more out of some of the FSU WRs like Rodney Smith and Kelvin Benjamin.  Those two receivers have the ability to control a game just with their size.  We just never seem to utilize them the way they should be and maybe that’s just more of a reflection of Jimbo’s offense than Dawsey’s ability to coach them up.  I will say this, however:  Dawsey is a loyal Seminole.  It’s clear he wants to be at FSU and so I hope they repay him in kind.

FSU’s ACC Championship Game woes getting attention:  A few outlets have been picking up the FSU story about the half-a-million-dollars-in-debt that it incurred just for appearing in the ACC Championship game.  One outlet, NBC Sports, opines that the only loss in this setting should be on the field–not in the pocket book.  If you want examples of how the ACC is not helping football schools, this may be one of them.  The current formula is not working.  Sure, Swofford has said that they are working to ensure that no school suffers a financial loss because of its appearance in the game, but the ACC Championship games haven’t been relevant or exciting in a long time.  That indicates to me something has to change… granted, they’ve tinkered with the venue a few times, but is Charlotte really the best place?  I think it is too difficult to try and predict who will be in the championship game, so it’s not worth placing it in Charlotte or Jacksonville.  The right place should be at the stadium of the team with the better record, or a tie-breaker of some sort.  They can work out a 60/40 split and it may even be an added incentive for teams to push harder down the stretch.  The fact that FSU lost half a million dollars playing in this game is not going to help the ACC’s cause in trying to stick together.

My other hope for change is some divisional realignment.  FSU fans could care less about Pittsburgh–it is Georgia Tech that FSU should be playing every year.  It is one of the easiest things the ACC can do to help Florida State… a trip to Boston is more expensive and less exciting (on the field) than it is to Atlanta.  This is an ACC Blog, so I’m confident my colleagues will have varying opinions, but I like to stoke the fire some.

The only bright spot of the ACC Championship game, and winning it, is this awesome video about FSU going to the Orange Bowl.  Enjoy.

Posted by Duke in Conference Realignment, Football, FSU Correspondent, Opinion, Orange Bowl and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 Feb 2013
4 Comments

FSU: search for OC, recruiting, and ACC woes

fsu.renegade

News on the latest with FSU

Search for OC continues:  Ever since James Coley left, Jimbo Fisher has been operating with one less position coach.  Recently, it was rumored that former UCLA OC Mike Johnson was on campus for an interview.  Meanwhile, Tee Martin, current WRs coach at USC, was rumored to be also interviewing for the offensive coordinator position.  There haven’t been many leaks about who’s getting hired, so no one truly knows.  The big question will be whether the person named offensive coordinator is actually going to be the person who calls the plays someday.  Remember, Jimbo still calls the plays at FSU.  He admitted late last year that getting a real OC was part of his 5 year plan.  FSU currently has two former OCs as assistants (Randy Sanders, RB coach and Billy Napier, TE coach).  The wildcard here is that Jimbo promotes one of them to OC and hires an assistant with ties to the Miami area.

Early 2013 rankings:  FSU comes in at 16 according to Schlabach.  Here’s what Schabach had to say:

“The Seminoles underwent a complete facelift after finishing 12-2 last season. Coach Jimbo Fisher lost six assistants from his staff, including defensive coordinator Mark Stoops (Kentucky’s new coach) and offensive coordinator James Coley (same position at Miami). Fisher hired former Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt as his defensive coordinator and has yet to hire an offensive coordinator, although Fisher will probably continue to call FSU’s plays. Despite the staff overhaul, Fisher was able to bring in the country’s ninth-best recruiting class, which included No. 4 cornerback Jalen Ramsey, No. 5 defensive tackle DeMarcus Walker and No. 10 outside linebacker Matthew Thomas. The Seminoles will spend the spring looking for a new quarterback after losing EJ Manuel, who won four bowl games. They’ll also have to rebuild their defensive line, especially after star end Bjoern Werner left for the NFL draft.”

He’s spot on.  It’s a rebuild.  New coaches, new QB, new players on defense and new scheme.  Meanwhile, Clemson clocks in at 11.  It’s absolutely imperative for the ACC to have two top 20 teams.  At a minimum.

Recruiting:  This week, Rivals published its list of best recruiters.  Topping the list is Mike Groh at Alabama, but 2 FSU coaches made the list: Jeremy Pruitt and Odell Haggins.  The funny thing about Pruitt is that he was only on the staff for a month.  But he was able to pull a top 5 DE, CB and then brought in a few sleepers he evaluated himself.  Not bad work.  Odell, meanwhile, is the most underrated FSU coach has.  Looking around the ACC, Clemson’s Venables got props as a top recruiter, but so did Mike Locksley at Maryland.  Maryland absolutely killed it in this class…

Speaking of recruiting, Noles 247 released an article this week about the recruitment of Matthew Thomas.  I’m not sure what’s worse; that he said he would have gone to USC if his mom signed the LOI or that Denver Kirkland would have gone to FSU if Thomas told him he was going.

ACC Woes:  Warchant.com released an article this week about FSU’s major loss… to the tune of $478,000 for showing up to the ACC Championship Game.  How does this happen?  There’s only one answer in my book: hold conference championships at the “home” team’s field.  Obviously, come up with a revenue sharing strategy, but I know how the ACC could have sold 82,000 tickets and given both FSU and GT real money for having played in the ACC Championship Game.  It’s an easy fix.

A blurb on basketball:  I’ve been meaning to write about FSU’s squad this year.  Truth be told, they were green going into the year and then all hell broke loose with injuries.  It has been a tough year to watch.  They lost a battle against UM this week and took them to the wire.  Today, FSU plays BC today in Boston.  A win could go a long way to saving the season and building momentum.  Of course, while this season may be lost while we rebuild, next year will be great with Andrew Wiggins.

As always, please comment and Go Noles!

Posted by Duke in Football, FSU Correspondent, Rankings, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
15 Feb 2013

State of the Pack: Basketball Red Zone

OK, now we find out who the Wolfpack really are.  Are we the team that was the ACC preseason favorite or the one that lost so many games they were supposed to win? Admittedly, winning the regular season is a ship that has sailed; it’s pretty much down to Duke and Miami at this point.

However, the close win over Clemson gave some reason to hope.  This game was the kind the Pack had been losing; a close contest in front of a rabid road crowd (no other kind in the ACC).  But when the Tigers had State on the ropes a funny thing happened; for perhaps the first time this season, the Wolfpack responded and were able to eke out a win over a lower-ranked team.

This is an excellent time to discover that State can win these games.  If you look at the rest of the season, there are no ranked teams left.  Per the most recent poll in the Confidential, and despite Virginia being ahead of them in the standings, NCSU is the third-best in the ACC (current membership, not the “futures”) at this point.  With apologies to our own Mr. Tar Heel, every game is winnable from here on out and I would not be surprised if we did finish 24-7 going into the conference tournament.  Of course, we could also go the other way, but my glass is half full and so, I believe, is the Pack’s.

All starts with Saturday’s game vs Va Tech.  Playing at home, we should show out and not be challenged.  This being the ACC, however, I would be satisfied with a nail-biter victory over Erick Green and company.  In the event of a loss, this post will self-destruct…sorry, watching Ghost Protocol on Netflix…

Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Basketball, NC State Correspondent, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , ,
13 Feb 2013

Duke-Carolina- The season begins or ends here for the Tar Heels

It’s been called many things. The “greatest rivalry of all time.” The “unofficial start of the basketball season.” College basketball’s only “national rivalry.” It’s seen Gerald Henderson throw his elbow into Tyler Hansbrough’s face, Austin Rivers make “the shot,” and future surprise NBA superstar Danny Green leap over a flopping Greg Paulus. But tonight’s UNC-Duke game represents so much more than that for the 2012-2013 North Carolina Tar Heels. It represents a chance at redemption. So much of the season has been characterized as a disappointment. Carolina fans just aren’t used to a 16-7 record and NCAA Bubble talk in mid-February, but this year it’s a reality. Carolina NEEDS to win this game. Is it fair to the team for fans to act so spoiled? Probably not. It’s one thing to expect excellence, but another to demand it on an insane level. After losing four first round draft picks to the NBA, another Final Four was not a realistic expectation. This is a YOUNG team.

So what are MY expectations for tonight as a UNC fan?

1) That the game will be competitive

We’re going into a hostile environment, much like we did on Saturday, and we got destroyed. Duke has great fans, I’ll be the first to admit that. Cameron Indoor and the Crazies give Duke one of the best home-court advantages in the country, despite what derogatory things their fans may or may not say. Condolences to NC State’s Tyler Lewis. The Tar Heels need to learn from their mistakes and play at a high-level the WHOLE game. Second-half runs against Butler and NC State show that they can hang with the big guys if they try. They have the talent, and what they lack in experience, they should make up for in effort. Carolina can’t get behind early, or its chance at a competitive edge will be gone.

2) That the UNC lineup will start to reflect real-game results, not practice performance

I love Roy Williams, and I’m a big believer in what he does. Fans can criticize him for being stingy with his timeouts, or not putting certain players on the floor, but he knows the team better than any of us do. We’re not in the locker room. We’re not in practice. He’s loyal, and to be honest, he’s not the one playing the game. It’s the players. So when he takes credit for each and every loss I really respect that because it’s fundamentally not his fault. At the same time, I’ve watched so many games this year where lineups just haven’t worked. For whatever reason, this year’s team seems to have a hard time getting started. This has led to big deficits early on. Roy has experimented a lot and that’s okay because these are young players who are adjusting to their own individual roles on the team. But this is the Duke game. This is not the time for experimentation. The best players need to be on the floor as much as possible. And the best players during the game may be different than the “best players” in the last practice and the “best players” so far this season. Roy needs to stick to the hot hand tonight. There’s too much on the line for anything less.

3) That UNC will do a better job of guarding the three-point line

Duke lives and dies by the three, it’s a fact. They were off at Miami and we all know what happened then. But this is Duke-Carolina and it’s on an entirely different level than that, no matter what Miami’s ranked and what UNC’s not. UNC needs quality wins and a postseason berth IS at stake tonight whether the team will admit it or not. Since the game is at Duke, I don’t expect them to be off tonight. Duke has great fans. So it’s extremely important that Carolina does a better job of covering the three. Our perimeter defense is notoriously bad and it has been for years. But this year’s team is a guard-oriented group which gives us the opportunity to change this for the better. Mason Plumlee is a force inside, but Seth Curry earns more points each time he scores. Our focus needs to be on Curry and the other Duke three-point shooters, not Plumlee. With Joel James out we just don’t have the size to do that anyway. The Tar Heels NEED to commit to better perimeter defense or they cannot be competitive.

I’m cautiously optimistic about tonight’s game. Yes, it is a long-shot that Carolina wins. On paper, Duke just has a better team, even without Ryan Kelly. More experience, more size, a home-court advantage. But this is Duke-Carolina and anything, I mean ANYTHING, can happen. If the Tar Heels can pull out the win, then they’ll have a lot of momentum going into the last half of conference play.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, March Madness, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized
11 Feb 2013
6 Comments

Jimbo Fisher will win a National Championship at Florida State

Before we discuss Florida State’s recruiting class, I’d like to give you some context:

  • Mark Stoops, Defensive Coordinator, left to be Head Coach at Kentucky.
  • DJ Eliot, Defensive Line Coach, left to be Defensive Coordinator at Kentucky.
  • Eddie Gran, Running Backs Coach, left to be Offensive Coordinator at Cincinatti.
  • Dameyune Craig, Quarterbacks Coach, left to be Offensive Coordinator at Auburn.
  • Greg Hudson, Linebackers Coach, left to be Defensive Coordinator at Purdue.
  • James Coley, Offensive Coordinator, left to be (real) Offensive Coordinator at Miami.

A typical college football coaching staff has approximately 10 coaches.  Head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, and position coaches (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, secondary).  The list above represents the coaches Florida State lost in one off-season; the most recent defection to a rival, two weeks from signing day, hurt the most.  As soon as Jimbo Fisher hires his last assistant, I will follow-up with profiles on each of the new coaches.

But let that last point sink in some—Jimbo didn’t just finalize this class without an assistant coach, but that assistant coach happened to be his best recruiter who recruits the Miami territory.  And as he admitted in his post-signing day press conference, Jimbo found himself doing the grunt work for the home stretch.

After all the dust settled, Florida State signed another top 10 class.  Many insiders are a touch disappointed because it could have been better.  There were a few that got away, like Denver Kirkland (OL) and Stacy Coley (WR).  More reason for concern is the lack of offensive line depth.  Florida State easily expected to sign 5-6 offensive lineman and only came away with 3 true offensive lineman and, potentially, a tight-end turned tackle in a few years time.  The rest of the class, however, is absolutely stacked.

The three best players in this class are on defense: Demarcus Walker (DE), Matthew Thomas (LB), and Jalen Ramsey (CB).  All are blue chips and considered top 5 at their position.  Meanwhile, Florida State’s seemingly singular focus on offense was speed.  And a lot of it.  For the second consecutive year, Florida State may have signed the fastest player in the country (last year it was Marvin Bracy, this year it is Kermit Whitfield).  Bracy and Whitfield have broken all types of track records.  Bracy is most known for his performance in this race.  And for the naysayers, yes, he’s fast in pads, too.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also show you Kermit Whitfield’s speed as well.  Jimbo’s strategy seems simple: a big, punishing, suffocating defense and burning speed on offense.  The SEC is awaiting a challenger to their style of smash mouth football but I think Jimbo is building the blueprint to challenge and break the paradigm.

And it all ties to the types of players Jimbo signs.  Athletes.  Smart kids with character.  Some blue chippers, some with chips on their shoulder.  This class will not go down as heralded as others, but these are handpicked players by Jimbo.  They fit the blueprint to a T.  This class also seems awfully reminiscent of FSU’s class of 2009 and 2010 — classes that are sending 13 players to the NFL combine.  It was this group that finally turned the corner for the program.  And each and every year, Jimbo just keeps adding to that foundation.

Lastly, looking around the rest of the ACC, and I’m sure my colleagues will correct me, it seems the top third of the conference is doing just fine in football performance.  However, the bottom two-thirds of the conference turned in weak performances.  I’m a little concerned by this.  The ACC will get better contracts for having a solid top-to-bottom slate.  The ACC is not capable of offering that right now, but then again, if you take away the SEC’s championship caliber teams, they aren’t all that different from the other conferences.

Posted by Duke in Football, FSU Correspondent and tagged , , , , ,
09 Feb 2013
2 Comments

Krispy Kreme Challenge 2013

2400 calories, 12 doughnuts, 5 miles, 1 hour

The Krispy Kreme Challenge was started 9 years ago as a dare between a few NC State students. Run 2.5 miles from the bell tower, eat a dozen doughnuts, run back. Since then, the event has exploded. It’s been featured in places like Sports Illustrated, and has inspired dozens of other food-themed races across the country. The 2013 winner was Timothy Ryan of Madison, Wi. with a time of 31 minutes, 32 seconds. Pretty impressive. This year, there was even a costume contest. Pac-Man, the ghosts and the little white ball were all present. So were Mario and his crew, fairies, Krispy Kreme cups with lipstick, sumo wrestlers, and giant costumed hamsters. It was awesome. The Krispy Kreme Challenge was not a race, it was a spectacle.

But it’s not just fun and games. At this year’s event, 8,000 runners raised $177,000 for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Total donations since the beginning total over $500,000, and all proceeds for any past and future races will always go to this cause. It’s amazing.

I was lucky enough to be one of those runners and competed in the challenge for the first time. It was a great experience. Not only do I feel honored that I was able to take part in such a great event, but somehow, I ate all 12 doughnuts and didn’t get sick. Even though NC State is not my ACC school, I’m proud to have been a part of this event. The ACC is more than a conference. Its members are more than schools. And this event is a great example of the type of impact that we can all have on the world around us.

To learn more about the Krispy Kreme Challenge, and to find information about next year’s race, visit http://www.krispykremechallenge.com/

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Non-Serious, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized
06 Feb 2013

Why Debbie Yow was right

I know this is a controversial subject, at least among Wolfpack fans, but I believe that Debbie Yow was right to let Tom O’Brien go. To support my position, let’s take a look at O’Brien’s tenure at State:

2007 – After 3 straight 9-3 seasons and eight straight bowl apperances at Boston College, TOB announces that he will be taking his talents to South Beach…er, NC State.  Most State fans, including yours truly, are pretty ecstatic.  His reason for what most view as a lateral move is the fan support he saw when BC visited Raleigh; State seems to be to him as Notre Dame is to Lou Holtz, a destination rather than a stepping-stone (like the Pack was for the aforementioned Holtz).  But an instant miracle is not in the cards; State finishes 5-7 and does not go bowling.

2008 – Fair enough, Coach needs some time to recruit. The team starts slow but provides a feel-good ending with 4 straight wins including a thrashing of UNC that leaves them bowl-eligible. They lose to Rutgers in the PapaJohns.com bowl, but it’s a start.

2009 – This one qualifies as a lost season.  Only a season-ending win vs the Heels that knocks them out of bowl eligibility gives State fans anything to cheer about.  The low point for Coach had to be the 52-20 drubbing the Pack took at BC.  Let the grumbling begin…

2010 – The high point, the one O’Brien will point to when he tells the story of his time at State.  He calms his critics with an 8-4 mark followed by a rout of West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl, 23-7.  This is the TOBPack we dreamed of.

2011 – State falls back to 7-5.  There is good news, with a last-game rout of Maryland 56-41, a powerful defensive performance vs UNC 13-0, and a thrilling Belk Bowl win against Louisville 31-24.  But after the 2010 season this really felt like somewhat of a step back. And there would be more of the same in…

2012 – Really? 6-6? Had to beat BC in the final game to get to a bowl again?  Then they lost to Vandy, though that one was on Dana Bible as our Yow had already pulled the trigger and frankly, the team looked a bit lost in this one.

Now, does the body of work mandate a firing?  No.  Is Tom O’Brien a bad coach? No.  I wish him all sucess in his new post as Associate Head Coach at Virginia and feel that he will return to the HC ranks at some point if he so desires.

But here’s the point: O’Brien had taken State about as far as he was likely to.  Yes, we went bowling four times in his six seasons, but we were almost always just this side of mediocre.   Sometimes it is just time, and this was one of those cases.

Will Dave Doeren do better? I don’t have a crystal ball, but he did take a team from a non-BCS conference to the Orange Bowl, a place State has yet to go.  Admittedly this is a completely different challenge than facing the likes of Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech on a regular basis, not to mention the newcomers about to change the face of the ACC.  But I look forward to finding out.

As for Yow, I am still pretty psyched about that basketball coach she chose. So let’s give this thing a chance.

Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Football, NC State Correspondent, Opinion and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
05 Feb 2013

The Mysterious Case of Marquise Williams

While the Tar Heels have an important game against Wake Forest tonight, and a few obstacles to get through to come away with a victory (a team-wide flu epidemic and the absence of PJ Hairston), I thought I would do a spotlight on the UNC football team with signing day almost upon us.

On Monday, numerous media outlets reported that UNC back-up quarterback Marquise Williams was not enrolled in Carolina this semester. That led to a flurry of speculation surrounding his future with the Tar Heels. On Tuesday, the school sought to quiet these rumors by stating that Williams is indeed still on the team and is planning to enroll in summer school and play this fall. That still hasn’t been enough to bury the issue.  Many message boards are still convinced that he’s transferring.

So why is Williams not in school this semester? It could be for a number of reasons. He could be having academic difficulties, or might be dealing with an important issue at home. Everyone goes through something from time to time and it’s not fair for fans to jump to conclusions. But it brings up another interesting point. If he IS transferring, what impact will it have on the Tar Heel football program?

Williams came in as one of the top dual-threat quarterback prospects in the Class of 2011. After redshirting his freshman season, he played in nine games this year as Bryn Renner’s backup, running for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 10 of 17 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but with scholarship restrictions depth becomes an issue. Last year, UNC brought in two-star QB Kanler Coker from Georgia and has already seen this year’s Mr. Football from the State of Ohio, Mitch Trubisky (this year’s #7 dual-threat QB), enroll early. So it would seem that UNC has enough strength at the position to withstand the loss of Williams, right?

Wrong. Williams is arguably one of the most talented QBs on the roster and is the second most experienced player at the position. If Renner goes down, that leaves Larry Fedora’s promising second-year offense in the hands of a completely unproven starter. No Tar Heel fan wants to see that because we have high hopes for this season and for the future. Perhaps, Williams has similar hopes for his own future and doesn’t feel that it’s at Carolina. Fair enough. After all, he will be eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft and won’t have any significant snaps under his belt if Renner stays healthy.

But is the number of UNC QBs leaving the program an indicator of the times, or an epidemic? In 2009, part-time UNC starter Cam Sexton transferred to Division II Catawba College for a better chance at the NFL. He posted average numbers and ended up signing with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders. He was released in April of last year. Another backup QB, Braden Hanson, transferred to the University of North Dakota in early 2012 and set the team’s single season passing record with 660 yards in a game against Montana in October. That worked out well for him, but he is not expected to be drafted this April. Even worse for the Tar Heels, two QBs backed out of their commitments to Carolina, Vanderbilt’s Patton Robinette and Notre Dame’s Everett Golson (recognize that name), before even playing  a down.

So no matter what the reason, or even the perceived depth at UNC’s QB position with a solid starter and multiple backups, a loss of Williams would be huge for the Tar Heels and would continue the turmoil that just hasn’t stopped since Marvin Austin tweeted about being in Club LIV. Fortunately for Marvin, he got a Super Bowl ring last year, despite not playing. Michael McAdoo (not James Michael), a member of the Baltimore Raven’s injured reserve squad, continued the tradition this year. Butch Davis must be so proud.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Football, UNC Correspondent and tagged ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →