WRAL Sports Fan

Webb, Earnhardt give winning weekend to NC sports fans

By Joe Ovies
Jun 18, 2012

Webb Simpson's victory at the U.S. Open took place in San Francisco, but the impact could be felt inside the I-440 Beltline.

Cameron Village was littered with crushed Miller High Life Light cans left behind from the Sperry-clad partiers. The Chick-Fil-A inside the shopping center, a two-story architectural marvel that has become the Taj Mahal of chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, actually opened on a Sunday night to accommodate the jubilee. Outside of a few Volvo V70 wagons that were overturned, fans of Simpson did their best to celebrate in an orderly fashion. 

The national narratives emerging from the U.S. Open seemed to be more concerned with the brutal conditions at Olympic and whether or not Tiger Woods will be able to put together a game consistent enough to win another major, never mind catching Jack Nicklaus.

Simpson's win was a breakthrough performance, making him a household name not that long into his career. But locally, the insiders already knew the deal. It just wasn't a victory for Simpson, but  a huge moment for Needham Bryant Broughton High School grads everywhere. Don't be shocked if you see folks wearing purple and gold attire or their "Algebra Club" shirts proudly this week.

Junior finally snaps winless streak

Outside the beltline, all eyes were on Dale Earnhardt Junior breaking out his 4-year winless slump in Michigan. 

Despite going 143 races without a win, Earnhardt remained NASCAR's most popular driver. In many ways, he is to motorsports what Tiger Woods is to the PGA. It doesn't matter that NASCAR already has a collection of interesting personalities and a loyal fan base, Earnhardt simply moves the needle better than anyone else. 

On a Father's Day Sunday, jammed with Game 3 of the NBA Finals and Jim Furyk falling apart at the U.S. Open, only Earnhardt could elevate NASCAR up a few notches in the Sportscenter rotation. 

Welcome back, Junior. 

Speaking of the NBA ...

Now you see why doling out knee-jerk reaction based on one game of a Finals series is foolish? The Miami Heat took one on the road and held serve at home to take a 2-1 advantage over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

I'd also caution folks from making more knee-jerk reactions based on the latest results. For starters, the Heat and Thunder look like teams that are going to use all 7 games to decide it. It would also be silly to go after Russell Westbrook.

There has been much hand-wringing over Westbrook's shooting. "Get the ball to Durant!" has been the common refrain. But consider that the Thunder were 25-5 when Westbrook took more shots than Durant before Game 2 of the Finals.

The point? There is plenty of good that comes out of Westbrook not being a traditional point guard. Scott Brooks, of all people, should know that. Yet the coach benched Westbrook and the momentum changed.

Brooks' logic wasn't necessarily wrong since Westbrook was on the verge of overheating like a motorcycle in "Excitebike." However, Westbrook is more likely to help you with important possessions on the court (ugliness and all) than watching on the bench.