Opinion: Pre-Season Wolfpack Football

September 3, 2010

By: William Hinkle

The following is an opinion piece written before the beginning of the 2010 North Carolina State football season:

Since the academic scandal at UNC surfaced, I have been serenaded by phone calls and text messages from family and friends asking me some form of “How happy are you?” Unlike anything I can remember recently, the Tar Heels’ off-field woes this summer have united non-Carolina Tobacco Road and ACC fans to delight in what is obviously a joyous occasion for all outside of Chapel Hill. With that said, I have a confession to make – I take no joy in this, and quite frankly, don’t care. When it comes to my fanhood, the source of my pride and happiness is the accomplishments of my school. While I certainly won’t feel sorry for what any athletic program suffers if proven guilty of the types of things UNC is being investigated for, my current excitement revolves around the potential that always accompanies a new football season, not the trials and tribulations of our rivals.

It doesn’t take the most perceptive person to recognize the excitement surrounding the upcoming season is probably the lowest it has been this century - four straight losing seasons have obviously taken their toll. As evidenced throughout the annals of history, however, pre-season hype, or lack thereof, doesn’t dictate a team’s fortunes. So, before the 2010 Wolfpack gets a chance to take the field and show their stuff, I think it’s important for fans to try to focus on the positives entering the season. As fans, we have the luxury of allowing coaches to shore up the team’s weaknesses on the practice field. Our primary job, on the other hand, is to support and believe in the team; that is the only way we can help them. With that said, I give you a few things I’m excited about for the 2010 Wolfpack:

• The secondary – Arguably the team’s weakest position last season, I’m cautiously optimistic about the potential of this very young group. With the experience many of them gained last season, they should make fewer mental errors and be accustomed to the speed of college football. In addition, the influx of three talented freshmen with high ceilings gives the coaches more options. Finally, it must be a good sign that the coaches were confident enough in this group’s ability they moved a guy who was competing for a job to another position.
• The schedule – While difficult, there is no one team on the schedule that the Pack cannot beat. Does this mean the team will be undefeated? Of course not. But any win or combination of wins from this group would not surprise me.
• The “Perfect Storm” – The returning All-ACC tight end, the ACC’s active career touchdown receptions leader, and the ACC’s active career receiving yards leader should be the best WR/TE combination in the ACC. Depth at both positions is solid as well, with both proven experience and young talent. The offensive line, while replacing four starters and often cited as concern by Coach O’Brien during camp, has loads of potential especially since they are being coached up by widely recognized offensive line gurus. It will be interesting to see who emerges at running back, as there isn’t a lack of options. And did I mention Russell Wilson? I will never count the Pack out as long as the football is in his hands. Don’t forget number sixteen’s back-up either – most programs would die to have him.
• Nate Irving – Even if he isn’t the same old Nasty Nate, he’ll still be pretty darn good as his football instincts are unparalleled on this team. More importantly, however, will be his contributions to the mental aspect of the game. With his leadership, I predict the defense will play with more swagger this season. That should be a welcome sight, as playing with swagger entails being able to back it up.
• The fans – Despite a disappointing 12-10 home record during the Tom O’Brien era, it’s only a matter of time before teams rarely leave “The Carter” with a win.

The Summer Sports Doldrums

July 12, 2010

By: William Hinkle

As I christen this blog with my initial post, LeBron has arguably been the biggest sports story in the U.S. over the past week. Because a LeBron story is obvious to the point it would be cliche to write about him now (not to mention the captivation of the American audience by LeBron, as opposed the globe's premier sporting event - the World Cup), I will try to refrain from discussing him for the time being. Instead, I will focus on an annually appropriate topic in the month of July: the Summer Sports Doldrums.

Because I wasn't much of a baseball fan until my freshman year at Boston University when the Red Sox broke the curse (2004), there was never anything I could devote myself to as a spectator in the summer (this can also partially be attributed to my religious attendance of basketball and both varieties of football camps during childhood summers). Of course, when the Summer Olympics or World Cup come around every two years, I get a definite sports boner. Unfortunately, however, these two events always seem so fleeting - like a summer fling when you were a teenager. And, to be honest, since I'm so emotionally involved with Wolfpack basketball and football, my capacity for additional emotional "fanhood" is limited and it will be impossible for anything to fully satiate my sports thirst when these 2 off-seasons coincide.

Despite my biases, the fact that baseball doesn't command the nation's attention like it once did is not diminished. Because my sports jones would have already reached critical mass without this year's World Cup, I'm committing my annual Thanksgiving "what I'm thankful for" to even-year summers bringing us either the World Cup or the Summer Olympics. Luckily for me, I was immersed in the World Cup culture this year as I spent the opening rounds in Prague. Unfortunately after yesterday's final, we've entered the heart of the Summer Sports Doldrums where the occasional PGA Major will eclipse the excitement provided by the boys of summer. I'm sorry, but I just have a hard time getting pumped up for tonight's Home Run Derby, the Midsummer Classic, and the rest of baseball season. I'll keep myself informed and watch the occasional game, but there won't be a can't-miss sports viewing option every day/night or even every other day/night until the end of August (unless of course pre-season football in mid to late August really gets your blood pumping).

With my two slowest sports month of the year beginning to progress at a snail's pace, I leave you with my final observations from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa:

• 1-0: In order for soccer to get the respect it deserves in the States, it is imperative to avoid a final match in which the only goal that was scored took 117 minutes to get to. In today's world of instant gratification and A.D.D. most Americans won't wait two scoreless hours to arrive at the game's only defining moment; instead, their understanding of what happened will be limited to a mere clip on Sportscenter. 17 out of the 64 2010 World Cup games finished with a score of 1-0.
• Diego Forlan: The Uruguay striker deservedly won the Golden Ball as the Cup's most outstanding player. Forlan was easily the tournament's most exciting ball striker.
• Missed Opportunity at Immortality: Asamoah Gyan squandered a chance at African football immortality when his PK to send the Black Stars of Ghana to the semifinals caromed off the crossbar. Excluding U.S. soccer, this was the most memorable moment of the Cup to me, not for what it was but for what it could have been.
• Landon Donovan: Not only did he provide U.S. soccer with one of its all-time goals against Algeria, he consistently asserted himself as the country's most reliable and clutch player. In doing so, he emerged as the footballer Americans had hoped he was in 2006 (you can't convince me this isn't a result of being on loan from the L.A. Galaxy to a real football club, Everton). After last year's 2-0 defeat of new Cup champ Spain and a showing in South Africa that can be labelled encouraging, among other things, I'd like to think I can be optimistic about the future of U.S. soccer (especially of Jozy Altidore develops some ball skills to complement his tremendous athletic ability).
• Jersey Colors: If your country's jersey includes colors not on your national flag, I'd like to know the back story. A quick Google search combined with a minimal knowledge of world history explains the Dutch Oranje, but why does Spain sometimes don blue jerseys? And what about the Italians? Do they really wear blue because of the royal Savoia family? There must be a method to all this color-confusion madness.
• Vuvuzelas: Count me as an observer who will miss the buzzing vuvuzelas and other sounds of the 2010 World Cup as we enter the abyss that is the Summer Sports Doldrums.