N&O Editorial: Awkward Out

by Akula Wolf on May 7, 2010 2:17 PM EDT

It is going to cost the athletic department at N.C. State University about $900,000 to pay off the contact of Lee Fowler, who has been fired as athletic director. He deserves the money, because he's upheld his end of the bargain of 10 years ago - to run a clean program and to oversee the expansion and improvement of facilities while balancing all the challenges of setting priorities, emphasizing academics and being a superb public representative of the university.

That was the extent of the bargain?! Nobody told me that was the extent of the bargain! We've made a terrible mistake! Well, maybe if that were the extent of bargain, or if he'd actually done all that stuff.

The decision is apparently the result of pressure from big donors to the university's sports programs, who weren't happy with the Wolfpack teams' performances in the last few years, particularly in men's basketball and football. There's some sad irony there, because football coach Tom O'Brien, charged with rebuilding a troubled program, has his team on the upswing, as does basketball coach (and NCSU alum) Sidney Lowe. Perennially powerful athletic programs aren't built on short notice, and are subject to ebb and flow.

The problem isn't so much the convenient, hasty, and mostly baseless contention that the revenue sports are on the up-and-up, although that's a glaring problem. The idea that it simply came down to that, and just in the last few years, ignores so many of the issues that have plagued the athletics department throughout the last decade. I especially like the last sentence of the paragraph, which implies that the fan base lacks either the patience or the comprehension necessary to support the department and really sets the tone for the obtuse wreck that is this editorial.

But N.C. State athletics weren't exactly in a downward spiral when, The News & Observer reported, interim Chancellor Jim Woodward, who came in after the resignation of James Oblinger, told Fowler he needed to look for a job.

Quite so. What was our place among BCS schools in the Director's Cup again? See, once you've hit the bottom of the well, you can't fall any farther.

What in the world, then, did the man do wrong? Some boosters are apparently grumbling about recent football teams. Others expected a quick resurrection of the basketball program. The not-so-subtle translation of that dissatisfaction is a fear on the part of university officials that big contributors will tighten their purses.

One of Fowler's great assets at this point in his career is his experience. He's witnessed the explosion in both the financial side of college athletics and in the pressure on all involved to win. He's demanded the best academically of N.C. State. Some school will be lucky to land him. N.C. State would have been wise to keep him.

Does anyone have the Mississippi State chancellor's home address?

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When I think of Fowler

I think of academics! This writer is supposed to be defending Fowler, but the article fails to point out any specific successes by the athletics department for the past 10 years. Also, I argue with the assertion that Fowler has been a “superb public representantive.” Isn’t the Wolfpack Club largely responsible for the facility upgrades? What an abortion of an article.

There wouldn’t be this much handwringing if Baddour was fired tomorrow. “Well UNC didn’t make the NCAA bball tournament last year, what did he expect to happen?”

by PACKHOOLIGAN on May 7, 2010 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

When UNC grads are writing about NC State

Of course they are going to want to keep mediocrity in place. They loved Mike O-Cain, Todd Turner, Les Robinson, and Herb.

For ideas on statistical analyses, email me at wolfpacksteelersfan@gmail.com.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on May 8, 2010 4:09 PM EDT reply actions

The reaction from most of the N & O staff on the whole has been very surprising. Not too long ago, Caulton Tudor, whom I immensely respect and enjoy reading, wrote a column essentially summing up Lowe’s first four years as a failure (not a shocking conclusion, but his conclusion). Now Tudor, as well as the editoral staff, seem to believe that’s about to change in short order. It’s hard to see that as anything but wishful thinking—I think Tom O Brien is a good coach, but it’s unlikely the upcoming football season will register eight wins as Tudor predicted. Lowe has a good recruiting class coming in, but serious questions about his coaching abilities remain. These are realities that the N & O (at least in the case of Tudor) once acknowledged, but now are ignoring in what appears to be an effort to make NCSU’s fanbase look bad.

by rcost on May 8, 2010 6:28 PM EDT reply actions

Strange things happen when administrators / coaches get the boot

We saw the same sort of mixed messages coming from the media when Al Skinner was fired. Some applauded his service to BC and the basketball program, while other writers (who I respect) took the opportunity to take pot shots at Skinner on the way out.

You never know. Fowler could have been really good to the N&O over the years and this is the paper’s way of returning the favor?

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on May 9, 2010 12:50 PM EDT reply actions