WEDNESDAY’s Red vs White Game

General NC State Administration NCS Basketball65

Let me start this entry by stating that I am really not trying to be difficult and look for things to criticize. To prove this, I am going to try to be open- minded and construct this in a matter that asks a lot of questions without a lot of criticism. I honestly am seeking responses that offer some insight and rationale into this topic.

If you didn’t know, Coach Sidney Lowe’s first Red vs White game is scheduled for this Wednesday night in Reynolds Coliseum.

What a wonderful opportunity to watch a little of Coach Lowe’s first version of the Wolfpack!! But, I am unfortunately not going to be able to make the event. Please don’t misconstrue my absence, or the absence of hundreds/thoughts of others, for a lack of interest in Wolfpack Basketball. You see, those of us interested in the event but who are unable to attend are just stricken with a prevalent and common affliction called “we-don’t-live-in-Raleigh-itis”.

As much as many of us would LOVE to show up to support Coach Lowe and the Pack, the folks at NC State have geniusly scheduled Sidney’s first Red/White game for a mid-week timeslot that makes it all but impossible for people who may live in Charlotte, or Eastern North Carolina or Southern Virginia to make the trip. Since the women’s game will preceed the men’s game, I expect that the men’s event will probably START around 8:15-8:30pm on a Wednesday night.

Can anyone name the last time that the NC State Basketball intra-squad scrimmage was NOT held on a weekend?

I’m legitimately curious about this^ because I can’t remember the last time a Red/White game was not played on a weekend. For 30+ years, hundreds of people around the NC State Basketball program – spanning at least four different coaching regimes – have scheduled the Red/White game on a weekend. What did all of these previous people NOT know that our Athletics Administration has suddenly figured out?

What suddenly changed that merits any alteration from the game’s traditional weekend scheduling?

And, what do we know that other schools don’t know? Think about the ‘losers’ at poor old Duke. Those idiots have scheduled their intra-squad scrimmage for a Saturday! LOL! When are they going to learn anything about basketball and fans? And Carolina. They have almost always scheduled their intra-squad scrimmages for weekends. If only these idiots at these second rate schools knews what the folks at NC State knew!

My father took me to Red-White games almost annually when I was between the ages of ten and eighteen. Sometimes the games were scheduled on weekends that included football games and we got to enjoy a double dose of Wolfpack fun. Those weekend trips to Raleigh were fantastic bonding events for us; and my connection to the Wolfpack escalated during those trips to be able to be so close to the basketball players that I got to see on television during the week. I guess like so many things, ‘those were the days’ – the days when you didn’t have to live in Raleigh to be be able to conveniently go watch your Wolfpack practice.

I know that it doesn’t mean anything anymore…but, wouldn’t it be kind of cool for the kids who love the Wolfpack from all over the region – not just the ones who live in Raleigh – to have the chance to experience a day with the basketball team program? How many parents in Charlotte or Hickory or New Bern or Wilmington can justify the negative impact on their child’s schedule and school work to get home after midnight on a Wednesday night?

Look…I get the point and understand most of the pending retorts – ‘if I REALLY wanted to come see the Red/White event then I would leave work early on Wednesday to drive 3 hours to watch the game and then drive back to get home close to 1am like I do during the basketball season. What is one more expensive night sacrificed to the road for the Wolfpack?’

But, it is not about “me”. These events used to always be much more about the experience and the bond that they create with young fans. Not those like me that are already hopelessly committed to the Pack.

Regardless, there is a BIG difference between the schedules that are put together by the ACC that require balance/equity and the exercising of free-will to CHOOSE to schedule this event on a Wednesday night as opposed to a weekend. ESPECIALLY when the Wednesday night time conflicts with Chuck Amato’s radio show!!

What next? How about scheduling Coach Lowe’s FIRST REGULAR SEASON GAME on a weekend when the football team is out of town and the most rabid fans have already booked their travel to the football game! (I’ll save that one for another time).

I’m just looking for some insight into the “thinking” behind the “strategy” of this scheduling decision. Thanks.

SFN encourages you to click here for a very relevant and related entry to this topic.

General NC State Administration NCS Basketball

65 Responses to WEDNESDAY’s Red vs White Game

  1. Mr O 10/23/2006 at 1:59 PM #

    Couldn’t agree more.

  2. BoKnowsNCS71 10/23/2006 at 2:08 PM #

    You’re not having a good day today.

    I agree with your logic. The ONLY thing I could even guess would be that the FB game is at Virginia and Sid and CF may not have wanted to schedule a conflict. Some people may actually be travelling up to Va.

    Who knows? I don’t on this.

  3. StateFans 10/23/2006 at 2:10 PM #

    ^ Sounds good…but, you are giving them far too much benefit of the doubt.

    It didn’t stop them from scheduling SID’S FIRST GAME on the Friday night of the Pack’s road trip to Clemson. I already had tickets to the Clemson football game, so I am going to miss the first basketball game.

  4. choppack1 10/23/2006 at 2:18 PM #

    “You see, those of us interested in the event but who are unable to attend are just stricken with a prevalent and common affliction called “we-don’t-live-in-Raleigh-itisâ€?.

    I suffer from the same malady here in Winston Salem. If I wasn’t married or employed, I could possibly swing it though. It is more than a bit perplexing…

  5. Mr O 10/23/2006 at 2:18 PM #

    Unreal. I will miss that game too.

  6. Dan 10/23/2006 at 2:20 PM #

    If its in Reynold’s we control all scehduling too. Its not like they have to work with the fair or the Canes.

    What part of Wednesday makes them think thats a good night for anything?

  7. BoKnowsNCS71 10/23/2006 at 2:34 PM #

    A conspiracy theorist might say “Sid does not want a lot of alums coming to the first few games”

    A Sendek hater might say “this was Herb’s schedule and Sidney could not rearrange it” — or “this year’s schedule was so fouled up, Sid had to make do with some bad dates to get better (or winnable) games.”

    A Fowler hater might say “They are just stupid and ignorant in the delivery of games and services to alumni who want to attend the games.”

    A Sid lover might say — “he’s trying to deliver the games more to the students.”

    Another point of view might be that this is Sid’s first ever season, and he’s making rookie coaching mistakes in scheduling and alumni appeasing ettiquette. In time, he will learn to do better.

    If we are giving Sid a couple of losing years to build up a better team — maybe we should offer the same on learning the ropes on scheduling. I can’t imagine how demanding his time/schedule has been. Coming in late, trying to get/keep recruits, talking on alumni tours, etc……..

    Looks like the honeymoon period may not be as long as we originally thought?

    Jeff: I really don’t look at this as a criticism of Coach Lowe. More of poor leadership/guidance from the Athletics Administration. Sidney will ultimately get his hands around everything.

  8. RAWFS 10/23/2006 at 2:37 PM #

    Why’s the R&W game at the same time as the Chuck Amato Radio show?

    Does ANYONE do any thinking down there!

    SFN: Great point. We just elevated that into the entry. Thanks!

  9. packbackr04 10/23/2006 at 2:41 PM #

    Way to go Fowler. Way to go. I dont even know that i could talk to that man if he was my boss. His actions are so illogical it begs one to ask if in his office, it looks like one of those commercials where all the monkeys are in the board room, smoking cigars and jumping, listening to music. I mean what really goes on in there? anyone, really… well we could have that Shalala woman from Miami, who refuses to watch the video of the fight

  10. joe 10/23/2006 at 2:56 PM #

    One factor may be that TV now controls FB game times and they did not want to wait to set the RW game time.

    SFN: So, this is the first year that television controls FBall start times? No way. It has never been an issue in the past.

  11. ncsu81 10/23/2006 at 3:03 PM #

    excellent post “BoKnowsNCS71”

  12. choppack1 10/23/2006 at 3:30 PM #

    “What part of Wednesday makes them think thats a good night for anything?”

    In another post, someone did mention that it could be being done for the students. I suppose that is the case – because they’ll be the only ones aside from Raleighites who could come. Also, since the women’s b’ball team is involved, they may be “locked in” here.

    SFN: Students are around on the weekends as much as they are during the week. The Wednesday start time limits the potential audience for the event significantly more than a weekend schedule. I just don’t understand why they would not want to make the event as accessible to as many fans as possible.

    Aren’t they still doing one the weekend of the GaTech – which by the way is evidently at 7pm !!!

  13. Trout 10/23/2006 at 3:32 PM #

    Could be a QJ issue?

  14. StateFans 10/23/2006 at 3:33 PM #

    ^ Could be.

    If so, chalk up another negative mark.

    Regardless of if QJ initially made a mistake on the scheduling, surely someone over there would have exhibited some leadership on the issue and fixed it before it became public.

    I wonder if we would have gotten a commitment from Julius Hodge if we had held the R&W game on a Wednesday instead of during his visit?

  15. BoKnowsNCS71 10/23/2006 at 3:44 PM #

    Probably best way we can be supportive and constructive is to all write (or email) Fowler and Sid a letter asking that the game be scheduled on a weekend next year (citing a lot of the SFN rationale above) and then hope that it sinks in.

  16. SWEETS 10/23/2006 at 3:45 PM #

    This is so stupid. We are in desprate need of a media relations person… How about a NCSU v. VA big screen football game in RBC followed by the red – white game?

  17. BoKnowsNCS71 10/23/2006 at 3:53 PM #

    Sent this to [email protected]

    “The Red and White game is scheduled for a Wednesday night in Raleigh. Living here, I have the ability to attend. However many alumni living father away cannot drive to Raleigh during the week. I encourage you to consider re-scheduling the game for a weekend next year so that more WPC members can attend. Thanks.”

    Will share the reply if they do so.

  18. DRW 10/23/2006 at 4:06 PM #

    Bo, might want to send your message directly to Lowe and Fowler:

    [email protected]
    [email protected]

  19. BoKnowsNCS71 10/23/2006 at 4:12 PM #

    DRW – Sent it there but it came back undeliverable — no such user.

  20. Trout 10/23/2006 at 4:15 PM #

    [email protected]
    [email protected]

    Those cant be valid NC State email addresses. Just about all NC State email addresses are of this format: [email protected]

    So [email protected] or [email protected] might work.

  21. Trout 10/23/2006 at 4:16 PM #

    Oops – the underscore doesnt show up

  22. DRW 10/23/2006 at 4:18 PM #

    Bo-see Trout’s message.

  23. Clarksa 10/23/2006 at 4:21 PM #

    Dang…didn’t realize the first real game was the night before Clemson…guess my seats will be empty for that one.

  24. packpigskinfan23 10/23/2006 at 4:30 PM #

    I was in the understanding that the R&W game was gonna be held AFTER the GaTech game… homecoming weekend… at the RBC center… tons of fans.

    then I heard about the Renyolds thing, and thought cool… I mean, how are they gonna fit all the fans in that want to go though?!?!

    I guess they found their answer. eliminated the 75% of us that dont live in or near Raleigh… and that arent rich enough to take off work.

    wow… our people are SOOOOOO damn smart.

    and creative too 😉

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