Growing Up and Cooling Down

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Joey
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Each week, contributor and new parent Joey will post his thoughts as he undergoes the transformation from fanboy to father.

I’m pretty sure that somewhere in most dictionary definitions of “fandom”, you’ll find the word “fanatic” or “fanatically.” Thus, it only makes sense that when it comes to a person’s team of choice, emotions run as hot as the face of the sun.

I assumed everyone was like me…my team loses, I get pissed off.  If my team loses a game they were supposed to win, I get really pissed off. If my team loses to end the season, it takes me a while to get over it (I’ve often argued that the day Carolina loses in the NCAA Tourney precedes the worst day of the year for me, with regard to sports). Honestly, if I walk out of Kenan Stadium and Carolina has just dropped a game, I really feel that no one should be smiling, talking, or enjoying life, whatsoever.  Fans should live and die with every loss, right?

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Carolina’s Greatest Players of the ACC Era: 70-61

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Adrian
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The first three installments of this scintillating series can be found here (100-91 + methodology), here (90-81), and here (80-71).

We’ll start this segment with #70.

70. Lee Dedmon: 1969-1971, C, 6’10”, 195, Baltimore, MD

  • Peak season (1971): 12.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 49.8 FG%, 72.9 FT%, 56.0 TS%
  • Career averages (3 years): 11.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 48.1 FG%, 67.8 FT%, 52.5 TS%
  • Accolades: one ACC Tournament co-MVP, one All-ACC Tournament team, key reserve on one Final Four team

As a sophomore, Dedmon was the top frontcourt reserve on Carolina ‘s’69 Final Four team (backing up seniors Rusty Clark and Bill Bunting). While Charlie Scott’s 40-point explosion deservedly earns most of the credit for UNC’s victory over Duke in the ’69 ACCT championship game, Dedmon was also sensational. He added 19 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench– Heels other than Scott and Dedmon combined for just 26 points in Carolina’s 85-74 victory. As both a junior and senior, Dedmon led the Heels in rebounding. He added 2.8 assists per game as a senior in ’71– an incredible figure for a center. Dedmon capped off his UNC career by averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over 3 games to win co-MVP of the ACC Tournament (despite losing the pivotal jump ball against South Carolina that cost the Heels the title). He then played an instrumental role in leading Carolina to the NIT championship (back when that was still a really big deal in the one-NCAAT-bid-per-conference era).

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Hey Little Brother, Don’t Mind my Testicles on your Head

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Marc
10 Comments

This past Friday, October 14, Duke had their official start to season with the Countdown to Craziness event.  From what I’ve read about the event Duke fans should be very excited by Seth Curry and surprisingly Quinn Cook.  Mason Plumlee has received poor reviews from internet message board basketball coaches while the eldest Plumlee has garnered rave reviews.  I ask myself how much I can trust the words of anonymous fans, but I sorely wish for Miles Plumlee to be a spectacular all-american center so I will trust the internet entirely.   When it comes to Mason Plumlee I will ignore anything bad anyone says about him and claim that he is a spectacular all-american power forward.  I haven’t read anything about Marshall Plumlee because I want to keep my image of him completely unblemished.  He will always be a goofy smiling, crayon eating and dunking machine to me.

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Reflections: Raisin’ Heel

Posted on October 19, 2011 by cavdevil
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“Well, I’ve done it now.”

These were the words from an ACC rival, a friend that I had come to know for 20 plus years since we met one another in Atlanta.  If you knew John Snipes, a 1982 UNC grad,  then that could mean just about  anything.

The HEELRAISER

The HEELRAISER

My mind raced back to a time when we attended Steeplechase—a “who invited the horses” day at the races drunkfest about an hour outside of Atlanta.  Snipes had secured the necessary  libations, and ever the prankster, had dangled a prosthetic arm from the trunk of a friend’s  Honda Accord. Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, UNC | Tagged | 14 Comments

Carolina’s Greatest Players of the ACC Era: 80-71

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Adrian
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If you’ve missed the first two installments, click here (91-100 + methodology):

and here (81-90):

Let’s pick things back up with #80.

80. Jim Hudock: 1960-62, PF, 6’7″, 218, Tunkhannock, PA

  • Peak season (1962): 14.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 45.6 FG%, 64.0 FT%, 49.2 TS%
  • Career averages (3 years): 9.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 46.3 FG%, 64.9 FG%, 50.6 TS%
  • Accolades: one 2nd-team All-ACC

After playing sparingly as a sophomore in 1960, Hudock moved into the starting line-up as a junior for the 19-4 ’61 Heels, averaging 12 points and 8 boards. Stars Doug Moe and York Larese graduated following that season and, more importantly to the future of the program, Dean Smith replaced Frank McGuire. In Smith’s first year, Carolina, captained by Hudock, fell to 8-9. Despite the team’s struggles, Hudock averaged a double-double in ’62 on his way to earning 2nd-team All-ACC honors. He can always be remembered as the sole captain of Dean Smith’s first Carolina team.

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Some Duke Plugs

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Shane
7 Comments

Hey gang, this afternoon at around 1:30 Adrian’s next installment from the top 100 Carolina players list will go up. For now, I’d like to direct your attention to two things:

1 – My Duke season preview, “Why Duke Will Win A National Title.” You’ll notice there’s no link yet. Going up soon on Grantland. Update: here it is.

2 – A recount of Duke’s Countdown to Craziness featuring the surprising duel between Austin Rivers and Seth Curry.

I couldn’t be more excited for the start of the season. It’s going to be a great year.

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Carolina’s Greatest Players of the ACC Era: 90-81

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Adrian
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If you missed the first installment, it’s right here (including a description of the methodology):

http://tobaccoroadblues.com/2011/10/12/carolinas-100-greatest-players-of-the-acc-era-91-100/

Jumping right back into it:

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Optipessimism Week 7: UNC – Miami

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Nate
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I wrote this column spur-of-the-moment after the game yesterday, and left in this first sentence for your perusal before rewriting the rest from scratch because it was simply too depressing:

“Where last week there was anger and resentment, this week there is only grim disappointment.”

At least, that’s how I felt. Feel, really. I wrote last week that UNC might have been the worst 5-1 team in Division I (I still refuse to use that idiotic FBS moniker, it reminds me of an amateur bowling league), and now I am sorry to report that my fears have been borne out. But first, some actual good news!

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The Triangle Prophets, Week 7

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Shane
4 Comments

Every Friday, a group of fearless webmasters and sports fanatics from around the Triangle will gather to predict five college football games against the spread. Every Duke, Carolina, and N.C. State game will be featured, along with a smattering of high profile non-Triangle games. As the season goes along, we’ll keep the standings updated and see who emerges as the one true prophet. Make your predictions in the comment section. Each week, we’ll feature any and all commenters who pick all 5 games correctly.

Current Standings

1. Me – 16.5 points

2. William Earnhardt, Site Designer – 15.5 points
2. Nate Friedman, UNC football correspondent – 15.5 points
2. Tar Heel Fan Blog – 15.5 points
2. John Watson, The Devil’s Den – 15.5 points

6. The Devil Wolf, TRB – 14.5 points

7.Jim Young, Editor, ACCSports.com – 13.5 points

8.James Henderson, Publisher, Pack Pride – 12.5 points

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UNC v. Louisville: A Great First Half

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Joey
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Each week, contributor and new parent Joey will post his thoughts as he undergoes the transformation from fanboy to father.

I have to say, this past week’s game in Kenan that pitted Carolina against Louisville was one of the best, most enjoyable halves of football I’ve experienced in a while.

(I’ll wait as even the fringe football fan scratches his/her head in confusion)

I mean what I just said. Saturday, October the 8th was not only my favorite football game experience this year, it may be my favorite ever.

Right now, undoubtedly you’re recalling that there were no points scored in the first half of that game. Both offenses were atrocious. It was about as eventful as a Friday night in your local monastery. I’m pretty sure that of the hundreds of people who actually attended the game, I saw a minimum of 2 who were asleep in their seats. Regardless, the game was an absolute blast.

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