 |
|||||||||||
The
Eagles Are Flying High No, I'm not talking about the NFL team from Philadelphia. I'm talking about the hoopsters from BC. While the majority of America was watching the Eagles put the finishing touches on their NFC playoff win against the Vikings, hoops fans on Tobacco Road were watching the #1 team in the land get punked on their home court. All the talk of the Tar Heels running the table and becoming the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers to go undefeated can now be trashed. The Heels are in the ACC cellar as they approach a date with the dangerous and undefeated Wake Forest Demon Deacons this weekend. Wake is playing well, as they ended BYU's 53-game home winning streak, and they might match up with the Heels as well as anyone can in the ACC. Ironically, Danny Green of the Heels stated before the BC game that the team could use a close call. Before the upset loss, UNC had won all of their 13 games this season by 15+ points. Green got his wish...as BC built up a double-digit lead, and held on as the Heels made one last run. For the record, the last team to go 16-0 in the ACC was Duke. The Blue Devils pulled the trick ten years ago, when they ran the ACC table during the 1998-99 season. One more thing: the Infamous ACC Index Card is updated and you can check out who is getting the calls and going to the line all season long. It should be noted that in the first three conference games this year, the team that won was called for more fouls and shot less free throws than their opponent....and the home team lost every game. Let's get back to the NFL Playoffs....the Wild Card weekend was very entertaining and the match-ups for the divisional playoff games are outstanding. In the NFC, the Panthers go primetime Saturday night as they host the Arizona Cardinals. These teams met earlier this year in Charlotte, and the Panthers rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to win the game. I know the Cardinals are pumped with their win over ATL to advance. I know that they are thrilled that Edgerrin James looked like his old self, running wild on the Falcons. But it's not going to matter. The Cardinals self-destruct when they head East, and that will continue this week. Charlotte should be rocking, the Panthers should be rested, and I expect that Carolina will make it to their fourth NFC Championship game in the fourteen-year history of the franchise. The bigger question is if the city of Charlotte will get the chance to host their first NFC Championship game...it's enough reason to root for the Philly Eagles to knock off the defending world champs in the Jersey swamp. The Eagles-Giants grudge match should be a good one. Philly beat the Giants down the stretch to continue their hot streak in making the playoffs, and you know the G-Men remember the dreadful performance. What's great about this game is that both sides know each other inside and out...you've got to love the rivalries in scenarios like this one. I'm torn about this game, because I'd love to see the Carolina-New York rematch from their great game from a few weeks ago. I'd also love to see Charlotte get a taste of an NFC Championship game. The atmosphere in Philly and especially Seattle the last two times the Panthers were involved was tremendous, and it would be great if the game was played here. In the AFC, there are a pair of terrific games, too. Tennessee, much like Carolina, has been flying under the national radar and now they have a chance to take care of business in front of the home fans throughout the playoffs. Baltimore and their awesome defense comes to Nashville looking to cause havoc. These two teams know each other and it will be an incredibly physical game. I love the way they both play, but can I pick a team with a rookie QB to win this match-up? San Diego's win over Indy was sensational, and their reward is a trip across the country to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. These two know each other as well....and that's what makes the match-ups this weekend so much fun. Big Ben against Mr. Rivers...and the Steelers' defense better be ready to attack, because the Chargers are red-hot. Darren Sproles' 323 all-purpose yards performance was simply fantastic...he might have to have an encore performance, if the Bolts want to head to the AFC title game. By the way, I was messing around doing some research, and according to my records, the last time both #1 seeds advanced to the Super Bowl was during the 1993 season when Buffalo and Dallas played in Super Bowl 28. That trend doesn't bode well for the Titans and Giants. As you know, I love Southern Fried Football™. With that said, I really enjoyed watching the effort by the Utah Utes on Friday when they punished the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. How could you not be impressed with the way they were coached and prepared to slay one of the SEC's best teams? I was torn, since I love the way Bama usually plays and Saban normally has his guys ready to play...but Utah was spectacular. Bama didn't quit after falling behind by three touchdowns in the opening quarter, but the Utah win opened the door to the great BCS/Playoff debate. For argument's sake, if there was a plus-one game in place this year...who would you select to play in the game against the Florida/Oklahoma winner? Would it be USC...Utah...Texas (assuming they can beat Ohio State)? The system stinks...and it needs to be changed immediately. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
|
||||||||||
