Players show support online while UNC Board of Trustees remain silent on Bill Belichick
COULD SEE SHOWERS THIS WEEKEND.
>> WE'RE LOOKING HERE. LOOK
WHO LOOK. WE RAN INTO TODAY ON
THE CAMPUS AT UNC. THAT'S BILL
BELICHECK, OF COURSE, WALKING
INTO KEY IN-STADIUM FLANKED BY
A FEW OF THESE HIS FOOTBALL
PLAYERS. A WHOLE LOT OF TALK
ABOUT THE TAR HEELS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM TONIGHT STARTING WITH
THIS UNIVERSITY CONFIRMS OF THE
QUARTERBACKS COACH IS IN FACT,
SUSPENDED CAROLINA ATHLETICS
RELEASING A STATEMENT TODAY
SAYING, QUOTE, NORTH CAROLINA
SYSTEM FOOTBALL COACH ARMAAN
HAWKINS HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR
VIOLATING NCAA RULES RELATED TO
EXTRA BENEFIT. YOU WILL REMAIN
ON LEAVE AS THE DEPARTMENT OF
ATHLETICS. FURTHER
INVESTIGATES. OTHER POTENTIAL
ACTIONS DETRIMENTAL TO THE TEAM
AND UNIVERSITY. IT'S NOT EVEN
FRIDAY AND IT'S BEEN QUITE A
WEEK FOR UNC FOOTBALL. THIS
COACH SUSPENSION IS JUST THE
TIP OF THE ICEBERG. WRAL.
SHAUN GALLAGHER UNPACK SOME OF
THE OTHER PIECES OF THIS TAR
HEEL TURMOIL AND WHAT THE
PEOPLE WERE SAYING AND NOT
SAYING ABOUT IT ALL.
FOR 2 FULL DAYS NOW HAS BEEN
TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH
ANYBODY THROUGH UNC THAT CAN
SPEAK TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH
BILL BELICHECK AND THE FOOTBALL
DRAMA WE'VE REPORTED ON THIS
WEEK, SPECIFICALLY THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES, A GROUP THAT HAD A
HEAVY HAND IN GETTING BELICHECK
HIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT MUCH LIKE KENAN STADIUM ON
A BYE WEEK ARE REALLY DURING
THE SECOND HALVES OF ANY OF
THESE DISAPPOINTING GAMES.
IT'S JUST BEEN SILENCE.
>> BILL BELICHECK APPEARS
UNFAZED BY THE CRITICISM AROUND
HIS PROGRAM TALKING BALL WITH 4
OF HIS TEAM'S TIGHT ENDS
HEADING INTO PRACTICE THURSDAY
EVENING, SPORTING A SHORT
SLEEVE HOODIE, SIMILAR TO THE
ONE HE WAS GIVEN WHEN
INTRODUCED 10 MONTHS AGO.
>> THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A
DREAM COME TRUE. A DREAM THAT'S
TURNED TO A NIGHTMARE AFTER A
POOR START TO THE SEASON AND
DEEP FRACTURES IN THE PROGRAM
EXPOSED A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT
WITH INFIGHTING AND
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR
CERTAIN PLAYERS. I REACHED OUT
TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR
COMMENT AND THE BELICHECK
RELATIONSHIP BE SALVAGED.
ARE THEY CONSIDERING FIRING
THE COACH? SILENCE? I HAVEN'T
HAD A SINGLE RESPONSE FROM ANY
OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE
MEMBERS. WE'VE CONTACTED, BUT I
AM TOLD NO MEMEBER OF THE
UNIVERSITY OR BOARD OR HAVING
ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AN EXIT
STRATEGY FOR BELICHECK.
>> AND IT'S BEEN SILENCE FROM
THE ATHLETIC SIDE OF THINGS
AS WELL. ONLY RECEIVING THE
STATEMENTS OF COMMITMENT BY
THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, BUBBA
CUNNINGHAM AND BELICHECK
ONLINE. AND WHEN WE REQUESTED
COMMENT DIRECTLY FROM
BELICHECK, WE WERE PUSHED BACK
TO THE UNIVERSITY PUBLISHED
STATEMENT. BUT IT'S THAT
STATEMENT THAT'S GAINING STEAM
FOR THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, SOME
OF REPOSE DID THE ACTUAL
STATEMENT ONLINE AND OTHERS
POSTING THEIR OWN MESSAGES OF
TRUSTING THE PROCESS AND
BLOCKING OUT THE NOISE. HAS IT
ALL RELATES TO THE DYSFUNCTION
REPORTED ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
AND AS FOR THE LEADER OF THE
UNIVERSITY, CHANCELLOR LEE
ROBERTS, HIS OFFICE
ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST, BUT
IT'S DECLINING TO SPEAK AT THIS
TIME
>> OUR OUR SEAN GALLAGHER
REPORTING THERE. SO THIS IS YET
ANOTHER ADDITION TO WHAT HAS
BEEN SEEMINGLY AN ENDLESS
FLURRY OF HEADLINES ABOUT THE
TAR HEELS THIS WEEK. BUT THE
UNIVERSITY SAYS, HEY, IT'S ALL
GOOD. WE ARE BEHIND COACH
BELICHECK. WOULD YOU BELIEVE,
THOUGH? THAT'S A BIG QUESTION.
WELL, MAYBE LOOKING AT THE FINE
PRINT MIGHT HELP. SO WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT COACH