Before moving onto semi-serious business, make sure you read Cardiff Giant’s interview with Tommy Hunt. Priceless stuff.
No doubt most of you have read about Chuck Amato’s latest testy exchange with the media. And in all fairness, it does seem like there was a certain amount of “badgering” involved. Still, what in God’s name could ever cause a sane adult to say the following, after NC State lost to a MAC school for the first time in over 30 years:
“They’re in a conference that allows non-qualifiers in school,” Amato said during his weekly news conference. “Non-qualifiers. Do y’all need to look that one up to write your stories?… Do you know what kind of players non-qualifiers are, usually? They’re inversely proportional to what their grade-point average is. They can make a big difference.”
The natural, inevitable reaction is to note that Amato is seemingly making a defensive, nonsense excuse. The myriad advantages NC State enjoys as a “flagship” public institution with a large alumni/booster base, nice facilities, and ACC conference affiliation outweigh any admissions advantage Akron might have by a factor of, say, 20. The fact that NC State did not have to pledge a return visit in order to get the Zips to play in Carter-Finley let’s you know where the balance of power stands between the two programs. An obvious PR hit, and a one-day story.
But beyond the obvious, Chuck Amato has also opened himself up to attacks like this one from Dave Glenn. Excerpt:
“Here’s the irony: The way Amato complained about Akron’s academic standards is EXACTLY the way other ACC coaches privately have complained about the low academic bar N.C. State has adopted for its own football program ever since Amato arrived from Florida State. The Seminoles long have been known for their bottom-of-the-barrel approach to academics, and Amato adopted Bobby Bowden’s blueprint — academically and otherwise — when he took over the Wolfpack.”
So, in his trademark, belligerent manner, Chuck Amato managed to get 48 hours of media coverage for NC State – as both a whiner and an academic doormat. What is it going to take for Amato to develop some humility and professionalism? If you show that you’ll let sportswriters get under your skin, it’s like putting blood in the water. Right or wrong, he needs to accept and understand the reality of his situation, and act accordingly.
