"He never saw it coming!"
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I got off work today and heard about the firing of Butch Davis. Butch Davis was the coach of the University of North Carolina football coach, until today. The consensus in the Triangle(no matter who you pull for) is the that the timing of this firing is odd(eight days before the season starts). Many people believed Davis would be fired, but over the last year and a few months Davis has seemed to weather the storm. Then, today, Butch is gone; it seems Davis just couldn't shake off all the dirt. As a Carolina fan, I have a right to be mad at Butch Davis, but I just don't know... Many in this area believe that Davis had to know somethng about the infractions going on and should be held responsible. I agree Butch knew about some of the things going on and maybe he tried to put the fire out. I just have a hard time putting too much blame on him. Local sources still say "there is no proof linking Davis to the wrong doing."
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As I watch the reactions of the fans and students around the campus on TV, it seems to be a mixed bag as usual. Some saw it coming and were just surprised at the timing of it all. Others seemed more disappointed with the season so close. This event will hang a dark cloud over Kenan Stadium all year. Very few people seem to be really mad at Davis. Most don't even blame him. Local radio guys who are not UNC fans are reporting the firing and seem to be gloating on the inside. In this area, either you hate Carolina or you love them.
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The Chancellor at UNC, Holden Thorp, seems to be the one who finally pulled the trigger on the Butch Davis dismissal. Here is an official quote from the Chancellor, "Our academic integrity is paramount, and we must work diligently to protect it." Thorp also said,"The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change." It seems that Thorp finally fired Davis because in his opinion Butch and his staff had done more than embarrass the football team, he embarrassed the University.
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I heard another guy on the radio say in his opinion, "Butch Davis should have been fired last December and that this move at this time, makes no sense." This move may not hurt UNC too much this year. After Butch Davis left Unversity of Miami, Larry Coker( one of the most clueless coaches I have ever seen, who was later fired) won a National Championship. But UNC's future is totally up in the air and no one knows how this story will play out 2 or 3 years down the line.
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I don't much more than this, sorry. As an UNC fan, I am still trying to digest the whole thing. If anyone knows any more interesting facts about this story, please comment. As I learn anything new I will comment on this entry, stay tuned!
