The Farewell Tour, She Is Over

10-11 Basketball Sidney Lowe49

Thursday, March 10, 2011. The last whistlestop on the Sidney Lowe farewell tour was Greensboro, where Gary Williams continued to bat 1.000 against Lowe. In a game that was nothing short of frightening aesthetically, your final score is Maryland 75, NC State 67. Your final record is 15-16. The game was a microcosm of the season, the season a microcosm of the Lowe era. Perfectly representative on all counts.

Sidney Lowe was a well-liked former player, and a sympathetic, enduring tie to the magic of 1983. He was also in WAY over his head, and while Lee Fowler didn’t do him any favors…Lowe didn’t do much to help himself, either. So I’m not here to praise him, or to kick him while he’s down (for the count). Just to metaphorically shake his hand and wish him well in his future NBA endeavors.

And a sincere thank you to Tracy Smith and Javi Gonzalez for doing your best for your four years at NC State. I’m sorry you weren’t in uniform for the coming resurrection, but I do hope you’ll come back to see it live.

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.

10-11 Basketball Sidney Lowe

49 Responses to The Farewell Tour, She Is Over

  1. McPete 03/10/2011 at 10:11 PM #

    [img]http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll300/LucidFlight_album/the-fat-lady-sings.jpg[/img]

  2. LKNpackfan 03/10/2011 at 10:14 PM #

    #35 will always be an NC State legend. Thanks for your service Sid.

  3. wufpup76 03/10/2011 at 10:16 PM #

    I agree with everything you stated. Perfect summation.

    Good luck Sidney.

    Thank you Javi and Tracy and other seniors.

  4. LKNpackfan 03/10/2011 at 10:18 PM #

    Let’s rally around this team, including CJL. The talent and resources are there, now let’s get a coach and leader who can take them to the next level.

  5. Clarksa 03/10/2011 at 10:23 PM #

    In the last 5min of the Sidney Lowe era, they forced a shot clock violation, produced a steal off a press, and fouled early to extend the game…how funny.

    I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

  6. werncstate 03/10/2011 at 10:25 PM #

    Thank you Sid. I now you gave it your all and wish things had worked out differently. Now let’s turn the table on Dook and hire one of K’s assistants to lead us to the promise land.

  7. section2chuck 03/10/2011 at 10:29 PM #

    What makes me upset, is that why did this team decide to finally play with some damn intensity now? Is the impending firing of Lowe the only thing these guys could get up for?

    Thank you Sidney Lowe for taking the job when Fowler totally screwed the pooch, and to all the kids…but now it is time to go back to work and get NC State bball back to where it belongs…..

  8. tuckerdorm1983 03/10/2011 at 10:30 PM #

    my feelings are just like Andy Dick when they shoot all those poppers at him

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X90TR_yd-tU

    WTF!!!!

  9. TheAliasTroll 03/10/2011 at 10:31 PM #

    Lowe is such a class act. I watched his press conference and he was speaking the past tense. He’s handled everything so much better than I would or probably the average coach for that matter. He gets much respect from me personally for that and I sure as shit wish him the utmost best in his future endeavors.

  10. STLPack01 03/10/2011 at 10:32 PM #

    Thanks Sid. You will always have a warm place in our hearts!

  11. 61Packer 03/10/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    I’ve got no bone to pick with Sid, but I hope like hell that CJL is not wearing an NC State uniform next season!

  12. mak4dpak 03/10/2011 at 10:46 PM #

    Thanks for the 83 championship, and your efforts in trying to bring State basketball back in the spotlight. But unfortunately you were in over your head, and the end was imminent. Too bad it had to be like this.

  13. eas 03/10/2011 at 10:51 PM #

    Well I guess the only thing left is the coaching search. I hope we keep the freshman, which shouldn’t be a problem unless we get a horrible pick for a new coach. CJL is going to be impossible to coach if he stays. He will more than likely leave early (despite the fact that he still needs a lot of work) which we help with Chemistry. Just so long as Wood, Brown and Harrow STAY.

  14. Packfan28 03/10/2011 at 10:51 PM #

    Thanks Tracy, Javi, and Sid.

    A new chapter is about to begin, and in a few short weeks there are going to be some very happy and excited Wolfpack fans.

  15. Rochester 03/10/2011 at 10:53 PM #

    If Leslie returns I sure hope the next coach has the balls to bench him if he continues to jack up the low percentage shots. I saw absolutely no learning going on there from the start of the season to the end. Freakish athletic ability, yes. Basketball IQ, no. Hustle, no. Heart, no.

    Not being facetious in the least when I say I enjoyed watching Josh Davis more. One kid maxed out on his somewhat limited ability. The other got the least out of what God gave him.

  16. tvp1 03/10/2011 at 10:54 PM #

    “It was my hope and dream to come back here and do something special… it hurts me because I know what it’s about down here.”

    That was Sid in the post game interview.

    It has to be done, but that comment is really tough to listen to. Can’t imagine how it feels to have failed at something that meant so much to him.

  17. redwolf87 03/10/2011 at 10:56 PM #

    This is a really sad day, but in an unusual way.

    There is hope today. Hope that we will find a college basketball coach that knows the game, knows how to get 100% out of his players, knows how to teach a TYPICAL college basketball offense, knows how to motivate kids on defense.

    But we are seeing an end to what, on paper, looked like a great idea to relate to our history. Need we remember that the last guy, who didn’t go to school here, had NEVER heard (for whatever reason) the tradition of Senior Day, and was as dry as dry could be, didn’t get it done? Sidney brought in people from every era of our success. He knew it. He knew the history.

    Sidney is a legend. He always will be, God bless him. This probably hurts as bad as any “termination” we’ve made.

    But, we all knew it was a possibility five years ago. Regretful, but realistic. Always a risk to hire a prominent alumnus.

    I honestly hope this does not divorce us (the NC State community) from Sidney. He stepped up and tried to help. Hell, I think he’s set the table pretty well if everyone sticks.

    It’s likely Monte is out of a job. So too for Larry, as good a guy as you might hope to meet, and has given a lot to NC State.

    I am excited for the future, but sorry that we have had to have one of our “superstars” relegated to a negative place in our history.

  18. Classof89 03/10/2011 at 10:56 PM #

    Will the Press Conference be on Monday, or will Yow wait a few days after the tourney ends? I’m thinking she either does it immediately, or she waits until Monday week, AFTER the first two rounds of NCAAs?

    OR is the strategy that you WANT the firing to be overshadowed by the media hype on Wed.-Sunday with first two rounds of the Tourney?

  19. DC_wolf 03/10/2011 at 10:58 PM #

    Ouch. Even the red blazer brought no luck.

    Alright, let’s wipe the slate clean & start fresh. I love you Sid, but I can’t take no more of this embarassment…

    & don’t listen to werncstate, whatever you do. That will only give the dookies another thing to cheer along with “you’ll be delivering my pizza & you’ll get no tip from me.”

  20. eas 03/10/2011 at 11:11 PM #

    This is one of those things in life that you hate to do but know it has to be done. SID is a top notch person and he has earned his place around here. However, the timing for his coaching experience (or lack there of) was not right.

    Wish like crazy it could have been different but isn’t. Let’s move on to the next era and wish him the best. At least we have a little deeper talent pool this time around.

    His press conference comments were tough to listen to though.

  21. Wufpacker 03/10/2011 at 11:40 PM #

    Well said redwolf87.

    The past five years might have stunk, but I much prefer to have given Sid his shot than to have spent another five years under the previous coach. Because of our previous AD not being prepared when that previous coach (thankfully) left of his own volition, the end result was that Sid came in for an “experiment” of sorts. It will have been worth it if we can make the right hire this time around.

  22. WPPHAN 03/10/2011 at 11:58 PM #

    Thanks for the taking on the challenge of bringing us back to where we belong Sid. Sorry things had to end like this.

    Good luck to you Tracy and Javi, thanks for your efforts the past 4 years.

    Remaining players, come back ready to learn and help return the Pack back to a respectable program again instead of the easy W on our opponents schedule!

  23. jamieinkorea 03/11/2011 at 12:09 AM #

    Boycott WRAL and its advertisers for carrying EVERY SINGLE ACC TOURNEY GAME except the State game!

    No cable at work, so I couldn’t watch Sid’s last game.

  24. 8pack 03/11/2011 at 12:45 AM #

    ^uh…you understand that WRAL has no say over the tournament tv schedule, right?
    The deal is between the ACC, Raycom, and ESPN. The individual local affiliates just fall in line and carry the games they are allowed to.
    The Thursday 7pm slot has belonged to ESPN/ESPN2 for several years now.

  25. 8pack 03/11/2011 at 12:54 AM #

    Thanks go out to Sidney for taking on a tough task and pouring everything he had into trying to bring the glory back.
    It was not the right fit, but that falls on the previous athletic department ‘leadership’.
    Lowe simply took the position to help NCSU save face at the time. He did his best, but was a square peg in a round hole.
    I hope we will look back and see this 5 year period as a pivotal transition period for State basketball. When we are back at the top in our rightful place, we can fondly remember that Sid took one for the team to help us get there.
    We will always love #35. Thank you, Sidney Lowe.

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