News-Record.com

... who needs enemies? Apparently the older brother of South Carolina defensive tackle Nathan Pepper went on a bit of a crime spree this weekend.

Here's the really interesting part. After shooting one person in the face and stealing her car, then shooting and killing another person and stealing her car, Demetrius Pepper was arrested outside South Carolina's stadium, where little brother Nathan was playing in a spring scrimmage.

Since Demetrius lives in Greenville, which is about two hours away from Columbia, the initial theory was that he started shooting people and stealing cars so he could make it to Columbia to watch his little brother play in a scrimmage.

I'm going to keep checking on this to see if that theory holds, but if it does, man that's just sick.

... if you're wondering what the heck that statement means, then you should check out the fine separated at birth photos the good folks have up at the Sports Hernia blog.

The first, comparing Jo Noah to a woman, is really pretty obvious. But the Greg Oden/Treebeard comparison is inspired - although admittedly a bit dorky, given that it's an admission of deep knowledge about Lord of the Rings. I also really, really like the Tom Crean/Dwight Shrute comparison. Dwight though, clearly has eyebrows. Tom Crean? Still not sure.

Thanks to David Johnson at hockeyanalysis.com I don't have to get a major brain cramp trying to figure out what it will take for the Carolina Hurricanes to sneak into the playoffs.

Of course, just reading through the scenarios still gave me a massive headache. Here's how I suggest you follow the rest of the regular season if you're a Canes fan.

Just watch their games and hope they win them all. If they don't do that, they don't have a chance.

If the Canes keep winning, periodically check the scores then check back at HockeyAnalysis.com to see how things are shaping up.

If we just break this down into small, simple steps, we can get through this ... together.

When's the last time you heard the phrase "coaching carousel" associated with women's basketball? Never? Same with me. The joke used to be that some women's coaches were like federal judges - appointed for life. Not anymore.

Suddenly big jobs are opening up and big names are making moves. None bigger, of course, than former Duke/present Texas coach Gail Goestenkors.

Now that Coach G has moved on to Austin, speculation has begun on who would replace her. (By the way, when's the last time you "speculated" about a women's coaching vacancy?" The obvious choice would seem to be former Duke player, former Duke assistant and current Cal coach Joann Boyle.

Former Duke player and current Miami coach Katie Meier's name has also been tossed around, but she's still in the midst of trying to build a competitive Canes' squad. So unless Duke decides to go in a completely different direction, it would seem to be Boyle's job to take or leave.

It's not the only job that Boyle is being courted for, though. She's reportedly talked to Florida about their opening and Cal plans to fight to keep her, as talks have alraedy begun talks about extending Boyle's contract. (When was the last time you saw schools doing the old preemptive contract extension thing for a women's basketball coach?)

Check out some of the names in that Seattle P-I story. FSU coach Sue Semrau is now a hot name. So is Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph, who has interviewed for the Washington job.

That's just the start of it. As SI's Kelli Anderson points out, with jobs like Texas (now Duke), LSU, Florida, Penn State, Washington and Michigan all open now - and seemingly willing to open up the vaults for a talented coach - the Women's Final Four became what the Men's Final Four has been for some time, a hotbed for chatter and rumors about which coach is going where.

For fans of the women's game, take is a sign of progress that comes with an unfortunate side effect (isn't that always the case?) As schools become more willing to spend on women's hoops then a) coaches are more likely to jump to other jobs and b) the pressure on coaches to win increases and therefore their job terms are shortened. That means that if you've got a good women's coach, the spring might turn into an annual nervewracking wait-and-see period as you wonder whether another program will try to lure her/him away.

... but for the record, I never jumped off the Atlanta Braves bandwagon. I've been on it, since 1982, the first season I started to really seriously follow baseball - back when I was convinced Dale Murphy could hit a home run, cure cancer and beat the terrorists all in the same day. Sort of like Jack Bauer does now.

Yes, the Bravos are 5-1 (and Jeff Carlton's Phillies are 1-6) and life is good. How are they doing it? I'll let Dave O'Brien, the top-notch Braves beat writer explain in his latest blog entry. There are a lot of stats in there and they're all useful. You may need to register to view the blog, but it's free. And if you're a Braves fan, it's worth it.

I'll get to Jeff Carlton's Phillies in a later post. He sent me a long diatribe after my Braves swept his Phils last week. It was vintage Carlton, full of I-told-you-so doom-and-gloom about the Phils, as well as a few snarky comments about my Braves.

Speaking of I told you so, as a guy who used to frequently pick up Rafael Soriano in my AL-only fantasy leagues and wonder why the Mariners didn't try him at closer, I was thrilled when the Braves picked him up this off-season. He's been dominant. Let's hope it lasts.

Finally, let's close with a moment of silence for Mike Hampton's elbow.

Predictions concerning which ACC players are likely to enter the NBA draft and which ones are likely to stay in today's Radio Free Sports podcast show.

(added comment by Jim Young, i.e. me)

The stuff about Lawson and Hansbrough has obviously become outdated after last night's announcements. No surprises for either one, but just wanted to make sure you loyal listeners know that was taped on Tuesday and that Rob and I are not idiots. Well, we are in other ways, but not in this particular case. Still, there's plenty more there to enjoy - particularly our comments about closer "intro" songs in baseball.

(14:40)

Download

... You seem like a perfectly nice guy, but I've come to view the postings at the blog Fire Joe Morgan as essentiall every day reading during baseball season.

The latest posting "Joe Chats With No One," is a shining example why.

Ken Tremendous, the pen name for one of the site's main contributors, goes through a recent chat session held by Morgan on ESPN.com and reveals how, question after question, Morgan fails miserably at providing a coherent response. By the end of the post, my side hurt from laughing so much. Brutal commentary, but very, very, very funny. Loved the stuff where KT starts to muse about other ways he should spend his life rather than commenting on Morgan's ramblings.

Contrary to the site's name, it's not all about ripping on Morgan - although he is the easiest target. The guys that run FJM are guys who believe that statistical analysis has a place in baseball and don't have much use for writers and/or commentators who extoll the virtues of "gritty" "gutty" guys who bring certain "intangibles" to a team. Thus, numerous baseball writers feel the sharp edge of their critiques.

Thus, I find myself going back to FJM on a daily basis now to get my fix. Maybe I should show more solidarity for my brethren in the media, but c'mon, this site is really, really fun to read!

This has been making the rounds of the local blogs already, but it's still just so juicy that I can't resist posting it here as well.

It's a Q&A that former N.C. State head coach/current FSU linebackers coach Chuck Amato had with Bob Thomas of the Florida Times-Union. There are a lot of sayings and phrases that many who followed Amato during his Raleigh tenure will find familiar. But the quote that really stood out comes lower in the article, when Amato talks about last seaon .

... knew what the problem was last year, and it's not my style to do something in the middle of the season because I learned it from him [Bowden] because it would only make the problem worse. The future was just getting ready to go ...

Hmm, let's try to figure out who or what Chuck's referring to here, shall we?

The "problem" last year for State was pretty clearly its offense. So that narrows things down. The running backs weren't the problem. And it's not like Chuck's ever hesitated switching QBs or other positions in and out. So it seems pretty clear that Amato's referring to former State offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.

He really seems to reinforce that when he refers to learning from Bowden about how such a "problem" should be handled. Despite all the heat Bowden got for having his son, Jeff, as the OC the last few seasons, Bowden never made a mid-season change.

Not to kick a man when he's already been canned, but this little quote may shed some light on why Amato had a reputation as a coach who was hard to work under. Amato had three options on how to handle this subject.

1) Come right and say, "Marc Trestman didn't get the job done as our offensive coordinator, and ultimately that led to my being fired." Not very nice, but at least it's up front and honest.

2) Not bring up Trestman because hey, Amato was the one that hired him. Blaming one of your assistants for your demise kinda sounds like passing the blame off, doesn't it?

3) Don't directly bring up Trestman's name so you don't cause a big controversy, but do enough insinuation so that people can be pretty sure that's who you're referring to.

That's the least admirable option here, but unfortunately, it's the one that Amato chose.

A couple of snippets of Greensboro's involvement in Orange and Maroon Effect Day, the nationwide demonstration of support for the Virginia Tech Community, according to ACC media relations guru Brian Morrison:
** Pastabilities restaurant is donating 10 percent of its revenue today to the university.
** The Conference Store, an apparel shop off Wendover Avenue, is offering 10 percent off all Virginia Tech merchandise. Ownership noticed a marked increase in sales of Tech products and reacted with the discount.
** The Tech flag from the ACC Tournament is on display outside conference headquarters off Grandover Parkway.
Let us know if you hear or see anything else.

A couple of snippets of Greensboro's involvement in Orange and Maroon Effect Day, the nationwide demonstration of support for the Virginia Tech Community, according to ACC media relations guru Brian Morrison:
** Pastabilities restaurant is donating 10 percent of its revenue today to the university.
** The Conference Store, an apparel shop off Wendover Avenue, is offering 10 percent off all Virginia Tech merchandise. Ownership noticed a marked increase in sales of Tech products and reacted with the discount.
** The Tech flag from the ACC Tournament is on display outside conference headquarters off Grandover Parkway.
Let us know if you hear or see anything else.

Through Sunday's win over Lexington, the Grasshoppers (10-6) are tied with the Minor League lead in home runs with 24. Of the 120 full-season teams in affiliated pro ball, only the Lancaster JetHawks http://www.jethawks.com of the Class A California League have matched Greensboro's total. They have played 17 games.
On the other end of the power-hitting spectrum, we have the Ottawa Lynx of the Triple-A International League. The Lynx are leading the league in batting average and are second in runs while having failed to go deep all year. That's 411 at-bats without a dinger. That's insane.

Here's a link to the news update I posted on our website.

All indications are that Wright will announce he's turning pro. Usually when a player is staying, they send out a release about it and that's that.

But I'm curious about the whole agent thing. From the public statements Roy Williams has made - see this update from Andy Katz at ESPN - it seems almost as if Williams is the one having to convince Wright to go pro, not the other way around.

If Wright is feeling that unsure about things, then maybe he dips his foot in but doesn't dive headfirst by hiring an agent. I still don't think it's likely, but hey, just sayin'.

In the wake of the shocking - SHOCKING I TELL YOU!!! - news that Brandan Wright is headed to the NBA, comes this update from Jeff Goodman over at FoxSports.com. Georgia Tech's Thaddeus Young is putting his name in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Unlike Wright - who clearly is in the draft to stay - Young appears to be merely testing things. From what I've read - and I'll see if can add in a few links later to back this up - the scouts have a widening range of views on Young. I've seen him projected as anywhere from end of the lottery to the end of the first round. My guess if he gets feedback that he's projected in the 20s, that he comes back to school.

The other tidbit in Goodman's article is that GT point guard Javaris Crittenton is still weighing his options. One article I saw recently said that Crittenton may actually have a higher draft value than Young right now. Perhaps that's because of the lack of point guards in this draft.

The decisions of these two are something that ACC hoops fans should watch closely in the next couple of days. If both go pro, Georgia Tech essentially starts over again, in the lower rungs of the ACC. Personally, I think if only one goes pro, the Jackets are better off keeping Crittenton, because he has unique skills at the point that Hewitt can't easily replace - even though Tech has a PG from the Class of 2007, Maurice Miller, coming in. Young, as good as he is, is just one of several talented front-court players GT has. Tech is adding to that crowded group with incoming prep All-American Gani Lawal.

If both stay? Well then there's your challenger to UNC for ACC supremacy.

Stay tuned ...

Remember that SNL skit? The one that Jimmy Fallon almost ruined by being completely incapable of keeping a straight face? (Okay, I realize that really doesn't narrow it down).

But I digress. The point is that the heat and humidity and general malaise of the South Florida sports scene has clearly gotten to our faithful Atlanta Braves scribe. Prior to the Brave's 11-6 win over the Marlins last night - which pushed Atlanta to 13-7 by the way, DOB published this blog entry with a raft of stats which would seem to contradict the notion that Atlanta is actually pretty good. (Again, you may need to register with the site to view this. Don't worry cheapskates, it's free.)

I'm not sure what to make of the whole thing. Certainly the 3.92 ERA of the bullpen threw me for a loop. That unit's probably the biggest reason for the Braves' strong start. Not that surprised about the overall staff ERA - Mark Redman will do that to you, folks. Certainly not surprised that the left fielders have been collectively awful. You just sort of get used to that after a while.

So does this mean that stats lie? Or does it mean the Braves have been doing it with mirrors and are due for a fall?

While normally a fairly pessimistic Atlanta fan - you get that way after the 8th or 9th playoff flameout, I'm afraid - I'm leaning toward statistical anomalies right now. It seems like early on the Braves were pitching just well enough to survive poor hitting and now they're hitting just well enough to survive poor pitching. Somehow that translates to poor overall stats but a very nice overall record. I'm hopeful that eventually the pitching and the hitting might actually sync up soon, leading to improvements in the stat categories.

Not that I really care, as long as the win percentage stays in the .600 range?

Jeff Carlton, what do you think? I see your boy Mike Grossman is giddy over the Phils' four straight wins.

... is apparently being asked of N.C. State defensive tackle DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler as the NFL Draft approaches.

This article from the Elgin (Ill.) Courier Journal, a su suburban Chicago paper, mentions Tyler and his issues. Apparently, as the KC Star points out as well, the Chiefs are also concerned.

While I'm certain that "character" needs to be a factor taken into account by NFL GMs, right alongside measurables like 40 times and shuttle runs, the Tyler situation gives me pause.

As someone who has covered a lot of N.C. State football for the last three years, I can honestly say that Tyler was never one of the guys who came up in conversation - both on and off the record - as a "problem player." Certainly not in the T.A. McClendon, Derek Morris mold. Was he a bit of a hot head? Perhaps. But he never seemed to be a dirty player or a cheap shot artist. The spitting incident at Southern Miss got him in trouble, although he insisted it was more a case of overemphatic enunciation than malicious intent.

The issue with the police office can't be dismissed either, but I'm still not sure we're coming anywhere close to Pac Man Jones/Chris Henry levels here.

Make no mistake folks. That's what's driving this renewed emphasis on "character." Jones and, to a lesser extent, Henry, have put a new level of fear in GMs. It's not just the bad PR they bring the league. It's the possibility of drafting a talent who might run afoul of the commish and then wind up suspended for a good chunk of the season.

It's a reasonable fear, but it's unfortunate if Tyler gets swept down the draft charts because of it. While I can't draw conclusions about his character based on our brief conversations over the years - he was always friendly, approachable and highly quotable, by the way - I also don't think NFL personnel guys should define Tyler by the two incidents that are currently dogging him.

I know we don't normally delve into the ongoing soap opera that is the Boston Red Sox - there are plenty of other outlets where you can get your Sawx fix, trust us - but I just couldn't resist posting the link to this article from the Boston Globe.

Yes folks, three years after the fact, we're still debating whether Curt Schilling's ankle sock was bloody, or just "painted."

Frankly, I could care less. What's fascinating is that Gary Thorne, a very respected announcer, had so much confidence in his statement and flatly said it came from Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli. Then Mirabelli had an almost violent reaction to Thorne's comments. It's hard to find a middle ground here and assume there was just some miscommunication or that Mirabelli was just pulling Thorne's leg. If that were the case, wouldn't Mirabelli have said that? Instead, he quickly called Thorne a liar.

Pretty clearly, someone's not telling the truth here. And that's actually more interesting than the stupid sock.

As for me, I'm just bitter the Braves blew a 3-0 lead last night. Maybe O'Brien was right to be so pessimistic. Freakin' Marlins.

I admit it. Post NFL Draft analysis is a guilty pleasure for me. I know, I know, it's really silly and arbitrary to give out grades a day after an event that really can't be accurately judged until these guys, you know, actually play. But I eat this stuff up. I really do. And I'm betting you do as well.

That's why I'm providing all the links below to let you know what the "experts" think of the Carolina Panthers' draft. As the title to this post says, in general they think the Panthers done good.

Paul Zimmerman - aka Dr. Z - gave the Panthers a B. Yeah, it's not an A, but for a curmudgeon like Zimmerman, who doles out praise in very, very small amounts, it might as well be.

Another SI writer, Don Banks, didn't do grades, but did set aside a graph or two to praise what the Panthers did in their draft.

John Czarnecki over at Fox Sports wasn't that high on Jon Beason Carolina's first pick, but still gave the Panthers an A. Why? He was gaga over the second round picks. Like SI's Peter King, he loves USC C Ryan Kalil. And he adamantly stated that USC WR Dwayne Jarrett was "no Mike Williams"

(Personal aside here. I can't help but think that Jarrett probably would have gone earlier had he not gone to Southern Cal. I know it seems strange to say, but follow my reasoning here. Like Williams, Jarrett was a long, tall ultra-productive receiver for the Trojans. Like Williams, Jarrett didn't run a very fast 40 time on pro day. Williams, as we all know, turned out to be a massive bust for the Lions. So therefore, Jarrett must be another bust, like Williams, right? Never mind that Williams already had the infamous "character issues" before going to the NFL and had already missed a season of college ball before he went to the Lions. I'm telling you, if Jarrett had gone to college somewhere else, the Williams comparisons wouldn't have been so obvious and the guy probably goes in the mid to late first-round. Weird, but I really think NFL GMs sometimes suffer from Groupthink on things like this.)

Pete Prisco at CBS.Sportsline.com gave the Panthers a B+. He too loved the Jarrett pick. His only complaint was a really nitpicky one. He wouldn't have drafted a return specialist - Ryne Robinson - in the fourth round.

Finally, Chris Neubauer, an associate editor at Pro Football Weekly, felt the Panthers did the best job on the first day of the draft. Like several other experts, he loved that Carolina was able to trade down in the first round - picking up extra picks in the process - and still get the same player at No. 25 (Beason) that it wanted at No. 14.

What does all of this mean? Not much until these guys actually take the field. But for Panthers fans who had to suffer through last season's disappointment, it's at least a good start for the 2007 campaign.