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The palace intrigue has spread across the ACC.
The second day of the ACC football media conference in Charlotte had unusual questions being asked by the hundreds in attendance.
“Is Bill coming?”
“Will Belichick show up?”
“Is Jordon tagging along?”
Justin Wilson, the young sports information director handling UNC football, reached out to the Triangle writers and broadcasters late Wednesday, to say there will be a gathering Thursday morning at 9 a.m. about football.
Wilson is new to the UNC role, so working with Belichick could turn out to be the toughest assignment he will ever have. He did not say what the meeting will be about, but Belichick is scheduled to have his formal press conference at 2 p.m.
The players who will also be coming to meet the press include quarterback Gio Lopez, who transferred in from South Alabama over the summer and has yet to take a snap in a Carolina jersey. Jordan Shipp, a backup wide receiver who caught nine passes last season, is also slated to meet the media.
The ACC is trying to make the largest preseason media event the conference has ever staged run smoothly. It is supposed to be uber organized with the coaches and players from each of the 17 football programs all knowing where they are going and when.
But the question still lingers: Will Belichick be there?
We all assume he’ll be present since it is part of his job. So is his weekly radio show, but we haven’t learned whether it will be held on Monday nights at Top of the Hill, like the last 15 years or broadcast from a quiet studio with the Hoodie giving the short answers for which he has become famous (along with 6 Super Bowl championships).
So if you are reading or hearing this after 9 Thursday morning, Belichick may or may not have been at that media confab called by Wilson, and if he was not, we at least wanted to find out what the hastily called informal presser was all about.
Some media members are upset that Carolina has not released which players will be available at assigned tables from where they can move to nearby radio row where the sports jocks will be expecting them and not have to endure wasted time.
From all reports, Belichick and his NFL players always arrived, if not punctually, even if for a shorter period than hoped for. We know how BB is the opposite of the talkative Mack Brown, but again this is college football and will he be the same curmudgeon as a college coach?
The mysterious excitement is building in the Queen City where all the Tar Heels will be back on September 6 to face UNC-Charlotte in a stadium about half the size of Kenan, which by the way has been announced as a complete sellout for all six home games.
We know the Hoodie will be THERE for sure.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
