He Didn't Know Who To Call

I am still laughing at Jim Tressle's excuse for why he didn't notify anyone once he was made aware that several Ohio State players sold merchandise which is a NCAA Violation.

Let me see whether I might be able to help him the next time Ohio State cheats. Why not start with your boss the Athletic Director at Ohio State. I guess the reason he didn't call him is because Tressle probably thinks is doesn't have a boss.

If the AD doesn't know who to call try the head of THE University. I don't know what Ohio State calls him, President, Chancellor but he might be able to help. If any one at Ohio State can't help you maybe call the NCAA infractions office.

Make up any excuse and because I am who I am they will have to accept what I tell them. Whether it's the President lying about Water Gate or another about love affairs in the White House. We can get away with it because we are important people in this world.

If Mr. Tressle didn't not know who to call he must be the stupidest coach in America. Yet Ohio State rewards their stupid coach with having to sit out two games next year against two patsies instead of firing him for with holding evidence about his University. I must also add that Carolina is in denial about Butch Davis not knowing any thing was going on with his coaches

Sidney Lowe has just coached his last game for N C State. I have to admit all during November and December that State struggled to beat any body but I think the turning point in the season was when at Christmas State announced that Tracy Smith knee was ok to start playing and Smith said no.

Lowe lost that team right then and there. He should have told Smith to pack his bag. Instead of being a coach he cowered down to a player. Right then and there the prisoners started running the prison. It might have already been happening but this was the first public evidence of that happening.

The Pack was 8-4 at the time and finished the rest of the season 7-12. I just don't think if Smith had of been suspended for two games or the season they would have been as bad as 7-12 the rest of the way. Sometimes great coaches will take a loss to prove a point and wake up rest of the team. State slept through Jan-Feb and what little bit of March they played.

National Holiday?

There are just some things in this world that deserve to be a national holiday and there are others that should be state holidays. I am not a hunter but the first day of hunting season should be a national holiday. It is one of those days when people get these mysterious illnesses and call in to work sick.

My day is ACC tournament time. Some how or other I'm going to be close to a TV or radio after noon Thursday. I use to work across the street from at that time the Planters Bank in Ahoskie. They always set up a TV in their lobby and I managed to make several deposits all during the afternoon and some times I made several deposits in one visits.

Now that the ACC tournament has gone to 12 teams it is hard to get fired up for Miami and Virginia. Wake plays the 2.00pm game against Boston College but the chances of keeping it close is slim. I'll be in front of the TV for sure come seven when the Wolfpack takes on the Terps but will the Wolfpack give it their all for Sidney Lowe or will they finish the season with a losing record. The Tech's play the night cap and I could care less either way. Now that I think of it maybe Friday's at the ACC Tournament should be the holiday this year.

I have not said one word about East Carolina basketball but after an opening round win today in C-USA tournament Jeff Lebo has the Pirates at 17-14. That might get an NIT Bid.

Today Gryphon baseball traveled to Louisburg and lost in 9 innings 3-2. So far the young Gryphons are having a hard time getting the hitting and pitching to show up the same day. Today sophomore Spencer Ramsey pitched into the 7th inning and gave way to freshman Sam Lilley finished up for the Gryphons . Matt Berry had a two run double to score the Gryphon two runs. Not only are the Gryphons young but there are a couple of injuries that are not helping the situation.

If the weather cooperates both boys tennis and softball are home Thursday

Losing Streak Continues

Lady Gryphon softball lost again tonight to Farmville Central 14-3. I know you reading this are saying that they must really be an awful team. I think any one who has seen the Ladies play so far this year have to admit that they are not very good but much improved over last year.

Coach Tara McDonald probably has the most upbeat team you have ever seen considering they are 0-3 so far this year. They have more fun that anybody who has beaten them so far this year have had. They may not win many this year but one is coming soon. Tonight they gave up five in one inning and four in another other wise they played a fair brand of ball.

Right now their hitting is lacking and much more work needs to be done. One problem a team that doesn't have pitchers that are fire ball pitchers has that during batting practice you don't see the pitches that you see in games. Too many of the girls are way behind on their swings. They had several innings tonight that they displayed very good defense and the very next not so good.

Varsity baseball lost at Southern Wayne 8-7 to drop their record to 2-2. Wednesday they travel to Louisburg and Saturday morning they play in Cary at the USA baseball complex at 11.00am. There has been some flip flopping on where this game was going to be played at but I understand is has been switched back to the USA Baseball complex. They are playing one of the Forsyth County schools that is loaded with D-1 Pitchers.

Varsity girls soccer has a home match Wednesday against D H Conley. Last week at Conley the Lady Gryphons lost 5-0. So far this season the soccer team is not having the season that Rocky Mount had last year.

I have no score but I have heard the the track team beat Rose Monday afternoon at Rose.

Saturday South Central boys and girls basketball teams play for the State 3-A titles in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. If the amount of people who went from Rocky Mount to the Dean Smith Center is any indication with both of their teams playing there Saturday Reynolds should be sold out with only people from Greenville. That is of course assuming that Pitt county comes out in force like Nash county did last year supporting Rocky Mount in championship game.

Who's Your ACC Coach Of The Year

Today the ACC will announce the coach of the year. First glance there is only one choice and that would be Roy Williams. The Tar Heels went from a 500 team last year to ACC regular season champs almost over night.

Let‘s think about this for a minute and I have to ask a question. What did Roy do to deserve coach of the year? He took almost two thirds of the season before Roy inserted freshman Kendall Marshall into the lineup as the starting guard. The best thing to happen to Carolina all year was when Larry Drew quit the team. Who was responsible for that? Larry Drew’s mother not Roy Williams was the decision maker there. The best thing that happened all year to Carolina Roy Williams had no control of what so ever. Talk about dumb luck but I don’t begrudge the Tar Heels. Every team has luck along the way in order to be successful.

Three or four years ago Dick Vitale under went throat Cancer surgery and he has cut back his weekly games. The last couple of times I listen to any game he was covering I have come to the conclusion it is time for Vitale to retire.

During the early days of college basketball on ESPN Vitale was college basketball’s version of Chris Berman “Boomer” who use to give everyone a nickname on Sports Center. ESPN is grown up now and they no longer need a Vitale who never gives you X’s and O’s while doing color only glorified banter.

I know most folks in Raleigh hate him but as far as color the “G” Man Mike Giminski is the best color man there is anywhere. I think the job of the color man is to analyze the game and “The G man” is the best. I also liked Billy Packer and I don’t know many others who did. Now that the NCAA Tournament is around the corner I hope our teams get Gus Johnson for play by play. I think his enthusiasm is good for the game.

The Michigan High school team that had a player die last week after having a heart attack during the team celebrating of an undefeated season started their playoffs last night and won. The parents of the dead player were in the stands cheering.

There is always a question about when to honor someone. Should we play or mourn? I think part of the process of recovery from death is to get on with life. There is no way to fill the void left in your heart whenever a loved one passes. We must all move forward with life and that void gets smaller through time but will never completely go away.

The first week of the spring high school sports calendar is over and today Gryphon baseball travels to Southern Wayne. The Gryphons won two of three games last week, but I don’t know when the last time Rocky Mount was so young. Kent Cox used two freshman and a sophomore on the mound last week. Back in the golden Age of Major League Baseball the Milwaukee Braves use to have Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. The Braves motto was Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.

This years Gryphons in order to compliment Benton Moss have to get some young arms to step forward quickly or this could be a long year. This will put pressure on the Gryphon offense to make sure they score enough runs not only to win every time Benton pitches but they can out score other teams when the young arms are throwing.

Girls softball is home today. JV girls start at 4.30 and the varsity quickly after that. The Lady Gryphons are trying to snap a losing streak that started at the end of the 09 season and continues after the first two games this year.

What's Your Name

There is no doubt that we live in a different world today over just twenty years ago. I think it was maybe 1990 before I had ever heard the word cellular. Today your phone will take a picture, record an event as it happens, pull up the World Wide Web, text messages, send you e-mails. Everyone is now a media voice with twitter. I am hearing from those who twit that Montrezl Harrell the junior power forward/center from North Edgecombe has verbally committed to Virginia Tech. Harrell is only a junior so he will be back in Leggett next season.

Thinking of Montrezl brings back a story to me about what they call you at home over what the news media’s pronunciation becomes. During my radio days in Ahoskie we had a lineman named Sam Harrell. Daryl Allen who was coaching Ahoskie back then was a master at changing a player from a position. He moved Harrell as a senior to quarterback. Now can you see this, a pulling guard all through high school moves to quarterback his senior season and Ahoskie proceeds to go all the way to the state championship game undefeated. Sam couldn’t pass a lick but he sure could run.

ECU comes calling and Sam becomes part of the Pat Dye's triple option running backs for ECU. His greatest day on the field for ECU was an 80 yard touchdown against N C State at Carter Stadium in the late 70’s. You ECU fans may remember the day ECU put 60 on Virginia, Sam had a big day that day too.

Sam played for the Houston Gamblers of the World Football League where as a rookie lead the league in rushing until a broken leg happened late in the season. He would later spend five years with the Minnesota Vikings where he became Sam HA-Rell. The first time I heard his name on TV I didn’t realize it was the Sam I knew.

The next off season the first time I saw Sam I ask him about his new name. He told me that he was a rookie and not playing much. He hadn’t at that point done enough to get the media to even talk to him so no one had ever asked how to pronounce his name.

Closer to home, Kinston High school basketball star Reggie Bullock who has just been sidelined for the year by Roy Williams with a knee injury is known now as Reggie Bull Lock. I wonder how long it took the folks in Kinston to know who he was the first time he played on TV.

There have been examples of where players changed their pronunciation for their own benefit. The best example of that was former Notre Dame Quarterback Joe Theisman. The rumor has it that when it got to Notre Dame it was pronounced Theeseman but in order to promote Joe for the Heisman Trophy they started using Theisman to rhythm with Heisman. Unfortunately for Joe he didn’t win the trophy.

Then there of course people who have simple English names like Doughtie. A very simple name which looks like Dough Tie. I have a cousin who is into family trees and she told me that the Doughtie’s came over to Jamestown Virginia in 1609. We were part of the second bunch to arrive in Virginia but instead of staying in Jamestown crossed the river and settle in Gates County North Carolina.

I laugh every time a bill collected calls on the phone because I have been called Doody, Daughtry, Doug tie, Those of you that don’t know how to pronounce it either it is Dowdy. There is one good thing when you have a name that no one knows how to pronounce, when the bill collectors call and ask for Mr. Daughtry I tell them he’s not home.

Comparing Teams

I tried to watch that basketball slug fest called Big East Basketball yesterday between Pittsburgh and Villanova. Then the game last night between Carolina and Duke. Basketball can be played many ways and success can come with execution.

Regardless of what happens for the remainder of this season this has to be one of Roy Williams' favorite teams. They have come a long ways in a short time to be on top after the start they had. Carolina has as good of inside game as any team in the country while their guard play gets better every day.

Duke has trouble with big inside teams like Carolina or a Pittsburgh. If they are hitting their three point shots they will go far but like last night they never made anything outside and they trailed by ten the entire night.

Teams that play half court games, walk the ball up tend to never score enough points to put another team away. Dave Odom use to say he wanted a chance to win in the last few minutes of every game. I thought back in the Duncan era that playing in the fifties kept everyone in the game. Half court teams also never press all over the court and when they get behind it is hard to catch up.

We have come a long way from the day when if you touch another player it was a foul. The half court game is all about how far I can push you. Nova struggled to score fifty. Last night in a more up tempo game Duke struggled to score 70. The NCAA tournament is all about playing your game . Playoff match ups are about the team that plays their game and not fall into the other teams tempo.

Everyone has said the ACC is down and out this year. We are now reaching the point in the season where we will find out how down the league is. If only four make it to the NCAA tournament then those four have to last a while. The Big East might get 11 teams in but how long will they last playing half court games.

I have to admire Brigham Young University for their stance when one of their players who broke the schools honor code. All I have heard is look at what they did. They lost the very next game by 20. I wish their every institute whether it is a college and university or court system in our country lived by a standard.

We have standards that are allowed to be broken every day whether it is an athlete caught taking drugs or DUI convictions allowed to be right back out on the road. Some where along the way we have decided excuses are good enough to not live our lives the right way.