Archive for June, 2006

Also In the Sports Blogosphere

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 30, 2006
in General Sports Blogs
. 1 Comment

Since the sports news is slow(read: I do not care about Wimbledon, the World Cup, or who Ozzie Gullien likes or dislikes) I offer up some fine material from some fellow bloggers/internet writers who are obviously a heck of a lot funnier and better at this deal than I am.

The first is a site called Deadspin which offers sports news/commentary/general humor. It may be one of the best sports blogs out there and they even have a whole section devoted to the horrendous Chris Berman. It is not because they like him.

Also linked from that site is a college football blog called Every Day Should Be Saturday. This blog offers us a absolutely hilarious(as well as profanity laced so consider yourself warned) list of reasons why Disney/ESPN/ABC sucks. Here is a sample:

29. Wide angle shots, fades, and pensive shots of young athletes recounting the trauma of growing up poor/fatherless/in Bosnia/stricken with acne/slightly nervous/average/motherless/ with rickets/etc in puff pieces. Adversity, dear ESPN, is boring. Show us how long it takes for Matt Leinart to pick up a girl in a bar–now that would be Sportstainmenttastic! Hey-yo!

Any gratuitous abuse of ESPN is always welcome here at Tar Heel Fan. That being said I do find some of the writers at ESPN.com extremely funny. Bill Simmons aka “The Sports Guy” is one of my favorite writers for his wit and insight into sports. During the NBA Draft he kept a running diary which is well worth reading. Perhaps the best section was describing the New York Knicks first pick:

And that brings us to our featured attraction of the evening …

“THE KNICKS ARE ON THE CLOCK!”

ESPN wisely works the MSG crowd into a hostile frenzy by showing the obligatory “KNICKS UNDER ISIAH THOMAS” graphic. Has there ever been rioting at an NBA draft before?

9:34 — Stephen A. on the No. 20 pick: “I’M A BORN AND RAISED NEW YORKER, OK? YOU HAVE GOT TO GET A DOG ON THIS ROSTER, I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU FIND HIM. I DON’T CARE, YOU GOT TO GET SOMEONE WHO WILL BE IN PEOPLE’S FACE, SOMEONE WHO’S HARDCORE. YOU LOOK AT ISIAH THOMAS AND HIS DRAFT HISTORY … YOU KNOW THAT HE KNOWS TALENT … THIS PICK HAS GOT TO WORK. IT’S GOT TO WORK!”

(Translation: The Knicks need to pick someone good.)

9:36 — There are those moments in sports when you expect something great, and then it actually happens. And then there are those rare moments in sports when you expect something great, and something even greater happens. This was one of those moments: The Knicks on the clock, the crowd pushing for Marcus Williams, and then …

–Stern: “With the 20th pick, the New York Knicks select … Renaldo Balkman.”

(Crowd explodes in horror.)

–Stern (over the boos): “Renaldo is not here.”

–Patrick (without missing a beat): “And it’s probably a good thing.”

(Shot of a beaten-down Spike Lee laughing hysterically.)

9:36 — That was fantastic

Speaking of which, how can Isiah Thomas draft a guy from two-time NIT Champions South Carolina(read: not a good team) who did not even average double figures through three years of college(read: an average player on a not so good team) especially when Marcus Williams was still on the board? Oh wait, it is Isiah Thomas, so forget I asked.

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NBA Musings

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 28, 2006
in NBA
. 0 Comments

Yeah, I know I really do not care that much about the NBA. The held the NBA Draft tonight and because of the 19 year old age limit the best high schoolers will be enrolled at a college near you next season leaving one of the weakest drafts in recent memory.

On the UNC side David Noel was taken 39th by the Milwaukee Bucks. Congratulations to Noel who is a great athlete and exceptionally hard worker. He was the glue last season and gave a group of young players the lift they needed to beat all the predictions. J.J. Redick was taken #11 by Orlando and Shelden Williams was apparently told two weeks ago that Atlanta was taking him despite their need for a point guard. The ESPN talking(or shouting in the case of Stephen A Smith) heads lauded Williams’ defense and he was named defensive player of the year twice. I also happen to believe that those awards were based on shot blocking and the fact he played at Duke. His one on one defense was horrible. I lost count of the number of decent to exceptional centers who racked Williams up for major points which included Sean May doing it twice for over 20 points and 20 rebounds in 2005. And who can forget that faithful March 4, 2006 at Cameron Indoor Stadium:

Here’s hoping Shelden plays better defense in the NBA than he did on Tyler Hansbrough that night.

NBA Draft talk also afford us the opportunity to poke fun at Isiah Thomas who still is being permitted to show up and run the New York Knicks on a daily basis only now he is the coach and has a one year clock to fix the mess he has made there. It is not happening so Knick ownership should fire him now like they did Larry Brown(who had no business being there, had an impossible roster to work with, and may be past his prime.) Over at ESPN.com Patrick Hruby and Kurt Snibbe have put together some funny photoshops linking Thomas with some disastarous moments throughout history. I thought this one was particularly humorous for obvious reasons:

And no as a Tar Heel fan I still hold Thomas in utmost contempt for being on the 1981 Indiana team which beat UNC in the National Championship game…and for kissing Magic Johnson on the cheek before one of the NBA Finals in the late 1980’s.

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Satire News Article

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 28, 2006
in Satire/Humor
. 3 Comments

DUKE SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH SATAN

Trademark Case Seen as Source of Recent Troubles at Duke

DURHAM(THF)-Duke University, citing a desire to put “all this ugliness behind them” agreed to pay the Prince of Darkness more than $10 million in damages related to a trademark infringement lawsuit the Evil One filed against the university earlier this year. According to court papers, Satan, filed suit in US Federal Court in Greensboro, NC for what he called “egregious infringement upon his trademark and name” for the university’s use of the Blue Devil mascot. The filing, which was recently unsealed, demanded millions in damges and royalty payments for the school’s long standing use of the image. Duke contested the suit on the grounds the Devil is not blue but red and the matter was immediately heard by federal judge Mark O’Connor.

According to court documents O’Connor opted for a quick ruling against the university saying any use of the devil in such a manner as to “intimidate opponents is a clear attempt to draw upon the reputation of Satan” and ordered the school to pay the full damages to Satan. The Duke legal team, despite their own association with the Dark One, called the ruling a sham and indicated they would not comply. Duke patent refusal led to O’Connor issuing a most unusual contempt of court order which stipulated that Satan could have free reign to “do as he wishes” with the university until they comply with the court order. The contempt citation was issued on March 3rd one day before North Carolina played the Blue Devils in Durham. Duke lost their senior night game to their hated rivals.

What followed can only be described as “three plus months of hell” for Duke. On March 13 several members of the lacrosse team were involved in an off campus party where a rape was alleaged to have occurred. The following week the Duke basketball team was eliminated by LSU from the NCAA Tournament. In April, as the lacrosse case spiraled out of control, the Duke women’s basketball team lost the national championship game to Maryland. In June former Duke guard J.J. Redick was charged with DUI near campus and over the weekend Duke AD Joe Alleva was involved in a boating accident where his son, J.D., was charged with operating a boat while under the influence. According to an anonymous Duke official, the boating accident was the last straw.

“We thought we had grounds to have it overturned” said the official, “but Satan is just relentless with the stuff he can throw at you and we decided it was best to put this whole thing behind us”

Individuals close to the Devil say he is satisfied with the outcome and will follow the court’s mandates to leave the university alone for the time being. When asked if Satan would pursue similar mascot related litigation, Hell officials said he had already reached an agreement with the DePaul Blue Demons which included their move to the Big East. Demonic officials said Satan would “wait and see how that Herb Sendek thing works out at Arizona St.” before deciding on whether to challenge the use of the Sun Devil as a mascot in Tempe.

Sources also indicated that Satan’s contract with Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was not effected by the lawsuit against the university.

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NCAA Tournament Expansion Talk

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 27, 2006
in NCAA Basketball
. 0 Comments

The men’s and women’s basketball committees are meeting this week in Orlando and one of the hot topics up for discussion is whether they should expand the NCAA Tournament to include more than the current field of 65. This idea was floated back in March at the Final Four and USA Today raised the issue in May on the grounds of parity. In both cases expansion propsals topped out at 80 teams. Now as the committees prepare to meet the National Association of Basketball Coaches is asking for complete doubling of the field to 128 teams.

That’s right 128 teams.

The reasons cited for such a grand expansion are the failure to include tournament worthy teams and the fact the 64/65 team format has been in place for a long time. The also cite the increased number of Division I teams, the fact the NIT is now controlled by the NCAAs, and the George Mason tournament run.

First of all the longevity of one format over another is a weak argument. I would take that to mean it works and very well so there is no need to change it. As for NCAA control of both postseason tournaments, that does not seem to matter to me.

The two reasons I take issue with the most is the “George Mason” argument and the increased number of Division 1 teams.

The GM argument stipulates that by expanding the field it increases the chances for small schools to have their own magical Final Four run based on the Patriots’ improbable run in the the 2006 Final Four. However I would argue that a 128 team expansion would actually kill such runs because it add an additional game these Cinderella schools have to play. It is my observation that the more games a lower seed has to play the worse off they are in continuing the run. In a 128 team field GM would have played a team 11 spots lower than them before facing the higher seeds. While there is no conclusive evidence of how an extra game would effect the outcomes of future matchups I tend to think that had GM been saddled with an opener against a lower seed it would have hurt them going forward. And if they contest the first round a weekend before the round of 64 or even at different sites then changing sites or experiencing a delay also gives higher seeds more time to prep for the upcoming lower seed. I think the GM argument is a celebrity cause for the coaches who want to strike a tone with the fans who they perceive are hungry for a bevy of lower seeds penetrating deep into the tournament. I think the rarity of the feat is what makes it compelling and special to watch.

The second argument on the number of D1 schools is also a simple argument to refute. Taking the CollegeRPI rankings posted by Jerry Palm there are 334 D1 schools playing basketball. The argument the coaches are making is based on that number but the real number that should be considered is the number of teams which finished above .500 last season which is only 171 teams. Why is this important? Because outside of winning an automatic bid there is no way a team which lost more than they won should get anywhere close to the NCAA Tournament. In fact I am not entirely sure a team that is under .500 in their conference should be allowed into the NCAA Tournament. Assuming you use this rule it would mean you are taking 75% of the teams, who, in many cases, did nothing but finish with one or two more wins that losses. This would essentially render the regular season worthless except for purposes of seeding. It would set up a system where all a major conference school has to do is win 15-17 games and they know they are getting in to the tournament. And while parity is nice the tournament also has to have credibility and adding 63 teams, of which there are at most eight who were borderline exclusions, is an inherently bad idea. Getting into the NCAA Tournament must actually mean more than playing one game above .500 all season. The prize of winning the national championship must be based on earning your way into an exclusive field of teams which includes enough good teams to make you earn your way to the top. A field of 65 is less than half the winning teams out there which means the regular season has served its purpose in weeding out the bad teams.

The reasons the NBCA gave are cover for the real motive behind such an expansion and that is job security. Most of the job stability which surrounds a coach is tied to his ability to make the NCAA Tournament. Coaches like Jim Boeheim, who floated the 80 team field at the Final Four, are afraid they cannot guarantee a spot in the tournament every year because of the increased parity from the mid-majors. They also unwilling to give up there lucrative home games against St. Sebastian’s School for the Fingerless in exchange for road games at mid-majors or even hosting them for fear they will get beaten at home. In other words there are apparently enough coaches who would feel a lot better about keeping their job if getting into the tournament were easier.

In my opinion getting into the tournament is not supposed to be easy. Getting a NCAA berth should mean you played well all season and you acquitted yourself as one of the best 65 teams in the country. Yes, automatic bids to lower seeded conference finishers does muck things up a bit, and yes a few teams would get shafted every year who could have won one or two games. But the last thing you want to is make so a winning record virtually locks you into a NCAA Tournament berth and until I see more than one #11 seed making the Final Four every 20 years I would not tinker with the current system. It seems to a do a decent job producing a worthy national champion.

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UNC Loses Baseball National Championship

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 26, 2006
in UNC Baseball
. 1 Comment

So up 1-0 in the series and 5-0 in Game 2, the wheels came off UNC as they surrendered 11 runs and eventually lost 11-7 on Sunday night to send the series to a decisive third game Monday.

It was close but horrible fielding, missed opportunities on offense, and a badly timed visit to the mound did UNC in against Oregon State as they lose the game and the national championship 3-2.

Tied 2-2 in the top of the eight UNC puts runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs and then moved the runners on a fielder’s choice to first. What followed was two strikeouts, the last negating a steal of home. In the bottom of the eight Daneil Bard(MLB 1st round draft pick) is cruising after giving up 2 runs in the fourth. With two outs and Andrew Miller(also a MLB 1st round draft pick) warmed up in the bullpen, UNC coach Mike Fox visits the mound and discussing removing Bard for Miller. After Bard pleads his case and stays in he walks Bill Rowe and then surrenders a single. Miller comes in and a routine grounder to second is thrown past the 1st baseman allowing the go ahead run to score.

As much as the error hurt the two spots where I thought the game was lost were (1) failing to score when the bases were loaded with one out in the eighth and more importantly (2) Mike Fox’s ill timed visit to Bard at the mound. If there was one thing my Daddy taught me about baseball it is never disturb a pitcher who is getting the job done, regardless of the pitch count. Bard gave up two runs in the fourth and after that did not throw a single breaking pitch the rest of his stint. He threw 42 fast balls and was retiring the Beavers easily. My question for Fox would be what made you think he could not handle the one more batter? Why not let him keep going in the rythym of the the game and see what unfolds instead of walking out there, make him think he is done, and effectively killing his confidence? Maybe it unfolds the same way but I have a feeling that if Fox holds firm, Bard finishes the inning unscathed. I would have personally preferred to see Bard face Bill Rowe and if he failed to retired him then actually taking him out for Miller who then could stay in the game indefinitely considering he is a starter. Fox essentially out thought himself and as a result the Heels come in second.

As my Daddy would say, “I’ve passed this way before…”

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Stanley Cup Championship Musings, Part 2

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 21, 2006
in Carolina Hurricanes
. 1 Comment

-If there is one issue I have with Raleigh is their penchant to do things in a strange way. When you win a championship, especially in the professional world, you usually have a parade(it also should be noted that if NC State finishes 4th in the ACC and beats Notre Dame in a bowl game the Irish did not even want to be in you have also have a parade/celebration of some sort, but I digress.) Concerns about construction downtown led city officials to opt for a parade essentially through the RBC Cente parking lot to a stage where the crowd listened to speeches and were generaly euphoric. Of this was not a bad idea since 30,000 people showed up and it was a atmosphere reminiscent of the tailgating that went on before the playoff games.

Then again some people were not happy with the lack of a downtown parade so they decided they would have one of those too today at noon. The team will also be honored by the General Assembly and assuming the combination of heat and no discernible parking downtown does not limit the crowd too much it should be a raucous time.

-I saw local TV coverage of the celebration and it was downright comical. Well it was comical on WRAL, on WTVD they actually did a better job with it. I would actually love to here the backstory on how the two competing stations decided on where they would station reports for interviews. WTVD put two reports at the beginning of the parade and interviewed players before their vehicle actually entered the parade route. The interviews were thorough as possible and the reporters were not generally in the way. Contrast that to Mark Roberts for WRAL who staked out somewhere in the middle of the route.

When I picked up watching it he was basically walking around babbling in a vain effort to find a Canes player to interview. In the first set of vehicles that came through were Canes support personnel which apparently Roberts did not realize this so he was moving about wondering when the Canes players would come through so he could interview them. Finally he got on in the form of Nicolas Wallin who he began to interview and the was interrupted by three Raleigh PD motorcycle cops coming up the side which led to Roberts saying the following:

Well it looks like we are in the way here so we are going to move back as you see the Raleigh police department is coming through here. (To one of the cops coming by) Hello Seargent, we are staying out of the way, thank you. (After the cops pass through) Oh we have another chance to talk to Nicolas Wallin.

Priceless stuff. Mark Roberts is the guy who stands in front of the big map of the Triangle roads every morning(and possibly during the evening news broadcast) and tell you where all the traffic trouble spots are. In other words it does not sound like he will be manning the anchor desk anytime soon.

The WTVD reporter made the mistake of telling Doug Weight that he would, “See him in training camp.” Weight is an unrestricted free agent and probably will not be back with the Canes though it is possible he might return.

-Jim Rome, who I normally detest, gave excellent props to the Canes yesterday on his show. He was trying to guess where the Cup was at that moment. Erik Cole(a big Rome fan) called in and said Brind’Amour had it at his house. How does that work exactly? Does Rod just have it sitting on the kitchen counter or table? If he has a dog I cannot imagine he would put it on the floor for fear he might want to “mark” it. During the parade he told WTVD he slept with the Cup in his bed which I think is funny. I wonder how those guys who take care of the Cup feel about all of this handling of it. They use white gloves and polish it up nice then the Canes players promptly hug and kiss it, pour beer in it, and possibly drool on it in their sleep. I am sure they just go to a happy place.

-I also noticed Brind’Amour was wearing an NC State hat. That is as close as NC State has been to any sort of championship for almost three decades.

-And finally, to those like myself who said hockey would never work in NC, hockey does not belong in the South, and hockey will eventually usher in the Army of the Potomac to occupy our Southern cities, I would say we were wrong and anytime you hear the words “Carolina” and “championship” it is cause to celebrate.

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Stanley Cup Championship Musings

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 20, 2006
in Carolina Hurricanes
. 0 Comments

First of all I will make the full disclosure that I have been to this point a bandwagon fan. I actually was, like many people, resistant to the whole “Southern hockey” deal as an assault on traditional Southern heritage. When the playoffs started I softened that stance because I felt that a Raleigh professional team making a run for a major championship demanded my support so I readily jumped on board even though I knew very little about hockey and even found it tedious. So the past three months have been a learning experience for me as I figured out how the game was played, discovered that even though only 2 or 3 goals are scored there is still plenty to be excited about, and that hockey can be a nice companion sport in the winter to my true love which is college basketball. So, while I rejoice with all Canes fans with the big win, I also know my place as someone who came along a little late in the game and by no means do I put myself on the same level with those hard core fans who have been there since 1997. That being said I can say going forward I will support the Canes and look for great things from them in the future.

A few other thoughts:

-This is the first professional title in North Carolina history which is huge for the state and the city. It is also huge for the franchise because it should make novice fans like me permanant supporters. I also maintain, as I speculated before Game 5, that this is truly a North Carolina championship that is both inclusive and exclusive in nature. By that I mean all North Carolinians can get behind this win unlike the college basketball titles which tend to address only part of the state’s population. In terms of exclusivity I think it very much a North Carolina only championship. I do not say this to disparage fans in South Carolina or Virginia but I am pointing out that the title was won in our capital and is something that North Carolinians can lay greater ownership to in terms of state pride. The two pro teams in Charlotte, though in North Carolina, are considered to be shared by both of the Carolinas. This is also the first time I have been living in a city that won a championship of any kind.

-As for the game, the Canes came out and played some impressive hockey. They were the agressors, the put pressure on the Oiler defense, while playing some excellent defense giving up one goal which came after Cam Ward had made two saves on the play already. It was a great effort befitting a veteran and talented team. The moment Rod Brind’Amour took the Cup was sensational as thought years of frustration and desire came pouring out in one incredible moment.

-Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe trophy which is the playoff MVP award. Some argued that Brind’Amour should have won it and had the Canes won in five games he would have but Brind’Amour essentially disappeared in Games 5 and 6 but was a factor in Game 7. His locker room leadership provided the Canes the inspiration they needed but unfortunately that does not tabulate in the voting. Not that Ward is not deserving. He mad some impeccable saves throughout the playoffs and his play coming in when Gerber was getting eaten alive by Montreal save the playoff run from complete disaster.

-Apparently the anti-Carolina contingent, which seemed to be relagated to traditional hockey cities, can be found in spades among the Charlotte citizenry. Tom Sorenson has a piece on the Charlotte web site which I will not link as not to hand him any free hits. Sorenson, being such a witty fellow, proceeded to denigrate the Canes Game 7 win as only the 393rd biggest game to occur in the state of North Carolina. Among the games he lists which were allegedly more important were all the Panthers home playoff games, games David Thompson played in for NC State, any UNC-Duke game, Ric Flair winning or losing WWF/WCW/WWE wrestling titles, Charlotte Hornets playoff games, NASCAR races, and even some UNCC(yeah I know its Charlotte now but I do not feel like playing nice) basketball games.

Wow, jealousy is so unbecoming. I had no idea the people of Charlotte would have reacted with such vitrolic envy over Raleigh having a pro team win the first professional championship in North Carolina history ahead of the Panthers and Bobcats. The sad part about Sorenson is that he plays right into the hands of the national media who still question the placement of a team in Raleigh and some who say the Canes did not deserve the Cup because they do not have “true” fans. Yes, as a recovering anti-hockey guy I can relate to that feeling and I would also say there are more than few bandwagon people jumping on just because they are winning. I also know that the fan base has been truly and permanantly enlarged by this event(myself included and yes I know that places me on probabtion for at least five seasons.) I know that there were 18,000 people at the RBC Center last night who stood the whole game in cheering the Canes to victory.

It is unfortunate that there are some people who allow such incredible jealousy to produce this kind of hatred. Sure some people do not like hockey and there are others who cannot go along with it because it eschews Southern tradition. I also think most of those people would agree that regardless of how they feel about hockey or the culture they understand that this is a great moment in the sun for the State of North Carolina. This title gives North Carolina ever greater credence as a state than can support professional sports. Good ol’ fashioned North Carolina pride demands that in the very least you give a small cheer for the positive light this sheds on the state and on our capital. And for anyone who cannot stomach the thought of hockey or carries such an incredible level of envy of Raleigh because they got the girl while you were left at the altar should, for the good of the state, remain silent. Believe me, you are doing more harm to the reputation of the state than anything else.

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CANES WIN GAME 7!!!!!

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 19, 2006
in Carolina Hurricanes
. 0 Comments

CAROLINA HURRICANES:

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

From ESPN.com:

From CarolinaHurricanes.com:

From News and Observer:

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The Weekend That Was

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 19, 2006
in Carolina Hurricanes, PGA Golf, Sports in General and UNC Baseball
. 0 Comments

I came to a realization Saturday night. I realized how glad I was that the NCAA Tournament does not include a best-of-seven series to win the championship. I just do not know how much I could deal with UNC being up 3-1 on someone and have them lose two straight games and look really bad doing it. Of course I would have to think that UNC would have more titles since series play tends to produce the better team in the end. I really hope that is the case tonight as Carolina hosts Edmonton in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canes looked flat and basically were steamrolled by the Oilers physical play in a Game 6 loss 4-0. I also thought the Oilers got away with felony assault on some checks but that does not tend to matter when you allow Edmonton to carve up your zone and get clean shots at Cam Ward. Erik Cole returned to the lineup after being at three months with a broken neck(and let it be said that I hope I can go back to doing anything three months later if I ever break my neck or even two cracked vertabrae as was the case with Cole) There is nothing like a Game 7 for ALL the marbles. One goal could win it and the Canes need to wake up and take it right to Edmonton’s zone, they need to be physical, and they need to leave it all on the ice because there is no tomorrow.

UNC baseball is rolling at the College World Series. They topped Cal State-Fullerton Friday night in extra innings and last night handed #1 Clemson a 2-0 loss. If the Heels win once more they get a slot in the best-of-three championship series(yeah I know what I said before.) UNC has some very strong pitching including two guys taken in the first round of the MLB draft earlier this month. Here’s hoping for another national title in Chapel Hill.

In case anyone was beginning to think Phil Mickelson was on the same level with Tiger Woods, Mickelson took care of that by choking away a one shot lead with a double bogey on the 18th hole of the US Open yesterday at ultra difficult Winged Foot. Mickelson who called himself an “idiot” afterwards used his driver and sent the ball into the rough and then instead of chipping back onto the fairway tried to hit the ball out of the woods and played pinball with the trees. Needless to say I can relate which is why the US Open is so fun because all of these pros end up looking like your favorite uncle after he has had five beers and lost four golf balls. Now, Woods did not make the cut but he also had not played since the Master because of the death of his father. I know I was barely thinking straight two months after my father died and given Earl Woods prominence in the golfing career of his son it may take Tiger a while to get his “A” game back. The difference between Mickelson and Woods in that situation is Woods would have found a way to win. He would have either made a smarter club selection on the drive or pull out some tremendous shot to at least salvage the playoff. It would have been Mickelson’s third straight major title, now all it is images of Vintage Lefty choking away the big one. My father-in-law who theorizes that Tiger Woods majors drought was the only reason Phil finally won most likely enjoyed yesterday’s result. He has some serious dislike for Mickelson.

And let me note that my opinions of the NBA Finals and World Cup soccer are the same as they were last week. On the NBA front I watched Dallas opt to foul Shaquille O’Neal instead of actually playing defense since O’Neal makes about one free throw as often as they score goals in World Cup soccer. The NBA is just not good basketball to watch and the fact they are starting game at 9:20 PM EDT is atrocious. They spend so much time on pre-game and I cannot really be sure what can be said about the game that has not been said every 10 minutes on SportCenter every day and night. As for the World Cup, there is more time spent kicking the ball around than anything else. I see final scores of 0-0 flash by which means two teams kicked the ball around for over 90 minutes and nothing happened. I also find the players behavior after they get knocked down as though a sniper in the press box has blown a hole in their right leg only to bounce up once a yellow card is issued to their opponent. I know baseball is also low scoring and so is hockey but at least there are things happening in the context of the game. I see very little going on in a soccer match.

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Surveying the Media

Published
by
Tar Heel Fan
on June 16, 2006
in Carolina Hurricanes and Satire/Humor
. 2 Comments

The sports spotlight has shone on Raleigh during the Stanley Cup run and produced lots of Hurricane related stories. Here is a sampling of what I found:

Local Media Pessimism Following Game 5 loss:

CANES’ 112 POINT SEASON, PLAYOFF RUN PROVEN TO BE FLUKE BY GAME 5 LOSS

RALEIGH POLICE ON SUICIDE WATCH FOR FIRST TIME SINCE NC STATE ACC QUARTERFINAL LOSS

WEEPING HEARD NEAR RBC CENTER, GNASHING OF TEETH TO FOLLOW

CITY OF RALEIGH ON THE EVE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION

National Media Bias Against Canes

BRIND’AMOUR VOWS TO DRINK BLOOD OF YOUNG CHILDREN FROM CUP IF CANES WIN

NBC’S PIERRE MGUIRE; OILERS CRAIG MCTAVASH SET WEDDING DATE

HOCKEY IN RALEIGH? EXPERTS SEE LITTLE HOPE OF SUCCESS

AUTHENTICITY OF CANES FANS QUESTIONED

THE EDMONTON OILERS: GREATEST TEAM EVER?

Of course the Ryan Smyth coin controversey got plenty of play:

OILERS SMYTH DIGS QUARTER FROM ICE; CALLS SOMEONE WHO CARES

SMYTH USES QUARTER TO BUY GUMBALL MACHINE RING JUST IN CASE

RBC CENTER COIN WORTH ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH IN CANADA

And finally there is much talk about the Oilers “momentum” and Canes’ injuries

OILER WONDER WHERE MOMENTUM WAS AT WHILE THEY WERE FINISHING 8TH IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE

CANES’ INJURIES LEAVE ONLY MINOR LEAGUE TALENT ON THE TEAM

WITH GAME 6 RESULT ALREADY DECIDED NHL MULLS MOVING RIGHT TO GAME 7

Yes this was all satire but the one true headline I want to see in my Sunday morning News and Observer is this one:

CANES WIN CUP

GO CANES!!!!

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