WRAL-TV's Tom Suiter Says Goodbye.

With the entire WRAL-TV family standing behind him, Rocky Mount native Tom Suiter gave his last 6 p.m. sportscast tonight on Channel 5.

Rocky Mount native and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley presented Tom with North Carolina's highest Honor "The Long Leaf Pine".

The Governor reminisced about having played on the same Little League team in Rocky Mount as Tom was 12 and the Governor was only 10.

Normally on Thursday's it the time when Tom goes to an area high schools and presents the "Extra Effort Award," but tonight Bob Holiday was doing the presenting and Tom Suiter was this week's winner.

Thanks Tom!

Tonight the NEW 6 football coaches voted for the all conference team. Each coach has his turn at telling the other coaches who he would like to see win from his team and why. I don't know if it has ever happened before at any level, but B. W .Holt nominated all 22 of his starters on offense and defense.

I will let Charles Alston give you the names on the Rocky Mount high website. but I will tell you this. Including the kicker and kicker returner, that makes 24 players on the All-Conference team. I am proud to say 14 Gryphons made the team. Despite having 14, there are some major disappointments, too.

Tonight in high school basketball, Goldsboro shot down the Gryphon boys 89-87. The Gryphons hardly led at all in the game. When they got close, the Cougars would get a working margin, but the Gryphons almost pulled it out in the last 12 seconds - missing two wide open shots to tie and the final shot to win it. With 53 seconds, to play Rocky Mount trailed 88-80.

I didn't hear his final totals, but Tashawn Mabry may have passed Buck Williams for second place on the all-time Rocky Mount high scoring list. He needed 31 and he was close if he didn't break it

They will go into the GlaxoSmithKline Invitational Tournament next week in Raleigh on a two-game losing streak.

Since the football players have joined the basketball team, they have already lost more games than during the entire football season 0-2.

It is a different story for the Lady Gryphons as they smashed the Lady Cougars 68-43. Tonight was my first look at the basketball team this year and to me this is the best group Pam Gainey has had in a couple of years.

Tonight in Chapel Hill Tyler Hansbrough broke Rocky Mount's Phil Ford's all-time scoring record. at Carolina.

I know both Duke and Carolina will hate this comparison but Hansbrough is a lot like Christian Laettner was for Duke. They were made for college basketball. I suspect Hansbrough will play several years Laettner play 14 years and averaged about 15 per game in the pros.

Laettner may be the best ACC basketball player of all-time when you consider the NCAA Championships he was a part of, but as a pro, he was just average and I suspect Hansbrough is headed for the same type pro career.

Well we already know that N.C. State might be better than last year in basketball as they beat ECU last night in Raleigh. ESPN had picked that game as one of the three possible upsets in college basketball last night, but the Pack wins. I think it is great the experts feel State is good enough to be considered an upset if they lose.

I know he played long before TV became part of Pro football but Sammy Baugh maybe the greatest pro football player ever in the NFL died last night at th age of 94.

Despite having retired from football in 1951, Baugh still holds the all time best punting average.

One season he lead the league in punting, passing and interceptions. They just don't make them like him any more.

College Bowls II

The Pacific Holiday Bowl in San Diego: Oregon matches up with Oklahoma State. This could be a good one. If the Big Twelve is as good as they think they are they need this one. I'll take OK State 39-28.

The Bell Helicopter Arms Forces Bowl Forth worth Texas: I guess this is the Bowl game made for Air Force as Houston takes on the Flyers. I'm going to take the Cougars of Houston but this is not a sure bet. I'm hedging on this one even as I sit here now.

The Brut Sun Bowl In El Paso: Seems to me Coppertone would be a better sponsor for the Sun Bowl. Oregon State against Pittsburgh. I like Pitt 27-24

The Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville: Vanderbilt against Boston College. If Duke can beat Vandy then I think BC can too. 31-17.

The Insight Bowl Tempe Arizona: What in the world is the Insight Bowl. Kansas pitted against Minnesota. How ironic that this is named the Insight since once again this is a NFL Network no sight game. KU in a romp 38-17

The Chic-Fil-A Atlanta Georgia. LSU against Georgia Tech. Southeastern Conference takes this one on the chin . The Rambling Wreck 34 LSU 24.

The Outback Bowl in Orlando. Iowa against South Carolina. Something tells me to Pick Spurrier in this one so I will. Carolina 26- Iowa 20

The Konica Minolta Bowl Jacksonville: Clemson takes on Nebraska. this is a game between two schools that are just a like. they think they are a whole lot better than they are. I hate to keep picking the Big Twelve but it's the big Red 31-28 over the Tigers.

The Capitol One Bowl Orlando: Michigan State takes on Georgia. This is a great match up. Georgia the preseason #1 going up against an always almost good Spartans. Michigan State 27-The Dawgs 24.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas: How in the world did Texas Tech 11-1 almost in the National Championship game get stuck with Mississippi at 8-4. This could be a good one but I don't think Old Miss can put fifty on the board which it will probably take to win this one. Tech 49- The Rebels 35

The Auto Zone Liberty Bowl Memphis Tennessee: ECU Pirates going up against Kentucky. I think the Wildcats will win but I'm pulling for the Pirates. ECU 31 Kentucky 28 ARRRG.

The International Bowl Toronto Canada: There are so many bowls games they were afraid to put a third one in Orlando so since they were out of United States cities to host one let's try Toronto. Buffalo meets big East Connecticut. May be a foot of snow on the ground. This will be Turner Gill's opportunity to show America he was worthy of the Auburn. U Conn 35- Buffalo 24

The GMAC Bowl Mobile Ala. Why don't they take this one and merge it with the Motor City Bowl in Detroit. They could call it the GMAC Motor City Bowl! Tulsa goes against Ball State. It's hard to go against a school that doesn't hide the fact that all they are interested in is sports. Ball State. Tulsa losing at home to ECU in the Conference USA title game is enough for me. Ball State 42- Tulsa 35

And Now Finally the real Bowl Games:

Rose Bowl By Citi in Pasadena : This is a home game for Southern Cal against Penn State. I just don't think the State University of Pennslyvania can hang. Southern Cal 42 PSU 28

Fedex Orange Bowl in Miami: Virginia Tech who can't score unless the defense does wrestles with Cincinnati. I think Tech defense will score one and a blocked punt Tech 27 Cincy 16.

The AllState Sugar Bowl in New Orleans: Utah against Alabama. This had potential to be a good one for a while BAMA 30-Utah 20.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Glenndale Arizona. Ohio State against Texas. All I got to say is poor THE OHIO STATE Texas is out to prove they are in the wrong bowl game Texas 48 Ohio St 21.

The FedEX BCS National Championship Game Miami: Florida Gators vs Oklahoma Sooners. My heart says Gators but I think Oklahoma has to win to prove they were the right pick in the Big Twelve Championship game. The covered wagons 42 the stylist pocketbooks 38.

Over the last two days I have given you my picks. I will keep a running count as they play.

College Bowl Games and Turkey

This Saturday starts the College bowl season. There are several games much like the High school playoffs that the first round need not happen. Lets take a look. We will start and go by the date of the bowl game.

Saturday December 20: The Eagle Bank Bowl. I didn't know there was such a bank. The game is being played at old RFK stadium In Washington DC. Wake Forest of the ACC plays Navy. They have already met in Winston Salem but it was during a period for the deacs when they pretended to be the old Demon Deacons of the pre Jim Grobe era. Deacs win 30-22

The New Mexico Bowl: Takes place the city loved by Wolfpack basketball fans Albuquerque. Colorado State takes on Fresno State. I didn't realize Fresno was a state. Regardless Fresno wins 40-28

The majicJack St. I have no idea if this is a bowl game or a breakfast buffet played in St Petersburg Florida. Memphis takes on South Florida. Too close to home for South Florida so this will be a home game. South Florida 33 Memphis 21

Pioneer Bowl Las Vegas. Seems like a better name would be the Gambler's bowl. The Mormons against Arizona. I'll take Brigham Young 44 Zona 24

R+L Carriers Bowl in New Orleans. Both teams are being transported to the game in the back of a truck. Southern Mississippi against Troy. I'll take the men of Troy. I thought that was Southern California. Troy 35 Southern Mississippi 17.

The San Diego County Credit Union bowl. It's nice to know that San Diego County has a Credit Union. Game must be in San Diego. Boise State versus Texas Christian University. This may be the best Bowl game of the year. I'll Take the blue carpet team 48-44 over TCU.

The Sheraton Hawaii bowl in Honolulu. Hawaii against Notre Dame. I'll take Hawaii just because its Notre Dame and they don't win bowl games. The Rainbows 38 Notre Dame 24

The Motor City Bowl in Detroit. This game is part of the bailout of the auto industry. Central Michigan takes on Florida Atlantic. I doubt if Florida Atlantic can do much in the cold weather even though the game is inside in 72 degree weather. Like I said that's cold for Florida Atlantic.
Central Mich 42- FA 21

Meineke Car Care Bowl. Charlotte. Carolina versus Virginia. I mean West. Carolina wishes it was Virginia. West Virginia wins in another good bowl game. WVA 31 Carolina 27

Champs Sports Bowl Orlando... Florida State versus Wisconsin. Have you heard how the police in Tallahassee investigate crime. There first question is, What Jersey number was he wearing? If the Seminoles can keep enough players out of jail by game time they win 27-20 over the Badgers who will be just glad to be in the sunshine.

The Emerald Bowl San Francisco. California against the U. Home game for the Golden Bears but Miami will make it close. 38-35.

The Independence Bowl in Shreveport Louisiana: Northern Illinois against Louisiana Tech. Does anybody know what the mascots are for these teams? Ill take the Techsters because they are good in womens basketball or use to be. Tech 51 Northern Ill 38

The PapaJohns.com bowl in Birmingham. N C State takes on the Scarlets Knights of Rutgers. Do you realize that Papa Johns will not be the pizza sold in Birmingham. You'll have to buy Domino's at the game. None of the experts are giving the Wolfpack a chance. State 30 Rutgers 28.

The Velero Alamo Bowl. San Antonio TX. Northwestern against Missouri. 88% of the world picks the show me state so I will too. Missouri 45 Northwestern 28.

The Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Boise Idaho. Maryland versus Nevada. I hear that Maryland has out sold Nevada 2 to 1 in ticket sales. That's right Maryland has sold two tickets to Nevada's one. The Humanitarian thing to do would be to cancel from lack of interest. If Maryland shows up 31-21 over the Wolfpack.

The Texas Bowl in Houston : Western Michigan facing Rice. This will be the only bowl game not on TV. It's being carried on the NFL Network. Makes good sense doesn't it. Rice wins because they are home. Rice 49 Western Michigan 35

We just are half way. I'll do the rest tomorrow. I'm tired of typing. It takes awhile one finger at a time.

All-American Again

Former Rocky Mount High School and the 2005 North Carolina Athlete of the year Terrell Hudgins has made th College Championship Series All American team for the second year in a row.

Terrell owns every pass receiving record at Elon that they can think of and holds almost every Southern Conference record. The three year starter will have a chance to break every FCS record if he comes back and plays football for the Phoenix next season.

Sitting out a year after transferring from East Carolina Terrell is eligible for the NFL draft this coming season. It will be interesting to see the interest from NFL teams.

Terrell at 6'3" is a tall receiver and if you could compare his style is similar to Keyshawn Johnson who can now be seen on the Sunday NFL pregame shows.

Barring injury Terrell decision will be come back to Elon to become the greatest receiver in FCS(Formerly Division II) or play NFL football. Either will be a winning decision.

Having been away over the weekend I failed to notice the Lady Gryphons basketball come back win over Beddingfield. The ladys allowed The Bruins to score two touchdowns and a field goal (17-0) before they started playing.

This is suppose to be a down year for the Lady's having graduations and other issues before the season started and yet they are off to a 4-2 start. Pam Gainey is working her magic again.

Whit Barnes is the only Gryphon football player who still needs his equipment as he prepares for the Shrine bowl game Saturday at Wofford college.

I can't remember when there has been this much interest from fans. As you know the Gryphon Basketball team will be playing Glaxo Christmas basketball tournament starting December 26th at Broughton High Gym.

I need to get some information for you but I think you need to buy tickets in advance if you plan on getting in. This tournament is always a sellout.

Boy this Gryphon action needs to be on the radio?

If the Gryphon football team thinks their lost was devastating running out the clock and losing but Jack Brett's loss was heart breaking also. Ahead by eleven points and had the ball only to fumble and Richmond County scored twice in the last minutes to steal the 4-AA crown away from the Pirates.

There is aways someone worse off than you.

It will be interesting to see how the wrestlers do as this year unfolds. Now that the football players have joined and a full week of practice the Gryphon grapplers are off to a great start after their sweep in conference meet this past Saturday.

The collge football bowl season cranks up this weekend and later this week I will give you my predictions.

An Assortment Of Things

This Saturday's upcoming Shrine Bowl game will be taped for television. Over the past several years, the Alll-stars from North and South Carolina have had a hard time finding someone locally to carry the game.

Best solution? Go national! ESPNU will be taping the game for playback starting on Jan. 9. The local cable network of Suddenlink can be seen in Rocky Mount on channel 241 whenever it is played on the network..

Whit Barnes is already at Dorman H.S. with his North Carolina teammates preparing for the game at Wofford College.

The boys basketball team felt defeat for the first time at home Friday night losing to Beddingfield 78-73.

One of the winningest coaches in North Carolina high school history Bob Paroli finally got a state title Saturday. I have no idea what it says in the record book but at age 77 he has to be the oldest coach to win a title. If nothing else the oldest coach to win his first title.

71st beat Paroli's old team Douglas Byrd for the title. Ironically Paroli's only title comes at the expense of the team (Byrd) that named their stadium after him.

This only shows that B W Holt still has plenty of time to win a title at Rocky Mount.

In the 2002 season Charles Alston and myself did a Gryphon game from Byrd in which the Gryphon's lead by Terrell Hudgins upset Byrd 20-19. It was Terrell's first varsity start on the way to his record breaking career at Gryphon quarterback.

West Rowan's trouncing of West Craven doesn't make the Gryphon loss to the Eagles any easier.

The Carolina Panthers clinched a playoff birth with their victory over Denver. They play the Giant's Sunday in the Meadowlands and if they win they will get home field advantage during the playoffs.

Denver's loss kept Philip River's and the San Diego Chargers alive in the AFC west division. 6-8 on the season all they need to do is win next week and for Denver to lose at home to Buffalo.

If that happens San Diego and Denver play in San Diego the last game of the season. If it didn't then it sure does now loom large but the Holculi no fumble call in Denver in their first meeting could wind up being the difference between the two teams.

The 18 point San Diego comeback was the third comeback by the Rivers lead Chargers in his three years as starter for the Chargers of 17 points or more.. Soon to be Hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve has never lead the Packers or Jets to to a comeback of more than 14 points and Rivers has three of 17 or more.

Those boys in Dallas ain't quite dead yet. The Giants who at one point looked like they had the Super Bowl wrapped up have had some major injuries recently and of course the Plaxico incident.

Tonight in local basketball Faith Christian school plays host to Rocky Mount Academy. I think this will be the first sellout at the new gym at Faith.

I am not sure which game I will be doing but i'll be there for the Stretchlon Sports show.

Life Is Not So Bad As #2

It will take several days for the Tarboro Vikings to get over the feeling, but making it to the big game at some point in their lives will be greater than losing the championship game.

A 14-2 record. A trophy that will live in the trophy case at Tarboro high school as long as there is one that says Eastern Regional Champs 2008.

The North Carolina high school playoffs are like a marathon. You run like what seems all day and when you cross the finish line someone else is there who has already finished. Just finishing a marathon is winning, being in Chapel Hill when 90 some odd other 2-A schools were wishing they were where you were.

Tonight at 8.00pm you can catch coach Jeff Craddock and some of the team on the Stretchlon Sports show. They will be on for as long as they want to be.

Rocky Mount high school 's great season took another hit yesterday as West Rowan smothered West Craven 35-7 to win the 3-A title.

I had no idea how to pick any games played when there is no common thread to compare teams before the games are played. Deep down in my gut I did not think West Craven would win since I thought they were the second best team last weekend.

Sam Bradford has won the Heisman Trophy. The Oklahoma quarterback I feel had the overall best numbers of any of the candidates who were in the final three.

Maybe this year the Heisman vote was right for a change.

I will be shocked if Dallas pulls off the upset today in the NFL. Terrell Owens is going through his method of ripping a team apart again.

It is very hard for any team to win when the owner feels he has to be the spokesman, coach, and main person in front of the cameras as Jerry Jones does. Just wait in 20 more years he will be just like Al Davis in Oakland so out of touch but still thinking he's the smartest guy there.

There are simply not enough microphones to go around in Dallas. Everybody wants to be the headline story.

I got on a bus Friday night at 10.00pm and rode to New York City to be my wife Pat's package toter all day. The temperature never got out of the 20's but it was a pleasant day in the city.

There is one thing that New York doesn't have enough of is bathrooms. Yes there are 4,200 eating places in the city but there are signs everywhere stating for customer use only.

When you got to go, you simply got to go. While walking in Times Square we came across a sign that said Public Bathrooms presented by Charmin. Well I didn't care who was presenting then I had to go.

We walked into a room which has an escalator to go up to a second floor. There was a doorman allowing only a few ever so often. When we reached the second floor you could hear someone talking on a microphone and as we got off the escalator there was a line of about 100 people.

Charmin the bathroom tissue people had set up 20 rooms in a semi circle. Through out this 2nd floor they had set up scenes which made beautiful pictures with your love ones for Christmas.

While you waited your turn there was a person on the mic who interviewed each person as it became their turn to use the bathroom. He also tried to get the wave started. As someone would come out of a room a Charmin employee would clean the bathroom so when it was your turn to go you were getting a bathroom like you think you get at Home.

I think that was the most pleasant bathroom visit I have ever made any where at any time.

It was a fun event in the middle of the pushing and shoving of just trying to walk down the street in New York City.

I can tell you this and I am not being compensated for saying it. Use Charmin

Lost Weekend

I promised my Wife way back in the middle of the summer that if I was not doing a football game on the radio this weekend I would go with her on a 24 hour shopping trip to New York City.

We do have a local team playing in the Tarboro Vikings but the team I've covered all year in the Gryphons has finished their season. I know a lot of us feel it was a week early.

I will be listening to Paul Andre and Bob Maloney on WZAX99.3 starting at 7.30 and listen to the Vikings.

Round about 9.45 I'll be getting on a bus at that time and the game may not be over.

I do have my Tarboro sources in place to give me a call with the final score when it is over.

Dana Parisher who works in HR at my company is Gung Ho Vikings and has promised to let me know the final.

I know by looking at their website that Catawba County students were released at noon in order to go to the game. I don't think Edgecombe County let out early but I know a lot of people and students took Friday afternoon off to get pumped for the game as if to say they needed more pumping up.

Win or Lose Jeff Craddock has promised to be my guess Sunday Night on the Stretchlon Sports show. If you ever watch that show any time a team wins a championship we try to have them on live to celebrate and let the community call in and talk on the air to members of the team.

Tarboro is already the Eastern Regional Champion and have a trophy to prove it so there will be something to celebrate regardless of what happens tonight.

We hope to have film of the team as they arrive at the stadium, go in the locker room and hopefully as they warm up on the field. We will also have shots of the crowd so if you go to the game you may make it on TV Sunday night.

Since I will be out of the loop tomorrow I will not blog again until Sunday afternoon and will catch up on the Tarboro game.

If Tarboro Wins tonight the State Champions will be live at 8.00pm Sunday night in the studio of Whig-TV.

I understand you can actually go to the WHIG-TV website and see live streaming of the show so if you have relatives away from the area you can call them and tell them to watch.

Nice Touch: Since the State Championship game is being played in Chapel Hill and former Viking star running back Shaun Draughn is now the starting tailback at Carolina. Tarboro Resident Kelvin Bryant( a great Viking from out of the past and also a Carolina tailback) and Shaun will greet the team when they arrive at the stadium tonight.

If the Vikings weren't pumped up before then they will be after they see them.

GOOD Luck Vikings