O’Brien: “We can count at our school” (1:40 update with Ovies commentary)

UNC Scandal53

This is a good report from a recent Fayetteville Wolfpack Club Caravan stop.  It includes an excellent quote from Coach O’Brien, perhaps directed at the recent ludicrous UNC-CH Spring Game crowd estimates:

“We can count at our school,” O’Brien said. “We are obviously the mathematicians, the scientists. We don’t have to estimate or guesstimate. We’ll give you the exact figure of who shows up.”

It is amazing that UNC-CH had enough players eligible to put on a Spring Game at all.  In the future, UNC-CH might consider consolidating their Spring Game with their Pro Day to save time and resources.

SFN readers will remember from this entry that the News and Observer and WRAL shamelessly published absurd attendance numbers for the UNC-CH Spring Game this past weekend.  The News and Observer reported:

in a 45-minute controlled scrimmage of about 50 snaps in front of a crowd UNC estimated at 15,500 at Kenan Stadium.
… one of four quarterbacks to see action in front of 15,500 fans on an overcast day in Chapel Hill.
Here are some pictures of the crowd our local media puts at “15,500.”  You will notice that both sides are pictured because we want to be totally fair.

 

Seriously, does even one person on the planet actually think anything close to 15,500 were at that game?

*********

1:40 update

Radio personality Joe Ovies checked in with some reasonable commentary on this topic.  Kudos to WRAL for using a picture accompanying Ovies’ article that clearly highlights the Tar Heel throng in attendance:

Ovies writes:

…attendance numbers at college football Spring games suddenly becomes a topic of interest. Well, maybe just for bored NC State fans who are constantly looking for ways to bury the North Carolina program.

I plead guilty to being bored and constantly looking for ways to bury the North Carolina program.  Joe has me nailed there.

Ovies goes on:

The Tar Heels held their scrimmage on Saturday and UNC estimated 15,500 fans showed up for the event. Pictures from Kenan that day would lead observers to lower the estimate by a few thousand.

In the grand scheme, it isn’t a big deal. We’re talking about a glorified practice that only the hardcode fan can really enjoy.

I would argue that that observers would lower the “15,500” estimate by several thousand, if not ten.  Also, if it’s not a big deal, why the media-assisted canard?

UNC Scandal

53 Responses to O’Brien: “We can count at our school” (1:40 update with Ovies commentary)

  1. TOBtime 04/12/2011 at 10:11 AM #

    If you’ve never seen TOB speak in person – do so. The guy can say more in a one-liner that some talking heads say all day. Dry is an understatement but he will leave you thinking about what he said and you aren’t likely to soon forget it.

  2. BladenWolf 04/12/2011 at 10:15 AM #

    Tom O’Brien appreciates our school and our fans. Period. He showed it with the team singing the school song to our student section at the end of each game as well as many comments like this. He even gave a huge shout out to us fans that traveled to Orlando for the Bowl game last year. We OWNED the Citrus Bowl that night and it was evident by the packed stands on our side.

    Love the Emperor-with-no-clothes analogy. Fits well with the media obsession with UNC-CHeat. They simply can do no wrong even when their ass (and other parts) are clearly out there swingin’ in the breeze.

  3. dmt321 04/12/2011 at 10:26 AM #

    Why do we care how many people they estimate they had for their spring game only numbers that matters are 4 and 0. Soon to be 5 and 0 after 11/5.

  4. Old MacDonald 04/12/2011 at 11:31 AM #

    Why do we care? They are blatantly lying about it for some reason. Ask them why they care enough to lie about it so ridiculously.

    We will have more people tailgating in the parking lot during our Spring Game than they had in their stadium at any time last Saturday.

  5. stateofmind68 04/12/2011 at 11:37 AM #

    Please bear in mind that each of their attendees was pregnant with triplets, so their count isn’t that far off!

  6. wolfman1959 04/12/2011 at 11:41 AM #

    They are as arrogant and phoney as any group of people I have ever been around…We all knew that since the ESPN cameras were not there filming that this was exactly the results and show of interest that we could expect to see from a bunch of Holes……..

  7. Wolfy__79 04/12/2011 at 11:51 AM #

    gotta love TOB for his dry humor. i also so heard debbie is giving TOB a little push to get us atop the ACC… i like that too..

  8. wppride 04/12/2011 at 11:59 AM #

    Completely Shameless

  9. ASUStateFan 04/12/2011 at 12:15 PM #

    http://www.wralsportsfan.com/voices/blog/5192119/#blogpost_id_9425288

    if it’s not important then why did WRAL come up with a number in the 1st place?

  10. TallyHo 04/12/2011 at 12:27 PM #

    Brings to mind this SNL sketch with Christopher Walken:

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/4165/saturday-night-live-census-taker

  11. PackerInRussia 04/12/2011 at 12:49 PM #

    A quote from the article:
    “Yow, who missed the first four sessions while working to find a new coach, said Monday that she’s asked Lowe to help the school in areas related to the influence of sports agents.”

    I know a lot of people on here were hoping for Lowe to be kept in the loop in some form or fashion.

  12. BladenWolf 04/12/2011 at 1:33 PM #

    ^TallyHo
    That was a great skit. Walken certainly has a job after acting with the UNC-CHeat sports information department.

  13. ZZ 04/12/2011 at 1:38 PM #

    Heck Yeah that looks like 15,500 people…..if the stadium held 110,000 !!

  14. JasonP 04/12/2011 at 1:41 PM #

    Chose 15,500 because 15,501 would be too obvious of a reference. Seems like an inside joke to me. Hokum and UNC go hand in hand.

  15. StandUpAndHowl 04/12/2011 at 1:45 PM #

    “We’re talking about a glorified practice that only the hardcode fan can really enjoy.”

    Sooo, Carolina has few hardcore fans. I’ll go along with that assessment.

  16. Big T 04/12/2011 at 1:54 PM #

    The efforts of ESPN to promote UNC football (just like they do bssketball) last spring was comical. What school loses back to back Tire Bowls and gets their Spring Game nationally televised? But then good old Black Santa delivered some egg to the faces of ESPN last summer just before their big game on ABC vs. LSU. MA had to sit along with many others. Seeing the investment ESPN and ABC made in Tarheel football and watching it turn into a penny stock was truly a great moment.
    By the way, NCSU spends no more time hating UNC than UNC does hating Duke basketball. And if I am “jealous” of UNC then why have I adopted Duke as my team when NCSU is not around in the big dance? I guess the answer is I know its killing UNC when Duke wins a title….and I do love that.

  17. Wufpacker 04/12/2011 at 1:55 PM #

    ” Event emcee Mark Thomas introduced O’Brien by asking him what a loss to North Carolina feels like.

    “Don’t know,” said O’Brien, who has a 4-0 record against the Tar Heels. “And I don’t intend to find out.” ”

    Too perfect.

  18. newt 04/12/2011 at 2:16 PM #

    Accuracy in journalism, not a big deal.

  19. AirWolf 04/12/2011 at 2:22 PM #

    UNC – “To seem, rather than to be.”

  20. newt 04/12/2011 at 2:26 PM #

    Stupid edit function…

    I also enjoy the obsession with bored State fans. Of course, that’s explained by the fact that most of the participants in the local media shows are bored State fans, so this nontopic will be a good part of the afternoon discussion.

    Here’s is their day:

    1 Wake up

    2 Check Statefansnation to see what State fans are talking about

    3 Tweet or blog something condescending about it to get us discussing

    4 Open the show with same condescending discussion, with two slightly different viewpoints

    5 Let the callers flow in

    6 Repeat

  21. Wolfy__79 04/12/2011 at 2:29 PM #

    In the grand scheme, it isn’t a big deal..””

    YES OVIES IT IS! unc-cheat says this about everything like it’s “too big to fail” or something.. or the localized edition.. “the carolina way.”

    the truth is, it was a pitiful showing for attendance and highlights “die hard fans” are few and far b/t at chapel hill. there’s your answer, the entire fan base is made up of bandwagoneers..

    if you are going to be a bcs contender, it starts in the spring at the very latest. it’s not only about the team.. there’s a little culture there too imo.

    “I SUPPORT BUTCH?”

    ^did we see any of that going on this past weekend?? absolutely ZERO! follow through there from the fall to the spring senor ovies.

  22. Wolfy__79 04/12/2011 at 2:33 PM #

    btw ovies, it isn’t bored state fans just looking into unc “football?” , the nc state fan is an informed one.. especially FOOTBALL. we not only follow what our team is doing… we also like to see what the competition is doing.. hence the q how can caroliwhina get away with murder? just thought you’d be interested in broader scheme of things ovies?? but of course that would be a miscalculation on my part if you like unc-cheat..

  23. packof81 04/12/2011 at 2:36 PM #

    They’re saying the attendance figures are unimportant only because they’ve been called on it and then they chide us for having nothing better to do that find fault with their numbers.

  24. PackerInRussia 04/12/2011 at 2:42 PM #

    Great video posted above…
    “There’s me and my wife…and we have some plants.”

  25. beavis214 04/12/2011 at 2:44 PM #

    For Ovies to be an Alum..he sure does not act like one. I like him but wish he would get behind is school a bit more or go back to Miami and his P90X!

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