It's been a busy week for me. But between writing columns for a newspaper and stories for two different magazines -- along with interviewing for full-time jobs -- I have still found the time to keep up with the latest goings on in the world of sports.
And here's my take on a few of them, starting with Steve Smith.
As I watched him catch his only pass of the game in Saturday's exhibition opener against Indianapolis, I couldn't help but get the feeling that this might be one of the final times we see the All-Pro wide receiver playing in a Carolina Panthers uniform. Here are two separate blog items that suggest that the volatile star might be on the trading block because of his recent fight with teammate Ken Lucas as practice:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Are-the-Panthers-considering-trading-Steve-Smith?urn=nfl,98454
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast/0-2-22/Smith-to-the-Cowboys-.html
Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to move Smith unless the Panthers can get a suitable replacement at WR for him, which is highly unlikely this close to the start of the season. But I can't say that I blame team management if they do decide to deal him. This is, after all, not the first time Smith has come to blows with a member of his own team.
Granted, the earlier instance happened six years ago and Smith has -- by all accounts -- been a model citizen since then. But even though No. 89 has behaved himself since that first dust up, when he was charged with misdemeanor assault for breaking teammate Anthony Bright's nose in 2002, he has remained a moody, high-maintenance player and team owner Jerry Richardson doesn't mess around when it comes to character issues.
My guess is that Richardson had more to say about Smith's suspension for the first two games of the regular season than coach John Fox, because it's Fox's job that's on the line this season. Not having an explosive game-breaker like Smith in the lineup against San Diego and Chicago can potentially put the Panthers -- and Fox -- in the position of having to play catch-up for the rest of the season.
We all saw how that worked out last season when Smith missed the first two games with a hamstring injury.
Moving on to the Olympics ....
It never ceases to amaze me the crap we Americans will watch once every four years just because it's played under a flag with five interlocking rings on it. And I'm as guilty as anyone.
In the last three days, I have willingly watched women's sword fighting, water polo, volleyball (both beach and indoor) , syncronized diving and rowing. Any other time, I wouldn't even be curious enough to stop if I saw those sports while channel surfing.
Of course, the reason we do is it is national pride. You know: USA! USA! USA! and all that. But watching the Olympics just doesn't seem to be as much fun as it used to be when the Soviet Union was around to be as our intense rival. Then it dawned on me. Everyone else seems to be enjoying the Olympics more than ever these days. Why? Because given the climate of world events, we have become to other countries what the Ruskies were to us -- the Evil Empire everybody else loves to hate and root against.
Just a couple more random Olympic thoughts:
# There's no way at least half of those Chinese "women" gymnasts meet the sport's minimum age requirement of 16 years old. Just look at their faces and body shapes and compare them to everyone else in the field -- especially the Americans. Better yet, since NBC is already over in Bejing televising the Olympics, maybe they can put Chris Hansen on the case to root out the truth. He seems to have a knack for rooting out the truth when it comes to underage girls.
# I know this is going to sound insensitive, but that's one of the advantages of not working full-time for a daily newspaper anymore. Watching the rowing competition, I was surprised when the Cuban boat finished last. You'd think that given all the rowing those guys do trying to get off the island to the U.S., they'd be better at the sport than they are.
# And finally -- going back to the everybody hates the U.S. theme -- does anybody out there really think the Star Spangled snafu at Michael Phelps' first medal ceremony was an accident? If the roles had been reversed and that had happened in the U.S., it would have been an international incident.
One last thing that came to mind Sunday while watching Sergio Garcia gag away yet another major championship: By winning the PGA Championship for his second straight major title, Padraig Harrington has become golf's version of Hakeem Olajuwon and the 1990s Houston Rockets.
Just as the Rockets took advantage of Michael Jordan's two-year absence on the baseball field, Harrington is the fortunate opportunist who made the most of Tiger Woods' current surgical sabatical. But hey, like I always say after one of my sliced approach shots hits a tree and bounces back onto the green, they don't ask how, just how many.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
So long, Skip
I have this annyoying bottle opener that plays the call from the final out of the 1995 World Series. "The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship!" it calls out every time you use it.
The voice is a familiar one I grew up with. Chances are if you're from the Southeast or watched a lot of baseball on SuperStation TBS during the past 2 1/2 decades, you did, too.
It's the voice of Skip Caray.
Nasally, enthusiastic and usually full of sarcasm, it was hardly the classic radio voice of a Mel Allen, Vin Scully or Jon Miller. But that didn't matter. Along with Ernie Johnson and Pete Van Wieren, Skip helped get a lot of Braves fans through a lot of forgettable summer nights in the 1970s and 80s. He then provided the joyous soundtrack for my favorite team's remarkable 14-season stretch of division championships, highlighted by that World Series triumph in '95.
Like his legendary father Harry Caray, Skip became a broadcasting legend with calls such as "Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!" and by assigning an imaginary home town to everyone who caught a foul ball in the Turner Field stands ("And that souvenir goes to a fan from Dunwoody," he'd say).
Saturday night, after calling the Braves' 9-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Caray's distinctive voice was suddenly silenced when he died in his sleep. He was 68. Though slowed by an illness that limited him to calling only home games and adversely affected his grasp of the facts, he remained an Atlanta icon until the end.
I am so glad that my wife let me tune in to the final innings of Thursday night's game as we drove to Florida for the weekend. At least I got to hear Caray's voice live one final time. It's a voice that will live forever in the memories of Braves fans everywhere -- even if they don't have an annoying bottle opener.
So long, Skip.
The voice is a familiar one I grew up with. Chances are if you're from the Southeast or watched a lot of baseball on SuperStation TBS during the past 2 1/2 decades, you did, too.
It's the voice of Skip Caray.
Nasally, enthusiastic and usually full of sarcasm, it was hardly the classic radio voice of a Mel Allen, Vin Scully or Jon Miller. But that didn't matter. Along with Ernie Johnson and Pete Van Wieren, Skip helped get a lot of Braves fans through a lot of forgettable summer nights in the 1970s and 80s. He then provided the joyous soundtrack for my favorite team's remarkable 14-season stretch of division championships, highlighted by that World Series triumph in '95.
Like his legendary father Harry Caray, Skip became a broadcasting legend with calls such as "Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!" and by assigning an imaginary home town to everyone who caught a foul ball in the Turner Field stands ("And that souvenir goes to a fan from Dunwoody," he'd say).
Saturday night, after calling the Braves' 9-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Caray's distinctive voice was suddenly silenced when he died in his sleep. He was 68. Though slowed by an illness that limited him to calling only home games and adversely affected his grasp of the facts, he remained an Atlanta icon until the end.
I am so glad that my wife let me tune in to the final innings of Thursday night's game as we drove to Florida for the weekend. At least I got to hear Caray's voice live one final time. It's a voice that will live forever in the memories of Braves fans everywhere -- even if they don't have an annoying bottle opener.
So long, Skip.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Remembering Ron Miller
Like everyone else in the Cumberland County sports community, I was shocked by the news earlier this week of Ron Miller's death. Although he had suffered heart problems in the past, he seemed healthy and vibrant. I know he was looking forward to coaching the Fayetteville Academy varsity team next season.
My deepest sympathies go out to his family and everyone who loves sports in this area, because in addition to being a Hall of Fame coach, Ron Miller was a genuinely good guy with a deep passion for sports -- especially basketball -- and for helping youngsters improve themselves and giving them opportunities to succeed in life. Just a few days before his death, he was in the stands supporting his local Hope Mills team at a Dixie Youth baseball tournament game.
The last time I saw him, he was coaching a team of ACC senior all-stars in an exhibition game at Terry Sanford High. Even though he didn't have to do much actual coaching, he was relaxed, happy and completely in his element. There was nothing he loved more than talking about his favorite sport. I, for one, will miss hearing him do it.
In the world of competitive athletics, we have a tendency to overuse terms like "greatness" and "legendary," but in this case, both are appropriate. The loss of Ron Miller is a big one for our local sports scene. He was truly larger than life -- and not just because a 15-foot reproduction of his face was once featured on a Robeson Street billboard.
My deepest sympathies go out to his family and everyone who loves sports in this area, because in addition to being a Hall of Fame coach, Ron Miller was a genuinely good guy with a deep passion for sports -- especially basketball -- and for helping youngsters improve themselves and giving them opportunities to succeed in life. Just a few days before his death, he was in the stands supporting his local Hope Mills team at a Dixie Youth baseball tournament game.
The last time I saw him, he was coaching a team of ACC senior all-stars in an exhibition game at Terry Sanford High. Even though he didn't have to do much actual coaching, he was relaxed, happy and completely in his element. There was nothing he loved more than talking about his favorite sport. I, for one, will miss hearing him do it.
In the world of competitive athletics, we have a tendency to overuse terms like "greatness" and "legendary," but in this case, both are appropriate. The loss of Ron Miller is a big one for our local sports scene. He was truly larger than life -- and not just because a 15-foot reproduction of his face was once featured on a Robeson Street billboard.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Army does an about face on Caleb Campbell
One day before he was to join the Detroit Lions for the first day of preseason training camp, the Army changed its mind about Lt. Caleb Campbell and decided to send him directly into active duty, rather than allowing him the opportunity to make the NFL team's roster.
Here's the link to the AP story: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-lions-campbell&prov=ap&type=lgns
Needless to say, Campbell wasn't happy about the decision. "Oh yeah, I cried, because I wanted a shot,” Campbell, a seventh-round draft pick of the Lions, told The Oakland Press of Pontiac for a story published Thursday.
I'm sure he is upset. Wouldn't you be? I mean, there's a big difference between earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to play football and getting sent to Iraq or Afghanistan and having somebody shoot at you.
While I don't particularly care for the timing of the the about face, those of you who read this blog regularly know that I think it was the right thing to do -- especially in light of a ruling that denied a recent Naval Academy graduate the same chance to play pro baseball after getting drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
I'm not sure if the inconsistencies between the Army and Navy policies had anything to do with the reversal on Campbell, a defensive back who was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round this spring. But unless all service academy athletes are afforded the same benefit, it was the only fair thing to do.
Here's the link to the AP story: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-lions-campbell&prov=ap&type=lgns
Needless to say, Campbell wasn't happy about the decision. "Oh yeah, I cried, because I wanted a shot,” Campbell, a seventh-round draft pick of the Lions, told The Oakland Press of Pontiac for a story published Thursday.
I'm sure he is upset. Wouldn't you be? I mean, there's a big difference between earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to play football and getting sent to Iraq or Afghanistan and having somebody shoot at you.
While I don't particularly care for the timing of the the about face, those of you who read this blog regularly know that I think it was the right thing to do -- especially in light of a ruling that denied a recent Naval Academy graduate the same chance to play pro baseball after getting drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
I'm not sure if the inconsistencies between the Army and Navy policies had anything to do with the reversal on Campbell, a defensive back who was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round this spring. But unless all service academy athletes are afforded the same benefit, it was the only fair thing to do.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
What's up with these girls?
So much for women being the fairer sex -- at least, when it comes to sports.
I'm not sure what's gotten into these girls lately, but within the last week, we've seen them engage in two highly publicized physical confrontations in the heat of battle. Maybe they've finally realized that nobody out there is watching and they had to do something -- other than showing their sports bras to celebrate big victories -- to get some attention.
Whatever it is, here's the video of the WNBA brawl between the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE4s3C93Ex4.
And the pit road towel toss between Danica Patrick and some other women driver named Mika Duno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUd6n1Vti8.
At the rate things are going, it's only a matter of time before the Williams sisters go tag team to kick the daylights out of the next tennis opponents that beat them in doubles or instead of having the winner dive into the pond to celebrate victory at LPGA's Dinah Shore, Michelle Wie decides to push her in.
I'm not sure what's gotten into these girls lately, but within the last week, we've seen them engage in two highly publicized physical confrontations in the heat of battle. Maybe they've finally realized that nobody out there is watching and they had to do something -- other than showing their sports bras to celebrate big victories -- to get some attention.
Whatever it is, here's the video of the WNBA brawl between the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE4s3C93Ex4.
And the pit road towel toss between Danica Patrick and some other women driver named Mika Duno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUd6n1Vti8.
At the rate things are going, it's only a matter of time before the Williams sisters go tag team to kick the daylights out of the next tennis opponents that beat them in doubles or instead of having the winner dive into the pond to celebrate victory at LPGA's Dinah Shore, Michelle Wie decides to push her in.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Unfortunately, I think we all know how this story is probably going to end
Having recently turned 50 and facing a situation that calls for me to make a new start in life, I find myself identifying with Greg Norman tonight. And I'm rooting like crazy for the Great Gray Shark to hold it together for 18 more holes and become the oldest player ever to win one of golf's major championships.
Unfortunately, Norman's age, his lack of recent success and his career history will all be working against him in Sunday's final round of the British Open. Even in his prime, 53-year-old Australian probably wouldn't have been a good bet to take home the Claret Jug.
He is the antithesis of Tiger Woods, perhaps the worst front-runner in the history of major championship golf. His two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale marks the ninth time in his career that he has been atop the leader board after 54 holes at the Masters, U.S. and British Open or the PGA and only once, did he take advantage of the situation to win the title. So while I'm hoping the law of averages finally catches up with him and produces a victory for the ages (or should that be the aged), I'm fully expecting defending champion Padraig Harrington, Korean K.J. Choi or somebody else to break Norman's heart one last time.
Of course, if Norman does win, what a statement it will make about today's young players.
This is, after all, one of the two chances they're going to get for the foreseeable future to win a major without having Tiger to contend with. You know, the golden ticket to make a name for themselves and solidify their legacies. So what does Sergio, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim and other young hotshots like them do? They sit around complaining about the dismal conditions while a guy with an AARP card comes out of moth balls to steal away the precious opportunity.
Forget about "the best player never to win a major." If one of them doesn't step forward and get the job done at the PGA next month, we might have to start talking about "the best generation of players never to win a major." No matter how Norman does on Sunday.
Unfortunately, Norman's age, his lack of recent success and his career history will all be working against him in Sunday's final round of the British Open. Even in his prime, 53-year-old Australian probably wouldn't have been a good bet to take home the Claret Jug.
He is the antithesis of Tiger Woods, perhaps the worst front-runner in the history of major championship golf. His two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale marks the ninth time in his career that he has been atop the leader board after 54 holes at the Masters, U.S. and British Open or the PGA and only once, did he take advantage of the situation to win the title. So while I'm hoping the law of averages finally catches up with him and produces a victory for the ages (or should that be the aged), I'm fully expecting defending champion Padraig Harrington, Korean K.J. Choi or somebody else to break Norman's heart one last time.
Of course, if Norman does win, what a statement it will make about today's young players.
This is, after all, one of the two chances they're going to get for the foreseeable future to win a major without having Tiger to contend with. You know, the golden ticket to make a name for themselves and solidify their legacies. So what does Sergio, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim and other young hotshots like them do? They sit around complaining about the dismal conditions while a guy with an AARP card comes out of moth balls to steal away the precious opportunity.
Forget about "the best player never to win a major." If one of them doesn't step forward and get the job done at the PGA next month, we might have to start talking about "the best generation of players never to win a major." No matter how Norman does on Sunday.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Yes, he's annoying, but Billy shouldn't have been sent Pack-ing
It's been almost a week since the news came down and while I've been kind of busy the last couple of days and haven't had the chance to post, I didn't want to let Billy Packer's dismissal by CBS come and go without commenting on it.
First, let me say that I've never been a fan of Packer. He is to college basketball what Tim McCarver is to baseball -- a pompous, long-winded know-it-all who thinks he's bigger than the game and smarter than both his audience and the coaches he's constantly second-guessing. But having said that, he didn't deserve what CBS did to him on Monday. That's when the network announced it was replacing the 68-year-old Packer with Clark Kellogg as the lead analyst on its college basketball telecasts, effectively ending Packer's streak of 34 consecutive Final Four broadcasts.
The reason for his ouster?
Officially, it's because CBS officials thought the time was right for a change and that Kellogg deserved a chance to work with Jim Nantz on the lead announcing team. In reality, Packer's ouster likely came as the result of his committing the cardinal sin of broadcasting. He said something over the air that his bosses believed cost them money.
He did it by telling viewers that last April's national semifinal game between UNC and Kansas "was over" after the Jayhawks sprinted out to a 38-12 lead midway through the first half. Never mind that the game really was over, even though the Tar Heels eventually rallied back to make it interesting in the second half, or that Packer's job description was and always has been to tell it as he sees it. All the suits in New York heard was that someone on their payroll was telling people all across America to pick up their remotes and change the channel. And he paid for it with his job.
While the result of the decision is that CBS's college basketball coverage will be eminently more watchable in the future it doesn't make what the network did to Packer on Monday any less unfair.
First, let me say that I've never been a fan of Packer. He is to college basketball what Tim McCarver is to baseball -- a pompous, long-winded know-it-all who thinks he's bigger than the game and smarter than both his audience and the coaches he's constantly second-guessing. But having said that, he didn't deserve what CBS did to him on Monday. That's when the network announced it was replacing the 68-year-old Packer with Clark Kellogg as the lead analyst on its college basketball telecasts, effectively ending Packer's streak of 34 consecutive Final Four broadcasts.
The reason for his ouster?
Officially, it's because CBS officials thought the time was right for a change and that Kellogg deserved a chance to work with Jim Nantz on the lead announcing team. In reality, Packer's ouster likely came as the result of his committing the cardinal sin of broadcasting. He said something over the air that his bosses believed cost them money.
He did it by telling viewers that last April's national semifinal game between UNC and Kansas "was over" after the Jayhawks sprinted out to a 38-12 lead midway through the first half. Never mind that the game really was over, even though the Tar Heels eventually rallied back to make it interesting in the second half, or that Packer's job description was and always has been to tell it as he sees it. All the suits in New York heard was that someone on their payroll was telling people all across America to pick up their remotes and change the channel. And he paid for it with his job.
While the result of the decision is that CBS's college basketball coverage will be eminently more watchable in the future it doesn't make what the network did to Packer on Monday any less unfair.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
SwampDogs getting plenty of "Bangs" for their buck
Check out the story I did on Scotland High graduate Parker Bangs for the Fayetteville SwampDogs' website:
http://goswampdogs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=603&Itemid=16
One other thing, my blog as the Wilmington Star-News' "ACC Insider" is up and running. You can find it at http://acc.starnewsonline.com/. My first assignment is this weekend from the ACC's football kickoff media event in Greensboro, Ga.
http://goswampdogs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=603&Itemid=16
One other thing, my blog as the Wilmington Star-News' "ACC Insider" is up and running. You can find it at http://acc.starnewsonline.com/. My first assignment is this weekend from the ACC's football kickoff media event in Greensboro, Ga.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Home Run Derby was a hit
I tried my best not to enjoy Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby.
I complained that the best power hitters in the game weren't in it. I moaned that the biggest stars no longer cared about it (even Alex Rodriguez blew it off, despite the opportunity to perform before his home fans in a historic home stadium potentially hosting its last big event). Most of all, I whined that it had become the baseball version of the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest -- an event that was once a good idea, but had far outlived its usefulness.
Then Josh Hamilton stepped up to the plate and my perspective changed drastically.
Suddenly it didn't matter that the field included a pair of second basemen, a leadoff hitter and one of the Desperate Housewives (Don't worry, I know it was really Evan Longoria, not Mrs. Tony Parker). All I knew is that this once-troubled kid with arms like a longshoreman, an electric smile and a 71-year-old former coach for a pitcher was hitting the ball out of sight with every swing he took.
What an amazing story -- even if ESPN tried as hard as it could to spoil the moment, as it usually does, by going overboard trying to tell it. I mean, did we really need to hear about Hamilton's unwanted tattoos THREE times during the telecast?
The only real injustice is that the Texas Rangers' star didn't get to go home with the trophy he so richly deserved. But as the eventual winner -- Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins -- conceded, "it was Josh's show" and that's all people are going to remember for years to come. Even with the anticlimactic ending and ESPN's annoying coverage (lowlighted by columnist Rick Reilly's insulting comparison to the number of white guys in the competition to a "Kiwanis Club meeting") it was an entertaining show that renewed my waning enthusiasm for the Home Run Derby.
I complained that the best power hitters in the game weren't in it. I moaned that the biggest stars no longer cared about it (even Alex Rodriguez blew it off, despite the opportunity to perform before his home fans in a historic home stadium potentially hosting its last big event). Most of all, I whined that it had become the baseball version of the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest -- an event that was once a good idea, but had far outlived its usefulness.
Then Josh Hamilton stepped up to the plate and my perspective changed drastically.
Suddenly it didn't matter that the field included a pair of second basemen, a leadoff hitter and one of the Desperate Housewives (Don't worry, I know it was really Evan Longoria, not Mrs. Tony Parker). All I knew is that this once-troubled kid with arms like a longshoreman, an electric smile and a 71-year-old former coach for a pitcher was hitting the ball out of sight with every swing he took.
What an amazing story -- even if ESPN tried as hard as it could to spoil the moment, as it usually does, by going overboard trying to tell it. I mean, did we really need to hear about Hamilton's unwanted tattoos THREE times during the telecast?
The only real injustice is that the Texas Rangers' star didn't get to go home with the trophy he so richly deserved. But as the eventual winner -- Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins -- conceded, "it was Josh's show" and that's all people are going to remember for years to come. Even with the anticlimactic ending and ESPN's annoying coverage (lowlighted by columnist Rick Reilly's insulting comparison to the number of white guys in the competition to a "Kiwanis Club meeting") it was an entertaining show that renewed my waning enthusiasm for the Home Run Derby.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Shopping with the enemy?
OK, so I was up in Smithfield at the Outlet Mall this afternoon shopping for some comfortable shoes for my son Paul to wear at work and who do I run into? N.C. State basketball player Brandon Costner.
The enigmatic star wasn't really in a talking mood, probably because we were in the Nike outlet store at the time and State is an adidas school. But he did acknowledge me long enough before grabbing a pair of shoes, paying and disappearing out the front door to say that despite rumors to the contrary, he has every intention of coming back and playing this season.
You Wolfpack fans -- especially my radio partner Allen Smothers -- will be happy to know that Costner looks lean and strong. He said he's looking forward to having a big junior year.
He's going to have to bounce back for State to have any chance of being good next season. With the distraction of J.J. Hickson gone to the NBA, maybe coach Sidney Lowe will remember that he has an All-ACC caliber player in Costner on his roster and will give him a chance to shine rather than burying him on the bench for long periods of games as he did a year ago.
Of course, it's also incumbent upon Costner to not become a brooding baby when things don't go his way. We'll see how he's doing four months from now when the season begins, but for now at least, he sure looked happy and ready to go.
The enigmatic star wasn't really in a talking mood, probably because we were in the Nike outlet store at the time and State is an adidas school. But he did acknowledge me long enough before grabbing a pair of shoes, paying and disappearing out the front door to say that despite rumors to the contrary, he has every intention of coming back and playing this season.
You Wolfpack fans -- especially my radio partner Allen Smothers -- will be happy to know that Costner looks lean and strong. He said he's looking forward to having a big junior year.
He's going to have to bounce back for State to have any chance of being good next season. With the distraction of J.J. Hickson gone to the NBA, maybe coach Sidney Lowe will remember that he has an All-ACC caliber player in Costner on his roster and will give him a chance to shine rather than burying him on the bench for long periods of games as he did a year ago.
Of course, it's also incumbent upon Costner to not become a brooding baby when things don't go his way. We'll see how he's doing four months from now when the season begins, but for now at least, he sure looked happy and ready to go.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Local sports update
The Fayetteville FireAntz have taken another big step toward putting together a championship-caliber team for the upcoming season by coming to contract terms with high-scoring left winger Justin Keller. A 6-foot, 195-pound Saskatchewan native, the 24-year-old Keller contributed 13 goals and 25 points in 21 games after being acquired in a trade with Huntsville. His 70 points, overall, ranked fifth in the Southern Professional Hockey League, one fewer than FireAntz team leader Tim Velemirovich.
Keller's arrival in Fayetteville was a key factor in the FireAntz's late run to the SPHL semifinals. He proved to be the steadying influence the team's top line of Velemirovich and Rob Sich had been missing for most of the season. Keller is the fifth player to be re-signed by the FireAntz, joining goalie Chad Collins, forward Marc Norrington, defenseman Lawne Snyder and player/assistant coach Corey Hessler.
Keller's arrival in Fayetteville was a key factor in the FireAntz's late run to the SPHL semifinals. He proved to be the steadying influence the team's top line of Velemirovich and Rob Sich had been missing for most of the season. Keller is the fifth player to be re-signed by the FireAntz, joining goalie Chad Collins, forward Marc Norrington, defenseman Lawne Snyder and player/assistant coach Corey Hessler.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Who says it's a slow time in sports?
OK, so I spent most of my holiday weekend playing "Rock Band" with my wife and daughter on my son's X Box. I admit it. The damn thing is addictive. But in between my wicked guitar solos on Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" and the eternally long "Foreplay/Long Time" by Boston -- my fingers still hurt from trying to pick my way through that one -- I did manage to watch a little sports on TV.
Who said we've entered that mid-summer dead zone between the end of the NBA Finals and the opening of football training camps? Between the compelling theater of Joey Chestnut's dogged sudden-death victory against Kobyashi in the Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest and the emerging soap opera of Brett Favre's rumored comeback and A-Rod's impending divorce, there was plenty going on to keep us all busy.
As it turned out, the real guilty pleasure of my long weekend was tennis, a sport I could usually care less about.
Like a rubbernecker slowing down to check out a wreck on the side of the highway, I seemed strangely drawn to it -- first, the Williams' sibling rivalry on Saturday, then the epic five-set battle between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the men's final on Sunday. I'm not sure the drama and the rivalries will renew my interest in tennis the way it was when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were at the top of their games, but it will probably entice me into tuning in again when the U.S. Open rolls around in September. With Tiger Woods missing from the PGA Tour for the rest of the year, it promises to be a better watch than golf's two upcoming majors, the British Open and PGA Championship.
As for the soap opera updates, I can't say that I'm surprised to hear that Favre has begun to get the "itch" to play football again. He proved he can still play last season and I had a feeling that he eventually be haunted by the interception he threw on what would have been his final career pass in overtime of the NFC championship game.
The fact that his interest in returning was leaked to ESPN and played up so big tells me that -- no matter what team management is saying officially -- the Packers want and need No. 4 back in uniform this fall. My guess is that they've seen enough of heir apparent Aaron Rogers in summer workouts and minicamps to realize that he's not good enough to get the job done.
Don't be shocked to see Favre back with the Pack soon.
There was once a time when I looked down on star athletes coming out of retirement to squeeze out one last bit of glory from their careers. But my view on the subject has changed drastically during the past few weeks. I know what it's like to have something you love and have done for most of your life suddenly taken away from you. I know what it feels like to be sitting idly at home, wishing you could go back out and do it just one more time. As long as there's somebody out there willing to give Favre or race car driver Mark Martin -- who recently came out of semi-retirement to make one last run at an elusive Sprint Cup championship for team owner Rick Hendrick next year -- a shot, why shouldn't they be encouraged to come back? Personally, I'll be rooting for both of them.
As for me and my career "comeback," I have agreed to take on the job of ACC writer for the Wilmington-Star news. It's only a part-time position in which I write 3-4 columns and stories for them each week during the football and basketball seasons, so I'll have plenty of time for other interests -- including one here in Fayetteville involving the three local minor league teams. I'll fill you in on the details as they develop. Let's just say things are "Up & Coming!"
Thank you all for your support and your concern. Trust me when I say that I enjoy writing for you even more than you seem to enjoy discussing what I write. You mean the world to me!
Who said we've entered that mid-summer dead zone between the end of the NBA Finals and the opening of football training camps? Between the compelling theater of Joey Chestnut's dogged sudden-death victory against Kobyashi in the Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest and the emerging soap opera of Brett Favre's rumored comeback and A-Rod's impending divorce, there was plenty going on to keep us all busy.
As it turned out, the real guilty pleasure of my long weekend was tennis, a sport I could usually care less about.
Like a rubbernecker slowing down to check out a wreck on the side of the highway, I seemed strangely drawn to it -- first, the Williams' sibling rivalry on Saturday, then the epic five-set battle between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the men's final on Sunday. I'm not sure the drama and the rivalries will renew my interest in tennis the way it was when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were at the top of their games, but it will probably entice me into tuning in again when the U.S. Open rolls around in September. With Tiger Woods missing from the PGA Tour for the rest of the year, it promises to be a better watch than golf's two upcoming majors, the British Open and PGA Championship.
As for the soap opera updates, I can't say that I'm surprised to hear that Favre has begun to get the "itch" to play football again. He proved he can still play last season and I had a feeling that he eventually be haunted by the interception he threw on what would have been his final career pass in overtime of the NFC championship game.
The fact that his interest in returning was leaked to ESPN and played up so big tells me that -- no matter what team management is saying officially -- the Packers want and need No. 4 back in uniform this fall. My guess is that they've seen enough of heir apparent Aaron Rogers in summer workouts and minicamps to realize that he's not good enough to get the job done.
Don't be shocked to see Favre back with the Pack soon.
There was once a time when I looked down on star athletes coming out of retirement to squeeze out one last bit of glory from their careers. But my view on the subject has changed drastically during the past few weeks. I know what it's like to have something you love and have done for most of your life suddenly taken away from you. I know what it feels like to be sitting idly at home, wishing you could go back out and do it just one more time. As long as there's somebody out there willing to give Favre or race car driver Mark Martin -- who recently came out of semi-retirement to make one last run at an elusive Sprint Cup championship for team owner Rick Hendrick next year -- a shot, why shouldn't they be encouraged to come back? Personally, I'll be rooting for both of them.
As for me and my career "comeback," I have agreed to take on the job of ACC writer for the Wilmington-Star news. It's only a part-time position in which I write 3-4 columns and stories for them each week during the football and basketball seasons, so I'll have plenty of time for other interests -- including one here in Fayetteville involving the three local minor league teams. I'll fill you in on the details as they develop. Let's just say things are "Up & Coming!"
Thank you all for your support and your concern. Trust me when I say that I enjoy writing for you even more than you seem to enjoy discussing what I write. You mean the world to me!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Back among the living
For the first time in more than a month, I feel like myself again.
It might only have been a press conference given by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to talk about his upcoming work with the U.S. Olympic team, but for somebody who has been sitting around idle as much as I have been lately, it felt like I'd been hooked up to a defibrillator and shocked back to life.
I was asked to cover Coach K's press conference for the Wilmington Star News. Here's the like to my column: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080703/ARTICLE/807020355.
It might be the first of many stories and columns I write for the Star-News. Then again, it might also be the only one. But either way, it was good to be back at work again. It's something I'll never take for granted again.
I hope you had as great a Fourth of July holiday as I did. God Bless America and God bless you all!
It might only have been a press conference given by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to talk about his upcoming work with the U.S. Olympic team, but for somebody who has been sitting around idle as much as I have been lately, it felt like I'd been hooked up to a defibrillator and shocked back to life.
I was asked to cover Coach K's press conference for the Wilmington Star News. Here's the like to my column: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080703/ARTICLE/807020355.
It might be the first of many stories and columns I write for the Star-News. Then again, it might also be the only one. But either way, it was good to be back at work again. It's something I'll never take for granted again.
I hope you had as great a Fourth of July holiday as I did. God Bless America and God bless you all!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Still on Guard in Fayetteville
Judging from its 5-9 record and failure to qualify for the American Indoor Football Association playoffs, it would be easy to make the assumption that the Fayetteville Guard had a terrible season.
But it's an assumption team owner Richard King isn't ready to make.
In fact, like the rogue cadets in the climactic scene of the 1981 movie "Taps," King has instead chosen to "declare victory" despite all appearances to the contrary. The difference in this case is that King has a vaild argument. Despite making several major tactical errors and falling well short of its championship sucess of the past two seasons, 2008 was probably the most successful of the Guard's four seasons to date.
Total attendance was up nearly 6,500. Sponsorships also increased. The team, once all the key elements were finally brought back together, was as competive as anyone in the league. And most important of all, the pool of red ink that has threatened to drown King since he began the Guard has begun to recede -- enough so that he's already making plans for next season and beyond.
"I like to tell people that the first year, I lost my shirt, then the second I lost a sock and last year, I lost another sock," King said Monday night on my weekly radio show (The PowerAde Pressbox with Brett & the Bad Boy, which airs from 6-8 p.m. on WFNC, 640 AM). "This year I'm not taking anything else off. I'll probably never make money (from the Guard), but I can see things starting to come around."
While that's certainly great news, King isn't ready to start celebrating. Learning from his own mistakes and those made by the Guard's predecessor, the Cape Fear Wildcats of arenafootball2, King has vowed to work harder than ever this offseason to keep the momentum going. And he's not going to wait to get started.
He's already extended offers to his team's nucleus -- including Charles Gunnings, running back Wilmont Perry and quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen -- to return next season while promising to get younger and faster in the defensive secondary, the team's biggest weakness this season. He's promised to raise awareness in the Guard and confidence in a skeptical ticket-buying public by increasing the team's presence in the community this summer and fall. He also plans to work with his fellow AIFA owners to strengthen and improve a league that was a marked improvement over the mess that marred the Guard's former affiliation with the National Indoor Football League.
The Guard's situation, though still a work in progress, now seems to have the same kind of potential as that of hockey's highly successful Fayetteville FireAntz. There were some growing pains early, not to mention a pair of failed leagues. But with a lot of hard work, a little luck, a group of committed investors and a sound business plan, the FireAntz have evolved into the model of mid-market, minor league sports consistency. It's a road map the Guard would be wise to follow.
"We've found a nice little niche and I want it to take off here in Fayetteville," King said. "I think that's happening."
I'll be honest. After the way this season unfolded, I had serious doubts about the Guard's future. I figured that this might be the end of the line. After hearing what King had to say Monday, I've changed my mind. Now comes the hard part, following through on that committment and turning words into action. If King does -- and I have every reason to believe he will -- then there's hope for the Guard yet.
But it's an assumption team owner Richard King isn't ready to make.
In fact, like the rogue cadets in the climactic scene of the 1981 movie "Taps," King has instead chosen to "declare victory" despite all appearances to the contrary. The difference in this case is that King has a vaild argument. Despite making several major tactical errors and falling well short of its championship sucess of the past two seasons, 2008 was probably the most successful of the Guard's four seasons to date.
Total attendance was up nearly 6,500. Sponsorships also increased. The team, once all the key elements were finally brought back together, was as competive as anyone in the league. And most important of all, the pool of red ink that has threatened to drown King since he began the Guard has begun to recede -- enough so that he's already making plans for next season and beyond.
"I like to tell people that the first year, I lost my shirt, then the second I lost a sock and last year, I lost another sock," King said Monday night on my weekly radio show (The PowerAde Pressbox with Brett & the Bad Boy, which airs from 6-8 p.m. on WFNC, 640 AM). "This year I'm not taking anything else off. I'll probably never make money (from the Guard), but I can see things starting to come around."
While that's certainly great news, King isn't ready to start celebrating. Learning from his own mistakes and those made by the Guard's predecessor, the Cape Fear Wildcats of arenafootball2, King has vowed to work harder than ever this offseason to keep the momentum going. And he's not going to wait to get started.
He's already extended offers to his team's nucleus -- including Charles Gunnings, running back Wilmont Perry and quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen -- to return next season while promising to get younger and faster in the defensive secondary, the team's biggest weakness this season. He's promised to raise awareness in the Guard and confidence in a skeptical ticket-buying public by increasing the team's presence in the community this summer and fall. He also plans to work with his fellow AIFA owners to strengthen and improve a league that was a marked improvement over the mess that marred the Guard's former affiliation with the National Indoor Football League.
The Guard's situation, though still a work in progress, now seems to have the same kind of potential as that of hockey's highly successful Fayetteville FireAntz. There were some growing pains early, not to mention a pair of failed leagues. But with a lot of hard work, a little luck, a group of committed investors and a sound business plan, the FireAntz have evolved into the model of mid-market, minor league sports consistency. It's a road map the Guard would be wise to follow.
"We've found a nice little niche and I want it to take off here in Fayetteville," King said. "I think that's happening."
I'll be honest. After the way this season unfolded, I had serious doubts about the Guard's future. I figured that this might be the end of the line. After hearing what King had to say Monday, I've changed my mind. Now comes the hard part, following through on that committment and turning words into action. If King does -- and I have every reason to believe he will -- then there's hope for the Guard yet.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Not a Brave "new" World
The Major League Baseball season has reached its midway point and as a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Braves I'm understandably disappointed, though not necessarily surprised. Any time you go into a season with a starting rotation that includes two geriatrics and a guy who hasn't pitched in two years because of injuries -- not to mention a starting centerfielder with a chronic bad back -- you're asking for trouble.
And the Braves have got plenty of it.
John Smoltz is through, probably for good. Tom Glavine is, too, even though he hasn't yet come to grips with the obvious. As for Mike Hampton, I'd like to find job that pays you millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing but rehabbing. Hell, at this point, I'd settle for any job (for those of you out there who are hiring). But I digress ...
With the trading deadline rapidly approaching, the time is coming for the Braves to make some major decisions. Do they make a longshot run at getting into the postseason this year by trading some of their prospects for starting pitching (C.C. Sabathia, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden and Bronson Arroyo are among those rumored to be available) and an outfield bat (like the Pirates' Jason Bay or Xavier Nady)? Or do they move free-agent-to-be first baseman Mark Teixeira and perhaps even Tim Hudson for prospects that will help them return to prominence in the future?
My guess is that the latter is the more prudent course. But I doubt Bobby Cox and GM Frank Wren are going to admit that their amazing run is officially over.
By the way, with Smoltz recovering from surgery, Glavine struggling to stay healthy and get anybody out, and fellow 40-something former teammate Greg Maddux only a shadow of his former Cy Young self, I would love to see all three announce their retirements at the end of the season so that five years from now, they can all be inducted into the Hall of Fame together -- as they should be given what they accomplished together during the 1990s.
And the Braves have got plenty of it.
John Smoltz is through, probably for good. Tom Glavine is, too, even though he hasn't yet come to grips with the obvious. As for Mike Hampton, I'd like to find job that pays you millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing but rehabbing. Hell, at this point, I'd settle for any job (for those of you out there who are hiring). But I digress ...
With the trading deadline rapidly approaching, the time is coming for the Braves to make some major decisions. Do they make a longshot run at getting into the postseason this year by trading some of their prospects for starting pitching (C.C. Sabathia, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden and Bronson Arroyo are among those rumored to be available) and an outfield bat (like the Pirates' Jason Bay or Xavier Nady)? Or do they move free-agent-to-be first baseman Mark Teixeira and perhaps even Tim Hudson for prospects that will help them return to prominence in the future?
My guess is that the latter is the more prudent course. But I doubt Bobby Cox and GM Frank Wren are going to admit that their amazing run is officially over.
By the way, with Smoltz recovering from surgery, Glavine struggling to stay healthy and get anybody out, and fellow 40-something former teammate Greg Maddux only a shadow of his former Cy Young self, I would love to see all three announce their retirements at the end of the season so that five years from now, they can all be inducted into the Hall of Fame together -- as they should be given what they accomplished together during the 1990s.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Random thoughts and observations from the NBA draft
Well, the newest crop of young millionaires have officially been minted and distributed among the NBA's 30 teams and what have we learned?
For one thing, we now know -- as if we didn't already -- that the NBA's one-and-done rule isn't working. Nine freshmen, in all, went in the first round, a new record, meaning that nine college programs around the country are in the unenviable position of having to rebuild, or reload, for the second straight season.
I'm not sure why the NBA insists that these players take up space on a college roster (and sometimes, even a college classroom) for one year before turning pro. If they're going to jump at the first opportunity, anyway, they might as well be allowed to go into the draft straight out of high school. What's the difference?
The current system is a lot like a baseball team dealing for a veteran free-agent-to-be at the trade deadline. Sometimes the rent-a-players work out. Most of the time, they don't. Just ask Southern Cal (which could very well end up on probation because of O.J. Mayo's short stay), Kansas State, Arizona and N.C. State if they really, truly benefitted from any of their one-year wonders. Even Memphis, which did at least get to the Final Four, still fell short of the national championship in its one and only shot with top pick Derrick Rose.
A much better solution for everyone involved would be a system similar to the one used by Major League Baseball -- in which players can be drafted out of high school, but can decide not to sign and go to school if they choose. But once they enroll and step onto campus, they can't be drafted again until after their third year. It seems like that would make a lot more sense than the one in place now. Maybe that's why David Stern and the Players Association haven't thought of it.
A little closer to home here in North Carolina, I'm still trying to figure out what the Charlotte Bobcats were thinking as they made their first-round selections.
They went into the draft with the stated intent of getting a bigger, specifically, to add a strong post presence that would allow them to move Emeka Okafor over to power forward. But even though Stanford's 7-foot-1, 258-pound Brook Lopez was still available, the Bobcats opted instead for point guard D.J. Augustin out of Texas.
Now, Augustin is certainly an excellent player with the potential to be a highly effective NBA point guard ... but not when you've already invested a lot of money in another young player at the position. Maybe Charlotte has a deal worked out to move Raymond Felton for a big. If not, then Michael Jordan only added to his less-than-stellar reputation as a miserable drafter, because after trading a future first-rounder to Denver for the 20th overall pick, His Airness wasted it on some French stiff who averaged only five points per game in a Euro league and might not be NBA ready until 2010.
Huh?
I guess there's always next year's lottery.
As for the draft as a whole, the biggest winners were the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers (who didn't even have a pick). Why? Because they did a great job of trading picks for proven veterans who will help faster and more significantly than anything that would have been available to them otherwise.
For one thing, we now know -- as if we didn't already -- that the NBA's one-and-done rule isn't working. Nine freshmen, in all, went in the first round, a new record, meaning that nine college programs around the country are in the unenviable position of having to rebuild, or reload, for the second straight season.
I'm not sure why the NBA insists that these players take up space on a college roster (and sometimes, even a college classroom) for one year before turning pro. If they're going to jump at the first opportunity, anyway, they might as well be allowed to go into the draft straight out of high school. What's the difference?
The current system is a lot like a baseball team dealing for a veteran free-agent-to-be at the trade deadline. Sometimes the rent-a-players work out. Most of the time, they don't. Just ask Southern Cal (which could very well end up on probation because of O.J. Mayo's short stay), Kansas State, Arizona and N.C. State if they really, truly benefitted from any of their one-year wonders. Even Memphis, which did at least get to the Final Four, still fell short of the national championship in its one and only shot with top pick Derrick Rose.
A much better solution for everyone involved would be a system similar to the one used by Major League Baseball -- in which players can be drafted out of high school, but can decide not to sign and go to school if they choose. But once they enroll and step onto campus, they can't be drafted again until after their third year. It seems like that would make a lot more sense than the one in place now. Maybe that's why David Stern and the Players Association haven't thought of it.
A little closer to home here in North Carolina, I'm still trying to figure out what the Charlotte Bobcats were thinking as they made their first-round selections.
They went into the draft with the stated intent of getting a bigger, specifically, to add a strong post presence that would allow them to move Emeka Okafor over to power forward. But even though Stanford's 7-foot-1, 258-pound Brook Lopez was still available, the Bobcats opted instead for point guard D.J. Augustin out of Texas.
Now, Augustin is certainly an excellent player with the potential to be a highly effective NBA point guard ... but not when you've already invested a lot of money in another young player at the position. Maybe Charlotte has a deal worked out to move Raymond Felton for a big. If not, then Michael Jordan only added to his less-than-stellar reputation as a miserable drafter, because after trading a future first-rounder to Denver for the 20th overall pick, His Airness wasted it on some French stiff who averaged only five points per game in a Euro league and might not be NBA ready until 2010.
Huh?
I guess there's always next year's lottery.
As for the draft as a whole, the biggest winners were the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers (who didn't even have a pick). Why? Because they did a great job of trading picks for proven veterans who will help faster and more significantly than anything that would have been available to them otherwise.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
What's good for the mule isn't necessarily good for the goat
You've probably never heard of Mitch Harris, in large part because ESPN chose not to use its hype machine to turn him into a national celebrity the way it did Caleb Campbell. Then again, that's probably because "the worldwide leader" didn't have two days of air time to try to fill around the major league baseball draft the way it did with the NFL's annual lottery of college talent.
Harris' story is one that needs to be told, however, because of the gross inconsistency it exposes in the policies of our various military services.
Here's the link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjGAqB9VXy0tfWXNfuAsToMLK9kQD918UG6G0
To summarize, Harris was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball draft a few days after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and being commissioned as an Ensign. But he won't be able to sign a contract and play professionally because of the academy's required five-year military commitment.
I wouldn't normally have a problem with that, except for the fact that while Harris is in Iraq or Afghanistan putting his life on the line for the service of his country, Campbell will be putting on his helmet and pads and playing football for a living as a member of the Detroit Lions. He'll be able to do that because as a recent graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he can advantage of a controversial new policy allowing Army graduates to play professionally without having to serve any active duty.
Campbell was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round of the NFL draft in April. If he makes the team, he will be required to spend one day a week working at a local recruiting office. If he keeps his NFL job for at least two years, the newly commissioned second lieutenant will have the option to “buy out” his remaining three years of active duty in exchange for a longer reserve commitment. Implemented in 2005, the new policy — called the Alternative Service Option — allows the Army to use cadets with “special talents” as recruiting tools while allowing them the pursue careers in fields not usually open to young officers.
If the Army is looking for a little good PR, then the plan seems to be working. When Campbell's selection was announced, it was greeted with chants of "USA, USA" from the crowd in attendance and celebrated by the ESPN talking heads as being something "special." But that's part of the problem. Because Campbell is in the Army, he's getting special privileges that aren't available to Harris or anyone else in the Navy or Air Force.
It's a discrepency that needs to be fixed. Either ALL academy graduates should be given the same opportunities or they should all be required to honor their commitments. In the mean time, Campbell should remember the tenets of duty, honor and country he learned at West Point and were put into practice by the likes of Roger Staubach, David Robinson and Pat Tillman, and put his NFL career on hold to join his classmates in active duty.
Harris' story is one that needs to be told, however, because of the gross inconsistency it exposes in the policies of our various military services.
Here's the link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjGAqB9VXy0tfWXNfuAsToMLK9kQD918UG6G0
To summarize, Harris was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball draft a few days after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and being commissioned as an Ensign. But he won't be able to sign a contract and play professionally because of the academy's required five-year military commitment.
I wouldn't normally have a problem with that, except for the fact that while Harris is in Iraq or Afghanistan putting his life on the line for the service of his country, Campbell will be putting on his helmet and pads and playing football for a living as a member of the Detroit Lions. He'll be able to do that because as a recent graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he can advantage of a controversial new policy allowing Army graduates to play professionally without having to serve any active duty.
Campbell was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round of the NFL draft in April. If he makes the team, he will be required to spend one day a week working at a local recruiting office. If he keeps his NFL job for at least two years, the newly commissioned second lieutenant will have the option to “buy out” his remaining three years of active duty in exchange for a longer reserve commitment. Implemented in 2005, the new policy — called the Alternative Service Option — allows the Army to use cadets with “special talents” as recruiting tools while allowing them the pursue careers in fields not usually open to young officers.
If the Army is looking for a little good PR, then the plan seems to be working. When Campbell's selection was announced, it was greeted with chants of "USA, USA" from the crowd in attendance and celebrated by the ESPN talking heads as being something "special." But that's part of the problem. Because Campbell is in the Army, he's getting special privileges that aren't available to Harris or anyone else in the Navy or Air Force.
It's a discrepency that needs to be fixed. Either ALL academy graduates should be given the same opportunities or they should all be required to honor their commitments. In the mean time, Campbell should remember the tenets of duty, honor and country he learned at West Point and were put into practice by the likes of Roger Staubach, David Robinson and Pat Tillman, and put his NFL career on hold to join his classmates in active duty.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Duke football finally gets a win (by losing)
It's not every day that the Duke football program gets to celebrate a victory. It's happened only eight times during the past five years. So I suppose you can't fault the Blue Devils for getting excited over this one. But if it was me, I'd be so embarassed that I'd think seriously about packing up my helmets and pads and disbanding the program.
For what it was worth, this latest "win" came in a Kentucky circuit court rather than on the field of play and it was earned when a judge sided with Duke in its breach of contract lawsuit against Louisville. The Cardinals sought to recover nearly a half million dollars in damages after the Blue Devils decided to cancel the final three games of their four-game series against their Big East Conference rivals.
The argument was that Louisville wouldn't be able to find a replacement "team of similar stature" to fill the scheduling void created by Duke. The Blue Devils countered that because their team is so bad, they can be replaced by anyone. And Judge Phillip J. Shepherd of Franklin, Ky., bought it, ruling that "Duke persuasively asserted that this is a threshold that could not be any lower."
I guess there's something to be said for that. Not everyone can be the best and somebody has to be the worst. So why not accept your lot in life and revel in it, as the Blue Devils' football program seems to have done? Besides, this is the best thing that could possibly have happened to new coach David Cutcliffe.
At this point, the bar has been set so low that any success he achieves will put him in for the ACC's Coach of the Year award and maybe even a front row seat at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the only sport at Duke that matters -- basketball.
For what it was worth, this latest "win" came in a Kentucky circuit court rather than on the field of play and it was earned when a judge sided with Duke in its breach of contract lawsuit against Louisville. The Cardinals sought to recover nearly a half million dollars in damages after the Blue Devils decided to cancel the final three games of their four-game series against their Big East Conference rivals.
The argument was that Louisville wouldn't be able to find a replacement "team of similar stature" to fill the scheduling void created by Duke. The Blue Devils countered that because their team is so bad, they can be replaced by anyone. And Judge Phillip J. Shepherd of Franklin, Ky., bought it, ruling that "Duke persuasively asserted that this is a threshold that could not be any lower."
I guess there's something to be said for that. Not everyone can be the best and somebody has to be the worst. So why not accept your lot in life and revel in it, as the Blue Devils' football program seems to have done? Besides, this is the best thing that could possibly have happened to new coach David Cutcliffe.
At this point, the bar has been set so low that any success he achieves will put him in for the ACC's Coach of the Year award and maybe even a front row seat at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the only sport at Duke that matters -- basketball.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Christmas in June for Tar Heels fans
The presents weren't stacked neatly beneath a tree bedazzled with lights and tinsel. They were delivered as a single line of type, crawling across the bottom of the television screen on ESPN shortly after Tiger Woods celebrated his epic U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines. But the celebration was just as merry among the Tar Heel faithful.
Even the most optimistic among them probably never considered it realistic to hope that Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson would all withdraw their names from the NBA draft and return to school for next season. In fact, there seemed more of a chance that all three would leave than stay.
In the end, Ellington listened to the multitude of informed voices who warned that there are still too many holes in his game to be a first-round pick and Lawson decided to play it safe rather than risk going into the draft as damaged goods after a recent drunk-driving arrest and numerous injuries. As for Green, he and his cash-strapped family finally came to the realization that you can't pay off many bills on the $20,000 a year or so they pay for playing in the NBA's D-League.
Barring injury or other unforeseen circumstance, all three should greatly enhance their pro prospects (and pay checks) by playing one more season of college ball. Then again, Ellington, Lawson and Green might have been just as swayed by the experiences of Tar Heel teammates Tyler Hansbrough and Bobby Frasor back on campus. Those guys seemed to be having a lot more fun "testing the waters," so why not come back and join them -- especially if a national championship ring is included in the deal?
Though the reasons behind their individual decisions might never be known, the repercussions are as tangible as the banners hanging from the Smith Center rafters. As of Monday afternoon at 5 p.m., UNC is officially the team to beat in college basketball for 2008-09.
There can be no argument that the Tar Heels will be the most talented, experienced and motivated team in the country next fall. But their march to the national championship, let alone the Four Four in Detroit, is anything but inevitible.
For one thing, despite the return of so many starters, the chemistry of next year's team will be drastically different than it was during last spring's impressive stretch run. Frasor will be back from his injury and will want playing time that might not be available. There's also the problem of trying to fit a trio of talented freshmen -- power forward Ed Davis, point guard Larry Drew Jr. and center Tyler Zeller -- into an already overcrowded rotation.
The last time UNC was faced with such a situation, in 1994, the combination proved toxic. The four returning starters from the previous year's national championship team never got along with newcomers Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse and the Tar Heels never came close to reaching their potential. When they lost to Boston College in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the players seemed more relieved than upset. They couldn't wait for the season to be over.
While that's not as likely to happen with this group, in large measure, because of the personalities of the players involved, it's still a possibility. Coach Roy Williams is going to realize the threat and take whatever measures necessary to keep his team from becoming fractured. That means doing more than just rolling the ball out and letting the most talented players in the nation do their thing.
But worrying about that now is like putting your Christmas toys away without playing with them for fear that they might get broken. It is, after all, better to have too much talent than not enough. When you're given an unexpected gift, as the Tar Heels and their fans were Monday, you don't question your good fortune. You simply thank your lucky stars and enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Even the most optimistic among them probably never considered it realistic to hope that Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson would all withdraw their names from the NBA draft and return to school for next season. In fact, there seemed more of a chance that all three would leave than stay.
In the end, Ellington listened to the multitude of informed voices who warned that there are still too many holes in his game to be a first-round pick and Lawson decided to play it safe rather than risk going into the draft as damaged goods after a recent drunk-driving arrest and numerous injuries. As for Green, he and his cash-strapped family finally came to the realization that you can't pay off many bills on the $20,000 a year or so they pay for playing in the NBA's D-League.
Barring injury or other unforeseen circumstance, all three should greatly enhance their pro prospects (and pay checks) by playing one more season of college ball. Then again, Ellington, Lawson and Green might have been just as swayed by the experiences of Tar Heel teammates Tyler Hansbrough and Bobby Frasor back on campus. Those guys seemed to be having a lot more fun "testing the waters," so why not come back and join them -- especially if a national championship ring is included in the deal?
Though the reasons behind their individual decisions might never be known, the repercussions are as tangible as the banners hanging from the Smith Center rafters. As of Monday afternoon at 5 p.m., UNC is officially the team to beat in college basketball for 2008-09.
There can be no argument that the Tar Heels will be the most talented, experienced and motivated team in the country next fall. But their march to the national championship, let alone the Four Four in Detroit, is anything but inevitible.
For one thing, despite the return of so many starters, the chemistry of next year's team will be drastically different than it was during last spring's impressive stretch run. Frasor will be back from his injury and will want playing time that might not be available. There's also the problem of trying to fit a trio of talented freshmen -- power forward Ed Davis, point guard Larry Drew Jr. and center Tyler Zeller -- into an already overcrowded rotation.
The last time UNC was faced with such a situation, in 1994, the combination proved toxic. The four returning starters from the previous year's national championship team never got along with newcomers Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse and the Tar Heels never came close to reaching their potential. When they lost to Boston College in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the players seemed more relieved than upset. They couldn't wait for the season to be over.
While that's not as likely to happen with this group, in large measure, because of the personalities of the players involved, it's still a possibility. Coach Roy Williams is going to realize the threat and take whatever measures necessary to keep his team from becoming fractured. That means doing more than just rolling the ball out and letting the most talented players in the nation do their thing.
But worrying about that now is like putting your Christmas toys away without playing with them for fear that they might get broken. It is, after all, better to have too much talent than not enough. When you're given an unexpected gift, as the Tar Heels and their fans were Monday, you don't question your good fortune. You simply thank your lucky stars and enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hello and welcome!
For those of you who know me and are familiar with my writing, thanks for finding this blog and your continued support. Your loyalty means a lot to me in this uncertain time. For those of you discovering me for the first time, let me introduce myself.
My name is Brett Friedlander and until a few weeks ago, I was the lead sports columnist at the Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina. Through my "Weekly Rant," I regularly commented on everything from ACC basketball and the Masters to the Southern Professional Hockey League and local high school sports. Although my column has been taken away from me -- for reasons I still don't fully understand -- my voice is still is as loud and strong as ever. So until such time as I am able to find a more traditional vehicle to express my many opinions, I will post them here.
You're not going to agree with everything I have to say. At least, I hope you don't. Sports wouldn't be nearly as fun if we all rooted for the same teams and were passionate about the same players or issues. We'd certainly have a lot less to talk about during the down time between the games. All I ask is that when I piss you off, you write in and let me have it. I'll listen to what you have to say. And while you probably won't change my mind, we can at least agree to disagree.
Let the ranting begin!
My name is Brett Friedlander and until a few weeks ago, I was the lead sports columnist at the Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina. Through my "Weekly Rant," I regularly commented on everything from ACC basketball and the Masters to the Southern Professional Hockey League and local high school sports. Although my column has been taken away from me -- for reasons I still don't fully understand -- my voice is still is as loud and strong as ever. So until such time as I am able to find a more traditional vehicle to express my many opinions, I will post them here.
You're not going to agree with everything I have to say. At least, I hope you don't. Sports wouldn't be nearly as fun if we all rooted for the same teams and were passionate about the same players or issues. We'd certainly have a lot less to talk about during the down time between the games. All I ask is that when I piss you off, you write in and let me have it. I'll listen to what you have to say. And while you probably won't change my mind, we can at least agree to disagree.
Let the ranting begin!
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