N&O: Wilson Didn’t Want To Leave

NCS Football90

It seems that Brett Favre Russell Wilson wants Wolfpack fans to know that he didn’t “want to leave.” To me, this situation has some similarity to the Favre/Packers soap opera of a few seasons ago. It’s the whole – “will he or won’t he”, while the entire team is left in limbo.

If Russell Wilson truly didn’t want to leave, then he should have committed to the team and been present for spring practice.  There are no doubt varying opinions on this, but I support Coach O’Brien’s actions. Russell Wilson is an amazing talent, but football is a team sport and you can’t leave the entire team hostage to what one player might or might not do.

 

About SMD

SMD graduated from NC State at a time when beating UNC-CH in both major revenue sports was a regular occurrence. This was well before a time when I could express my frustrated attempts at being a writer on the "internets." When I'm not talking about the Pack, I'm probably arguing politics.

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90 Responses to N&O: Wilson Didn’t Want To Leave

  1. RDUWolf 05/01/2011 at 7:51 AM #

    It wasn’t an issue when he didn’t commit to the team last summer. He came back and lead us to 9 wins and helped put us in a position to win more. This is nothing more than TOB wanting to use ‘his’ guy and playing favorites. He should thank his lucky stars Russell carried the team on his back for three years and kept him employed. Instead he just ran off one of the top-five players in school history and one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the country. Nice ego, TOB. This WILL deflate our season. What’s wrong with competition of letting him at least compete for the job. Going to be a blast around here when Glennon gets hurt in the camp and we are stuck with Brosius and Imhoff.

  2. BassPacker 05/01/2011 at 7:52 AM #

    Really apreciate all Wilson did at State, loved watching him play on Saturdays. With that being said, I also applaud Coach O’Brien actions. Its a team sport, either you gonna be part of the football team or not. Glennon has been quietly waiting his time while working hard with the team, he deserves this opportunity. Life is all about decisions, some hard and some easy. I think Wilson had a hard decision but he made it apparent it was baseball. TOB had an easy decision IMO. TOB was very gracious as a coach in the past to allow Wilson to miss spring practice to pursue baseball. He did right by Wilson perhaps then, its time to do right by Glennon.

  3. SMD 05/01/2011 at 7:56 AM #

    RDU – I will gladly be corrected if I’m wrong, but during the 2010 off-season, it was known by everyone that RW was returning, despite playing baseball. His return was never in question for last season. And that’s the difference. Heck, at the very least, why not go ahead and commit to playing next fall, and ask for the Coach’s blessing to miss another spring practice?

    RW didn’t commit, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and TOB called him out on it. Good for TOB. The team is bigger than any one player, no matter how good they are.

  4. Master 05/01/2011 at 7:59 AM #

    I support Coach O’Brien’s decision on this 100%. I love what Russell Wilson did for the University on the field and in the community.

    Russell should have stayed in school and committed to play football and baseball for the Wolfpack. If he was good enought to be drafted for baseball after 2 seasons with the Pack, he probably could have been drafted after finishing college as well.

    He was non-committtal to the football team from right after the bowl game thru two weeks ago. No way as a coach I would allow someone who could not even tell me he would come back remain on scholarship and put my team building plans on hold.

    People need to understand how Russell’s actions could have hurt the team. What would have happened if he returned two weeks before the season opener looking for his job? It would have split the team.

  5. Jamie 05/01/2011 at 8:25 AM #

    I haven’t commented here in a long time, but I have to disagree with the comparison. Brett Favre is a media and attention whore. Russell Wilson is a character young man, good student (from all accounts I’ve read here and elsewhere) and is also, what, 22? Most 22 year olds I know are pretty indecisive, with decisions NO WHERE NEAR as important as the ones this young man has had to make. Add to that the recent death of his father, and I think he deserves a little more room. Cut the kid some slack.

  6. SMD 05/01/2011 at 8:33 AM #

    Jamie – The comparison to Favre was certainly not meant to be on the whole, but rather the two situations. You have to admit, as far as a QB placing his own needs above the team, the two situations are VERY similar.

  7. JT 05/01/2011 at 8:34 AM #

    As a Vikings fan I found myself unable to pull for them with Favre at QB. Wilson comes across eerily similar to Favre in the article, wanting it both ways and whining to the media about not getting a fair shot at the job. Very good college QB, but I’ve been ready for Glennon to get his shot. It seemed like so many wins hinged on Wilson free-lancing, but so did losses; and some of those wins wouldn’t have hung in the balance if he hadn’t made red zone int’s earlier this past year.
    Long story short, loved the guy while here, but he was very much approaching Favre territory in toying with the team and fan base, and also not preparing through the summer (which may have led to his erratic play).
    I honestly hope he learns to hit a curve ball, because that is where his future in pro sports lies. Or in the CFL, which would actually be cool and I think he could excel there. Best wishes to him going forward. And a big pat on the back for O’Brien not becoming the next Brad Childress.

  8. SuperStuff 05/01/2011 at 8:36 AM #

    TOB told RW what was expected. He had to be in spring practice & compete for the job. If he didn’t he would be part of the team as the back-up. He wasn’t present so TOB gave the job to Glennon. Let’s face it folks even RW didn’t think he was coming back. That’s why he participated in Senior Day.

  9. Wulfpack 05/01/2011 at 8:44 AM #

    It was a decision TOB had to make as the ultimate caretaker of the program. I am also certain TOB and the team has full confidence in Glennon to get the job done. It was time to move on. Best of luck to RW in his future endeavors.

  10. Jamie 05/01/2011 at 8:46 AM #

    You know, I suppose the SITUATIONS are similar, but don’t get confused. Favre’s was all about his giant ego. I think RW was just trying to figure out which path in his life was the best one to take. Not an easy decision for any stage of life, much less a young man with the 2 possible paths he has. When I was 22, (ancient history, for crying out loud)I don’t think I would have done any better if I had the talent that guy has.
    As much as it may piss some people off for me to say this, and pains me as an NC State fan, I hope that somehow the Bowl Gods smile on the situation and allow RW to run all over TOB in December/January. Any team out there would be lucky to have him.

  11. Bubba 05/01/2011 at 8:50 AM #

    NC State Football is more than Russell Wilson. Gotta applaud TOB for putting the team first. He gave Russ a chance to come back but it wasn’t what Russ wanted at the time.Cant blame TOB for Russ batting .240 and now seeing football as maybe the better option.

  12. LKNpackfan 05/01/2011 at 8:52 AM #

    There is no villain here.
    Russ is trying to have a contingency plan in case his professional baseball career doesn’t work out. But, the football program simply can’t accommodate it for obvious reasons.
    Both these men were always upfront and honest with each other. Its unfortunate, but not underhanded in any way how it worked out.

  13. Master 05/01/2011 at 8:56 AM #

    “…and allow RW to run all over TOB in December/January.”

    Thats just wrong.

  14. SandhillsWolf 05/01/2011 at 9:06 AM #

    RDUWOLF, it wasn’t an issue because his receiving core was 100% the same from the previous year. spring practice is used to work on timing w/ new players, etc. obrien knows what he’s doing and he had to pull the trigger.

  15. wolffpride 05/01/2011 at 9:27 AM #

    Superstuff, wow, just freaking wow man, I think you may be on the wrong message board. “Run all over TOB in December/January”. Dont forget our defense knows Russell Wilson better than he knows himself. They have practiced against him for 4 years. The kid is good but i doubt he would torch our D. Especially the way it is looking now!!! Did you see the spring game highlights, yeah we nasty.

  16. wolffpride 05/01/2011 at 9:29 AM #

    my apologies superstuff, you the man, that was meant for our buddy Jamie.

  17. SiriusPack 05/01/2011 at 9:32 AM #

    We’ve been told that the NC State program under COB is a “performanced-based organization”. Not this time. By all accounts, Russell was going to arrive in early August and try to compete for the job. He didn’t want the job to be handed to him, but the job does appear to have been handed to Glennon. I wonder if Tyler Brosius will be allowed to compete for the job in August? It doesn’t appear so.

  18. graywolf 05/01/2011 at 9:33 AM #

    This was TOB’s call. It will also be TOB that takes the heat if Glennon does not work out. It appears that TOB has a great deal of confidence in Glennon’s ability and has said so publicly.
    Glennon is an unproven entity but we will know who is right by November of 2011.
    I hope for his sake that TOB is right.

  19. leewolf 05/01/2011 at 9:35 AM #

    I love Russell. He is by far one of the Top 3 players I’ve seen in my lifetime suit up for the Red and White. I was anticipating that one way or the other he wouldn’t be our QB this year, but I hate for it to go down like this. Then again, was there any other way it could go down? I mean, can anyone really imagine him sitting on the bench. Let’s say he did come back and Glennon really did beat him out in practice, which I think was more than likely…every INT by Glennon, every stalled offensive drive, etc. you would have people vocally yelling for Russell.

    That just isn’t good for the team. And maybe that still happens this season with fans crushing both MG and TOB if things go awry, but I think it would have been worse if Wilson was on the bench.

    Regardless, this is a huge season for the program and for TOB. Winning 9-10 games in the regular season is a must now, otherwise the calls for TOB’s head will start again, especially in light of this decision.

  20. BJD95 05/01/2011 at 9:35 AM #

    I believe that Tom O’Brien effectively had a choice to make. He could roll the dice on Wilson coming back for 1 more year (with no spring practice and no assurances that he actually would come back), or he could commit to Mike Glennon for the next 2 seasons.

    What makes you think that Mike Glennon would have agreed to stay here if we had opted for Wilson limbo? Do you really think he didn’t have options, too?

    I agree with Tom O’Brien’s decision 100%.

    I was fine with what everybody said in yesterday’s paper. Today, Wilson went too far and he really needs to stop talking. He’s one of my very favorite players ever, and I don’t want that feeling to change.

  21. bigwolfpacker 05/01/2011 at 9:51 AM #

    Fools. TOB should have waited til 5 minutes before the last game to let RW come back and get his starting job. Hes in position to be the top qb numbers wise in ACC history. You do special things for special players. He was an ambassador for the University. This is just wrong.

  22. JEOH2 05/01/2011 at 9:54 AM #

    In education, the only way to run an orderly classroom is to be consistent. When you have a problem student who skips class, you write them up…when you have a Senior class President/Honors student who skips class…you write them up too…

    No exceptions…no excuses…

    RW, for all his virtues, had the coaches & players in limbo all the way until TOB put his foot down and said that if RW returned, he’d be the back-up…Until then the door seemed open for RW to make a decision (I recall TOB even saying the door was still open until a week or so ago)…

    As a coach (teacher), you can’t allow one player (student) to control your team (classroom), no matter how valued they are…imagine if this were anyone else on the team, there would be near universal praise for TOBs decision….but because people are so focused on winning, we can’t see how this is an important lesson that is ALL about fairness and ALL about team…no one, not the Denzelle Goods, not the George Bryans, and not even the RWs are above the team…

    Not even the Honors student deserves extra special treatment…

  23. PackManSJP 05/01/2011 at 10:12 AM #

    TOB showed something in this decision that we fans have yearned for and have not seen for sometime…..DECEISIVE LEADERSHIP. I applaud and 100% agree with this choice.

    I thank RW for his time and I will always cherish the memories of seeing him do the amazing things he did on Saturday and the two Thursdays he played.

    With that being said, I think Russell made a bad decision on his part thinking he would be able to come back after TOB had said thet were moving on if no commitment to the team was made. He was warned, but did not heed it. I don’t think of him any less as a person. I am just disappointed in a bad choice he made. We are all human and make mistakes.

    I think some of the comments in the forum calling for TOB’s head are immature and short-sighted. Throughout history, we see that great leaders, be they generals, presidents, or prime ministers, have had to make tough choices that seemed stupid at first, but were the RIGHT thing to do. This decision is what was right for RW, Glennon, and most importantly, the TEAM.

  24. ADVENTUROO 05/01/2011 at 10:14 AM #

    For those of you that did not attend the Wake County Coaches’ Caravan last week, Tom O’Brien made some interesting comments….other than, “I don’t know what it feels like to lose to UNC….”

    He said that RW was in a position where he could NOT make a commitment to return this fall, therefore, the decision was simple. Glennon was the QB. Then he also went on to compare him to his THREE STARTING NFL QB’s that played at BC. He said that Glennon had the same level of physical and mental talent and ability that each of them had and that he had all the confidence in him. Remember, we are talking TOB here. He is the “Viper” (from Top Gun) type of guy. It is NOT his role to blow sunshine up our orifices so that we can make it through the day, the week or the season. He is also the coach that told us that we did not have a very good football team, even though we had just beat Pittsburg….and we went on to lose a LOT of games.

    So, right or wrong, the man speaks what he thinks and does NOT embellish. If HE says that Glennon has the talents of an NFL starting QB, then I will believe that….since he coached three of them.

    As to RW. The comparison to Farve is probably a bit of a reach and is probably not called for. RW has been the heart and soul of this team. If you don’t believe that, I suggest that you find some re-run of the Papa John Bowl in Birmingham.

    He has been a credit to the team from a character, athletic and academic standpoint. I fully understand his comments….but he was the one that signed up to play Pro Baseball….when they pay the money…..and the bonus, they expect you to live up to it. I personally would have thought that the Rockies would have been worried about an injury.

    I love RW’s on the field confidence….he reminds me of a quicker, but UNFORTUNATELY, much SHORTER Philip Rivers. Rivers never admitted, or at least showed it, that he could not come in and win the game. RW never gave up.

    Mike Glennon has all the talent and ability that we so sorely need. TOB has expressed confidence in him. We do NOT need to be chanting….RUSSELL WILLLLLSON from the stands or booing or cat calling if he makes a minor mistake.

    All this controversy needs to GO AWAY. We need to get solidly behind MG and let him lead the team. We also need to applaud RW if he wins some awards. I personally wonder, as some of the sports writers have commented, about WHICH team will decide to pick him up and give him his dream shot…but, there will probably be one…remember what Sheyer (sp?) pulled off at Syracuse….not that he was that great, but he did get a starting gig at a real football school.

    SO…the N&O has stirred it up…..don’t make it any worse.

    TOB is the coach. He made the call. I agree with him. RW is a little miffed…I would be too…..but that is life.

  25. Geno 05/01/2011 at 10:27 AM #

    TOB is likely doing Wilson a favor, whether he intended to or not. Wilson isn’t going to make it in the NFL and he has hurt his chance at baseball by spending time on football. I ran into a coach in the Rockies system in February and he said he’d not be surprised if Wilson came back for football this fall because he just did not play well enough last spring to make it in baseball, but nobody really knows how good he could be at either because he won’t commit fully to one. I am a big fan of Wilson, but he should have followed Chris Weinke’s lead on this and followed one dream at a time. Weinke took his shot at baseball, gave that 5 or 6 years, and then took his shot at football.

    A lot of kids as highly recruited as Glennon would have transferred rather than wait for a chance. I really admire him for sticking with us. At least he will have two years, and hopefully the line can protect him well enough for him to stay healthy and succeed.

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