And the wheels keep spinning...
- Local media types have been re-tweeting a post by Mark Armstrong of WTVD that Kendric Burney, Charles Brown, Quan Sturdivant, Robert Quinn, Da'Norris Searcy, and Michael McAdoo worked with the scout team at today's scrimmage. Yesterday it was reported that Jared McAdoo was working with the scout team, but he and Michael are often confused. Armstrong also noted that Marvin Austin and Greg Little were moved to the scout team, a move not unexpected.
- Ken Tysiac of the CharRaleigh Observer & Observer writes about the reaction of former UNC System president Bill Friday to the potential of academic issues at UNC. Friday maintained his stance that commercialization is the road to ruin in college sports. Friday adroitly points out the evolution of college sports into an entertainment venue over the past 20 years. He also praised the UNC administration for acting quickly and decisively in the wake of the allegations. The piece also notes that athletic director Dick Baddour said he has received overwhelming support in the wake of the explosive allegations.
- Not everyone agrees with Friday's take on the university's response, however. Joe Giglio of ACC Now tweeted Saturday that he believes UNC has acted neither swiftly nor decisively in dealing with this issue. And therein lies the rub on how to deal with this or any allegation of wrongdoing on a team or within an athletic program, whether it's being cited for alcohol or drugs, or being accused of academic impropriety. Some coaches and administrators will immediately suspend players in those situations and give the appearance of swift action, while others allow investigations and inquiries to run their course before acting. The time since the initial inquiry into Agent-gate is still measured in weeks, and Tutor-gate in days. Other investigations have taken months or years to complete, so for Giglio to take UNC to task for not acting quickly or decisively seems premature.
- In what I am sure will cause consternation among ACC partisans, however, Giglio tweeted the number of major infractions cases listed in the NCAA database for each ACC school. As expected, Florida State (7), and Miami (5) lead the league in violations. In a surprising tie for 2nd place with five infractions (Giglio mistakenly reported four) is N.C. State, who had two major infractions under Everett Case (including a post-season ban) in the 1950s, as well as the oft-mentioned 1972 David Thompson recruiting case, a 1983 case involving football recruiting, and the 1989 "shoes and tickets" case. Duke and UNC each have one: Duke's was also over the recruitment of David Thompson in 1972 while UNC's was the 1961 case of Frank McGuire providing improper benefits to the families of players which hastened McGuire's departure for the NBA and elevated his then-unknown assistant, Dean Smith, to the head coaching position.
- As a side note, State fans often erroneously cite that NCSU was placed on a year's probation and banned from the postseason because a booster gave Thompson a ride to Shelby and bought him a blazer. That was actually what happened with Thompson's recruitment at Duke. State's also involved a ride to Shelby but also improper employment at basketball camps, improper tryouts, and improper awarding of financial aid, and was not limited to Thompson. State fans like to use this as an example of how they were jobbed, but actually Duke can lay greater claim to that for receiving the same penalty as State (one year probation and no post-season) for far less.
Oh, and it was "Meet the Heels" day at Kenan Stadium. I'm sure it wasn't awkward at all.