In Praise of the Deacons

Today, nearly every North Carolinian (with the exception of our own Cardiff Giant) was a Deacon in spirit. As we watched Jim Grobe’s charges work their magic one last time – despite being far from their best, I hope all NC State fans learned a valuable lesson.

Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s “unrealistic” to expect championships. Your response to such people should be “Screw you, Wake just did it. In football, for God’s sake!” They also did it in the post-expansion era, when some people claimed just making any old bowl game should be the limit of our expectations. That’s complete crap, and Wake just proved it. With the right coach, pretty much any damned thing is possible. It doesn’t hurt to have a top-notch athletic director steering the ship, either. Ron Wellman deserves alot of credit, too. Without him, would Grobe even still be there?

Yes, talent is important. Yes, championships for the Wake Forests of the world will likely be less frequent than for the Ohio States and Floridas. But don’t ever let anyone tell you that it can never be done.

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General NCS Football

42 Responses to In Praise of the Deacons

  1. CaptainCraptacular 12/03/2006 at 11:23 AM #

    I was at the game, rainy and miserable as it was. So glad I went. Even though the weather was miserable it was a fantastic game, we had a great time, and was incredible to see the deacons and their cheering section cut loose after the first down to seal it.

  2. redfred2 12/03/2006 at 11:58 AM #

    86ncsu95

    Let’s see, you start by saying NCSU’s basketball legacy was just a flash in the pan. ???!!! That’s a very typical attitude and one that is shared by many a Wolfpack fan these days. Next you discount WFU’s football championship by calling it a fluke, because they won’t be able to sustain that level of play in the coming years. Then you go on to note that WFU is one quarter the size of NCSU?

    What does all of what you said mean? It means that you, like Lee Fowler and too many others, think no one can really rise above where they are right now.

    Again, the same and typical loser’s mentality that holds everything down, and the same attitude that is running rampant in Raleigh right now.

    Your points about WFU simply means that WFU is handicapped in every aspect except one. WFU has the forsight and ability to hire the right people, with the right talent and attitudes, then gives them the assistance they need to accomplish their goals. That is even without any great football legacy or history to reach back and embrace.

    What you fail to mention is that NC State University is just the opposite, the people in place, are the only thing holding that have ever held it back.

    I have thought about it often, and if one looks back at the Sendek situation in your narrow window, and as you and so many others describe it, then it is very easy to see why Lee Fowler did not fire Herb Sendek. It was based on his Sendek’s and Fowler’s time at NCSU and nothing else, and that will be both of their downfalls.

    Sendek was like a young, hard working fry cook, who was fortunate to be hired as the head chef at ‘Chez Luis.’ He could get the food out, and it was filling and edible, but it wasn’t good enough for the facilities he had at his disposal, the history of the establishment and it’s clientelle, and he didn’t have any ability to improve what he was offering.

    Lee Fowler’s viewpoint is the same, and based on a short down period in NCSU’s overall history. It is also down period that Lee Fowler has helped to prolong by insisting that any improvement, over the lowest point in NC State’s history, is good enough.

    Will NCSU change with such short sighted administrators in place, and fans rallying around them? I don’t think so.

  3. Wolfpack4ever 12/03/2006 at 12:50 PM #

    ” then it is very easy to see why Lee Fowler did not fire Herb Sendek. It was based on his Sendek’s and Fowler’s time at NCSU and nothing else, and that will be both of their downfalls.”

    More ignoring the fact that Fowler can only act on the Chancellor’s say so. This is getting laborious explaiining over and over and over and over.. Fowler does not, did not and cannot fire the HC of bb or fb.

  4. redfred2 12/03/2006 at 1:19 PM #

    4ever

    Fowler has influence, whether you admit it or not, and his staunch and undying need to still defend Herb Sendek, while totally ignoring the present and every time he has a microphone in his face, is proof of his viewpoint and where his influence was directed.

  5. DixieBoy 12/03/2006 at 1:41 PM #

    While difficult to decipher from our a.d. the lee fowler logic consists of those famous statements like “we should have a good year this year while carolina and duke are down.”(His comments entering bball season a couple of years back).Then of course his many rants to the newspapers in which he chastises us, the fans for wanting championships and for wanting to beat our rivals. So his logic would be that he thinks us the fans need to shut up and be happy with our mediocre 4th or below finishes in the ACC.

  6. lynchjm 12/03/2006 at 1:47 PM #

    ‘As referenced above, DUKE has won a more recent revenue championship than the Pack’

    Actually they have won a lot more, as long as we are still calling basketball a revenue sport.

  7. kozmokramer 12/03/2006 at 1:48 PM #

    I’m both saddened and frustrated that a couple of you want to discount Wake’s tremendous year by your childish and immature remarks. I’m a loyal and proud alum iof NC State, but mature enough to give Wake and their obviously proud alums and fans their due. Wake Forest and Jim Grobe are a wonderful fit, and had an outstanding year. Congratulations Deacons on the 2006 ACC football championship. Best of luck in the Orange Bowl, and bring home another trophy!

  8. blpack 12/03/2006 at 1:56 PM #

    Congrats to Wake! Great job of coaching and executing at the right time. Their AD has put together a nice group of coaches in various sports and now is seeing the rewards. Wake done it’s share of pushing us around in hoops and football. Hopefully we will begin to push back soon.
    Go get ’em in the Orange Bowl.

  9. redfred2 12/03/2006 at 3:00 PM #

    By the way GO DEMON DEACONS!!! You are representing the old ACC in a way that none of other the old schooler’s have even come close figuring out. Wake Forest football is just a great example of what a (((REAL))) and absolutely deserving of the name on all accounts, UNDERDOG, can accomplish with the RIGHT PERSONNEL in place.

  10. brown pelican 12/03/2006 at 8:34 PM #

    when i coached in north carolina coach grobe and his staff far superceded the efforts of the other 1-A staffs in recruiting and relationship building—it was evident that they would build something great if afforded the time—congrats to the deacs—lets take a lesson from their success—and—hire a man as committed to recruitng and developing athletes of character with a stable staff that coach grobe is—go pack

  11. Wolfpack4ever 12/03/2006 at 9:24 PM #

    DixieBoy Says: “While difficult to decipher from our a.d. the lee fowler logic consists of those famous statements like “we should have a good year this year while carolina and duke are down.”(His comments entering bball season a couple of years back).Then of course his many rants to the newspapers in which he chastises us, the fans for wanting championships and for wanting to beat our rivals. So his logic would be that he thinks us the fans need to shut up and be happy with our mediocre 4th or below finishes in the ACC.”

    Hi DixieBoy, Sorry I asked. I now more than ever don’t see any evidence of logic in what you say or in what you claim.

  12. Wolfpack4ever 12/03/2006 at 9:39 PM #

    brown pelican Says: —congrats to the deacs—lets take a lesson from their success—and—hire a man as committed to recruitng and developing athletes of character with a stable staff that coach grobe is—go pack

    brown pelican: I logged on to see what if anything is new with the coach search. I saw your post and I’m with you. As much as the type of O a coach runs or his record against D-1 opponents interests me, hiring a man committed to both recruiting athletes of character and developing athletes should be a priority. It took Wake 14 years with this AD. I wonder if the “expecters of championships” will have the patience for that course of action and length of time.

  13. Wolfpack4ever 12/03/2006 at 9:53 PM #

    SFN Says: “Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s “unrealistic” to expect championships. But don’t ever let anyone tell you that it can never be done.”

    Are you implying that the NCSU fan base is saying that? What kind of site is this if the owners are ripping the fan base like that?

  14. bigpacman 12/03/2006 at 10:53 PM #

    Hey brown pelican: I agree with your comments on grobe and his staff. A name I have heard this week that may fit the bill is Rick Stockstill 1st yr HC Middle Tenn State. He won the conference and is taking the Blue Radier’s to a Bowl.

    Remember he is the guy who hired Manny Diaz away from Chuck.

    A former Spurrier-L. Holtz- Ford Asst. whom is know as one of the best recruiters in the country as well as a great mind of the game.

    Go to the Wolfpack Rivals site and read the comments the 3* Sinclair kid we are recruiting out of Fla made about him yesterday.

  15. brown pelican 12/04/2006 at 12:52 PM #

    bigpacman—stock was also an assistant to bowden when rodriguez was the oc and reggie herring was the dc—good experience with two of the best there—good with the kids too—great energy

  16. pack7483 12/05/2006 at 3:34 PM #

    From Yahoo Sports:

    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe sounds like he’s staying put.

    For the second consecutive week, Grobe made it known that he has no interest in other jobs. It’s been speculated that Grobe could be a candidate for several openings, including the one at Alabama.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    “I’m a Wake Forest guy,” he said Tuesday.

    The 15th-ranked Demon Deacons (11-2) are coming off a 9-6 win against Georgia Tech that clinched the school’s second Atlantic Coast Conference championship and first since 1970. Wake Forest will play No. 5 Louisville in the Orange Bowl to cap the most successful season in the program’s 105-year history.

    The Demon Deacons were predicted to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, but this year’s surprising run has raised Grobe’s national profile.

    Grobe is 37-34 in six seasons at Wake Forest and if the first coach to take the Demon Deacons to bowl games twice since they joined the ACC.

    But Grobe talked Tuesday of maintaining the Demon Deacons’ success next year instead of winning games elsewhere.

    “I’m perfectly happy at Wake Forest,” he said. “I think some people like having their names floated all over the place. I’ve been around long enough that it has no appeal for me. I couldn’t be happier. I’m not only happy with this football team and the staff and our families are happy, but I’m happy with where we’re headed.”

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » Press Conference on News 14 and 680 am NOW - 12/09/2006

    […] 3) He mentioned the very reasonable goal (for every year) of making it to the ACC title game. As Wake Forest showed this year, in a six team division, anybody can get hot and take the crown. And once you get to the title game, anything could happen. […]

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