O'Brien, speaking to the Wolfpack radio network after Saturday's victory at Central Florida, said the ACC made N.C. State "a sacrificial lamb" by scheduling a Thursday game following a Saturday contest.
Whether O'Brien is right or not isn't the point. The bottom line is, the game was scheduled months ago, and O'Brien and his staff have had plenty of time to prepare. Complaining on the radio - and sending a negative message to your team - is no way to spin the situation.
This is the type of situation where Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is superb. Krzyzewski takes a situation, even a negative one, and finds a way to use it to his advantage. In this case, for example, O'Brien could have praised the toughness of his team, applauded the depth he has seen develop, and said this was a great opportunity for the Pack to showcase its talents. He could have said the Wolfpack program and fans are ready for national recognition and, despite the short turnaround, will be ready for opportunity.
But he didn't. And even though he didn't expound on his postgame comments when meeting with the media Monday, he essentially framed the game in a negative light.
O'Brien knows better. He's a smart guy and savvy coach. There's no ACC conspiracy to hold down the Wolfpack. Sure, State has a tough turnaround, but it is part of the sport when television dollars rule. The Wolfpack should embrace the opportunity, rather than whine about it.
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"O'Brien knows better." - well, i trust he knows how is team will respond to his remarks far better than the rest of us.
ReplyDeletei doubt the acc would have done this to an acc team that was projected as a T25 team. and i don't blame o'brien for hammering the point home.
It seems to me that Cincinnati has it worse by having a short week and traveling to Raleigh.
ReplyDeleteJust ignore the fact that the ACC commish is a UNC football player.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know Swofford wants State to beat Cincinnati. Similarly, I recently interviewed Jim Delaney, Big 10 commissioner who played for Carolina and is a big Tar Heels fan. He rooted for Michigan State when the Spartans played the Tar Heels in the NCAA tournament a couple of years ago.
ReplyDelete"It seems to me that Cincinnati has it worse by having a short week and traveling to Raleigh."
ReplyDeletei dunno. ncsu played a fbs team on the road in very humid conditions. cincy played a fcs team at home in relatively mild conditions.
seems like the game/travel probably took more of a toll on ncsu than a night in a hotel will take on cincy.