Mandy Mitchell
Mandy Mitchell, a sports anchor/reporter at WRAL, grew up in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida. She spent 8 years in South Carolina covering the SEC before moving to ACC country.
By Mandy Mitchell
Yesterday at 11:11 p.m.
Basketball players on Team USA practiced in Washington, D.C., Saturday, July 14, 2012 before the Summer Olympics.
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
High praise for Glennon
Apparently Bucs head Greg Schiano has been after Mike Glennon for a long time. Check out this article from SI.com. Schiano details how he recruited Glennon when he was a college head coach and this year he thought he was the "best quarterback in the draft". Glennon is quickly becoming one of the most talked about players out of last month's draft as someone who could make an impact soon.
Coach K
It appears Coach K is headed back to Team USA after all. I covered his arrival at RDU in August when he returned from leading the US to the Gold Medal in London. He was adamant he would not give it another go. It looks like a little time off helped to convince him to return. Like so many things in life, it is extremely easy to say you don't want to do something again right after you get done doing it. I swore I wouldn't run another marathon after finishing my first one last October. I have already signed up for another. Coach K obviously has fun coaching this team and it doesn't seem to be hurting his success at Duke. In fact, does it get any better for recruiting than "hey, LeBron thinks I'm a pretty good coach"? Krzyzewski doesn't have much more to prove at the world level
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By Mandy Mitchell
May 12, 2013
Sergio Garcia, of Spain, gestures as he misses a birdie putt on the seventh hole during the final round of The Players championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass, Sunday, May 12, 2013, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
Hamilton Struggles and Smiles
This is an absolutely scathing column about Raleigh's Josh Hamilton from the L.A. Times. T.J. Simmers rips Hamilton for his attitude on the field saying he comes across as the "poster child for athletes who know they have guaranteed money coming." It is important to understand the writer when looking at the piece. He has made a name for himself for trying to instigate players. What I am interested in is what you think about this. Is it important to fans if a player "smiles" or seems "laid-back"? I'm not sure what behavior would be "ok" for Hamilton. The guy has been through a lot in his career. He has his way of coping with the slump and it's hard to question that given his past. On the opposite side of the spectrum we have Cam Newton who is often criticized by the fans and media for having a "frowny face" on the sideline. He's been called out for his demeanor during losses. It's a tough deal for players. It's a fine line. Yes, Hamilton is struggling but the season is only six weeks old. The Angels aren't exactly lighting it up as a franchise either.
Sergio vs Tiger
In the Sergio vs Tiger "feud" this weekend, I really wonder if ANYONE was on the side of Sergio Garcia.
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By Mandy Mitchell
May 5, 2013
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not
Change needed
NASCAR has to do something about restrictor plate racing because someone is going to get killed. A driver is going to lose his/her life and you will hear the NASCAR suits talking about how they are going to look into speeds/safety etc. Apparently that's what it's going to take to get some change. Carl Edwards flew into the catch fetch at Talladega a few years back. A car went into the stands at Daytona this year. Today's Talladega race featured Kurt Busch going airborne. One quote from driver Ryan Newman sums this all up.
"They can build safer race cars, they can build safer walls, but they can't get their heads out of their (blank) far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing," Newman said.
Stop questioning heart
I think it's time to stop questioning athletes and their "heart" and desire to play. As I've pointed out before, Derrick Rose has been getting KILLED in the Chicago media for failing to return from his ACL injury this season even though he's been cleared by doctors. Cleared does not mean "better" and only Rose knows if he's ready to go. Luol Deng went through something similar this week when he missed two playoff games for "flu-like symptoms". He felt the need to tweet this after he was admitted to the hospital:
Luol Deng @LuolDeng9 3 May
Now
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By Mandy Mitchell
Apr 29, 2013
Duke's Conner Vernon during the Devils' 52-45 loss to Miami on Saturday, November 24, 2012 in Durham, NC (Photo by Jack Morton).
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
Conner Vernon
Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon is the ultimate test for a lot of us. If you have seen the guy play, it's hard not to admit he's a fantastic football player. He is the ACC's all-time leader in receptions. That holds a lot of weight when you think of the guys who came through that league. He's also an overachiever.
He wasn't a hot recruit coming out of high school due to his size and speed and that proved to be the case in the NFL draft once again. Not many teams are in a hurry to draft a guy at wide receiver who doesn't possess blazing speed. Vernon ran a 4.5 second, 40-yard dash at his fastest.
I say he's the test subject for us because I, along with many people I talk to, believe he will be a great pro. We will soon find out if his work ethic outweighs his skill like it did it college. I am excited to see what he can do out in Oakland.
ACC Shines
ACC fans should be pretty pumped about what happened at this year's NFL draft. The league had six first round draft picks. That's second to only the SEC. And while it's probably annoying to continue to finish second to the SEC, do keep in mind that league had a ridiculous one out of every five draft picks. This is the best first day performance by the ACC
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By Mandy Mitchell
Apr 15, 2013
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
Woods Penalty
Like a lot of you, I spent the first half of my day on Saturday trying to figure out what was going on with Tiger Woods. I saw so many people arguing about the penalty on twitter. Some were saying he didn't get disqualified because he's Tiger. Others were saying the penalty was dumb. I didn't have much of an opinion because I was a little confused. Masters officials reviewed the play and said it was ok, then it took a TV interview to prove to them it wasn't ok? CBS spent about the first 30 minutes of the broadcast explaining the ruling. If it takes that long, perhaps the rule is too complicated. I love watching golf and I really enjoyed the time I spent covering the Masters at Augusta, but these little rules drive me nuts. When Dustin Johnson lost the PGA because of a "bunker" I began to grow weary of the rules. My biggest problem is the golf fans who sit at home with nothing better to do than call in with rules violations. They have huge HD TVs and think they see something and want to be the guy who sees something no one else saw. I'm not sure how this helps the sport.
Toomer's Corner
A tradition will end on Saturday and I'm rather sad about it. The Oak trees at Toomer's Corner on Auburn's campus will be rolled with toilet paper for the final time following Auburn's Spring football game. The
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By Mandy Mitchell
Mar 31, 2013
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
Ware Injury
The Kevin Ware injury during the Louisville/Duke game was one of the worst things I've ever seen in sports. It wasn't just the injury itself, which was awful, but the reaction of the guys on the court. His teammates couldn't even stand. It was one of those sickening moments where you just can't imagine the kind of pain the kid is experiencing. I give a lot of credit to CBS for not showing the injury over and over. They showed it twice and then, once it became apparent how bad it was, they stopped showing it. I will also say I am proud to work for a news operation in WRAL that will not be showing the video. Our management made the decision minutes after the injury that we will not replay that. This is always up to the individual station and I really think it's the right call.
Sidney Crosby
You really have to feel for Penguins star Sidney Crosby. He was hit in the mouth with a puck during Saturday's game, needed surgery on his jaw, and will miss a significant amount of playing time. Pittsburgh is hoping to have him back for the playoffs which begin at the end of the month. This guy has had some really bad fortune in his career so far. Because of a concussion he missed 41 games in the 2010-11 season. He only played in 22 games last year and he missed all of the time in the lockout
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By Mandy Mitchell
Mar 21, 2013
Before leaving for Dayton I put a question out on twitter asking fans what they wanted to know about the WolfPack before Friday's game with Temple. I was able to get the answers to some of those questions today after NC State's open practice.
How is Richard Howell?
Howell had a thigh bruise from being kneed in the same spot multiple times while at the ACC tournament. He was walking with a visible limp in Greensboro. I asked Howell today how he was feeling. He said he's "ok" and said it was getting better. He didn't look to have any problems with it at practice.
Did the players see "Survive and Advance"?
Most of the players said they've seen the movie and they found it inspiring. They said the movie puts a big spotlight on the program and that's a good thing at this time of the year.
Are the players motivated?
Absolutely. How could you not be at the NCAA tournament? I will say this group feels like it really has something to prove. That's not surprising, but it is definitely the feeling you get when talking to the players.
There are a couple of notes I found interesting while talking to the guys. Rodney Purvis told me he didn't really understand how hard it was to get into the tournament until Selection Sunday. "My boy Dez Wells (from Maryland) isn't here," he said. That should make Purvis even more motivated to play well this week. Understanding what a challenge it is to
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By Mandy Mitchell
Mar 18, 2013
Richard Howell (1) tries to get space against Reggie Johnson (42) during the Miami vs. NC State game on February 2, 2013 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I've been lucky enough to cover a lot of great moments in my career, and I must say, last year's NC State Selection Sunday is among my favorites.
Watching the show in the WRAL sports office was intense. It took until the very last pick for NC State to be named to the field. That's when I rushed over to campus to interview one excited group of players.
The mood is very different for the Pack this year. The team expected to be in the tournament. In fact, when this year began, the team expected to be in the Final Four.
Mark Gottfried now has the task of getting his guys fired up for one last run at expectations. "Our guys need to feel excited, which I think they are," said Gottfried. It is easy to see why NC State can't get too excited about the future too soon.
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By Mandy Mitchell
Mar 14, 2013
Quinn Cook (2) during the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils NCAA basketball game, Saturday, March 9, 2013 in Chapel Hill, NC.
The Duke Blue Devils will take the court in Greensboro Friday almost exactly one year after their surprising NCAA Tournament loss to Lehigh.
Duke players said the loss a year ago came from a lack of focus, something they don't expect this time around.
"Last year, we weren't focused at this time of the year, and it showed in the way we played," said guard Tyler Thornton.
There is little doubt about the team's focus right now. It may be the same court, but a lot has changed in the last 12 months.
Duke is coming off one of its most impressive wins of the year, a dominating 16-point win over North Carolina, and the Blue Devils are plenty used to having Ryan Kelly back in the lineup. He will play his fourth game since his return on Friday.
"We were scrambling to find an identity going into the ACC Tournament last year," Mason Plumlee said. "This year we are getting Ryan back and we have a lot of guys playing at a high level. It's exciting."
Kelly's most impressive stat this season continues to be his record. The Blue Devils are 18-0 when he is on the court, and they appear as dangerous as they did when they rose to No. 1 early this season.
"We are getting that feel back," Quinn Cook said. "He was out two months so that won't happen over night but we are getting back to where we were."
Duke gets the winner of Maryland and Wake Forest on Friday.
They are 3-1 against those two teams this year, with a loss at Maryland last month.
A
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By Mandy Mitchell
Mar 10, 2013
Thoughts on the sports world I can't share in a 5 minute sportscast. Some Triangle news. Some not.
IU? Oh no
Indiana won the Big 10 championship on Sunday by beating Michigan in Ann Arbor. No need for the Hoosiers to cut down the nets, though. They already did that. Indiana became, I'm just guessing here, the first team to ever cut down the net after a loss. Ohio State went into Bloomington and upset the Hoosiers on Senior Night. Indiana had this big plan in place to celebrate the Big 10 title that night and they didn't cancel it despite the loss. The team wore Big 10 Championship hats, held up a trophy and cut down the nets. They did all this even though they could've ended up sharing the title. Indiana coach Tom Creen had a good explanation for the display. He said he wanted to give his seniors the chance to celebrate something they had earned in front of the home crowd. Only problem is, they hadn't earned it yet. I can't imagine the players who were celebrating really had a good time that night following a tough loss. Sometimes it is best just to dump the plan.
Our business?
New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella responded to a reporter's question about an injury this week with the always popular "none of your business". The reporter was asking about the status of Rick Nash, who is a rather important player on this team. First it's important to know how injury reports work. The NFL requires teams to
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