NC State coach Mark Gottfried has received praise for his grace in handling of a difficult situation: coaching out a season after being fired. His dismissal has also touched off a discussion locally and nationally about NC State basketball, what coaches they can and cannot attract, and even a little turf war between local and national media that has played out on Twitter, sports radio air waves, and many a column.
But Mark Gottfried’s appearance on the ACC teleconference (talk about handling the job with grace–if you had heard the question he had to field from some mumbling reporter about Syracuse’s press you’d sympathize, trust me) produced a moment which raised the question: Does Mark Gottfried blame Bret Strelow’s move from the Fayetteville Observer to the Winston-Salem Journal as a reason for the Wolfpack’s troubled season?!
Well, yes, but he’s joking. It was a nice moment that showed the human side of each–Gottfried kinda sorta saying “hey man, we miss you” in a coach’s press conference kind of way. Strelow gives us a few human moments, chuckling at the mispronunciation of his name and then giving a slightly awkward but very genuine “good luck” to Gottfried after the question.
We can’t wait for that heady think piece on soft rims, Strelow.
