NC State Hits A New Lowe by Kyle Butler

College Basketball certainly has its share of disappointing teams. The Kentucky Wildcats immediately spring to mind, as do the Ducks of Oregon. But unfortunately for many local fans, the biggest disappointment has to be NC State. The Pack dropped their 6th in a row last night, falling 72-62 to Florida State in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate. State was out of this game before the fans had settled into the RBC Center, falling behind 25-6 to a Seminoles team that had already lost to Cleveland St, South Florida, Providence, and to the Pack in Tallahassee exactly one month ago.

For State fans, it was the latest low in a season that has been full of them. The Wolfpack came into the year on a wave of momentum from last year’s great run in the ACC Tournament. It appeared that with Brandon Costner, Gavin Grant, Courtney Fells and Ben McCauley returning to team up with freshman phenom J.J. Hickson, the Pack would challenge UNC and Duke for the ACC title. Well, UNC and Duke did their part, but the only team State’s challenging is Virginia for last place (oh, and they lost to the Wahoos by 18 on Sunday.) The frustration has even gotten to Coach Sidney Lowe, who called his starters “awful” last night. Though, considering the Pack starters were outscored by FSU’s starters 70-26, that would be a fair assessment from Coach Lowe.

 So what happened to this team? Well many State fans continue to lament the absence of PG Engin Atsur. That’s fine, but other teams have lost their PG and done just fine. Just up the road in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have been without Ty Lawson for 6 full games and most of a 7th. The Heels are 6-1 in that stretch and have won their last three games by an average of 23 points. Granted, UNC has a ton of talent, but so does NC State, and the Pack just aren’t getting it done. Costner and McCauley are combining for a mere 15 points per game, and that won’t fly in the ACC.

 What’s the answer? Hard to say. It’s possible State won’t win again this season with games against Duke and Wake Forest looming. Coach Lowe will have to find some solutions before the Wolfpack fans start howling even louder. Otherwise, considering this video that was just posted on youtube, the future won’t be a pleasant sight for the man in the red blazer.

Moose back in Charlotte??, by Chris Hargett

Reports are flying out of Charlotte today about the possibilities of Muhsin Muhammad returning to the Carolina Panthers. Some sources are even “expecting” an announcement by around noon on Wednesday. I think this would be a fantastic move for the Panthers for three key reasons.

1) The chemistry between Moose and the Carolina roster/staff is better than any other veteran wide receiver could possibly have coming in based on the history. Moose is only two years removed from the Panthers and did not experience the career in Chicago that he did as a Panther. He would be essentially returning home to the team that drafted him in the second round of the 1996 draft. Moose grew with this team and experience the meat of his 13 year career’s success here. Muhammad, a two time pro-bowler, left this team under the strains of what free agency unfortunately causes in the NFL today. No one blames him for going after bigger money. How can they? Sure nobody wanted to see him go and put the tandem of Steve Smith and Moose that Jake Delhomme looked like a real pro quarterback with into jeopardy, but that kind of thing happens. I predict that if this deal does come to fruition Moose will be accepted with open arms.

2) What his physical style and talent brings. Muhsin’s success was much more in Carolina than just his great hands, premier route running, and fearless determination in going for those passes that sometimes sail a bit from Delhomme. He is a tenacious down field blocker who actually helps the running game much like Keyshawn Johnson was supposed to replace and could not. He has a personal attachment to this team and it always showed in his game. He seemed to lack production in Chicago which may be due to the fact that his abilities while solid, needed that edge of passion that he was not able to rekindle with the Bears. I know he is older and his numbers are down but I believe there is still gas in the tank and it looks like the Panthers do too. Something has got to be said for the guy that blocks until the whistle, takes pride in every additional rushing yard that blocking yields, and sacrifices his body across the middle for key 3rd down receptions.

3) Dwayne Jarrett. Dwayne Jarret sans a role model in his rookie season was not able to ever get in the groove of what he was drafted to do. At USC Dwayne was a great receiver with great size and hands which made him the perfect possession receiver for Pete Carroll. He had a nose for the ball in the endzone and placed emphasis on the down field blocking that was an undeniable factor that eventually helped propel Reggie Bush to the Heisman trophy. Enter Mushsin Muhammad. The perfect, and let me reiterate, PERFECT role model for this young player who is going to be vital for the Panthers future. Dwayne needed a big brother to look up to last season and found nobody home. This situation not only can give us a great receiver with personal motivation to regain the warm place in our hearts he once resided, this situation is the best possible scenario that the good habits and traits which gave Moose such success with Jake Delhomme are duplicated within our future franchise player in Jarrett.   It is impossible to place too much emphasis on instilling good habits in young players who come in with amazing talent.

Moose is in the twilight of his career. That is a given. But Muhammad has not yet shown the signs of being over the hill. I am certain that Marty Hurney and John Fox are fully aware of the circumstances surrounding Moose’s exodus from Charlotte, his recent numbers as a Bear, and the information on his birth certificate. That info. requires no insight and can be handled by the front office no matter what your personal opinion of that office is. I think they see it like I do (or vice versa). They weigh the familiarity and chemistry he will bring, the talent he has always put on display to better this team, and the potential impact he should have on Dwayne Jarrett and see a home run.

I wonder just what other receivers happen to be available that can offer this level of intangible and tangible value Moose can bring to the Panthers. Factor in that he is going to represent a relatively small cap hit in comparison to other possession receivers are costing this season. See what you come up with. I know this is premature and I sincerely hope I do not have to recant but I just have to say Welcome back Moose! This team certainly has missed you and the passion and desire you brought every Sunday.

Which way will they go, by Chris Hargett

Football season is no longer relegated to 4 (or so) months in the Fall. It all starts about one month after the Super Bowl with the combine and builds from there. The Combine was once widely unknown of and even more widely regarded as a complete bore by the average fan but is now broadcast live in sparkling HD. The draft and the many “big boards” and “mock draft” speculations loom after the combine and then before you know it you are begging an afternoon off of work to sweat half to death in the August heat at your favorite team’s training camp. The NFL gets bigger and gains more press every single season.

So what are the Panthers up to? They have taken quite a bit of flack the last couple seasons on the field and not so curiously have barely raised eyebrows in the corresponding Free Agency markets and Draft day for those seasons. Hopefully they can turn it around this year. So far the Panthers have waived bye-bye to starting Running back DeShaun Foster. Foster has plenty of talent and is responsible for two of my all-time favorite Panther highlights but was often injury and fumble prone. His outright release is almost comical because it saves the Panthers about 4.7 million dollars in cap space that largely stemmed from Carolina having such faith in him as a starter two years ago and franchising him. Dan Morgan is also gone. The guy we all watched record 25 tackles in the ‘03 Super Bowl has suffered too many concussions and after extending him a questionable benefit of the doubt last season to no avail and subsequently “finding” the next generation starter in the middle in John Beason, Carolina signed Dan’s walking papers. Dan probably needs to retire and its time to see what DeAngelo Williams can do as a starter so I agree. Also veteran Mike Wahle is gone after two seasons. If you don’t know who he is don’t feel bad. He never really added anything he was supposed to to our offensive line and that is basically why he won’t be playing in Carolina this Fall.

So who do we look to add? That is the big question and there are speculations flying around like mad. Kris Jenkns is supposedly BACK on the trading block and being shopped for a running back to share time with Williams, a big name wide receiver to mirror Steve Smith, another defensive tackle, or any combination of players and picks to address the same needs in the draft. Jenkins was the BEST player on the defensive line last season after a very prickly camp and pre-season on the trading block. It seems to me that they need to figure a way to get this monster happy one way or another. Muhsin Muhammad is reportedly closer and closer to a deal to return home. I love this idea. I think this is a true opportunity to take advantage of a positive here. I cannot think of another WR available on the market that could come to Carolina with more motivation, personal investment, built in chemistry, positive attitude and, of course, a lower cap hit than Moose, and I just love to hear the stadium howl when he leaps for a big grab. I have missed that. I’m sure Jeff King can be talked out of that #87 …for a small fee. The last time Jake Delhomme played a full season and had decent numbers throughout that year was with the services of Moose. And, who else do we want the guy of the future, Dwayne Jarrett, to learn from? I hope they get this one done.

The draft class is unusually loaded with talented offensive tackles which are a huge concern. Wharton was signed to a large contract recently but will primarily be used as a guard according to reports from Bank of America Stadium. A defensive end may be in the works too since there are huge question marks over the current starters Peppers and Rucker. We still need to address the Free Safety position to fill in for the loss of Mike Minter to retirement in camp last season as well.

In short there seem to be a ton of needs and less money and room on the roster to acquire them and we as fans are forced to entrust these large decisions in the hands of Marty Hurney and John Fox. Surely they cannot get it all wrong. It’s very hard to mess up these early round picks, but we are in very desperate need of having a perfect off season in the way of acquisitions. No mistakes! The Panthers need a shot in the arm and the season of opportunity starts now.

“Round 1, Bluedevils” by Chris Hargett

I find it helpful to wait at least 24 hours before recapping any contests between these two Tobacco Road legends. I get pretty involved personally in this rivalry and therefore any wins or losses in the series can spawn poor sportsmanship. Usually there are things that stand out apart from the minutes played and baskets scored that lead to how the game ends or what is remembered but this one was different. Not since very early in Coach Williams’ tenure at UNC has one team clearly outperformed the other. Even in the previous three contests won by Carolina there was never a feeling of “no hope” for the Bluedevils. They never laid down and died as Roy’s team did this past Wednesday.

I know some fans may place blame on the injuries that we all became inundated with in the 72 hours leading up to the tip. To be accurate, it is a true statement that Tywon Lawson is a superior talent and an integral part of what UNC does. His speed and confidence with the ball in his hands is second to no other player in the nation and he is blessed to have considerable talent around him to distribute to or simply get out of his way in such a seamless fashion that undoubtedly makes other NCAA coaches lose sleep at night. He is expected to leave early for the NBA at the completion of this season and is unanimously projected to get chosen in the first round as well. To add to the severity of his worth and or loss, his backup at the point and number two defender on the entire team is already sidelined for the season with ACL issues. Yeah, losing Ty is a big deal for any team, especially the Tar Heels who have come to rely on how well he has responded to the added pressure that was dropped in his lap when Bobby Frasor went down. How anyone could disagree with the fact that UNC was unfortunately hobbled on game night and not at anywhere near full strength is beyond me completely. Based on what Tywon has proven with his ability and performances, the loss of his services becomes a valid argument and legitimate reason for losing the game.

That is until the ball was tipped.

Fortunately for us all, the way Mike Krzyzewski had his Devils playing made the fact that UNC was or was not at full strength a moot point. Face it Tar Heel fans. The Dukies had it going on Wednesday night. The pressure D, 3-point shooting, and defensive anticipation executed by the Duke squad basically rendered Roy’s boys helpless for most of the second half. I was impressed at their ability to rebound against UNC alone much less how they were able to continually get open shots from anywhere on the floor they wanted and at any interval in the shot clock they desired. I cannot think of any team in the nation who could have done a better job against their performance. Even though Tyler Hansbrough willed himself to keep it fairly respectable for the Heels by getting it close before the half and putting together another NPOTY performance it was clear for about the last fifteen minutes that the rest of the team was shell-shocked to a point of no return.

Hats off to Duke. There is simply no other way to address it. Ty or no Ty, when Duke’s defense and shooting efforts are considered along with the fact that Danny Green and Wayne Ellington cowered in the corner with a combined 4-24 effort, it’s very hard to imagine a different result no matter who sat out for Carolina. Fortunately for them, UNC will have another chance to redeem themselves later this season. One thing is for sure, they won’t be able to use the “taken by surprise” excuse. Duke had their way with the Heels this round and good fortune whether in the way of a key injury or favorable officiating was not in any way necessary.

-Chris Hargett

“The Emotion-Cow Rivalry” by Chris Hargett

The Duke-UNC rivalry is one that is often compared to other legendary match-ups like Michigan and Ohio State and the Yankees vs. Red Sox. In recent years, national media outlets have televised the contests on 2-3 different channels which is to my knowledge unprecedented at the time. Various analysts, experts, and semi-respected pundits in the basketball industry start spouting their opinions weeks in advance now in effort to gain hits on their columns and ratings for their respective shows as well. Basically the rivalry that many of us in central North Carolina grew up with is getting even bigger which to many of us seems an impossibility….at first.

I grew up with this rivalry. I learned early who to pull for and who to pull against. During those formative years I slowly developed the obvious bias that led me to find the slightest infraction of one team while being completely oblivious to more severe infractions of another. It’s amazing how wide the spectrum of objectivity can become depending on which end of the court the ball is bouncing in and I know I am not alone here. I am not saying I am a bad fan or anything but due to the recent sensationalism provided by the media on an already red-hot topic, its hard not to be a little over the top as the hours bleed away toward the tip off in any one of these contests. I compare it to some freeways I have found myself on when the average speed is about 20 miles an hour over the posted limit. You know what I’m talking about. Running with traffic. “I’m sorry officer but every time I slowed down I thought I was going to get run over”. Right?

That is what I have begun to sense and even embrace in the last 5 years or so of this rivalry. As I said earlier, I have all the foundation necessary to burst into flames at almost every change of possession but now I am seeing more and more people feeling and acting the same where before I always thought I was weird and caught several post-game scoldings which prompted the post game apologies on the telephone. But now it just gets crazier and crazier and who knows what it will lead to. These side stories and the availability to them is creating a different fan with different motives.

Tonight’s contest has all sorts of side stories and let’s face it, the side stories are what most of today’s fans are getting sucked into or there would not be the viability of the increased coverage by, well, everybody with a microphone, blog, or print responsibility. We have been hearing about Tywon Lawson’s injury and the speculations have been almost Tom Brady boot-like to this point but just hours before tip there are no clear answers still. That situation alone will greatly effect this game in more ways than one can begin to explain and still get a preferred seat at the pub. The story of the Blue Devil’s style of play and how that matches up against the power inside game of UNC has been a huge buzz as well, and quite frankly makes this game seem even more interesting than already advertised. After all, these are two teams separated by 8 miles, a shade of blue, public-private, and now different philosophies that they both seem to be masters of going head to head. Also, the Tyler Hansbrough – Gerald Henderson incident has been played and replayed countless times and as I follow national signing day today I must have heard about it or seen it at least 100 times if not more. There are several contingents of thought on this including was it or was it not intentional, should there or should there not be retaliation, should certain coaches and media people have reacted differently at the initial time of the “accident”. Who knows? But more importantly, who cares? The gray areas are the most conducive to inspire passion and personality and well that is the kind of stuff that sells license plate holders and beanie caps so that is what is gonna get pumped up.

These are all very good questions and neat side stories too. I do not want you to think me a prude who does not get sucked in to the sexy side of this thing too. They are, however, being ridden for all they are worth because they are becoming another source of fuel for this rivalry. Of course the negative byproduct of this is the multitude of poorly educated or what I call “bad” fans who through this process of advertisement become overstimulated to the point of down right flammable without any of the respect of this wonderful rivalry or sense of it’s tradition. And that really can be a huge negative down the line. Anyone who remembers the early years of this rivalry will tell you that it has been fairly even for the last several decades and that means that mutual respect has been earned by the two universities despite what you hear about “bad blood” and “hate” so on on ESPN. So tonight as you watch the game, tomorrow as you enter the office, or any other time you may hit a basketball forum in the last or next several weeks, take notice of how many people you see that understand and appreciate this game for the gem of the sporting world that it truly is and how starkly they contrast with those who are merely running with traffic.

Now I must go paint my face blue and get prepared to scream at the TV and anyone else dolled up in the other blue for a couple hours, but I promise, no, I’ll try real hard to only get on the “bad” fans and I hope you do the same.

- Chris Hargett

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