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Professional
Drought Now that the Masters is over, we can look forward to the playoffs, right? Not in Carolina. When it comes to major league, pro-sports in the Carolinas, you might as well shut it down for the next couple of months. The big-time pro sports teams in the state are enjoying their vacation time. Thanks to the Hurricanes' loss to close the regular season and eliminate their post-season chances on Saturday night, it officially put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the ticket booths at the RBC, Time Warner Cable Arena and Bank of America Stadium. Neither the Panthers, Bobcats nor Hurricanes are participating this year.....but we should be getting used to it. The playoff sweep marks the third time in the past five full seasons that none of the Carolinas' top pro sports franchises made the playoffs in the same year. In fact, in the last five years of the NFL, NBA and NHL seasons....each of the pro sports teams has only one...count 'em....one playoff appearance. I've got to tell you, that's pretty weak. I've always contended that college sports is where the passion lies in the Carolinas....pro sports is nice, but only when it matters. Unfortunately, it hasn't mattered in recent memory. I loved the NHL Playoff games at the RBC.....it rocked. Even the Panther fans crank it up when their NFL team is good enough to make it. People even pretended to care about the NBA last year, when the Bobcats were in the process of being swept by Orlando. It's been a while since the pro sports scene in the Carolinas mattered. The Canes had an exciting run in the '09 playoffs and like I previously stated, I loved making the trip to Raleigh. The Panthers haven't won a playoff game since January of 2006.....and the Bobcats have never won a playoff game, in their short existence. That's not much to get excited about....and it's one of the reasons that fans consistently complain when fans of other teams are buying up all the tickets to see their favorite teams play. I know winning goes in cycles....but hopefully, the Carolinas' trio (Panthers, Canes and Bobcats) can put it all together in the same season.....and soon. The next four months are going to be s-l-o-w. It's funny to read the fan's reaction to my "Packman 9" selections. I started doing this five years ago, in a tribute to the stupid mock drafts which normally bombard us this time of the year with the NFL Draft fast approaching. I hate Mock Drafts....and I despise the fools that create them, as if they have any inside info....(Mel Kiper, Jr). Mock Draft listings change more often than a Jay Bilas opinion, and so therefore you need to keep them in perspective. The "Packman 9" is the same deal. I select 9 teams in MLB (at least one from each division) that have absolutely no chance at making the playoffs, and I make the picks less than 5 days into the season. It involves very little insight....or research.....or time. In fact, it is an entirely stupid concept.....but it certainly gets people talking, and for the life of me, I have no reason why. Maybe it is the fact that everybody has hope this early into the season and therefore they want to rip me to shreds when I place their team on the list. Last year, I interviewed Dick Vitale on March 31st, and he closed the interview by telling me that he was in the dugout in Spring Training and he thought the Yankees were going to struggle. I told him he was wrong, and that the Boston Red Sox were going to miss the playoffs. Red Sox fans ripped me to shreds on emails.....it should be noted that Boston missed the playoffs. As the season continued, I couldn't find them. I have selected 36 teams over the last four years in the "Packman 9", and 34 of them have missed the post-season. The last two years, I'm 18-for-18....I listed the teams last week that have no chance to play meaningful games in October:
I know that a couple of these teams are off to great starts, and I love it. Last year, San Diego was one of the teams on the list and they were in control of the division and the post season up until the last weekend of the season.....and then the San Francisco Giants spoiled the party. Thank God! Like I told you, I spend as much time figuring this stuff out as I do filling out my NCAA Tournament brackets......and that's about 2 minutes. Plus, with the lack of action in the post-season around these parts, it gives you a reason to check the baseball standings for the next four months, until the college football season gets cranked up. Of course, I'd like to think the NFL guys will come to their senses and get a deal cut, but you never know. A lot of folks are still questioning the hire of Mark Gottfried at N.C. State. Why? As I stated on the Sirius/XM show last week, I thought the comments of Debbie Yow about Maryland coach Gary Williams trying to sabotage her coaching search were far more interesting. Think about it....when is the last time you heard any college administrator speak on the record, in front of the media, and call out a fellow conference member in the manner that Yow did last week? It was fascinating....and while people were debating Gottfried, the better story was Yow vs. Gary Williams. I have a feeling that Debbie would like to have that statement back (even though she meant every word of it), but it's too late now. I even enjoyed Williams' response back to Yow's claim. It was great stuff. Gottfried will prove his worth in due time....you gotta let the guy have a chance to prove that he belongs....but the Yow-Williams saga will continue. The ending of the 75th Masters was fabulous. I gotta tell you, of all the guys who had a share of the lead on the back nine on Sunday, I wasn't thinking that Charl Schwartzel was going to be the one wearing the green jacket. But his birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie finish closed the deal and the South African's first major championship. It was impressive stuff. The leader heading into the final round was Rory McIlroy, but the 21-year old couldn't handle the pressure as he stumbled to an 80....and he instantly became an innocent bystander as 8 different players held the lead at some point on the final nine holes. The only thing worse than McIlroy on Sunday was Bill Macatee's attempt to interview Tiger Woods following his round. That might have been the worst 60-second interview in sports television history. Despite the hairdo's attempt to engage Mr. Woods, the tournament provided great drama. There's something about the back nine at Augusta during the final round of the Masters. It should be noted that for the first time ever, no American has their hands on a major golf championship or Ryder Cup trophy.....times are changing in the world of golf. |
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