Going Down Like the Deacons
The recent trips I took to Virginia Tech and Maryland with the Wake football team were bad, but not as bad as the one I took on my way from the press box to the press conference after today’s 23-13 loss to Boston College. Always in a hurry, I caught my right foot on the raised threshold coming into the Bridger Center off the balcony, and being the clumsy oaf I am, I pitched headlong into a chair. My left cheekbone lost that battle, and I have a nice black eye and bloody nose to show for it.
There’s always embarrassment when something like this happens, but I have to say I was impressed by the treatment and concern from the good EMT folks immediately on the scene. I made it to the press conference before Coach Jim Grobe finished up, but I was really too groggy to participate. My good buddy Bill Hass, the erstwhile Wake beat guy with the Greensboro News and Record, had already taken my tape recorder down to the festivities.
I did hear the question asked why Grobe decided to punt on fourth and one from the Deacons’ 40, trailing 20-6 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Thanks to Bullet Bill, I had Grobe’s response recorded.
“I thought we were playing pretty good defense at the time,’’ Grobe said. “We’re still, if I’m not mistaken, about three minutes to go in third quarter. So I thought we had time.After all the interceptions we’d thrown and the fumbled punt—we turned it over five times and put them in a bad position—I really thought the worst thing we could have done there is go for it and give them the ball on the 40 going in. And that’s where it would have been.
“So I think the field position that we would have put the defense in affected my decision more than anything else. And as it turned out, we played pretty good defense and got the ball back in decent field position. So it turned out OK for us. It took more time off the clock, but I thought at that point to put the defense on the 40 with their backs against the wall was not a good thing to do.’‘
Neither was tripping and ending up sprawled out on the carpet of the Bridger Center. It was the kind of day that no one was safe, not Assistant Coach Billy Mitchell—who ended up with a swollen eye as well from a sideline collision—and not the beat guy.
But at least if this post and the piece I got up to write for tomorrow’s Journal makes less sense than my usual offerings, then I have an excuse.
Back to the main page.
By Dan Collins on 11/06/2010 (9:04 pm)
Comments
Dan, living in MT it’s difficult to keep up with Wake football recruiting. Can you fill a ‘56 grad in regarding the prospects for 2011 and following? Thanks.
Lee Anglin on 11/09/2010 (3:01 pm)
That’s the interesting part about Dan’s article a few days ago. Our current group of seniors were recruited the season before the Orange Bowl year. However, everyone else in the program was recruited after we won the ACC and went to the Orange Bowl. So, if we whiffed on some recruits prior to 2006, then I suppose that is understandable considering we would have had to take some risks given the state of the program back then. But if we whiffed on the subsequent recruiting classes, that means we essentially squandered any momentum that the magical 2006 season could have created for us.
DC on 11/08/2010 (5:00 pm)
Dan, Get well soon. We need your good and thoughtful comments. In regards to our football team,it doesn’t look too positive for next year. We will not get any High School AA’s,if any,Only three or four of our current players show great potential, Hope I am wrong.
Carl on 11/08/2010 (4:17 pm)
Would we be better served this weekend to just not show up for the NCSU game, then take the following week off not playing Clemson and finally play Vandy with a well rested team? Last week I got my 110% pin from the Deacon Club and I hope that the football team is giving 110% this year too.
Lee Jackson on 11/08/2010 (1:44 pm)
Dan, thank goodness you’re covering swim meets, you might have drowned. Take care of yourself. Only 3 more to go and the nightmare will be over.
Richard Armstrong on 11/08/2010 (9:41 am)
Dan,
No one would blame you for the partaking of some adult beverages for having to cover this edition on Wake Forest football. Somehow though you have kept it fresh in the face of outright ineptitude. Thanks for taking one on the chin for the team. The old adage of I’m hurt coach but I’ll play never was more appropriate.
radio_smuggles on 11/07/2010 (3:57 pm)
Dan, the only reason that I subscribe to the print Journal is so that I can read your stories with my morning coffee. So take care of yourself and watch your step.
Bob H on 11/07/2010 (3:16 pm)
Charles, the line in this case was ``You should have seen the chair.’’ Actually the chair looked fine, and in a few days so will I—or at least as fine as this ol’ mug can look. Seriously I want to thank everyone, Bobby H, Tom, Charles,Chris, Harry C, Glennard,Jerry, Danny B and my Ken Green for your concern and well-wishes. Doesn’t appear anything is broken, which is really good news. Thanks a lot.
Dan on 11/07/2010 (11:57 am)
Sorry about the fall, Dan. I want to ask you about another injury though. Coach Mitch took quite a shot on the sideline early in the game and was bleeding quite a bit. Any update there?
John S on 11/07/2010 (11:46 am)
Dan,
We don’t need you on the IR! Take care of yourself and, by all means, watch your step! LOL!
Ken Green on 11/07/2010 (11:15 am)
Country, Hope you are feeling better today.
Jeff on 11/07/2010 (10:12 am)
The difference between the way you went down and the way we have been going down this year is that you will soon heal up (and I hope very soon). It is going to be awhile for us. I wish you would ask Coach Grobe what he thinks the fans that still support Wake football can do to help him put the wheels back on our embarassing program. If there were something we could do feel like we are helping—I know it would improve my psychological state. Maybe you could ask Mr. Wellman the same question. If all the fans go away, we will never right this ship.
DannyB on 11/07/2010 (10:08 am)
Dan,
First, I hope you are o.k. from your spill. I have similar problems when I try to walk and chew gum at the same time.
The Wake football program has gotten stale. Stale is a stage before rotten.
If anyone believes this coaching staff can rejuvenate the program they are thinking like a person who gets a carton of milk from the fridge, tastes it and finds it sour, then puts it back in the fridge thinking maybe it will be fresh tomorrow.
Jerry on 11/07/2010 (10:02 am)
The Deacs can take solace in the fact that after the next two mule beatings ,they’ll be embroiled in an epic clash of cellar dwellers as they take on that juggarnaut known as Vanderbilt. As for yesterday’s debacle the facts are as follows: No fan support (expected),no noticable enthusiasum( what else is new ),4 count ‘em 4 picks and the coffee was cold.This “program”, if you can call it that, is headed in the wrong direction. The coaching staff has to be overhauled before they ruin the confidence of Tanner Price. He shows flashes of brillance but the turnovers are starting to result in indecision which is indicative of a 2 - 6 season. Luckily they caught Duke early because now there is no way they could beat them and a victory over a mediocre D-II team is nothing to hang your hat on. Get well soon Dan.
glennard on 11/07/2010 (9:45 am)
Hey Dan keep your head up, hehehe. Really, I thought I heard Harris was out with a concussion. If so, my question is what about the durability of Price and Harris? Can you or should you build a team around players who may not be able to play for another full season because of concussions? The team looks beat up. Everyone seems to be wearing a brace or had something taped up. Can’t give up till the seasons done. GO DEACS!!
HarryC on 11/07/2010 (8:53 am)
Sorry to hear about your accident, Dan. Its been that kind of year so far, I guess. Get better soon—we need you for bball season. . . .
Chris on 11/07/2010 (8:27 am)
Dan,
I think you need to come up with a better story than that about your black eye. Such as “you should see the other guy!”. :)
Charles on 11/07/2010 (7:37 am)
You are getting too old to bound around like a youngster. Hope you are feeling better soon!!! This season is definitely not worth the hassle.
The team this year reminds me of the Billy Hildebrand teams from 60-64, 7 wins and 33 losses. There was always next year! Believe it took another ten years or so to the Cal Stoll era before the team became temporarily respectful.
Grobe and his staff should be compensated by W & L. Perhaps they should be penalized with salary reductions based on performance. Ask this question; is the head coach worth a seven figure pay package? Perhaps in ‘06 and ‘07 but woefully inadequate since. Guess it will be up to the powers to be to determine the fate of the managing personnel…
Tom on 11/06/2010 (11:04 pm)
Dan,
Hey, all I can say is “hang it there.”
What else can we say this year!
U R terrific.
Bobby
bobby h griffin on 11/06/2010 (9:58 pm)
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