Julius Peppers was one of the smartest basketball players Matt Doherty ever coached, the former UNC coach posted on Twitter earlier on Tuesday. PHOTO: Scott Sharpe, N&O file
CHAPEL HILL — Former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty took to his Twitter account earlier today and defended the intelligence of Julius Peppers, the former Tar Heels’ all-American football player whose college transcript (somehow) made its way onto UNC’s website.
The transcript, which went viral after N.C. State fans discovered it on an obscure page of UNC’s website, showed that Peppers was barely eligible to play during his college years. He left UNC with a 1.8 GPA – at least in classes for which a letter grade was recorded – and he made Ds or Fs in 11 courses.
Nonetheless, Doherty had this to say on Twitter about Peppers: “Julius Peppers was one of the smartest players I ever coached.” Full tweet:
Julius Peppers was one of the smartest players I ever coached. He remembered plays better than anyone. He was a good person and a worker...
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
This, of course, set off a minor Twitter firestorm, with some rival fans – OK, N.C. State fans – mocking both Doherty and Peppers.
Austin Johnson, an N.C. State graduate who at times writes for the N.C. State-focused website PackPride.com, responded this way to Doherty: “Seriously, I’ve coached a ton of dumb players – how I interpreted [Doherty’s] tweet.”
To which Doherty responded: “Can't believe a Pack fan is taking shots at UNC's education? Really? Stay tuned for some famous NC State quotes!"
And then it got good. Doherty, of course, went first with the famed “amphibious quote” – credited by most to former N.C. State player Charles Shackleford:
A famous NC State player once said, "I can go left, I can go right. I be amphibious!" Go Heels!
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
And then Doherty came with this:
An NC State player said in response to a question on why he chose State, "I always wanted to go to school in the North." He was from SC!
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
We can guess that N.C. State fans reacted negatively to that, which I’m presuming led to this:
State fans are so easy!Fun to mess with them.
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
But Doherty did take a moment to get serious, writing: "If UNC demonstrated academic fraud, responsible party should pay penalty. No question. With that, many good schools have [easy] classes/majors.”
That, of course, is a reference the dots many have connected between Peppers' transcript and suspect courses in the African and Afro-American Studies classes. UNC identified 54 problematic classes between 2007 and 2011 – years after Peppers arrived on campus – but some wonder whether Peppers benefited from some of the issues found in those courses, namely no-show professors, unauthorized grade changes and the like.
In closing, Doherty left us with this:
Whole pt today was to defend Julius's intelligence. Bad student - yes. Dumb person - no. Good person - definitely.
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
And this:
Still fun exchange w State fans. Like being back in Reynolds!
— Matt Doherty (@DohertyMatt) August 21, 2012
What’d any of us do before Twitter?
Comments
I just want to know,since
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 09:56 — nilla008I just want to know,since unc forfeitted all last years wins,is ecu due financial compensation? They were one win shy of bowl eligibility & they lost at unc.you get a payout for playing in bowl game
Carolina Tweet
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 05:32 — PACK_MIKE77Tweet on UNC.
With every tweet comes more UNC arrogance and self-indulgence.
Self importance is the UNC way.
"If I am a UNC fan, I AM SOMEBODY"
Anyone seen the license plate here in Raleigh UNCSWAG?
The guy will be wearing light blue sunglasses!
Tweet on UNC.
So what
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 01:10 — disgusted01It's not the intelligence of these players that's in question here--IT'S THE ACADEMICS THAT'S IN QUESTION.
These guys don't do college work, because the high schools and the universities DON'T REQUIRE THEY DO THE WORK.
They're "gettin' over" and smirking about it.
...Don't do college work.
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 08:12 — GrandadWhat is the purpose of college?
What dreams do most college athletes have?
Who determines what dreams are "acceptable" for a real career, and what aren't worth a college preparation. What criteria?
We're all hypocrites! We recruit these athletes to school, and when they get there, tell them their professional goals aren't worthy of being taken seriously. We demand that they major in something valuable, like political science or French. It's like demanding a doctor major in foreign language. Sports are entertainment, just like art, music and drama. It is worthy career choice, and should be taken seriously. Peppers may have gotten an "F" in a course he had absolutely no interest in, but I bet he would have excelled in "The theory of zone defenses" or perhaps "Pro contracts, Friends & Family". Serious courses to prepare these students for their future could be developed for a curriculum taught in the college of arts and sciences, just like ones for music majors, drama students, and business majors. A musician learns a piece of music and performs, an athlete learns a play book and performs, and both get credits. If college were a little more relevant, maybe some of the one-and-dones would stay around a little bit longer. Maybe they woudn't feel like just a dumb jock playing basketball if their dreams were respected. Why can't a kid get a sports degree, with an emphasis in basketball? Maybe if some of the general college students had to learn some of the information demanded of athletes, they would no longer look down on the "dumb jocks." These kids work very hard to achieve their dreams, harder than the average student. Recognize the work, value their choices, and reward them accordingly. If colleges accept these students, then the college has an obligation to help prepare these students for their future. Currently, we pull them in, teach them enough to perform well on Saturday so the big bucks flow and we can be "proud of our school," and teach them precious little that is going to help them long term. 80% of pro athletes are bankrupt 5 years after their careers end. We taught them just enough to use them. They are the "slaves on the plantation." End the hypocricy!
Doh
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 21:42 — bogueloverWow, Doh sure seems like a top-drawer sort of guy, if one reads those tweets of his. Cannot believe someone of his caliber was fired from coach on Cheater-Hill. Wait, he was fired from somewhere else, wasn't he? That Doh is just the epitome of UNCheat graduate cream. What a Dude!
Hey Coach Duh
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 20:17 — otis4411We know why you like jawing with us wolfpack fans. Your eweNc buddies don't claim you!! Seriously you shouldn't say he was the smartest kid you coached when his gpa was only 1.9 at the highest. I would love to see the other 2 yrs of transcripts and see how he stayed elgible those 2 yrs. I know I know summer school home of the easy 4 A's!!
Guess it depends on your definition
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 17:39 — changewcpss1Because there's BOOK smart and then there's basketball smart.
For the record
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 17:14 — cbailey2JP donated $100,000 to the same scholarship in 2009. So "out of the blue" is a little under researched.
The point Matt was trying to make is that not everyone does well in school but that doesn't make them dumb. I work in the finance industry and there are a lot of people who had 4.0 GPAs and make tons of money b/c of their degree but are some of the dumbest people you'll ever meet. Intelligence is relevant. JP was recruited to play football just like Shackleford was recruited by NCSU to play basketball.
UNC always has been and always will be a great school.
So he dontated $100K three
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 19:40 — kolodzSo he dontated $100K three years ago...do you think he would have coughed up another $250K this week if his transcript didn't hit the web last week?
And his one time professor, turned advisor, turned agent and now handler crafts the over-the-top letter released this week...great PR piece. Not often does an esteemed professor latch on to a struggling (meal ticket) athlete, pull strings and make sure he plays (depsite being ineligible) until he's ready for the draft and then go on to be his agent. Much better pay day...he's also quite an internet blogger, creating clever sites like "dirtydankane.com".
$250K is blood money and PR. Just another BS move by a systematic cheating institution who has been caught red-handed. This donation does not mitigate the fraud everyone involved from Peppers to Carey to the faculty, to Baddour to Holden' Johnson. Enjoy the dirty money UNC....you should be used to it by now.
What have you donated or done ???
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 20:40 — bryant80Your making a real difference in the world ! Sitting on the computer pointing the finger at a man giving a donation.lol. Unless your out volunteering or giving donations you should probably shut up.
Dohrety Making UNC Look Even Worse
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 16:09 — kolodzStay Classy UNC....the beatings these CHEATERS are getting daily in the press are taking their toll. JP donates $250K out of the "blue" after the world finds out he was never eligible to play while at UNC (like Hakeem Nicks, but hey at THE University of Phoenix at Chapel Hill, they never let something silly like NCAA Compliance get in the way of winning teams) and another UNC idiot spouts off on twitter.
This is great stuff. SMU now have more in common with UNC-CHeat than just unprecedented cheating...BOTH schools fired Duh-rety for being a lousy coach.
Question is, did Dohrety cry in the interview after SMU fired him too?
Total, door knob...keep it classy UNC!
Never eligible to play ?
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 10:35 — gvillegatrThe only time he was never eligible to play was his freshman year and HE REDSHIRTED THAT SEASON.
Throughout the rest of his collegiate career he was eligible.
"Beating in the press".lmao. What a joke.
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 20:41 — bryant80UNC and NC Stae IS THE ONLY ONE CARE ABOUT THIS.lol.Get a life...
????
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 16:54 — MarcoPDude-you need to cut down on the caffeine and lighten up on the comment board. UNC is in a weak position, but instead of making them look bad, you validate all the urban legends about State Fans. Duke is now clearly in the drivers seat when it comes to being classy!
Paranoid much?
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 17:11 — YAR8packWhere does kolodz say he or she is an NC State fan?
Don't matter, from where I
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 19:41 — coastalconnectionDon't matter, from where I am sitting, being Wolfpack Red, sure looks a lot better than being cheater blue. What we are seeing here is the tip of the iceberg. We need a full unbias investigation into the whole cesspool at unc. Plus, the NCAA better go back to chapel hole and dig deeper, academic fraud is one thing, allowing basketball and football players that are probably ineligible to play is another. If the NCAA really gets to the bottom of this mess, not only will the heels be on decade long probation, they will be assigned several probation officers to monitor them, so they don't do what????? Revert back to the "carolina way."
Love the bold red
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 08:57 — brucesbOh boy. Someone learned how to use the cool formatting tools to post a comment. The bold red and highlighting sure makes your rabid hatred of UNC all the more prominent. It seems to me that the only remedy for state fans is total annihilation of Chapel Hill. Well, my friend, that is not going to happen. Death penalty in football? Oh, let's throw basketball in too because we hate that you have a good team once in a while. Not happening either. More NCAA sanctions? Maybe, since they rule seemingly upon a whim, think PSU vs. Cam Newton. I would go on some more, but I have work to do teaching at another Univ., that my degrees from UNC surely prepared me. If you think the cheating among althetes at UNC is bad, then look at the general student population. I can tell you cheating is rampant, everywhere. Does that mean everyone does it? No. Does it mean cheaters should not be punished. No, again.