More to Life than Playing Games

Despite the final score, the North Carolina-N.C. State wome'ns basketball game was well worth watching.

The game was carried on Fox Sports Carolina which is channel 49 on the Suddenlink Cable.
The opening was a tribute to Kay Yow, who continues to fight for her life fighting breast cancer.

Both teams before the game circled the midcourt circle and Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell led both teams in prayer for Yow.

The victory in overtime was Hatchell's 800th victory. When ask after the game what it meant to win 800 games coach ,Hatchell said 'it meant nothing when you look at what coach Yow is going through. This is only a game. '

Another example was when Jim Valvano fought for his life Coach K at Duke stepped up for Coach V.

Despite being bitter rivals ,when one side is in need, rivalries stop to help the other.

I remember several years ago, it was the year that Carolina beat N.C. State 17-9 in football in Raleigh that the game went down to the wire ,so no one had left there seats until the last play. I remember as I was filing out looking back to the center of the field and about half the players from both sides had gather and the middle of the field and gave thanks to God. I remember thinking then that despite rivalries every one are friends except when the games is going.

I told you three weeks ago Jan. 11 might be Wake Forest's night against Carolina. Just finished - the Deacs beat Carolina 92-89. Jeff Teague scored 34 for the fourth-ranked Demon Deacons . I know some Carolina fans are ready to jump from the top of the Dean Smith Center, but if Wake and Carolina stay healthy, both could make the final four.

The NFL Divisional Playoffs are in the books with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia moving on.

Two facts - one an old reliable and the other one strange. In all four playoff games, this weekend the team committing the most turnovers lost.

All four teams that scored first lost. So much for a good start.

In case you didn't know, there are no sports this week for Rocky Mount High School until Friday because of exams which will run Monday-Thursday. Action resumes in basketball Friday at home versus Southern Nash.

Finally, tonighy,I think I have an answer for SSP, who last week asked whether Dudley Whitley ever coached at Fike. I have a reliable source that tells me he never did, but he did play for the Wilson Tobs back when the Tobs were afiliated with the Milwaukee Braves minor league system.

Panthers' Quick Exit

The first five plays of the Carolina Panthers-Arizona Cardinals playoff game, the Panthers sliced through the Cardinals exactly like the experts predicted.

Sometimes quick scores can can give you the impression that it is going to be an easy game. It was an easy game for the Arizona Cardinals as they sliced up the seemingly slow Carolina defense. It seemed as though the Cardinals were decoying Jake Delhomme all night. Arizona made mincemeat of the Panthers, 33-13.

The Saturday game that proved to be the slugfest was the AFC playoff contest as Baltimore outhit Tennessee, 13-10. Tennessee fumbled twice inside the Ravens' 20, but the difference in the game was ECU's Chris Johnson suffering a sprained ankle. The rookie running back sat out the second half and without Johnson, the Titans could not find the end zone in the second half.

Both of the teams who had byes loss.

Today Philadelphia will try to continue the bye teams' losing as it plays the New York Giants in the 1 p.m. game and then the San Diego Chargers look to do the same to the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:45.

We are down to six teams and the Western division teams who come in with the worst two records are still alive.

Oddly enough, who do you think the hottest team remaining in the playoffs is? The San Diego Chargers. They have the longest current winning streak at five games. San Diego has the worst record of any team in the playoff.

Clemson with a victory over N.C. State today has won their opening 16 games. Once again, the Wolfpack has very poor backup point guard play and they lose again because of it.

Duke won at Florida State. The beating they laid on the Seminoles was worse than the eight-point difference at the end.

I just have a feeling the winner of the Carolina-Wake game tonight will be the ACC champ.

I have failed to mention this, but my final tally in the bowl picks was 17-17. Embarrassing!

I know many of you know that Curtis Rushing has retired from the Nash-Rocky Mount school system. During the football season, he helped the Gryphons during the latter half of the season helping B.W. Holt's staff. Friday night, he was on the sidelines helping Grover Battle and the Northern Nash girls. Rushing also assisted Battle with his Nash Central Middle School football squad.

I ran into Chad Smith today at the Shell Rapid Lube. We chatted about his future plans. He told me that he attended the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Goldsboro Friday night for Holt.

I really wish he would stay in the area.