Lee Fowler’s Idea of Improvement

07-08 Basketball AD & Department NC State Administration56

I won’t make this long because it hurts my head too much to type.

When Lee Fowler wanted to earn political favor with the more respected and poweful Terry Holland Fowler foolishly scheduled a road game for the NC State Basketball program in Greenville – where:

(1) NO other NC State basketball team had ever stooped to play,
(2) very few ACC programs and no other programs from North Carolina had ever stooped to play, and
(3) all of the NC State fans who pay for lifetime rights couldn’t watch the Wolfpack for the fifth consecutive game over a three week+ period.

When softly asked about the decision in the off-season, Fowler boldly boasted that he was being strategic as road games/wins will help NC State’s RPI.

Just for the record, NC State entered Saturday’s game against ECU rated #36 in the RPI with the #19th ranked strentgh of schedule in the country. After the trip to ECU that “Coach Fowler” so strategically scheduled – NC State is #75 in the RPI with the #52nd ranked strength of schedule in the country.

With this kind of Einstein-esque strategy from someone who self-proclaims that they ‘know basketball’…(finish your own sentence here)…

For the record, the following is NC State’s all-sports rankings in the annual Director’s Cup is listed below. Thank GOD that we have invested so much money into new facilities, eh? Just look at the ‘improvement’ that the increased expenditures have brought.

—Lee Fowler Years—-
2006-07 – #44
2005-06 – #34
2004-05 – #51
2003-04 – #39
2002-03 – #43
2001-02 – #46
2000-01 – #56

—Les Robinson Years—
1999-00 – #40
1998-99 – #63
1997-98 – #43
1996-97 – #57

—Todd Turner Years—
1995-96 – #34
1994-95 – #32
1993-94 – #59

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07-08 Basketball AD & Department NC State Administration

56 Responses to Lee Fowler’s Idea of Improvement

  1. Dan 12/12/2007 at 8:01 PM #

    I’ll say it again:

    Lee Fowler is a dark cloud hanging over NC State athletics. We will not see any prolonged sunshine until we get rid of him.

  2. MrPlywood 12/12/2007 at 8:18 PM #

    With all the pre-game hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth, the outcome seemed inevitable. At the very least it should have been a guaranteed win. But I guess the team wanted to create the perfect storm – lower the SOS, RPI and increase the losses all in one night.

    The game was scheduled. Go to Greenville and pound them. THEN make sure it never happens again.

  3. ruffles31 12/12/2007 at 8:21 PM #

    Did anyone hear him on 850 today? He was asked by David Glenn to “put on his basketball coach’s hat” to tell everyone what the problem is with our basketball team. He said that it isn’t jealousy, playing time, or anything like that. He said that people just need to figure out their roles.

    I wanted DG to ask him this question. “Since the day you became AD, how does it feel to be one of 5 ADs at BCS schools who haven’t won a conference title in football, baseball, men’s basketball, or women’s basketball?”

    So must for tough journalism.

    I still am mad about playing at ECU. Where are we playing next year…NC Central?

  4. Trip 12/12/2007 at 8:24 PM #

    NC Central is ALMOST a division 1 school, so i wouldn’t put it past him 😛

  5. basspacker812 12/12/2007 at 8:45 PM #

    Why is everyone making a big deal over the fact we played at ECU? We lost………issue…period. If the basketball program isn’t sound enough to beat the likes of ECU, be it at home or away, then theres more of an issue here than the fact we played in Greenville. NCSU should be bully enough in their basketball program to welcome opportunities to run over in state teams like ECU. If we worry about playing an ECU in Greenville, then we sure as hell better be worried about playing UNC in Chapel Hill. NCSU should never lose to ECU period. NCSU basketball program should never be in a position to lose to ECU period.

  6. tmb81 12/12/2007 at 8:55 PM #

    More blame Fowler with statistical spin?

    Why not play the occasional in state road game with a non-Big Four school? Today on 850 they highlighted a poll that reported on people’s “favorite college sports team”. NC State scored high in the Triangle, but trailed badly you-know-who state wide.

    What if instead of playing another yawner of a game in the half-empty RBC, we played an annual in state road game against the state’s more legitimate division-1 competition. This game can be rotated among Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville and Wilmington. The game can be promoted to alumni in the area to raise our profile, strengthen ties ($) to this alumni and build our non-triangle fan base.

    If the game itself is difficult, then that’s fine. In a few weeks the team will face hostile competition in ACC arenas…a little light adversity would be good for them as they prepare for conference play.

  7. old13 12/12/2007 at 8:56 PM #

    SFN is right on – LF should never have scheduled, or allowed to be scheduled, the game at ECU. The record of the athletic department he heads speaks for itself. And his PR in general, and with NCSU fans, alumni and contributors in particular, is deplorable. He backed into hiring Sid (after dragging the university through muck with a most ill-conceived coaching search), and had TOB fall into his lap (apparently after being prodded by influential alumni.) No business in the USA would retain a CEO with such a lousy performance! Why is he still at State!

  8. GWolf07 12/12/2007 at 9:33 PM #

    I started off my college career at ECU. At this point in my life, I was first told that ECU and NCSU were the DUKE/UNC equivalent in football. Being an NCSU fan since birth, I had never even heard that. The only thing I remember was Jimmy V swearing off that abomination to the UNC system in Greenville for injuring that security guard back in the 80’s. What changed? The game obviosuly means way more to the wannabes in Greenville than it ever will an NCSU fan. A game against ECU gives us absolutely NOTHING in terms of recruiting. In terms of respect. In terms of national recognition. In terms of nothing. I keeps us in the same rut we have been in under Lee Fowler. I would like to ask all of you to join me in a letter sending campaign to our beloved university and beg for something to give. I have already begun. As an alumni, I will always support Wolfpack athletics, but enough is enough.

  9. LRM 12/12/2007 at 9:34 PM #

    We lost to ECU?

  10. blpack 12/12/2007 at 9:35 PM #

    The game should not have been scheduled. Perhaps Dan and SaccoV see the forest and trees.

  11. PackerInRussia 12/12/2007 at 10:12 PM #

    basspacker & tmb,
    3 letters: RPI. It has nothing to do with being scared of ECU, etc. Playing them home or away is a drag on the RPI. There was a post on this site last season showing the difference in RPIs of State’s opponents and ECU’s was off-the-charts low which brings State’s SOS & RPI down no matter the outcome. Thus, the fact remains that they played a team that was going to bring down their RPI no matter if they won or lost. That is called a lose-lose situation. Most people try to avoid those types of situations in favor of, say, win-win situations or at worst, win-lose situations where there is a potential for success. Actually, that post by SFN last season pushed me toward the negative side in terms of opinions of Lee Fowler. It’s just poor planning with no potential for reward. Now, if State continues to play the way they’ve been playing RPI will not mean diddly-squat since they will not even sniff a post-season tourney.

  12. spanky 12/12/2007 at 11:06 PM #

    GWolf07, I am a current student here at NCSU and I too have begun e-mailing and sending letters to the higher-ups with a plea for something to change. I have included lots of information I have attained from this incredibly knowledgeable group of NCSU fans here at this site and others, you know, the ‘lunatic fringe.’ I have also asked for a reason it has gotten this bad. I have not received a reply as of yet.

    I do think a massive campaign would be effective, at least certainly hope it would (then again we are the lunatics)

    I will certainly do anything in my power to aid the student experience and Wolfpack Athletics. Reading multiple accounts and especially StateFans, on what the student experience used to be like, and what I can compare the current ‘experience’ to… makes me quite envious.

  13. PacknSack 12/13/2007 at 12:22 AM #

    Follow the money. This whole “Lee Fowler is the devil” bit is getting old. I have never gotten the impression that winning in the “non-revenue” sports is important, regardless of AD. The Wolfpack Club et al will never bring pressure to bear on this because they don’t care. Period.

    What drives the WC is membership dues and charitable “gifts.” Tied to that is tickets to FB and BB games. Bowl trips and NCAA runs are all that matters. President’s Cup finishes don’t make people double their donations — what affects it is 4-8 seasons in football or the season ending with the ACC tournament.

    Any AD who doesn’t focus on football and basketball solely will be run off in short order. Lamentably, Fowler is doing what he was hired to do, and we are stuck with him until season tickets stop being sold out for football and basketball games.

  14. LRM 12/13/2007 at 5:54 AM #

    Spanky,
    Ah to be young and innocent again. Unless you’re Spanky Murphy or Spanky Dail, then your letters go to a special file.

  15. LRM 12/13/2007 at 6:01 AM #

    Spanky,
    A word of advice: don’t worry about what the student experience was like for everyone else; just make the most of your own experience and enjoy every last minute of it.

    Trust me, one day most of your memories will start out “I remember this one time, when I was in college…”

  16. Astral Rain2 12/13/2007 at 6:53 AM #

    This is why the only way anything can be done is if the students start wearing paper bags and the arena is half-empty. This is what the current team deserves right now anyways.

    You can tell a lack of effort all-around.

  17. Jamie 12/13/2007 at 7:23 AM #

    You think your head hurts now, check out todays Chip Alexander peice in the N and O. Seems “coach Fowler” has another case of mouth diarreah.

  18. jbpackfan 12/13/2007 at 7:42 AM #

    “Coach” Fowler needs to shut his stupid mouth. I am so tired of hearing his “expertise” on everything. Does he actually think he knows what he is talking about? And who calls him “Coach” anyway?

  19. RAWFS 12/13/2007 at 7:43 AM #

    ^ Mrs. Fowler, I presume.

    That visual should help y’all dieters! 😉

  20. spanky 12/13/2007 at 8:33 AM #

    I’m aware that my letters go into the “special” file, which makes me all the more frustrated. I may be stubborn (or stupid) enough to continue and start feeding ideas into student government, which may be a lost cause as well. The student government kids all seem to be doing it for resume building…. and thats it. Too afraid to step on anyone’s toes and truly stand for something.

  21. WendellPackster 12/13/2007 at 8:48 AM #

    Lee Fowler is Todd Turner in disquise. He sux and I wish he were gone!

  22. RAWFS 12/13/2007 at 9:07 AM #

    ^^ Perhaps Technician is an avenue you should pursue — though I wonder if they would have to courage to come out against their own AD.

  23. spanky 12/13/2007 at 9:27 AM #

    There was a couple editorials in recent past against Stafford, but that was a blatantly obvious case (student entrance to football games and tailgating I actually think SFN posted the one on “improve or resign.”

    Unfortunately the majority of the student body just seems to view athletic events as social gatherings and not much else. There are a hefty amount of exceptions, but overall, it is a tad depressing. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the general student body doesn’t understand or seem to grasp the concept that we have such an inept AD, at least it doesn’t appear that way. Someone actually asked me why I had “such beef” with him. So I can see that route being difficult, not that there is a simple one…

  24. Trip 12/13/2007 at 10:16 AM #

    “^ Mrs. Fowler, I presume.”

    I think I just tasted a little bit of my breakfast from 2 hours ago just now…

  25. smile102 12/13/2007 at 3:34 PM #

    Spanky and GWOLF07: What are you asking the school administration to do, fire Sidney Lowe? Make the team play harder? Fire TOB? If you want to keep the coaches, then the AD isn’t doing his key responsibility too badly. ECU was a bad loss, and the team and coach are to blame; no way around it. But the season’s early; it’ll improve.

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