As you know, I'm a huge Tar Heel basketball fan. I'm watching the NBA Draft and waiting for the second round. If any Tar Heels get drafted, it will be David Noel...and he's not going in the first round. To add excitement to the first round, I've been predicting that each team will draft Noel. I figured if any team actually did it, it would be the Knicks. THE KNICKS! What other team would make such a silly move with their first round pick?
Did the Knicks take Noel? HELL NO! They took South Carolina's Renaldo Balkman! RENALDO BALKMAN!
One of NBA Draft talking heads: He's been described as a combination of Rodman and Artest.
Sports Chic: Which aspects of Rodman and Artest? That could be disastrous.
They could have at least gotten some dunks out of Noel. How insulting.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
New Sports Chic Bloggers | UNC Loses the CWS | Tantrums
I'm adding more people to the Sports Chic team! Say hello to Jonathan Howard and Dan. Yes, they are male. Yet they have still agreed to contribute to a completely pink blog. They're quite manly, I must say. Welcome, guys!
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Unfortunately, last night's wish that the UNC baseball team would do a better job of fielding did not completely come true. To be fair, they did field better than the night before for most of the game. But then they lost the series on what should have been a routune out at first base. I'm proud of the guys for making it as far as they did, and I don't want to criticize them too much. I will say, however, that if such a mistake had been made during the finals of basketball's NCAA Tournament (Chris Webber 1993, anyone?), the team would never hear the end of it.
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Lastly for the night, the Asheville Tourists manager succeeded in throwing a bigger tantrum than I tend to throw when UNC is losing a basketball game. Yup, he should be suspended for quite awhile. Nope, not a good role model for the 18-year-old players. But entertaining to watch on SportsCenter? Hell yes. Gotta love it when your home state makes the news in such fashion.
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Unfortunately, last night's wish that the UNC baseball team would do a better job of fielding did not completely come true. To be fair, they did field better than the night before for most of the game. But then they lost the series on what should have been a routune out at first base. I'm proud of the guys for making it as far as they did, and I don't want to criticize them too much. I will say, however, that if such a mistake had been made during the finals of basketball's NCAA Tournament (Chris Webber 1993, anyone?), the team would never hear the end of it.
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Lastly for the night, the Asheville Tourists manager succeeded in throwing a bigger tantrum than I tend to throw when UNC is losing a basketball game. Yup, he should be suspended for quite awhile. Nope, not a good role model for the 18-year-old players. But entertaining to watch on SportsCenter? Hell yes. Gotta love it when your home state makes the news in such fashion.
More on a proposed expanded NCAA Tournament field
In my last post, I gave a brief gloss-over about why an expanded NCAA Tournament field doesn't sound so bad. I'd now like to expand on the pros and cons of the proposal (which, by the way, is merely a proposal. Don't look for 128 teams to be in the tournament next season). It's just a few points that I think NCAA officials should ponder if and when they seriously consider expansion:
Here's some possible good points for expansion:
1. Hey, why not? It only adds a week to the tournament. After the initial round, we're back down to 64, like usual. It would give more teams exposure and money, similar to college football's bowl system where most of the bowls don't count for anything, but everyone goes home happy.
2. It could give more deserving mid-major teams a chance to go to The Dance. The days of going 27-3 and missing the tournament because no one cares about your conference and/or your RPI and SOS wasn't too strong could be over.
3. It would enable more coaches to keep their jobs. See point #1 above.
And now some possible downfalls:
1. Would it really give more mid-major schools a chance to go to The Dance, or would it merely allow more mediocre ACC, Big East, SEC, etc., teams to get in?
2. More games mean more chances for the heavyweights to slip up and lose a game to a team they shouldn't lose to. Granted, that can happen in the tournament as it is now (no offense to the Weber State fans who are still celebrating their 1997 tournament victory over the Heels, but I think in a seven game series, UNC would have come out on top).
3. Whereas I understand where the magic number 128 came from (64x2, which seems like the logical way to expand), it just seems rather excessive. I understand that every year, some deserving teams get left at home. But is doubling the field really the answer? I think if the NCAA decides to include more teams, it would need to consider reformatting the tournament altogether. And THAT is something I don't see happening anytime in the near future.
I'm sure I'll have more to say on this topic if it stays in the news...
Here's some possible good points for expansion:
1. Hey, why not? It only adds a week to the tournament. After the initial round, we're back down to 64, like usual. It would give more teams exposure and money, similar to college football's bowl system where most of the bowls don't count for anything, but everyone goes home happy.
2. It could give more deserving mid-major teams a chance to go to The Dance. The days of going 27-3 and missing the tournament because no one cares about your conference and/or your RPI and SOS wasn't too strong could be over.
3. It would enable more coaches to keep their jobs. See point #1 above.
And now some possible downfalls:
1. Would it really give more mid-major schools a chance to go to The Dance, or would it merely allow more mediocre ACC, Big East, SEC, etc., teams to get in?
2. More games mean more chances for the heavyweights to slip up and lose a game to a team they shouldn't lose to. Granted, that can happen in the tournament as it is now (no offense to the Weber State fans who are still celebrating their 1997 tournament victory over the Heels, but I think in a seven game series, UNC would have come out on top).
3. Whereas I understand where the magic number 128 came from (64x2, which seems like the logical way to expand), it just seems rather excessive. I understand that every year, some deserving teams get left at home. But is doubling the field really the answer? I think if the NCAA decides to include more teams, it would need to consider reformatting the tournament altogether. And THAT is something I don't see happening anytime in the near future.
I'm sure I'll have more to say on this topic if it stays in the news...
Sunday, June 25, 2006
5 More Years! | UNC in the CWS | NCAA Tournament expansion? | GO HEAT!
Good news! Less than a week after winning the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes locked up 5-year contract extensions for coach Peter Laviolette and captain Rod Brind'Amour. I didn't realize Brind'Amour planned to play for five more years (he's currently 35), but I'm not going to complain. I'm comforted by these signings, since it's well-known that several Hurricanes players, including Doug Weight, Martin Gerber and Glen Wesley, are probably not going to return to the team. Edmonton is also going to lose at least one key player, as Chris Pronger has requested a trade to a team that's anywhere further south from the Arctic Circle.
I want the Hurricanes to keep as many players as they can, but wish the best to the guys who are leaving. I think after watching the UNC basketball team lose its entire starting lineup after winning the NCAA championship in 2005, I can handle pretty much anything. Plus, a little change can't hurt, as we learned during the 2002-2003 season after the 'Canes made it to the Stanley Cup finals the previous season.
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I certainly can't complain about UNC's performance in the College World Series. Until tonight, they were undefeated. I have to admit that I'm disappointed by tonight's performance, though. Carrying a 5-0 lead into the fifth inning, the Heels looked confident and ready to bring a championship back to Chapel Hill. This confidence somehow translated into them throwing their pitching and fielding fundamentals out the window, as they allowed 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth and ended up losing the game 11-7.
Here's to a good night's rest and some extra fielding practice before tomorrow's final game (7 p.m. ET, ESPN 2). As always, GO HEELS!
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So, the NCAA is considering expanding the field of 65 to a field of...128? Hmmm...it seems a bit excessive, but expanding the field to allow more teams could be good for the tournament for the following reasons:
1. It would end a lot of the bickering amongst coaches, analysts, etc., over teams that supposedly should have gotten into the tournament and didn't, or teams that shouldn't have gotten into the tournament and did.
2. It could end a lot of the annoying "Who's in?/who's out?/who's on the bubble?" talk that starts way too early in the season and culminates in the dilemma described in point #1 above.
The main downside I see to this expansion is that it will cause the tournament to be longer, which will add yet another week to the decreased work productivity that occurs in North Carolina from the time the ACC Tournament begins to the time the last ACC team (well...more like last North Carolina team) is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
So please, please, don't make the tournament last as long as the NBA playoffs.
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Speaking of which...GO HEAT! I've been waiting to celebrate this championship since the team came into existence, but it seemed to get lost in the mix of the Stanley Cup. Since I got to see the Heat play from the very last row of the upper deck at American Airlines Arena in December, I can say that I've seen a championship team play in Miami. Trust me, it was a much better experience than the Browns-Dolphins game I saw in Miami the previous December.
I want the Hurricanes to keep as many players as they can, but wish the best to the guys who are leaving. I think after watching the UNC basketball team lose its entire starting lineup after winning the NCAA championship in 2005, I can handle pretty much anything. Plus, a little change can't hurt, as we learned during the 2002-2003 season after the 'Canes made it to the Stanley Cup finals the previous season.
~~~~~~~~~~
I certainly can't complain about UNC's performance in the College World Series. Until tonight, they were undefeated. I have to admit that I'm disappointed by tonight's performance, though. Carrying a 5-0 lead into the fifth inning, the Heels looked confident and ready to bring a championship back to Chapel Hill. This confidence somehow translated into them throwing their pitching and fielding fundamentals out the window, as they allowed 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth and ended up losing the game 11-7.
Here's to a good night's rest and some extra fielding practice before tomorrow's final game (7 p.m. ET, ESPN 2). As always, GO HEELS!
~~~~~~~~~~
So, the NCAA is considering expanding the field of 65 to a field of...128? Hmmm...it seems a bit excessive, but expanding the field to allow more teams could be good for the tournament for the following reasons:
1. It would end a lot of the bickering amongst coaches, analysts, etc., over teams that supposedly should have gotten into the tournament and didn't, or teams that shouldn't have gotten into the tournament and did.
2. It could end a lot of the annoying "Who's in?/who's out?/who's on the bubble?" talk that starts way too early in the season and culminates in the dilemma described in point #1 above.
The main downside I see to this expansion is that it will cause the tournament to be longer, which will add yet another week to the decreased work productivity that occurs in North Carolina from the time the ACC Tournament begins to the time the last ACC team (well...more like last North Carolina team) is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
So please, please, don't make the tournament last as long as the NBA playoffs.
~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of which...GO HEAT! I've been waiting to celebrate this championship since the team came into existence, but it seemed to get lost in the mix of the Stanley Cup. Since I got to see the Heat play from the very last row of the upper deck at American Airlines Arena in December, I can say that I've seen a championship team play in Miami. Trust me, it was a much better experience than the Browns-Dolphins game I saw in Miami the previous December.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Redneck Hockey | The New York Knicks
First of all, here's what we're not going to talk about. Ozzie Guillen's comments. Why? Because if everyone stops talking about it, it's no longer a story.
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Next, hockey. As you should already know, the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on Monday. I echo Dan Lucas' feelings about hockey. I was a Hurricanes fan before this playoff run, but there have always been other sports (mainly college basketball and the NFL) that have taken priority. But now that the NHL season is over, I keep looking at the picture of Cam Ward, Rod Brind'Amour, and the boys that's decorating the desktop on my iBook. Man, I wish next season would hurry up and start.
You have to excuse us southerners for being slow to catch onto hockey. You see, it's not exactly a southern sport. In this region of the country, ice means one of two things:
1) something you really, really want in the summer.
2) what knocked everyone's power out for days on end in December 2002.
Furthermore, hockey coverage here isn't exactly great. The guys on 850 the Buzz and 620 the Bull do a great job, and we get some games on OLN. I remember following Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins when they made their Stanley Cup runs in the early 1990s. For all I know, that might have been the last time ESPN covered hockey on SportsCenter. When I flipped to see their Stanley Cup coverage following Monday night's Game 7, they were talking about the NBA.
So please forgive us. We do love the hockey. My sunburned head is still recovering from Tuesday's parade around the RBC Center.
In case you missed it, Mike Commodore did finally get his hair cut, raising $15,000 for pediatric cancer research.
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Finally, the train wreck officially known as the New York Knickerbockers. I don't really know how to express my comments in words. Good luck, Isiah. You now have the chance to make Larry Brown look stupid by showing him how to successfully coach the players on your roster. Unfortunately, I don't think you can. I've also heard a rumor that Larry Brown could be headed down to Charlotte. If that does in fact happen, I'd like to go ahead and give a big thank you to the Knicks management. But one should never believe rumors, especially since last I checked, the Bobcats still had a coach.
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Next, hockey. As you should already know, the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on Monday. I echo Dan Lucas' feelings about hockey. I was a Hurricanes fan before this playoff run, but there have always been other sports (mainly college basketball and the NFL) that have taken priority. But now that the NHL season is over, I keep looking at the picture of Cam Ward, Rod Brind'Amour, and the boys that's decorating the desktop on my iBook. Man, I wish next season would hurry up and start.
You have to excuse us southerners for being slow to catch onto hockey. You see, it's not exactly a southern sport. In this region of the country, ice means one of two things:
1) something you really, really want in the summer.
2) what knocked everyone's power out for days on end in December 2002.
Furthermore, hockey coverage here isn't exactly great. The guys on 850 the Buzz and 620 the Bull do a great job, and we get some games on OLN. I remember following Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins when they made their Stanley Cup runs in the early 1990s. For all I know, that might have been the last time ESPN covered hockey on SportsCenter. When I flipped to see their Stanley Cup coverage following Monday night's Game 7, they were talking about the NBA.
So please forgive us. We do love the hockey. My sunburned head is still recovering from Tuesday's parade around the RBC Center.
In case you missed it, Mike Commodore did finally get his hair cut, raising $15,000 for pediatric cancer research.
~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, the train wreck officially known as the New York Knickerbockers. I don't really know how to express my comments in words. Good luck, Isiah. You now have the chance to make Larry Brown look stupid by showing him how to successfully coach the players on your roster. Unfortunately, I don't think you can. I've also heard a rumor that Larry Brown could be headed down to Charlotte. If that does in fact happen, I'd like to go ahead and give a big thank you to the Knicks management. But one should never believe rumors, especially since last I checked, the Bobcats still had a coach.
Welcome!
That's right...after months of complaining that blogs are stupid and pointless, I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Not only that, but I'm creating a sports blog, because you know there just aren't enough of them already. So get ready for a female, Tar Heel Born/Tar Heel Bred perspective on football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. No NASCAR. I promise.
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