Rumor Alert: State to Play Basketball Tonight! (Updated 2:15pm)

General Media NC State Administration Sidney Lowe70

Did you ever think that you would see and NC State website proclaiming “Thank God for the N&O!”

“The Wolfpack plays its first preseason exhibition game under coach Sidney Lowe and it could be a test. Northern State, a Division II school in Aberdeen, S.D., finished 27-6 last season and returns three starters. The Wolves, from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, played their first exhibition Wednesday at Vanderbilt, losing 98-94 as 6-foot-6 junior Levi Hamilton scored 19 points.�

Basketball is approaching, and if it wasn’t for the N&O you may not have known a damn thing about NC State’s exhibition basketball game tonight. You certainly wouldn’t know it if you use the front page GoPack.com for your Wolfpack news. But, SFN has confirmed that the information is true; the Sidney Lowe era does takes another step towards beginning in earnest tonight when NC State plays host to Northern State University in an exhibition game.

GoPack.com doesn’t have a mention of the game anywhere on its front page today. Nowhere. Addtionally:

* The game is not even included in the “Events Calendar” on the front page of the site.

* There is no preview article for the game anywhere on the site.

* The Calendar of Events on the Men’s Basketball subpage does at least mention of the game’s existence.

* Unfortunately, the title of the “Calendar of Events” on the BASKETBALL page says “BASEBALL EVENTS CALENDAR” (Sometimes it hurts to laugh this much)

You would think that the folks over at NC State would exert a little extra effort to detail after the Athletics Department failed to capitalize on promotional opportunities associated with the hiring of Coach Lowe in front of key recruits and most recently severely limited the number of fans who could attend the Red & White Game. But, that conclusion would be far too kind for this crew. (Link to a past entry that will also provide some key links)

If it were anyone else we’d call the omission something like “unbelievable”; but we are accustomed to such oversights at GoPack. This is the kind of “value” that you get when an entity has a monopolistic hold on a market with no chance for competition as what was created when the Athletics Department’s exclusive agreement with Wolfpack Sports Marketing & GoPack.com was ‘interestingly’ extended with no public bid process a few years ago (and simultaneously when “Coach” Lee Fowler was given his own television show by Wolfpack Sports Marketing).

If you want to gear up a little for tonight’s game then Section Six has the quick primer that you need. Additionally, the Charlote Observer has a tiny Q&A with Coach Lowe.

We leave you today by re-emphasizing the suggestion that we made to Coach Lowe a few weeks go. This kind of f*&#-up (along with the Red/White Game) will continue to happen until the Basketball Program realizes that they have to look out for themselves constantly. The MEN’S Basketball program, that is.

Updated 2:15pm
OOPS!!!

Please forgive us for forgetting one other major piece of criticsm that is related to this entire cluster #&^@. We forgot to mention that tonight’s men’s exhibition game – Sidney Lowe’s first ever – has been scheduled for the same night as the major day of Homecoming activities in Raleigh.

At first glance, this would look like a brilliant move to maximize the opportunity for fans to get to experience Homecoming events AND the basketball game except the basketball game has been scheduled to conflict with the end of the Homecoming parade and then the Pack Howl pep rally and concert going on in Reynolds.

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General Media NC State Administration Sidney Lowe

70 Responses to Rumor Alert: State to Play Basketball Tonight! (Updated 2:15pm)

  1. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 1:30 PM #

    “until the Basketball Program realizes that they have to look out for themselves”

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Everyone does, if they want any kind of success at all, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    I hope Sidney Lowe realizes that.

  2. partialqualifier 11/03/2006 at 1:35 PM #

    I’ll be there!!! Go Pack!! It’s gonna be a very long season, but I am excited about basketball for the first time in a VERY long time!!!!

  3. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 1:41 PM #

    The minds in Raleigh can get the funding, slap a pile of bricks together, and create a work of art. But beyond that, the imagination and foresight that goes on up there is still a pile…but of a different color.

  4. Micky McCarthy 11/03/2006 at 1:42 PM #

    A home exhibition the night before a home football game and absolutely zero promotion.

    My God could our Athletics Department be any more inept?

  5. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 1:44 PM #

    partialqualifier

    Wish I could!!!

    Yell SIDNEY, SIDNEY, SIDNEY, SIDNEY, SIDNEY, SIDNEY…

    Non stop, through out the game, for me if you will.

  6. JimValvano 11/03/2006 at 2:07 PM #

    I’m gonna have to play devil’s advocate on this one…just for arguments sake.
    I’m not saying that I disagree with any of you, but… … …

    Maybe the red & white game was scheduled at the time it was scheduled TO keep attendance down and vice versa with the game tonight. Maybe the athletics department is doing what is smart…avoiding the promotion of a possibly miserable failure. Think about it…if we don’t promote it…and nobody really knows about it…if we lose then the fanbase won’t realize it, can’t complain, and their tarhole and dookie buddies can’t pick on them because they don’t realize what went down either.

  7. waxhaw 11/03/2006 at 2:15 PM #

    ^ I know you said you were playing devil’s advocate but if that is their strategy, it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Intentionally assuming a poor performance and subsequently trying to keep attendance low to somehow hide this from your fanbase should be grounds for termination.

    On second thought, it’s just so dumb it might really be what’s going on over there.

  8. waxhaw 11/03/2006 at 2:16 PM #

    Oh, one more point. IF we lose. It will be known about because it will be front page sports news in the N&O

  9. JimValvano 11/03/2006 at 2:19 PM #

    Maybe they just don’t know what to expect and will do a better job promoting the team once they see what they are gonna do…regardless of the performance their should be some sort of spin…whether about how good they are or in famous CTC fashion how young they are and how they are rebuilding this year and how next year all this potential will come to fruition and how this recruit and that recruit are gonna be the next david thompson or philip rivers or whatever.

  10. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 2:31 PM #

    JimValvano

    That’s not devil’s advocate with me, I’ve said it all along. It may be plastered all over the papers tommorrow. But those incharge in Raleigh are going to shy from basketball until it makes it impossible for them to do so. One way or the other, it will take 20 consecutive losses, or 10 consecutive wins before those cowards either reject or embrace these coaches publicly.

    They stink, and it stinks.

  11. cfpack03 11/03/2006 at 2:31 PM #

    I’m not sure if they just added it but, the calendar of events on the right margin clearly says:

    M. Basketball
    Northern State (Exh.) – Raleigh, N.C. :: 7:00 p.m.

    The calendar still thinks today is Wednesday though (listed Nov. 1 at the top), and, there’s no write-up on the game.

  12. JimValvano 11/03/2006 at 2:33 PM #

    well…fred…you know historically…you and i have agreed on quite a bit…and to be quite honest with you if i didn’t think it might possibly be the truth i wouldn’t have brought it up.

    so once again…you and i agree my friend

  13. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 2:42 PM #

    It is the…familiar quiet…sit still…don’t do anything yet…let’s just leave it alone for a while, and see what happens…

    That all know, soooo well.

  14. StateFans 11/03/2006 at 2:45 PM #

    JimValvano,

    Why would they choose to downplay the Red/White game while simultaneously using it as a key recruiting/marketing event by inviinge CJ Williams, Tracy Smith and Julian Mays?

    IF they chose to downplay anything for fear of failure, then it further illustrateds a disconnection with reality as there is no way that this team can fail this year. They can win five games this year and very few people will care because 95% of the fan base believes in their heart that the future is bright.

  15. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 2:59 PM #

    “Hey, I tried with Barnes, Calipari, Belein(?)…best I could do.”

    This is a ‘no lose’ situation for LF. Does anyone think he’ll come out with an all out showing of support? Not me. He won’t allow it by others either, it’s not in his best interest personally. He’s down playing the importance of it all because he’s hunkered down, and in all out job protection mode right now.

    He knows he can latch back on, take the pats on the back, but later, AFTER, all the rough times and the trial period is over.

    Coming out and showing a public

  16. StateFans 11/03/2006 at 3:04 PM #

    ^ Most people realize that individual’s make a difference. Had Lee Fowler not been the imbecile running the search and trying to make the hires, there is no telling which coach would have accepted the job.

  17. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 3:08 PM #

    “Why would they choose to downplay the Red/White game and invite CJ Williams, Tracy Smith and Julian Mays to the event?”

    Wednesday night, mid week, seats empty,…poor planning, down play,…

    Call it what you will.

    And I’ll ask you why you think they would invite those potentials to that?

    Myself, I’d say all out lack of vision, imagination, and planning.

    But it is typical. Not really any hidden agenda or conspiracy theory involved, just plain old NCSU struggling to go through the motions, as usual.

  18. JimValvano 11/03/2006 at 3:11 PM #

    hmmm…really?

    why don’t you take a poll on the win total people will be satisfied with?

    I think 5 sounds a bit low.

    I honestly think that they downplayed the event to most people in order to keep too many people from criticizing the overall performance, but they thought that the tempo of the game and style of play might be of interest to the recruits.

  19. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 3:20 PM #

    I really think they aren’t visibly promoting it for the reasons stated. But whether it is a conscience effort to down play or not, it is less than pitiful. If there is no effort to downplay these events, then this athletics department is simply the worst, most simple minded group of administrators, ever assembled.

    I’d feel better with the downplay aspect, at least that would mean that those folks have some grasp of the all out IMPORTANCE of what is taking place RIGHT NOW, and right under their own noses.

  20. PalmettoWolf 11/03/2006 at 3:46 PM #

    That blog entry made me LOL.

  21. class of 74 11/03/2006 at 3:53 PM #

    Our athletic department runs on dumb luck. More often than not what they do is dumb as evidenced by this article, but in the coaching search that fell in the luck category. I think Sid will prove to be better in the longterm than all the other “name brands” LF chased so ineptly.

  22. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 11/03/2006 at 3:58 PM #

    You guys are talking about a red/white game and the first exhibition basketball game. Are you expecting this to replace the ‘achieve!’ campaign? Replace the billboard, TV spots, mag ads to promote exhibition college basketball. Yes, it should be on gopack.com but it should be no surprise to anyone that wolfpack sports marketing sucks. It just does. Until people start showing up at the chancellor’s office to complain (no sending emails or making calls) nothing will change. If Oblinger had two or three visits every day from alumni/friends that wanted to see better promotion it would happen. squeeky wheel. Of course there is no visitor parking for Holladay Hall which goes a long way to prevent people from stopping in.

  23. redfred2 11/03/2006 at 4:06 PM #

    “I think Sid will prove to be better in the longterm than all the other “name brandsâ€? LF chased so ineptly.”

    74 I agreed with that from day one. That was the ultimate stroke o luck for LF. He is a stumbling, blumbling, didn’t know where to turn next, but very lucky man indeed. Lowe is THE right guy.

  24. oldflyingfarmer 11/03/2006 at 4:09 PM #

    Maybe the people scheduling this had another motive of which we are not privy to. Let’s just hope we look good.

  25. legacyman 11/03/2006 at 4:41 PM #

    Who doesn’t know about our basketball games. My season tickets show that we have games. And there have been schedules published.

    I just don’t see why we are having all of this griping about the Red-White game. etc. There were 8000 seats available and only 5000 folks showed up. There are more than enough students to fill those seats simply by leaving their dorm rooms and walking a few thousand feet.

    The season ticket holders will more than welcome Sidney tonight and I, for one, will be standing and screaming at the top of my lungs that we are finally on the path back to respectability in our basketball program. It will take some time to rebuild the skeleton of a program that he inherits but it will be done and the recruiting start already looks promising.

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