Tysiac Thumped

10-11 Basketball NCS Basketball36

For some reason, this week has seen a number of writers lining up to kick sand on State fans. For reasons that I can’t fathom, PackPride decided to feature Gary Parrish’s diatribe that basically boils down to: State fans need to learn their place. I thought about dissecting that article to show that is nothing more than pile of trash, but our message boards have already done that.

So today, Ken Tysiac decided to add his two cents…which are over priced even if they were free:

I have no idea who N.C. State would or could get to replace Sidney Lowe. I don’t think Sean Miller is coming after the way N.C. State’s fans treated Herb Sendek. I do think the N.C. State job is a difficult one. There is tremendous pressure from the fans to succeed because N.C. State has two NCAA titles. But the reality is, UNC and Duke really have it going right now, and the RBC Center stinks as a homecourt basketball facility (it’s great for hockey, thought). As for Nate McMillan, after the Sidney Lowe experiment, I think you’re going to see N.C. State get somebody who’s not an NBA coach right now. Tubby Smith is a guy I would go after.

Many kudos to FuquayWolf for taking this particular piece of tripe and knocking it out of the park:

There’s Tysiac, buying into the media portrayal of State again. Yeah, UNC-CH sure has it going – going so well they had the same ACC record as us last year. Sure, when Roy gets the right mix of players on the team, he wins BIG. But when he gets it wrong, well, they tend to struggle. Even UNC-CH’s spoiled fans are griping about Roy. So they can be had. I’ll give him Duke though – K has really got it going there right now, and his recruiting is going great. But that doesn’t mean they still can’t be beat from time to time.

And when did the RBC Center become a bad homecourt basketball facility??? Was Tysiac there when we beat UNC-CH in 2007? Or how about Duke last year? The only thing holding back the RBC Center from being a great homecourt advantage is the team that plays on the court. Again, that’s Tysiac picking up on the yearly “I wish we still played in Reynolds” thread on PP.

On Sean Miller, I’ll just point out that Miller left Sendek’s program to go be an assistant for Matta at Xavier. Yep, Miller left an ACC job for an A-10 job working for another one of Sendek’s assistants. His relationship with Sendek might be consideration, but I think it’s much more accurate to say that being the HC at one of the top programs in a weak conference and in the NCAA over the last 20-30 years is the reason why Miller likely won’t come to State. Basically, State is a lateral move at best.

But I’m sure glad to see that the N&O/Clt Obs State beat writer sure thinks highly of the school he’s covering. I expect comments like this from an uninformed national media who fails to investigate what the real situation is in West Raleigh. But I expect much better from the local media. Shame on you Tysiac. Instead of parroting the national perception, why don’t you write an article that explains the true feelings of the fanbase. You know, be a reporter and report how State fans actually feel, which I contend is different from how the national media portrays us. Ask Joe Ovies for some tips…

About VaWolf82

Engineer living in Central Va. and senior curmudgeon amongst SFN authors One wife, two kids, one dog, four vehicles on insurance, and four phones on cell plan...looking forward to empty nest status. Graduated 1982

10-11 Basketball NCS Basketball

36 Responses to Tysiac Thumped

  1. paintball79 02/09/2011 at 3:06 PM #

    The R.B.C. does suck ! its too big and hardly any of the seats are ever filled. Go back to Reynolds ! N.C. State fans are disappointed because we have waited so long to compete with U.N.C. and Duke. Sidney is a great guy and basketball player but stinks as a coach. N.C. State needs to break down and spend some money if they want a winning program. Simple as that ! GO PACK !!!

  2. mwcric 02/09/2011 at 3:19 PM #

    Point 1: I love the argument that NCSU is not an attractive job because of UNC and Duke’s success. So, by that rationale, how is it any of the NFL teams in New England’s division ever get a coach? Or any of the NBA teams in the Pacific Division with the Lakers. Or any MLB teams in the AL East with the Yankees? It’s just retarded. “Oh, gee, I’d love to take your job, but the last thing I want to do is exert and challenge myself by constantly going up against two of the best programs in the country!” The fact that that rationale is constantly endorsed by sportswriters is much more indicative of a typical journalist’s attitude than any successful coach or NCSU sports fan. And for the record, I used to be a sports reporter for a daily.
    Point 2: And by the way, I personally was never devastated that NCSU hasn’t beaten Duke or UNC on a regular basis over the past 20 years. To be objective, I doubt ANY ACC team has had a winning record against those two programs over the 90s and 00s. My problem is that we don’t just lose; we completely get our asses handed to us on a platter, indicating a severe lack of effort, passion or even great interest. That was the most infuriating thing for me about Sendek; it was almost as if he approached those games as given losses and didn’t even bother with them, instead looking ahead to the following match-up. And I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect victories over big rivals a little more than what, 12 times in 15 years?!?
    Point 3: Nate McMillan vs. Sidney Lowe = Apples vs. Oranges. They’re both State basketball alums, they both have NBA coaching experience. I’d say Nate has a just a little better won/loss record. He’s got a good thing going where he is, though, so I don’t know why he’d leave.
    Point 4: I like Tubby Smith, but the guy is pushing 60. Rather than a stop-gap solution I’d much rather see the program pursue a builder under 50 with proven success.

  3. aiwatts13 02/09/2011 at 3:37 PM #

    I could not believe that tripe that was linked by Packpride. After skimming through the thread, the moderator was defending that very point of view and giving us the ‘you should have never ran off HWSNBN’ garbage. I deleted my bookmark to that page and will not be going back. Statefansnation will be my sole Pack news outlet via web and Twitter. Unbelievable.

  4. triadwolf 02/09/2011 at 3:44 PM #

    Where did McMillan’s name come from? I haven’t seen his name even remotely mentioned as a potential candidate. Did Tysiac just google former NC State coaches that coach in the NBA?

    Don’t get me wrong, I loved Nate as a player for us, as an NBA player (back when the league was watchable) and as a coach. But I don’t think he would work here for many of the same reasons Lowe hasn’t (minus coaching ability). I’ve not been reading everything, but his name just seemed to come out of left field.

    I’m fairly certain Yow has her list and we won’t be privy to any of the names until there’s a press conference annoucing the new coach. I much perfer that it be handled that way regardless of how much I want to know who’ll be leading our resurgance next season.

  5. primacyone 02/09/2011 at 3:49 PM #

    Point 5: For any coach that is as equally as good as Sendeck or better that runs a different offense than Sendeck, the STATE job can and will be the best head coaching job on the planet, PERIOD.

    You do as good as Sendeck or better with a different style offense, an you will be GOLD. You will make all the money you want to make and you will have all the support you want to get.

    What more could any coach want? Best Job in the world. Just look at the Support Sid has gotten and he’s been blessed with a very tough five years. Imagaine how much support a coach could get just being a little better than Sendeck.

    Best head coaching job on the planet for that person.

  6. Wolfman646 02/09/2011 at 3:50 PM #

    Nate McMillan is a pipe dream. He’s making around $6M/year with the Blazers. Why would he take a pay cut to come back to a university he didn’t feel compelled to push his son to go to? I think he’ll go to the Heat next year.

    http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/blazers_mcmillan_wants_to_earn.html

  7. coach13 02/09/2011 at 4:44 PM #

    Reynolds-would need serious renovation

    RBD-too big. The upper upper seats are horrible. As far as empty seats, wel we have sucked for 20+ years. I don’t know what the RBC would be like night in night out if we had a team worth a damn.

  8. coach13 02/09/2011 at 4:44 PM #

    RBC

  9. GApack04 02/09/2011 at 4:48 PM #

    I really don’t think anyone really wants Nate in Raleigh, which is why Tysiac bringing it up is a total reach. I really think most press people these days have become amazingly lazy with their writing. With the internet, Twitter, and access to every game under the sun these writers all pretty much just regurgitate the same stories over and over again. The few good reporters/writers that actually put in the work stand out.

    Here’s a news flash the NC State job is one of the best in the ACC, which in turn happens to be one of the best conferences in America. The competition is going to be tough here whether you are at BC or NC State. The proximity to the two blue schools has zero effect on how hard it is to beat them, just ask any other school in the ACC. If the new coach puts out a good product on the court the fans will come regardless of where the games are. I’m hoping DY is making her list and quietly starts at the top and moves down it as necessary (hopefuly it’s not necessary), and that she keeps this search out of the reach of these a#@hole writers.

  10. PoppaJohn 02/09/2011 at 4:52 PM #

    Nate didn’t graduate, he’s out. ($6M!! – only in America)

    Why in the world would ANYONE coach in the ACC? They all have to play Duke and UNC every year, and sometimes twice! It’s amazing that some ACC schools don’t just shut down their hoops programs rather than facing UNC & Duke yearly. (dumbest theory ever!)

    A good coach wants to play the best because he knows that beating the best is the only way to be the best. I’d bet a high percentage of the quality coaches in the country would enjoy the challenge of playing the neighbors on a regular basis.

    Tysiac always seemed to be phoning it in to me, no passion for the sport he is covering, no analysis skills, no insider connections. Sadly, this confirms it.

  11. wufpup76 02/09/2011 at 4:55 PM #

    Oh, I don’t know guys / gals … Seth Davis agrees with Ken’s opinion 1000%.

    If only we had given Herb MORE TIME.

  12. runwiththepack 02/09/2011 at 6:44 PM #

    paintball79,

    what are you thinking? The RBC is a great venue! What are we supposed to do? Wait till we have a top 10 team before building $300,000,000 building? This building will help us GET that top-10 team, but it can’t do it by itself.

    Besides, what point is it to express your dissatisfaction over something that can’t be changed? You only make NCSU appear ungrateful. I hope you’re in the minority.

    Too bad Tysiac is on the NCSU beat. It’s obvious that he would rather not have to bother. But it is just one more thing to indicate how irrelevant we have been FOREVER.

    Reynolds has only about 3,000 “good” seats, compared to 10,000+ in the RBC, and it’s vastly superior in almost every possible way. I don’t miss Reynolds ONE SINGLE BIT!! I just miss the great people that played there, but let’s not confuse the place with the people.

    I have seen dozens of games in Reynolds. You guessed it – waaaaaaaaaaaaay up behind the goals where over half of the seats are located. I needed binocs when the players were at the other end of the court.

    I have really enjoyed the DEAFENING fan support in the RBC several times – AT THE CAROLINA HURRICANES PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!! If you’ve never seen it, all I can tell you is it’s every bit as loud as Reynolds ever was.

    Geesh! Put 2 and 2 together, for crissake, paintball! I’m totally grateful for the RBC. I know from experience that it can be PACKED AND LOUD!

    I’m absolutely, positively, undeniably, certainly, and unhesitatingly SURE that our fans can raise the roof on the place… IF NCSU eeeeever! put together something to get that excited about.

    … just like Caniacs have already done MANY times while I was THERE helping cheer them.

    THANK GOD for the RBC! R.I.P Reynolds.

  13. Hungwolf 02/09/2011 at 7:02 PM #

    I sell out crowd of 9K at Cameron is a bad crowd at the RBC Center!

  14. runwiththepack 02/09/2011 at 7:10 PM #

    NCSU nearly had to move heaven and earth to make the RBC happen. It is obvious from the post above that I am one Pack fan very irritated by those who say we should go back to Reynolds.

    I agree that it would have been great to raise the roof on Reynolds and add thousands more seats between the goals, but it didn’t happen. End of story. It probably wasn’t even close to practical anyway, from an engineering standpoint.

    Thank you to all who made the RBC happen. It’s fantastic compared to Reynolds, even if it’s not on campus. I admire it every pass down Wade Ave.

    NOW, we can only hope to create more memories at the RBC to add to those we have at Reynolds.

  15. project29 02/09/2011 at 8:04 PM #

    Hahaha. Little Kenny Tysiac is terrible. Hey Kenny, please get rid of that creepy, 8 year old boy haircut and STFU. Incompetent, lazy hack.

  16. packfan03 02/09/2011 at 8:46 PM #

    Local writers simply aren’t what they used to be. Tysiac’s editorial is worth no more than mine or yours. In fact, many of us have more knowledge in regard to our University’s basketball future. The only value the N&O has to offer is that of investigative journalism.

    If they were able to flex their investigative “muscle”, I think we’d see more information about UNC’s football scandal.

    I trust VA’s/StateFan’s opinion much more than Tysiac’s, FWIW.

  17. Clarksa 02/09/2011 at 9:35 PM #

    Good lord, I wish I had a dollar for every yokel who has typed “go back to Reynolds!!!1!1!” My last visit there was the NIT game Sid’s first year. The place is a dump, the seats are uncomfortable, and the parking is terrible. Hell, there wasn’t even doors on the stalls in the men’s bathroom for the guy taking a dump. For the 935th time, it is the product on the floor, not the building. The atmosphere was great for the UNC-CHeat win in Sid’s first year and the Duke game last year. Now imagine the atmosphere if we had just knocked off Duke to take hold of first place in the ACC and a top 10 ranking?

  18. highstick 02/09/2011 at 10:25 PM #

    You get what “you pay for at any of the McClathchy newspapers” and there are few, if any, quality sportswriters at any of them, particularly in the Carolinas. Tysiac, Ron Morris, and most of the rest are grossly overpaid if they get paid $3 an hour.

    They are borderline stupid!

  19. turfpack 02/09/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    OK…I have had enough…..Just let them have their fun sounding stupid.UNX and DOOK is best blah!blah!balh! State will never be BLAH!BLAH!BALH!
    Ok….I will say this once…..in a few weeks even they will be astonished…….DY is not LF……BIG MONEY IS BEING GAITHER UP BOYS!

  20. runwiththepack 02/09/2011 at 11:03 PM #

    Got that, Pack fans?

    We’re expected to know our place. Ken says so. Scores a few points with the editors.

    Now anyone can see what the privileged ruling elite in this state want for their largest campus.

  21. Wolfman 9806 02/09/2011 at 11:27 PM #

    RBC really does suck. Reynolds is where our history and hearts lie.

  22. Master 02/09/2011 at 11:54 PM #

    Its all propaganda to discourage our fanbase and create a negative perception cascade for any coach looking into our program. My thoughts:

    1.) The Duke/UNC rivalry just prooves how much basketball is loved in the Triangle. We love football too, but no prospective coach needs to worry where his program stands in the eyes of the fans, the school or the region. We are located in the heart of the greatest conference in the nation.

    2.) The nearness of Duke to UNC is proof against the idea that location works against us. Also, as others have said, why would any coach want to be in the ACC if Duke and UNC are unbeatable? State is not the only team that plays those teams for conference honors. This would be like saying Bama had no business hiring Saban with Urban Meyer in the same division or that Auburn should just understand their place in the SEC heirarchy and give up.

    3.) Using the SEC analogy again, the overall strength of the teams in that conference is what makes all their coaching positions highly sought after. The ACC should be the dream destination for any coach in the country…

    4.) ..as long as the school is willing to pay what it takes to get a good coach on board. NC State is ready, willing and able to pay whatever it takes to get us back on a big time level.

    5.) Our fans are your biggest assett. Are we impatient? Only with coaches who bring a lack of fundamentals, dismal offense, lazy defense and poor game planning. Get 3 out of 4 of those right and we’ll make you the happiest man on the planet, pay you well, praise your name in public, build you a statue and maybe name an arena floor after you. The next coach at Duke or UNC is not going to get that last one.

    I completely disagree with the gist of that “so-called” sportswriter’s column. He’s obviously been spending time on the UNC message boards or taking notes from the UNC journalism intelligentsia.

  23. mak4dpak 02/09/2011 at 11:57 PM #

    Back to Reynolds with its awful seating. No way! Reynolds has no magic. It is the coaches/players. RBC can be an awesome venue for State, if and when we get a coach, who can lead us back to those glory days. He is out there, and I will again cast my vote for Randy Bennett, of St. Marys. His record speaks for itself. But if not him, please hire a proven winner. Do us proud Debbie.

  24. wolfy85 02/10/2011 at 12:04 AM #

    I’m not surprised to hear this mess anymore, it just has to go in one ear and out the other. The media sucks on the teet of UNC and Duke.

    But one point about the RBC. I’ve been to a ton of games in the RBC, mostly as a student, and it pretty much sucks as a home court advantage unless we’re having a decent year and are playing a rival. Even then it’s no Reynolds, or Cameron, or Cole field house. It’s just to big in my opinion. Not to mention NC State STILL uses the online ticket lottery system for students, which used to constantly result in good student seats right by the court being empty because it took no effort to get the seats so students didn’t show up (I will never understand how or why it’s done that way). I do think if we can build the program and the fan base back up we could fill the RBC and it could be loud on a consistent basis. Hopefully we will see this soon.

  25. wolfpack15 02/10/2011 at 12:45 AM #

    The RBC Center is wonderful. In todays time you have to have wonderful facilities. We should be thankful that we have a 1st class facility. There are a million places to put the blame on us loosing but the facilities are not one.

    Thank you for the RBC Center bc that actually helps us to have a brighter future. Please let go of the past. We haven’t been good for so long that the past and tradition doesn’t matter. The kids that are going to play in the RBC Center weren’t even born the last time State was good. So the past tradition doesn’t mean anything to them. Just focus on the present and how to make our program good again so we can get back to the top and get back to the top in a 1st class facility while we are doing it.

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