Covering, or uncovering, college athletics
Let's say right off the bat: We know that you don't care how difficult our jobs are. "Just give me the news and quit whining about how hard life is for you," you're thinking. You're right.
However, you, the reader, may like to read about certain athletes or teams or universities and may like to see certain questions answered. Sometimes it's about strategy, sometimes it's about personnel (and we understand rights to privacy), and sometimes it's about dollars and public institutions. It's not "the media" they should be answering to, it's you.
So here's a little of what's gone on in the last few days:
-- East Carolina fires head football coach John Thompson. Thompson says his contract would be terminated at season's end. He also said he had not had any communication with new athletics director Terry Holland. Well, neither did Greenville's Daily Reflector nor East Carolina fans in that area, who got only a statement from Holland. Holland's a big-time guy on the college athletics scene, but he didn't respond in a big-time way. ECU fans deserved to know more.
-- N.C. A&T announces late Friday that athletics director Charlie Davis has been fired. We're pressing the university, but no one has been forthcoming enough to offer any answers at this point. Only a vague statement attributed to chancellor James Renick. A&T alumni, fans, donors and students deserve to have daylight shed on this issue. Your first question must be, "Why?"
-- The North Carolina basketball program announces that Raymond Felton has been suspended for Friday night's season opener for playing in a non-certified summer league game. The announcement came in the form of a news release handed out near the end of a meaningless exhibition game last week, yet Felton wasn't made available to answer questions. Why not?
Unfortunately, hiding, or hiding behind statements that may or may not have been written by the person to whom they're attributed, has become the MO in college athletics. Our state is no exception.
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