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Lovely weather
I remember running track in some brutal conditions in high school, but that is a bit different than what I have seen area soccer players and golfers go through the last few days. First, the girls who went to the Brittany in Wilson suffered through cold, wind and rain, especially the Pasquotank girls, to play Saturday. The golfers didn’t have it quite so bad on Monday, but it was quite windy and some players still put up some good scores. Kudos to all, and I hope the weather is better for you soon.
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It’s elementary
I wnet to the elementary March Madness basketball tournament on Thursday and for the most part, people seemed to have a good time. Congratulations to P.W. Moore’s girls and J.S. Sawyers boys for winning the titles.
There were a couple of problems — it ran way too long for one and a couple of idiots had to start a fight — but overall it seemed like a good time was had by most everyone there. While it is dificult to prevent fights from breaking out, keeping the length of the event down is another matter. The easiest thing to do would be to run the first round one day and the semifinals and finals the next (something several people I talked to suggested). Not only would it keep the evening short (getting kids home before their bedtime) but it might also increase the gate. Just a thought.
That being said, kudos to the school district for putting on an event such as this. It is a positive experience for the kids and the community.
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Black Magic
The first installment of ESPN’s Black Magic, a history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges, was in a word, outstanding. I was hooked from the beginning with the montage of video from the 2007 CIAA tournament, which included shots of ECSU’s celebration after winning the championship. This is history that is new to me and I learned a lot from the film. I am working tonight, but the DVR is set and I am looking forward to watching part 2 when I get home later.
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Conference tourney thoughts
A few things I took away from what little I have actually seen from the conference basketball tournaments:
1: The SEC is not as strong as people give it credit for.
2. The top teams in the ACC are very strong. The semifinal and final games showed that no one wants to see UNC, Duke, Clemson or Va. Tech early on in their brackets.
3. Memphis will do fine as long as it plays teams on par with their Conference USA competition. I think they are a coin-flip with any solid team from a big conference and would fall to any of the ACC teams I just listed.
And before anybody makes comments about me being an ACC shill, let’s remember that I’m a Big Ten guy. But let’s face it, the Big Ten is about fifth in terms of conferences this year.
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Specter looms over NFL
Sen. Arlen Specter must not have anything better to do. I can understand how he might feel he needs to butt in (no pun intended) on the steroid hearings. But now he wants to get involved in the Patriots “Spygate” scandal.
On an aside, am I the only one getting sick of seeing “gate” attached to the end of anything involving a “scandal?”
The U.S. is involved in military conflict, people are acting like Chicken Little on the economy and I’m sure there are constituents of his in Pennsylvania who would like something or the other done, yet this Senator has to stick his nose into something that broke NFL rules and not the law? Sounds to me that he has a bit too much time on his hands, or he just wants publicity. Maybe he is starting his 2012 presidential campaign early. Whatever the reason, I think it stinks.
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Sports guy watches Oprah
Yeah, it surprised me, too. But on Thursday, I was flipping through channels and caught the Buffalo Bills’ Kevin Everett talking about his rehabilitation. When they finished with that segment, I was ready to flip again, but they brought on the family of UNC mascot Jason Ray, who died after being hit by a car. He had insisted on being an organ donor and Oprah had three people who had their lives saved by his donated organs. It was a very good show, even if it was Oprah. That will probably be the last time I write that previous sentence.
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Trahan keeps on scoring
Celeste Trahan has done just about everything she can at Elizabeth City State. Now, she has scored 2,000 points. Trahan also won the CIAA Player of the Week award for the sixth time this season and 16th time overall. Unfortunately, the rest of the Lady Vikings have not played as well and the record shows it. Congratulations, Celeste. You’ve earned all the accolades you get.
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ECSU a popular choice for rivalry games
It’s unanimous.
They may not agree on much, but the students, parents, staff and fans of Northeastern and Pasquotank County High Schools all seem to support the playing of the two regular season basketball games in the R.L. Vaughan Center at Elizabeth City State.
I went to ECSU and talked to several people, all of whom thought that the Vaughan Center is the right venue for the Northeastern-Pasquotank games. Of course, maybe some of the people who were not there disagree. Let us know what you think.
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A good night for Knight
Congratulations are in order for Bob Knight, who got his 900th win as a coach for an NCAA Div. I men’s basketball team by beating No. 10 Texas A&M, 68-53, on Wednesday. Of course, the media has thrown as many other names into the stories as possible to take away from his accomplishment. Women’s coaches Pat Summitt (Tennessee, 961 and counting) and Jody Conradt (Texas, 900) are mentioned right alongside Knight. Never mind the fact that these coaches are essentially coaching two different sports. Also mentioned is Harry Statham of McKendree University, who has won 950 games at the NAIA school. At least that is the same sport, but it is entirely another level. To me, it’s like the difference in driving a 2008 Corvette and a 1992 Cavalier.
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Shocker
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Indianapolis got knocked off by San Diego this afternoon, but the Chargers were without Phillip Rivers and L.T. for most of the second half and still pulled off the upset. Does this mean the Patriots have an easy road to the Super Bowl now?
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Who’s next for the Redskins?
I am a little surprised that Joe Gibbs retired this week. He says that his reason was family, but I wonder if everything that happened since the Sean Taylor death has gotten to him. Either way, it’s tough to see a Hall of Fame coach go.
Now the Redskins have to find another coach. Will it be Gregg Williams, Bill Cowher, Russ Grimm or someone else? I have a feeling it will be Williams, but Grimm wouldn’t surprise me. Any thoughts?
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I am against fighting, but it is hard to fault anyone on ECSU’s women’s basketball team for getting into it with Shaw on Tuesday. By all accounts, it was an incident that could and should have been avoided had the Lady Bears observed some common etiquette and celebrated in the locker room or on the bus on the way home. I think what was most disturbing to me was seeing people from the stands spill out on the court and become involved as well as some of the actions by the Shaw coaching staff during the melee. Hopefully, all will be forgotten and calmer heads prevail at Shaw on Feb. 2.
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Lady Panthers fall
Just got back from the Bertie-Pasquotank girls basketball game. Bertie won 63-50, mainly because the Lady Falcons were 29-of-41 from the foul line. Jasmine Whitehurst was impressive with 23 points and 23 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the first half letdown after the Lady Panthers’ quick 10-1 start. I wish I could have stayed for the boys game, but the games were running late (that happens with that many trips to the free throw linbe) and I’ve got an 11 o’clock deadline for the section. Cordero Riddick was looking pretty good in the first quarter while I was there.
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LSU 38, OSU 24
Well, the second half was better than the first, but that did Ohio State no good. The defense got to the party late and the offense choked at bad times. Three things stand out about the game:
1: you have to play 60 minutes at this level.
2: Glenn Dorsey is a monster
3: Ohio State needs a secondary
Unfortunately for Ohio State, keeping it close wil not get the monkey off their backs. The Tigers are a deserving No. 1, despite USC and Georgia’s big wins, though if this season is not an argument for a playoff, there isn’t one. We could have been looking at West Virginia-Georgia and USC-LSU in the semifinals (taking those four bowl winners) in a semifinal. How good would those games have been?
Here’s how I see the AP poll coming out in a couple of hours:
1: LSU
2: USC
3: Georgia
4: West Virginia
5: Missouri
6: Kansas
7: Ohio State
8: Virginia Tech
9: Oklahoma
10: Boston College (but I would have Tennessee at No. 10)
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Looks like someone decided not to show up in New Orleans (LSU 24-10 at half)
Halftime LSU 24, OSU 10
It seems like the Ohio State defense stayed back in Columbus the way they have played the first half. The offense has not looked too bad, but if you can’t stop the other team, you have no shot.
Meanwhile, the LSU passing attack looks great (though the Buckeyes’ lack of coverage makes it look better than it should).
I don’t like giving up on the team I’m pulling for. I hope the OSU defense feels the same way.
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Prep sports on TV
Before coming to work today, I caught the first quarter of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Unlike the other bowl games, this is a high school all-star game, during which several of the players make their committments to colleges to play football. I think it just shows how far sports zealotry has gone and how much it has affected the games themselves. I can see a high school all-star game on national TV, but it seems like every week there is some channel with a regular season high school game during football and basketball seasons. Between that and the broadcasting of all of the games of the Little League World Series and some of the regional championships as well, I think broadcasters are going just a bit too far in shining a glaring national spotlight on youth sports.
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Three down …
Three All-Area teams are in the books with two left to see print. Just for an insight into the process, here is how they came about:
First, we asked the area coaches for nominations. This process is slow, but we feel it is neccessary. The coaches are with the athletes a whole lot more than we are and see every game for the most part.
After we get the nominations, we compile a list of players nominated by sport. Both myself and Will Harris make a list of nominated players we feel are worthy of being named to the team, which should be honorable mention and which are left out entirely. Very few athletes are left off if nominated by a coach, as long as it makes sense to include them.
This year, unlike previous years, we chose players not by position, but by whether we felt they were deserving. That is how we had two kickers — Zach Leslie and Daniel Hines — on the team when we would usually have just one (Though to be honest, Leslie probably would have been named at punter, anyway and Cordero Riddick also made the team, but more for other phases of the game).
We just felt this would let us take overall talent into consideration, rather than trying to pigeonhole players into positions.
Player (or Runner) of the Year were agreed upon by both of us rather quickly in tennis, cross country and (believe it or not) football. Soccer and volleyball were a bit more difficult with several players entering the conversation in soccer. Volleyball was odd, as myself and Will had chosen two different players at season’s end, then both switched players after the nominations were in. It just made sense to have co-Players of the Year.
Is everyone going to be happy, of course not. But I believe we have the best possible teams, all things considered.
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Christmas column
Because of the All-Area Teams and early deadlines, I was unable to run my normal Monday column. Here is said column:
A very sporting Christmas list
With Christmas just hours away, I find myself with a very long Christmas list and not much time to fill it. So without further ado, I’d better get to it.
To Barry Bonds: Some help with the weight on your shoulders. Though you are still the face of the steroid problem in baseball, you now have some help with that burden you are carrying. Though with all of that muscle mass you have put on over the last several years, you probably don’t need much.
To Roger Clemens: Your share of Bonds’ steroid shame. No, more than your share of it. Your name has come up every so often, but you have escaped the white-hot spotlight that Bonds has been suffering under. It’s your turn now. Too bad you will probably just retire.
To Bobby Petrino: The whippin’ of your life in the SEC. There is no shame in striking while the iron is hot and moving to the NFL, but to jump ship midseason and leave form letters to your players … I hope you find no success at Arkansas.
To Major League Baseball: A salary cap and an anti-doping policy that works. For that matter, the same to all pro sports leagues that is missing or both.
To Duke, UNC, N.C. State: As much success in football as you have in basketball. Wake and ECU look like they are in pretty good shape on the gridiron. For them, help in hoops.
To the Washington Redskins: A trip to the playoffs. You deserve it after what you’ve been through this year.
To the Cleveland Browns: A trip to the playoffs. You deserve it after everything you have been through since Art Modell took the money and ran.
To the Cincinnati Bengals: Enough get out of jail free cards to get you through to next season.
To the National Hockey League: Visibility. You need it since no one knows where to find your games on TV. (It is Versus, by the way.)
To Elizabeth City State’s athletic program: A pick-me-up. The 2007-08 seasons have started a little slow, but hopefully the basketball teams will be back in form come tournament time. They sure were last year. But then, maybe last year has left my hopes for the home teams a little higher than normal. Success does that sometimes.
To the University of Michigan: A lump of coal. Rich Rodriguez can bring it with him from West Virginia. Rich will get his on Nov. 22.
To Jim Tressel: A lifetime contract. It is not unusual for a coach to come to a program and have immediate success. It is more unusual for that success to continue without the coach jumping ship. That’s what Ohio State has.
To Joe Paterno: A lifetime contract. No coach is more deserving of one for what he has done for his school. And to think he’s making half a million. That’s a big-time bargain in the coaching ranks.
To all of the readers: Happy Holidays.
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Merry Christmas
I will be taking the next week of so off for the Christmas holidays and want to take a minute to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. Thanks for making 2007 a fun one and here is to 2008 being that much better. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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Dombroski takes job in Florida
Currituck football coach Rich Dombroski will be missed. He did a great job turning that program around and is fulfilling a dream by going back home to Florida. It will definitely be a lot more competitive down there, but I think Dombroski’s drive will assure success. Good luck coach.
It will be interesting where the Knights coaching search leads them. Remember, Dombroski came from out of the area, so we know Currituck is not averse to looking far and wide. However, there are some qualified candidates right here in the area, both in house and out.
Petrino out in Atlanta
Reports are Bobby Petrino resigned today as coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Expect him to pop up in the next day or two filling up one of the college vacancies. I wouldn’t hire him since it seems that when things get tough, he bails.
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Latest comments
Kids now a days are cream puffs. Your memory is not that good anymore Thom. Oh yes you Buckeye gomer…. GO BLUE!!!
... read the full comment by joe | Comment on Lovely weather Read Lovely weather
Itwould be nice to see the paper follow the elementary-school games through out the season. These young boys and girls are learning at a young age to juggle school and athletics. The league is a tremendous opportunity for these children; I believe it is
... read the full comment by ME | Comment on It's elementary Read It's elementary
Who wouldn’t want a job with great weather and enough talent for half of the eastern seaboard. Dombrowski did a great job. It’s hard to get 15- to 18-year-olds to buy into a program, and every kid in America practices for 2 hours a day. It’s
... read the full comment by travis wright | Comment on Dombroski takes job in Florida Read Dombroski takes job in Florida
Of course you think they got it right….. because Ohio State is in it!!!! I don’t understand why Hawaii isn’t in there. It’s not their fault their conference stinks.
... read the full comment by TheMan | Comment on BCS got it right Read BCS got it right