The final four is set. Two teams from the Southeastern conference, Florida and Kentucky. Wisconsin representing the Big Ten and Connecticut representing what ever is the name of their conference is called now that they weren't ask to join the ACC and thrown out of the Big East. U Conn is one school at the wrong place at the wrong time and yet they are heading to the final four when nobody from the ACC or Big East will.
I have found it very hard to watch much of the tournament when everyone That I would cheer for is home. The biggest problem I have is the poor offensive out put by most of the teams using the the excuse that teams are playing great defense.
You see I don't see very many teams that know how to attack and defense. If they can't get down before the defense sets up and get a layup the basic college offense is pass the ball outside the three point line and shoot. Way back in the day when basketball players wore shorts to play basketball I was taught that every pass had to have a purpose.
You just don't throw it over in the right corner and stand and watch. You follow your pass by setting a screen. I hate the basketball of clear out and let me go one on one and take a bad shot. Basketball offense of today is slam dunk and three pointers.
There is no doubt that AAU basketball, the one and done college players have hurt college basketball. The NBA can be blamed for the one and done but you know there are rumblings in the NBA the 19 is too young and they need to up the age limit. The NBA players Union would have to sign off on that but why would a NBA player want young players on rosters taking their jobs ?
While we are talking about great offense, why would anyone want to pay extreme prices to go to and NBA game where the final score was 83-78. The losing team in the NBA should average at least 95 points a game. How many teams in the ranks even score 100 once in a while.
Despite how awful the games have been they have been so close that the endings many have been extremely great at the end. When we cut the TV off at the end or walk out of the stadium to go home the only thing that matters is that we were entertained. This NCAA tournament surely has been that.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Northern/Fike Tops In Big East
Every one has two games in the books after the first week of conference play in Big East Baseball and Northern who has given up only two runs in their first two games finds themselves tied with Fike who has has scored 15 in their first two.
Good thing that Northern has only given up two runs they have managed only five themselves but behind shut out pitching from Derrick Carter thet beat Southern 2-0 on Friday. Fike put 13 on the board beating Nash Central 13-3. Hunt beat Rocky Mount 6-1.
Hunt stands 1-1 tied with Nash Central. Rocky Mount and Southern are 0-2. Rocky Mount has scored single runs in ther two losses while Southern has scored only one in their two.
College sports those that their season are in the fall have spring drills just like football does. For the second Saturday the Doughtie's have spent the day volley balling today in Virginia Beach Virginia. Last Saturday was at NC State. Two weeks from now in Richmond Virginia. Spring volleyball you play only two games instead of two out of three during the season.
So far Campbell has played NC State, NC Central, Virginia Tech, Davidson, Hampton, Wake Forest, Norfolk State and James Madison. We have won eight games and lost eight. Greg Goral will be in his second year next fall and his plans are to make Campbell VB a conference winner in the Big South and plans to compete against the best where ever they are. He is taking the Camels to Long Beach California the weekend after Labor Day and the Doughtie's are checking air line and hotel deal. Look out the Price is right here we come.
Good thing that Northern has only given up two runs they have managed only five themselves but behind shut out pitching from Derrick Carter thet beat Southern 2-0 on Friday. Fike put 13 on the board beating Nash Central 13-3. Hunt beat Rocky Mount 6-1.
Hunt stands 1-1 tied with Nash Central. Rocky Mount and Southern are 0-2. Rocky Mount has scored single runs in ther two losses while Southern has scored only one in their two.
College sports those that their season are in the fall have spring drills just like football does. For the second Saturday the Doughtie's have spent the day volley balling today in Virginia Beach Virginia. Last Saturday was at NC State. Two weeks from now in Richmond Virginia. Spring volleyball you play only two games instead of two out of three during the season.
So far Campbell has played NC State, NC Central, Virginia Tech, Davidson, Hampton, Wake Forest, Norfolk State and James Madison. We have won eight games and lost eight. Greg Goral will be in his second year next fall and his plans are to make Campbell VB a conference winner in the Big South and plans to compete against the best where ever they are. He is taking the Camels to Long Beach California the weekend after Labor Day and the Doughtie's are checking air line and hotel deal. Look out the Price is right here we come.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Hunt Beats Rain And Gryphons
The threat of rain forced The Hunt-Rocky Mount baseball game to be moved up from 7pm to 4 pm at Hunt on Friday afternoon. Both teams entered the contest having lost their conference openers earlier this week and both found themselves needing to get on the winning ways and neither wanting to start 0-2 in conference. Friday Hunt pounds out 10 hits while the Gryphons collected only three and Hunt wins their first conference game and goes to 1-1 while Rocky Mount drops to 0-2. Next action for Rocky Mount is Tuesday night when they Host Fike.
Now that the winter sports season is over the standings are out in the latest Wells Fargo standing through all fall and winter sports. Hunt riding a conference championship in boys basketball and two second place finishes in swimming they have the Big East lead with 114.5 points. Fike and Rocky Mount are tied at second with 107.5 points. Fike won men swimming during the winter while Rocky Mount took first in wrestling and women's swimming and second place in both girls and boys basketball. Southern Nash is fourth with. 96.5 , Northern Nash 91 and Nash Central 85.5.
I haven't had the space to speak about Tom Suiter's extra effort award winner this week was Justin Hendricks of Faith Christian. During my years of broadcasting sports I have been many times at Faith and Jimmy Hendricks as athletic director I have seen his family there on many trips and have seen Justin many times. You have to give Tom Suitor credit when he does a piece on any athlete he can get to the heart of the athlete being focused on.
After all the hype of both North Carolina and North Carolina State making it to the College World Series last season and the possibility that they both could get there again this year their seasons have fallen on hard times since conference play. Carolina lost again Friday to be 5-5 in conference while State pending a suspension in the 6th inning for rain is is 3-6. After all the hub bub there is a real possibility that neither will make the ACC Tournament.
Now that the winter sports season is over the standings are out in the latest Wells Fargo standing through all fall and winter sports. Hunt riding a conference championship in boys basketball and two second place finishes in swimming they have the Big East lead with 114.5 points. Fike and Rocky Mount are tied at second with 107.5 points. Fike won men swimming during the winter while Rocky Mount took first in wrestling and women's swimming and second place in both girls and boys basketball. Southern Nash is fourth with. 96.5 , Northern Nash 91 and Nash Central 85.5.
I haven't had the space to speak about Tom Suiter's extra effort award winner this week was Justin Hendricks of Faith Christian. During my years of broadcasting sports I have been many times at Faith and Jimmy Hendricks as athletic director I have seen his family there on many trips and have seen Justin many times. You have to give Tom Suitor credit when he does a piece on any athlete he can get to the heart of the athlete being focused on.
After all the hype of both North Carolina and North Carolina State making it to the College World Series last season and the possibility that they both could get there again this year their seasons have fallen on hard times since conference play. Carolina lost again Friday to be 5-5 in conference while State pending a suspension in the 6th inning for rain is is 3-6. After all the hub bub there is a real possibility that neither will make the ACC Tournament.
Sports Will Never Be The Same
A National Labor Relations Board has ruled the football players at Northwestern University can form a union if they choose to do so. There is no way anyone can defend the antics of colleges and universities as they grow conferences so big for one purpose only to make more money.
I don't think any of us believe that the student comes first in college athletics. Yet even though we know most are there hoping there is a professional rainbow around the corner and only a slight few will find both ends of the rainbow. There are few and far between Benton Moss type players who think any thing less than a 4.0 grade point average per semester is a failure to him.
We know that athletes have special requirements in order to play their sports but I cannot support unions in college sports. Any person on any type grant whether it is the Morehead or a football grant players have more benefits than any one else on campus. First of all they are given an opportunity to learn a trade with out paying one dime for it. They eat in a special dining hall and can get anything they want. Whether they take advantage of the academic opportunities or not is up to them. They are even provided special instruction to help them with their studies if they choose to use it.
I agree that players images should be their own and any likeness they should receive compensation for that but not a weekly salary. If I buy a jersey with a players name on the back he should get his percentage. Like any thing ever invented in this world thats purpose was suppose to be for the good of the world there is always somebody that can make evil out of good.
In this Northwestern case there sits the union expecting new union members who pay dues. If it ever comes a day where players earn salaries the first thing as a university I would do is drop from our employees benefit package would be their free education. If you are a football player find your own housing, no other university employee gets it. If you are going to play football lunch time is from noon to 1pm and MacDonalds is just down the street. Be back on time or you may lose your job.
You see we live in a world where laws are passed every day that are suppose to be for the betterment of the world only to find that it wasn't suppose to be like this. The Old saying that the grass is greener on the other side is true while you stand on the other side. Players before they vote need to make sure they understand what they are doing.
I know of a saw mill that had 39 employees and the union came in and the owner told the employees that if they voted the union in he would lock the doors. The vote was 20-19 for the union. The next morning when arriving to work the gates were locked and a sign reading out of business. Now 39 people didn't have any green grass across the road because they were unemployed.
The real winners in all of this money grab in college sports are the TV networks. If players unionize the TV executives will not be the people paying the salaries but the colleges. All of this will either lead to the end of college sports as we know it or the end of the big TV contracts.
I don't think any of us believe that the student comes first in college athletics. Yet even though we know most are there hoping there is a professional rainbow around the corner and only a slight few will find both ends of the rainbow. There are few and far between Benton Moss type players who think any thing less than a 4.0 grade point average per semester is a failure to him.
We know that athletes have special requirements in order to play their sports but I cannot support unions in college sports. Any person on any type grant whether it is the Morehead or a football grant players have more benefits than any one else on campus. First of all they are given an opportunity to learn a trade with out paying one dime for it. They eat in a special dining hall and can get anything they want. Whether they take advantage of the academic opportunities or not is up to them. They are even provided special instruction to help them with their studies if they choose to use it.
I agree that players images should be their own and any likeness they should receive compensation for that but not a weekly salary. If I buy a jersey with a players name on the back he should get his percentage. Like any thing ever invented in this world thats purpose was suppose to be for the good of the world there is always somebody that can make evil out of good.
In this Northwestern case there sits the union expecting new union members who pay dues. If it ever comes a day where players earn salaries the first thing as a university I would do is drop from our employees benefit package would be their free education. If you are a football player find your own housing, no other university employee gets it. If you are going to play football lunch time is from noon to 1pm and MacDonalds is just down the street. Be back on time or you may lose your job.
You see we live in a world where laws are passed every day that are suppose to be for the betterment of the world only to find that it wasn't suppose to be like this. The Old saying that the grass is greener on the other side is true while you stand on the other side. Players before they vote need to make sure they understand what they are doing.
I know of a saw mill that had 39 employees and the union came in and the owner told the employees that if they voted the union in he would lock the doors. The vote was 20-19 for the union. The next morning when arriving to work the gates were locked and a sign reading out of business. Now 39 people didn't have any green grass across the road because they were unemployed.
The real winners in all of this money grab in college sports are the TV networks. If players unionize the TV executives will not be the people paying the salaries but the colleges. All of this will either lead to the end of college sports as we know it or the end of the big TV contracts.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Bulldogs Bite Gryphons
It was cold and windy which was about like every day has seemed in the last month and tonight Rocky Mount and Nash Central begin the Big East season on the Bulldogs home turf. I love old movies especially ones with Walter Brennen is in it. He is in one with Spencer Tracy called Rogers Rangers. There is a scene in that movie where they are traveling through a swamp and have to sleep in a tree. Brennen wakes up upside down in the tree branch and makes the statement I'll slept in worse places but I can't remember where. I am sure that I have been to colder baseball games I just can't remember when.
Tyler King pitches a complete game three hitter striking out 11 Gryphons, walked just two batters on the night and leads Nash Central to a 6-1 win over Rocky Mount. Nash Central tagged Gryphon starter Cody Smith for one run in the first off a lead off double by Khalil Macklin and then an RBI single by David Sutton and Nash Central had a run before the first out.
(DH) Zach Dutton drove home the Bulldogs second run in the third and added two more runs in the fifth with a double. One run scored on a fielders choice by Matt Sikes while two more walk in with the bases loaded.
Rocky Mount only base runner was lead off batter Forest Bell as the first batter of the game but King preceded to get the next 12 batters until Blake Helms laced the Gryphons first hit of the game leading off the fifth. Josh Carter got the Gryphons second hit one out later but no one crossed the plate after King struck out the next two batters.
The lone Gryphon run came in the sixth when Forest Bell singled to start the inning, Andy Morris walked both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Bell scored on a grounder by Sam Lilley. The lone error of the game happened to start the Gryphon seventh but King killed any rally hopes by striking out the last two batters.
Nash Central joins Northern Nash at 1-0 in conference play as they beat Hunt Monday at Hunt 3-2 behind the eight strikeout performance by Tyler Barrett. At this writing have no word on the Fike at Southern Nash game tonight.
Tyler King pitches a complete game three hitter striking out 11 Gryphons, walked just two batters on the night and leads Nash Central to a 6-1 win over Rocky Mount. Nash Central tagged Gryphon starter Cody Smith for one run in the first off a lead off double by Khalil Macklin and then an RBI single by David Sutton and Nash Central had a run before the first out.
(DH) Zach Dutton drove home the Bulldogs second run in the third and added two more runs in the fifth with a double. One run scored on a fielders choice by Matt Sikes while two more walk in with the bases loaded.
Rocky Mount only base runner was lead off batter Forest Bell as the first batter of the game but King preceded to get the next 12 batters until Blake Helms laced the Gryphons first hit of the game leading off the fifth. Josh Carter got the Gryphons second hit one out later but no one crossed the plate after King struck out the next two batters.
The lone Gryphon run came in the sixth when Forest Bell singled to start the inning, Andy Morris walked both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Bell scored on a grounder by Sam Lilley. The lone error of the game happened to start the Gryphon seventh but King killed any rally hopes by striking out the last two batters.
Nash Central joins Northern Nash at 1-0 in conference play as they beat Hunt Monday at Hunt 3-2 behind the eight strikeout performance by Tyler Barrett. At this writing have no word on the Fike at Southern Nash game tonight.
What Else But A Rainout
Rocky Mount and Nash Central will try once again Wednesday night to get there conference season started. The All New Sports Show will be there Wednesday recording for TV. I will be there doing the play by play.
The major lead baseball season is already under way with a series last weekend in Australia. Sunday night will be the true opening day and our three local players trying to move up the ladder in pro baseball will be heading to their minor league teams.
Brian Goodwin got to see what life is all about with the big club the Washington Nationals as he has spent the spring in Florida as a special invitee of the Nationals. He is not on the 40 man roster of the Nationals but they kept in with the big club letting him see how it is done in the majors. Looks as if he will start back at double A but all the word is Brian is still on schedule to be the starting left fielder for the Nationals in 2015.
Hobbs Johnson has spent the spring in Arizona in Phoenix at the minor league facility of the Milwaukee Brewers. They play their minor league games in the same stadium as the major league club Maryvale Stadium which seats 7,000. Hobbs looks as he will start where he finished last season in Appleton Wisconsin with the Timber Rattlers.
Xavier Macklin still in hopes of that baseball dream has found a home for the summer in the Frontier League playing for the Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget Illinois which is near St Louis. The Frontier League is an independent league which means their teams are not associated with any major club but every player is still hoping someone with a big club will see them and move them up the baseball ladder. The season runs about 90 games and begins mid May.
NC Wesleyan is off to. a 7-15 start so far this season. Freshman Spencer Ramsey is 4-0 pitching for the Battling Bishops. Ramsey as a high school Gryphon was valuable as a short stop and until his senior year was seldom used as a pitcher. Here at the next level plus his Legion experience he has become a main stay for Charlie along. He is second on the team in innings pitched.
There are three other players from the area playing for Wesleyan. Northern's Tyler Clark, Tarboro's Chase Johnson and Nash Central's Dillon Moore.
The major lead baseball season is already under way with a series last weekend in Australia. Sunday night will be the true opening day and our three local players trying to move up the ladder in pro baseball will be heading to their minor league teams.
Brian Goodwin got to see what life is all about with the big club the Washington Nationals as he has spent the spring in Florida as a special invitee of the Nationals. He is not on the 40 man roster of the Nationals but they kept in with the big club letting him see how it is done in the majors. Looks as if he will start back at double A but all the word is Brian is still on schedule to be the starting left fielder for the Nationals in 2015.
Hobbs Johnson has spent the spring in Arizona in Phoenix at the minor league facility of the Milwaukee Brewers. They play their minor league games in the same stadium as the major league club Maryvale Stadium which seats 7,000. Hobbs looks as he will start where he finished last season in Appleton Wisconsin with the Timber Rattlers.
Xavier Macklin still in hopes of that baseball dream has found a home for the summer in the Frontier League playing for the Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget Illinois which is near St Louis. The Frontier League is an independent league which means their teams are not associated with any major club but every player is still hoping someone with a big club will see them and move them up the baseball ladder. The season runs about 90 games and begins mid May.
NC Wesleyan is off to. a 7-15 start so far this season. Freshman Spencer Ramsey is 4-0 pitching for the Battling Bishops. Ramsey as a high school Gryphon was valuable as a short stop and until his senior year was seldom used as a pitcher. Here at the next level plus his Legion experience he has become a main stay for Charlie along. He is second on the team in innings pitched.
There are three other players from the area playing for Wesleyan. Northern's Tyler Clark, Tarboro's Chase Johnson and Nash Central's Dillon Moore.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Luster Gone
Rocky Mount Gryphons at Nash Central Bulldogs rained out tonight and has been rescheduled for Wednesday night 7pm.
All four Triangle schools are home now having given it their best shot and all have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time since 1979 that a North Carolina school is not in the Sweet 16. That goes all the way back to before the 64 team format. I think any Big Four fan would remember the Black Sunday when Duke and North Carolina lost back to back in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. It was a day that all of North Carolina people were clued to the tv as eight inches of snow had fallen and even if you didn't like basketball there was no place to go but watch both teams lose to St Johns and Penn.
Virginia is the standard bearer for the ACC as they are the only school left standing. The ACC has had a team in the Sweet 16 ever since that double header loss in 79. Most of those years that ACC team in the sweet 16 or better came from the Triangle. Not this year and with the lack of a North Carolina school left standing the interest in how it goes from here on out is meaning less to me.
The only interest left for me is the two brackets I am in and in one I still have all four of my final four picks still alive. The other one I still have three. That shows you right there how much confidence I had in our North Carolina teams.
We will now begin the process of who is going pro and who is going to be the the number one pick in the draft. I think Jabari Parker needs another year. Just don 't see where he is a difference maker for an NBA team. All of the national Dick Vitale can't miss NBA players one and done I don't see any can't miss pros yet. Every one needs to improve. I just do not see why pay inexperienced guys big time money to score 13 points a game in the NBA next year.If you are a high draft pick first or fifth you need to be the best player on your team. I just don't see any of these super frosh being those guys yet. If Parker was to come back next year and improve the way TJ Warren did this year he just might be a number one pick next year. Anybody that will pay any of this years freshmen have more money than they know what to do with.
Big East baseball begins Tuesday maybe. Pends on how severe the weather is and some forecast say Tuesday afternoon will be scattered so whether games are play or not is up in the air at best.
Virginia is the standard bearer for the ACC as they are the only school left standing. The ACC has had a team in the Sweet 16 ever since that double header loss in 79. Most of those years that ACC team in the sweet 16 or better came from the Triangle. Not this year and with the lack of a North Carolina school left standing the interest in how it goes from here on out is meaning less to me.
The only interest left for me is the two brackets I am in and in one I still have all four of my final four picks still alive. The other one I still have three. That shows you right there how much confidence I had in our North Carolina teams.
We will now begin the process of who is going pro and who is going to be the the number one pick in the draft. I think Jabari Parker needs another year. Just don 't see where he is a difference maker for an NBA team. All of the national Dick Vitale can't miss NBA players one and done I don't see any can't miss pros yet. Every one needs to improve. I just do not see why pay inexperienced guys big time money to score 13 points a game in the NBA next year.If you are a high draft pick first or fifth you need to be the best player on your team. I just don't see any of these super frosh being those guys yet. If Parker was to come back next year and improve the way TJ Warren did this year he just might be a number one pick next year. Anybody that will pay any of this years freshmen have more money than they know what to do with.
Big East baseball begins Tuesday maybe. Pends on how severe the weather is and some forecast say Tuesday afternoon will be scattered so whether games are play or not is up in the air at best.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Big East Baseball Starts Tuesday?
Has anybody noticed that this winter's weather has been in cycles. Seems every Wednesday we have had bad weather the a couple of shines days and then more bad weather. The trees in my yard have bloomed twice since mid February.
Now the forecast is not good at all for Tuesday which is scheduled to be opening day for Big East conference baseball. Rocky Mount is suppose to be at Nash Central while Northern and Hunt and Southern and Fike will meet each other. The weather says there is a chance of snow maybe but for sure rain. So this season of already postponed and cancelled games seems as if we will delay conference play. The rule says you are suppose to make up a conference game the first day available to both teams. That might mean Wednesday or Thursday but what happens if weather lingers?
Northern Nash which has solid pitching has the best overall pitching and if they are in a three conference game week they seem suited over everyone else to be competitive in all three. With that in mind would seem to me every coach would want to get two games in this week even if they have to start Friday and play again Saturday.
Fike is next with the best overall record at 5-3. Then Hunt and Rocky Mount are 3-4. Nash Central is 2-3 while Southern Nash is 1-6. The winter sports have to fight three times during the season having breaks in school. Thanksgiving, Christmas and exams. Easter is break time for baseball but looks as if might not have that break this year as school will be making up snow days.
News and notes: I know if you have been watching the NCAA tournament that the Iowa team which played in one of the play in games that the Iowa coaches son was operated on Monday for a brain tumor. If your dad is the coach the son will be part of the team like any player. He will be at many practices and travel with the team. Results from the operation were not good. Our prayers should always intended to help others and it is indeed hard for parents to watch their children suffer in any way.
All of us in North Carolina know Coach K is one of the greatest coaches of all times. His demeanor at times can be distasteful. But, did you know after the game in which Mercer beat his Duke Blue Devils Coach K went into the Mercer locker room to congratulate them on their effort and playing the game it is suppose to be played. You know if I was a Mercer player that moment will probably live
with them longer than the actual victory.
So far the best moment of the tournament was at the end of the N C Central when coach Moton took two of his players and hugged them tightly in the waning seconds. They held each other right up to the final second ticked off the clock. I know he is a Central graduate and he loves Durham. If I was an athletic director looking for a coach who can coach, recruit, and treats his players with tremendous respect. You might not need to look any further than Durham. HELLO Wake Forest.
Now the forecast is not good at all for Tuesday which is scheduled to be opening day for Big East conference baseball. Rocky Mount is suppose to be at Nash Central while Northern and Hunt and Southern and Fike will meet each other. The weather says there is a chance of snow maybe but for sure rain. So this season of already postponed and cancelled games seems as if we will delay conference play. The rule says you are suppose to make up a conference game the first day available to both teams. That might mean Wednesday or Thursday but what happens if weather lingers?
Northern Nash which has solid pitching has the best overall pitching and if they are in a three conference game week they seem suited over everyone else to be competitive in all three. With that in mind would seem to me every coach would want to get two games in this week even if they have to start Friday and play again Saturday.
Fike is next with the best overall record at 5-3. Then Hunt and Rocky Mount are 3-4. Nash Central is 2-3 while Southern Nash is 1-6. The winter sports have to fight three times during the season having breaks in school. Thanksgiving, Christmas and exams. Easter is break time for baseball but looks as if might not have that break this year as school will be making up snow days.
News and notes: I know if you have been watching the NCAA tournament that the Iowa team which played in one of the play in games that the Iowa coaches son was operated on Monday for a brain tumor. If your dad is the coach the son will be part of the team like any player. He will be at many practices and travel with the team. Results from the operation were not good. Our prayers should always intended to help others and it is indeed hard for parents to watch their children suffer in any way.
All of us in North Carolina know Coach K is one of the greatest coaches of all times. His demeanor at times can be distasteful. But, did you know after the game in which Mercer beat his Duke Blue Devils Coach K went into the Mercer locker room to congratulate them on their effort and playing the game it is suppose to be played. You know if I was a Mercer player that moment will probably live
with them longer than the actual victory.
So far the best moment of the tournament was at the end of the N C Central when coach Moton took two of his players and hugged them tightly in the waning seconds. They held each other right up to the final second ticked off the clock. I know he is a Central graduate and he loves Durham. If I was an athletic director looking for a coach who can coach, recruit, and treats his players with tremendous respect. You might not need to look any further than Durham. HELLO Wake Forest.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Hill And Battle The Big East Best
Northern Nash's Alexus Hill and Rocky Mount's Dante Battle have been named the Big East players of the year in basketball. Hill lead the Lady Knights to an undefeated conference season and winners of the conference tournament is headed next season to Gardner Webb to continue her basketball career. Battle averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds has yet to make his announcement about his college future.
Joining Hill on the girls all conference team are two team mates Kianna Thomas and Alexia Hines. Rocky mount is represented by Carmen Richardson and Keyanna Spivey. Ni'ya Styles is the lone rep for Nash Central. Southern Nash has Destiny Burgess while Fike's E J Proctor is a member. Hunt has two on the all conference team Brianna Anderson and Alexus Williams.
State runner up Hunt places three players on the all conference team. Quan Kent, Justin Jefferson and Keenon Tabron. Immanual King joins Battle from Rocky Mount while Fike places Myquan Gooding. Northern has Darryl Prunty while Daniel Pittman is Nash Central's rep. Immanual Meriweather is all conference from Southern Nash.
Hunt's Dwight Taylor who's Hunt Warriors won the Big East Regular season going undefeated won the conference tournament their sectional and Eastern Regional before losing the state championship game to Freedom High. Until their last game loss Hunt had won 19 games in a row.
Northern's Grover Battle who's team lost their first game of the season and did not lose again until a regional defeat was named co coach of the year with a Rocky Mount's Pam Gainey. It is most unusual for the conference championship coach not to win it but I believe that the other coaches recognized that Gainey's Gryphons started three freshmen on the season and finishing second was a tremendous coaching job.
The recent regional just completed in Fayetteville was the fourth year and as of this point there is no contract in place saying that the Crown Coliseum Complex will host the Eastern Regional next year. I know all of us in this area would love to see it return to Greenville but regardless of where it is held the is always a long ride for somebody to play there in the middle of the week.
If you don't realize it the NCHSAA is just like the NCAA and the money talks and nobody walks and if anybody wants to get it away from Fayetteville is the time to produce the facility and the money and you can host the Regional.
Joining Hill on the girls all conference team are two team mates Kianna Thomas and Alexia Hines. Rocky mount is represented by Carmen Richardson and Keyanna Spivey. Ni'ya Styles is the lone rep for Nash Central. Southern Nash has Destiny Burgess while Fike's E J Proctor is a member. Hunt has two on the all conference team Brianna Anderson and Alexus Williams.
State runner up Hunt places three players on the all conference team. Quan Kent, Justin Jefferson and Keenon Tabron. Immanual King joins Battle from Rocky Mount while Fike places Myquan Gooding. Northern has Darryl Prunty while Daniel Pittman is Nash Central's rep. Immanual Meriweather is all conference from Southern Nash.
Hunt's Dwight Taylor who's Hunt Warriors won the Big East Regular season going undefeated won the conference tournament their sectional and Eastern Regional before losing the state championship game to Freedom High. Until their last game loss Hunt had won 19 games in a row.
Northern's Grover Battle who's team lost their first game of the season and did not lose again until a regional defeat was named co coach of the year with a Rocky Mount's Pam Gainey. It is most unusual for the conference championship coach not to win it but I believe that the other coaches recognized that Gainey's Gryphons started three freshmen on the season and finishing second was a tremendous coaching job.
The recent regional just completed in Fayetteville was the fourth year and as of this point there is no contract in place saying that the Crown Coliseum Complex will host the Eastern Regional next year. I know all of us in this area would love to see it return to Greenville but regardless of where it is held the is always a long ride for somebody to play there in the middle of the week.
If you don't realize it the NCHSAA is just like the NCAA and the money talks and nobody walks and if anybody wants to get it away from Fayetteville is the time to produce the facility and the money and you can host the Regional.
One And Done
As I have watched the NCAA tournament my thoughts were how that the NBA one and done rule has ruined the NCAA tournament. Then all of a sudden Carolina tries to give their game away then all of a sudden my thoughts go to Duke and Carolina going out in the first round together but the Heels recover.
Last year T J Warren started for State but for the most part he was an after thought when the options were debated of who are we going to give the ball to when we need a bucket. Now Jbari Parker supposedly just maybe the number one pick in the next NBA. Suppose he was to come back to Duke and improve as much as Warren has this year. I don't see Parker starting for any body in the NBA next year. If the one and done stays in the NBA somebody like Stephen F Austin will win the tournament in the next five or six years.
As I watch the games I have to ask. Why does every drive to the basket every shot have to be blocked? This world we live in where I have to prove how tough I am. I bet nine out ten drives to the baskets have lead to foul shots.
If I am ahead by say six or seven points with a minute to play why am I going to let the team behind roll the ball across the mid court before they pick it up?The game ends a whole lot faster when I apply just token full court pressure and make them dribble full court.
If I am winning and I have a decent lead late in a game why do I foul the team behind every time they come down the court. Give them free points without the clock running?
Why is it every time there was a time out in the game I was watching and I flip to another game to see some scores that game is in a commercial too?
How close are some of the games. As badly as NC State played down the stretch they would have still won the game except there was a defensive rebound early in the second have in which they knocked their own rebound into the St Louis basket. every point counts.
You know I pay very little attention to NC Central sports generally. Last night I pull as hard for the Eagles as I have ever pulled them all other times combined. Good effort in their first ever appearance the the Tournament.
There must be something in the sunshine that has energized the Rocky Mount Gryphons. Friday at Tarboro they win 16-1. Will Edwards gets the win for the Gryphons. They head into the conference play next week 3-4.
Last year T J Warren started for State but for the most part he was an after thought when the options were debated of who are we going to give the ball to when we need a bucket. Now Jbari Parker supposedly just maybe the number one pick in the next NBA. Suppose he was to come back to Duke and improve as much as Warren has this year. I don't see Parker starting for any body in the NBA next year. If the one and done stays in the NBA somebody like Stephen F Austin will win the tournament in the next five or six years.
As I watch the games I have to ask. Why does every drive to the basket every shot have to be blocked? This world we live in where I have to prove how tough I am. I bet nine out ten drives to the baskets have lead to foul shots.
If I am ahead by say six or seven points with a minute to play why am I going to let the team behind roll the ball across the mid court before they pick it up?The game ends a whole lot faster when I apply just token full court pressure and make them dribble full court.
If I am winning and I have a decent lead late in a game why do I foul the team behind every time they come down the court. Give them free points without the clock running?
Why is it every time there was a time out in the game I was watching and I flip to another game to see some scores that game is in a commercial too?
How close are some of the games. As badly as NC State played down the stretch they would have still won the game except there was a defensive rebound early in the second have in which they knocked their own rebound into the St Louis basket. every point counts.
You know I pay very little attention to NC Central sports generally. Last night I pull as hard for the Eagles as I have ever pulled them all other times combined. Good effort in their first ever appearance the the Tournament.
There must be something in the sunshine that has energized the Rocky Mount Gryphons. Friday at Tarboro they win 16-1. Will Edwards gets the win for the Gryphons. They head into the conference play next week 3-4.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Sun Shines Gryphons Bloom
Temperatures soaring into the 60's the Rocky Mount Gryphons got Pitching, timely hitting especially from left fielder Ben Yates batting ninth in the lineup had two straight hits driving in four runs as the Gryphons beat Corinth Holders a team that beat the Gryphon opening day 7-2 but today the Gryphons win 5-1.
Cody Smith who all of a sudden is a dominate pitcher at home as in his last ten innings pitched at Gryphon Stadium has allowed only one run pitched four innings allowed two hits, walked six batters, but sent seven batters back to the dugout strike out victims. He gave way in the fifth to Sam Lilley who puts zeros on the board for the Pirates as he allowed only one hit, hit a batter and struck out three.
Two other Gryphons added two hits to their batting average as Logan Smith and Rashawn Harris leaving the Gryphons 7-8-9 hitters going 6-9 in the game. Forest Bell, Micah Varnell, Sam Lilley and Will Edwards collected base hits.
The Gryphons travel tomorrow to Tarboro and then starting Tuesday conference play starts with road games at Nash Central Tuesday and Hunt on Friday. Today's win is the Gryphon second on the season against four losses. Every team has this issue with the weather as the Gryphons will start conference play with only seven games under their belts as they have loss five games due to weather and now that conference is cranking up I doubt those five will be made up. No coach wants to play two conference games in a week and find space for a non conference affair. It depletes your pitching.
Most of the times games are lost and not won and I have just witnessed the Wolfpack miss 17 second half free throws and the are out of the NCAA. There is no clear cut dominate team in the tournament. Most years there are really only 8-12 teams that truly win it. This year since so many teams are about equal there is a chance that maybe 25 teams can win this thing
Cody Smith who all of a sudden is a dominate pitcher at home as in his last ten innings pitched at Gryphon Stadium has allowed only one run pitched four innings allowed two hits, walked six batters, but sent seven batters back to the dugout strike out victims. He gave way in the fifth to Sam Lilley who puts zeros on the board for the Pirates as he allowed only one hit, hit a batter and struck out three.
Two other Gryphons added two hits to their batting average as Logan Smith and Rashawn Harris leaving the Gryphons 7-8-9 hitters going 6-9 in the game. Forest Bell, Micah Varnell, Sam Lilley and Will Edwards collected base hits.
The Gryphons travel tomorrow to Tarboro and then starting Tuesday conference play starts with road games at Nash Central Tuesday and Hunt on Friday. Today's win is the Gryphon second on the season against four losses. Every team has this issue with the weather as the Gryphons will start conference play with only seven games under their belts as they have loss five games due to weather and now that conference is cranking up I doubt those five will be made up. No coach wants to play two conference games in a week and find space for a non conference affair. It depletes your pitching.
Most of the times games are lost and not won and I have just witnessed the Wolfpack miss 17 second half free throws and the are out of the NCAA. There is no clear cut dominate team in the tournament. Most years there are really only 8-12 teams that truly win it. This year since so many teams are about equal there is a chance that maybe 25 teams can win this thing
Battle Lands On All District Team
The North Carolina High Schools coaches Association named their all districts teams and Dante Battle of Rocky Mount has made the first team in this district. Battle who's four year varsity career includes the MVP award in the 2012 state championship game averaged 16 points and eleven rebound per game. Joining Battle on the first team is Hunt's guard Quan Kent lead Hunt in scoring and almost helped the Warriors win the 3-A basketball title last Saturday.
Four Big East players made the second team. Aaron Spivey of Nash Central who scored at an 18.4 clip. Justin Jefferson of Hunt scoring at 14.5. Trevan Virgil of Fike who lead the Golden Demons at 16.5 points per game. Rocky Mount's Immanual King is the final Big East member who averaged 13 points per ball game.
Three Big East members are on the third team. Isaiah Alston of Rocky Mount, Myquan Gooding of Fike and Marquise Wright of Southern Nash.
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash finished fifth in the final poll of the basketball season.
High schools across North Carolina lost another day of sports activities Wednesday. Rocky Mount has a scheduled home game today but unless some hot sun an a steady breeze blows it will be a miracle if they play today. The field is simply too saturated at the moment and needs some heat to evaporate. The Gryphons play at Tarboro Friday just let's hope so.
Today is the first day of the real NCAA tournament and I hope you have your bracket filled out and that you win some money. Hope you finish second right behind me. I have a couple of brackets and I think Florida will be a hard team to beat. I filled out so many brackets that I have one that has Villanova and another with Michigan State.
N C State didn't find out until 6:21 Sunday night that they were even in the Big Dance. Flew out Monday morning to Dayton Ohio . Immediately after their victory Tuesday climbed on a plane
and headed to Orlando Florida where they landed at 5:30 in the morning. They play tonight on TNT in their second game at just after 7pm before any of the other three triangle teams even hit the court for the first time. University of St Louis is their next game and we will see how it goes from here. In my brackets I have the Wolfpack winning tonight.
Four Big East players made the second team. Aaron Spivey of Nash Central who scored at an 18.4 clip. Justin Jefferson of Hunt scoring at 14.5. Trevan Virgil of Fike who lead the Golden Demons at 16.5 points per game. Rocky Mount's Immanual King is the final Big East member who averaged 13 points per ball game.
Three Big East members are on the third team. Isaiah Alston of Rocky Mount, Myquan Gooding of Fike and Marquise Wright of Southern Nash.
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash finished fifth in the final poll of the basketball season.
High schools across North Carolina lost another day of sports activities Wednesday. Rocky Mount has a scheduled home game today but unless some hot sun an a steady breeze blows it will be a miracle if they play today. The field is simply too saturated at the moment and needs some heat to evaporate. The Gryphons play at Tarboro Friday just let's hope so.
Today is the first day of the real NCAA tournament and I hope you have your bracket filled out and that you win some money. Hope you finish second right behind me. I have a couple of brackets and I think Florida will be a hard team to beat. I filled out so many brackets that I have one that has Villanova and another with Michigan State.
N C State didn't find out until 6:21 Sunday night that they were even in the Big Dance. Flew out Monday morning to Dayton Ohio . Immediately after their victory Tuesday climbed on a plane
and headed to Orlando Florida where they landed at 5:30 in the morning. They play tonight on TNT in their second game at just after 7pm before any of the other three triangle teams even hit the court for the first time. University of St Louis is their next game and we will see how it goes from here. In my brackets I have the Wolfpack winning tonight.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Weather At It Again
Since about the middle of January I don't think we have had a week that the weather hasn't help postpone, delay or in some cases cancel games all together. Hunt and Southern Nash didn't play but once in basketball during the regular season. Even a big gate game like Nash Central at Northern Nash was lost the last week of basketball season because they ran out of days before the conference tournament started.
Gates receipts are the life blood of high school athletic and crowds have been down in basketball because of the weather and even now cold weather and rain has caused all the teams of the Big East base base to lose several games already during the non-conference. Just ten more days before conference starts and these non conference games is when you give everyone a shot to see if they can get playing time because you want by the first conference game have a lineup established.
So far Northern Nash at 4-2 has the best overall record. Fike stands 4-3 and both NN And Fike are the only two teams with winning records. Hunt is 2-4, Nash Central 1-3, Rocky Mount 1-4 and Southern Nash 1-5.
Have some very sad news to pass along as long time athletic trainer at Nash Central Mike Caffey has died. I think Mike came to the Bulldogs the very first year of the school and he retired last year. You know the press box at the football stadium and at the baseball field is a rather heafty long walk up hill both ways and Mike many times gave me a ride on his golf cart. His funeral will be Thursday night at 7pm at Northside Community Church.
Great start for the ACC in all the playoffs. Pack cruises against Xavier and gets ACC off to a 1-0 start in the NCAA tournament winning 74-59. Florida State and Clemson win in the NIT. Davidson led most of their NIT game at Missouri but lost a close one. ECU trying to repeat in the tournament they won last year lost to Wright ST 74-59 so they will not repeat.
Gates receipts are the life blood of high school athletic and crowds have been down in basketball because of the weather and even now cold weather and rain has caused all the teams of the Big East base base to lose several games already during the non-conference. Just ten more days before conference starts and these non conference games is when you give everyone a shot to see if they can get playing time because you want by the first conference game have a lineup established.
So far Northern Nash at 4-2 has the best overall record. Fike stands 4-3 and both NN And Fike are the only two teams with winning records. Hunt is 2-4, Nash Central 1-3, Rocky Mount 1-4 and Southern Nash 1-5.
Have some very sad news to pass along as long time athletic trainer at Nash Central Mike Caffey has died. I think Mike came to the Bulldogs the very first year of the school and he retired last year. You know the press box at the football stadium and at the baseball field is a rather heafty long walk up hill both ways and Mike many times gave me a ride on his golf cart. His funeral will be Thursday night at 7pm at Northside Community Church.
Great start for the ACC in all the playoffs. Pack cruises against Xavier and gets ACC off to a 1-0 start in the NCAA tournament winning 74-59. Florida State and Clemson win in the NIT. Davidson led most of their NIT game at Missouri but lost a close one. ECU trying to repeat in the tournament they won last year lost to Wright ST 74-59 so they will not repeat.
TV Guide For NCAA Basketball
The NCAA tournament starts just a little early this year as for the first time a Triangle team will have a team in the first four games as NC State plays Tuesday in Dayton as they meet Cincinnati based Xavier at 9:10 pm and the network carrying the game is Tru-TV the home of Lizard Lick Towing.
Should the Pack win Tuesday night they will hop a plane and fly right over Raleigh heading to Orlando Thursday night as they play the number five seed University of St Louis. If the Pack is there TV time is 7:20pm and you will have to switch networks as this game will be on TNT. It is obvious if the Pack loses Tuesday not many people will care much about that game other than which winner from that games helps you advance in your brackets.
Friday at Noon time the Duke Blue Devils begin play at PNC in Raleigh as they take on Mercer. Virginia the other ACC team in Raleigh doesn't play until late Friday night in PNC. I would suspect splitting the two ACC will insure a full house Friday afternoon and the Virginia crowd will fill the house Friday night.
North Carolina starts their action Friday night playing Providence in San Antonio Texas game time is 7:20 and the Tar Heels will be on TNT. The Tar Heels are the sixth seed and Providence is 11th so the Tar Heels will be favored in this one.
The final Triangle team to hit the Hard Court is the Eagles of North Carolina Central. They will play Iowa St. and if you can make it to midnight Friday and if you stayed up to the last game Thursday night their starting time is scheduled for 9:50 and that is of course if all three of the other games in that regional don't go overtime or take extra time to run it to later than that.
If the weather improves today the Gryphons are scheduled to play Corinth Holders at 4pm. These two played for the Gryphons their opening game and Holders won 7-2. Former Gryphon Adam Weaver is the coach there but the weather has to improve fast.
Friday Nash Central traveled to Ahoskie and took on Hertford County and after the game Nash Central collected the same amount of hits in the game as they had on the bus going to the game none. Hertford County won the game 11-1 with a no hitter.
I do want to tell you some bad news and good news about Rocky Mount Legion season that is not that far from starting. Learned last week that Hank Jones has decided that he has more important thing to do this summer as his oldest daughter will be on a travel league team and like all dads will be heading to the games following her and it will conflict greatly with Legion. Hate to see you go Hank but I think you have made the right choice. Have fun watching your girls grow up.
Should the Pack win Tuesday night they will hop a plane and fly right over Raleigh heading to Orlando Thursday night as they play the number five seed University of St Louis. If the Pack is there TV time is 7:20pm and you will have to switch networks as this game will be on TNT. It is obvious if the Pack loses Tuesday not many people will care much about that game other than which winner from that games helps you advance in your brackets.
Friday at Noon time the Duke Blue Devils begin play at PNC in Raleigh as they take on Mercer. Virginia the other ACC team in Raleigh doesn't play until late Friday night in PNC. I would suspect splitting the two ACC will insure a full house Friday afternoon and the Virginia crowd will fill the house Friday night.
North Carolina starts their action Friday night playing Providence in San Antonio Texas game time is 7:20 and the Tar Heels will be on TNT. The Tar Heels are the sixth seed and Providence is 11th so the Tar Heels will be favored in this one.
The final Triangle team to hit the Hard Court is the Eagles of North Carolina Central. They will play Iowa St. and if you can make it to midnight Friday and if you stayed up to the last game Thursday night their starting time is scheduled for 9:50 and that is of course if all three of the other games in that regional don't go overtime or take extra time to run it to later than that.
If the weather improves today the Gryphons are scheduled to play Corinth Holders at 4pm. These two played for the Gryphons their opening game and Holders won 7-2. Former Gryphon Adam Weaver is the coach there but the weather has to improve fast.
Friday Nash Central traveled to Ahoskie and took on Hertford County and after the game Nash Central collected the same amount of hits in the game as they had on the bus going to the game none. Hertford County won the game 11-1 with a no hitter.
I do want to tell you some bad news and good news about Rocky Mount Legion season that is not that far from starting. Learned last week that Hank Jones has decided that he has more important thing to do this summer as his oldest daughter will be on a travel league team and like all dads will be heading to the games following her and it will conflict greatly with Legion. Hate to see you go Hank but I think you have made the right choice. Have fun watching your girls grow up.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Time To Go Dancing
All precincts are reporting in and four teams from the Triangle are heading to the Big Dance which starts Tuesday when the last team to slip in is the Wolfpack of NC State will play in one of the two play in games Tuesday night against Xavier a Cincinnati base school playing them in Dayton will almost be a home game for Xavier. But who cares if you are the last team in then you have to expect the road to Dallas will be extremely hard to do.
North Carolina State is hosting rounds two and three this weekend and I would suspect between Duke and Virginia seats will be hard to find. Duke will play Mercer in Raleigh while the ACC champs Virginia earned a number one seed having won both the regular season and tournament are 18-2 in the ACC this season.
North Carolina will begin the road to the Texas Final four playing game one in San Antonio and they will play the Frairs of Providence. The final triangle team playing this week is North Carolina Central who will be making their first ever appearance in the Big Dance. They do however get a toughie as they draw Iowa State who is a number three seed.
Syracuse who has been in free fall the last month still lands a number three seed and plays in Buffalo so like Duke playing in Raleigh Buffalo will be a home weekend for the Cuse. The Final ACC team in is Pittsburgh. They are seeded ninth and will begin against Colorado.
Everyone has said that this was a down year for the ACC but they get six teams in. Virginia is the team I think could go the furthest but I have not picked my bracket yet and who everyone plays in say round three who knows because there is no team that you can say this is the one. I have not heard as much flack over State getting in as I expected.
I know Wichita State gets a number one see but 22 of their wins were against teams RPI of 100 or more. They won only three games against the top 50 and the Wolfpack won three. I don't understand why a team you play in December what they do the rest of the season should go on you RPI. The only time the team you play should be judged is where they are when you play them. Let's say a team is 11-0 ranked number ten an a player gets hurt five games after you play them and they don't win another game but that is counted as part of the RPI.
Now that all the candidates for office have filed and paid their registration let the games begin. Let's go Triangle.
North Carolina State is hosting rounds two and three this weekend and I would suspect between Duke and Virginia seats will be hard to find. Duke will play Mercer in Raleigh while the ACC champs Virginia earned a number one seed having won both the regular season and tournament are 18-2 in the ACC this season.
North Carolina will begin the road to the Texas Final four playing game one in San Antonio and they will play the Frairs of Providence. The final triangle team playing this week is North Carolina Central who will be making their first ever appearance in the Big Dance. They do however get a toughie as they draw Iowa State who is a number three seed.
Syracuse who has been in free fall the last month still lands a number three seed and plays in Buffalo so like Duke playing in Raleigh Buffalo will be a home weekend for the Cuse. The Final ACC team in is Pittsburgh. They are seeded ninth and will begin against Colorado.
Everyone has said that this was a down year for the ACC but they get six teams in. Virginia is the team I think could go the furthest but I have not picked my bracket yet and who everyone plays in say round three who knows because there is no team that you can say this is the one. I have not heard as much flack over State getting in as I expected.
I know Wichita State gets a number one see but 22 of their wins were against teams RPI of 100 or more. They won only three games against the top 50 and the Wolfpack won three. I don't understand why a team you play in December what they do the rest of the season should go on you RPI. The only time the team you play should be judged is where they are when you play them. Let's say a team is 11-0 ranked number ten an a player gets hurt five games after you play them and they don't win another game but that is counted as part of the RPI.
Now that all the candidates for office have filed and paid their registration let the games begin. Let's go Triangle.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Freedom Massive Come Back To Take Title
Midway of the third quarter it looked as if the Big East was going to win another basketball title and Hunt their first ever state basketball title but it was not to be. Freedom hits a jumper with 3.8 seconds to play to come by from 13 down to win the crown.
The first half was back and forth but Hunt came out from the half leading 30-29 made their move in the third quarter extending their lead to 47-34 . From that point on the come back was on an a state title was heading to Morganton.
Chapel Hill girls won the 3-A title winning 69-56 over Hickory.
Coach K and Duke will play for the ACC title against Virginia Sunday afternoon. There have been years when the winner was the only team making the NCAA tournament. Sunday both the Devils and Cavs just might be playing for a number one seed. Both will probably be no worse than a two so not being a number one is not life threathing. How bout those new kids on the block. Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame were a combined 1-3 this week in the tournament.
How bout those Eagles of NC Central. They win the MEAC and will be in the big dance for the first time ever. You know there always seems to be games that the tournament committee always try to set up. I wonder if they might set up Duke and Central in the 2nd round in Raleigh
Those of us in this area have had a choice this week in watching the ACC tournament. ESPN with Dick Vitale or the ACC network with some of the games being done by the G-Man Mike Giminski. Spending 14 years or so in the NBA G-Man to me is the best color man in college basketball these days. Even though he is a Dukie you would never know it in the games he covers including the State
Duke game today.
Today Benton Moss pitched into the 8th inning for Carolina but got a no decision. It was 2-2 when he left. Saturday night in Tallahassee NC State baseball and Florida State met and Carlos Rodon went up against Jameis Winston. Tonight how ever Rodon was the DH for the Pack and Winston struck out 7 of 9 Pack batters pitching in relief including Rodon who had three hits in the game.
Sunday night at six every one will see the brackets for the first time and the chance at the perfect bracket and the billion dollar prize . I will settle for a local level bracket buster.
The first half was back and forth but Hunt came out from the half leading 30-29 made their move in the third quarter extending their lead to 47-34 . From that point on the come back was on an a state title was heading to Morganton.
Chapel Hill girls won the 3-A title winning 69-56 over Hickory.
Coach K and Duke will play for the ACC title against Virginia Sunday afternoon. There have been years when the winner was the only team making the NCAA tournament. Sunday both the Devils and Cavs just might be playing for a number one seed. Both will probably be no worse than a two so not being a number one is not life threathing. How bout those new kids on the block. Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame were a combined 1-3 this week in the tournament.
How bout those Eagles of NC Central. They win the MEAC and will be in the big dance for the first time ever. You know there always seems to be games that the tournament committee always try to set up. I wonder if they might set up Duke and Central in the 2nd round in Raleigh
Those of us in this area have had a choice this week in watching the ACC tournament. ESPN with Dick Vitale or the ACC network with some of the games being done by the G-Man Mike Giminski. Spending 14 years or so in the NBA G-Man to me is the best color man in college basketball these days. Even though he is a Dukie you would never know it in the games he covers including the State
Duke game today.
Today Benton Moss pitched into the 8th inning for Carolina but got a no decision. It was 2-2 when he left. Saturday night in Tallahassee NC State baseball and Florida State met and Carlos Rodon went up against Jameis Winston. Tonight how ever Rodon was the DH for the Pack and Winston struck out 7 of 9 Pack batters pitching in relief including Rodon who had three hits in the game.
Sunday night at six every one will see the brackets for the first time and the chance at the perfect bracket and the billion dollar prize . I will settle for a local level bracket buster.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Championship Saturday
The Big East will play for the state 3-A basketball title for the third straight time the game has been in Chapel Hill. The Big East rep Hunt will take on the top team from the Northwestern 3-A/2-A league Freedom High from Morganton.
The Patriots are 30-1 with their single loss on the year was at Burns a conference member with and over all 7-16 record. Since that loss Freedom has fashioned 13 straight wins to reach Chapel Hill. Hunt 25-3 has losses in November to Middle Creek, Kinston and at Chrismas to Fike. Hunt has not lost in 2014 winning 19 in a row.
Freedom is lead by Jeron Hemphill who at six feet five scores 15.1 per game but he is also their top rebounder getting 8.4 every time out. Freedom has three other scorers hitting more than ten. Gave Logan 14' Chris Bridges 11.3, Khris Gardin 11.1.
Hunt's big gun is Quan Kent the six foot point guard at 13.4. The Warriors other go to scorers are Kennan Tabron 12.2, Justin Jefferson 12.1, and Josh Willingham 11.3 and 9.4 rebounds.
This is the 3rd trip for Freedom to the Big Dance while Hunt has never been to the final game in basketball. If you recall in both of Rocky Mount's two trips to Chapel Hill the Gryphons were the bigger team as both Concord and Hickory had one player at about 6ft 5 and the rest were shooting guards. Hunt and Freedom are about the same in height under the basket but Hunt will be overall bigger in back court as Jefferson is 6:3 while Khris Gardin is only 5:8.
All of us that have seen Hunt play know that Hunt is quick in the back court. Having never seen Freedom play before I can't tell you how good they are. I can only tell you they play in a 3-A/2-A split league so some of their conference wins are not quality wins. Hunt has beat 2-A power Kinston and beat Rocky Mount three times. They have quality wins. I think Hunt keeps Big East the beast in Chapel Hill.
I need to have a secondary headline tonight. Jim Beiheim Welcome to Greensboro! If you remember When asked about joining the ACC and having to play the ACC tournament in Greensboro over Madison Square Garden in New York City The Syracuse coach said what can you do in Greensboro. I think one of the things Syracuse can' t do in Greensboro is win a game. Pack 66- Cuse 63. Welcome to Mayberry.
The Patriots are 30-1 with their single loss on the year was at Burns a conference member with and over all 7-16 record. Since that loss Freedom has fashioned 13 straight wins to reach Chapel Hill. Hunt 25-3 has losses in November to Middle Creek, Kinston and at Chrismas to Fike. Hunt has not lost in 2014 winning 19 in a row.
Freedom is lead by Jeron Hemphill who at six feet five scores 15.1 per game but he is also their top rebounder getting 8.4 every time out. Freedom has three other scorers hitting more than ten. Gave Logan 14' Chris Bridges 11.3, Khris Gardin 11.1.
Hunt's big gun is Quan Kent the six foot point guard at 13.4. The Warriors other go to scorers are Kennan Tabron 12.2, Justin Jefferson 12.1, and Josh Willingham 11.3 and 9.4 rebounds.
This is the 3rd trip for Freedom to the Big Dance while Hunt has never been to the final game in basketball. If you recall in both of Rocky Mount's two trips to Chapel Hill the Gryphons were the bigger team as both Concord and Hickory had one player at about 6ft 5 and the rest were shooting guards. Hunt and Freedom are about the same in height under the basket but Hunt will be overall bigger in back court as Jefferson is 6:3 while Khris Gardin is only 5:8.
All of us that have seen Hunt play know that Hunt is quick in the back court. Having never seen Freedom play before I can't tell you how good they are. I can only tell you they play in a 3-A/2-A split league so some of their conference wins are not quality wins. Hunt has beat 2-A power Kinston and beat Rocky Mount three times. They have quality wins. I think Hunt keeps Big East the beast in Chapel Hill.
I need to have a secondary headline tonight. Jim Beiheim Welcome to Greensboro! If you remember When asked about joining the ACC and having to play the ACC tournament in Greensboro over Madison Square Garden in New York City The Syracuse coach said what can you do in Greensboro. I think one of the things Syracuse can' t do in Greensboro is win a game. Pack 66- Cuse 63. Welcome to Mayberry.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Error Prone
There are three parts to baseball, offense, pitching and defense and so far this season Rocky Mount has shown little offense, some rather decent pitching and very sloppy defense. Today for the first time this year Rocky Mount got double digit hits 10 on the game while the pitching despite giving up 12 hits would have held Southern Wayne to zero runs if the Gryphons didn't give the Saints four and five outs on the innings when they scored.
Rocky Mount found themselves down 6-3 but scratched their way into position to tie in the bottom of the 7th inning with bases loaded with two outs and failed to get the winning run home. On this windy blustery day both teams committed five errors each and both sides got better pitching than the score would indicate.
Will Edwards found himself in a 6-3 hole pitching the first five innings and he gave way to Josh Carter, Carter the junior who was making his first pitching performance in his high school career got through the sixth and seventh innings not allowing a run. Once Rocky Mount failed to finish off the game in the seventh Carter gave up two runs on three hits, one hit was a line drive which would have been out number three lost in the sun with nothing scoring.
Bikembe Kearney got three Gryphons hits. Micah Varnell collected two hits. Andy Morris, Sam Lilley, Logan Smith, Rashawn Harris and Will Edwards each reach base with a single. The Gryphons drop to 1-4 on the season and return to action Tuesday with a home game against Corinth Holders a team that beat the Gryphons opening day 7-2.
Sad to hear that Rick Ruffin has decided to retire as basketball coach at Northern. You know Rick arrived at Northern because at that time Northern Coach Mike Moseley was heading to the new Nash Central High. The reshuffled school boundaries worked to Nash Central's advantage and since the Birth of Nash Central the Knights went from a high school with 1700 students down to around 1250 and their athletics have suffered. It will be interesting to see how over the next few years with the new boundaries to see how everyone's athletic teams fare.
Rocky Mount found themselves down 6-3 but scratched their way into position to tie in the bottom of the 7th inning with bases loaded with two outs and failed to get the winning run home. On this windy blustery day both teams committed five errors each and both sides got better pitching than the score would indicate.
Will Edwards found himself in a 6-3 hole pitching the first five innings and he gave way to Josh Carter, Carter the junior who was making his first pitching performance in his high school career got through the sixth and seventh innings not allowing a run. Once Rocky Mount failed to finish off the game in the seventh Carter gave up two runs on three hits, one hit was a line drive which would have been out number three lost in the sun with nothing scoring.
Bikembe Kearney got three Gryphons hits. Micah Varnell collected two hits. Andy Morris, Sam Lilley, Logan Smith, Rashawn Harris and Will Edwards each reach base with a single. The Gryphons drop to 1-4 on the season and return to action Tuesday with a home game against Corinth Holders a team that beat the Gryphons opening day 7-2.
Sad to hear that Rick Ruffin has decided to retire as basketball coach at Northern. You know Rick arrived at Northern because at that time Northern Coach Mike Moseley was heading to the new Nash Central High. The reshuffled school boundaries worked to Nash Central's advantage and since the Birth of Nash Central the Knights went from a high school with 1700 students down to around 1250 and their athletics have suffered. It will be interesting to see how over the next few years with the new boundaries to see how everyone's athletic teams fare.
First Day Not Bad
Gryphon Baseball game today with Southern Wayne has been pushed up to 4:00pm due to extreme cold weather.
This strange new thing called a five day ACC tournament with the upper deck curtained off to keep from TV showing the the hay barn with no hay in the top loft. Despite that the ACC put on any normal first day of Tournament action.
The only North Carolina team playing in day one Wake Forest made sure that day two would have two teams calling NC home. They hardly ever trailed to Notre Dame the one team of the three coming from the Big East that hasn't upheld their rating they had in Big East days. Wake wins 81-69.
Miami and Virginia Tech played game two with the winner drawing the Wolfpack at 7pm tonight. This game went down to the wire and the Gobblers had a shot to tie at the end.
The third game of the night sent BC against GT and it turned out to be the game of the night. Forty minutes wasn't enough so the Techsters and Eagles played an extra five minutes before Tech advanced.
Wednesday night ECU and Wake Forest played a non conference baseball game at the refurbished Fleming Stadium which is the kickoff for the new look for Fleming. Wake won 5-4 and the city of Wilson continues to be a major baseball town with the Tobs and selected baseball games including hosting a college baseball regional while Doak Field in a Raleigh for N C State was hosting.
Nearly thirty years ago the city of Rocky Mount rip down the rusty steel rafters of the old ball park while Wilson spent money on Fleming. Today Rocky Mount has no baseball facility that seats more than 400 whole Wilson has given a face lift to their 3,000 seat shrine.
The city now wants to built a meeting place in down town Rocky Mount which will have no parking and I know of no one that wants it to be built down town other than those who handle your money, I repeat none of those in power will put one red cent into the construction of this building. Until property is purchase away from down town we can't let those decision maker who thirty years ago made the wrong decision on a beautiful ball park. We can't stand for another wrong decision.
Rocky Mount High baseball lost 9-1 Wednesday to Rose in Greenville, the Gryphons will host a Southern Wayne at 5pm today but it just might be moved to 4pm so stay tuned.
The only North Carolina team playing in day one Wake Forest made sure that day two would have two teams calling NC home. They hardly ever trailed to Notre Dame the one team of the three coming from the Big East that hasn't upheld their rating they had in Big East days. Wake wins 81-69.
Miami and Virginia Tech played game two with the winner drawing the Wolfpack at 7pm tonight. This game went down to the wire and the Gobblers had a shot to tie at the end.
The third game of the night sent BC against GT and it turned out to be the game of the night. Forty minutes wasn't enough so the Techsters and Eagles played an extra five minutes before Tech advanced.
Wednesday night ECU and Wake Forest played a non conference baseball game at the refurbished Fleming Stadium which is the kickoff for the new look for Fleming. Wake won 5-4 and the city of Wilson continues to be a major baseball town with the Tobs and selected baseball games including hosting a college baseball regional while Doak Field in a Raleigh for N C State was hosting.
Nearly thirty years ago the city of Rocky Mount rip down the rusty steel rafters of the old ball park while Wilson spent money on Fleming. Today Rocky Mount has no baseball facility that seats more than 400 whole Wilson has given a face lift to their 3,000 seat shrine.
The city now wants to built a meeting place in down town Rocky Mount which will have no parking and I know of no one that wants it to be built down town other than those who handle your money, I repeat none of those in power will put one red cent into the construction of this building. Until property is purchase away from down town we can't let those decision maker who thirty years ago made the wrong decision on a beautiful ball park. We can't stand for another wrong decision.
Rocky Mount High baseball lost 9-1 Wednesday to Rose in Greenville, the Gryphons will host a Southern Wayne at 5pm today but it just might be moved to 4pm so stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Bucket List
We all have things we would like to do in our lifetimes because watching events on TV they just look like I would like to go there. This spring for the first time in my life I'm heading to Augusta Georgia to the Tuesday practice round of the Masters on April 8th.
Now we have all sit in front of the TV when the Azaleas are blooming and we can smell those flowers right on the TV Screen. Since I have never been there before and if it is true Augusta is as hilly as they say I plan to plant myself on thr top row of the grandstand on the 15th green where I can watch the pros go for the green in two on the par five by Raes Creek. I think I will also be in position to watch the tee shots on the par three 16th.
The big news in the past couple of weeks has been Tiger Woods. He now has a back issue which anyone who has a back issue knows once you have back trouble it may never go away and rear it's ugly head at any time.
Tiger is in that age bracket when golfers fall off the edge of greatness and every once in a while for a round or two everyone will shout Tiger is back but the next day here comes a 74 and falls by the wayside. I have in the past mentioned that Tiger has not won a major since the PGA instituted drug testing. I may be cynical but hasn't his body been falling a part since then too.
If I do get brave and decide to follow any one golfer my first choice would be Webb Simpson from Raleigh. It would depend greatly on tee times and where I am and how fast I can get to the first tee.
If not Webb I would like to see the ball mashers either Bubba Watson or Dustin Johnson.
I went to Pinehurst years ago and saw my first pro golf event. As I a walked in the gate I saw Ray
Floyd was teeing off in five minutes and race down the first fairway to watch him tee off. I don't know how far I was from the tee but I could hardly hear the PA announce his name. I figured boy from right hear I'll be standing really close when he hits his second shot. I watched his swing and saw the ball screeching off the tee and landed about forty yards farther down the fairway from where I was. Boy how far can these guys hit the ball because I don't remember Raymond being one of the long ball hitters of the tour.
Later I will tell you about my group I'm going with. There is four weeks to tee time.
Now we have all sit in front of the TV when the Azaleas are blooming and we can smell those flowers right on the TV Screen. Since I have never been there before and if it is true Augusta is as hilly as they say I plan to plant myself on thr top row of the grandstand on the 15th green where I can watch the pros go for the green in two on the par five by Raes Creek. I think I will also be in position to watch the tee shots on the par three 16th.
The big news in the past couple of weeks has been Tiger Woods. He now has a back issue which anyone who has a back issue knows once you have back trouble it may never go away and rear it's ugly head at any time.
Tiger is in that age bracket when golfers fall off the edge of greatness and every once in a while for a round or two everyone will shout Tiger is back but the next day here comes a 74 and falls by the wayside. I have in the past mentioned that Tiger has not won a major since the PGA instituted drug testing. I may be cynical but hasn't his body been falling a part since then too.
If I do get brave and decide to follow any one golfer my first choice would be Webb Simpson from Raleigh. It would depend greatly on tee times and where I am and how fast I can get to the first tee.
If not Webb I would like to see the ball mashers either Bubba Watson or Dustin Johnson.
I went to Pinehurst years ago and saw my first pro golf event. As I a walked in the gate I saw Ray
Floyd was teeing off in five minutes and race down the first fairway to watch him tee off. I don't know how far I was from the tee but I could hardly hear the PA announce his name. I figured boy from right hear I'll be standing really close when he hits his second shot. I watched his swing and saw the ball screeching off the tee and landed about forty yards farther down the fairway from where I was. Boy how far can these guys hit the ball because I don't remember Raymond being one of the long ball hitters of the tour.
Later I will tell you about my group I'm going with. There is four weeks to tee time.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The ACC Tournament Just Ain't What It Use To Be
The new ACC is all about money. The fifteen team league puts a couple million a year more in the pockets of all the colleges and universities in the new league. The ACC sold their soul to grow large enough to survive just to stay as the ACC. Such leagues as the Big East no longer exist because the leaders of the ACC when everyone thought the ACC was dead the ACC had a ace up their sleeve and today the ACC on the edge of death but is now one of the strongest conferences in the college sports world .
Yes, it is a grand league and Wednesday starts another ACC Tournament. Can anyone name the six teams that are playing Wednesday and when they play? Can anyone tell me that they will even watch half the games this week or even what channel all the games will be on? You know it will take 14 games to get down to one by Sunday.
That is a far cry from Thursday afternoons when the eight team ACC was a reason to stop work run across the street where the bank had a tv screen set up for their customers and watch the games. The opening day of the ACC tournament was spring times version of what the first day of hunting is in the fall is a national holiday. More people got the flu around 11am on the Thursday of the ACC opening round than all of the rest of the year combined.
There was a time when if you were not among the top 1500 people who gave the most money to their university you didn't have any idea what it was like to be there opening day except to wait outside when the losers came ready to sell their ticket to me or a million other craving fans who wanted to be there for Friday's semi finals or for the championship Saturday.
There was a time when the most important thing in your life was winning the ACC tournament because without it you didn't go to the NCAA tournament. If you ever get a chance that you can see that ESPN is showing the ACC tournament Final of 1974 a game between Sate and Maryland you need to look at it. It is the greatest game in the history of college basketball at the time because the loser had to go to the NIT and the ACC considered that an embarrassment to have to play in that.
That year Carolina was rated fourth in the country and only lost to State and Maryland. UCLA was number one, State second, Maryland third. So the second and third teams one of them was going home after losing in Greensboro with no chance to get to the NCAA's. Maryland lost in overtime
and with it the NCAA started the expansion process to finally reach 64 as it is now.
Come Sunday at least five ACC teams will get invited and just possible if an NC State could win it or Maryland maybe six teams will get in. Otherwise there is not much reason to hold a tournament any more other to bring in another two or three million per team. You see by Saturday especially if a Duke or Carolina are still in the Hunt and if State somehow was still alive there will be this affliction that will over come us that this crazy zany feeling will overwhelm us. There is an ACC championship to win and we will pull for our team and if needed pull for your team to keep Syracuse from coming down here and winning our tournament.
Yes, it is a grand league and Wednesday starts another ACC Tournament. Can anyone name the six teams that are playing Wednesday and when they play? Can anyone tell me that they will even watch half the games this week or even what channel all the games will be on? You know it will take 14 games to get down to one by Sunday.
That is a far cry from Thursday afternoons when the eight team ACC was a reason to stop work run across the street where the bank had a tv screen set up for their customers and watch the games. The opening day of the ACC tournament was spring times version of what the first day of hunting is in the fall is a national holiday. More people got the flu around 11am on the Thursday of the ACC opening round than all of the rest of the year combined.
There was a time when if you were not among the top 1500 people who gave the most money to their university you didn't have any idea what it was like to be there opening day except to wait outside when the losers came ready to sell their ticket to me or a million other craving fans who wanted to be there for Friday's semi finals or for the championship Saturday.
There was a time when the most important thing in your life was winning the ACC tournament because without it you didn't go to the NCAA tournament. If you ever get a chance that you can see that ESPN is showing the ACC tournament Final of 1974 a game between Sate and Maryland you need to look at it. It is the greatest game in the history of college basketball at the time because the loser had to go to the NIT and the ACC considered that an embarrassment to have to play in that.
That year Carolina was rated fourth in the country and only lost to State and Maryland. UCLA was number one, State second, Maryland third. So the second and third teams one of them was going home after losing in Greensboro with no chance to get to the NCAA's. Maryland lost in overtime
and with it the NCAA started the expansion process to finally reach 64 as it is now.
Come Sunday at least five ACC teams will get invited and just possible if an NC State could win it or Maryland maybe six teams will get in. Otherwise there is not much reason to hold a tournament any more other to bring in another two or three million per team. You see by Saturday especially if a Duke or Carolina are still in the Hunt and if State somehow was still alive there will be this affliction that will over come us that this crazy zany feeling will overwhelm us. There is an ACC championship to win and we will pull for our team and if needed pull for your team to keep Syracuse from coming down here and winning our tournament.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Hunt Has Their Hands Full
They didn't find out till Sunday but Hunt's foe in Chapel Hill Saturday in the state Championship 3A game will be Freedom High from Morganton. Sunday they beat North Forsyth 76-59 to punch their ticket. Hunt the Big East Champion at 25-3 while Freedom is 30-1. Freedom is in the same conference in whinch Rocky Mount's opponent in 2012 Hickory was from.
Benton Moss won his second game of the year for Carolina Saturday beating Pittsburgh 2-1. Moss went seven innings. Striking out 12 which is his career high. Hard to believe that conference play has started already in the ACC. State swept Notre Dame giving up three runs in three games. Carlos Rodon gave up all three. The Pack pitchers have now gone 21 innings without giving up a run. Carolina won two of three.
I just don't see how he can lose it now but after scoring 42 last night T J Warren has scored 83 points in his last two games. Warren made 30 of 45 shots in that stretch. Duke won game two with Carolina stopping the Heels 12 game conference winning streak.
So far this high school baseball season weather has been an issue with most every team having lost two or three games already this season. Seems weather will be nice for the first part of the week and teams will be scrambling to try to catch up on games missed plus try to play the ones on the schedule already for this week.
Tonight at the Pizza Inn on Hunter Hill Road the Northern Nash football team will be holding a fund raiser with money raised going to the football team. Players will be serving so come on out and support the Knights.
This will not make the Northern girls basketball team feel any better but West Craven's Jamie Cherry set a state record during the second round of the state playoffs. Against Havelock Cherry made 12 three points which is the most ever by a girl in a state playoff game.
Benton Moss won his second game of the year for Carolina Saturday beating Pittsburgh 2-1. Moss went seven innings. Striking out 12 which is his career high. Hard to believe that conference play has started already in the ACC. State swept Notre Dame giving up three runs in three games. Carlos Rodon gave up all three. The Pack pitchers have now gone 21 innings without giving up a run. Carolina won two of three.
I just don't see how he can lose it now but after scoring 42 last night T J Warren has scored 83 points in his last two games. Warren made 30 of 45 shots in that stretch. Duke won game two with Carolina stopping the Heels 12 game conference winning streak.
So far this high school baseball season weather has been an issue with most every team having lost two or three games already this season. Seems weather will be nice for the first part of the week and teams will be scrambling to try to catch up on games missed plus try to play the ones on the schedule already for this week.
Tonight at the Pizza Inn on Hunter Hill Road the Northern Nash football team will be holding a fund raiser with money raised going to the football team. Players will be serving so come on out and support the Knights.
This will not make the Northern girls basketball team feel any better but West Craven's Jamie Cherry set a state record during the second round of the state playoffs. Against Havelock Cherry made 12 three points which is the most ever by a girl in a state playoff game.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Pro Sports Has Lost Sportsmanship
The NFL is having a debate right now about the use of the N word. The NFL is trying to make their game all access. The day just may come when not only will cameras be on helmets but microphones will be there too. The NFL since TV started broadcasting games in the fifties have had those hand held dishes held by sound men trying to pick up as much as possible the sounds of the games.
The games if it is to become all access then viewers don't want every other word bleeped off the screen because the language used is not viewable by a family audience.
Not only will the N word need to go but so will The MF word, or the GD word, or the SOB word or any word not worthy to be spoken at the dinner table.
Somewhere in the world of pro sports the the motto 'it is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game' has been lost. It is my feeling that anyone who makes a half million dollars a year or more should act the part of an intelligent human being over a street hood.
Despite what Charles Barkley said years ago that he was not a role model, he is whether he wants to be or not. A ten year old can be a role model for a four year old if that four year old admires him. Professional athletes who have youngsters wearing their jersies are role models to them because their actions are watched almost constantly by those who idolize them.
All pro sports needs to clean up their act. Baseball players need to quit chewing tobacco because that is surely an influence. There is plenty as athletes that would improve our future if professional sports require their players to act professional. Not that long ago the NBA made their players go back to dressing up when traveling. There was plenty of backlash in the beginning but now there are plenty of dudes that dress to kill now-a-days.
Our world is headed in the wrong direction. Players are applauded when they opening tell the world of their life styles and the world rejoices. One of the best moves made by high schools and colleges was when they made everyone shake hands when the games are over. It hasn't always been that way.
Since just about everyone watches sports on TV one of the best places to start changing the world back to a respectable world is sports. It wouldn't hurt movies and regular TV to improve too.
Sportsmanship is about the words you speak while the action is going on as well as after making a tackle you run away from your teammates so you can show boat your one tackle on the night. This world has a lot of cleaning up to do but cleaning up language is at least a start.
The games if it is to become all access then viewers don't want every other word bleeped off the screen because the language used is not viewable by a family audience.
Not only will the N word need to go but so will The MF word, or the GD word, or the SOB word or any word not worthy to be spoken at the dinner table.
Somewhere in the world of pro sports the the motto 'it is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game' has been lost. It is my feeling that anyone who makes a half million dollars a year or more should act the part of an intelligent human being over a street hood.
Despite what Charles Barkley said years ago that he was not a role model, he is whether he wants to be or not. A ten year old can be a role model for a four year old if that four year old admires him. Professional athletes who have youngsters wearing their jersies are role models to them because their actions are watched almost constantly by those who idolize them.
All pro sports needs to clean up their act. Baseball players need to quit chewing tobacco because that is surely an influence. There is plenty as athletes that would improve our future if professional sports require their players to act professional. Not that long ago the NBA made their players go back to dressing up when traveling. There was plenty of backlash in the beginning but now there are plenty of dudes that dress to kill now-a-days.
Our world is headed in the wrong direction. Players are applauded when they opening tell the world of their life styles and the world rejoices. One of the best moves made by high schools and colleges was when they made everyone shake hands when the games are over. It hasn't always been that way.
Since just about everyone watches sports on TV one of the best places to start changing the world back to a respectable world is sports. It wouldn't hurt movies and regular TV to improve too.
Sportsmanship is about the words you speak while the action is going on as well as after making a tackle you run away from your teammates so you can show boat your one tackle on the night. This world has a lot of cleaning up to do but cleaning up language is at least a start.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
If You Had A Vote
The Hunt Warriors have won the East Regional tonight beating Orange 66-60 and will play the winner of the Freedom- North Forsyth game that will not be played until Sunday afternoon since all games schedule Friday were lost because of weather out in the western Regional. The 3-A title game is again is in Chapel where Rocky Mount and the Big East have won the last two titles there.
The ACC Basketball Tournament begins next week and we will hear who is the first team ACC. We will also find out the player of the year. If any one other than T J Warren wins player of the year they should do away with the vote. Unless he goes 0-20 in States final game Sunday night he will become only the 3rd player in ACC history to lead the league in scoring and shooting percentage. He is third is steals which to me puts him head and shoulders above anyone else who is being considered for the award.
If there is a team that tells you the importance of players filling roles the North Carolina Tar Heels once they decided they were not going to have Hairston this year everyone started playing instead feeling sorry for themselves and playing ball.
As for who is going to Final Four I doubt any team from North Carolina gets further than Sweet 16. Duke is spotty shooting this year and their big issue is this team doesn't play Duke D as other Duke teams have. Carolina as well as they have played during their 12 game winning streak just don't scare me if I'm preparing to play them.
Syracuse and their zone defense. Do you remember when Dave Odom coached Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress and they scored 66 points a game. Odoms said when the game gets to the end all he wanted was a chance to win. When you only score 66 you just also keep the other team in the game. Syracuse should be scoring 90 but instead in the sixties and every team is in every game with them and any team who gets hot the last two minutes can win a close game. Virginia is the best team in the league but I don't think they have enough tournament experience to get to final four. If you look at every team this is a wide open year and Duke and Carolina are as good as anybody despite what is wrong with them.
The Big East still has one team alive in the Regional finals in Hunt. If you are planning to go and watch all the games Saturday please note that the Hunt-Orange game has been moved to 8pm instead of 2pm. The 3-A girls game will feature West Craven and undefeated Chapel Hill. I doubt West Craven can keep this game under a 20 point loss. Playoff games are match ups and West Craven just does not match up with Chapel Hil. Northern Nash could but this year will be remember as the year of the weather and Northern's lack of practice with school out for the weather. I know that doesn't make Grover Battle and his Lady Knights feel any better but some things aren't meant to be. I doubt the Lady Knights had more than five practices the last month of January through their loss this week. It just plain too hard for a team to get better through practice but the big issue this week was preparation time for a team that had one super player..
The ACC Basketball Tournament begins next week and we will hear who is the first team ACC. We will also find out the player of the year. If any one other than T J Warren wins player of the year they should do away with the vote. Unless he goes 0-20 in States final game Sunday night he will become only the 3rd player in ACC history to lead the league in scoring and shooting percentage. He is third is steals which to me puts him head and shoulders above anyone else who is being considered for the award.
If there is a team that tells you the importance of players filling roles the North Carolina Tar Heels once they decided they were not going to have Hairston this year everyone started playing instead feeling sorry for themselves and playing ball.
As for who is going to Final Four I doubt any team from North Carolina gets further than Sweet 16. Duke is spotty shooting this year and their big issue is this team doesn't play Duke D as other Duke teams have. Carolina as well as they have played during their 12 game winning streak just don't scare me if I'm preparing to play them.
Syracuse and their zone defense. Do you remember when Dave Odom coached Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress and they scored 66 points a game. Odoms said when the game gets to the end all he wanted was a chance to win. When you only score 66 you just also keep the other team in the game. Syracuse should be scoring 90 but instead in the sixties and every team is in every game with them and any team who gets hot the last two minutes can win a close game. Virginia is the best team in the league but I don't think they have enough tournament experience to get to final four. If you look at every team this is a wide open year and Duke and Carolina are as good as anybody despite what is wrong with them.
The Big East still has one team alive in the Regional finals in Hunt. If you are planning to go and watch all the games Saturday please note that the Hunt-Orange game has been moved to 8pm instead of 2pm. The 3-A girls game will feature West Craven and undefeated Chapel Hill. I doubt West Craven can keep this game under a 20 point loss. Playoff games are match ups and West Craven just does not match up with Chapel Hil. Northern Nash could but this year will be remember as the year of the weather and Northern's lack of practice with school out for the weather. I know that doesn't make Grover Battle and his Lady Knights feel any better but some things aren't meant to be. I doubt the Lady Knights had more than five practices the last month of January through their loss this week. It just plain too hard for a team to get better through practice but the big issue this week was preparation time for a team that had one super player..
Friday, March 7, 2014
Baseball Time
So far this athletic season the Big East has shown itself as a very capable athletic conference even though Hunt has had to carry the torch thus far. Hunt will play Orange County Saturday with the Big East having made the finals in the East Regional four of last five years. Hunt has been a main stay in the Eastern Finals practically every year of the Big East in football.
The Big East baseball conference has held their own in the playoffs but certainly not as basketball and football. The question everyone could be asking is there anyone that can call themselves good in Big East this year. So far after one week the conference is a combined 6-12 so far.
If you remember during basketball season I question how good a 12-0 Fike team really was after their 12-0 start had come at the hands of 2-a schools and less. By years end it proved out that those who had worse records at New Years were better than their record after some of the tough competition they had played.
Fike is the only team the first week that has won more than they have lost and looking at who they have played they might be for real. They lost to South Central while having wins over D H Conley and a really Good North Lenoir.
Hunt has lost three of four but their pitching and defense has allowed only 12 runs. They have split with C B Aycock winning a one run game and losing a one run affair. They have a lost to New Bern and Eastern Wayne by a 4-0 score.
Southern has won only once in three tries winning over 1A North Johnston and losses to 4-A Pine Forest and one to Corinth Holders. Seems before conference play starts every one in the Big East will have a shot at former Gryphon Adam Weaver's team with his dad Danny as his assistant.
Nash Central has started 0-2 losing to South Central which a lot of people are going to do that. They also took it on the chin by a run to Roanoke Rapids.
Northern Nash has a win over Roanoke Rapids with losses 1-0 with Bunn and a one pointer to Wake Forest. Leonard Allen has just maybe the best pitching staff in the league but they will need runs to support pitching.
Rocky Mount at 1-2 can't blame their pitching even though they have given up 18 runs in three games. Their defense has been spotty plus their offense is a singles team and base running has added to their lack of staying in ball games.
It is still early and very few games have been played in above 40 degree weather. Once the pitchers can get off pitch counts we will have a better chance in evaluating who's got what.
The Big East baseball conference has held their own in the playoffs but certainly not as basketball and football. The question everyone could be asking is there anyone that can call themselves good in Big East this year. So far after one week the conference is a combined 6-12 so far.
If you remember during basketball season I question how good a 12-0 Fike team really was after their 12-0 start had come at the hands of 2-a schools and less. By years end it proved out that those who had worse records at New Years were better than their record after some of the tough competition they had played.
Fike is the only team the first week that has won more than they have lost and looking at who they have played they might be for real. They lost to South Central while having wins over D H Conley and a really Good North Lenoir.
Hunt has lost three of four but their pitching and defense has allowed only 12 runs. They have split with C B Aycock winning a one run game and losing a one run affair. They have a lost to New Bern and Eastern Wayne by a 4-0 score.
Southern has won only once in three tries winning over 1A North Johnston and losses to 4-A Pine Forest and one to Corinth Holders. Seems before conference play starts every one in the Big East will have a shot at former Gryphon Adam Weaver's team with his dad Danny as his assistant.
Nash Central has started 0-2 losing to South Central which a lot of people are going to do that. They also took it on the chin by a run to Roanoke Rapids.
Northern Nash has a win over Roanoke Rapids with losses 1-0 with Bunn and a one pointer to Wake Forest. Leonard Allen has just maybe the best pitching staff in the league but they will need runs to support pitching.
Rocky Mount at 1-2 can't blame their pitching even though they have given up 18 runs in three games. Their defense has been spotty plus their offense is a singles team and base running has added to their lack of staying in ball games.
It is still early and very few games have been played in above 40 degree weather. Once the pitchers can get off pitch counts we will have a better chance in evaluating who's got what.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Northern Falls In Regional
The top priority for the Lady Knights of Northern Nash was stop Jamie Cherry of West Craven the Carolina bound mighty might and in trying to do so Northern paid the cost having severe foul trouble for Alexus Hill at the half and Susie Sykes soon joined Hill and After being tied at the half 24-24 Cherry and West Craven pull away winning 57-45.
The Lady Knights finish the season 26-2 and their four year record during senior Alexus Hill's basketball career stands at 87-13. To say the least no practice since Saturday did not help the situation as any time you play a division one player the caliber of Cherry you need to be able to prepare more than let's see how it goes once the game starts and we will make adjustments on the fly. Cherry and West Craven were simply too good for that.
Cherry scored 35 for the Eagles while Hill saddled with fouls finished her high school career with only four. Kiana Thomas led Northern with 14 and Alexia Hines collected 10.
This afternoon Rocky Mount baseball hosted Eastern Wayne a team that had given up one Run in the first 16 innings of the season including beating Hunt 1-0. Cody Smith to the mound for the Gryphons and today Smith pitched the game of his life as the Gryphons win their first game of the season 7-3 over the Warriors.
Smith pitched six innings and did not give up a hit. He walked just one batter and one batter reached by error. Working on a cold afternoon Kent Cox even with a no hitter dangling in front of him stuck to his guns and pulled Smith who he had on a pitch count. Eastern Wayne scored three unearned runs in the 7th as Sam Lilly started the 7th gave up two hits and the Gryphon defense had a chance to make two outs but failed to execute plays and Cox had to bring in Will Edwards with two outs and the bases loaded with three runs across the plate.
The Big East will have a team playing for the East Regional final for the fourth time in five tears as Hunt has beaten Havelock 68-60. The Warriors eliminate the team who had beaten Rocky Mount on a desperation three last Wednesday night.
Hunt lead 34-30 at the half,lead by 11 at the third quarter turn and lead by 13 at 52-39 when Havelock began whittling on the lead that at one point was 55-50.
The Lady Knights finish the season 26-2 and their four year record during senior Alexus Hill's basketball career stands at 87-13. To say the least no practice since Saturday did not help the situation as any time you play a division one player the caliber of Cherry you need to be able to prepare more than let's see how it goes once the game starts and we will make adjustments on the fly. Cherry and West Craven were simply too good for that.
Cherry scored 35 for the Eagles while Hill saddled with fouls finished her high school career with only four. Kiana Thomas led Northern with 14 and Alexia Hines collected 10.
This afternoon Rocky Mount baseball hosted Eastern Wayne a team that had given up one Run in the first 16 innings of the season including beating Hunt 1-0. Cody Smith to the mound for the Gryphons and today Smith pitched the game of his life as the Gryphons win their first game of the season 7-3 over the Warriors.
Smith pitched six innings and did not give up a hit. He walked just one batter and one batter reached by error. Working on a cold afternoon Kent Cox even with a no hitter dangling in front of him stuck to his guns and pulled Smith who he had on a pitch count. Eastern Wayne scored three unearned runs in the 7th as Sam Lilly started the 7th gave up two hits and the Gryphon defense had a chance to make two outs but failed to execute plays and Cox had to bring in Will Edwards with two outs and the bases loaded with three runs across the plate.
The Big East will have a team playing for the East Regional final for the fourth time in five tears as Hunt has beaten Havelock 68-60. The Warriors eliminate the team who had beaten Rocky Mount on a desperation three last Wednesday night.
Hunt lead 34-30 at the half,lead by 11 at the third quarter turn and lead by 13 at 52-39 when Havelock began whittling on the lead that at one point was 55-50.
Too Much To Cover
There has been so much high school basketball to cover over the last three weeks or so it leaves little time to comment or other items worth talking about. Since we have an open page let's catch up on some stuff.
I don't know whether there has ever been a better Carolina -State game than the one last week. T J Warren and Marcus Paige's duel was one of the best see if you can match this games of all time. In any game that goes over time and the final score is not decided until the last second there is plenty of chances for ref calls to effect the outcome. Tell me a game now-a-days that everyone isn't upset one way or the other after a game these days.
Saturday former Gryphon Benton Moss pitched the first complete game of his career as Benton won his first game of the year 5-1 over North Florida. He allowed one run on six hits going the distance. It also was win number 700 for Mike Fox. Isn't it ironic that the major milestone in Fox's coaching career would be delivered by a player from the Rocky Mount area when Fox spent time while at North Carolina Wesleyan.
I want to congratulate Justin Hite and Nick Petrowicz of the Rocky Mount Telegram in their recent awards they receved concerning covering sports in this area. I know as a one man operation I can only obtain information that is at my finger tips.
The sports department at the Telegram is a three man operation which has one college NC Wesleyan to cover plus about ten high school in their coverage area and that doesn't include any other sports event that might pop up in the area.
We all like to open up the paper each day and see what every team in the area did last night which is physically impossible for Justin, Nick and sports Editor Jesse Nunnery to do. So little time and so much to cover. Keep up the good work guys you are all joys to work with.
We way this basketball season has unfolded what else could put a capper on the season other than Northern Nash's regional semi final game getting pushed back a day because of bad weather. Northern has had the ability through out the weather distress to be able to keep on winning despite the lack of practice time. West Craven is by far the best team Northern has played this year and we hope later tonight that Northern over came another adversity and has another game to play Saturday.
I don't know whether there has ever been a better Carolina -State game than the one last week. T J Warren and Marcus Paige's duel was one of the best see if you can match this games of all time. In any game that goes over time and the final score is not decided until the last second there is plenty of chances for ref calls to effect the outcome. Tell me a game now-a-days that everyone isn't upset one way or the other after a game these days.
Saturday former Gryphon Benton Moss pitched the first complete game of his career as Benton won his first game of the year 5-1 over North Florida. He allowed one run on six hits going the distance. It also was win number 700 for Mike Fox. Isn't it ironic that the major milestone in Fox's coaching career would be delivered by a player from the Rocky Mount area when Fox spent time while at North Carolina Wesleyan.
I want to congratulate Justin Hite and Nick Petrowicz of the Rocky Mount Telegram in their recent awards they receved concerning covering sports in this area. I know as a one man operation I can only obtain information that is at my finger tips.
The sports department at the Telegram is a three man operation which has one college NC Wesleyan to cover plus about ten high school in their coverage area and that doesn't include any other sports event that might pop up in the area.
We all like to open up the paper each day and see what every team in the area did last night which is physically impossible for Justin, Nick and sports Editor Jesse Nunnery to do. So little time and so much to cover. Keep up the good work guys you are all joys to work with.
We way this basketball season has unfolded what else could put a capper on the season other than Northern Nash's regional semi final game getting pushed back a day because of bad weather. Northern has had the ability through out the weather distress to be able to keep on winning despite the lack of practice time. West Craven is by far the best team Northern has played this year and we hope later tonight that Northern over came another adversity and has another game to play Saturday.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Weather Delay
Due to the fact that Nash County Schools are out today due to the weather the Eastern Regional basketball game featuring the Lady Knights of Northern Nash scheduled for 7pm tonight has been postponed until 5:30 Wednesday afternoon. All other spring sports events have been postponed with school out today.
News You Need To Know
Two years ago while Rocky Mount was making their run for their second State Championship in three years the point guard on the team was Tabias Hilliard. If you needed a basket Tabias was probably the last option on the floor to shoot the ball when we really needed a big basket.
His specialty was defense and handing off assists to his brother Terrill and his other teammates taking the Gryphons all the way to a state title. There are times when players get offered scholarships
solely because he was part of a great team and yes Methodist University came calling and Tabias became a Monarch.
I knew Tabias was a solid player for the Gryphons but who in their right mind would ever think that our Tabias would be the starting point guard for Methodist in his very first game as a freshman. He had a solid freshman year and his freshman year turned into a sophomore season and what do we have on our hands now? Only an assist dishing scoring machine.
Methodist season ended last weekend and Tabias Hilliard was named third team USA South all conference team. Hilliard averaged 12.6 points per game and he hit 20 in a game four times on the season and three of his last five games.
He dished out 3.8 assist a game lead the team from the outside in shooting per cent age hitting .485. He lead the team in free throw shooting hitting .784 of his free tosses. He also lead the team in steals getting 35 on the season.
Yes his parents can be proud of his athletic skills but conference USA South has put Tabias even on a higher plateau. He was named to the Conference USA South All Sportsmanship team. Conference USA South has a code on conduct in which they honor their best.
What are the requirements to make the All Sportsmanship team? You cheer loudly and proudly for your team, respect your opponent, no use of profanity, vulgarity, racist, or sexist comments. That's not all of the code of Sportsmanship but you get the picture.
All of us as we go forward in life there is a trail we leave and it always leads back to home. What did your parents teach you, what did Rocky Mount High do to your life to help you be the person you are. It is obvious that Tabias Hilliard has had a path to lead him to do the right things. There is an old saying that "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
As the Gryphon point guard that gave the ball to his teammates and came up with big steals you could see that Tabias was a team player. Now at the next level of basketball Tabias has made
everyone proud because he continues to live the way he was taught at home. We can all say "I know Tabias Hilliard he's from my Town Rocky Mount." Tabias has been a good will ambassador for the City of Rocky Mount.
Rocky Mount needs more Tabias Hilliards in this world!!!
His specialty was defense and handing off assists to his brother Terrill and his other teammates taking the Gryphons all the way to a state title. There are times when players get offered scholarships
solely because he was part of a great team and yes Methodist University came calling and Tabias became a Monarch.
I knew Tabias was a solid player for the Gryphons but who in their right mind would ever think that our Tabias would be the starting point guard for Methodist in his very first game as a freshman. He had a solid freshman year and his freshman year turned into a sophomore season and what do we have on our hands now? Only an assist dishing scoring machine.
Methodist season ended last weekend and Tabias Hilliard was named third team USA South all conference team. Hilliard averaged 12.6 points per game and he hit 20 in a game four times on the season and three of his last five games.
He dished out 3.8 assist a game lead the team from the outside in shooting per cent age hitting .485. He lead the team in free throw shooting hitting .784 of his free tosses. He also lead the team in steals getting 35 on the season.
Yes his parents can be proud of his athletic skills but conference USA South has put Tabias even on a higher plateau. He was named to the Conference USA South All Sportsmanship team. Conference USA South has a code on conduct in which they honor their best.
What are the requirements to make the All Sportsmanship team? You cheer loudly and proudly for your team, respect your opponent, no use of profanity, vulgarity, racist, or sexist comments. That's not all of the code of Sportsmanship but you get the picture.
All of us as we go forward in life there is a trail we leave and it always leads back to home. What did your parents teach you, what did Rocky Mount High do to your life to help you be the person you are. It is obvious that Tabias Hilliard has had a path to lead him to do the right things. There is an old saying that "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
As the Gryphon point guard that gave the ball to his teammates and came up with big steals you could see that Tabias was a team player. Now at the next level of basketball Tabias has made
everyone proud because he continues to live the way he was taught at home. We can all say "I know Tabias Hilliard he's from my Town Rocky Mount." Tabias has been a good will ambassador for the City of Rocky Mount.
Rocky Mount needs more Tabias Hilliards in this world!!!
Monday, March 3, 2014
Eastern Regional Match Up
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash 26-1 will play West Craven 26-1 at 7pm Tuesday night in the first of the two semi final games in the girls 3-A Regional. The winner of this game will meet the winner of the second game of the night when Union Pines 24-4 takes on unbeaten Chapel High 29-0.Between these four teams they head to the regional with and over all record of 105-6.
Chapel Hill's last regular season lost was at Northern Nash during the 2012-13 season. Chapel Hill met West Craven during the High school OT Christmas Tournament this year with Chapel Hill winning 76-52. The only game Tuesday that matters right now is the West Craven Eagles and let go one on one in the stats.
WC averages 67.1 points per game while Northern is set at 57.3. WC gives up 36.7 points per game while the Knights average 37.7 per outing. The Eagles are lead by all State player Jamie Cherry who is headed to Chapel Hill to play for Carolina who scores at a 33.6 points per game. The Lady Knights are spearheaded by Alexus Hill at 18 points per game and is headed to Gardner Webb to extend her basket ball career.
The leading rebounder for West Craven is Kaykee Koerperich who grabs 8.1 while Northern's leading bounded is Kiana Thomas who grabs 11.3 every game. Team wise WC gets 34.6 boards a game while Northern 36.3.
WC dishes out 9.1 assist per contest while Northern gets 11.2. The leading assist maker for the Eagles is Jasmine Raynor passing to team mates who score 3.4 times per game while Alexia Hines dishes out a a rate of 4.2 per game.
West Craven steals the ball 12.2 times per game while the Knights 10 times per contest. The leading thrives on each team are Jamie Cherry at 4.3 while Alexus Hill gets hers hands on 2.7 per game.
If you have a player that scores half your points then the Lady Knights goal has to be slow down Jamie Cherry. The Lady Gryphons did that in the Regional in 2012 but could not do it last year in the sectional final. My guess is Alexia Hines will get the assignment to Guard Cherry. This will be a factor in winning and losing in controlling Cherry.
The Lady Knights need to play a complete team game as Cherry can shoot the three or drive to the basket. Slow her down and the Knights play Saturday. GO LADY KNIGHTS
Chapel Hill's last regular season lost was at Northern Nash during the 2012-13 season. Chapel Hill met West Craven during the High school OT Christmas Tournament this year with Chapel Hill winning 76-52. The only game Tuesday that matters right now is the West Craven Eagles and let go one on one in the stats.
WC averages 67.1 points per game while Northern is set at 57.3. WC gives up 36.7 points per game while the Knights average 37.7 per outing. The Eagles are lead by all State player Jamie Cherry who is headed to Chapel Hill to play for Carolina who scores at a 33.6 points per game. The Lady Knights are spearheaded by Alexus Hill at 18 points per game and is headed to Gardner Webb to extend her basket ball career.
The leading rebounder for West Craven is Kaykee Koerperich who grabs 8.1 while Northern's leading bounded is Kiana Thomas who grabs 11.3 every game. Team wise WC gets 34.6 boards a game while Northern 36.3.
WC dishes out 9.1 assist per contest while Northern gets 11.2. The leading assist maker for the Eagles is Jasmine Raynor passing to team mates who score 3.4 times per game while Alexia Hines dishes out a a rate of 4.2 per game.
West Craven steals the ball 12.2 times per game while the Knights 10 times per contest. The leading thrives on each team are Jamie Cherry at 4.3 while Alexus Hill gets hers hands on 2.7 per game.
If you have a player that scores half your points then the Lady Knights goal has to be slow down Jamie Cherry. The Lady Gryphons did that in the Regional in 2012 but could not do it last year in the sectional final. My guess is Alexia Hines will get the assignment to Guard Cherry. This will be a factor in winning and losing in controlling Cherry.
The Lady Knights need to play a complete team game as Cherry can shoot the three or drive to the basket. Slow her down and the Knights play Saturday. GO LADY KNIGHTS
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Moaning and Groaning
There is no doubt that refereeing sports is harder today than ever before. Basketball was invented to be a shooting game not a game of see who is stronger and can push the best. It is a game made for beauty not brawn. Football when I was growing up the defense couldn't touch a receiver at any time he crossed the line until after the pass got to him. How can any ref make a call when the defender and receiver wrestle the entire way down the field or in basketball all the pushing that goes on the whole game. Basketball is refereed better by the players on the play ground than in gyms and courts around the world.
In a world where there is no way to enforce the rules the teams that always seemed to get hosed are the want-a-bees. The team that is middle of the pack. Last week during the Big East tournament and sitting on press row right by the score keeper you can hear all the moaning and groaning that goes on.
Southern Nash and Fike fans lead the way with only seeing fouls when their team has the ball and never when their team is on defense. In this area NC State falls in that middle section of always seeming to get the bad calls.
We all know that every play could go either way the way games are officiated theses days but good teams can over come a call when it goes against them where those middle of the road teams have a harder time surviving without falling behind.
All four games this year against Rocky Mount Southern just couldn't get a rebound over the taller Gryphons. Many times Southern had rebound position but the taller team went straight up over the smaller Firebirds and either got a rebound or put the ball in the basket. Of course the Firebird nation exploded that it had to be over the back and every now and then there was a foul but most of the time
no call from the ref crew.
Down at the other end the taller team shoots and a foul is called when the shorter team tries to block the shot of players four to six inches taller. Out rage from the fans that they call it one way at one end and not the same way at the other. You know you hear all kinds of comments as people yell at the refs. Everyone on press row got a chuckle when one amazed fan yelled "come on ref we were not tall enough to foul them". That in a nut shell tells you why teams don't get calls. They simply weren't good enough.
N C State fans they will tell you they got hosed against Carolina again Wednesday night and they probably did, but look every team has to overcome calls and when you lead by six in overtime and lose you simply were not good enough.
Whether it is a umpire or referee they are in a better position to make the call because they are down there in the action while we only sit in a chair at home or in the stands and moan and groan. Back in the day when I use to coach little league a parent was upset with me because I took his son out of a game as we were walking to the concession stand and I preceded to hand him the equipment and told him to coach his son the way he wanted. Then wait for all the parents moan and groan when their sons were not getting the attention they needed. I told him I am the one sweating pitching batting practice with everyone's son now you do it. I have to look out for all of them not just one. He quickly apologized and told me he was being selfish.
The ref has to worry about everything going on, on that floor. If you think you can do better then get down there where they are. Then we will see if the game is the same than what you saw as a fan wanting your team to win. Refs don't have a team they are pulling for and that gives them a different perspective than a fan only pulling for his team.
In a world where there is no way to enforce the rules the teams that always seemed to get hosed are the want-a-bees. The team that is middle of the pack. Last week during the Big East tournament and sitting on press row right by the score keeper you can hear all the moaning and groaning that goes on.
Southern Nash and Fike fans lead the way with only seeing fouls when their team has the ball and never when their team is on defense. In this area NC State falls in that middle section of always seeming to get the bad calls.
We all know that every play could go either way the way games are officiated theses days but good teams can over come a call when it goes against them where those middle of the road teams have a harder time surviving without falling behind.
All four games this year against Rocky Mount Southern just couldn't get a rebound over the taller Gryphons. Many times Southern had rebound position but the taller team went straight up over the smaller Firebirds and either got a rebound or put the ball in the basket. Of course the Firebird nation exploded that it had to be over the back and every now and then there was a foul but most of the time
no call from the ref crew.
Down at the other end the taller team shoots and a foul is called when the shorter team tries to block the shot of players four to six inches taller. Out rage from the fans that they call it one way at one end and not the same way at the other. You know you hear all kinds of comments as people yell at the refs. Everyone on press row got a chuckle when one amazed fan yelled "come on ref we were not tall enough to foul them". That in a nut shell tells you why teams don't get calls. They simply weren't good enough.
N C State fans they will tell you they got hosed against Carolina again Wednesday night and they probably did, but look every team has to overcome calls and when you lead by six in overtime and lose you simply were not good enough.
Whether it is a umpire or referee they are in a better position to make the call because they are down there in the action while we only sit in a chair at home or in the stands and moan and groan. Back in the day when I use to coach little league a parent was upset with me because I took his son out of a game as we were walking to the concession stand and I preceded to hand him the equipment and told him to coach his son the way he wanted. Then wait for all the parents moan and groan when their sons were not getting the attention they needed. I told him I am the one sweating pitching batting practice with everyone's son now you do it. I have to look out for all of them not just one. He quickly apologized and told me he was being selfish.
The ref has to worry about everything going on, on that floor. If you think you can do better then get down there where they are. Then we will see if the game is the same than what you saw as a fan wanting your team to win. Refs don't have a team they are pulling for and that gives them a different perspective than a fan only pulling for his team.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Basketball Ending Baseball's Cranking Up
The Lady Knights of Northern Nash are heading to Fayetteville now in the fourth year of the best string of years in history. The Lady Knights are 87-12 during this run. I think if you read this blog often or have ever listened to me on radio or tv the regional in basketball is equivalent to playing the Friday after Thanksgiving in football. Regardless of the outcome from here on out they have had a great season and only great teams are left.
The Lady Gryphons lost four times to the Lady Knights during the season and now that the season is over from where we all thought they were in the beginning of the season to where they finished this season was a most successful one.
If you go on line to the Washington National's website there is a story on Brian Goodwin. The National top prospect is expected to start out in AA but hope to move him to AAA by Midseason. Looking at the Milwaukee Brewers website after the season Hobbs Johnson had I am surprised That he is not listed as one of their top 20 prospects. According to Xavier Macklin's Twitter he may be trying to continue his baseball career over seas this summer.
I haven't spoken about Cousin Lauren Doughtie in a while as she continues her pro golf career. She has a limited playing status on the LPGA tour this year so for most of the year she will be back on the Futures Tour. Last week in the first event of the season she finished 14th shooting 3 under par for the weekend. This weekend she is sitting in a hotel in LA waiting to play in this weekends event in California. They are going through heavy rains in that area and the forecast they may not play at all.
The Lady Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe ended their season by not making the playoffs. Coach Sandra Langley finished the season with 698 career wins. Last Saturday we went to Campbell as both the boys and girls basketball teams had senior day. We were sitting with the Hill family Quinton and Nicki Hill and their daughter Alexus of Northern Nash fame.
Alexus has signed with Gardner Webb and they were the team Campbell was playing. After the game when all the GW players and coaches come over to meet and greet their new signee one of the assistant coaches for GW is Monique Hudson. For those who have forgotten Monique and twin sister Domique were on the SouthWest. Girls state championship team in 2005. SWE girls have never come close to the years they had with the Hudson twins.
I don't know how many of you watched the Campbell-High Point basketball game that was on ESPNU last night but under one of the baskets for High Point in their student section was Jeremy Johnson a freshman pitcher on the baseball team who played for the Gryphons last season. During one of the TV timeouts the camera zoomed in on Jeremy and Jeremy did as typical students do when
the. Camera is on them. Daughter Morgan has posted Jeremy's 15 seconds of fame on her FaceBook.
The Lady Gryphons lost four times to the Lady Knights during the season and now that the season is over from where we all thought they were in the beginning of the season to where they finished this season was a most successful one.
If you go on line to the Washington National's website there is a story on Brian Goodwin. The National top prospect is expected to start out in AA but hope to move him to AAA by Midseason. Looking at the Milwaukee Brewers website after the season Hobbs Johnson had I am surprised That he is not listed as one of their top 20 prospects. According to Xavier Macklin's Twitter he may be trying to continue his baseball career over seas this summer.
I haven't spoken about Cousin Lauren Doughtie in a while as she continues her pro golf career. She has a limited playing status on the LPGA tour this year so for most of the year she will be back on the Futures Tour. Last week in the first event of the season she finished 14th shooting 3 under par for the weekend. This weekend she is sitting in a hotel in LA waiting to play in this weekends event in California. They are going through heavy rains in that area and the forecast they may not play at all.
The Lady Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe ended their season by not making the playoffs. Coach Sandra Langley finished the season with 698 career wins. Last Saturday we went to Campbell as both the boys and girls basketball teams had senior day. We were sitting with the Hill family Quinton and Nicki Hill and their daughter Alexus of Northern Nash fame.
Alexus has signed with Gardner Webb and they were the team Campbell was playing. After the game when all the GW players and coaches come over to meet and greet their new signee one of the assistant coaches for GW is Monique Hudson. For those who have forgotten Monique and twin sister Domique were on the SouthWest. Girls state championship team in 2005. SWE girls have never come close to the years they had with the Hudson twins.
I don't know how many of you watched the Campbell-High Point basketball game that was on ESPNU last night but under one of the baskets for High Point in their student section was Jeremy Johnson a freshman pitcher on the baseball team who played for the Gryphons last season. During one of the TV timeouts the camera zoomed in on Jeremy and Jeremy did as typical students do when
the. Camera is on them. Daughter Morgan has posted Jeremy's 15 seconds of fame on her FaceBook.
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