Where Amazing Happens…Happened

Tip of the hat to the Pack Pride message boards for highlighting this fantastic YouTube Video titled, “Where Amazing Happens – NC State”.

Without explicitly stating it, this video provides a damning commentary of the current nature of the NC State athletics program as the bulk of the actual achievements in the video all took place in the past with none taking place within the last four years. How about we rename it, “Where Amazing Happened”?

To be fair, I guess “amazing” is a pretty subjective term and perhaps I have a bloateed standard for things that I consider in the same ballpark as “amazing”? For example, take a look at some of the comments by the leader of NC State’s Athletics Department who considers “improvement” to .500 in two non-revenue programs as “quite an accomplishment.”

Our men’s and women’s tennis program continue to improve. The women won at Wake Forest this past weekend and the men are .500 in the league, which is quite an accomplishment in a conference as tough as the ACC.

.

Maybe if I considered .500 performance as “quite an accomplishment” then I would consider some of NC State’s recent performance as “amazing”. Then again, if I was the type of person to consider .500 performance “quite an accomplishment” I probably would be working at NC State and not spending my Sunday at work trying to get ahead in my real world job.

A few other bytes:

* This video is fantastic. It is as good or better than anything that the university does (or doesn’t do). Hell, let this guy produce the pregame video for the basketball team next year instead of lazily running two piddly highlights of broadcast feeds from the ’74 and ’83 National Championships that took all of five minutes to pull together.

* Unfortunately for everyone who sees this video, if the University had their way you would never see it. You see, one of the strong messages on this year’s Wolfpack Club Caravan seems to be the evil nature of the internet. Evidently, everyone from Bobby Purcell to Lee Fowler (when he chooses to attend the events) have been telling fans to stay off the internet, particularly to discuss ‘negative’ things.

I LOVE the use of the term “negative” as they, also known as the thought police, have the unbridled authority to classify whatever they want as “negative”. I am sure that you are allowed to talk about wins and accomplishments because they are ‘positive’ in the thought police’s view. But, you are not allowed to talk about a losses because they are ‘negative’.

Of course, the readers of SFN are intelligent enough to realize that the factual realities of wins and losses are inherently neither positive or negative. It is the subjective lens with which you choose to view these factual realities that create your bias of ‘positive’ or ‘negative’.

* The subjective application of these definitions are mind-boggling. The idea of THEM imrproving what they do and the results they deliver to the NC State community would NEVER enter their mind as an option of how to improve things. How about providing us some friggin titles and wins for us to discuss and I bet suddenly the internet wouldn’t be so bad?

* Of course this antiquated approach to the world and this elderly perspective of modern technology is nothing new to the NC State fan base. There is nothing like our University’s role as a “leader in technology”! (LOL!!!!)

I am sure that you remember that just over a year ago our esteemed Athletics Director told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that “fan message boards on the Internet” were “the greatest challenge facing NC State athletics”. In the same interview Fowler asserted that NC State fans “drove [Sendek] away for the security of his family.”. (Link to our blog of the comments at the time).

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35 Responses to Where Amazing Happens…Happened

  1. Dogbreath 04/13/2008 at 10:33 AM #

    What is pathetic is that this video could just as well be a lampoon. Aside from the courage of Kay Yow, there really is not much to celebrate here.

    Just a collection of images taken from the pinnacle achievements of otherwise altogether mediocre seasons and sports.

  2. redfred2 04/13/2008 at 12:18 PM #

    Instead of the AD at a major university, it sounds more like something you’d hear coming from the recreation director at your local retirement home.

    “Come on now, nothing too strenuous everyone! This isn’t about winning, it’s all about participation.”

    What a simple minded, plain and ignorant, dull and uninspiring, bunch of common people that we have in charge at NC State nowadays.

    And we’re considered the “lunatics” in this scenario???

  3. TopTenPack 04/13/2008 at 12:28 PM #

    Does anybody want to donate $100 and start the FireLeeFowler.com web site?

    When you fear free thought, you really have to start to question the type of job you are doing. Just talk to the Chinese about that. Out of touch and under performing….is this really the state of affairs at NC State?

  4. redfred2 04/13/2008 at 12:31 PM #

    The only thing in that video that came across as halfway relevant to the present plight of NC State, besides Kay Yow and all of her great accomplishments of course, was what looked like something, howling at the moon.

  5. old13 04/13/2008 at 12:35 PM #

    It’s so easy to manage with one’s head in the sand because one doesn’t have to do anything – espcially when one’s superiors are “managing” the same way. The Brinkyard should be changed to a sandpile!

  6. redfred2 04/13/2008 at 12:42 PM #

    “is this really the state of affairs at NC State?”

    Yep, it’s the duo of Oblinger and Fowler. Two of the most non-threatening, non-committal, roll and die in the name of good manners, T-ball coaches you could ever want to run your university.

    “Come on now kids/NC State fans, it’s just a game.”

  7. Trip 04/13/2008 at 1:49 PM #

    In other news, Boston College won the national championship in Hockey.

  8. spudwebb 04/13/2008 at 3:18 PM #

    I laughed when I saw that the WPC is gonna actually mention to avoid the message boards.

    They are gonna sit around and discuss the “negativity”, which most rational human beings would perceive as frustration, with a gang of people who may be looking for an outlet to their own frustration.

    SFN, expect readership to increase due to this embecilic tactic. They overstate their own importance in people’s lives, and turn this into forbidden fruit of a sort.

  9. blackdom 04/13/2008 at 4:01 PM #

    Great “bleeding red happens” Can we now get some people in here that will stop the bleeding?

  10. blackdom 04/13/2008 at 4:03 PM #

    Top Ten Pack: would galdly donate that and more to the cause as long as I am assured sid goes as well

  11. cowdog 04/13/2008 at 4:40 PM #

    It is not Fowler by proxy, it is not Oblinger by authority. It is something else that not only perpetuates the athletic decline, but continues to present slum conditions around our school.

    Yes…No?

  12. Wulfpack 04/13/2008 at 4:47 PM #

    “It’s so easy to manage with one’s head in the sand because one doesn’t have to do anything – espcially when one’s superiors are “managing” the same way.”

    Exactly. We’re doomed.

  13. ncsuftw01 04/13/2008 at 5:01 PM #

    “Does anybody want to donate $100 and start the FireLeeFowler.com web site?”

    TopTenPack: Someone already owns that as of late last month

    If someone were to transfer it to me I’d host it gladly for free. And the domain only costs $10.

    However if people would help me with the content I would buy FireLeeFowler.info for the cheap price of $.99

  14. turfpack 04/13/2008 at 6:26 PM #

    N.C.State fans and the students deserves better from their atheltic programs.The input of all the alumi and fans in the last few years has been unbelievable.

    Form the Alumi and fans
    The money for facilites-DONE
    Fan support at games-DONE

    From the Admin.
    Provide LEADERSHIP for Top winning programs-Not done

    Form the A.D.
    Provide the best coaches possible-not done(hopefully TOB.)

    Provide leadership for coaches-not done

    Develop top winning culture among coaches-not done

    Just doing your job!-not done

    It starts at the TOP -IF they are not going to hold people accountable for their job or lack of -then that’s what you will have A.D.and Coaches that will not build a winning culture and never will.

  15. spanky 04/13/2008 at 7:47 PM #

    SFN, what happened to the Perfect Fit post?
    I read it, then refreshed to check for comments and then wham… gone…

    SFN: Which post is that? “Perfect fit”? regarding what?

  16. highstick 04/13/2008 at 8:27 PM #

    I absolutely dare any WPC member to ever say “avoid the internet”! Maybe the fundraising folks at State should not send their crap to my “inbox” anymore either!

    Who is on Bobby Purcell’s bandwagon? If this is coming from him, fire him along with Lee and Oblinger. Clean house top to bottom…of course there isn’t anyone at the top, they are all at the bottom!~

  17. howlie 04/13/2008 at 9:35 PM #

    This is like the Pope trying Galileo for treason for daring to claim the earth is not the center of the solar system or the universe.

    JedLee is not ‘Coach,’ he’s “POPE LEE.”
    Infallible.
    Obviously, you learn and grow more from losses than wins.
    Therefore, my god, how priviliged we are to have him!

    Isn’t there another award Lee deserves? Something from Golinbock or Friday?

  18. redfred2 04/13/2008 at 10:34 PM #

    highstick, Bobby Purcell may be a really nice guy, but he’$ an in$ider too, and he ha$ to be ju$t a$ bad a$ the re$t. If anyone says he isn’t, then why isn’t he saying something, and out loud, about what an embarrassment NC State athletics have become? He’s just another “product”, he knows if he takes a stand and stirs the pot, that the loyal cash cow that he’s been milking will be faithfully listening in on what he has to say, then those udders he’s been yanking for so long will dry up and whither away. He’s another in a looong line who is also a smart enough to recognize that it just couldn’t get any better. For him personally that is.

    It’s just cold, hard fact. There’s nothing for Bobby Purcell or any Wolfpack Club members to debate, and nothing subjective about it. By promoting The NC State Athletics Department so vigorously, Bobby Purcell is now asking his members to fund something that is a joke among it’s former rivals and peers. I guess maybe he’s been so worried about counting and spending everyone else’s money, that he hasn’t had time to check on any results lately.

    I say sign it over, let Nevada have it, and all the rights to it, maybe they’ll hold it sacred. From now on we’re “The Wusspack” of NC State University. With a big, pink pansie as the logo.

  19. Wufpacker 04/14/2008 at 4:04 AM #

    Actually, I think there IS something “AMAZING” happening at NC State.

    Don’t y’all think its pretty damned “AMAZING” that a very small group of folks, who are supposedly there to make sure that the athletic dept. improves, competes and ultimately wins, could destroy the quality of our athletic teams across the board. I find it even more “AMAZING” that they can do this and still keep their jobs. Perhaps most “AMAZING” of all is that they not only keep their jobs but are given professional awards and financial rewards for having done such an “AMAZING” job.

    Simply “AMAZING” !!

  20. PackWolf82 04/14/2008 at 8:32 AM #

    Quite often I think about how blessed I was to attend school at State during the Philip Rivers and Julius Hodge era. I know I didn’t see a NC like 83 or anything, but as I reminisce with roommates and friends, we knew something special was happening, esp with PR.

  21. kyjelly 04/14/2008 at 8:40 AM #

    It is quite amazing that people with so called big time jobs at a so called big time school who are paid to oversee and to run so-called big time teams and programs are not held accountable yes AMAZING indeed.

  22. Rick 04/14/2008 at 9:03 AM #

    “Quite often I think about how blessed I was to attend school at State during the Philip Rivers and Julius Hodge era.”

    Are you kidding? We did not win anything during that time.
    I was there during Valvano’s years. That was good times.

  23. packof81 04/14/2008 at 9:14 AM #

    Telling fans to stay off the internet is just plain silly. In other words, keep sending us money and keep your mouths shut while we live large and continue to pilot this august institution into mediocre oblivion.

  24. Howler 04/14/2008 at 9:34 AM #

    .500 in tennis? Whew….and I thought our athletic department was heading downhill fast. Somebody please let me know when and where the celebration is planned. I am assuming that Hillsborough Street will be shut down with riot police at the ready.

    I think Lee is right. If not for the internet, I probably would have kept these feelings to myself.

  25. packbackr04 04/14/2008 at 9:38 AM #

    the fact that they dont view the internet as another OPPORTUNITY, as opposed to an obstacle like every other big business is most troubling to me. Robert Gates was using the internet in a most interesting way. he was pro-actively going onto the message boards to get a feel for the fans of texas A&M. I cant beilive that NC State isnt tapping into the internet as a way to get THEIR point of view across. You would think for a “leader in technology” they could get a message board put up over at gopack.com that would be instrumental in getting out their propoganda. Instead gopack.com is the last place NC State fans would go to get info about the wolfpack.

    SFN: Very good call re: Robert Gates. This link will be enjoyed by all.

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