Mike Maniscalco
Mike Maniscalco is the co-host of "The Insiders" from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on 620 The Buzz. He is also the host of the Carolina Hurricanes pregame and postgame shows on 99.9 FM The Fan ESPN Radio.
By Mike Maniscalco
Nov 15, 2011
Becoming legend, Heels holding up their end, 5-0 or 0-13, shock and disgust at Penn State and we aren’t done yet, we might get that BCS title game rematch just not the one we were thinking of.
#903
That is the number that will put Duke Head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski at the of the all time wins list for D-I. Consider how Coach K’s journey started at Army and the first few years at Duke, probably not too many people thought the tough Polish kid out of Chicago would see 100 career wins.
Even Krzyzewki had to take a step back, “It’s kind of hard to believe really, especially you know the first three years being…we only won 38 games my first three years.”
But how things changed once he got the ball rolling in Durham, “We’ve had seasons where we’ve won almost that many, a number of them.”
He shows no signs of slowing down or thinking about life after Duke, coaching Team USA has re-energized his batteries, top recruits are still coming to play for him, and the competitive desire to be the best are still there. Plus there is the competition. As long as he stays healthy, the question only question about the win total and Coach K will be how far out of reach will he put it?
Anchors Away…
The North Carolina Tar Heels are picked by just about everyone outside of Kentucky to be the nation’s top team. The first two games of the season have shown that those predictions are on target.
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By Mike Maniscalco
Nov 11, 2011
Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal (12) takes the ice.Hurricanes defeat the Bruins 3-2 at the RBC Center, in Raleigh NC.
The Carolina Hurricanes have three players on the NHL All-Star Team Ballot. Goaltender Cam Ward, leading scorer Jeff Skinner and perennial All-Star Eric Staal.
Only one problem, Staal has not been playing like one.
The team captain has been frustrated all season and is currently ninth on the team in points. That is not going to help a team that struggles on a nightly basis for goals in a position to make the playoffs.
While Cam Ward’s numbers do not look as gaudy as other net minders in the NHL, he passes the eye test every night. Ward isn't asked to do what Martin Brodeur has done for years by facing 25 shots and by looking at the ballot, you can see the Canes aren’t using the Nashville method of having two elite defensemen and a plan in front of him designed to win 1-0.
Jeff Skinner has exceeded all expectations providing an offensive spark that the team needs in a complimentary role. If Staal was putting up his usual numbers, Skinner’s contribution would be a pleasant surprise instead of providing fodder for water cooler trade talk about the teams top player. Skinner is outproducing last season's Rookie of the Year numbers, and every game does something that wows the crowd. He is on his way of being a staple in the All-Star Game.
The simple fact is this, Eric Staal has to lead the Hurricanes in scoring if there is any chance for this team to be successful - and he knows it.
The coaching staff, in an effort get Staal going has put
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By Mike Maniscalco
Nov 3, 2011
We have a war of words that is not very civil between two academic institutions in the Triangle. Clemson went ahead and pulled a Clemson or is it just another weekend in the ACC? You were going to the movies Saturday? Not anymore, we have a game of the century on our hands. Mimicry is not the sincerest form of flattery in the NFL. What 'Sophomore Jinx'? And Tony LaRussa does the commissioner a solid. To paraphrase Crash Davis…we are dealing with a lot of stuff here.
This is exactly what NC State and North Carolina rivalry needed.
Things just got real between NC State’s Tom O’Brien and UNC’s Everett Withers they taken this weekend's clash between the Pack and Heels to a different level. Normally the bragging rights of the win are enough to satisfy both sides, but it has gone to the my program is better than yours. Withers did his best to tweak State and its fans by calling the Heels the states flagship university, doing so by pointing out academic differences Carolina and State.
The Tar Heels coach wanted everyone to know that North Carolina is the university in the state, “When you have as many schools in this state as you have and the recruiting base gets watered down a little bit, I think the kids in this state need to know ‘the flagship school'.” Withers made the remarks on 99.9 the Fan and added, “They need to know it academically, if you look at our graduation
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By Mike Maniscalco
Oct 27, 2011
Heading into this weekend we will find out a lot about NC State, UNC and Duke football. And there is a frightening thought for the ACC for football next year that has nothing to do with conference expansion. And another thing, do you have the feeling that there is something that is missing from sports fans lives?
We'll learn something this weekend about all three schools win, lose or draw.
This is a big weekend for the Triangle teams on the football field. UNC hosts Wake Forest and the Heels need a win to restore confidence after being throttled by Clemson. The team is on a two game slide and if Everett Withers has any chance of dropping “interim” from his head coaching title, the team most likely has to win three of the last four and the bowl game. This weekend the Tar Heels have to avoid the costly turnovers that have plagued the offense lately and a lot of that falls on Bryn Renner not throwing picks to the Deacons D.
NC State is going to have to play a near flawless game against Florida State and that is just to have a chance in Tallahassee. The ‘Noles look to be rounding into the team everyone thought they could be with big plays on both sides of the ball. The Pack need to get pressure from their defensive line on quarterback EJ Manuel, only problem is Manuel can hurt a team with his arm and legs. Audie Cole will have to get to know Manuel early and deliver a few hits to deter the QB from scrambling. That is easier
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By Mike Maniscalco
Oct 7, 2011
If, could, can, maybe, potentially, but. These are the words that dot the preseason predictions for the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canes continued to get younger this summer and are banking on young talent. Carolina owned a roster that was among the NHL’s oldest two seasons ago. It is now one of the youngest. Just four of the twenty-three players in Paul Maurice’s line-up are over the age of 30, but this team is not without experience.
Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Chad LaRose are the only holdovers from the Stanley Cup winning team of 2005-06, and all three of them are under 30, but those players have only been in the postseason once since winning it all.
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By Mike Maniscalco
Sep 27, 2011
The Carolina Hurricanes discovered a problem this training camp, but it is a problem that most NHL teams would love to have. The Canes have a logjam on the blue-line - too many players this pre-season look like they can step in and play.
Considering four years ago the concern in the organization was the depth at defense, the Canes now have a glut and that is a good thing.
Carolina came into this camp knowing there were seven NHL-ready defensemen on the roster. Today, the team has what looks like as many as ten players that can step in and play regular NHL minutes.
Why the increase in that number? The team can credit the play and practice habits of Justin Faulk and Ryan Murphy. The rookie defensemen have played in every game this pre-season and their presence has created a real sense of competition.
The Hurricanes have their top four defensemen set comprised of Olympians Tim Gleason (USA), Tomas Kaberle (Czech Republic), Joni Pitkanen (Finland) and veteran Bryan Allen. The rest of the group seemed to be set heading into training camp with young offensive-defensemen Jamie McBain, steady vet Jay Harrison, the physical presence Derek Joslin and not much room for anyone else. But Faulk and Murphy have grabbed the attention of the coaching staff.
Is it something that head coach Paul Maurice likes to see?
“Yes, I do.”, Maurice said quickly and with a smile.
Faulk and Murphy have played, albeit against pre-season competition, at a level
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By Mike Maniscalco
Sep 15, 2011
No one likes change, but in today’s college athletic landscape your program has to move forward or be left behind. Tradition is a word that has sacred meaning to fans, but in the NCAA sports world of 2011, it is nothing more than a romantic idea of how things used to be. Conference calls around the country between commissioners, athletic directors and school presidents are now filled with thoughts of; 'do we react or take action?'
“He who hesitates is lost.”
The ACC should not be wondering which road to choose if super-conferences are coming, they should have a plan in place.
There are a few options that fit in the footprint of the conference - such as turning to the Big East and bring Syracuse, Pittsburgh, UConn and West Virginia into the fold. It makes sense, you can divide the divisions by north and south and those institutions would fit academically. WVU, Pitt and ‘Cuse have football tradition and UConn doesn’t embarrass their colors on the field, these teams could easily blend into a revamped ACC.
Problem is they don’t really excite the college football world. West Virginia is the crown jewel of that group and while their fan base is passionate, there are not a lot of eyes tuning in across the country to watch Mountaineer football.
It would be nice to, say, add ECU and a few up and comers, but again this is about money. ECU would be a great addition to get to 16, but that would mean a major player would
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By Mike Maniscalco
Sep 9, 2011
A lot of things went down the first week of college football in the triangle, in fact too many to write just one thought about, so here is a look at a few of the things that are going on...
Why was there such a stink around the UNC Tar Heels giving former coach Butch Davis a game ball?
Davis was expected to be the head coach of this team up until nine days before the start of August camp. His dismissal and the poor timing came as a shock to almost everyone. But the team giving their former coach a game ball after a decisive season opening win shouldn’t have sent this many shock waves.
The roster is filled with players he recruited, the staff is comprised of coaches he brought to Chapel Hill, so if they want to give Davis a game ball, who does it hurt? Game balls are not handed out by the Board of Trustees or the Chancellor or sportswriters, it is the men in the locker room that make that call. Besides, aren't college kids supposed to thumb their nose at decisions made by the “establishment” that they don’t agree with?
One more thought on the game ball... Interim Head Coach Everett Withers was also given a ball for his first win as D-IA boss (teams give out more than one game ball, in case you didn’t know).
The value of having Nike and Under Armour providing universities with athletic gear and uniforms is almost immeasurable, but do we really need 328 uniform combinations for a 12 game schedule?
I
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By Mike Maniscalco
Sep 1, 2011
Social media is a wonderful thing, it has allowed us to stay in touch with friends that are miles away and reach countless people. Yet, like most things there can be a limit to how wonderful it is and things in print are there forever, even in the twitter-sphere. Case in point there are two excellent NFL running backs have used twitter in a way that has put them in an unwinnable situation. Tennessee Titans running back and ECU product Chris Johnson and Houston Texans tailback Arian Foster both tweeted to the masses things that were better off using inner monologue.
So let’s take Chris Johnson's tweet first. The former Pirate just got paid by the Titans and he has earned it by NFL standards. Johnson’s deal sets a new mark for running backs, $30 million guaranteed and $53.5 million over six years. Before he agreed to that deal, he had to read on twitter and everywhere else about him being a typical greedy athlete. Instead of just ignoring those comments, Johnson engaged in a land war in Asia by sending this:
@ChrisJohnson28
“Can these fake Titan fans STFU on my timeline I don’t have a regular job so don’t compare me to you and I can care less if uthink I’m greedy”
There is no way that Johnson comes across looking good in this. Yes, he did get his new deal and no apology makes up for the inferred I’m better than you thought. The best response by the former East Carolina star would be just signing his name on the contract. Now his detractors
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By Mike Maniscalco
Aug 26, 2011
I’ll admit that I like to read pre-season college football preview magazines to see where they slot teams. Pre-season polls are based on nothing but “what if’s” and I have no trouble giving my opinion on who I think is going to be a good team. Pre-season magazine rankings like this are harmless, because at the end of the year not one college football preview magazine poll has an impact in who plays for a “National Championship”.
Pre-season polls speculate on freshmen stepping in or up, a whole new offensive line being as good as the group that preceded them. It is impossible to rank teams before we have seen what the new players and in some cases coaches are bringing to the field.
However, there is a fundamental flaw by having a pre-season poll influencing who competes for a title. That is exactly what the USA Today Coaches Poll does before a single down has been played.
This is poll based on speculation, but it has direct impact on who plays for a title without real evidence to support where teams should be ranked. Just about every year there is a team in this pre-season top 10 that doesn’t finish in the top 25. How can a poll based on speculation that is consistently wrong have any weight on reality? The BCS was supposed to clear up the “who is the real champion” debate. In some ways it has. The BCS has also had undefeated teams that had no chance of playing for a shot at the crown because climbing up the rankings was impossible. Playing
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