Big Trouble In Durham

Things just keep getting worse for the Tarheels

Thursday night's UNC press conference featured a worse-for-the-wear Butch Davis, a somewhat exasperated Dick Baddour and a frustrated-looking Holden Thorp, all discussing the "widening" of the investigation into the football program at Chapel Hill.

Their outwardly expressed emotions are understandable: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has long had a sterling academic reputation, and the latest probe by the NCAA is unsettling to say the least.

Kendric Burney might not play for the Tar Heels in the future. (US Presswire)
Kendric Burney might not play for the Tar Heels in the future. (US Presswire)
"Academic achievement and fairness are at the heart of the University of North Carolina and the Department of Athletics," said Thorp. "We are treating this issue with the seriousness that you would expect from this university. We will straighten this out."

Thorp's presence at the news conference may indicate just that -- as does the reported movement of the majority of defensive starters to Carolina's scout team during recent practices.

As Baddour said, Carolina is "not at the end of the investigation" -- they're "somewhere near the middle or the beginning of it."

But one thing is crystal clear: Carolina is dealing with a problematic case of "academic issues" within the football team that could/will/has threatened several of the players' ability to remain on the team.

In fact, we earlier reported that two cornerbacks, Charles Brown and Kendric Burney, had already been kicked off the team, and two sources close to the athletic department firmly believe they will not be a part of the team in the future.

A spokesman from North Carolina has since denied the report that Brown and Burney were kicked off the team and Burney has even tweeted that he's excited for practice tomorrow.

I can't be the only person who finds it ironic that Butch Davis, a man who people have portrayed as having "cleaned up" University of Miami football, is now presiding over what might be one of the biggest meltdowns by a team on the eve of their season beginning at just the moment where they had started gaining respect across the nation.

I don't know how this will all turn out but for right now its pretty damned ugly...