Dave Clawson Credibility Watch

[JKW385]

Anyone who didn’t expect us to take some good medicine this year is delusional after losing our 6th year QB (despite that I still think it was right call for Sam to move on- just wish it wasn’t ND in a year we’re playing them). Most Any non-blue blood Power 5 team would take a step back. Stevie Wonder coulda seen that Mitch wasn’t going to work out at this level when he struggled against Elon in the opener to scramble, couldn’t see over the line, and took too long. To be fair to him - O line and WR’s have taken a huge step back this year too so he hasn’t exactly had a good deck of cards. DC is extremely analytical and business minded but it still baffles me how long it takes him to sit guys and give someone else a chance- especially QB. This isn’t pee wee football or FCS ball.

 

[deacdixieboy]

Some of the reporters got caught up in all the sunshine talk in August. I don't think Clawson needs a megaphone for the pre-season sunshine pitch but he sure got one this year. One of the consequences of that hyperbole from staff and reporters is highly mismanaged expectations within the fan base. The objective reporting came from the far removed national media who after having never seen a practice, predicted a significant fall off with the loss of Hartman. The national media didn't pay attention to the positive staff reports either. Nor were they impressed by special access to the program. I don't want Lenox Rawlings back but I don't know that anyone wants a bouquet of roses from any reporters watching practices. And I wouldn't expect everyone to like this viewpoint either.

Les and Cam have lost whatever little credibility they had. I agree completely that the reason for the extent of our anger is that it was blown up our asses that we wouldn’t have a drop off at all.

 

[wakelaw13]

Les was actually trying to sell that Mitch’s struggles are comparable to Hartman’s only a few weeks ago. Sure, Sam had some bad games, but he was obviously better as a true freshman than Mitch has ever or will ever be.

 

[liveanddiedeac]

Les was actually trying to sell that Mitch’s struggles are comparable to Hartman’s only a few weeks ago. Sure, Sam had some bad games, but he was obviously better as a true freshman than Mitch has ever or will ever be.

Sam never looked anywhere near as bad consistently as Mitch. I don’t even think Wolford did his first 2 years either for that matter.

 

[Deac65]

I keep reading where we will probably lose a lot of key performers in the portal. Color me confused but if we have a lot of key performers why is our record so bad? Hell with a few exceptions I wouldn't mind losing the whole dam bunch.

 

[liveanddiedeac]

I keep reading where we will probably lose a lot of key performers in the portal. Color me confused but if we have a lot of key performers why is our record so bad? Hell with a few exceptions I wouldn't mind losing the whole dam bunch.

What is it “Good news, we’ve got everybody back next year, bad news we got everybody back next year.”

 

[TheAbster]

I keep reading where we will probably lose a lot of key performers in the portal. Color me confused but if we have a lot of key performers why is our record so bad? Hell with a few exceptions I wouldn't mind losing the whole dam bunch.

Because one of the key performers could NOT hit the broad side of a barn and couldn't see over other key performers without a step-stool.

 

[macktheknife]

Dave Clawson is a good coach and a great man. I think it’s hard for any of us to appreciate the pace at which college football has changed. Jumbo Fisher gets 75 million to sit on a beach. Our staff making high school visits while others plot how to spend millions on portals and NIL contracts. This happened ultra fast. I believe we have smart people running our athletics. This off season will bring serious changes on how we go forward. Wake Forest is a secretive bunch. When NIL happened, FSU was wide open on every known media outlet including highway billboads. I read about a collective on this limited platform. It’s really more about Wentz and Currie than Clawson. Who are we going to be?

 

[TheAbster]

It’s really more about Wentz and Currie than Clawson. Who are we going to be?

Friday night, Currie and Wente gave a 45 minute talk to a room full of us about NIL primarily. We were asked not to share specifics but I can unequivocally say that if anyone is under the assumption that these ADs and presidents have this all figured out and a clear vision for the future, they are forming a seriously bad assumption. I did come away feeling better but that's a relative term.

Edited to note: I've met the lot of them from Wellman, Hearn, Hatch etc... and I have NEVER, EVER been more impressed and thankful to have Currie and Wente at this time in Wake Forest sports history. They are the right people and give us a fighting chance at this.

 

[macktheknife]

I keep reading where we will probably lose a lot of key performers in the portal. Color me confused but if we have a lot of key performers why is our record so bad? Hell with a few exceptions I wouldn't mind losing the whole dam bunch.

You might be right. We beat FSU 3 years in a row. Rules changed. They bought a new team.

 

[SkyDivingDeacon]

Les is a hack. A nice enough guy I guess, unless you disagree with him, but a hack nonetheless. Cam…Cam can fuck right off. I hate that anyone supports those two, despite their coverage of the Deacs. I’m not sure they have any credibility left. Anyone watching the first few games knew that our issues largely centered around the QB position. You have to wonder if there were actual journalists posing tough questions to DC, if he wouldn’t have reluctantly admitted to the QB issues earlier and salvaged whatever season we had left. Nobody put any pressure on him until it was obviously an issue - even after the home crowd booed Mitch and DC. We then watched with wonder, our 3rd string QB, and seemingly last resort, come in and lead us to victory over Pitt to only then turn around and watch Mitch trot out there again to shit the bed. DC is stubborn as a mule so I have no idea how much it would have helped, but the fans being told by one of Wake’s only beat writers that we are wrong and they and DC are right was/is incredibly frustrating in hindsight.

Also, despite his overuse of capitalization to make a point…Abster did call this before and after the first game. It’s a shame nobody on the staff saw what was about to happen to the season after our opener and especially after ODU.

 

[macktheknife]

Another thing is we need a new stat for TV broadcasts. There is no public reporting on NIL contracts but there should be especially for The Publics. Today Wake faces FSU with $15 million in Nil contracts to their $2 Million. Gonna be an uphill climb for the Deacs today, but that dang Clawson always does more with less.

 

[macktheknife]

And another thing. I was at the UGA football game last night(forced by family). And a frightening thing occurred to me. These fucks got no problem raising $150 Million dollars in NIL money. With no cap in place this whole endeavor is fucking over.

 

[JKW385]

sam is a high ceiling low floor guy - was here and still at ND. Mitch is just a low floor guy. I think we’re better off generally speaking with a middle of the road guy who can manage the game. Yeah he won’t throw for 400 but he’s not gonna turn it over 4 times. Yeah it’s not as exciting to watch but it’s more sustainable for us because it’s so hard to claw back when you have those bad games and you’re counting on out-executing the other team all the time. Our best QB’s are generally those guys - Wolford, Skinner, Hinton, McPherson, Ben Sankey, Cory Randolph. I would put Mauk, Leak, Anthony Young, Newman, Tanner, Brian Kuklick, Rusty, and Sam as high ceiling low floor. (I’m sure I’m missing some guys).

 

[pdogdke]

The entire program is stale. No energy. No accountability. When Clawson gave a shit, we rarely if ever beat ourselves with dumb personal foul and unsportsmanlike penalties. Happens all the time now. That’s a sign of a coaching staff that has checked out, starting with the head coach.

If he hadn’t checked out, there is no way he wouldn’t have ridden the momentum from Marucci’s performance in the Pitt game. We had a chance to establish an identity coming off of that win, and he just chucked it all to put his guy Griffis back in there. He would rather be comfortable than win. Just like Grobe when he essentially gave up. The similarities are unmistakable.

ok. you defended your position. i respect that, but don't agree with you.

 

[wakelaw13]

The current NIL format will devolve into a scenario where 8-12 colleges have pre-NFL teams and the drop off will be extreme. Not that it hasn’t been extreme before, but Wake Forest has actually won a conference championship and a division championship under the old rules.

One advantage Wake had was the value of a full scholarship to an elite school. Now, that advantage is basically gone. What will be the draw to play at Wake Forest or Northwestern or Vandy?

 

[JKW385]

Not to mention the fact that Wake is no longer a top 25 school so I don’t know if the elite school argument even holds water anymore compared to Duke, Stanford, NW, Vandy. We have the resources and profile of a regional liberal arts college

 

[Haros]

Friday night, Currie and Wente gave a 45 minute talk to a room full of us about NIL primarily. We were asked not to share specifics but I can unequivocally say that if anyone is under the assumption that these ADs and presidents have this all figured out and a clear vision for the future, they are forming a seriously bad assumption. I did come away feeling better but that's a relative term.

Edited to note: I've met the lot of them from Wellman, Hearn, Hatch etc... and I have NEVER, EVER been more impressed and thankful to have Currie and Wente at this time in Wake Forest sports history. They are the right people and give us a fighting chance at this.

Why the secrecy? Is the amount we have to offer like a form of competitive intelligence that if it were known would hurt us getting guys?

 

[TheAbster]

Why the secrecy? Is the amount we have to offer like a form of competitive intelligence that if it were known would hurt us getting guys?

I think mostly because the AD and school would like to share to the public with things better firmed up and in place. I don't think any of it is some deep dark secret to rule the world. It was more of please be respectful not to share much of this until the ink is dry and we can share with the alumni, fans and general public with things better polished. But, I can share (as mentioned above) that we are very much in the process of trying to grapple with the future of college athletics and NIL. And it's not because Currie is lazy or doesn't care. It's literally because this stuff is evolving weekly. There is some consensus within our AD that this will find some equilibrium in 2-3 years. I'm suspect of that but they're entitled to their opinion.

 

[Haros]

I think mostly because the AD and school would like to share to the public with things better firmed up and in place. I don't think any of it is some deep dark secret to rule the world. It was more of please be respectful not to share much of this until the ink is dry and we can share with the alumni, fans and general public with things better polished.

So a they want to 100% control the messaging thing?