NC State, the Rejected Stone

11-12 Basketball ACC Big Four Rivals Mark Gottfried NC State NCS Basketball NCSU Sports History Tradition29

So I have a personal blog called “RejectedStones” that is primarily a Christian devotional site.  On Twitter I received a few messages from Alex Johnson who has been a supporter of my site since before he arrived in Raleigh.  Naturally, this got me thinking about both my blog and our basketball team.  Something then dawned upon me: there is an uncanny NC State connection to the scripture that talks about “Rejected Stones”, at least in a metaphorical sense.  Don’t worry; I’m not going to preach a lesson here!

This pops up several times in scripture, but the first instance of this “rejected stone” metaphor is in Psalm 118:19-23…

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord.
These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.
I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory
The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.

When you think about NC State athletics, think about what we have endured for the greater part of two decades, especially in hoops, but in many other sports as well.  We have been a school that historically was much respected (you could even call us a cornerstone of the ACC) and since have fallen to nothing. Through the last coaching search, many people “realized” that NC State had hit rock bottom.  LRM even wrote a great article that outlined his feelings regarding what NC State had been reduced to. It at least appeared like no one wanted our coaching position, we had been a complete joke for the past 5 years, at least in basketball, and we were being barraged by the media explaining that we should have been happy with where we were.

I think it’s safe to say that we were very “rejected” by all but the most reverent ACC purists.

Now think about what has occurred since April and over the past couple of basketball games. In a conference that we are told is dominated by two dynasty schools, we have landed top-notch talent (ranking as high as the #2 recruiting class in the nation by ESPN), despite competition from other elite programs, and are off to a strong start over our past two games. Even an AP article noted the upswing…

Gottfried has had a good start so far. The Wolfpack had a fast start in recruiting and announced a three-man signing class Wednesday ranked No. 2 nationally by ESPN. N.C. State also scored 102 points in Monday’s exhibition win against Flagler,…

It’s almost like before NC State could really achieve greatness, coming from the mediocrity it had hit under Sendek, it had to be completely broken down to a program that had nothing and what thought of as nothing… rejected, if you will… so that it could be rebuilt.

So now, all we are doing is watching as our new coach, new team, and new athletic department build NC State back to where it could be, not just in hoops but in all varsity sports. NC State was once a cornerstone of the ACC. We had our respectable, if not dominant, years on the gridiron, we competed for conference and national titles in basketball, and we were constant competitors in the other “non revenue” sports. We’ve fallen from that position and if you were to ask many younger fans (under the age of 25 or 30), then would reject the idea that NC State is a dominant member of the ACC.

Much like the scriptures, it takes a little faith to believe what could happen again at NC State. But, as the Wolfpack Nation lives and breathes, there will always be hope, and faith, that NC State will once again become the cornerstone that it once was.  When that time comes, we will be able to take pride in being the stone that was rejected, returned to become the cornerstone.

About NCStatePride

***ABOUT THE AUTHOR: NCStatePride has been writing for StateFansNation.com since 2010 and is a 2009 graduate of the College of Engineering.

11-12 Basketball ACC Big Four Rivals Mark Gottfried NC State NCS Basketball NCSU Sports History Tradition

29 Responses to NC State, the Rejected Stone

  1. JVM4PACK 11/15/2011 at 2:25 PM #

    So many times fans and supporters get on here, they rant and rave, sometimes becoming extremely vulgar and disrespectful of other people’s opinion/thoughts…this was a nice piece. Thanks for posting.

  2. TheAliasTroll 11/15/2011 at 2:31 PM #

    Shut your foolhardy mouth, JVM4PACK. That’s just utterly ridiculous.

    LOL Just kidding man! Much love.

  3. NCStatePride 11/15/2011 at 2:34 PM #

    TheAliasTroll – That sounded like an Orbitz gum commercial.

    Thanks, JVM. I’m just as guilty as anyone of the vulgarity, but it’s nice to have some optimistic balance.

  4. 44fan 11/15/2011 at 2:38 PM #

    GREAT PIECE!!!!!!

  5. codebrown 11/15/2011 at 2:43 PM #

    “If you ain’t 1st, you’re last!”

    -Reese Bobby

  6. blpack 11/15/2011 at 2:44 PM #

    Amen!

  7. JVM4PACK 11/15/2011 at 2:46 PM #

    No problem, I think we as state fans are somewhat “cautiously optimistic” as much as that phrase is overused. Either way, hoping that MG has done something to turn the corner for basketball and I’m still not sure what to say about football or the direction we may or may not be headed

  8. Rick 11/15/2011 at 3:16 PM #

    I will have to check out your blog.

    I closely follow Stand to Reason and Let my People Think.

  9. pack76 11/15/2011 at 3:54 PM #

    Great article! Thanks! I’ll be checking your blog as well. Nice to hear about this.

  10. PoppaJohn 11/15/2011 at 4:00 PM #

    Nice piece NCStatePride. I really enjoyed how you presented the common theme, hope for the future of the Wolfpack, in a somewhat spiritual context.

    “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1)

    What could describe the Wolfpack “faithful” any better than that?

  11. bill.onthebeach 11/15/2011 at 4:22 PM #

    ^My personal favorite is the promise …”the last shall first and the first shall be last”.

  12. TruthBKnown Returns 11/15/2011 at 4:23 PM #

    They say losing builds character. Well, consider us the Arnold Schwarzenegger bodybuilders of character!

    Nice read — it’s nice to read something that doesn’t depress me, nor make my blood boil. The past is what it is — bad. And the past. It’s time to become a cornerstone again, or for starters, I would like us to just be an “Accepted Stone”. We don’t have to go from being the rejected stone straight to being a cornerstone. How about stepping stone? One step at a time. All this stone talk has me almost stoned, so I’ll drop it like a rock. 🙂

    Just win some games, Pack!

  13. TruthBKnown Returns 11/15/2011 at 4:25 PM #

    ^My personal favorite is the promise …”the last shall first and the first shall be last”.

    The only problem with this is that we USED to be first, and now we are last. I don’t see anything in there that says the first will be last and then will be first again. 🙁

  14. TOBtime 11/15/2011 at 4:31 PM #

    Well said NCStatePride! Thanks for the blog info as well.

  15. bill.onthebeach 11/15/2011 at 5:15 PM #

    ^^

    O ye of little faith, when you have time just watch the movie again, instead of looking at one snapshot….

    A little wider view (with apologies, the quick and short version) … if one pleases…

    1. God’s people, Israel, have no land (Abraham, et al )
    2. Israel acquires land (Joshua)
    3. Israel establishes a nation ( David )
    4. Israel, the nation, falls (Isiah and Jeremiah )
    The remnant survives.
    5. Israel, the nation, is restored (Ezra and Nehemiah )
    6. Israel, the nation, falls (Maccabees )
    7. The General Manager sends the New Guy to take over Head Coaching job !!
    8. Israel, the nation, falls (Romans )
    The remnant survives.
    9. God’s people, The New Israel, the church rises. (Constantine)
    10. The church falls (Dark Ages)
    The remnant survives.
    11. The church is reformed (Luther, Calvin, et al )
    12. The church prospers.

    and so on…. the last become first, the first become last, the last become first and the first become last… over and over and over.

    We are the ‘remnant’, those forever hopeful, waiting patiently for the promised land, in more ways than one.

  16. highstick 11/15/2011 at 6:04 PM #

    Interesting exchange with Viki…I keep waiting for someone to show me in the Bible where it’s acceptable or show me the gene to make “that behavior” anything other than a life choice. I guess I’ll continue to be called a bigot until someone does.

    Will have to read more..I only got through your first one..

  17. tjfoose1 11/15/2011 at 6:38 PM #

    Could also be describing Gott as well as NC State Basketball. The downfall of both was self inflicted. Forgive the extended metaphor, but perhaps now, they’ll resurrect each other?

  18. bill.onthebeach 11/15/2011 at 7:00 PM #

    ^tj — you are dead on top of that… and that’s why we are seeing what we are seeing, so far.

  19. runwiththepack 11/15/2011 at 8:48 PM #

    I’m not much of a “church-goer”, but I would never criticize anyone who finds what they need there. Never. Yet, I have too many conflicting feelings from my childhood to get excited about going to church every Sunday again. Agnostic, maybe.
    I can definitely appreciate this perspective of “Wufpak Nation” history. The heels are like the Roman Empire (we have to wait almost 1,000 years for their fall). Duke is like the Norman invaders that checked the Romans. Wake is like the Moors of Spain. Are we at NCSU like the Celtic tribes, or the wandering Jews? No – BC is the Celtic tribe council.
    The Cavaliers are the Gauls, Maryland is the Third Reicht, and GA Tech is the Constantine Empire. Florida State is the Coalition of First Nations, Clemson is the Deng Dynasty, and Virginia Tech is . Catherine The Great. I don’t know who Miami is. (The Mayan ruins?)

    That said, if I ever “struck it rich” (somehow), church charities would be a top priority for the largesse. I just hope that NCSU isn’t Job.

  20. runwiththepack 11/15/2011 at 8:51 PM #

    tj and bill., that theme came to mind as soon as Gott was hired. Redemption, Born Again – a great theme in the New Testament.

  21. bill.onthebeach 11/15/2011 at 9:02 PM #

    ^run — did I miss something, I thought you said you weren’t a “churchgoer”.

    the resurrection theme is not unique to the NT, it’s constant throughout all of literature … ancient, OT and modern.

    FWIW, not going to church and agnostic are two totally different things.

  22. Pack Mentality 11/15/2011 at 9:08 PM #

    Nice post.

  23. NCStatePride 11/15/2011 at 11:03 PM #

    You know, I didn’t even think about the Gottfried connect, but you guys are right. It a way, that is just one more reason why Gottfried and NC State are such a good match.

  24. wolfpack4ever 11/15/2011 at 11:43 PM #

    Excellent post!

    It is easy for us as Wolfpackers to be down and out after many years of wandering hoping for our university to find the correct way out. I am as guilty as anyone regarding negativity especially toward HWSNBN, Monteith, Todd Turner, Foulup, etc. However, I do try to avoid the profanity.

    Hopefully, with the new chancellor, athletic director, and basketball coach the light faintly shining at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train.

    God Bless. Go Pack!

  25. Mike 11/16/2011 at 12:23 AM #

    runwiththepack – in the end Job is vindicated for his faith and not only is he restored to prosperity, but he far outgains what he had lost.

    I also look to Paul, where he writes to “forget what lies behind and press on to the future” (OK, paraphrased slightly) but this is what we Packers must do. Forget the last 20 years and press on!

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