It seems that Tie Dye Nation has been swept up in "Termination Fever" in the wake of yesterday's dismissals in Raleigh and Chestnut Hill. A disastrous 2012 campaign has message boards and social media outlets teeming with Deacon fans and some former players ready for a change at the top. Former players J. D. Oglesby and Devon Brown took to Twitter with their grievances, insinuating that the current staff as well as Ron Wellman was to blame for this year's woes.
"Are we seeing the end of this Wake Forest football administration? Simple answer, 'Yes!'" - Former Deacon linebacker J.D. Oglesby via Twitter
"...if only the outsiders knew! They all looked at me like I was the bad guy. Now that it's more people, they understand!" - Former Deacon receiver Devon Brown via Twitter
However, it seems that the opinions of Oglesby and Brown aren't necessarily shared by all within the Wake Forest football family. Wake Forest senior free safety Josh Strickland acknowledged today that last week's BSD opinion piece, "Entitlement and the Wake Forest Football Deacons" was mostly on target.
"Pretty much, yeah," Strickland said. "To be honest with you, I don't think enough players are shouldering the blame. This team quit during the N.C. State game. Some of that is on the coaches, yes, but having players who don't have any respect for the coaches is a problem."
Strickland admitted that things had essentially gone downhill starting with the Maryland game, which was marked by the mass suspensions of Deacon players for marijuana use.
Strickland's assertions certainly paint a picture of a team divided, whatever the reason. This time of tumult could not have come at a worse time for Wake Forest athletics. The men's basketball program has yet to inspire confidence in a weary fan base, and the conference itself finds itself on unsteady footing as realignment rumors continue to swirl.
This type of uncertainty is sure to hurt recruiting efforts unless the dissent can be quelled rather quickly by Wellman, Grobe or both.
