What went on while I was at the beach just so I could use the same word twice in the title to mean two different things.
- Someone at the N&O managed to obtain part of Marvin Austin’s transcript which showed the now departed defensive linemen started his career off taking a 400 level class taught by the same African-American studies professor who missed Michael McAdoo’s plagiarism. Anyone shocked? Anyone? Beuller? It has been clear for as long as this thing has been going on that this particularly professor was football player friendly courses which is not uncommon at most schools. It should shock no one that it also went on at UNC in some department, somewhere. In this case, the N&O tries to make something of the fact Austin started off with a 400 level class despite the fact over a thousand freshmen did the same. At any rate, I am not clear what Austin did matters at this point given he has been thoroughly punished and no longer part of the program. I do think you can legitimately ask a question as to why when faced with a professor who clearly allowed a plagiarized paper to slip by Holden Thorp decided to fire the football coach. Clarification: This is not to say firing Davis was the wrong move. Granted it was ill timed and poorly executed which ratcheted up the reaction from UNC fans but Thorp held Davis accountable as he should have. The question is at what point will Thorp hold this professor accountable for letting McAdoo’s paper slide and for apparently being football player friendly to the point of potential malfeasance?
- On the field UNC took a hit to an already thin secondary when CB Jabari Price was lost to a tendon injury in his hand which will require surgery. Price will miss six weeks and in the meantime Everett Withers made some changes to the personnel to compensate. One change was to move WR Todd Harrelson to the secondary. Not the kind of shuffling you want to see at one of the weakest areas on the team this close to the season opener.
- Brandon Willis current college career path now look like this: Tennessee-UNC-UCLA-UNC-UCLA. Willis also has yet to play a snap of college football and has already switched schools four times. The latest is Willis has decided to transfer back to UCLA which I assume means he can play now since he already sat out a season there.
- Former Tar Heel RB Johnny White was carted off the field after suffering an apparent neck/head injury during the Buffalo Bills’ preseason game on Saturday night. Head coach Chan Gailey later indicated White was cleared by the doctors and traveled home from Denver with the team. White was drafted in the 5th round by the Bills.
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The fact that somebody was able to get the transcript and made it available is interesting in itself. I wonder if the N&O will obtain random transcripts of Duke basketball players and NC State football players “just to see” if there are widespread academic issues with major college athletes….LOL
The UNC secondary is thin but there are several very experienced guys like Gupton and Jonathon Smith. My guess is that we will see lots of “nickel” packages until the cornerback issues get solved.
“I do think you can legitimately ask a question as to why when faced with a professor who clearly allowed a plagiarized paper to slip by Holden Thorp decided to fire the football coach.”
This should be a t-shirt.
As a side note the BlueZone is pretty well done and there’s a brand new sound system installed throughout the stadium. Let’s hope they learn about the volume control before the first game. You may recall the pain and suffering many experienced when the sound system was replaced at the DES.
Welcome back from vacation.
News flash:
UNC joins the Ivy League.
Well why should UNC not join the Ivy League?
That move would seem to make about as much sense as the other stuff happening now.
Where did you stay THF? I ask because I live in Morehead City and we had powerboat races this past weekend.
Has someone violated the law by leaking the transcript to the N&O?
I’m guessing the professor is tenured.
“I’m guessing the professor is tenured.”
Well, as Doc and I are discussing on an email thread, faculty politics are complicated and difficult. Not to mention there is a racial/political correctness angle to this as well which means nothing will happen publicly although it would help calm the general fan base down.
Wilf,
I was in Myrtle Beach.
“I wonder if the N&O will obtain random transcripts of Duke basketball players”…
from NCCU.
PS: to those of us that came to UNC 30 years ago this past week…what is a 400 level class?
^ Thanks HTTE. The Duke-NCCU connection came to light a few years ago when Jason (Jay) Williams mentioned it in an interview. Maybe the NCAA should ask Coach K a few questions about how classes taken at NCCU are conveniently transferred for credit at THE Duke Univ?
THF: I figured there was a racial/political angle to this as well that would help to insulate the professor from any scrutiny, much less discipline.
McAdoo doesnt get picked in the NFL Supp. draft.
Raiders pick Terrell Pryor
I said this all summer before Butch was fired, and I’ll keep saying it now: if Butch has responsibility and deserves to be fired, then so does Thorp.
All of the academic issues that have been cited occurred while Thorp was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. CAS has responsibility for academic support for athletes. It’s also the home of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies.
I kinda thought someone would take a flyer on McAdoo. It’s unfortunate that he made a bad choice and then did not get the guidance that he needed. Based on similar violations, he should be serving a 3-game suspension and be eligible to play for UNC this year. I am not condoning his actions but the punishment does not fit the crime as decided by the honor court. My distaste for the NCAA and for the current admin at UNC remains strong. This opinion will not be popular in some circles on here: so be it.
McAdoo actually made out alright by not being selected in the supplemental draft as he is now able to be signed as a free agent by any team that is interested. More possible teams = more competition = more potential money. He’ll play somewhere this year, he is too talented not to. And he’ll likely make more money being signed as an FA than he would have being selected in the SD.
^Nice information, not the usual gasoline on the fire approach. The entire draft process is something of a mystery for me, glad to see he has another chance, albeit perhaps the last chance with the NFL.
@GAtoVAHeel I have been wondering myself where the buck stops, how on Earth the fox was placed in charge of the cock house, and how some fans are satisfied with this result.
Reports out of Baltimore say McAdoo was signed by the Ravens. They are supposedly looking at stashing him on the practice squad while they try to add some meat to his frame in the hopes of finding a decent pass rushing LB down the road.
MJ and many other jocks were “Geography” majors at UNC. An odd choice don’t ya think?During the same period, “Black Studies” majors were numerous on the Dook basketball team. I have it on good authority that Dean’s most famous (and only?) juco transfer player was severely challenged by things like at which end of a sentence to place a question mark. And no, he wasn’t Hispanic.
Plus ca change….
Marvin Austin, out for season.
and, Pat Summitt with early onset dementia. i can barely imagine a more terrifying diagnosis. 59 years old.
quite a bit different from Dean, who is what..80?
and youd think that she exercises her brain as much as anyone being a coach, and that apparently got her nothing.
awful.
Sat 3 rows behind the UT bench at the old ODU Field House and was totally intimidated by Pat Summitt, afraid to move for fear she’d fix that glare on me (at which point I’d have just dropped to the fetal position). Dementia will have its hands full with Pat Summitt
I’m no doctor, but 59 seems extraordinarily young for such a diagnosis. Awful news, and sad.