Two N&O Editorials on UNC [Asks UNC System President Tom Ross to Act]

The Raleigh News & Observer said in a pair of editorials that

[t]he worst academic/athletic scandal in 50 years continues to linger at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the clouds are darkening as more information is revealed. The revered university is paying a dear price indeed for bending to sports boosters’ burning desire for a big-time football program.

They paired that with

From its earliest decades, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has turned to honor-bound students to help enforce standards of acceptable conduct. The rationale has been that in an academic community where students are sworn to act with integrity, the duty of upholding standards can and should be shared. That approach has produced the system of honor courts, run by students, where allegations of misbehavior are considered and, if warranted, penalties imposed

It’s pretty safe to say that the big sharks are circling now that there’s a lot of light blue blood staining the waters around Chapel Hill.

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UNC Scandal

44 Responses to Two N&O Editorials on UNC [Asks UNC System President Tom Ross to Act]

  1. highstick 07/19/2011 at 12:28 PM #

    Airwolf, I suspect that is going to happen at some point. “It’s happens everwhere else” is the common them coming out of the mouths of Holes!

    Alpha, I know you’ve been busy, but this is more fun than “playing golf”!! LOL!!

  2. Hungwolf 07/19/2011 at 12:47 PM #

    The UNC-Cheat fans, media, alum, and admin are all transparent in their actions. With the honor court found to be a farce and the realization that the Athletic department pressured the honor court and professors into to preferential treatment for athletes. Not hard to see the scandle is evolving and pointing towards more than just the football program but the entire Athletic department including the prized bball program. Which is why we see some UNC folks calling for a quick house cleaning now so to isolate this to the football team. The way I see it clean house now and save the bball, wait and as more info comes out through investigation then it just a matter of time before the transgressions in the bball program/plyers become exposed also. Lets hope they wait!

  3. 61Packer 07/19/2011 at 1:41 PM #

    You should include the News & Observer’s editorial board squarely in the middle of a harsh spotlight that includes the other media, UNC fans, UNC honor court, UNC alums and the UNC administration.

    Since when has this McClatchy-run oligarchy ever given impartial treatment or editorials? They absolutely CRUCIFIED the Duke Men’s Lacrosse team in their editorials. These were rich white kids who were presumed guilty by the paper’s progressive elitests. Their minds were made up, in total disregard to what the accused said or what a tape showed (the one that came out in the first days of this mess that indicated the accuser was so drunk she couldn’t stand up just after leaving the frat house), or of the accuser’s sordid background. They just ran with it- never let a good story go to waste.

    Now, we have another group of athletes, from very different backgrounds and at very different schools, who have for the most part gotten a pass from the local media. They are all admitted cheaters or rule-breakers, yet the N&O has not once to my knowledge printed an editorial saying any or all of them should be dismissed and scholarships revoked. Only Tudor’s call for BMFD’s firing comes to recall, and that’s been some time ago.

    Blake’s firing didn’t prevent UNC from paying him $75,000. Why would a system strapped for funds hand over 75 grand to someone they just fired?

    The N&O editorial that should’ve appeared months ago would have called for school suspension of all involved students, and expulsion if they weren’t later cleared. The editorial should’ve also called for dismissal of the AD and football coach, and possibly even Thorp himself.

    Now, the N&O says “Ross must act”. Where was this urgency months ago? And just exactly HOW do they want him to act? Like he’s in a Shakesperean tragedy?

  4. dashowstopper 07/19/2011 at 2:34 PM #

    It’s funny how when we saw the first mention of men’s basketball in Sunday’s N&O article by the unc professor, now suddenly the N&O and unc people are wanting these problems fixed.

  5. packhammer 07/19/2011 at 2:40 PM #

    At this point I don’t want Unc to act right now. At least please, please, please wait until after the February 2012 football signing date. All those Unc people jumped Chansky’s butt but he is right: Unc would be better off to get the pain over now and move on as fast as possible. Butch and Baddour will not survive long-term. No way, no how. But hey this is great, don’t do a thing!

    Here is what Butch Davis said nearly exactly a year ago at the Pigskin Preview. Wonder what he will say this year? Man, this is like Groundhog Day or something.

    July 22, 2010— “I know that there’s a lot of people sitting here today that would love to have a lot of answers. As we go through this review, you know, there’s things obviously that the NCAA has asked us not to talk about. The one thing that I can tell you and share with you is that at the University of North Carolina, we are doing absolutely everything from a cooperating standpoint. The NCAA has assured us that they will make this as quick and as soon as possible; that they’ll expedite it. One of the things obviously that you can see is that there’s a lot of institutions around the country that are going through this currently, probably some more in the very near future. It’s a lot easier to talk about the season, and that’s kind of why everybody’s here today, to find out about each of the five schools and our teams, and it’s a lot easier for me to talk about our football team”.

  6. beer03 07/19/2011 at 3:22 PM #

    “Such an editorial would not have seen the light of day in the Daniels Family/Mickey McCarthy era- ”

    I could have gone the rest of my life without thinking of Mickey McCarthy….he was one arrogant, bad-mouthed, mean spirited, sick F@&k.

  7. TruthBKnown Returns 07/19/2011 at 3:33 PM #

    Saw this posted here. The way this is written, I feel like there’s a pretty good chance that it is true, although I have neither the time nor inclination to verify it. Let’s just say “it sounds good” and leave it at that!

    Mrs Rosser-Hyde is a TRUSTEE …. not on the Brd of Governors. That difference is more than semantics. She is indeed the infamous TRUSTEE that expressed “recruiting” as her primary concern last November.

    Confusion between Brd of Trustees and System-wide Brd of Governors continues to run rampant which only adds to the general confusion. This has certainly moved well beyond the point that BOTH groups of political appointed overseers should take charge.

    FWIW …. Trustees are appointed by The Governor of The State. Brd of Governors members are appointed by the General Assembly. New members of the 2011 “class” of the BOG are rotating in this month …. and may exert pressure heretofore not applied.

    It has not occurred to me that a new BoG class was coming in, which could result in new pressure for the Hole to “do the right thing”.

    Here’s a subsequent post that I also thought sounded good:

    I’m glad to explain that …. the BOG is appointed by The Gen Assem which has been dominated by Liberal Democrats for multiple decades. BOG appointments have been used as “thank yous” by the Democ GA leadership for many years. Appointees tended to be Lib Dem attorneys which UNC-CH produces by the 100s.

    The most recent (and incoming BOG new members) were appointed by a Repub dominated GA and reflect dramatically different backgrounds. I suggest you review the credentials and backgrounds of these incoming members to verify what I’ve just said.

    More such changes will occur each year as existing BOG members rotate off and a Repub GA controls the new appointments. The UNC-CH dominance will decrease with each new appointment class.

    Brd of Trustees on each campus are however, appointed by The Governor. You can do that math.

  8. TruthBKnown Returns 07/19/2011 at 3:35 PM #

    ^^ Sorry, I said I saw this “posted here”. I intended to include a link to the source to which I was referring. I didn’t mean “here” as in “SFN”.

    HERE is where those comments were posted…

    http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/19/1353445/harsh-spotlight.html

    UPDATE: SWEET! Editing works once again!!!

  9. coach13 07/19/2011 at 4:03 PM #

    Man the brass at UNX just played this whole thing horribly. They could have went out Auburn style, let everyone play, get a 10-11 win season, and then taken the plunge. No. They tank last season, half-heartedly go along with the investigation, trip over their d#$%s as things come to light, and now are in a lose-lose-lose situation. What a f-ing mess. I could not be more pleased.

  10. packhammer 07/19/2011 at 4:14 PM #

    I hate to make assumptions but after reading Tom Ross’s resume I have to question whether he is going to be willing to rock the boat. I’m sure Mr. Ross is fine upstanding citizen. He was a judge so maybe he has what it takes and will prove my assumptions wrong. http://www.northcarolina.edu/president/index.htm

  11. Wolf74 07/19/2011 at 5:49 PM #

    “13, it ought to be re-named UNC-A, with all due respect to Asheville.”

    Please do not defame UNC-Asheville by mentioning them in the same breath with UNC-CHeats. UNC-A has high academic standards that they bend for no one, athlete or general student, unlike UNC-CHeats which evidently bends them for everyone. UNC-A is a class institution!

  12. Virginia Wolf 07/19/2011 at 6:03 PM #

    Ross will probably act soon, simply to stop the blood! Shame! I hope he lingering like the rest of these Jokesters at UNX. Yes, now that the N&0 is showing a little more attention, things will move a little faster. I agree the house needs to be cleaned out completely but hopefully, it will be a while before they act. There is too much fun going on now. Think I’ll cancel my vacation. Wouldn’t want to misss anything! Yeah! Butchie has something on them or he would already be gone. Same with the tutor and others. Hopefully, the beans will flow as well very soon!

    Spill the Beans!

  13. IamGumbyDammit 07/19/2011 at 7:54 PM #

    Here’s a breakdown of the 34 members of the UNC BoG per the web site at http://www.northcarolina.edu/bog/members.htm I list them by attended undergrad, then grad school (not counting grad if attended undergrad at same school, which is 3, 2 @ UNX & 1 @ NCSU) UNX-17,5 NCSU-3,0 ECU-2,1 ASU-2,1 NCCU-1,1 NCA&TSU-1,0 WCU-1,0 No affiliation to any NC public university – 6. In total you have 22 of 34 with UNX affiliation, either as an undergrad or grad student, an no other school with more than 3 BoG members affiliated. In fact, there’s twice as many on the board that didn’t attend ANY of the NC system universities than attended NCSU, ECU or AppSt, the 3 tied for 2nd place. Is it really any wonder why the silence is deafening from the UNC BoG?

  14. MrPlywood 07/19/2011 at 7:59 PM #

    That BOG needs some affirmative action!

  15. TAEdisonHokie 07/19/2011 at 8:23 PM #

    NCSU88 – Hahaha!! And to make matters worse, I’m a US Navy vet! Aaargh!

  16. lawful 07/20/2011 at 10:01 AM #

    I’m interested to see if anything happens once the lockout ends.

  17. highstick 07/20/2011 at 6:04 PM #

    OMG!!!I just went to the UNC BOG website and one of my former partners is on the BOG. I had a friend who was on there a few years back, but he rotated off.

    Should I send him an email and harass him to “get things moving”? He is NOT a UNC grad so I would not hesitate one minute to do it…I haven’t seen him in 10 years or so though since I retired and he’s no longer with the same firm.

  18. TruthBKnown Returns 07/20/2011 at 7:23 PM #

    highstick, two words: DO IT!!! 🙂

    If I were you, I’d have already done it (for my own knowledge). If you do it, I wouldn’t mention that you’re planning to blog about it. And you don’t even need to tell us what he says, unless it’s something non-incriminating and you want to. I’d be curious to know if (A) they ever really discuss anything about UNX’s case, and (B) if they plan to say or do anything. I’d like to know if they’ve discussed the need for an independent investigation.

  19. highstick 07/20/2011 at 9:42 PM #

    I’m going to try to get his work email address versus his unc.edu account.

    I’ve been following the minutes of the BOG meetings, but they are pretty “sanitized”.

    I double checked this afternoon to see if my “other friend” might be going back on cause I think he served two different times after taking a required break between his terms. He’s at least 6 years older than me which would put him close to 72 so I’m not sure he’d do it again. However, he is a workaholic and I think his stockholder’s finally had to push him to give up the CEO role, but still retain the Chmn of the Board role. I know I’d never get anything out of him cause he was die hard Light Blue and tied well with both Hugh Morton and Bill Friday.

    I left and did a search on him and he’s still kicking at now serving on the Western Carolina BOT…appointed by the UNC BOG…Oh, well, it will be interesting talking to him. But I don’t see him very often any more. His sister was my wife’s best friend and she died several years ago.

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