Bowles proud of UNC leaders’ handling of cheating investigations [4:15 Update]

ACC & Other UNC Scandal34

“I don’t think there is anyone who’s more saddened by what has happened than the three of us,” said Bowles, standing with Baddour and Thorp. “They have dug into this tooth and nail,” said Bowles.

I 100% believe that NOBODY is more saddened than Bowles, Baddour, and Thorp. I genuinely believe this. And THIS, my friends, is EXACTLY why there MUST be an independent set of investigators engaged in Chapel Hill.

It is this admitted emotional attachment – and therefore obvious conflict of interest – that supports the significant need to shelter Holden Thorp and Dick Baddour (and others) from potentially career-ending conflicts of interest in this investigation. (Are we calling it an investigation yet?)

I would like to personally thank Mr. Bowles for publicly admitting the emotional investment and attachment that he and others around UNC share. I appreciate how saddened the leaders are. Unfortunately, all of these improprieties have taken place while Holden Thorp was Chancellor, while Dick Baddour was Athletics Director and even while Erskine Bowles was the President of the University system (and contributing huge dollars to support the University and even its athletics endeavors).

These very good men of character are also employees…stewards…fans…financial ‘investors’…and emotional supporters of the very University that they are ‘investigating’.

What is the rationale of allowing the people who were not originally controlling the environment to now investigate and police the environment? Isn’t that what they were previously supposed to be doing? What is the incentive for the current UNC investigative team to vigorously pursue nuggets of evidence that may lead them to places and revelations that could permanently damage the reputation of the University that they love and have invested careers in building? What incentive do they have to dig deeper into findings that could very well lead to their institutional embarrassment in addition to their own personal termination of employment, or even legal prosecution?

Will someone with some common sense please save these people from themselves!!!

I don’t know about you, but I would sleep a little better at night if the foxes weren’t vigilantly guarding the henhouse.

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ACC & Other UNC Scandal

34 Responses to Bowles proud of UNC leaders’ handling of cheating investigations [4:15 Update]

  1. newt 09/09/2010 at 3:22 PM #

    “What has happened” = getting caught.

  2. wufpup76 09/09/2010 at 3:29 PM #

    ^Bingo.

  3. newt 09/09/2010 at 3:30 PM #

    “They” = statefansnation

  4. bradleyb123 09/09/2010 at 3:32 PM #

    “What has happened” also gets around saying “WHAT WE DID”

    Makes it sound like something (out of their control) just happened to them. Typical politician-speak.

  5. imawolf 09/09/2010 at 3:33 PM #

    Unbelievable………MAYBE MORE THAN A YEAR……….and they have confindence in their coach……This is a sign of the times with which we live………. I can say with total heartfelt emotion, if this was occuring at N C State or Duke…….. The administration would be toast.

  6. LRM 09/09/2010 at 3:35 PM #

    All that’s left now is for Thorp to say “We’re ready to move past this.”

  7. primacyone 09/09/2010 at 3:38 PM #

    This really is unbelieveable. The system president going live on stage in a SCRIPTED defense of the chancelor and AD. Unbelievelable. He should be screaming at them and demanding answers and more dilengence, not defending them for their actions at this point, regardless of how good thier actions are have been so far. The sytstem president should not be playing the game.

    This whole thing now SCREAMS for an independent investigation.

  8. Sam92 09/09/2010 at 3:43 PM #

    it’s painfully obvious what’s happening here — UNC alums at the top of the system are doing everything they can to sweep this under the carpet

    makes me sick

  9. primacyone 09/09/2010 at 3:46 PM #

    Its a massive case of academic fraud Erskine. It damages in a major way the percieved integrity and crediblity of anyone with a degree from UNC. I will not go to a dentist with a UNC degree, use a lawyer with a UNC degree, think twice about any doctor with a UNC degree, damn sure will try to avoid doing business with anyone with a UNC business degree . . . .

    It freaking fraud Erskine, under the watch of Badour and Thorpe, and you are freaking “proud” of them. Wow. Just Wow.

    “what has happened” does equal getting caught. That really is the truth.

  10. Daily Update 09/09/2010 at 3:48 PM #

    If it so “sad”, then clearly an independent investigation is needed. Is “sad” really an appropriate term here? Do they cry at night? Unbelievable.

  11. choppack1 09/09/2010 at 3:51 PM #

    I’m eagerly awaiting North Carolina’s news outlets to call for an independent investigation.

    Unfortunately, as our state politics indicate – this state is closer to a banana republic than it is a free, open and fair society. The pedigree of the players involved in the investigation (baddour, thorp, bowles, UNC’s BOT)- the fact that Baddour, Inc can lead an investigation of themselves, the fact that an NCAA investigator had ties to UNC – is so incestious it should disgust decent people.

    I think what disgusts here is getting caught. You’d have to be an idiot to ignore the tangential evidence that something was really rotten in Chapel Hill.

    What really disgusts me most – is that through this all the attitude has been the Chapel Hill attitude – “we’re too good for this too happen knowingly, because we are so good and we have so much integrity. But we have the right people to fix it, because, yes we are so good and have so much integrity.”

    Well – here’s thought. Prove it. Ask for independent investigation – and give them everything they need. Don’t give the N&O partial information on phone calls from a public phone – give us everything.

    This disgusts me…I won’t believe they are sorry unless they do the following:
    1. don’t allow off-campus recruiting, have an independent representative follow around those on an official visit.
    2. reduce their scholarships to 15 a year for 4 years.
    3. Self impose a bowl ban for 2 years.
    4. Self impose an ACC Championship ban for 2 years.
    5. Make academic requirements for football team similar to those imposed on NC State’s basketball team after the V scandal.

    If they do those things – I’ll believe they truly are sorry for what has transpired. If they don’t – I believe that they are only sorry they were caught (and quite frankly, isn’t that almost always the case?)

    As it is right now – I think the football players involved and Blake have more integrity than these guys. All I can say is “prove it.”

  12. Scooter 09/09/2010 at 3:54 PM #

    Thorpe saying “We’re ready to move past this” is like Tony Hayward saying “I want my life back.”

  13. TheAliasTroll 09/09/2010 at 3:55 PM #

    I honestly can’t believe that he went on the record as being “prideful” of the UNC administration right now. WOW.

    proud – having or displaying excessive self-esteem

  14. wufpup76 09/09/2010 at 4:00 PM #

    “Hey guys – I just wanna say how very proud of you I am for your *Awesome* sweeping it under the rug skills!

    Thanks to you, THE CAROLINA WAY (Don’t ask, Don’t tell!) can continue!

    JOB WELL DONE!!!”

  15. TheAliasTroll 09/09/2010 at 4:06 PM #

    maybe they’ll all get raises out of this too

  16. Pack05 09/09/2010 at 4:27 PM #

    Former speaker has spoken out against Coach, AD and Chancellor / says they all should be replaced.

  17. packof81 09/09/2010 at 4:30 PM #

    imawolf said, “… I can say with total heartfelt emotion, if this was occuring at N C State or Duke…….. The administration would be toast.”

    Speaking of Duke, I ain’t heard a peep out of ’em about this.

  18. JeremyH 09/09/2010 at 4:30 PM #

    wait…isn’t the NCAA supposed to be the independent investigator that you are all asking for?

  19. TheAliasTroll 09/09/2010 at 4:33 PM #

    Jeremy, NCAA is letting UNC investigate the ‘academic prong’ of the investigation, therefore it would seem likely to never spill over into the basketball program (what incentive does UNC have to look there??)

  20. primacyone 09/09/2010 at 4:33 PM #

    In all honesty, this is moving beyond UNC athletics at this point.

  21. WolftownVA81 09/09/2010 at 4:40 PM #

    Erskin is just one more domino that needs to fall.

  22. JeremyH 09/09/2010 at 4:42 PM #

    nc state trains in agriculture, engineering, all sciences, etc. while unc trains in journalism, business, more generally, *politics* (not to deny that they have a medical and other fine schools). it looks like they train well!

    watch and learn, folks, watch and learn..

  23. MrPlywood 09/09/2010 at 4:45 PM #

    Poison Ivy®

  24. StateFans 09/09/2010 at 4:46 PM #

    The NCAA?

    You mean with the UNC alum and former football player participating in the investigation?

  25. IMFletcherWolf 09/09/2010 at 4:52 PM #

    Great point SFN – with regards to the admin’s personal attachment to this investigation. There seems to be a lot of crying in Chapel Hill these days – from fans AND UNC administrators.

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