Wednesday: ACC tournament — who do ya got?
I’M EXCITED ABOUT THE ACC TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR. Honestly can’t say that’s always the case.
Maybe it’s the fact that things are going to change so dramatically next year with the additions of Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame. Maybe it’s the 2:30 p.m. start times for the Hokies (Thursday) and Cavs (Friday) that have me feeling relaxed about print deadlines. Or maybe it’s the potential for a third Duke-Miami matchup this season — one that could decide the title.
The tournament isn’t what it used to be or what it has the potential to become, but it should be fun.
Here are the odds to win the championship:
Duke Blue Devils 7/5
Miami Hurricanes 9/5
N.C. State Wolfpack 9/2
North Carolina Tar Heels 5/1
Virginia Cavaliers 8/1
Florida St. Seminoles 18/1
Maryland Terrapins 20/1
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 40/1
Clemson Tigers 40/1
Boston College Eagles 50/1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 75/1
Virginia Tech Hokies 100/1
I like picking upsets, but I don’t see any value picks this year among the longer shots. I think Duke and Miami will get to the final, and Duke will win it. Pretty lame forecast, I know. Anybody think somebody else has a big run in them?
PREP PITCHERS WILL HAVE NEW INNINGS LIMITS THIS YEAR in high school baseball. Ray details all the specifics here. The main rule states that pitchers can’t go more than nine innings in one day or 14 innings in a seven-day period.
My initial thought was, “Who the heck throws their guys that much anyway?” The answer: Not many people. But for coaches who might be tempted, this is a deterrent. I still think pitch counts are a better gauge of usage than innings, but it’s a little harder to monitor and enforce that, I guess.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH ALL THE SINKHOLES IN THE NEWS? The latest story unfolded on a golf course in Illinois, where a 43-year-old mortgage broker fell 18 feet into one on a fairway. Fortunately, he escaped with only a separated shoulder. Be careful out there, duffers.
WEDNESDAY HEADLINES
-Here’s Berman’s story on Erick Green taking ACC player of the year honors. “I’m speechless,” Green says. “This is a dream come true for me, man, since I was a little kid. This is something big for me.”
-Fort Chiswell offensive lineman Coleman Thomas commits to Tennessee.
-Gio Gonzalez tosses five scoreless innings to lead the U.S. to a 7-1 victory over Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Next up for the Americans: the Dominican Republic on Thursday night.
-Hoops all day today on the telly, beginning with Providence-Cincy in the Big East tournament at noon on ESPN.
-Miami Heat wins their (its?) 19th in a row. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Make your team nicknames plural, please.
-Dwight Howard has 39 points and 16 rebounds in his return to Orlando to help the Lakers win.
-Add another milestone for Lionel Messi. A crowd of nearly 100,000 watches Messi score twice as Barcelona becomes the first team to advance in the Champions League after a 2-0 first-leg loss on the road, torching AC Milan 4-0.
-Thanks, Frank. My wife had never seen a Harlem Shake video until she happened to come across Beamer’s…and started watching the 16 zillion others on YouTube. If I hear that lion roar one more time…
NAME THAT TUNE
O.J. got yesterday’s: “No Shelter” by Rage Against the Machine. Nicely done. Today’s is probably a little easier for most:
Smoooooth
Just like the silk
Soft and cuddly hug me up like a quilt
I’m a lyrical lovah
No take me for no filth
With my sexual physique, jah know me well-built
Oh me, oh my, well, well
Can’t you tell
I’m just like a turtle crawling out of me shell
Gal you captivate my body put me under a spell
With your couscous perfume
I love your sweet smell
You are the only young girl who can ring my bell
And I could take rejection, so you tell me go to hell…
March 13, 2013 - 8:08 AM
Upset pick to win the ACC? UVa.
I don’t see UNC winning it all. Would Puke win it all? Probably, but I think it is Miami’s to lose because of how senior-laden the line up are.
As a UNC b-ball fan, I’m just glad that Erick Green won the ACC POY award instead of somebody from Puke.
Not a huge upset, but in their last ACC Tournament, Maryland may be looking backward and forward and be unfocussed against BC. Surely they are off of the bubble (on the wrong side) and this looks like a trap for them.
UVA may be looking ahead to the second round and get a scare from the Hokies. The VT underclassmen should be playing for roster spots next year. At this point they should be considered practice players for the incoming freshmen.
I have to agree on sports nicknames…I hate the singular ones like Heat, Jazz, Magic, Thunder, Wild, etc. At least the NFL (and even the CFL) and MLB get it right with plural names. Soccer and women’s hoops have too many oddball names…probably why I have a particular level of disdain for both.
I’d love to pick a ‘dog in the ACC tournament, but I don’t see it. Even Duke and Miami have weaknesses, but they are less glaring than the rest of the field. And really, that translates to the NCAA’s as well…there’s several really good teams out there, but none that stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. Picking the brackets is going to be extra challenging this year…there’s probably a half-dozen teams who might be considered ‘favorites’ to win, but in reality, there’s probably a solid dozen+ that have a team capable of winning given the field this year.
It’s also possible that some random team gets hot after pulling an upset on the first weekend and blazes through the tournament in surprise fashion. I ordinarilly wouldn’t pick a cinderella team to make it…but as VCU, George Mason, and Butler have proven…it can be done (even though they didn’t win), so perhaps this is the year one of those kind of teams breaks through and cuts down the nets. The trick might be trying to figure out who that team is…so long as they have a plural mascot. Sorry Harvard.
I’m with you on the ACC prediction. Ryan Kelly makes Duke a tough team to beat, with him being back, but if I had to pick an upset team, Trevor is on it – UVA would be it.
I’m not doing the ACC tournament this year, but it really isn’t all that, to me. I guess it has lost something, when the conference went to 12 teams. I’ve been to it in G’boro a couple of times, and expected this magical experience from people that had gone before would describe. Best part was eating at Stamey’s BBQ across the street.
Anybody else waste 2 hours of their life last night watching USF and Seton Hall? If you want the defnition of bad basketball, that was it. 37-37 at the end of regulation.
There were a few times I wished a sinkhole would swallow me on the golf course. That’s why I don’t play any more. Too frustrating.
Speaking of sports nicknames – on the latest Outside the Lines on ESPN – the political correctness bug has hit again. It was all about the offensive nature of the Washington Redskins and if the images, nickname, etc should be changed. I can guarantee you Dan Snyder isn’t changing a thing.
At least it wasn’t Shoney’s BBQ, Rick.
If they had any creativity at all, it would be the Miami humidity, not the Heat. I don’t like singular nicknames – Hello, Stanford Cardinal! – but I especially hate the inappropriate ones, like Utah Jazz. I know the Lakers moved to LA from Minneapolis Minnesota, home of 10K lakes. Nothing is as egregious as the Jazz being located in Utah, though.
The Harlem Shake? Man, that really wowed you, AMc. I guess if it hadn’t been overplayed the several dozen YouTube clips I saw prior, I might think it was hilarious, but I doubt it. Pat Riley? He’s Frank’s age, but Riley could pull it off. Pat Riley gives off a totally different vibe, though, and we all know it.
The ACC tourney died way back in the 90′s. Whenever they began the Les Robinson Invitational, that was the burial date. Looking at how the Notre Dame inclusion might shake out, I think Big East basketball is going to win after all.
I am reminded how Roy Williams once called the ACC tournament a giant cocktail party. I have to agree the tournament have gotten too big for its own good. What’s the point of awarding regular season championship and then conference tournament championship?
The NCAA tournament have made me a bracket progrinasicator due to monstrosity of the field. I usually wait until the Sweet 16 to make my picks because of how many upsets occur during the weeding rounds. Example would be the year Lehigh knocked off Puke, to my delight.
I also think the term, “Cinderella,” have also lost its luster as it have been applied too often to teams that knocked off the big, bad boy on the block.
Don’t see Miami making it to the final. They have looked really shaky of late. It easily could be the winner of NC State and UVA that makes it there. Yes I am already putting NC State through to Friday. The Hokies looked ready for the season to end a long time ago.
Hey, if you want really good BBQ, take the ride down to Lexington, takes about 20 minutes, maybe 30, if you like that kind (NC does have this war going on about the two kinds it has).
I was coming back from SC a couple months ago, and took a detour and stopped at Lexington BBQ. Fantastic food, not just the bbq, but the slaw, hush puppies, they even had some of the best tea I’ve ever had.
I was tempted to go down for the first day just to be able to eat there. I just couldn’t bring myself to go after Tech stunk up the season the way it did.
Before seeing Frank’s, the only one I’d seen was Jimmie Johnson’s after his win at Daytona, which wasn’t any good. That’s it. That’s the list. Last night, when Jen went on her Googlin’ spree, I realized all I’d missed by not seeking out the Harlem Shake when I’d repeatedly heard references to it…not much, as it turned out. Army one was decent.
NC State is one of the mroe notable teams that fialed to live up to expectations this season. That bieng said, if they get it together this week, they could end up in the final. I agree that every team in the ACC has proven to be less that spectacular at times, so the championship could truly be up for grabs. It’s likey, though, that things will play out the wya they are supposed to and Duke vs. Miami will be the match up on Sunday. If it happens, it should be a great game.
AMac-I, like your wife, had never seen a Harlem Shake video before watching Frankie B. and the Hokies. Unlike your wife, I have not watched another one. Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t get it.
Caption for the above picture: “Keep looking guys, the men`s and women`s teams are down there somewhere.”
Forget the Heat. Ralph extends his streak of witty comments to 143 straight blogs! Stay hot, Hoss!
#2, I would hope that UVa is looking ahead to the 2nd round, as they have a bye for the 1st round.
Yes, Aaron, Ralph definitely has the gem of the day, before 10 AM. I don’t care how hard anybody tries, that one can’t be topped!!!
Good job, Ralph.
I’m just concerned about how deep the hole really is. Will they ever find the teams? It is getting deeper as new teams come into the ACC.
Ralph is right and Jim Weaver is happy with where the programs are positioned? Tech needs to get relevant in basketball or send Mr. Weaver into retirement. Embarrassing to say the least.
The only real good Barbecue places are the ones that are only open about 3-4 days a week (as in Wed/Thu-Sat) and display their hours of operation as in – ‘Open from 11 am until we run out’.
http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_pages/bs_bbq_large.html
Bombastic- Shaggy
Favorite team name – UC Santa Cruz- Banana Slugs- The name alone should strike fear in the hearts of opponents.
It seems to me that the normal touchy-feely refereeing of the ACC has evolved over to Big Ten ‘let’em play’ philosophy. This will have a big impact on the tournament. This does not bode well for Tech, but at 100-1 who cares? It’s been a long season and teams with a good bench have a distinct advantage. I pick Duke because of coaching and bench. UVA and FSU if the style of rugged play stays.
Might as well toss in a pick ax and miner’s helmet into the hole…they’ll be there long enough, maybe they can find a coal seam or two and at least turn a profit to make up for lost ticket sales.
The ACC has ALWAYS been a touch-foul league. Contrast that to the extreme of the Big East, where street ball is fitted with uniforms. The B1G is pretty physical, and we could go down the list to show the daintiness of the ACC, but we all already know, though only some admit it. The higher point is that the only team that moves beyond the ACC mantra is Duke. UNC embraces the touch-foul mentality, but transcends it with elite athleticism.
As far as discussing VT postseason, seriously? Let’s cut the power to the ventilator and let this season die as it should, in glorified hope for the apologists and obvious disappointment for the realists.
Cue the ‘Let’s give peace… err… Johnson a chance. Four years from now, we can start talking about whether or not he might be the right fit in the next five-six seasons after that….’
I’ll go unconventional in the ACC….UVA vs. UNC (thanks to a Maryland upset of Duke in the 2nd round…)
ESPN fans! Rejoice! Ray Lewis is officially now an analyst for the Evil Sport News Network Empire. It is going well with a number of fans, saying they will stop watching ESPN altogether, so ESPN got a real winner this time!
For those saying that basketball is getting too touchy-feeling, wait until fall when football starts, and the ejections happens. The devolving of football will be complete as helmets, pads, and jock straps be traded in for the favor of flags around the hips.
I don’t see any upsets in this year’s tournament. As someone already stated, Duke and Miami are pretty far ahead of the competition. I regularly attend the tournament when it is in NC (Charlotte or Greensboro) and I still enjoy it thoroughly. It might not be as good as it has been in the past, but the reality is that college basketball is general does not have the depth of talent it did 10+ years ago.
Also, is someone really writing “Puke” instead of Duke? Are we in middle school?
Basketball is starting to resemble football in all the wrong ways. If I wanted to see that kind of contact, I’d watch hockey. Nah, nothing could make me do that, I have too much respect for boxing to watch that, but while I don’t want to go back to the day of short frat guys, no dunk and no three pt. etc., I would love to see the contact dialed back. You shouldn’t have to look like you went twelve rounds with a wildcat, a la Erick Green, just to drive the basket a few times.
As for barbeque, totally a matter of taste. Lexington style is very good ‘que, but too red for me. Gimme eastern style, salt, vinegar, peppers, every time. Of course, good slaw and puppies can tilt the scales some. A discussion of barbeque would take weeks and end unsatisfactorily. But good barbeque is like a lot of things, you know it when you see/eat it, and North Carolina has some of the best.
Speaking of nicknames, I heard a good one last night. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits. What else are you going to call them out there-the Tumbleweeds?No way. The sight of their cheerleaders jumping around yelling “Jackrabbits, Score, Score, Score” might be a little redundant but cannot be changed. Tech`s game tomorrow? I see a little hope because we took them to overtime while they were shooting 43 foul shots to our 7. Plus, maybe the guys will take a little bit of pride in playing with the the player of the year and play with an Okla. State effort and not a Wake effort.
Boston College is my dark horse. Duke a physical team, pleassee! The first time one of Coach K’s players gets wacked he’s crying to the refs. Once out of the ACC, mayhem will eliminate our entries quickly. I’m going for “havoc” myself.
Nice reference to VCU Tom. One rumor circulating here in Richmond is that VCU will press on missed shots, not just made baskets. That would be “havoc” for sure.
As for nicknames, I like our AA baseball team-Flying Squirrels. The mascot is named Nutzy.
#25 perch, I’ll agree with you on this – With good barbecue, you know it when you EAT it. (I know that is what you meant)
I once espoused Eastern NC Cue (NEVER use a q, it’s ALWAYS barbeCUE) a the finest, but I have to say, the whole hog vinegar deal is really tasty, but the true heritage is pork shoulder – aka ‘Boston Butt’ – with vinegar & tomato mixed.
If you think I’m opinionated about Hokie sports, don’t even get me started on ‘Cue.
I love the extremely underappreciated Eastern Tenn/Western NC style of vinegar & tomato & heavy brown sugar. I also like my straight vinegar Eastern NC & the Lexington vinegar/tomato style also. That being said, the best barbecue I ever tasted (and I hate to even admit it) was at a barbecue outside of Waco, Texas. Oh, yeah, it was straight beef cooked outside directly over the fire. The word that is anathema to NC ‘Cue purists – BRISKET.
It was as good as he… umm… heck! So, I have even tried to accept the mustard stuff from SC. I still can’t wrap my mind around the ‘white sauce’ (that means MAYONNAISE, YUCK!!!) of Alabammer.
Anyway, the central message is – don’t get me started on barbecue, because I REALLY get longwinded on THAT topic! And you all know what that means…
Darn, crooked. Finally we can agree on stuff. Good ‘que or ‘cue is available in a lot of places, but what I call the best, isn’t what many folks would love. As for the C in the Barbie, I grew up on the NC line and at the time, barbeque was more common than barbecue on the menu, so your point may be age related, as I am ten or twelve years older than you and don’t know where you grew up. I would say, though, if the best you ever had was beef in Texas, we’re talking about a different beast altogether.
I would also recommend Ralph’s in Roanoke Rapids. Great buffet with great barbeQue and the hushpuppies are to die for. Delivered to the table with the water, they have a woman who spends all day making them and they rival the best I’ve ever had.
But to end it for me, BBQ (as you’ll see it mostly in the south) has never been as good as my all time fave from the ole Lowrey’s Place on the Northwest river on the NC, VA border in Chesapeake. We’re talking about the early 60′s here. Lowrey was a Cherokee who ran a boat rental/restaurant/beer joint on the road to the Outer Banks from Great Bridge, right on the river. Lowrey would pit cook his pigs, then put them in a huge cast iron kettle, a la apple butter, add the peppers, salt and vinegar, and stir it with a cut off boat paddle over an open pit fire. Daddy would let me eat a bbq for every beer he would drink at lunch time when we were fishing there…as long as I wouldn’t tell momma how many beers he had. I once ate 4 Qs at lunch and took one with us for the afternoon. I remember my dad saying that he worried more about my love for bbq than his love for beer.
C’mon crooked………whatchagot?
CR…good discussion on Cue. I’m partial to the NC varieties as well, particularly eastern vinegar as I grew up just over the border in Virginia Beach. That remains my favorite, but I also have a taste for the sweeter red/brown sauces. Because we don’t really eat pork…and I agree the shoulder/Boston Butt is the best cut for a Cue, I’ve developed a good alternative using beef roasts. I’ve also had the TX brisket variety too, and really enjoyed that too. Honestly, I like about any kind of Cue…except overly sauced/sweet types…and I’ve never developed a liking of the SC low country mustard-based sauces. And white sauce? No wonder my grandparents (Georgians) make fun of Alabama so much…
Aside from that, My Lions have had a really active Free Agency so far. They re-signed CB Chris Houston, which is huge for them. They also land safety Glover Quin, and DE Jason Jones…a solid improvement for a weak defense. Throw in the new signing of RB Reggie Bush, to hopefully add a needed wrinkle for the offense to have a better backfield speed threat for swing passes, and I think they’re on the right track to correct last year’s 4-12 debacle.
I agree with Rick H. Expansion has all but ruined ACC basketball. It’s just not that important anymore. Add to that the new norm of players leaving early….
vinegar-based carolina pork barbecue is the best….and cheap as long as you get it in carolina.
The Lexington NC barbecue festival is always worth the trip.
My favorite in the ACC TOURNAMENT WILL BE ANYONE THAT BEATS NORTH CAROLINA .
AccFan, so you have a problem with me intentionally spelling Duke as Puke since I effing hate the Blue Devils, and regularly call them Satan Spawn? That makes me a middle schooler? Oh please. I have heard fans labeling VT as Chokies. Where the cringe over it? Or what about some folks calling Miami the Thug U? Let see…there’s also the Criminoles.
O.J., I heard a rumor that Welker might be talking to the Lions. Would`t Stafford and Johnson and you probably like that?
I think the Carolina Panthers made the mistake of releasing Anderson. IIRC, he was the most healthy veteran linebacker, and was in the middle of a 5-years contract. If anything, the Panthers should have cut two running backs who were not productive and were costing the team money. That was Hurley’s mistake.
The Panthers need a solid draft to improve their offensive line and secondary. They can try to hit the free agent market and/or make smart trades.
O.J.Forget #32. Just saw he signed with the Broncos. Peyton and Welker-what a duo that will be.
Yeah, Ralph…when I heard Welker was going to Denver, I figured that makes them an even more likely contender for the AFC title.
Trevor I’ve always liked your references to the Blue Devils as ‘ Puke’ . Couldn’t agree more on the one ACC team I absolutely love to hate, at least the BB team and all their little Satan Spawns. (Like that reference too) Middle schoolish or not it’s the way it is in this House and will remain that way as long as I’m breathing.Thats one of the great things about being a sports fan in America you are free to ” hate” any team you choose and to any depth you deem necessary. ACCfan will just have to deal with it. If Puke offends them, they would really be offended by my nickname for FSU. I’d share that here but this is a family sort of blog…..
Somebody tell Jim Weaver what time VT plays tomorrow. Yes, I mean mens basketball.
Huntersdad, I’m sure I know what FSU nickname you’re referring to…I’ve heard it myself and think it’s hilarious.
And I know I’m probably the only one here who cares, but the Detroit Red Wings finally broke through a season of futility…after 37 Power Plays on the road that they failed to convert, they finally got their first road PP goal of the season tonight in Calgary to know the score at 2-2…Valtteri Filppula got a nice one.
And they have the 2nd best home PP scoring in the league…
#36 HD, Your nickname for F$U wouldn’t be Criminoles, would it?
#37 M3, You’re assuming that Jim Weaver would want to Tivo his daily watching of ‘Ellen’ to see the game? Has anyone else noticed that he doesn’t even attend the Hokie basketball games any more? What happened to all the ‘family’ love? I did notice that Weaver didn’t bother to even be there for the presentation to Erick Green at the final home game. He let Tom Gabbard mail it in for him. I guess we’re supposed to not question why his $700K salary would allow him to not even bother to show up.
crooked, you nail it at #39. Weaver is milking Tech like a cow. I wouldn’t wish the horrible, horrible condition he has on anybody, but at some point, a real man would step aside when they can’t do their job, and not hide behind their contract, particularly at his age. And, he really isn’t doing his job. He’s sitting under the O&M cow squeezing those udders as long as somebody will let him. Lay some of this at the feet of Steger, though. If he was doing his job, he’d have done something by now.
Do you really think Weaver is milking his job? I was for replacing him ten years ago, but do you really think he is milking his job? Bad calls on the BBall front and some other calls I disagreed with, but do you honestly ascribe such a motive to him? Never thought I’d be defending Jim Weaver, but I doubt very seriously that milking VT is his motive.
Criticize him as you will, and I will join you, when we speak of his decisions as AD, but to go so far as to question his manhood? Rick H., you go too far.
Rick H, I don’t even mind Weaver getting a fat severance, though he doesn’t deserve it. Just step aside so that VT can move forward. I agree with you, Steger must share a lot of blame. Evidently he doesn’t care about anything but the bottom line, either.
Perch, he’s milking it because he is not doing his job. He at the office all that often. He doesn’t do the public functions that are typically a part of the job. He’s getting paid a ton of money to carry out a very part-time effort. He should have stepped aside for health reasons a long-time ago.
The best comparison I can give is Pat Summitt. She could have stayed on the bench at UT as long as she wanted. Heck, she deserved to, but she quickly knew she couldn’t function at the level required, and she stepped aside.
Rick H, I’ve got to agree with you on Weaver. Especially after reading the Bitter blog post about his compensation…wow! He should have stepped aside a few years ago and accepted a severance/retirement package. It would have been graciously accepted and Hokie fans would have wished him well. Now, throw in the debacle he has created with the basketball teams, some oddball decisions regarding the football team, and just generally not doing a whole heck of a lot, and his reputation is tarnished for a lot of Hokie faithful. If he sticks it out until the end of his contract, at the rate he is going, I’m thinking the only benefit will be that fans can score tickets to all manner of Hokie sporting events at bargain-basement prices because the demand will be that low.
OJ, you’re right – Tech fans would have graciously appreciated him stepping down when he should have. He has truly done GREAT things for Virginia Tech. I appreciate the fiscal attitude he has imposed, and his focus on capital improvements. I can’t say he did a lot to get Tech in the ACC, others really had more influence, but he did help shepherd that process. But he’s just tarnishing his legacy now. He could have gone down as the best AD ever at Tech. He won’t now. It is as simple as that.
Nah CR, Criminoles aint it but thats a good one too! I think OJ is on to it, and it is hillarious. Lets see ….Seminoles….Replace the i with an e and add an h in front of o….there you have it! I’ve taken credit (at least at my house) for coining that nickname for them. I even made up a little comedy bit to go with it using my decrepit old man voice that my oldest boy thinks is hilarious….it’s a little too R rated for the youngest yet. My somewhat twisted sense of humor does have it’s limits. Anytime I use it I have to think about my all time favorite Seminole to hate…Deon Sanders. It fits him perfectly seeing how he proclaimed he didn’t think much of getting hit. Put on your cheer uniform Deon and go to the sideline.
Yeah, Huntersdad…that’s the one! I was going to mention that the beginning of the modified nickname was a homonym for a lowly rank in the Navy, and the ending is what you create by digging with a shovel…but I wasn’t sure any UVA grads would get it! Ok, I jest with that…