North Carolina view: "like Iacocca going to Yugo"

[Pony^]

What Would You Do?
By Dan Mason

Posted: Today at 3:09 p.m.

What would you do if I told you that there was a new CEO job available at a company that has been struggling to make payroll for the past 25 years, enough so that they had to shut the doors for a period of time, but just took on some investment dollars. That same company wants to try to get the corporation back in the good graces of its few remaining customers but needs you to make it happen.

You need more information to make the decision right?

Your background has been stellar.

You're a winner, you've currently got a great job with a nice mid-size company with top flight people, and your making nice coin.

You've been honored by your colleagues and it seems every top company always comes knocking at your door.

You, my friend, are always on the short list when it comes to large, profitable companies narrowing their selections when they need to bring someone in to run their Fortune 500.

Everyone in America wants you.

This time though, that bottom feeder of a company has some serious bucks kicking around and they are desperate to make a splash. So desperate, they are willing to throw the kitchen sink in and you didn't even ask for it. We're talking megabucks. They promise you the world. Anything you want.

This sounding familiar yet sports fans? Well, in the spirit of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, hunting season it is in college football and one name I can't believe is reportedly about to switch addresses is Navy head coach Paul Johnson. North Carolina's Paul Johnson.

I can't blame him for shopping his services around, it's just the aisle he's landing in that doesn't make sense.

SMU, the school that served the death penalty for so many improprieties back in the 80's is about to land Johnson. What a coup! Paul Johnson has his pick of the litter, or so it would seem, but SMU? Doesn't add up unless you're eyeballing $$$ signs.

Historically bad football school + non-BCS conference = Paul Johnson? Honestly, did you ever see this one coming?

I mean this is like Iacocca going to Yugo.

If you're Duke, what does this tell you? The losing on the field is bad enough, but losing to SMU on a highly available coach that has roots in North Carolina? What a message this should send to even the most casual of Duke fans. I can't believe that Duke isn't more attractive than SMU. This place turned out the lights on football and has been in purgatory ever since.

I guess that's not much different though than what Duke's been in over the last 50 years in football.

Maybe they're waiting for Belichick to emerge. Maybe he's a candidate. He'll probably get some advice from Iacocca.

Can you blame Paul Johnson? What would you do?


http://www.wral.com/sports/999thefan/blogpost/2108516/

[ponyinNC]

as a pony alum (99' JD 03") living in NC, let me tell you how inflated Duke's perception is...this is the school that fired their lax coach and ended their season based on NO evidence...they are 2nd fiddle to UNC and actually everyone in NC HATES duke as nobody from the state even goes there. It's all Yankees from NY and NJ.

SMU>Duke

all apologies to DBB

[BRStang]

I am afraid that enough people may try to get together and spoil this for little old SMU, whether it be Duke, Navy itself or someone else.

[smupony94]

as a pony alum (99' JD 03") living in NC, let me tell you how inflated Duke's perception is...this is the school that fired their lax coach and ended their season based on NO evidence...they are 2nd fiddle to UNC and actually everyone in NC HATES duke as nobody from the state even goes there. It's all Yankees from NY and NJ.

SMU>Duke

all apologies to DBB

DBB likes Duke basketball only