BJD95’s Wolfpack Club Resignation Letter

AD & Department NC State Administration104

To follow up on my late October rant, I have indeed put my money where my mouth is. Here’s my letter, with private stuff I don’t want on the internet carved out:

January 19, 2010

NC State Student Aid Association
PO Box 37100
Raleigh, North Carolina 27627-7100

RE: Cancellation of Wolfpack Club Membership
Membership #******/Ticket #*****

Dear Sir or Madam:

At this point in time, I do not intend to renew my Wolfpack Club membership for 2010, nor continue to purchase LTR seats for football games. Please do not make any further bank drafts from my State Employees’ Credit Union Account (I have also requested that SECU not permit any further bank drafts after December 2009).

My *****personal family situation***** necessitates that I make some difficult spending decisions. Although I have been a Wolfpack Club member since my graduation in 1995 (and am not dissatisfied with the Wolfpack Club or its leadership), I do not feel that the NC State athletics department has shown the commitment to winning that would justify any additional financial investment on my part. My strong feeling is that NC State’s commitment is only to turning a profit (the LTR system helps disconnect finances from bottom-line results), and that winning games and competing for championships are tangential goals at best. Objective measures across the department range from mediocre to putrid, and accountability is virtually non-existent. The official response to even the mildest, fairest criticism (primarily through Lee Fowler, who would not remain employed at virtually any other peer institution, given the level of “success” under his “leadership”) is to demand that we shut up and send more money.

Although finances are tight now, I am a partner in a *****significant business operation*****, and will likely have significant discretionary income once my children graduate college. But NC State’s continued indifference to athletic success has lost me, and I fear that the same holds true for most of my generation of alumni. I wonder who will realistically replace the current crop of major program donors when their time passes. I can never stop caring about or loving NC State, but like a family member of a drug addict, I can and will stop enabling the debilitating sickness that permeates the athletic department.

Sincerely,

*****BJD95*****

Happy MLK, everybody!

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

AD & Department NC State Administration

104 Responses to BJD95’s Wolfpack Club Resignation Letter

  1. ms termeaner 01/19/2010 at 10:37 AM #

    You can get 5-10-20 tickets for unx game it is a joke

  2. packplantpath 01/19/2010 at 10:42 AM #

    And this year, UNC isn’t nearly as good so we can’t count on them buying up the remaining tickets.

  3. frankiepack 01/19/2010 at 10:49 AM #

    My daughter is in her jr year ,her and her friends have stopped going to basketball games. They still go to football games,I see this getting worse not better I am afraid.

  4. wolfonthehill 01/19/2010 at 11:51 AM #

    We’re 1-3 in the league, and some folks still expect a sweep of unc-ch.

    Maybe we truly are lunatics…

  5. Wolfy__79 01/19/2010 at 12:04 PM #

    yeap, 1-3. still a few games to be played and we haven’t put together a complete game in ACC play yet. so i’m getting a little ahead of myself. but what i do know is that we aren’t the worst team in the league as predicted. it may take a win vs duke before we aren’t continually overlooked.

    with my prediction its more about being optimistic, but can be taken as just plain crazy until it happens. i hold the flag for now and hope for better days..

  6. 61Packer 01/19/2010 at 12:13 PM #

    I don’t have any stats to back me, but I believe that the recent loss of LTR seats in the RBC is well beyond just a handful. The WPC acknowledges openly that there has been a lot of “movement” in the RBC lately (I assume they mean OUT instead of IN).

    There are LTR seats available in the stadium too, but these football seats aren’t nearly as good or plentiful as the basketball seats are from my observations of the seating boards a few weeks ago.

    Someone asked me my thoughts about where we should go from here. I’d prefer a basketball housecleaning myself, although I know there are those who think the coaches still need more time. I just don’t like the way our basketball teams have played for the past 3+ years. Never mind overall records, the 16-36 ACC mark for that period is proof enough to me that it’s time to cut our losses and move on.

  7. hball57 01/19/2010 at 11:26 AM #

    BJD good for you. I am glad you followed your principles. But why the post? Are you trying to get a groundswell of support to follow you? Start a revolution? Pat yourself on the back?

    I respect your opinion on the state of athletics and who you blame, even if I don’t always agree. Just like I respect all of the posters no matter which side they are on. Maybe it’s me but this post seems a little self serving.

    I guess it’s just another way to take a swipe at Fowler. OK. But why? I always have thought that, during the season, we should be discussing our teams, good bad or indifferent.

    I am sincere when I say I am glad you are following up on what you believe. And I am glad you so eloquently sent you feeling in to the Wolfpack Club. WHere I would disagree with you in that is that those funds go to support our Student-Athletes, whom I will support no matter who is the coach or who is in the administration.

  8. wolfdog1 01/19/2010 at 1:29 PM #

    I ended my rights and FB seats as well
    I love NC State but tired, just tired of
    seeing this no win mindset we have in Raleigh.
    Sorry I feel this way but it is what it is.

  9. bradleyb123 01/19/2010 at 1:39 PM #

    Someone asked me my thoughts about where we should go from here. I’d prefer a basketball housecleaning myself, although I know there are those who think the coaches still need more time. I just don’t like the way our basketball teams have played for the past 3+ years. Never mind overall records, the 16-36 ACC mark for that period is proof enough to me that it’s time to cut our losses and move on.

    61Packer, these types of posts are what I always have to respond to. We are not going to (and we shouldn’t) fire Sidney midseason. Why even make comments like this now? What will it accomplish? It’s not going to get Sid fired. But it MAY influence recruiting if other coaches use these types of comments as ammunition against us.

    And you really don’t see anything better this year over last year? We lost three games by a combined 6 points. That’s how close we are to being 15-3 right now. And you want to pull the plug and throw the baby out with the bathwater?

    This is really frustrating. I’d love for everyone to quietly wait until the end of the season before making these comments. This season is NOT over yet. It’s not WTNY yet. At the end of the year, if it’s still dismal to you, THEN call for Sidney’s job if you must. Because seriously, what’s the point of saying it NOW?

    A housecleaning now would result in several more years of awful basketball. Our administration has done NOTHING to make us think they’d pay the big bucks to bring in a proven basketball coach. Most likely, we’d bring in some cornhole that has some success at a Mid-Major program, and roll the dice. At least Sidney’s team is showing some progress, and the recruiting is going great. Why not see how our CURRENT cornhole will do with the great recruits before pulling the plug and bringing in a different cornhole, thus ENSURING several more bad years? Because we MIGHT just be about to turn the corner. It’s a chance worth taking.

    Has anyone stopped and considered that MAYBE the last three bad years are also due to Herb’s players NOT caring one iota about Sidney or the success of the basketball team? Some current players have stated more than once that there were selfish players on the team that were not on Sidney’s page. Not only that, but they tried to pull other players off Sidney’s page and onto their page. All they cared about was getting 30 points a game, not whether we won or lost the game. I think it is entirely possible that Herb’s leftovers actually sabotaged Sidney to some degree. The team we have now is playing with noticeably better chemistry. It shows. And none of them were coached by Herb. Imagine that! We need to give Sidney a chance with HIS OWN PLAYERS. No more excuses. And what will it take for Sidney to win your hearts? An NIT invitation? An NCAAT invitation? A winning season? All these goals are still within reach, and the team seems to be getting better in different categories every game. We’re actually out-rebounding teams now. I don’t get the naysayer talk, considering the progress we’re making.

  10. thekind 01/19/2010 at 1:57 PM #

    I bagged my football tickets (4) next year as well. I just cant justify supporting Fowl-up anymore. I love them, but I am done until Fowl-up is no longer AD.

  11. WolftownVA81 01/19/2010 at 2:00 PM #

    Good letter BDJ. Some may agree and others may disagree but you have to do what you think is right. It’s an unfortunate truth that money talks. If we could rely on reasoned arguments for changes with our athletic leadership at NCSU, I think a change would have been made a long time ago. Any rational, fair minded person, can look at the success of our athletics department as a whole, and the actions of Lee Fowler in particular, and see that it is indeed failed enterprise and the guy driving the ship hasn’t a clue how to fix it. The new Chancellor may or may not agree with that and may take his sweet time in addressing the issue no matter how badly we want change. I get the feeling he will do the right thing but I see no reason to not act individually if you feel like we need change. I’ve done what I can do as far as donations and letters go so now I have to wait and see. Its a personal decision, much like deciding when to leave a game.

  12. VaWolf82 01/19/2010 at 2:04 PM #

    what’s the point of saying it NOW?

    But you say this no matter what time of year it is.

    I’d love for everyone to quietly wait until the end of the season before making these comments

    And I wish that you would quit repeating the same sad story. I expect that neither of our wishes will be fulfilled.

    I don’t get the naysayer talk, considering the progress we’re making.

    Maybe it’s because all of this “progress” isn’t showing up in the win column.

    It’s obvious that you are happy to WTNY. You’ve even moved “next year” from 09-10 to 10-11. It amazes me that you can’t understand why some people have gotten tired of WTNY.

  13. 61Packer 01/19/2010 at 2:47 PM #

    bradleyb, I won’t argue your points about b-ball. It’s just my opinion that a change is needed now because I’m not seeing any real signs of improvement. The only thing I keep hearing on here is that we’ll lose talent if we make a change, and that if we change, we’re in the tank for several more years.

    I firmly believe that there are many good coaches out there who understand the college game and can make an instant impact on programs like this one. Talent guarantees nothing unless it’s top tier, and we don’t have anything like that coming. Good, maybe very good, but not top level.

    When I go to home games or watch ’em on tv, I see State teams that consistently do not play good team defense, State teams that consistently turn the ball over, and State teams that look confused too often. Players shoot great one game, then can’t find the right end of the court to shoot on the next. Players play 30+ minutes one game, then disappear to the bench the next outing. I see teams with less talented personnel seem to get more out of their players than we do. And generally speaking, I see Wolfpack teams as one-dimensional, meaning that if they don’t shoot lights out, they lose, because they don’t do enough other things to offset a poor shooting night.

    If you can’t make the best of what you have, I simply don’t believe you’ll do much better with better talent. And again, the 16-36 ACC mark is where I come from. If the Pack played a nonconference schedule like their Big Four opponents, the overall record would be almost as bad as the ACC record.

    I say this staff has had their chances. I don’t want a goal of another NIT. I want a staff that can take players they’re dealt and contend for the ACC, not contend to stay out of last place. I’ll support the Pack with my wallet and my hopes of better things to come, but I just don’t believe better things are coming without an overhaul.

  14. packplantpath 01/19/2010 at 2:49 PM #

    Bradley said:
    “Why not see how our CURRENT cornhole will do with the great recruits before pulling the plug and bringing in a different cornhole, thus ENSURING several more bad years?”

    I don’t necessarily disagree with some of what you are saying if and only if I continue seeing the NC State team that has shown up for at least parts of the last 2 games. Any regeression and I’m out. But, there is no guarantee that changing coaches will make you worse as you seem to imply. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite.

    Now when the coaching search is botched as badly as ours was, poor results are not unexpected. But, our coaching search got the attention that it did because these kind of things are rare. A properly handled coaching search and hire should be a nearly seamless process.

  15. packfan03 01/19/2010 at 2:49 PM #

    VaWolf82,

    What’s your plan? Fire Lowe, then what? Texas did just lose, maybe we can catch Rick Barnes at the right time. He’ll hop on the red eye to Raleigh and we’ll be in business.

    I don’t understand why everyone is so negative about a fourth year coach who has blue chippers on the way. If you recall, we tried to get bigger names instead of Lowe – but they weren’t interested. Do you think they would be more interested now?

  16. packplantpath 01/19/2010 at 2:52 PM #

    packfan03
    “If you recall, we tried to get bigger names instead of Lowe – but they weren’t interested.”

    You are new around here aren’t you? Just because they did not come does not mean that they were not interested. There is a whole process between showing interest and hiring that our people couldn’t seem to get right.

  17. Rick 01/19/2010 at 2:57 PM #

    “Some of you poor mouth a bit too much. Have patience, I know, that is too much to ask of the ME generation where instant gratification is all you want.”

    instant gratification?
    Really?
    so 3 years of tenth place or worse in bball and losing ACC records in football and you think we are after “instant gratification”. I am not sure there is an instance when that phrase is LESS applicable.

    BTW I salute BJD’s stand. I quit any type of support several years ago and it will take a lot to ever bring me back.

  18. Rick 01/19/2010 at 2:59 PM #

    “I don’t understand why everyone is so negative about a fourth year coach who has blue chippers on the way”

    Maybe 10th, 11th and 10th place finishes have something to do with it. It should not take 4 years to get above absolute bottom.

  19. Rick 01/19/2010 at 3:02 PM #

    “Has anyone stopped and considered that MAYBE the last three bad years are also due to Herb’s players NOT caring one iota about Sidney or the success of the basketball team?”

    Yes that is the logical answer. Because every Sendek recruit is lazy and does not care. They worked their whole life playing basketball with the sinister plan to come to NCSU and loaf. And this happens in every basketball coaching transition so we should expect it as well.

    Honestly, can you not come up with at least a decent argument.

  20. packfan03 01/19/2010 at 3:06 PM #

    “You are new around here aren’t you? Just because they did not come does not mean that they were not interested. There is a whole process between showing interest and hiring that our people couldn’t seem to get right.”

    I am new to the forum, yes. I am however a seasoned veteran when it comes to following State. No matter what you believe, regarding the lack of interest from top notch coaches, what makes you think that anything will be different this time around?

    I would be interested in reading something other than “I know someone close to Fowler/NCSU Athletics who says *insert coach name here* was interested in coming, but we blew it”. Actually, I’d be interested in that as well. I’m not privvy to those types of connections – but commonsense seems to suggest that NCSU bball is tough to recruit to (coaches and players). And one that doesn’t pay well enough to pull coaches away from other top-flight programs

    I’m still on board with getting rid of Lee Fowl-up.

  21. VaWolf82 01/19/2010 at 3:11 PM #

    What’s your plan?

    My name isn’t Fowler, Murphy, Vaughn, Purcell, etc…so even if I had a plan, it wouldn’t matter to anyone. I’m just pointing out the problems that I see with bradley’s line of reasoning.

  22. Rick 01/19/2010 at 3:16 PM #

    “1, duke loss
    2, md win
    3, uncch win
    4, central win
    5, uva win
    6, gt loss
    7, vt win
    8, unc win
    9, md loss
    10, wake win
    11, miami win
    12, vt loss
    13, bt win”

    I certainly appreciate your optimism but you are predicting 10 wins from a team that is 1 and 3?
    You are expecting us to beat UVa away when we could not beat them at home?
    Md? Grevious will eat us alive as he always does. We do not have anyone athletic enough to guard him.
    Among others

  23. packfan03 01/19/2010 at 3:19 PM #

    “Maybe 10th, 11th and 10th place finishes have something to do with it. It should not take 4 years to get above absolute bottom.”

    Our finishes have been commensurate with our teams talent. The optimism about Harrow, Brown, Cothron, need not be explained further. I would state, for the most part, our teams have out performed their talent – especially this year so far.

    I wish Duke employed your philosophy. If everyone fired coaches after three lackluster seasons, Coach K wouldn’t be – at least not at Duke. My intent is not to say that Sidney = Coach K, but that it takes time and Sidney (hopefully) will get it (through next year).

  24. Rick 01/19/2010 at 3:24 PM #

    “I wish Duke employed your philosophy. If everyone fired coaches after three lackluster seasons, Coach K wouldn’t be – at least not at Duke”

    The coach K argument has become our Godwin’s law.

  25. packfan03 01/19/2010 at 3:29 PM #

    The coach K argument has become our Godwin’s law.

    Fair enough, I’ll refrain. Like I stated, still new to the forum.

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