DENNY O'BRIEN: Bottom line: Pirates, 'Pack should play

Pirate Notebook No. 257
Friday, October 28, 2005

By Denny O'Brien

PIRATE TALK

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The importance of East Carolina's series against N.C. State will be debated until the day the two sides start wearing baby blue.

There will be that throng of Packbackers who vehemently insist the game is not a rivalry. Their argument will be further weighted by their team's recent boost in home attendance, the separation that has been created by the Bowl Championship Series, and the overstated argument that State has nothing to gain by playing the Pirates.

Then there is that mostly purple-clad contingent that embraces the match-up and strongly favors its consistent presence on the schedule. Their side of the debate is heavily slanted by the opinion that the game is a rivalry that generates statewide interest and media appeal.

From a purely passion perspective, no other game in the state generates more fervor within the football-viewing masses. The pigskin matters more at ECU and N.C. State than at any other Division I-A state school — more than North Carolina, more than Duke and Wake Forest combined.

Sure, North Carolina has a nice gridiron history that includes memorable performers and postseason appearances. That alone might mislead some to think the significance of football in Chapel Hill might rival its in-state neighbors.

But truthfully, trips to Kenan Stadium have proved little more than a three-month diversion for Tar Heels fans. A loss or two, and the conversation quickly turns to hoops.

Though much of the ACC's roundball heritage can be traced directly to Reynolds Coliseum, Wolfpack fans historically haven't abandoned Carter-Finley when State struggles on the gridiron. Regardless of the scenario or the opponent, the tailgating and passion in the stands rarely wavers.

Likewise for East Carolina, though the Pirates haven't had a strong enough hardwood tradition to divert attention. Even so, ECU made an investment long ago predicated on the notion that football would be the horse that pulls the athletics carriage, a mantra from which the Pirate faithful haven't wandered.

And the emphasis each school has placed on football is essentially what has generated an unrivaled atmosphere when the two play.

No doubt, there is little more the Wolfpack would like than to beat the Tar Heels into merciful submission. Be it football, basketball, baseball or chess, nothing is more pleasing to a State fan's soul than a herd of blood-stained Rams painfully limping home.

But a parallel passion for beating the Wolfpack isn't shared along Franklin Street.

While the drive to beat the Pirates isn't quite as high in West Raleigh, the repercussions for losing against them are. Combined with a loss to a dismal Heels team with a converted running back under center, it proved to be the last straw for former Wolfpack coach Mike O'Cain in 1999.

In only 23 games, the Pirates and Pack have generated a century of memories that will forever remain prominent in our state's football archives.

Some are indelible for their competitive, down-to-the-wire finishes that helped define the careers of several marquee individuals. Some are marked for the internal turmoil in which one or both schools were submerged at the time the two played.

Then there was the unfortunate incident that followed the Pirates' victory at State in 1987 — a postgame melee that temporarily drop-kicked the game from the schedule.

While no doubt the black eye of the series, what occurred on the turf following that game was an example of the magnitude of the competitive fires that had made the rivalry a classic. In a hoops-minded state, the series had developed into the Daytona 500 of N.C. football — the season opener that arguably was the most anticipated game by fans all year.

Looking back, the series stoppage was a knee-jerk, shortsighted reaction by one AD to an isolated incident that should not have outweighed all the good the match-up otherwise represented. And despite the changing climate that has formed uneven ground within the Division I-A ranks, the high-stakes aura that once existed when the two played can be salvaged.

Terry Holland and Lee Fowler recognize that. Otherwise, neither AD would be in full-throttle pursuit of an agreement that would add games in 2006 and 2009, bringing the total to six meetings over the next ten years.

For Holland and East Carolina, the game is a no-brainer. Conference USA offers no geographic rival and no school that is reachable by bus. That has produced little in the way of overall fan interest and plenty of red to the bottom line.

For Fowler and State, it's not as simple. The Pack plays its share of in-state opponents, has no shortage of conference rivals and has mentioned desires of harvesting match-ups with traditional football powers.

"There are times when it benefits one school more than the other and right now it probably benefits ECU more than N.C. State,” Holland said. “But the important part of it is that these games benefit the fans of both teams every single year and benefit the taxpayers of this state every single year.

“The economic impact of a football game on the immediate area is terrific, and given the state of our economy, it would be a huge disservice to the taxpayers to play a game outside of our state when it could be played to a full stadium in the state. Since both institutions ask for more and more money from our taxpayers each year, we have an obligation to do everything possible to help the taxpayers of this state.”

With 12-game schedules set to become the norm, there appears to be enough room for each to fit the other on the schedule. For State, it may require shelving Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, or Eastern Timbuktu.