Post by JayBee on Sept 27, 2007 6:07:31 GMT -5
A&T, Central chancellors apologize for scuffle
By Rob Daniels
Staff Writer
Thursday, Sep. 27, 2007 3:00 am
GREENSBORO -- The chancellors of N.C. A&T and N.C. Central apologized to each other Wednesday for Saturday's postgame altercation between their football teams. But they offered no word on when the schools will continue a football series that has been played almost every year since it began in 1924.
"That's not what we're here about today," Central's Charlie Nelms said during a 20-minute news conference at A&T's general administration building. "We're here to say the behavior was wrong, we're not going to tolerate it, and we're committed to working collaboratively to make sure to the best of our ability that it doesn't happen again. That's what we're here for. Not to announce a decision that we have made, because we have not made a decision."
Nelms and A&T's Stanley Battle stood side by side at a podium, delivered mea culpas and vowed to take corrective action, but offered few details. Battle, for example, said an Aggies football player had been suspended for the team's next two games, the first of which comes tonight against Norfolk State. But he declined to reveal the player's identity. Athletics director Dee Todd, who did not attend the news conference, referred all comment to Battle.
A&T officials have accused Central's coaches of instigating the altercation Saturday night by encouraging Eagles players to jump derisively on the A&T logo at midfield immediately after Central's 27-22 victory. The story went national when some media outlets reported that the scuffle lasted five minutes and was characterized by the swinging and throwing of helmets.
Several eyewitnesses have told the News & Record that the incident was defused in two minutes or less and did not pose long-term health risks to any of the participants.
"It was a great game," Battle said. "It was ruined because of a minute-and-a-half. And you must look at the film because not every player was fighting. Take note of that. No fans were engaged. No students who were there to watch the contest were engaged."
Battle said the incident was a singular, self-contained event and not indicative of any broader problem between the schools.
"Aggies marry Eagles and have children," he said. "They come back to our institutions and earn degrees. Print that. We know how to live with each other. We know how to coexist. Don't take it out of context."
For now, the details of the event remain the exclusive province of the A&T police, the investigating authority. Battle said he feels no compulsion to expedite a report or a decision on future meetings between the Aggies and Eagles. Saturday's game, the 79th in the rivalry and the first on either campus since 1992, attracted an announced crowd of 19,320 to Aggie Stadium -- the second-largest attendance among the 51 games played in the NCAA's second-highest division last week. The teams are scheduled to play Aug. 30, 2008, in Durham, but the venue has not been determined. Central's 10,000-seat stadium isn't big enough to satisfy demand, and Todd has said the Eagles hoped to strike a deal to move the game to Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium, which has a listed capacity of 33,000.
Todd said Monday that A&T will play a football game against Central in Durham at some point -- whether in 2008 or later -- to honor its end of a two-year contract. Battle and Nelms said the decision is pending.
"The reason we're doing this (news conference) is to stop the madness and stop the inconsistent statements," Battle said. "I can't follow all of this. If a comment is made about this incident from A&T, it's coming from me."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
By Rob Daniels
Staff Writer
Thursday, Sep. 27, 2007 3:00 am
GREENSBORO -- The chancellors of N.C. A&T and N.C. Central apologized to each other Wednesday for Saturday's postgame altercation between their football teams. But they offered no word on when the schools will continue a football series that has been played almost every year since it began in 1924.
"That's not what we're here about today," Central's Charlie Nelms said during a 20-minute news conference at A&T's general administration building. "We're here to say the behavior was wrong, we're not going to tolerate it, and we're committed to working collaboratively to make sure to the best of our ability that it doesn't happen again. That's what we're here for. Not to announce a decision that we have made, because we have not made a decision."
Nelms and A&T's Stanley Battle stood side by side at a podium, delivered mea culpas and vowed to take corrective action, but offered few details. Battle, for example, said an Aggies football player had been suspended for the team's next two games, the first of which comes tonight against Norfolk State. But he declined to reveal the player's identity. Athletics director Dee Todd, who did not attend the news conference, referred all comment to Battle.
A&T officials have accused Central's coaches of instigating the altercation Saturday night by encouraging Eagles players to jump derisively on the A&T logo at midfield immediately after Central's 27-22 victory. The story went national when some media outlets reported that the scuffle lasted five minutes and was characterized by the swinging and throwing of helmets.
Several eyewitnesses have told the News & Record that the incident was defused in two minutes or less and did not pose long-term health risks to any of the participants.
"It was a great game," Battle said. "It was ruined because of a minute-and-a-half. And you must look at the film because not every player was fighting. Take note of that. No fans were engaged. No students who were there to watch the contest were engaged."
Battle said the incident was a singular, self-contained event and not indicative of any broader problem between the schools.
"Aggies marry Eagles and have children," he said. "They come back to our institutions and earn degrees. Print that. We know how to live with each other. We know how to coexist. Don't take it out of context."
For now, the details of the event remain the exclusive province of the A&T police, the investigating authority. Battle said he feels no compulsion to expedite a report or a decision on future meetings between the Aggies and Eagles. Saturday's game, the 79th in the rivalry and the first on either campus since 1992, attracted an announced crowd of 19,320 to Aggie Stadium -- the second-largest attendance among the 51 games played in the NCAA's second-highest division last week. The teams are scheduled to play Aug. 30, 2008, in Durham, but the venue has not been determined. Central's 10,000-seat stadium isn't big enough to satisfy demand, and Todd has said the Eagles hoped to strike a deal to move the game to Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium, which has a listed capacity of 33,000.
Todd said Monday that A&T will play a football game against Central in Durham at some point -- whether in 2008 or later -- to honor its end of a two-year contract. Battle and Nelms said the decision is pending.
"The reason we're doing this (news conference) is to stop the madness and stop the inconsistent statements," Battle said. "I can't follow all of this. If a comment is made about this incident from A&T, it's coming from me."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
