With Pitt's foray into the ACC, we figured it was time we go to know some of our ACC brethren. So each day for ... well, as long as we have them, we'll be posting Q&As with other SB Nation ACC blogs. The bad news? I'm lazy/tired/too busy (pick one) to get too creative here, so all ten questions were the same for every blog. The good news? That's still better than nothing.
Up today are our good friends over at Blogger So Dear, SB Nation's resident Wake Forest blog. Check them out. Answering questions on behalf of BSD is John Mundy.
1. First, give us a little background on your blog. How/why did you get started? How long have you been at it?
Martin Rickman, our managing editor, co-founded this little enterprise back in January 2009. Bud Elliot from Tomahawk Nation had seen Marty’s work at the Wake Forest student newspaper (along with a Sporting News blog) and asked him to fill the need for a Wake Forest site. So, here we are.
2. So tell us a little about our ACC brethren. Besides maybe your own, of course, whose fans are the most hospitable? Who do Pitt fans need to avoid like the plague?
I’ve never had any problems with any particular fan base in the ACC, although I know folks who have had stuff thrown on them at Maryland basketball games. I would say be wary of intoxicated N.C. State and Clemson fans, but Yinzers are a hearty bunch- I wouldn’t anticipate any problems with any particular fan base.
3. Again, leaving your school out, best road trip? And the place you wouldn't go even if given free airfare, lodging, and tickets?
My favorite road trip has been to Clemson, but I’ll qualify that by saying I haven’t been to Tallahassee (Golden Girls, y’know). The Tigers’ entrance to the stadium is something I panned for a lifetime before I saw it in person. Tigertown is a great trip (until the game starts). I have no interest, however, in wearing visiting colors at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Most State fans are great people, but Carter-Finley can be an oversized alcohol-fueled little man complex if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.
4. After dealing with John Marinatto in the Big East, we're pretty sure John Swofford's a genius, ninja, or both. Can you confirm/deny?
No AD in the country has raised his profile more than Swoff during his tenure. When the former UNC AD was hired by the league office, Carolina haters said, "Of course. Time for the UNC dynasty." Boy, has he silenced the haters. He’s definitely a ninja, but he may also be a witch. Just food for thought.
5. Okay, with that out of the way, what did fans of your school think about the additions of Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville? It's okay - rip into us ... you won't hurt our feelings (much).
There are a lot of older fans who still pine for the days of an 8-team ACC, and it hasn’t been that size for a long time now. Anyone with common sense I think would agree that 1) this makes the conference much, much better and that 2) Wake Forest needs to figure out basketball in a hurry. Woof.
6. For Pitt fans, Tony Dorsett is absolutely untouchable. Who's the athletic icon from your school (any sport) that we should never, ever make fun of?
Brian Piccolo. The end.
7. Not counting football and basketball, tell us a little more about a non/small-revenue program at your school that excels.
I would talk about men’s and women’s soccer, which are both nationally ranked programs but I would be remiss not to tout the field hockey team. Note: field hockey is a big deal in the ACC, with 11 of the last 12 national titles going to ACC schools. Wake Forest pulled off the three-peat from 2002-2004, and remain a strong program under coach Jennifer Averill.
8. While ACC fans (we're told, anyway) like to dress up to the occasion for games, Pitt fans are mostly the opposite. Even our most buttoned up fans are typically rocking a jersey (including the occasional Steelers jersey) or t-shirt with jeans/shorts for nice weather games. That goes for our ladies, too, by the way. Will that cut it for a game in your neck of the woods or do we need to try harder if we don't want to get mocked endlessly?
That’ll be fine in Winston-Salem. We’re a hospitable bunch down here. Be nice to us, and we’ll probably give you barbecue (a noun; a NOUN) or let you have some Bojangle’s. Only the fratboys wear the khakis and button-downs. However, the best part of Southern football is the sundress. You’ll understand soon enough.
9. If we're in town, what do we need to eat and where do we eat it? Oh yeah, and give us a local attraction/touristy thing, if you can.
Well, if you’re going to spend the money to come to Winston-Salem you are going to have to eat some North Carolina barbecue. Folk’s enjoy Bib’s Downtown and Little Richard’s, but there is no shortage of barbecue and fried chicken joints in the area. Tourists like to visit Old Salem and Reynolda House, but if you have time you can drive a half-hour north to Mount Airy (also known as Mayberry). If you do that, make sure you’re in time for lunch at Snappy Lunch and get the pork chop sandwich.
10. Pitt is known for its medical facilities and research - give us something non-sports related that's important about your school?
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is the city’s largest employer, and is a leading academic medical center nationally. The University’s medical school is folded into the hospital, which is always building new facilities to accommodate its national profile.
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