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Worst. Free throw. Ever.

By Joe Ovies
Posted 23 minutes ago

Brady Morningstar, doing what the kids call FAIL.

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Peppers & Panthers ready for splitsville?

By Joe Ovies
Posted 47 minutes ago

Julius Peppers had an impressive performance during the Carolina vs. New Orleans game, Sunday, January 3, 2010 at Bank of America Stadium. (Photo by: Will Bratton)

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers gave a candid interview to Chris McClain of WFNZ’s “The Mac Attack" this morning. The way Peppers is talking, and he doesn't talk much these days, don't expect to see him roaming the field in Charlotte next season.

Peppers told WFNZ that the team hasn't spoken to him during the offseason outside of "a few vague text messages" to his agent. When asked if he wanted to be a Panther, Peppers told McClain "why would I come out and say I want to be here, when the team is not even acknowledging the fact that my future with the organization is up in the air?"

So what will happen with Peppers? Depends on what the front office in Charlotte decides is in their best interests. GM Marty Hurney could franchise tag Peppers again and seek out potential trades. It would be similar to what Hurney did last season, but this round would cost the Panthers $20 million. The team quickly found out the market for Peppers wasn't very strong last year, and the looming NFL labor stoppage could impede any deals this year.

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The ACC's Snowpocalypse problem

By Joe Ovies
Updated at 12:45 p.m.

Cars are buried under snow on both sides of the road as a snow plow heads down East Capital Street in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010, to clear roads after a blizzard. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Maryland and Virginia were scheduled to play at the Comcast Center on Wednesday night, but the ongoing Snowpocalypse forced the schools to postponed the game until Monday, February 15th.

If a few inches of snow can shut down the Triangle, imagine what upwards of 30 inches can do. Travel has been a nightmare in the mid-Atlantic regions. Thanks to the road conditions and the threat of more snow, Virginia Tech is leaving for NC State this afternoon.

North Carolina made a similar decision last week, heading up to Maryland after classes on Friday night. Roy Williams wasn't too thrilled with the idea, and explained on his radio show how bad the conditions were in the Washington D.C. area. According to Williams, the team couldn't leave the parking lot on Saturday and raided a canceled wedding reception for the food.

And considering the end result in College Park, another loss, I'm surprised Williams didn't reenact a scene from "The Shining."

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N.C. State looks to the Weebles Wobble

By Tim Hall
Posted at 12:26 p.m.

N.C. State women's basketball coach Kellie Harper was starting to get concerned about her team's toughness. She noticed her girls were getting "punched in the mouth" and not responding the way she would like them to.

Her team was having trouble bouncing back if something didn't go according to plan. Monday on the Sidney Lowe Show, produced by Wolfpack Sports Network and aired on 99.9 The Fan ESPN Radio in Raleigh, Harper had the perfect solution to solve her team's problems.

"I'm trying to figure out what I can use as a sample of something that bounces back....so..you know those vintage toys Weeble Wobbles?" Harper asked the coach.

Lowe chuckled and said he knew of them.

"All of our players now have a Weeble Wobble. Weebles may wobble but they don't fall down," Harper exclaimed.

"They don't fall down, right," Lowe laughed again.

Harper then told Lowe that she had plenty of Weeble Wobbles to loan to the guys if need be. Hey, the Lady Wolfpack won its last game against Virginia Tech to get to 13-10 so maybe they work.

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Did Julius Mays get fouled?

By Tim Hall
Posted at 11:59 a.m.

Sidney Lowe was so upset that a foul wasn't called on Iman Shumpert at the end of Saturday's game that he stormed off the court without shaking hands with Paul Hewitt or the Yellow Jacket players.

Lowe later said he felt bad about it and that he had never left the court like that at any point in his life. He found Hewitt and his players before he met with the media to congratulate them on the win and to apologize.

This isn't the best replay. There isn't a close-up available either. But at best it looks like Shumpert may have tapped Mays on the wrist before he even brought the ball up into the shooting motion.

This definitely doesn't look like one of those extremely obvious foul calls. I like to see a foul called in the final second of a game if it is in fact a foul. If that's what determines the game than so be it. People always say you can't let a game end that way - well.....don't foul then. But I really don't think a foul was committed here.

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This week's Top 25 AP ballot

By Tim Hall
Posted at 10:54 a.m.

For the remainder of the year I will be posting my college hoops Top 25 AP ballot for all to dissect. From now until the end of the season I'll be posting this to Fankind on Monday.

Week 13 ballot:

1. Kansas
2. Syracuse
3. Kentucky
4. West Virginia
5. Villanova
6. Georgetown
7. Purdue
8. Duke
9. Kansas State
10. Texas
11. Michigan State
12. Ohio State
13. Tennessee
14. Wisconsin
15. Gonzaga
16. New Mexico
17. BYU
18. Maryland
19. Baylor
20. UNLV
21. Northern Iowa
22. Butler
23. Wake Forest
24. Texas A&M
25. Vanderbilt

My one concern with the ACC this week was the actual AP poll. Georgia Tech still was ranked No. 20 and no other ACC teams got in. Wake Forest and Maryland weren't even one of the first two teams receiving votes. I just don't understand how the Yellow Jackets remain in the poll and Maryland or Wake Forest doesn't crack in. Was the 20 point smackdown at Duke impressive? Did skating by N.C. State at home impress you? 

I know Maryland winning six of its last seven games is impressive. I know beating FSU on the road and smacking North Carolina at home is pretty good. The Terps are also 16-6 and 6-2 in the ACC.  GT is 17-6 and 5-4 in the ACC.  What gives?

Same goes for Wake Forest, who has the most impressive schedule of the three I

Click here to read the rest of the post

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Jay Williams says Duke-UNC game is louder in Chapel Hill

By Tim Hall
Updated 15 minutes ago

DeMarcus Nelson shoots as UNC defenders try to block.

Yes, the former National Player of the Year joined The Insiders on Monday to talk about the Duke-Carolina rivalry and yes, he said the game is normally loudest when it's played in Chapel Hill.

Williams said Cameron is loud, but he called the Dean Smith Center the loudest building he's ever played in. Although the Dean Dome would have always been at its loudest when Jay's team played there.

"I got sometimes more excited to play there than I did at Cameron," Williams said. "Just to go into an environment that's so hostile that you have 20,000 people yelling at you and knowing where you live and knowing your phone number."

And of course, beating your rival at home is very good. But it's always better to beat them on the road.

"As a player, there's no better feeling than going into Carolina and getting a win. No better feeling at all."

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What Nolan Smith watches for Duke-Carolina week

By Tim Hall
Posted at 9:32 a.m.

You might remember this Duke video making the rounds before the season began. The players unveiled this compilation of movie-spoof sketches before at the annual Countdown to Craziness celebration.

Nolan Smith and Andre Dawkins acted out a scene from Titanic - you know the scene in which Leo DeCaprio draws Kate Winslet wearing nothing but the blue diamond?  Nolan Smith played Kate Winslet, and as you can see (1:57 in) it's pretty funny.

Yesterday when Nolan Smith joined The Insiders on The Fan, the guys had to ask him (about 5:00 in) if he had a new appreciation for the movie.

"I do have a new appreciation for it," Smith said. "It's funny because that movie was on last night and I was watching it. When that part came on I was looking at her face during that scene and picturing my face, and I think I definitely topped her."

Priceless. Smith did also weigh in on the rivalry during the interview.

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Vinsanity is back!

By Tim Hall
Posted at 9:17 a.m.

The Magic's move to deal for Vince Carter in the offseason looks like it's finally starting to payoff. Vinsanity has been picking up his play in the past week and half for Orlando and then he exploded on Monday night for 48 points while going 19-for-27 from the field.

It was Carter's third best scoring game of his career, only three off his career high of 51 (two times). The 48 points were also the most he's scored in a game since 2000 - wow. He wasn't doing all of the spectacular dunks he was known for early in his career. He hit six three-pointers, he drained shots off the dribble and he finger-rolled the ball over the rim. It looks like the former Tar Heel is finding his groove at a late stage of his career.

We sometimes forget what an awesome scorer he's been his entire career. His 23 points per game over his 12 seasons are just a notch below the Kobe's, Shaq's and Garnett's of the league.

And why not enjoy a few old fashioned dunks while we are at it, most are from his Raptors days of course.

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Soccer, what a bright idea!

By Brad Simmons
Updated at 12:05 a.m.

We take a lot of things for granted in this country.  Electricity may be our biggest luxury,  but, let's face it, the only time we really think about electricity is when we get that unreasonably high bill or when it's out during a thunderstorm.  

Some of the poorest countries in the world use fires, candles and kerosene heaters for light when the sun sets.

A group from Harvard have developed a soccer ball that builds up energy while in use that can be used later to power LED lights. 

Using the most popular sport in the world to help power it, now that's a bright idea!
 

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