Ken Tysiac pens an article today in the N&O, Thorp targeted online by upset UNC fans.
Nine days before the start of football practice, Thorp fired Davis, explaining that allegations of nine major NCAA violations that included academic fraud have eroded the university’s reputation.
Fans who were disappointed with Davis’ dismissal responded by creating fireholdenthorp.com.
They are organizing a campaign to finance billboards in the Triangle advancing their cause. Matt Littlejohn, a Raleigh insurance and risk management consultant and Rams Club member who’s a spokesman for the website, said fans are upset with the timing of the decision as well as the firing.
“I feel like a strong leader would have been able to handle this more appropriately,” Littlejohn said, “and I think Holden Thorp is in over his head.”
“Right now people are emotional, they’re confused,” Montgomery said. “Our fans are angry. So we’re talking with them about that mission. We’re talking with them about supporting this football team, Coach Withers, and the rest of our sports.”
Littlejohn, who represents the fireholdenthorp.com website, said he plans to continue attending games and supporting the team. He hopes the Tar Heels will bond together through adversity and play in the ACC championship game Dec. 3 in Charlotte.
But he said Thorp has mismanaged the situation, and said fans would like Thorp out before the school hires an AD to replace Baddour.
“I would say 100 percent of the Carolina fans that want to see Holden Thorp fired definitely are not comfortable seeing him make the next hire for the athletic director,” Littlejohn said. “… This is an extremely important hire, especially for Carolina football.”
The most shocking part of the article is that Ken was able to find someone who cares about UNC football enough to spend money on a billboard. Now let’s see if there are enough of them out there to actually do it.
