Chip Alexander Q&A with TOB

'08 Football Media Tom O'Brien37

LINK. Not much news, but does provide another good window into Coach O’Brien’s steady, cerebral mindset. The Dick Sheridan comparisons look more apt every day. He also says we should expect to win championships. Imagine that!

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'08 Football Media Tom O'Brien

37 Responses to Chip Alexander Q&A with TOB

  1. SMD 04/24/2008 at 5:39 PM #

    TOB’s frankness continues to delight me. There is one school of thought that says a coach should always shoot for the stars in their public comments. IE – you always say you’re shooting for the championship and to win them all. One could argue that Amato falls into this camp. Remember the rose petals around the practice field at the start of the 2001 fall practices?

    I like TOB saying that we are going for a winning record and a bowl. He’s got a very well-grounded, methodical approach that should result in the kind of program we all want.

  2. Rick 04/24/2008 at 6:11 PM #

    “Rick – You are correct. However, I didn’t think I’d see the problem of effort that I saw so much during that year. People act like this year was the first time they’d seen this group of players play totally uninspired..Plenty of those games last year – we just ended on such a positive note I thought that we’d solved that problem.”

    Agreed but that has nothing to do with the expectations of that year which is what I was addressing

  3. DixieBoy 04/24/2008 at 7:00 PM #

    I’m hoping for a uniform change too. I’ve hated these current ones ever since we got them. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we flat out just haven’t won in them. I really liked the ones from 2000-2003 because they were simple and NIKE! I always felt so left out when it came to all of the other schools having their merchandise out there and it getting snatched up. It hurts to walk in any athletic apparel store even in Raleigh and see such a small quantity of red and white. I do miss the wolf claws on the helmet though. Hey, college kids can be like elementary school kids, slap a sticker on them and its amazing the work they’ll do for you ;)Ultimately though, there is no sense in getting too worked up over uniforms because O’Brien isn’t the type to focus on looks. He wants results and if you ask me, i don’t have a problem with that.
    As far as the bball team’s uniforms I am miffed that Sid mentioned a while back that he was trying to get the “STATE” back across the front of the jersey but the NCAA wouldn’t allow it. However, upon turning on the TV and watching Michagan State this year, BEHOLD, what do I see on their’s? STATE. Double standard maybe?????!!!
    Focus back on football and I can tell that the Maryland loss left a bitter taste with O’Brien and from his words the team as well. This makes me feel good because I hate losing to the fat man just as much as i do North Carolina. Hopefully Tom can help right the ship with that Maryland series that in recent years has gotten away from us! They’ve tied it now 🙁

  4. Ed89 04/24/2008 at 10:07 PM #

    ^^^”The only thing good about that game is that i got invited up to the Suites to see the field from there and had it not been for Jack Daniels — the night would have been a total loss.”

    Bo, I love your brutal honesty. I, for one, think TOB is going to have us celebrating some great victories — JD, et.al.!!

  5. BoKnowsNCS71 04/24/2008 at 10:12 PM #

    I ate dinner with a UNX grad — former player for Mack Brown. he thought they would win 7 or 8 games next year. I again cautioned him like last year but he has his head in the blue sky. I asked him and this applies to us – if any of us get bowl eligible based on a 6-6 or 7-6 season — would you spend the bucks to go to Utah to play on the blue field if the friggin cold? Kinda brought the braggadocio down to common ground. He said yes. I say no. Bottom line — choose your dinner mates.

  6. highstick 04/24/2008 at 10:17 PM #

    The football team better be ready to play when they come to Columbia. Even if the South Carolina football team is awful, the heat in Columbia for that first game can be brutal! Haven’t seen them pull a Fowler and run out of water yet though!

  7. BoKnowsNCS71 04/24/2008 at 10:29 PM #

    Ed and others. I may not be the most knowledgeable blogger and my memory often slips on the facts but I will be honest in my feelings. And I hope that is good enough to comment here. I once wrote Jimmy V in the worst stage of his career with us that “31 an 0 or 0 and 31 — I’m with you.”

    He wrote a nice letter back but I learned sometimes you have to support the person you believe in versus the performancea and the bad press.

    I picked the man and have never looked back — nor regretted my decision. So when I support our current coaches — there is a lot of my long term thought in it versus the short term problems.

    But I still think Lee F needs to go.

  8. Ed89 04/24/2008 at 10:30 PM #

    Bo,
    I agree, I ain’t goin’ to Boise in December to watch us on blue turf (except it’s in Idaho not Utah :)). Anywhere else, most likely, I’ll be there.

  9. turfpack 04/24/2008 at 10:32 PM #

    I think TOB is the relief from all the pain of other sports at N.C.STATE.I have met TOB at his coaches camp and you will not find a more down to earth-intelligent-football loving coach.He also has a great deal of respect for coach Sherdian(He was the guess speaker in 2007 coaches camp).TOB really ask for imput from his staff and as you can tell they like being around him.TOB speaks very highly of his staff and they are a great group of guys.After the camp many High School coaches had alot of postive thing to say about TOB and his staff( this really helps recuiting-unlike CTC).I feel like TOB when given time to recuit the type of player he wants(he said as much)this program is on a fast track to geat things.As a coach I feel very confident that the coach that fell in LEE’s lap will bring N.C.STATE football back to where we think it should be- PLAYING FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.

  10. choppack1 04/25/2008 at 8:03 AM #

    Rick – That’s a fair point. I guess what I’m saying is that my expectations are that you show up for key games in your season and play your butt off. Even in 2007, that didn’t happen until it was almost too late.

    As for Columbia – at least it’s a night game. I hope those Gamecocks are like those Longhorns in August of 1999!

    The heat has me thinking of that debacle last year during the 100+ degree game where several folks were treated for heat exhaustion…Do you think the school or conference changes its stance on noon games in September?

  11. redfred2 04/26/2008 at 2:43 PM #

    “People act like this year was the first time they’d seen this group of players play totally uninspired..”

    Chop, if you’re talking uninspired, I’d have to say that you’re right, but I would said this year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before…

    There’s a huge difference between playing inspired basketball for all of the right reasons, versus playing consistently robotically, while not even knowing what the uniform you wearing stands for.

    And don’t get me wrong, Coach Lowe is certainly no savior in that aspect either.

  12. inhoc... 04/27/2008 at 6:55 PM #

    does anyone know why geron james was on the sidelines in street clothes for the spring game? he wasnt on the injury list.

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