FUCK YOU, RON WELLMAN

[RacerDeac]

I might be wrong, but I don't think Harvard, Duke or Stanford's reputation is driven by their athletic teams

I'd agree. There are exceptions to every rule.

 

[deacs1995]

we dont even fit in with the magnolia league anymore

 

[Buttermaker]

Our new peer group.

No other power 5 conference team to be found in that group...

 

[dc9deac]

Duke, UVA, Vandy, and even UNC have better academic reputations nationally than we do. They also field much more successful revenue sports teams. I don't think that is a coincidence.

Revenue sport success (apart from Duke/UNC hoops in recent decades) at well regarded academic schools fluctuates over time much more dramatically than do academic rankings. So I don't see much of a correlation between the two.

Would Wake be able to raise more money for revenue sports and perhaps recruit better if our national academic profile were higher? Probably. But the causal relationship between success in revenue sports and academic prestige is pretty attenuated.

 

[Shake]

I can assure you that Duke's basketball success has a major impact on the Duke brand

 

[lbdeac94]

No one in the greater country cares that Wake Forest supposedly does things more ethically than others. Or does things "the right way." Literally, people could not care less. The only people who believe that are apparently in the inner circle of the decision makers at Wake. Which pretty much sucks for anyone stupid enough to be a Wake Forest sports fan.

 

[deacvision7]

In this day of social media and the ability to instantly download one's emotions online, why haven't we heard from any former player, coaches, etc., on how terrible Wellman is?

Dudes don't want to be hunted, bro.

 

[KVegasDeac]

In this day of social media and the ability to instantly download one's emotions online, why haven't we heard from any former player, coaches, etc., on how terrible Wellman is?

Many don't want to burn bridges by posting something negative on social media. I think most will tell you what they think in a face-to-face conversation. Some just stay away and refuse to write checks.

The issue isn't with Wake Forest University. The issue is with Ron Wellman.

 

[KVegasDeac]

How much autonomy did Skip have or did Wellman hamstring him too? Did they have a decent working relationship?

I don't know too much about the relationship between Skip and Wellman, working or otherwise. I was once told that Prosser knew how to handle Ron.

 

[dartsndeacs]

Many don't want to burn bridges by posting something negative on social media. I think most will tell you what they think in a face-to-face conversation. Some just stay away and refuse to write checks.

The issue isn't with Wake Forest University. The issue is with Ron Wellman.

Also, how many athletes actually have any sort of significant interactions with Ron?

 

[dartsndeacs]

But one thing I will say, and others have suggested as much on this thread, his first -- and it seems, only -- priority is protecting Wake Forest's image and reputation.

People with million dollar a year jobs do whatever it is to keep them. If Ron thinks that way he knows what his bosses care about.

Because in actuality, was Wake Forest's reputation hurt in the least bit from the Good Morning America interview 5 years ago?

 

[dartsndeacs]

Nice to see the board's common belief that Wake Forest Sports biggest problem is PC Principal Wellman, though.

 

[PhDeac]

People with million dollar a year jobs do whatever it is to keep them. If Ron thinks that way he knows what his bosses care about.

Because in actuality, was Wake Forest's reputation hurt in the least bit from the Good Morning America interview 5 years ago?

No. But it hurt our rep for AD plants and boosters to keep bring it up to justify a poor hire.

 

[wakephan09]

In this day of social media and the ability to instantly download one's emotions online, why haven't we heard from any former player, coaches, etc., on how terrible Wellman is?

I'm not sure. My best guess is that people that were dismissed or wronged know they fucked up. Although the punishment doesn't necessarily fit the crime, no one wants to get on twitter and say "I got caught smoking marijuana three times by the athletic department and they kicked me off of the team." And is Wellman even in the wrong in this case? Follow the GD rules. For every player legitimately wronged -- and I'm sure there have been a couple -- there are a dozen who have broken rules. That we might enforce rules more harshly than other schools is a different matter altogether.

These people don't realize that the reputation of the university is affected in large part by the success of its sports teams, not some contrived notion that we are smarter, more ethical, and more righteous than other schools. I graduated from undergrad almost 20 years ago. We have had a static national ranking since then. Duke, UVA, Vandy, and even UNC have better academic reputations nationally than we do. They also field much more successful revenue sports teams. I don't think that is a coincidence. If Wake was a top 10 school academically, I could understand somewhat the smug holier than thou attitude that pervades the athletic department, administration, and high level boosters. Meanwhile the next generation of potential big money boosters become more disaffected with each wasted season and continued ineptitude in the athletic department making them more likely to sit on their wallets.

I hate to break it to you and the rest of the boards, but academic rankings really don't change very much. Wake Forest will never, ever be in the top 10 of the USNW rankings. Ever. And we probably won't ever drop much below where we are now. "duke, UVA, Vandy, and even UNC" had better reputations than us before we were ever good at basketball.

Big money donors don't really seem very disaffected. The hangar party is as good evidence of this as any. It's only the people that buy into the doom and gloom on the internet -- which, to be fair, is often warranted -- who think that.

Revenue sport success (apart from Duke/UNC hoops in recent decades) at well regarded academic schools fluctuates over time much more dramatically than do academic rankings. So I don't see much of a correlation between the two.

Would Wake be able to raise more money for revenue sports and perhaps recruit better if our national academic profile were higher? Probably. But the causal relationship between success in revenue sports and academic prestige is pretty attenuated.

Well said on both accounts. Wake's national academic profile certainly increased in the post-ACC champs years, but it isn't going to drop because we suck now.

If Ron thinks that way he knows what his bosses care about.

Because in actuality, was Wake Forest's reputation hurt in the least bit from the Good Morning America interview 5 years ago?

These are both good points, plama. It's difficult for me to say one way or the other whether or not a policy of no-tolerance for rule-breakers is good or bad for Wake Forest. It probably hurts us in the short term, and I'm not sure about its long-term effects. But no, not a single person outside of our message board circle remembers the name Gary Clark or the Good Morning America thing.

 

[BillGeorge]

No one in the greater country cares that Wake Forest supposedly does things more ethically than others. Or does things "the right way." Literally, people could not care less. The only people who believe that are apparently in the inner circle of the decision makers at Wake. Which pretty much sucks for anyone stupid enough to be a Wake Forest sports fan.

After 30+ years of DC contributions, season tickets, parking passes, and seats rights I'm done. I'll still attend a few games but I won't purchase through MSD, mostly road games. WF left me. Makes me want to puke what we've turned into. The DC won't miss me, I'm not a McCreary type booster.

 

[raldeac]

Yes, but we fans will miss you! You had a significant travel effort to be there and it was always good to see you. You demonstrate a great Wake Forest spirit and football knowledge and are an important part of the picture. I feel Wake football is moving back to being a solid competitor. I hope to see another good 'run' before travel becomes a greater burden for me too. Hoping to see you.

 

[BostonDeac]

Horrible flashbacks

‘‘We bring in players we have to develop. ... That’s the MO here. You’re not bringing in a five star, you’re bringing guys you can develop. They fit the culture."

 

[suck my deac]

Horrible flashbacks

‘‘We bring in players we have to develop. ... That’s the MO here. You’re not bringing in a five star, you’re bringing guys you can develop. They fit the culture."

Yeeeaah this model breaks down when you lose 17 out of the 26 players you bring in to develop

 

[PhDeac]

Yeeeaah this model breaks down when you lose 17 out of the 26 players you bring in to develop

Somehow there are a lot of wealthy people who don't understand that.

 

[Complacent Deac]

I can assure you that Duke's basketball success has a major impact on the Duke brand

And football recruiting.