Reynolds Coliseum and Cameron Indoor

My friend's father called it "the last dinner." He was right. It would be the last time that I would eat at Darryl's on Hillsborough Street. It wasn't too long after Feb. 24, 1999 that Darryl's closed its doors. Now Raising Ale will look to takes its place. However, that's not why it was our last dinner. We left the restaurant, as we had done many times before, and headed across the street toward the Bell Tower. The sun was setting and the lights were beginning to illuminate the tower with Wolfpack red. As we crossed the Court of the Carolinas, we began to hear the buzz of William Neal Reynolds Coliseum(Pictured Left). That night would be the last regular season men's basketball game to be hosted there.
Reynolds is gone now. One cathedral of college basketball remains in the Triangle. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium(Pictured Right) stands alone and small. Carolina has moved into the “Dean Dome.” NC State has moves to the RBC Center.
There is talk of Duke getting a new arena to play in. And that talk gets louder with the passing of each basketball season.
Reynolds was a great place and Cameron continues to be a great place. Cameron may soon meet the fate of Reynolds. With the loss of Reynolds, NC State lost a lot of mystique that went with a basketball game there. And if Duke loses Cameron then they must be sure to do everything they can to prevent the same loss we have felt in Raleigh. The atmosphere of either place can never be duplicated, but similar atmospheres can be built just as they were 60 years ago.
Reynolds Coliseum was finally built in 1949 after nearly a decade of struggle with the North Carolina State Legislature. Cameron Indoor opened in 1940. The original blue-prints for Reynolds were identical to that of Cameron; however, at the urging of head coaching legend Everett Case the coliseum was expanded to hold 12,400 spectators as opposed to 9,000 seats of Cameron.
For the next 50 years, the NC State Wolfpack men’s basketball team called Reynolds its home. And on Feb. 24, 1999 the 1974 and ‘83 national championship banners and numerous other banners headed off campus to the then Entertainment and Sports Arena (RBC Center).
As we walked up to the front of Reynolds’, I could here the band striking up a few last go rounds of the fight song. Those waiting in line to enter began to clap and sing along. I never really knew the words that well, until then.
Reynolds was definitely louder than it may have ever been that night, or at least louder than I had ever heard it. The noise meter at the top of the scoreboard couldn’t take much more. It wasn’t a Duke or a Carolina game, it was just a game against Florida State.
Despite the fact that Herb Sendek and his team were not headed to the NCAA Tournament, the fans still came out and brought the arena back to life. With every second that was erased from the game clock brought the end closer. It was hard to let go. I tried to break part of my seat off, just so I would have a piece to take with me.
When the game finally ended, an era ended. The Pack closed Reynolds with 71-63 victory over the Seminoles. That night Reynolds went from a basketball hot bed to a reminder of the glory days Sendek tried to resurrect.
The RBC Center is a great place; and when it is full, it becomes an intimidating place. However, the fair-weather fans of NC State athletics fail to fill the building night in and night out. I know that every game isn’t as attractive as a game against Duke or Carolina, but conference games shouldn’t be anything less than completely full. All the traditions of Wolfpack basketball are still here.
The only thing missing is the rabid ‘Wolfpack Nation.’ It seems like the fans don’t really get into the RBC Center until after tip-off. There should be an urgency to fill the seats and intimidate the visitors as soon as they enter the arena. The in-game traditions are there, but the pre-game traditions have faded. The game itself may be the most important part; but, ask visitors to Cameron Indoor how much pre-game taunts can effect warm-ups, and thus the game. Just look at Duke’s home winning percentage for an answer.
The arena not being on campus isn't an excuse. Wake Forest's Lawrence Joel Coliseum is about the same distance from their campus, and fans and students alike are there filling the seats well before game time.
That feeling of excitement came back to me on Feb. 4, of this year, when I headed to Durham to see Duke play Florida State at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was when my girlfriend and I passed through Krzyzewskiville that those old feelings began to resurface. It was about 30 minutes prior to game time and it was raining, yet the place was crawling with desperate students and fans trying to find a ticket or squeeze past the fire-marshal and security.
The place was rocking. You could hear the chant of “Our House!” coming from the Cameron Crazies as we stood in the line awaiting our tickets. From the outside, Cameron looks like a cathedral or grand lecture hall at some European university. The untrained eye would think it was just that.
As the game tipped off inside Cameron Indoor, I felt as if I were trackside for a NASCAR event. The noise was deafening. Every time Duke scored, the Crazies lived up to their name. With every chant, eruption and Crazie moment, I felt like a kid again.
And that is when it hit me. The atmosphere in Cameron Indoor was the same as that of old Reynolds Coliseum. During the mid 1900s, the two were the largest basketball arenas south of Philadelphia. When the Pack had to bid farewell to the place that had hosted the first 12 ACC tournaments, it also said goodbye to one of the most intimidating home courts in all of college basketball.
I thought to myself, as I left Cameron Indoor after a thrilling 97-96 overtime Duke win over Florida State, “I hope that Duke doesn’t make the same mistake we did.” I know that one day Cameron will be another office building, and Duke, too, will have a big lavish new building to play in. And when they do, I hope that the fans follow. I hope the Blue Devil fans make the new building, probably Krzyzewski Basketball Arena, another great college baseball venue.
Recruits take atmosphere into consideration when choosing a school to attend. And if I were a potential athlete, I would choose to go to a school like Duke where the atmosphere is unparalleled night in and night out. Where night in and night out, both the players and the fans are nostalgically reminded of college basketball history, inspired by the greatness of those who had played and coached on those hardwoods before them, and hopeful for the opportunity to do the same for themselves and future generations.

Pictures:
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http://map.duke.edu/images/7743_back1.jpg
http://i.cnn.net/si/2003/sioncampus/09/24/100_things0930/lg_duke.jpg

HAPPY DALE EARNHARDT DAY!!

This year's Daytona 500 marked the 5 year anniversary of the death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt. Tomorrow, April 29, is the "Intimidator's" birthday. N.C. Governor Mike Easley declared April 29 Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, the company his wife owns and son drives, will have a celebration at DEI's headquarters on Saturday. The celebration will be hosted by NBC's Brian Williams, who happens to be a big NASCAR fan. This week's Nextel Cup race will be in Talladega where Earnhardt won 10 times, including his last victory in Oct. 2000. Earnhardt will also be honored by the drivers of his organization. Dale Jr. and Martin Truex will sport Earnhardt's infamous black paint scheme. It is a fitting tribute to one of the most recognizable faces in all of motor sports. An even more fitting tribute would be for one of DEI's drivers, epsecially Dale Jr., to drive the "Intimidator" paint scheme to victory lane. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALE! And to all a HAPPY DALE EARNHARDT DAY!

Durham Bull Throws Bat at Umpire

Top Tampa Bay Devil Rays prospect and Durham Bulls outfielder Delmon Young has been suspended indefinitely by the International League for throwing a bat at an umpire Wednesday night. Young struck out looking on a 2-1 pitch and did not agree with the unmpire's call. After exchanging words with the umpire, Young was ejected. After heading to the dugout he turned and threw the bat at the umpire. I emphasize "threw" not tossed.

The umpire, whose name has not been released, is a replacement umpire because the regular umpires are on strike. He was not injured. The bat hit him in the chest protector, narrowly missing his face.

The Bulls released a statement on Thursday, and so did Young. Young apologized for his actions.

It doesn't matter how much Young apologizes, he deserves to sit for a while. There are reports that the Devil Rays have been worried about Young's behavior for quite some time. If that is the case, then I hope this is a wake up call for the kid. I have had the pleasure to see him play and I must say that he is one of teh best I have ever seen.

Delmon Young will soon be a member of the group that will lead baseball out of the steroids era. So, the last thing that baseball needs is to end up in the same situation as the NBA after the Pistons/Pacers incident. If baseball is going to restore itself as the nation's purest sport, then it needs players like Young to lead the way.

The best thing for Young is to sit out for the rest of the season and work on his anger issues. In the heat of battle emotions can often get the best of you. But, a person must know the limits, and throwing a bat at an umpire is well beyond the limits. I'm sure Young is is a good guy. He lost his cool and deserves to sit for a while. Hopefully, we look back on this incident as an aboration. And, hopefully, Professional Baseball will nip this in the bud and this will be the only incident.

What Now?

Earlier in the week it was reported that both West Virginia head coach, John Beilein and ESPN analyst Steve Lavin had both been offered the NC State basketball job. By late Wednesday night it was clear that neither was going to take the job. Both decided to to not be the next 'Leader of the Pack'.

Will the Wolfpack ever find a coach? At this point they need to start looking at the "yes men," or those they know for sure will say yes. Of those potential candidates they need to rank them as far as who would be the best fit. Because I was unable to contact Director of Athletics Lee Fowler, I will take his role and give you three guys who would say yes and how they would fit at NC State.

The first candidate and the guy I think should be Fowler's last resort is former NC State player and member of the 1983 Championship team, Derek Whittenburg. Whittenburg would never say no. He could be option 1,000 and he would not turn down his dream job. However, if State were to go after him then they will find themselves with their version of Matt Doherty. It would destine to fail. If Whittenburg were the guy for the job, then other schools would be knocking down his door to get him. He has shown the potential to be a great coach. Each season his teams have improved upon the number of wins from the previous season; however, Whittenburg has an overall losing record. At this point State is staring a rough basketball season in the face, and hiring Whittenburg could cause a decade of rough seasons.

The next guy is Winthrop head coach, Gregg Marshall. He has led the Eagles to 6 NCAA Tournaments in just 8 seasons. His fast-paced style would be welcomed by the 'Herb Haters' and his fire would ignite the fan base. He has been able to recruit well at Winthrop and has made the Eagles the perennial team to beat in the Big South conference. The question with Marshall is, will he stay? He has no ties to NC State, so he could possibly be lured away by the money of another school. There would have to be a lrge buy-out written into his contract to ensure that he will stay at State.

The next guy seems to make the least amount of sense. But, I think he makes the most sense. He has publicly said he would listen to State if they called. He knows what it takes to beat Duke and Carolina. He is a high profile guy, who would be an excellent recruiter. Current New York Knicks assistant and all-time UNC great Phil Ford, is the lastest name to pop up in the search. The News & Observer quotes Ford as saying, "But I would be very flattered to be considered by N.C. State, and I would do everything in my power to make N.C. State the best program in the country." If State fans can swallow their pride and take a year or two of heat from Carolina fans and give Ford a chance, then they will get the last laugh when Ford takes down his Alma Mater. There would be no worry of Ford leaving because the only job he would leave for would be Roy's job. Roy's not leaving Carolina anytime soon; therefore, Ford would be at State for a long time. And maybe Ford has a vendetta against Carolina. He was an assistant coach under Dean Smith and Bill Gutheridge, but was not hired by either Doherty or Williams.

If State does take Ford as their next head coach, then they will have reason to be excited. He has been a great head coach in wiating for years and this will be his opportunity to make a lot of people feel bad for passing on the man once designated to replace "The Dean."

Calipari pulls a Frank Beamer

John Bunting was not UNC's first choice to replace Carl Torbush as head football coach, it was Va. Tech's Frank Beamer. Beamer listened to Carolina, and the Heels thought they were going to pick up right where Mack Brown left off. But, Beamer wanted more money from VT, and he got it after his "Hokie Pokie" with Carolina. Was he serious about leaving VT for UNC? NO! He just wanted some more cash and Chapel-Hill seemed like a good bargaining chip.

We at NC State learned just how bad it feels to get played like fiddle. The only fiddle being played harder is in front of Mitch's Tavern on Hillsborough St. It was reported late Tuesday night that John Calipari was going to remain at Memphis. Now, the raise he is getting at Memphis is not what he would be getting at NC State, but in 3-4 years he will be paid a $2.5 million as a loyalty bonus.

I was optimistic on Monday about the prospects of Calipari coming to Raleigh, but it faded to pessimism Tuesday afternoon.

So, what now for the Wolfpack? Please do not bring in John Brady! One good year at LSU, and you can come coach at NC State? Not just no, but NO! He is a $2 million dollar personality with half the coaching ability of Herb Sendek.

I think we should throw a bone to Villanova's Jay Wright (Avent, Amato and Wright would make the NC State Sopranos) and see if he would be interested. Reports out of Raleigh say he would listen, but probably just for a riase from 'Nova. If Wright were to decline, which I think is more likely than not, then there's a list a guys who I don't think would say no.

This list includes, in order of who I would like to see at State, are as follows:
Billy Gillespie at Texas A&M
Johnny Dawkins, Duke's Top Assisstant
Greg Marshal, up and coming coach at Winthrop
Skip Prosser? better to be 3rd at State than 4th at Wake (although he would probably say no)
Matt Doherty, Fla. Atlantic coach and was given a raw deal at UNC and looking to get back at them (Can recuruit like none other)
Derek Whittenburg, State Grad and famous lay-up in '83 title game
Bobby Lutz...UNCC...please don't let it get this far!

The Next NASCAR Prodigy?

It was a Texas-size burn-out for a Texas-size win on Sunday as Kasey Kahne became the first pole-sitter to take the checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway(TMS). It was the second win of the season for Kahne, who won earlier at the Golden Corral 500, and his third career victory.

The win moved Kahne up to third in the NASCAR Nextel Standings, only 46 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

In a rather boring race, Kahne was among the most dominant cars throughout the day. The race was dominated early by Greg Biffle, later by Tony Stewart (who led the most laps on the day) and finally by Kahne for the last 27 laps of the race.

Kahne was not the best on re-starts following cautions on Sunday and with 20 laps left they #9 Dodge Charger was faced with either pitting under the green flag or getting a caution and pitting under caution. Thanks to winning the pole-position in qualifying on Friday, Kahne was able to garner the best pit stall and won the race off of pit road. The final re-start was interesting because Kahne had lost ground on the earlier restarts. Not the last re-start, however. Kahne and his team decided to take out a round of wedge on their last pit stop.

Once Kahne cleared the lapped car of Robby Gordon the race was all but over.

Kahne has bounced back from a disappointing 2005 season where he finished 23 in the final points standings. The only bright spot of the year came early when Kahne won at Richmond in race 11. His rookie year included multiple close calls one of which was at TMS when Elliot Sadler edged Kahne by less than a second.

It's still preto early in the season, but I think you have to look at Kahne as a force to be reckoned with. If you look at another driver who won championships early, Jeff Gordon, and see some similarities between the two. First, there's the fact that the ladies place the 2 at the top of the "hott list." Second, and most importantly is Kahne's car owner Ray Evernham, who was Jeff Gordon's crew chief for the first 3 of his 4 championships.

Jimmie Johnson was my pre-season pick to hoist the Nextel Cup; however, I no longer think he will do it running away. I look forward to seeing Kahne, who I had finishing in the top 5 at the end of the season, proving me wrong and either over taking Johnson or seriously challenging all the way to season's final race at Homestead-Miami.



Pictures:
http://www.autoracingdaily.com/images/photos_local/lc11446453968104.jpg
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/assetpool/images/06410115216_kahne.jpg
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2004-05/12475726.jpg

Calipari to replace Sendek?

It was reported Sunday that athletics director Lee Fowler, Chancellor James Oblinger and other NCSU represented flew to Memphis, Tenn. to meet with University of Memphis head basketball coach John Calipari. Well, on Monday ESPN's Andy Katz reported that Calipari and his staff returned the favor by visiting NC State. He and his staff were in town to take a look at the campus and athletic facilities.

A little more than a week ago the nation wide coaching search started after Herb Sendek decided he would be better off at Arizona State. Initially, Fowler attempted to lure Rick Barnes, a North Carolina native, away from Texas; however, Barnes decided a pay raise at Texas would be better than a raise at NC State.

Fowler and NC State have since turned their attention to John Calipari. Calipari had earlier told ESPN that he was not interested in the NC State job or any other job besides Memphis. He cited that being all that goes with coaching at a school within 30 miles of Coach K at Duke and Roy Williams at UNC.

It looks, however, like Calipari may be thinking about the possibilities of coming to a school that, unlike Memphis, has 2 National Championships. Calipari has also said, in an interview prior to the NCAA Tournament, that he knows that Memphis will not be a high ranked basketball school year in and year out.

But, at NC State that possibility exists. The Wolfpack is one of only 15 schools that have made 5 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Memphis is not one of those 15.

A coach of Calipari's caliber should want to coach at a school such as NC State. It's the ACC, which is the nation's top basketball conference. The conference boasts 6 of the last 18 national championships, more than any other conference. Also, there's the opportunity for him to go up against the 2 coaching legends down I-40.

It seems a perfect fit for Calipari and for 'Wolfpack Nation'. Calipari gets his chance to coach at a high-profile basketball school and the 'Wolfpack Nation' gets the vibrant personality not easily intimidated (just ask John Cheney) coach it felt it lacked in Herb Sendek.

As a proud citizen of the 'Wolfpack Nation,' who feels that we need a home run after losing a great coach in Sendek, I hope that Calipari is serious about restoring the glory to a once glorious program and not just trying to milk more money out of Memphis. I hope by the time Wednesday rolls around that Calipari and his staff are employed by NC State.



Pictures:
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http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/ncb/2000/0105/photo/s_0105cap.jpg

Phil was "Master-ful"

Phil Mickelson ("Lefty)claimed his third major championship in hi last 9 major appearances. Mickelson has finally shaken the label of "choke artist." I sat around yesterday waiting for Phil to fall back and let some people back into the tournament. However, he didn't. Mickelson not only didn't come back to field, he seperated himself from his contenders.

Early in the final round on Sunday it seemed that Mickelson was going to stick around 5-under par. But, the back-nine was a totally different story. It was the likes of Tiger Woods, who fell back and failed to thwart Mickelson's charge to a second Green Jacket.

The Green Jacket is the most coveted prize in the world of golf and prior to Sunday only 14 players had ever claimed multiple jackets. Mickelson joins a group that includes Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Niclaus among others.

The best moment, of an otherwise boring Sunday at the Masters, was defending champion Tiger Woods helping Mickelson into the jacket. It was obvious that it was only a professional courtesy extended by Woods. It has been no secret that the 2 are no more than acquantances, and that is great for golf. Tiger now has a legitimate rival, who will be there waiting for Tiger at each major for at least the next 5 to 10 years.

It should be great and I hope that we see these two go at it in the final round of the next handful of majors. Even better would be to see them in the final pairing on a Sunday at a major tied with each other entering the day. Then, and only then, will we know if "Lefty" has permanently shaken the label that followed him through his first 42 major appearances.

Herb Leaves the Hot Seat

As I stepped off of the bus onto campus yesterday, I saw the Technician's headline that read "Herb jumps ship." The Technician, known for its poor journalism, couldn't have been more wrong. The correct headline should have read "Herb sets sail for brighter days."

Herb didn't bail on NC State; rather, NC State bailed on Herb. The "faithful" Wolfpack Nation bailed on Herb Sendek. The rain of criticism was torrential on the job that Sendek had done.

What had he done? Well, he compiled a record of 191-132. Made 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, made post-season appearances in 9 of his 10 seasons and made 3 ACC Tournament finals. And considering where the program was under Les Robinson, Sendek worked a near miracle.

As I said in "Embrace Herb," it takes time to build a national powerhouse basketball program. A note from last night's National Championship game...It took John Wooden 15 years at UCLA before he won the first of his 10 titles.

"Herb Sendek will never win a National Championship at NC State," is a statement I have heard and disagreed with for some time now. But, now I must say I agree because Herb is now at Arizona State.

I'm sure that after the end of the season Herb felt little if any support. Especially, after no one from the University did anything to quiet the Herb haters. Lee Fowler and Chancellor James Oblinger have done nothing other than their statement following ASU's press conference in support of Herb.

It has been my stance all along that Sendek is the man for the job. It takes time. It took time for Everett Case to put State on the map, and he never won a national championship. After 10 seasons Herb had built a solid foundation for the future. He left the program in better shape than when he took it over.

We have a solid foundation at NC State, but we lack a coach to head the program.

The News came as a surprise to me late Saturday night as I drove home from work. The news was confirmed on Sunday, and made official on Monday. When it finally set in, I felt the pressure release and I knew better days were ahead for Herb. Herb Sendek was let down and deserved better than he was given during his tenure at State.

There was once a time when going from NCSU to ASU would have been career suicide. I must say that now it is a step up. I don't know much about the Sun Devils' fan base, but I'm sure that 5 consecutive tournament appearances will make Herb a desert legend.

I was able to watch the webcast of the ASU press conference. Herb looked like a brand new man. Like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders. He looked happy, refreshed and ready to go.

In his 10 years at state Sendek probably aged 30 years. Sendek, 43, is a youngster in coaching years. And at ASU he has the chance to become a legend.

Be careful what you wish for my fellow Wolfpacker's! If we can't hit a home run with the next coach, then we may be facing a decade of losing. All the while Herb will have a smile on his face knowing that we are getting what we deserve.

Those who know basketball, including National Championship winning coach, Billy Donovan, and national runner-up coach Ben Howland have come out in praise of Herb. Donovan called Sendek "the complete package," and howland, a fellow PAC-10 coach, said, "Our league is a great league. Herb just made it tougher."

Herb did not jump ship. A person only jumps ship when the ship is sinking. And the ship called Wolfpack basketball is definitely afloat and going strong. Prior to his hiring the program was heading down faster than the Titanic.

Congratulations Herb! And I wish you the best of luck!