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Let’s Get Happy

01/17/2008StateFansGeneral53

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53 Responses to Let’s Get Happy

Girlfriend in a Coma 01/17/2008 at 6:43 PM #

That little guy also looks to be a tougher rebounder than our top 3 forwards.

Dig the way he boxes out from the 10 second mark to the 15 second mark! Some of our guys could learn from his technique.
imawolf 01/17/2008 at 6:47 PM #

Gotta love the dancing wolf. He shows passion, moves, a sense of purpose and watching HIM makes me happy.
redfred2 01/17/2008 at 9:05 PM #

highstick, you picked this?, a thread with a video of a dancing wolf, to drop all of that on us?

Anyway, as far as the steriod “scandle”, it’s been going on forever, and there’s no way to turn back the hands of time. It is also about time they are putting an end to it. But in my opinion it is something where these players are either accepted by the fans, or they aren’t. There is no doubt that some players are responsible for taking whatever enhancers they took, but the facts are that professions turned a blind eye for way too long, and that only a true choir boy wouldn’t have seriously considered using the drugs. I was first offered a styroid back in the late 70’s. At the time it was described as some sort of super vitamin that would help me quickly build muscle. Which I needed some kind of terrible back then, and still do today as matter of fact.

But I repeat, I did not have steroids with that woman. Define steroids.

Seriously though, I really didn’t, but I do know some college athletes who did back in those days. So what that tells us is that are many before these guys who are only now taking the heat for their use performance enhancing drugs. Lot’s of records have been broken in between then and now.

To your point on the aspect of getting back to “pure” sports, as in what is written, and what the rulebook clearly states, sorry to say, never happen, that is histroy. I’m with you all the way though, but this is now all about showtime, playground, HEY, look at me!!!, everybody pays more to see attitudes than athletes nowdays. If they tried to revert back to the REAL games, played as they were intended, then there would have to be some kind of side show going on where the people who can’t really play the game by the rules, were all allowed to travel, palm, spike and dunk, their collective asses off in front of a huge crowd.

I loved the game of basketball back when palming was inforced and really an infraction, when it was really one and half steps or traveling was called, and there was no dunking allowed. Passing, shooting, defensive positioning, and blocking out were what actually won basketball games. Ironic, but it’d really be nice to see a few of those talents back in vogue in Raleigh about right now.

But hey, you can’t expect anyone to play by the rules, those rules are old. Just like the steroids, it’s all about pushing the limits forgetting any rules. And even if you can see the deterioration and believe otherwise, there will always be those people who’ll jump and say, “It’s progress man, ya can’t stop it.”

Yep, that is progress, for sure.
Primewolf 01/17/2008 at 9:16 PM #

SFN, just read your “can;t quit if it never started”.

Uncanny timing, I had just posted on PackPride 10 minutes before I came over to SFN, that I thought the team was out of shape, can’t run the floor, and even the coaches appeared lazy.

I had no inside info like you, but it became clear to me in the Clemson game that our guys weren’t moving in the second half. Standing flat-footed, don’t run the floor with any intensity at all.

I have also wondered about the coaches. Are they really coming up with these game plans through serious intensive analysis or are they as unprepared as their players are.

Leadership begins with the coaches and I am afraid we have failed this year. I hope Sid cleans out a few assistants and brings in some hard workers. They are in the midst of a memorable NC State BB season, and I don’t think it will be a good one.
highstick 01/17/2008 at 9:47 PM #

Fred, sorry about hijacking this thread, but never could find an appropriate one in the last few weeks to throw this in. You’re confirming what I’ve observed too, just wondered if anyone really cared anymore. It’s hard for me to get excited(when I think rationally) that the two sports that I love the most(basketball and baseball) have turned into just “pure entertainment events” like either wrestling or “the best team that money can buy” is your top 10.

I guess the next thing is “cloning”, then you wouldn’t have to worry about recruiting, just clone your national championship team and put them back on the floor.

I hated the years when they took the dunk away, but it sure makes the DT years at State maybe a little more memorable.

It is a joke though, when the rule book says one thing and refs ignore it. Wish I could get a league official or a coach to explain that with a straight face!
jwrenn29 01/17/2008 at 11:50 PM #

Did anyone else hear the blue jays in the background?
Dr. BadgerPack 01/18/2008 at 6:57 AM #

Good morning wolfpack friends… My two cents for the morning: while the refs certainly let the athletic types ‘play’ (that term can be applied loosely), a coach would be insane not to take adavantage of what they are given. These athletic players– especially those who can handle the ball and drive– are absolutely critical in todays game. Look at Duke as an example. They have maybe 2 great shooters from behind the arc, yet you see 5-6 guys a game that can absolutely drain them. This is pretty much a function of it being substantially easier to make shots with noone around than it is with a hand in your face. Look at the majority of three point shots we get, versus the variety of shots Duke takes. Duke gets a rediculous number of wide-open looks following dribble penetration and a kick out. We simply don’t have the capability of doing that (although Gavin generates decent looks– he’s pretty much the only guy who can do this on our squad). You can make an average shooter look so much better simply by increasing open looks off dribble penetration. Rarely do you see a Neitzel or Reddick who creates their own three point looks in the college game.

This team is so horrid right now at three point shooting and creating open shots that they should abandon that shot altogether until the offense pulls its head from its posterior. When last I looked, we’re under the 33% cutoff for the 3-point shot being worthwhile (hitting 1/3 of threes is an effective 50% on 2 point FGs).

If I were running a practice I’d play 5 on 5 and have any player who shot the ball with a man within 5 feet run his butt off.

But since this is supposed to be a ‘happy thread’, remember- the sun came up today, I still hate Carolina and the first thing I saw when I woke up, as always, was my bachelor’s degree from the best school in the land. Go state.
PacknSack 01/18/2008 at 11:37 AM #

My mom gave me one of those for Christmas in 2006. I thought it was cool until my 2-year-old got ahold of it. After 30 minutes of hearing the fight song over and over (and her refusal to say “Go State” at the appropriate time) it was put in a closet where it stays to this day.

Seems oddly symbolic.
RAWFS 01/18/2008 at 2:21 PM #

Now that your two year old is a four year old, will she say “Go State” at the right time? I bet she would…
DAMangum 01/18/2008 at 3:44 PM #

Put the toy on the basketball team, I bet it plays better defense than Costner!
redfred2 01/18/2008 at 6:04 PM #

“These athletic playersâ€“ especially those who can handle the ball and driveâ€“ are absolutely critical in todays game.”

Dr B, with all due respects, it’s not that we don’t want to see great athleticism in sports, and there has ALWAYS plenty of room for it in basketball. It’s when you qualify the abandonment of the rulebook as it was written and intended, with words like “in today’s game”, that’s when you lose me.

Athleticism is what the game of basketball is all about. Just do it within the rules, please.
redfred2 01/18/2008 at 6:11 PM #

^Packnsack, funny stuff!
redfred2 01/18/2008 at 6:43 PM #

“Did anyone else hear the blue jays in the background?”

Kinda strange coming from someone calling themselves jWRENN, but I think you really meant to say “blue birds”. Or, maybe that was a reference to the MLB steriod scandle, and the team in Toronto.

???
redfred2 01/18/2008 at 7:36 PM #

HELLOOOO!!! Anybody out there? Oh yeah, I forgot, this is all set up just for me. This is MY WEBSITE!

Good point there redfred, you really nailed that one.

Why thanks redfred, just doing my job. I’ll have more on it later redfred.

Gotta run now redfred, but I’ll see you later on redfred.

Ok then redfred, and as always, it’s been great talking to you too redfred.

No redfred, the pleasure was all mine redfred.
spanky 01/18/2008 at 8:13 PM #

Nicely said redfred!!

In other news I’ve learned that our current Student Body President is absolutely ADORED by Lee Foulup and Oblinger. With such horrible mismanagement of athletics department shouldn’t the leader of the students be smashing toes of those in charge as opposed to making sure he doesn’t step on said toes?

Frustrating…
chainsaw_rock 01/18/2008 at 11:34 PM #

does anybody else miss the days of 22-10 hoops records with shots at the elite 8 and 7-4 football teams making the peach bowl?

i do.
Dr. BadgerPack 01/19/2008 at 6:48 AM #

redfred- oh, I here ya… I like games played as the rules dictate. BUT… let’s use a baseball analogy. If the umpire is giving 3 inches off the plate, you’re a fool not to use it to your advantage. The fundamental problem in “today’s game” lies with the officiating. Either there simply aren’t enough quality officials to go around or said officials spent way too much time watching the Jordan highlight reel from the NBA.

But I do suppose we don’t “need” the athletic types to compete at a high level. If we add 2-3 players, through development or recruiting, who are competent enough to “drive, draw and dish” as dickie V would say, we would improve the offense and specifically the jump shooting immensely.
redfred2 01/19/2008 at 9:48 AM #

Dr B, I wouldn’t really compare what I’m saying about the overall change or neglect of the rules in basketball, to an umpire with a large stike zone. Rather, I’d say that if you were to apply the same loose standards to the rules of baseball, then maybe if you’re one step off the bag when the ball arrives to first base, then you’re safe, it’s now considered a base hit. Using your reasoning, stuff like that would be allowed because the players are just faster “in today’s game”.

I’m talking about an overall, nationwide change in the rules, without any official revision to the rulebooks. It is NOT right by any stretch of the imagination. Also, the general public seems to believe that if this new generation of great athletes aren’t allowed to break the traditional rules of the game, and if playground tactics aren’t allowed in organized ball, that then the game will somehow stop evolving. Which is simply untrue. A truly superior athlete can rise above the crowd just as easily within the rules.
Dr. BadgerPack 01/19/2008 at 9:58 AM #

red, I’ll respectfully beg to differ. Perhaps my baseball analogy didn’t illustrate my point.

Let’s see… we’re talking about superior athletes, and often times they can get away with things that aren’t immediately perceived. I’ve used this before in football– think about FSU in the 90s. Think about the rediculous number of penalties called on them. Superior athletes making the “impossible” play and getting flagged for it. You especially see this in FSU’s DB’s from the 90s.

The reverse trend appears to be happening in basketball. Referees ASSUME these athletes can make these plays and they are legal. I think this statement closely reflects at least one of the points you are trying to make.

This still doesn’t belie my initial point, which is that we need some friggin’ guys that can penetrate and dish if we hope to get better at shooting the 3. I actually think practice player Fergie could shoot quite well if he had open looks– heck, Demarcus Nelson can hit ’em when open and he isn’t exactly notorious as a long range threat.
redfred2 01/19/2008 at 10:43 AM #

Dr B, I can accept occassional calls being off when someone does something spectacular or beyond belief. But, you are giving way too much leeway and handing it all over to the ‘current’ officiating. What you’re saying is that every game is basically at the mercy of individual interpretation. I disagree.

Let the NBA run amuck, who cares. But officiating as a whole, as it relates to AMATEUR athletics needs to take a step back, get a grip, and start vigorously promoting an adherance to the rules again. It seems strange to me that the coaches and administrators are under the microscope and further and further scrutinized, but the actual game itself, the one where the KIDS are supposed to LEARN to play by a certain set of guidelines, namely THE RULES, is openly being corrupted by the very people who are supposed to hold those rules sacred.

I think the amateur games, both football and basketball alike, would grow and prosper even further if they separate themselves from the professional ranks once again, and revert back to what they were originally intended to be. It wouldn’t be a big deal at all, just enforce the rules and teach kids that they were written for a reason. Again, I’m talking AMATUER athletics, these kids who are supposedly in school to learn and follow rules to begin with. So I don’t see why they aren’t expected to follow THE RULES on the field of play/court also.
redfred2 01/19/2008 at 11:18 AM #

I have only be able to attend a few games over the past few years, but I watched Ferguson in warm ups and he was always hitting his shots. Last year I pointed Trevor out to a friend sitting beside me before the game started, Ferguson did not miss a shot except when another ball got in the way. My friend, who doesn’t keep up like I do, asked where Ferguson had been and why he doesn’t play?

We all know the answers to that, but I do believe that IF Ferguson were left in the game, let him stumble around and be a liability, but give him long enough to get a feel, then he just MAY get some confidence and start stroking that three.

On the other hand, it may not ever be the case, but I do see where there is anything but positives to be gained by at least trying to devise an offensive scheme that can free him up on occassion. When you’re losing games by totals like 31 points, I do not see why you wouldn’t be devoting the PT or at least trying to help a pure shooter gain his confidence.
redfred2 01/19/2008 at 11:22 AM #

^apologies for the pitiful typing
Dr. BadgerPack 01/19/2008 at 11:43 AM #

redfred, I think we actually pretty much agree. The major difference is I say “play it like it’s called” and you say “play it like it’s written”. We both concur that officiating blows…

and your typing sucks. 🙂
highstick 01/19/2008 at 12:08 PM #

Good comments guys on the “rules and the current game”. Again, I didn’t mean to “step on anyone’s feelgood time”. I think I’d like to see the old game back with the current guys developing the talent that they do have and play within those boundaries”. A rasslin’ match may be more entertaining, but an amateur wrestling match shows more ability(or at least I think it does).

If it’s “played like it’s called”, doesn’t that interject more subjectivity(and abuse) into the officiating? I think a lot of the game could be changed back by just enforcing what’s going on with the hands and feet. Handchecking shows no exceptional talent, nor does traveling in most cases, and palming the ball shows a lack of talent in ball handling.
redfred2 01/19/2008 at 12:33 PM #

I don’t like it just because we haven’t had a coach who could do it for quite some time, but I really don’t have any problem with a certain coach, or coaches, being able to earn the official’s favor. To me, that’s just just good coaching and comes from experience.

That said, if you wanted to diminish that factor I just spoke about, and make it more about the players and actual the game being played on the BB court, then take the subjectivity back out it, and simply play and officiate by the rules.